The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete — Page 11
The hero's night in the wood between Bar-le-duc and Chalons was no doubt more blood-curdling to our eighteenth-century ancestors than it is to us, who have become acquainted with scores of similar situations in the small number of exciting romances which belong to literature, and in the greater number which do not.
La noche del héroe en el bosque entre Bar-le-duc y Chalons era sin duda más espeluznante para nuestros antepasados del siglo XVIII de lo que lo es para nosotros, que nos hemos familiarizado con decenas de situaciones similares en el reducido número de novelas emocionantes que pertenecen a la literatura, y en el mayor número de las que no.
Still, even to-day, a reader, with his taste jaded by trashy novels, will be conscious of Smollett's power, and of several thrills, likewise, as he reads about Fathom's experience in the loft in which the beldame locks him to pass the night.
Sin embargo, incluso hoy en día, un lector, con su gusto hastiado por novelas de mala calidad, será consciente del poder de Smollett, y de varios estremecimientos, asimismo, mientras lee sobre la experiencia de Fathom en el desván en el que la vieja lo encierra para pasar la noche.
This situation is melodramatic rather than romantic, as the word is used technically in application to eighteenth and nineteenth-century literature.
Esta situación es melodramática más que romántica, en el sentido en que la palabra se usa técnicamente en aplicación a la literatura de los siglos XVIII y XIX.
There is no little in Fathom, however, which is genuinely romantic in the latter sense.
No hay poco en Fathom, sin embargo, que sea genuinamente romántico en este último sentido.
Such is the imprisonment of the Countess in the castle-tower, whence she waves her handkerchief to the young Count, her son and would-be rescuer.
Tal es el encarcelamiento de la Condesa en la torre del castillo, desde donde agita su pañuelo al joven Conde, su hijo y aspirante a rescatador.
And especially so is the scene in the church, when Renaldo (the very name is romantic) visits at midnight the supposed grave of his lady-love.
Y especialmente lo es la escena en la iglesia, cuando Renaldo (el nombre mismo es romántico) visita a medianoche la supuesta tumba de su amada.
While he was waiting for the sexton to open the door, his "soul . . was wound up to the highest pitch of enthusiastic sorrow.
Mientras esperaba a que el sacristán abriera la puerta, su «alma . . estaba elevada al más alto grado de apasionado dolor.
The uncommon darkness, . . the solemn silence, and lonely situation of the place, conspired with the occasion of his coming, and the dismal images of his fancy, to produce a real rapture of gloomy expectation, which the whole world could not have persuaded him to disappoint.
La oscuridad inusual, . . el solemn silencio, y la solitaria situación del lugar, conspiraron con el motivo de su venida, y las lúgubres imágenes de su fantasía, para producir un verdadero arrebato de sombría expectación, del que el mundo entero no hubiera podido persuadirle a desistir.
Vocabulary
- La
- The (feminine singular article)
- noche
- Night; the period of darkness
- del
- Of the; contraction of de + el
- héroe
- Hero; a person of distinguished courage
- en
- In; at; on (preposition of location)
- el
- The (masculine singular article)
- bosque
- Forest; a large area of trees
- entre
- Between; among (preposition)
- era
- Was; past tense of ser
- sin
- Without (preposition)
- duda
- Doubt; uncertainty
- más
- More; greater in quantity
- espeluznante
- Horrifying; causing hair-raising fear
- para
- For; in order to (preposition)
- nuestros
- Our; possessive adjective plural
- antepasados
- Ancestors; forebears
- siglo
- Century; period of one hundred years
- de
- Of; from (preposition)
- lo
- The; neuter article or pronoun
- que
- That; which (relative pronoun)
- es
- Is; present tense of ser
- nosotros
- We; us (pronoun)
- nos
- Us; to us (pronoun)
- hemos
- We have; present perfect auxiliary
- familiarizado
- Familiarized; made acquainted with
- con
- With (preposition)
- decenas
- Tens; groups of ten
- situaciones
- Situations; circumstances or conditions
- similares
- Similar; alike or comparable
- reducido
- Reduced; made smaller in size
- número
- Number; a quantity or figure
- novelas
- Novels; long fictional prose narratives
- emocionantes
- Exciting; causing emotional response
- pertenecen
- Belong; are owned or related to
- la
- The (feminine singular article)
- literatura
- Literature; written works collectively
- mayor
- Greater; larger in size
- las
- The (feminine plural article)
- no
- Not; negation (adverb)
- Sin
- Without (preposition)
- embargo
- However; nevertheless (in phrase sin embargo)
- incluso
- Even; including (adverb)
- hoy
- Today; present day (adverb)
- día
- Day; twenty-four hour period
- un
- A; an (indefinite article masculine)
- lector
- Reader; person who reads
- su
- His; her; your (possessive)
- gusto
- Taste; preference or flavor
- hastiado
- Weary; tired or bored
- por
- By; for (preposition)
- mala
- Bad; poor quality (feminine)
- calidad
- Quality; degree of excellence
- será
- Will be; future tense of ser
- consciente
- Aware; conscious of something
- poder
- Power; ability to do something
- varios
- Several; multiple or diverse
- estremecimientos
- Shivers; tremors or shudders
- asimismo
- Likewise; in the same way
- mientras
- While; during the time that
- lee
- Reads; present tense of leer
- sobre
- About; on (preposition)
- experiencia
- Experience; knowledge from doing
- desván
- Attic; upper floor storage area
- vieja
- Old; aged (feminine adjective)
- encierra
- Encloses; contains within (verb)
- pasar
- To pass; to go by or happen
- Esta
- This; that (feminine demonstrative)
- situación
- Situation; set of circumstances
- melodramática
- Melodramatic; overly emotional or exaggerated
- romántica
- Romantic; of romance or love
- sentido
- Sense; meaning or direction
- palabra
- Word; unit of language
- se
- Oneself; reflexive pronoun
- usa
- Uses; is used (verb)
- técnicamente
- Technically; in a technical manner
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