The Picture of Dorian Gray — Page 5
There is a fatality about all physical and intellectual distinction, the sort of fatality that seems to dog through history the faltering steps of kings.
Hay una fatalidad en toda distinción física e intelectual, el tipo de fatalidad que parece perseguir a través de la historia los pasos vacilantes de los reyes.
It is better not to be different from one's fellows.
Es mejor no ser diferente a los semejantes.
The ugly and the stupid have the best of it in this world.
Los feos y los estúpidos llevan la mejor parte en este mundo.
They can sit at their ease and gape at the play.
Pueden sentarse cómodamente y contemplar boquiabiertos la función.
If they know nothing of victory, they are at least spared the knowledge of defeat.
Si no saben nada de la victoria, al menos se les ahorra el conocimiento de la derrota.
They live as we all should live—undisturbed, indifferent, and without disquiet.
Viven como todos deberíamos vivir: tranquilos, indiferentes y sin inquietud.
They neither bring ruin upon others, nor ever receive it from alien hands.
Ni llevan la ruina a los demás, ni jamás la reciben de manos ajenas.
Your rank and wealth, Harry; my brains, such as they are—my art, whatever it may be worth; Dorian Gray's good looks—we shall all suffer for what the gods have given us, suffer terribly."
Tu rango y tu riqueza, Harry; mi inteligencia, tal como es, mi arte, sea lo que valga; la buena apariencia de Dorian Gray: todos sufriremos por lo que los dioses nos han dado, sufriremos terriblemente."
"Dorian Gray? Is that his name?" asked Lord Henry, walking across the studio towards Basil Hallward.
"¿Dorian Gray? ¿Ese es su nombre?" preguntó Lord Henry, cruzando el estudio hacia Basil Hallward.
"Yes, that is his name. I didn't intend to tell it to you."
"Sí, ese es su nombre. No tenía intención de decírtelo."
"But why not?"
"¿Pero por qué no?"
"Oh, I can't explain.
"Oh, no puedo explicarlo.
When I like people immensely, I never tell their names to any one.
Cuando me gustan mucho las personas, jamás digo sus nombres a nadie.
It is like surrendering a part of them.
Es como entregar una parte de ellas.
I have grown to love secrecy.
He llegado a amar el secreto.
It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvellous to us.
Parece ser la única cosa que puede hacer que la vida moderna nos resulte misteriosa o maravillosa.
The commonest thing is delightful if one only hides it.
La cosa más común resulta encantadora si uno simplemente la oculta.
When I leave town now I never tell my people where I am going.
Cuando me voy de la ciudad ahora, nunca le digo a mi gente adónde voy.
If I did, I would lose all my pleasure.
Si lo hiciera, perdería todo el placer.
Vocabulary
- Hay
- There is, there are; present tense of haber
- una
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- fatalidad
- Fatality; inevitability or destiny that cannot be avoided
- en
- In, on, at; preposition indicating location or time
- toda
- All, every; feminine form of todo
- distinción
- Distinction; difference or special recognition
- física
- Physical; relating to the body or material world
- intelectual
- Intellectual; relating to the mind or intellect
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- tipo
- Type, kind, guy; category or person
- de
- Of, from; preposition indicating possession or origin
- que
- That, which, who; relative or subordinate conjunction
- parece
- Seems, appears; third person singular of parecer
- perseguir
- To pursue, chase, persecute; to follow relentlessly
- través
- Through, across; used in phrase a través de
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- historia
- History, story; account of past events
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- pasos
- Steps, paces; plural of paso
- vacilantes
- Wavering, hesitant; lacking firmness or certainty
- reyes
- Kings; plural of rey
- Es
- Is; third person singular present of ser
- mejor
- Better, best; comparative or superlative of bueno
- no
- No, not; negation word
- ser
- To be; fundamental verb expressing identity or essence
- diferente
- Different; not the same as another
- semejantes
- Similar, alike; resembling or comparable to something
- Los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- feos
- Ugly; lacking physical beauty or attractiveness
- estúpidos
- Stupid, foolish; lacking intelligence or understanding
- llevan
- Carry, wear, lead; third person plural of llevar
- parte
- Part, portion; section or component of whole
- este
- This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- mundo
- World; the earth and all its people
- Pueden
- Can, are able; third person plural of poder
- sentarse
- To sit down; reflexive verb for seating oneself
- cómodamente
- Comfortably; in an ease or convenience manner
- contemplar
- To contemplate, view; to observe or reflect upon
- función
- Function, performance, show; role or working capability
- Si
- If; conditional conjunction introducing hypothetical clause
- saben
- Know; third person plural of saber
- nada
- Nothing; absence of anything or zero
- victoria
- Victory, triumph; success in battle or competition
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el
- menos
- Less, least; smaller in amount or degree
- se
- Reflexive or indirect object pronoun; oneself
- les
- Them, to them; indirect object pronoun
- ahorra
- Saves; third person singular of ahorrar
- conocimiento
- Knowledge, understanding; awareness or acquaintance with facts
- derrota
- Defeat, loss; failure in battle or competition
- Viven
- Live; third person plural of vivir
- como
- Like, as; comparison or manner preposition
- todos
- All, everyone; plural of todo
- deberíamos
- Should; conditional first person plural of deber
- vivir
- To live; to exist or pass one's life
- tranquilos
- Calm, peaceful; free from disturbance or worry
- indiferentes
- Indifferent, unconcerned; showing no particular interest or sympathy
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence or lack
- inquietud
- Worry, unease; state of anxiety or concern
- Ni
- Neither, nor; negative conjunction
- ruina
- Ruin, downfall; destruction or state of collapse
- demás
- Others, rest; remaining people or things
- jamás
- Never, ever; not at any time whatsoever
- reciben
- Receive; third person plural of recibir
- manos
- Hands; plural of mano, upper limbs
- ajenas
- Others', foreign; belonging to someone else
- Tu
- Your; second person singular possessive adjective
- rango
- Rank, standing; position in social or military hierarchy
- riqueza
- Wealth, richness; abundance of money or resources
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- inteligencia
- Intelligence; capacity for learning and understanding
- tal
- Such, such a; indicating quality or type
- arte
- Art; creative human expression or skill
- sea
- Be; present subjunctive of ser
- lo
- It, the; neuter article or object pronoun
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