The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 2
The reader gratifies his curiosity in pursuing the adventures of a person in whose favour he is prepossessed; he espouses his cause, he sympathises with him in his distress, his indignation is heated against the authors of his calamity: the humane passions are inflamed; the contrast between dejected virtue and insulting vice appears with greater aggravation, and every impression having a double force on the imagination, the memory retains the circumstance, and the heart improves by the example.
El lector satisface su curiosidad siguiendo las aventuras de una persona por quien siente predilección; abraza su causa, simpatiza con él en su desgracia, su indignación se enciende contra los autores de su calamidad: las pasiones humanas se inflaman; el contraste entre la virtud abatida y el vicio ultrajante aparece con mayor agravamiento, y cada impresión ejerciendo una doble fuerza sobre la imaginación, la memoria retiene la circunstancia y el corazón mejora con el ejemplo.
The attention is not tired with a bare catalogue of characters, but agreeably diverted with all the variety of invention; and the vicissitudes of life appear in their peculiar circumstances, opening an ample field for wit and humour.
La atención no se cansa con un mero catálogo de personajes, sino que se distrae agradablemente con toda la variedad de la invención; y las vicisitudes de la vida aparecen en sus circunstancias peculiares, abriendo un amplio campo para el ingenio y el humor.
Romance, no doubt, owes its origin to ignorance, vanity, and superstition.
La novela romántica, sin duda, debe su origen a la ignorancia, la vanidad y la superstición.
In the dark ages of the World, when a man had rendered himself famous for wisdom or valour, his family and adherents availed themselves of his superior qualities, magnified his virtues, and represented his character and person as sacred and supernatural.
En los oscuros tiempos del mundo, cuando un hombre se había hecho famoso por su sabiduría o su valor, su familia y sus seguidores se aprovechaban de sus cualidades superiores, magnificaban sus virtudes y presentaban su carácter y su persona como sagrados y sobrenaturales.
The vulgar easily swallowed the bait, implored his protection, and yielded the tribute of homage and praise, even to adoration; his exploits were handed down to posterity with a thousand exaggerations; they were repeated as incitements to virtue; divine honours were paid, and altars erected to his memory, for the encouragement of those who attempted to imitate his example; and hence arose the heathen mythology, which is no other than a collection of extravagant romances.
El vulgo tragó fácilmente el anzuelo, imploró su protección y rindió el tributo de homenaje y alabanza, llegando incluso a la adoración; sus hazañas fueron transmitidas a la posteridad con mil exageraciones; se repetían como incitaciones a la virtud; se le rendían honores divinos y se erigían altares en su memoria para alentar a quienes intentaban imitar su ejemplo; y de aquí surgió la mitología pagana, que no es otra cosa que una colección de extravagantes novelas fantásticas.
Vocabulary
- lector
- Reader; person who reads.
- satisface
- Satisfies; fulfills or gratifies a need.
- curiosidad
- Curiosity; desire to know or learn.
- siguiendo
- Following; going after or pursuing.
- aventuras
- Adventures; exciting or unusual experiences.
- persona
- Person; individual human being.
- quien
- Who; whom; relative pronoun.
- siente
- Feels; experiences emotion or sensation.
- predilección
- Predilection; preference or special liking.
- abraza
- Embraces; hugs or holds closely.
- causa
- Cause; reason or motive for action.
- simpatiza
- Sympathizes; feels compassion or understanding.
- desgracia
- Misfortune; bad luck or adversity.
- indignación
- Indignation; anger at injustice or offense.
- enciende
- Ignites; kindles or sets fire to.
- contra
- Against; in opposition to something.
- autores
- Authors; writers of literary or artistic works.
- calamidad
- Calamity; disaster or great misfortune.
- pasiones
- Passions; strong emotions or intense feelings.
- humanas
- Human; relating to people or humanity.
- inflaman
- Inflame; excite or provoke strong emotion.
- contraste
- Contrast; striking difference between things.
- entre
- Between; among; in the space separating.
- virtud
- Virtue; moral excellence or goodness.
- abatida
- Downcast; defeated or discouraged.
- vicio
- Vice; immoral or wicked behavior or habit.
- ultrajante
- Outrageous; causing insult or grave offense.
- aparece
- Appears; comes into sight or exists.
- mayor
- Greater; larger or of higher degree.
- agravamiento
- Aggravation; making worse or more severe.
- cada
- Each; every one individually.
- impresión
- Impression; effect produced on mind or senses.
- ejerciendo
- Exercising; practicing or performing an activity.
- doble
- Double; twice as much or two-fold.
- fuerza
- Force; strength or power.
- sobre
- On; upon; about; concerning.
- imaginación
- Imagination; ability to form mental images.
- memoria
- Memory; faculty of retaining and recalling.
- retiene
- Retains; keeps or holds in place.
- circunstancia
- Circumstance; condition or fact affecting situation.
- corazón
- Heart; organ of emotion and feeling.
- mejora
- Improves; makes better or more excellent.
- ejemplo
- Example; instance or model to follow.
- atención
- Attention; focusing mind on something.
- cansa
- Tires; makes weary or exhausted.
- mero
- Mere; only or simply; nothing more.
- catálogo
- Catalog; list or systematic arrangement.
- personajes
- Characters; people in story or play.
- sino
- But; rather; except.
- distrae
- Distracts; draws attention elsewhere.
- agradablemente
- Pleasantly; in agreeable or enjoyable manner.
- variedad
- Variety; diversity or many different kinds.
- invención
- Invention; creation or something newly created.
- vicisitudes
- Vicissitudes; changes of circumstances or fortune.
- vida
- Life; state of being alive.
- aparecen
- Appear; come into sight or become visible.
- peculiares
- Peculiar; characteristic or distinctive features.
- abriendo
- Opening; making open or creating access.
- amplio
- Ample; spacious or extensive.
- campo
- Field; area or domain of activity.
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