The Prince — Page 14

English → Spanish Preface Level 8/10

This was followed by the sack of Rome, upon the news of which the popular party at Florence threw off the yoke of the Medici, who were once more banished.

A esto le siguió el saqueo de Roma, ante cuya noticia el partido popular de Florencia se sacudió el yugo de los Medici, quienes fueron desterrados una vez más.

Machiavelli was absent from Florence at this time, but hastened his return, hoping to secure his former office of secretary to the "Ten of Liberty and Peace."

Maquiavelo estaba ausente de Florencia en ese momento, pero apresuró su regreso con la esperanza de recuperar su antiguo cargo de secretario de los "Diez de Libertad y Paz".

Unhappily he was taken ill soon after he reached Florence, where he died on 22nd June 1527.

Desgraciadamente, cayó enfermo poco después de llegar a Florencia, donde murió el 22 de junio de 1527.

No one can say where the bones of Machiavelli rest, but modern Florence has decreed him a stately cenotaph in Santa Croce, by the side of her most famous sons; recognizing that, whatever other nations may have found in his works, Italy found in them the idea of her unity and the germs of her renaissance among the nations of Europe.

Nadie puede decir dónde reposan los huesos de Maquiavelo, pero la Florencia moderna le ha erigido un solemne cenotafio en Santa Croce, junto a sus hijos más ilustres; reconociendo que, sea lo que fuere que otras naciones hayan encontrado en sus obras, Italia encontró en ellas la idea de su unidad y los gérmenes de su renacimiento entre las naciones de Europa.

Whilst it is idle to protest against the world-wide and evil signification of his name, it may be pointed out that the harsh construction of his doctrine which this sinister reputation implies was unknown to his own day, and that the researches of recent times have enabled us to interpret him more reasonably.

Si bien es inútil protestar contra la significación universal y maligna de su nombre, cabe señalar que la interpretación severa de su doctrina que implica esta siniestra reputación era desconocida en su propia época, y que las investigaciones de los tiempos recientes nos han permitido interpretarlo de manera más razonable.

It is due to these inquiries that the shape of an "unholy necromancer," which so long haunted men's vision, has begun to fade.

Es gracias a estas investigaciones que la figura de un "impío nigromante", que durante tanto tiempo rondó la visión de los hombres, ha comenzado a desvanecerse.

Vocabulary

esto: This; refers to something just mentioned or nearby.
le: Indirect object pronoun meaning to him, her, or you.
siguió: Followed; past tense of seguir, to follow or continue.
saqueo: Sacking, looting; act of plundering a city or place.
Roma: Rome; capital city of Italy and ancient empire.
ante: Before, in the face of; preposition indicating presence or situation.
cuya: Whose; relative possessive pronoun agreeing with feminine noun.
noticia: News, piece of information or report about an event.
partido: Party, faction; political or social group sharing common goals.
popular: Popular; relating to the common people or widely liked.
Florencia: Florence; historic city in Tuscany, central Italy.
sacudió: Shook off, threw off; past tense of sacudir.
yugo: Yoke; symbol of oppression or domination over a people.
Medici: The Medici; powerful Florentine banking and ruling family.
quienes: Who; relative pronoun referring to previously mentioned persons.
fueron: Were or went; third person plural preterite of ser or ir.
desterrados: Exiled, banished; forced to leave one's homeland permanently.
vez: Time, instance; used in expressions like once more.
más: More; adverb indicating greater quantity or degree.
Maquiavelo: Machiavelli; Italian Renaissance political thinker and writer.
estaba: Was; imperfect tense of estar indicating a temporary state.
ausente: Absent; not present in a place at a given time.
ese: That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
momento: Moment; a brief, specific point or period in time.
pero: But; coordinating conjunction indicating contrast or exception.
apresuró: Hastened, hurried; past tense of apresurarse, to rush.
regreso: Return; the act of coming back to a place.
esperanza: Hope; feeling of expectation and desire for something good.
recuperar: To recover, regain; to get something back that was lost.
antiguo: Old, former, ancient; relating to earlier times or status.
cargo: Post, position, charge; an official role or responsibility.
secretario: Secretary; administrative official who manages records and correspondence.
Diez: Ten; the number ten; also refers to a historical council.
Libertad: Liberty, freedom; the state of being free from oppression.
Paz: Peace; absence of war or conflict between parties.
Desgraciadamente: Unfortunately; sadly, used to introduce an unfortunate circumstance.
cayó: Fell, came down; past tense of caer, to fall.
enfermo: Sick, ill; suffering from a disease or physical ailment.
poco: Little, a bit; indicating a small amount or degree.
después: After, afterward; indicating something occurring later in time.
llegar: To arrive; to reach a destination or place.
donde: Where; relative adverb indicating a place or location.
murió: Died; past tense of morir, to die.
junio: June; the sixth month of the year.
Nadie: Nobody, no one; negative pronoun indicating absence of persons.
puede: Can, is able to; third person singular of poder.
decir: To say, to tell; infinitive of the verb decir.
dónde: Where; interrogative adverb asking about a location.
reposan: Rest, repose; third person plural of reposar, to rest.
huesos: Bones; the hard tissues forming the skeletal structure.
moderna: Modern; relating to present or recent times.
erigido: Erected, built; past participle of erigir, to erect.
solemne: Solemn; formal, serious, and dignified in character or appearance.
cenotafio: Cenotaph; monument honoring someone buried elsewhere.
Santa: Saint; feminine title given to a canonized holy person.
Croce: Cross; Italian word, part of the name Santa Croce basilica.
junto: Next to, together with; preposition or adverb indicating proximity.
hijos: Sons, children; plural of hijo, son or child.
ilustres: Illustrious, distinguished; famous and greatly respected persons.
reconociendo: Recognizing, acknowledging; present participle of reconocer.
sea: May be, is; present subjunctive of ser, to be.
fuere: May be, were; future subjunctive of ser, to be.
otras: Other; feminine plural adjective indicating different entities.
naciones: Nations; plural of nación, independent countries or peoples.
hayan: May have; present subjunctive of haber, auxiliary verb.
encontrado: Found, encountered; past participle of encontrar, to find.
obras: Works; literary, artistic, or political writings and creations.
Italia: Italy; southern European country, birthplace of the Renaissance.
encontró: Found; third person singular preterite of encontrar.
ellas: They, them; feminine third person plural pronoun.
idea: Idea; a concept or thought about something important.
unidad: Unity; the state of being united or joined together.
gérmenes: Germs, seeds; early beginnings or origins of something.
renacimiento: Renaissance, rebirth; cultural revival in 14th–17th century Europe.
entre: Among, between; preposition indicating position within a group.
Europa: Europe; continent comprising many nations west of Asia.
Si: If; conditional conjunction introducing a hypothetical clause.
bien: Well, good; adverb or adjective; in si bien means although.
inútil: Useless, pointless; serving no practical purpose or benefit.
protestar: To protest; to express strong objection or disagreement publicly.
contra: Against; preposition indicating opposition or contrary position.
significación: Significance, meaning; the importance or sense of something.
universal: Universal; applying to all people, places, or situations.
maligna: Malignant, evil; harmful and wicked in nature or intent.
nombre: Name; the word by which a person or thing is known.
cabe: It is possible, there is room; third person of caber.
señalar: To point out, indicate; to draw attention to something.
interpretación: Interpretation; explanation or understanding of a text or event.
severa: Severe, strict; harsh and uncompromising in judgment or application.
doctrina: Doctrine; a set of beliefs or principles taught systematically.
implica: Implies, involves; third person singular of implicar.
esta: This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
siniestra: Sinister, ominous; suggesting evil or dark intentions.
reputación: Reputation; the general opinion others hold about a person.
era: Was; imperfect tense of ser indicating a past state.
desconocida: Unknown; not known or recognized by others at the time.
propia: Own, proper; belonging to or characteristic of oneself.
época: Era, epoch; a period of time with distinctive characteristics.
investigaciones: Investigations, research; systematic inquiries into a subject.
tiempos: Times, periods; plural of tiempo referring to historical eras.
recientes: Recent; happening or appearing not long ago in time.
nos: Us; first person plural object pronoun in Spanish.
permitido: Allowed, permitted; past participle of permitir, to permit.
interpretarlo: To interpret it; infinitive with object pronoun attached.
manera: Way, manner; the method or style of doing something.
razonable: Reasonable; fair, sensible, and based on good judgment.
gracias: Thanks to; preposition phrase crediting a cause or person.
estas: These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
figura: Figure; image, character, or representation of a person.
impío: Impious, ungodly; lacking reverence for religion or morality.
nigromante: Necromancer; one who practices dark magic involving the dead.
durante: During; preposition indicating a period of time something lasted.
tanto: So much, so long; indicating a great amount or duration.
tiempo: Time, weather; period or duration of events or conditions.
rondó: Haunted, roamed around; past tense of rondar, to haunt.
visión: Vision; a mental image or imaginative perception of something.
hombres: Men, people; plural of hombre, man or human being.
comenzado: Begun, started; past participle of comenzar, to begin.
desvanecerse: To fade away, vanish; to gradually disappear or dissolve.

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