The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 4
Although nothing could be more ludicrous and unnatural than the figures they drew, they did not want patrons and admirers; and the world actually began to be infected with the spirit of knight-errantry, when Cervantes, by an inimitable piece of ridicule, reformed the taste of mankind, representing chivalry in the right point of view, and converting romance to purposes far more useful and entertaining, by making it assume the sock, and point out the follies of ordinary life.
Aunque nada podría ser más ridículo e irnatural que las figuras que dibujaban, no les faltaron mecenas ni admiradores; y el mundo comenzó verdaderamente a contagiarse del espíritu de la caballería andante, cuando Cervantes, mediante una pieza inimitable de ridiculización, reformó el gusto de la humanidad, representando la caballería desde el punto de vista correcto, y convirtiendo el romance en propósitos mucho más útiles y entretenidos, al hacerlo adoptar el estilo cómico y señalar las necedades de la vida ordinaria.
The same method has been practised by other Spanish and French authors, and by none more successfully than by Monsieur Le Sage, who, in his Adventures of Gil Blas, has described the knavery and foibles of life, with infinite humour and sagacity.
El mismo método ha sido practicado por otros autores españoles y franceses, y por ninguno con más éxito que por el señor Le Sage, quien, en sus Aventuras de Gil Blas, ha descrito las picardías y debilidades de la vida, con infinito humor y sagacidad.
The following sheets I have modelled on his plan, taking me liberty, however, to differ from him in the execution, where I thought his particular situations were uncommon, extravagant, or peculiar to the country in which the scene is laid.
Las páginas siguientes las he modelado según su plan, tomándome la libertad, sin embargo, de diferir de él en la ejecución, donde consideré que sus situaciones particulares eran poco comunes, extravagantes o propias del país en el que se desarrolla la escena.
The disgraces of Gil Blas are, for the most part, such as rather excite mirth than compassion; he himself laughs at them; and his transitions from distress to happiness, or at least ease, are so sudden, that neither the reader has time to pity him, nor himself to be acquainted with affliction.
Las desgracias de Gil Blas son, en su mayor parte, de tal naturaleza que excitan más la risa que la compasión; él mismo se ríe de ellas; y sus transiciones de la angustia a la felicidad, o al menos a la tranquilidad, son tan repentinas, que ni el lector tiene tiempo de compadecerlo, ni él mismo de familiarizarse con la aflicción.
This conduct, in my opinion, not only deviates from probability, but prevents that generous indignation, which ought to animate the reader against the sordid and vicious disposition of the world.
Esta conducta, en mi opinión, no solo se aparta de la verosimilitud, sino que impide esa generosa indignación que debería animar al lector contra la sórdida y viciosa disposición del mundo.
Vocabulary
- Aunque
- Conjunction meaning 'although' or 'even though'
- nada
- Nothing; not anything at all
- podría
- Could or would be able to (conditional of poder)
- ser
- To be (permanent or inherent characteristics)
- más
- More; used for comparisons and additions
- ridículo
- Ridiculous; absurd or deserving of mockery
- e
- And; variant of 'y' used before i- sounds
- que
- That; which; who; conjunction or relative pronoun
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- figuras
- Figures; characters or shapes depicted visually
- dibujaban
- They drew or depicted (imperfect tense of dibujar)
- no
- No; not; negation word
- les
- To them; indirect object pronoun (third person plural)
- faltaron
- They lacked; were missing (preterite of faltar)
- ni
- Nor; neither; used in negative constructions
- admiradores
- Admirers; people who appreciate or praise someone
- y
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- mundo
- World; all people; global society
- comenzó
- Began; started (preterite tense of comenzar)
- verdaderamente
- Truly; genuinely; in a real or sincere manner
- a
- To; at; preposition indicating direction or purpose
- contagiarse
- To become infected or influenced by something spreading
- del
- Of the; contraction of 'de' and 'el'
- espíritu
- Spirit; essence or animating force of something
- de
- Of; from; preposition indicating origin or belonging
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- caballería
- Chivalry; knighthood or cavalry tradition
- cuando
- When; at the time that
- mediante
- By means of; through the use of something
- una
- A; an; feminine singular indefinite article
- pieza
- Piece; work; a literary or artistic creation
- reformó
- Reformed; changed or improved (preterite of reformar)
- gusto
- Taste; preference; aesthetic sensibility
- humanidad
- Humanity; humankind; compassion toward others
- representando
- Representing; portraying or depicting something
- desde
- From; since; indicating a starting point
- punto
- Point; spot; specific position or perspective
- vista
- View; sight; perspective or point of view
- correcto
- Correct; proper; accurate or socially appropriate
- convirtiendo
- Converting; transforming into something different
- romance
- Romance; romantic narrative or chivalric tale
- en
- In; on; into; general preposition of location
- propósitos
- Purposes; goals or intentions behind an action
- mucho
- Much; a lot; great in quantity or degree
- útiles
- Useful; helpful; serving a practical purpose
- entretenidos
- Entertaining; amusing or enjoyable to engage with
- al
- To the; contraction of 'a' and 'el'
- hacerlo
- To do it; infinitive with attached object pronoun
- adoptar
- To adopt; to take on a style or approach
- estilo
- Style; manner or distinctive way of expression
- cómico
- Comic; humorous; relating to comedy or laughter
- señalar
- To point out; indicate or highlight something
- vida
- Life; the experience of being alive
- ordinaria
- Ordinary; common; everyday and unremarkable
- El
- The; masculine singular definite article
- mismo
- Same; very; oneself; used for emphasis or identity
- método
- Method; systematic approach or procedure
- ha
- Has; auxiliary verb for present perfect tense
- sido
- Been; past participle of ser
- practicado
- Practiced; applied or used regularly
- por
- By; for; through; versatile preposition
- otros
- Others; other people or things
- autores
- Authors; writers of literary or scholarly works
- españoles
- Spanish; people or things from Spain
- franceses
- French; people or things from France
- ninguno
- None; not one; no one among a group
- con
- With; together with; in the company of
- éxito
- Success; a favorable or desired outcome
- señor
- Mister; sir; a title of respect for men
- quien
- Who; whom; relative pronoun referring to people
- sus
- His; her; their; their possessive adjective (plural)
- Aventuras
- Adventures; exciting or unusual experiences
- descrito
- Described; depicted in words (past participle)
- debilidades
- Weaknesses; personal flaws or character failings
- infinito
- Infinite; limitless; enormously great in degree
- humor
- Humor; wit; the quality of being amusing
- Las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- páginas
- Pages; individual sheets in a book or document
- siguientes
- Following; next; coming after in sequence
- he
- I have; first person auxiliary for perfect tense
- modelado
- Modeled; shaped or patterned after something else
- según
- According to; following or based on something
- su
- His; her; its; your (formal) possessive adjective
- plan
- Plan; scheme or organized course of action
- tomándome
- Taking for myself; reflexive gerund of tomar
- libertad
- Liberty; freedom; permission to act independently
- sin
- Without; lacking or absent of something
- embargo
- Embargo; used in 'sin embargo' meaning however
- diferir
- To differ; to deviate or vary from something
- él
- He; him; third person masculine singular pronoun
- ejecución
- Execution; carrying out or performance of a plan
- donde
- Where; in which; relative adverb of place
- consideré
- I considered; thought about (preterite of considerar)
- situaciones
- Situations; circumstances or particular conditions
- particulares
- Particular; specific; individual or special cases
- eran
- Were; third person plural imperfect of ser
- poco
- Little; few; a small amount or degree
- comunes
- Common; ordinary; shared by many people
- extravagantes
- Extravagant; wildly unusual or over-the-top
- o
- Or; conjunction presenting an alternative
- propias
- Own; proper; belonging specifically to something
- país
- Country; nation; geographic and political territory
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself; used in many constructions
- desarrolla
- Develops; takes place; unfolds or progresses
- escena
- Scene; setting or stage where action occurs
- desgracias
- Misfortunes; unfortunate or tragic events
- son
- Are; third person plural present of ser
- mayor
- Greater; larger; older; comparative of grande
- parte
- Part; portion; section of a whole
- tal
- Such; such a; of that particular kind
- naturaleza
- Nature; character; the natural world or essence
- excitan
- They excite; stir up or provoke feelings
- risa
- Laughter; the act of laughing; amusement
- compasión
- Compassion; sympathy felt for others' suffering
- ríe
- Laughs; third person singular present of reír
- ellas
- They; them; third person feminine plural pronoun
- transiciones
- Transitions; shifts or changes between states
- angustia
- Anguish; intense emotional distress or anxiety
- felicidad
- Happiness; joy; state of being content or glad
- menos
- Less; fewer; opposite of más
- tranquilidad
- Tranquility; calmness; peaceful state of mind
- tan
- So; as; such; used in comparisons and exclamations
- repentinas
- Sudden; abrupt; happening without warning
- lector
- Reader; person who reads a text or book
- tiene
- Has; there is (third person singular of tener)
- tiempo
- Time; weather; duration or period
- familiarizarse
- To familiarize oneself; become accustomed to something
- Esta
- This; feminine demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- conducta
- Conduct; behavior; the way one acts
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- opinión
- Opinion; personal view or judgment on something
- solo
- Only; alone; just; without others
- aparta
- Separates; moves away; departs from something
- sino
- But rather; but instead; contradicting a negation
- impide
- Prevents; stops or hinders from happening
- esa
- That; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- generosa
- Generous; noble; giving or magnanimous in spirit
- indignación
- Indignation; anger at injustice or wrongdoing
- debería
- Should; ought to (conditional of deber)
- animar
- To encourage; to motivate or inspire action
- contra
- Against; in opposition to something
- viciosa
- Vicious; morally corrupt or depraved in character
- disposición
- Disposition; tendency; natural inclination or attitude
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