The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete — Page 14
Apart from its plot, which not a few nineteenth-century writers of detective-stories might have improved, The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom is less interesting for itself than any other piece of fiction from Smollett's pen.
Aparte de su trama, que no pocos escritores de historias de detectives del siglo XIX podrían haber mejorado, Las aventuras de Ferdinand Count Fathom es menos interesante por sí misma que cualquier otra obra de ficción salida de la pluma de Smollett.
For a student of Smollett, however, it is highly interesting as showing the author's romantic, melodramatic tendencies, and the growth of his constructive technique.
Para un estudioso de Smollett, sin embargo, resulta sumamente interesante como muestra de las tendencias románticas y melodramáticas del autor, y del desarrollo de su técnica constructiva.
G. H. MAYNADIER
G. H. MAYNADIER
THE ADVENTURES OF FERDINAND COUNT FATHOM
LAS AVENTURAS DE FERDINAND COUNT FATHOM
TO DOCTOR ———
AL DOCTOR ———
You and I, my good friend, have often deliberated on the difficulty of writing such a dedication as might gratify the self-complacency of a patron, without exposing the author to the ridicule or censure of the public; and I think we generally agreed that the task was altogether impracticable.
Usted y yo, mi buen amigo, hemos deliberado con frecuencia sobre la dificultad de escribir una dedicatoria que pudiera satisfacer la autocomplacencia de un mecenas, sin exponer al autor al ridículo o a la censura del público; y creo que generalmente coincidíamos en que la tarea era del todo impracticable.
Indeed, this was one of the few subjects on which we have always thought in the same manner.
En efecto, este era uno de los pocos asuntos en los que siempre hemos pensado de la misma manera.
For, notwithstanding that deference and regard which we mutually pay to each other, certain it is, we have often differed, according to the predominancy of those different passions, which frequently warp the opinion, and perplex the understanding of the most judicious.
Pues, a pesar de la deferencia y el respeto que mutuamente nos profesamos, lo cierto es que con frecuencia hemos diferido, según el predominio de aquellas distintas pasiones que frecuentemente distorsionan la opinión y confunden el entendimiento de los más juiciosos.
In dedication, as in poetry, there is no medium; for, if any one of the human virtues be omitted in the enumeration of the patron's good qualities, the whole address is construed into an affront, and the writer has the mortification to find his praise prostituted to very little purpose.
En la dedicatoria, como en la poesía, no existe término medio; pues si se omite alguna de las virtudes humanas en la enumeración de las buenas cualidades del mecenas, toda la dedicatoria se interpreta como un agravio, y el escritor tiene la mortificación de ver su elogio prostituido con muy escaso provecho.
Vocabulary
- Aparte
- Apart from, aside from, or besides something
- trama
- Plot or storyline of a narrative work
- pocos
- Few in number; not many people or things
- escritores
- Writers or authors who compose literary works
- historias
- Stories, narratives, or histories
- detectives
- Investigators who solve crimes or mysteries
- siglo
- Century; a period of one hundred years
- podrían
- Conditional form of 'poder': could or would be able
- haber
- Auxiliary verb meaning 'to have' in compound tenses
- mejorado
- Improved; made better than before
- aventuras
- Adventures; exciting or daring experiences or events
- menos
- Less or fewer; indicating a smaller degree
- interesante
- Interesting; capturing attention or curiosity
- sí
- Reflexive pronoun or affirmative word meaning 'yes'
- misma
- Feminine form of 'mismo': itself, same, or very
- cualquier
- Any; whichever one among several possible options
- obra
- Work, especially a literary or artistic creation
- ficción
- Fiction; invented narrative or imaginative storytelling
- salida
- Exit, output, or something that comes out from
- pluma
- Pen or feather; instrument used for writing
- estudioso
- Scholar or studious person who studies carefully
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without'; lacking something
- embargo
- Used in 'sin embargo': nevertheless or however
- resulta
- Turns out or proves to be; results in something
- sumamente
- Extremely or highly; to a very great degree
- muestra
- Shows or demonstrates; also a sample or example
- tendencias
- Tendencies or trends in behavior, style, or thought
- románticas
- Romantic; relating to the Romantic literary movement
- melodramáticas
- Melodramatic; excessively emotional or sensational in style
- autor
- Author; person who writes a literary work
- desarrollo
- Development or growth of something over time
- técnica
- Technique or method used in a craft or art
- constructiva
- Constructive; related to building or structuring something
- AVENTURAS
- Adventures; exciting experiences or daring undertakings
- Usted
- Formal second-person singular pronoun meaning 'you'
- buen
- Good; shortened form of 'bueno' before masculine nouns
- amigo
- Friend; a person one knows and likes well
- hemos
- First-person plural of 'haber': we have (auxiliary)
- deliberado
- Deliberated or pondered; also deliberate or intentional
- frecuencia
- Frequency; how often something happens or occurs
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'about,' 'over,' or 'on top of'
- dificultad
- Difficulty; something that is hard to do or achieve
- escribir
- To write; to compose text or literary works
- dedicatoria
- Dedication; an inscription honoring a person in a book
- pudiera
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'poder': could or might
- satisfacer
- To satisfy; to fulfill a need, desire, or expectation
- autocomplacencia
- Self-complacency; excessive satisfaction with oneself
- mecenas
- Patron; wealthy supporter of arts or literature
- exponer
- To expose or present something to view or risk
- ridículo
- Ridiculous; something absurd, laughable, or deserving mockery
- censura
- Censure or censorship; official criticism or suppression
- público
- Public; the general audience or population
- creo
- I believe or I think; first-person present of 'creer'
- generalmente
- Generally or usually; in most cases or situations
- coincidíamos
- We agreed or coincided; imperfect of 'coincidir'
- tarea
- Task, assignment, or homework to be completed
- era
- Imperfect of 'ser': was; describing a past state
- todo
- All, everything, or entirely; complete without exception
- impracticable
- Impracticable; impossible or extremely difficult to carry out
- efecto
- Effect; result, or indeed (in 'en efecto': indeed)
- este
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this'
- asuntos
- Matters, issues, or affairs requiring attention
- siempre
- Always; at all times without exception
- pensado
- Thought about; past participle of 'pensar'
- manera
- Manner or way; how something is done
- Pues
- Well or then; discourse marker introducing a statement
- pesar
- Regret or sorrow; used in 'a pesar de': despite
- deferencia
- Deference; respectful submission or yielding to another
- respeto
- Respect; regard or consideration for another person
- mutuamente
- Mutually; in a way that is shared by both sides
- nos
- Reflexive or indirect object pronoun meaning 'us' or 'ourselves'
- profesamos
- We profess or declare; first-person plural of 'profesar'
- lo
- Neuter article or direct object pronoun meaning 'it'
- cierto
- Certain or true; something known to be correct
- diferido
- Deferred or postponed; delayed to a later time
- según
- According to; depending on a circumstance or source
- predominio
- Predominance; the state of having superior influence or power
- aquellas
- Feminine plural demonstrative adjective meaning 'those'
- distintas
- Distinct or different; clearly separate from others
- pasiones
- Passions; strong emotions or intense feelings
- frecuentemente
- Frequently; happening often or at short intervals
- distorsionan
- Distort; they twist or misrepresent something
- opinión
- Opinion; personal view or judgment about something
- confunden
- They confuse or mix up; cause bewilderment or error
- entendimiento
- Understanding or intellect; the faculty of comprehension
- más
- More; indicating a greater degree or quantity
- juiciosos
- Judicious; showing good judgment and wisdom
- poesía
- Poetry; literary art expressed in verse form
- existe
- Exists; is present or occurs in reality
- término
- Term, word, or endpoint; also middle ground
- medio
- Middle or means; halfway or a medium point
- pues
- Well, since, or then; connective discourse particle
- si
- Conditional conjunction meaning 'if'
- omite
- Omits; leaves out or fails to include something
- alguna
- Some or any; feminine singular indefinite adjective
- virtudes
- Virtues; positive moral qualities or admirable traits
- humanas
- Human; relating to people or human nature
- enumeración
- Enumeration; the act of listing items one by one
- cualidades
- Qualities or attributes; characteristics of a person or thing
- toda
- All or every; feminine singular form of 'todo'
- interpreta
- Interprets or perceives; understands in a particular way
- agravio
- Grievance or offense; a wrong done to someone
- escritor
- Writer or author of literary or journalistic works
- tiene
- Has; third-person singular present of 'tener'
- mortificación
- Mortification; humiliation or deep embarrassment felt inwardly
- ver
- To see; to perceive visually or to understand
- elogio
- Praise or eulogy; words expressing high admiration
- prostituido
- Debased or prostituted; misused for unworthy purposes
- muy
- Very; intensifier indicating a high degree
- escaso
- Scarce or scant; insufficient in quantity or amount
- provecho
- Benefit or profit; advantage gained from something
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