The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 1
Of my Birth and Parentage
De mi nacimiento y linaje
I was born in the northern part of this united kingdom, in the house of my grandfather, a gentleman of considerable fortune and influence, who had on many occasions signalised himself in behalf of his country; and was remarkable for his abilities in the law, which he exercised with great success in the station of a judge, particularly against beggars, for whom he had a singular aversion.
Nací en la parte septentrional de este reino unido, en la casa de mi abuelo, un caballero de considerable fortuna e influencia, que en muchas ocasiones se había distinguido en beneficio de su país; y era notable por sus dotes en el derecho, que ejerció con gran éxito en el cargo de juez, particularmente contra los mendigos, hacia quienes sentía una singular aversión.
My father (his youngest son) falling in love with a poor relation, who lived with the old gentleman in quality of a housekeeper, espoused her privately; and I was the first fruit of that marriage.
Mi padre (su hijo menor) se enamoró de una pobre pariente, que vivía con el anciano caballero en calidad de ama de llaves, y se casó con ella en secreto; y yo fui el primer fruto de ese matrimonio.
During her pregnancy, a dream discomposed my mother so much that her husband, tired with her importunity, at last consulted a highland seer, whose favourable interpretation he would have secured beforehand by a bribe, but found him incorruptible.
Durante su embarazo, un sueño perturbó tanto a mi madre que su marido, cansado de sus importunidades, consultó por fin a un vidente de las Highlands, cuya interpretación favorable habría querido asegurarse de antemano mediante un soborno, pero lo encontró incorruptible.
She dreamed she was delivered of a tennis-ball, which the devil (who, to her great surprise, acted the part of a midwife) struck so forcibly with a racket that it disappeared in an instant; and she was for some time inconsolable for the lost of her offspring; when, all on a sudden, she beheld it return with equal violence, and enter the earth, beneath her feet, whence immediately sprang up a goodly tree covered with blossoms, the scent of which operated so strongly on her nerves that she awoke.
Soñó que daba a luz una pelota de tenis, que el diablo (quien, para su gran sorpresa, hacía las veces de comadrona) golpeó con tanta fuerza con una raqueta que desapareció en un instante; y estuvo durante algún tiempo inconsolable por la pérdida de su vástago; cuando, de repente, lo vio regresar con igual violencia, y penetrar en la tierra bajo sus pies, de donde brotó de inmediato un hermoso árbol cubierto de flores, cuyo aroma actuó con tanta intensidad sobre sus nervios que despertó.
Vocabulary
- nacimiento
- The event or act of being born
- linaje
- Family lineage, ancestry, or noble descent
- Nací
- First-person singular preterite of nacer, I was born
- parte
- A portion, section, or region of something
- septentrional
- Relating to or located in the north
- reino
- A kingdom or realm ruled by a monarch
- unido
- Joined together, united, or combined as one
- abuelo
- A grandfather or male grandparent in a family
- caballero
- A gentleman, knight, or man of social standing
- considerable
- Notably large or significant in amount or degree
- fortuna
- Wealth, fortune, or financial prosperity
- influencia
- Power or effect over others or circumstances
- ocasiones
- Plural of ocasión, meaning opportunities or instances
- distinguido
- Distinguished, set apart, or made oneself notable
- beneficio
- A benefit, advantage, or act of public service
- notable
- Worthy of notice, remarkable, or well-known
- dotes
- Natural talents, gifts, or aptitudes of a person
- derecho
- Law as a field of study or legal right
- ejerció
- Third-person singular preterite of ejercer, practiced
- éxito
- Success or a favorable outcome of an endeavor
- cargo
- A position, post, or official role or charge
- juez
- A judge who presides over legal proceedings
- particularmente
- Especially or in a particular or specific manner
- contra
- Preposition meaning against or in opposition to
- mendigos
- Beggars or people who ask for charity publicly
- hacia
- Preposition meaning toward or in the direction of
- quienes
- Plural relative pronoun meaning who or whom
- sentía
- Third-person singular imperfect of sentir, felt
- singular
- Unique, unusual, or remarkable in a distinctive way
- aversión
- A strong dislike or repugnance toward something
- hijo
- A son or male child of a parent
- menor
- Younger, lesser, or smaller in rank or age
- enamoró
- Third-person singular preterite of enamorarse, fell in love
- pobre
- Poor, lacking wealth or financial resources
- pariente
- A relative or family member by blood or marriage
- anciano
- An elderly or very old man
- calidad
- Quality, capacity, or role in which one acts
- ama
- A housekeeper or woman who manages a household
- llaves
- Keys; ama de llaves means housekeeper
- casó
- Third-person singular preterite of casarse, got married
- secreto
- A secret, something kept hidden from others
- fruto
- Fruit or result of an action or relationship
- matrimonio
- Marriage or the institution of being married
- Durante
- Preposition meaning during or throughout a period of time
- embarazo
- Pregnancy or the state of carrying a child
- sueño
- A dream or the state of sleeping
- perturbó
- Third-person singular preterite of perturbar, disturbed or troubled
- tanto
- Adverb or adjective meaning so much or so many
- marido
- A husband or male spouse in a marriage
- cansado
- Tired, weary, or exhausted from effort or annoyance
- importunidades
- Persistent, bothersome requests or troublesome insistences
- consultó
- Third-person singular preterite of consultar, consulted or sought advice
- fin
- End, purpose, or final point; al fin means finally
- vidente
- A seer, fortune-teller, or person with prophetic vision
- cuya
- Relative possessive pronoun meaning whose, for feminine nouns
- interpretación
- An interpretation or explanation of meaning or content
- favorable
- Positive, advantageous, or expressing approval or support
- habría
- Third-person singular conditional of haber, would have
- querido
- Past participle of querer, wanted or desired something
- asegurarse
- To make sure of or secure something for oneself
- antemano
- Beforehand; de antemano means in advance or ahead of time
- mediante
- Preposition meaning by means of or through something
- soborno
- A bribe or corrupt payment to gain favor
- encontró
- Third-person singular preterite of encontrar, found or encountered
- incorruptible
- Not able to be bribed or morally corrupted
- Soñó
- Third-person singular preterite of soñar, dreamed
- luz
- Light; dar a luz means to give birth
- pelota
- A ball used in sports or games
- diablo
- The devil or a demonic supernatural evil being
- sorpresa
- A surprise or unexpected event causing astonishment
- veces
- Times or occasions; hacer las veces de means to act as
- comadrona
- A midwife who assists women during childbirth
- golpeó
- Third-person singular preterite of golpear, hit or struck
- tanta
- Feminine singular of tanto, meaning so much
- fuerza
- Strength, force, or physical or mental power
- raqueta
- A racket used to hit a ball in sports
- desapareció
- Third-person singular preterite of desaparecer, disappeared
- instante
- An instant or very brief moment in time
- durante
- Preposition meaning during or throughout a time period
- algún
- Indefinite adjective meaning some or any before nouns
- tiempo
- Time or weather depending on context
- inconsolable
- Unable to be comforted after loss or grief
- pérdida
- A loss of something or someone valued
- vástago
- An offspring, descendant, or shoot of a plant
- repente
- Suddenly; de repente means all of a sudden
- regresar
- To return or come back to a previous place
- igual
- Equal, same, or with the same intensity or manner
- violencia
- Violence or extreme physical force causing harm
- penetrar
- To penetrate, pierce, or enter deeply into something
- tierra
- Earth, ground, soil, or land
- bajo
- Preposition meaning under or below; adjective meaning low
- pies
- Plural of pie, meaning feet of a person
- brotó
- Third-person singular preterite of brotar, sprouted or sprang
- inmediato
- Immediate or instantaneous; de inmediato means right away
- hermoso
- Beautiful, lovely, or aesthetically pleasing
- árbol
- A tree, a large woody perennial plant
- cubierto
- Covered or filled with something on the surface
- flores
- Plural of flor, meaning flowers or blossoms
- cuyo
- Relative possessive pronoun meaning whose, for masculine nouns
- aroma
- A pleasant smell or fragrance of something
- actuó
- Third-person singular preterite of actuar, acted or had effect
- intensidad
- Intensity or extreme strength of a sensation or force
- sobre
- Preposition meaning on, over, or about something
- nervios
- Nerves or feelings of nervousness and anxiety
- despertó
- Third-person singular preterite of despertar, woke up
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