The Scarlet Letter — Page 12

English → Spanish Full Text Level 8/10

And yet, though invariably happiest elsewhere, there is within me a feeling for old Salem, which, in lack of a better phrase, I must be content to call affection.

Y sin embargo, aunque invariablemente soy más feliz en otros lugares, hay dentro de mí un sentimiento hacia el viejo Salem que, a falta de una frase mejor, debo contentarme con llamar afecto.

The sentiment is probably assignable to the deep and aged roots which my family has struck into the soil.

El sentimiento probablemente se debe a las profundas y antiguas raíces que mi familia ha hundido en la tierra.

It is now nearly two centuries and a quarter since the original Briton, the earliest emigrant of my name, made his appearance in the wild and forest-bordered settlement, which has since become a city.

Han pasado ya casi dos siglos y un cuarto desde que el primer británico, el más antiguo emigrante de mi apellido, hizo su aparición en el agreste asentamiento bordeado de bosques, que desde entonces se ha convertido en una ciudad.

And here his descendants have been born and died, and have mingled their earthy substance with the soil; until no small portion of it must necessarily be akin to the mortal frame wherewith, for a little while, I walk the streets.

Y aquí sus descendientes han nacido y muerto, y han mezclado su terrenal sustancia con la tierra; hasta que una porción nada pequeña de ella debe ser necesariamente afín a la mortal armazón con la que, por un breve tiempo, recorro las calles.

In part, therefore, the attachment which I speak of is the mere sensuous sympathy of dust for dust.

En parte, por tanto, el apego del que hablo no es más que la mera simpatía sensible del polvo hacia el polvo.

Few of my countrymen can know what it is; nor, as frequent transplantation is perhaps better for the stock, need they consider it desirable to know.

Pocos de mis compatriotas pueden saber lo que es; ni tampoco, dado que el trasplante frecuente es quizás mejor para el linaje, necesitan considerarlo algo deseable de conocer.

But the sentiment has likewise its moral quality.

Pero el sentimiento tiene asimismo su calidad moral.

The figure of that first ancestor, invested by family tradition with a dim and dusky grandeur, was present to my boyish imagination, as far back as I can remember.

La figura de aquel primer antepasado, revestida por la tradición familiar de una grandeza vaga y sombría, estuvo presente en mi imaginación de niño desde donde alcanza mi memoria.

It still haunts me, and induces a sort of home-feeling with the past, which I scarcely claim in reference to the present phase of the town.

Todavía me ronda, y suscita una especie de sensación de hogar hacia el pasado que apenas puedo reclamar con respecto a la fase actual de la ciudad.

Vocabulary

sin: Without; lacking something or someone.
embargo: Embargo; ban or restriction on trade.
aunque: Although; even though; despite the fact.
soy: I am; first person singular present of ser.
más: More; greater quantity or degree of something.
feliz: Happy; pleased or content with circumstances.
en: In; preposition indicating location or time.
otros: Others; different people or things from these.
lugares: Places; physical locations or specific areas.
hay: There is; there are; third person singular form.
dentro: Within; inside; on the interior of something.
de: Of; from; preposition showing possession or origin.
mí: Me; myself; first person singular object pronoun.
un: A; an; indefinite article for masculine nouns.
sentimiento: Feeling; emotion or sentiment experienced internally.
hacia: Toward; in the direction of something.
el: The; definite article for masculine nouns.
viejo: Old; aged or ancient in time.
que: That; which; relative pronoun connecting clauses.
falta: Lacks; is missing; third person singular.
una: A; an; indefinite article for feminine nouns.
frase: Phrase; short expression or sequence of words.
mejor: Better; superior in quality or condition.
debo: I must; I should; I owe obligation.
con: With; accompanied by or in company.
llamar: Call; to name or summon someone.
afecto: Affection; fondness or emotional attachment.
El: He; the; masculine third person singular pronoun.
probablemente: Probably; likely; seemingly or most probably.
se: Himself; herself; reflexive pronoun or passive marker.
debe: Must; is obliged to; owes something.
las: The; feminine plural definite article form.
profundas: Deep; extending far down or penetrating.
antiguas: Ancient; old or from previous times.
raíces: Roots; underground plant parts or origins.
mi: My; possessive adjective indicating ownership.
familia: Family; group of related persons.
ha: Has; third person singular perfect auxiliary.
hundido: Sunk; submerged or fallen deeply.
la: The; feminine singular definite article.
tierra: Land; earth or ground substance.
Han: Have; third person plural perfect auxiliary.
pasado: Past; gone by in time.
ya: Already; by now or presently.
casi: Almost; nearly; very close to.
dos: Two; the number between one three.
siglos: Centuries; periods of one hundred years.
cuarto: Quarter; one fourth or room.
desde: Since; from a particular time onward.
primer: First; coming before all others.
británico: British; relating to Britain.
antiguo: Ancient; old or from long ago.
emigrante: Emigrant; person leaving country to settle elsewhere.
apellido: Surname; last name or family name.
hizo: Made; did; past tense of hacer.
su: His; her; its; possessive adjective.
aparición: Appearance; act of appearing or showing.
asentamiento: Settlement; established community or residence place.
bosques: Forests; large areas covered with trees.
entonces: Then; at that time or thereafter.
convertido: Converted; changed or transformed into.
ciudad: City; large urban settlement or municipality.
aquí: Here; in this place or location.
sus: Their; possessive adjective for third plural.
descendientes: Descendants; people descended from ancestors.
nacido: Born; brought into existence or life.
muerto: Died; ceased living or being alive.
mezclado: Mixed; combined or blended together.
sustancia: Substance; material or matter of something.
hasta: Until; up to a certain point.
porción: Portion; part or share of whole.
nada: Nothing; not anything at all.
pequeña: Small; little in size or extent.

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