The King in Yellow — Page 4
If Hawberk knew how I loathe that word "lunatic," he would never use it in my presence.
Si Hawberk supiera cuánto detesto esa palabra «lunático», nunca la usaría en mi presencia.
It rouses certain feelings within me which I do not care to explain.
Despierta en mí ciertos sentimientos que no me apetece explicar.
However, I answered him quietly: "I think I shall drop in and see Mr. Wilde for a moment or two."
Sin embargo, le respondí con calma: «Creo que pasaré a ver al señor Wilde un momento».
"Poor fellow," said Constance, with a shake of the head, "it must be hard to live alone year after year poor, crippled and almost demented.
«Pobre hombre», dijo Constance, meneando la cabeza, «debe de ser difícil vivir solo año tras año, pobre, lisiado y casi demente.
It is very good of you, Mr. Castaigne, to visit him as often as you do."
Es muy amable de su parte, señor Castaigne, visitarle con tanta frecuencia».
"I think he is vicious," observed Hawberk, beginning again with his hammer.
«Creo que es un vicioso», observó Hawberk, retomando su martillo.
I listened to the golden tinkle on the greave plates; when he had finished I replied:
Escuché el tintineo dorado sobre las placas de las grebas; cuando hubo terminado, respondí:
"No, he is not vicious, nor is he in the least demented.
«No, no es un vicioso, ni está en lo más mínimo demente.
His mind is a wonder chamber, from which he can extract treasures that you and I would give years of our lives to acquire."
Su mente es una cámara de maravillas, de la que puede extraer tesoros por los que usted y yo daríamos años de nuestra vida».
Hawberk laughed.
Hawberk se rió.
I continued a little impatiently: "He knows history as no one else could know it.
Continué con cierta impaciencia: «Conoce la historia como nadie más podría conocerla.
Nothing, however trivial, escapes his search, and his memory is so absolute, so precise in details, that were it known in New York that such a man existed, the people could not honour him enough."
Nada, por trivial que sea, escapa a su investigación, y su memoria es tan absoluta, tan precisa en los detalles, que si en Nueva York se supiera que existe un hombre así, la gente no podría honrarle lo suficiente».
"Nonsense," muttered Hawberk, searching on the floor for a fallen rivet.
«Tonterías», murmuró Hawberk, buscando en el suelo un remache caído.
Vocabulary
- Si
- If; used to introduce a conditional clause.
- supiera
- If I knew; subjunctive past of saber.
- cuánto
- How much; interrogative or exclamatory word.
- detesto
- I detest; first person singular present of detestar.
- esa
- That; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun.
- palabra
- Word; unit of speech or writing.
- lunático
- Lunatic; insane person or madman.
- nunca
- Never; not at any time.
- usaría
- I would use; conditional form of usar.
- presencia
- Presence; the state of being present.
- Despierta
- Awakens; arouses or awakens emotions.
- ciertos
- Certain; sure or particular things.
- sentimientos
- Feelings; emotions or emotional states.
- apetece
- Appeals to me; I fancy or desire.
- explicar
- To explain; to make something clear.
- Sin
- Without; lacking or deprived of.
- embargo
- However; nevertheless or still.
- respondí
- I responded; past tense of responder.
- calma
- Calm; peaceful or tranquil state.
- Creo
- I believe; first person singular of creer.
- pasaré
- I will pass; future tense of pasar.
- ver
- To see; to view or observe.
- señor
- Mister; title of respect for a man.
- momento
- Moment; a brief period of time.
- Pobre
- Poor; lacking money or resources.
- hombre
- Man; adult male human being.
- dijo
- Said; past tense of decir.
- meneando
- Shaking; moving back and forth.
- cabeza
- Head; upper part of body.
- debe
- Must; should or ought to.
- ser
- To be; essential verb.
- difícil
- Difficult; hard or challenging.
- vivir
- To live; to exist or reside.
- solo
- Alone; by oneself.
- año
- Year; period of twelve months.
- tras
- After; following in time or sequence.
- lisiado
- Crippled; disabled or injured person.
- casi
- Almost; nearly or practically.
- demente
- Insane; mentally ill or deranged.
- amable
- Kind; pleasant or friendly in manner.
- su
- His, her, its, their; possessive adjective.
- parte
- Part; portion or side of something.
- visitarle
- To visit him; infinitive with object pronoun.
- tanta
- So much; such a great amount.
- frecuencia
- Frequency; how often something occurs.
- vicioso
- Vicious; depraved or morally corrupt.
- observó
- Observed; past tense of observar.
- retomando
- Resuming; taking up again.
- martillo
- Hammer; tool for striking nails.
- Escuché
- I listened; past tense of escuchar.
- tintineo
- Tinkling; ringing or clear sound.
- dorado
- Golden; made of or colored gold.
- placas
- Plates; metal or protective coverings.
- terminado
- Finished; completed or ended.
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