The Scarlet Letter — Page 13

English → Spanish Full Text Level 8/10

I seem to have a stronger claim to a residence here on account of this grave, bearded, sable-cloaked and steeple-crowned progenitor,—who came so early, with his Bible and his sword, and trode the unworn street with such a stately port, and made so large a figure, as a man of war and peace,—a stronger claim than for myself, whose name is seldom heard and my face hardly known.

Parezco tener un derecho más sólido a residir aquí en virtud de este grave, barbado, enlutado y de sombrero puntiagudo progenitor,—que llegó tan temprano, con su Biblia y su espada, y pisó la calle sin desgastar con tan majestuoso porte, y adquirió tan gran presencia, como hombre de guerra y de paz,—un derecho más sólido que el que tengo por mí mismo, cuyo nombre pocas veces se escucha y cuyo rostro apenas se conoce.

He was a soldier, legislator, judge; he was a ruler in the Church; he had all the Puritanic traits, both good and evil.

Fue soldado, legislador, juez; fue un gobernante en la Iglesia; tenía todos los rasgos puritanos, tanto los buenos como los malos.

He was likewise a bitter persecutor, as witness the Quakers, who have remembered him in their histories, and relate an incident of his hard severity towards a woman of their sect, which will last longer, it is to be feared, than any record of his better deeds, although these were many.

Fue igualmente un amargo perseguidor, como atestiguan los cuáqueros, quienes lo han recordado en sus historias, y relatan un incidente de su dura severidad hacia una mujer de su secta, que durará más tiempo, es de temerse, que cualquier registro de sus mejores obras, aunque estas fueron muchas.

His son, too, inherited the persecuting spirit, and made himself so conspicuous in the martyrdom of the witches, that their blood may fairly be said to have left a stain upon him.

Su hijo, también, heredó el espíritu perseguidor, y se hizo tan notorio en el martirio de las brujas, que bien puede decirse que la sangre de ellas dejó una mancha sobre él.

So deep a stain, indeed, that his old dry bones, in the Charter Street burial-ground, must still retain it, if they have not crumbled utterly to dust!

¡Una mancha tan profunda, en verdad, que sus viejos y secos huesos, en el cementerio de Charter Street, deben aún conservarla, si es que no se han desmoronado por completo en polvo!

I know not whether these ancestors of mine bethought themselves to repent, and ask pardon of Heaven for their cruelties; or whether they are now groaning under the heavy consequences of them, in another state of being.

No sé si estos antepasados míos se detuvieron a arrepentirse, y a pedir perdón al Cielo por sus crueldades; o si ahora gimen bajo las graves consecuencias de ellas, en otro estado de existencia.

Vocabulary

Parezco: I seem, I appear to be.
tener: To have, to possess, to hold.
un: A, an, one (indefinite article).
derecho: Right, law, legal claim or privilege.
más: More, greater in quantity or degree.
sólido: Solid, firm, stable, or well-founded.
residir: To reside, to live or dwell.
aquí: Here, in this place or location.
en: In, on, at (preposition indicating location).
virtud: Virtue, moral excellence, or beneficial quality.
de: Of, from, about (preposition).
este: This, that (demonstrative adjective or pronoun).
grave: Grave, serious, weighty, or important.
sombrero: Hat, a head covering garment.
que: That, which, who (relative pronoun).
llegó: Arrived, came, reached a destination.
tan: So, such, as (used before adjectives).
temprano: Early, at an early time.
con: With, along with, in company.
su: His, her, its, their (possessive).
Biblia: Bible, the Christian holy scripture.
espada: Sword, a long metal blade weapon.
pisó: Stepped, trod, or trampled upon.
la: The (definite article, feminine).
calle: Street, a public road or way.
sin: Without, lacking, or deprived of.
desgastar: To wear down, to erode gradually.
majestuoso: Majestic, grand, imposing, or stately.
porte: Bearing, deportment, manner of carrying oneself.
adquirió: Acquired, obtained or gained something.
gran: Great, large in size or importance.
presencia: Presence, the state of being present.
como: As, like, in the manner of.
hombre: Man, a male human being.
guerra: War, armed conflict between nations.
paz: Peace, absence of war or conflict.
el: The (definite article, masculine).
tengo: I have, I possess something.
por: For, by, per, through (preposition).
mí: Me, myself (prepositional pronoun).
mismo: Same, very, identical or self.
cuyo: Whose, of whom or which.
nombre: Name, a word or designation.
pocas: Few, small in number or quantity.
veces: Times, occasions or instances of occurrence.
se: Oneself, reflexive pronoun or passive marker.
escucha: Listens, hears, or pays attention.
rostro: Face, the front of the head.
apenas: Hardly, scarcely, barely or just.
conoce: Knows, is acquainted or familiar.
Fue: Was, past tense of ser or ir.
soldado: Soldier, a military service person.
legislador: Legislator, one who makes laws.
juez: Judge, one who administers justice.
gobernante: Ruler, one who governs or leads.
Iglesia: Church, religious building or institution.
tenía: Had, possessed, or held something.
todos: All, everyone, the whole group.
los: The (definite article, masculine plural).
rasgos: Traits, features or characteristics.
puritanos: Puritans, strict religious moral practitioners.
tanto: So much, as much, equally.
buenos: Good, virtuous, positive or favorable.
malos: Bad, evil, harmful or negative.
igualmente: Equally, likewise, in the same way.
amargo: Bitter, having acrid or unpleasant taste.
atestiguan: Testify, attest, or bear witness.
quienes: Who, whom (plural relative pronoun).
han: Have, auxiliary verb in perfect tense.
recordado: Remembered, recalled or brought to mind.
historias: Stories, narratives or historical accounts.

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