The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 3
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In vain the astonished painter declared that he had no intention to give offence, or to characterise particular persons: they affirmed the resemblance was too palpable to be overlooked; they taxed him with insolence, malice, and ingratitude; and their clamours being overheard by the public, the captain was a bear, the doctor an ass, and the senator an owl, to his dying day.
En vano el asombrado pintor declaró que no tenía intención de ofender, ni de caracterizar a personas particulares: ellos afirmaron que el parecido era demasiado palpable para pasarlo por alto; le acusaron de insolencia, malicia e ingratitud; y al ser escuchados sus clamores por el público, el capitán fue un oso, el doctor un asno y el senador un búho, hasta el día de su muerte.
Christian reader, I beseech thee, in the bowels of the Lord, remember this example "while thou art employed in the perusal of the following sheets; and seek not to appropriate to thyself that which equally belongs to five hundred different people.
Lector cristiano, te suplico, en las entrañas del Señor, que recuerdes este ejemplo mientras te ocupas en la lectura de las siguientes páginas; y no pretendas apropiarte de aquello que pertenece por igual a quinientas personas diferentes.
If thou shouldst meet with a character that reflects thee in some ungracious particular, keep thy own counsel; consider that one feature makes not a face, and that though thou art, perhaps, distinguished by a bottle nose, twenty of thy neighbours may be in the same predicament.
Si llegases a encontrar un personaje que te refleje en algún aspecto poco favorable, guarda silencio; considera que un solo rasgo no hace un rostro, y que aunque tú estés, quizás, distinguido por una nariz de botella, veinte de tus vecinos pueden estar en el mismo predicamento.
Vocabulary
- vano
- In vain; without success or result.
- asombrado
- Astonished or amazed by something unexpected.
- pintor
- A person who paints pictures or surfaces.
- declaró
- Past tense of declarar; stated or announced formally.
- intención
- A plan or purpose behind an action.
- ofender
- To offend or cause hurt to someone.
- ni
- Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'neither'.
- caracterizar
- To characterize or describe someone's distinctive traits.
- particulares
- Specific or private individuals, not public figures.
- afirmaron
- They affirmed or asserted something as true.
- parecido
- Resemblance or similarity between two things.
- demasiado
- Too much; exceeding a reasonable or desired amount.
- palpable
- Clearly obvious and easily perceived by all.
- alto
- High or tall; also used in 'pasar por alto' meaning overlook.
- acusaron
- They accused someone of wrongdoing or fault.
- insolencia
- Rude and disrespectful behavior toward others.
- malicia
- Malice; the intention to cause harm to others.
- ingratitud
- Ingratitude; failure to appreciate kindness received.
- escuchados
- Heard or listened to; past participle of escuchar.
- clamores
- Loud outcries or protests from a group.
- público
- The general public or audience of people.
- capitán
- A captain; military or naval officer of rank.
- oso
- A bear; large, powerful wild mammal.
- asno
- A donkey; also used to mean a stupid person.
- senador
- A senator; elected member of a legislative senate.
- búho
- An owl; nocturnal bird often symbolizing wisdom.
- hasta
- Preposition meaning 'until' or 'up to'.
- muerte
- Death; the end of life.
- Lector
- Reader; a person who reads a text.
- cristiano
- Christian; a person who follows Christianity.
- suplico
- I implore or beg someone earnestly for something.
- entrañas
- Innermost parts; bowels or depths of something.
- Señor
- Lord or Mister; title of respect or divine reference.
- recuerdes
- Subjunctive of recordar; that you remember something.
- ejemplo
- An example or model illustrating a point.
- mientras
- While or as long as something happens simultaneously.
- ocupas
- You occupy yourself with or engage in something.
- lectura
- Reading; the act of reading a text.
- siguientes
- Following or next; coming after in sequence.
- pretendas
- Subjunctive of pretender; that you claim or attempt.
- apropiarte
- To appropriate or take something as your own.
- aquello
- That thing over there; neuter demonstrative pronoun.
- pertenece
- Belongs to; is the property of someone.
- igual
- Equally; in the same way or manner.
- quinientas
- Five hundred; the number 500 in feminine form.
- llegases
- Past subjunctive of llegar; if you were to arrive.
- encontrar
- To find or encounter someone or something.
- personaje
- A character in a story or notable person.
- refleje
- Subjunctive of reflejar; that it reflects or mirrors.
- algún
- Some or any; an indefinite article before nouns.
- aspecto
- Aspect or appearance; a particular feature of something.
- favorable
- Favorable; positive or advantageous in nature.
- guarda
- Keep or guard; imperative to maintain or preserve.
- silencio
- Silence; complete absence of sound or noise.
- considera
- Consider; imperative to think carefully about something.
- rasgo
- A trait or feature distinguishing a person.
- rostro
- Face; the front part of a person's head.
- aunque
- Although or even though; introduces a concessive clause.
- quizás
- Perhaps or maybe; expressing possibility or uncertainty.
- distinguido
- Distinguished; notable or set apart by an attribute.
- nariz
- Nose; the facial organ used for breathing and smelling.
- botella
- Bottle; a container for liquids with a narrow neck.
- veinte
- Twenty; the number 20.
- vecinos
- Neighbors; people living nearby or in the same area.
- mismo
- Same; identical or in the very same situation.
- predicamento
- Predicament; a difficult or awkward situation someone faces.
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