The Scarlet Letter — Page 15
Planted deep, in the town's earliest infancy and childhood, by these two earnest and energetic men, the race has ever since subsisted here;
Arraigada profundamente, en la más temprana infancia y niñez del pueblo, por estos dos hombres serios y enérgicos, la estirpe ha subsistido aquí desde entonces;
always, too, in respectability; never, so far as I have known, disgraced by a single unworthy member;
siempre, además, con respetabilidad; jamás, hasta donde yo sé, deshonrada por un solo miembro indigno;
but seldom or never, on the other hand, after the first two generations, performing any memorable deed, or so much as putting forward a claim to public notice.
pero pocas veces o nunca, por otro lado, tras las dos primeras generaciones, realizando algún acto memorable, ni siquiera llegando a reclamar atención pública.
Gradually, they have sunk almost out of sight; as old houses, here and there about the streets, get covered half-way to the eaves by the accumulation of new soil.
Gradualmente, han caído casi en el olvido; como las casas viejas, aquí y allá por las calles, quedan cubiertas hasta la mitad del alero por la acumulación de nueva tierra.
From father to son, for above a hundred years, they followed the sea;
De padre a hijo, durante más de cien años, siguieron el mar;
a gray-headed shipmaster, in each generation, retiring from the quarter-deck to the homestead, while a boy of fourteen took the hereditary place before the mast, confronting the salt spray and the gale, which had blustered against his sire and grandsire.
un capitán de barco canoso, en cada generación, retirándose del alcázar al hogar paterno, mientras un muchacho de catorce años tomaba el lugar hereditario ante el mástil, enfrentando la salpicadura salada y el vendaval, que había bramado contra su padre y su abuelo.
The boy, also, in due time, passed from the forecastle to the cabin, spent a tempestuous manhood, and returned from his world-wanderings, to grow old, and die, and mingle his dust with the natal earth.
El muchacho, también, a su debido tiempo, pasó de la proa a la cabina, vivió una virilidad tempestuosa, y regresó de sus andanzas por el mundo, para envejecer, y morir, y mezclar su polvo con la tierra natal.
This long connection of a family with one spot, as its place of birth and burial, creates a kindred between the human being and the locality, quite independent of any charm in the scenery or moral circumstances that surround him.
Esta larga vinculación de una familia con un lugar, como su sitio de nacimiento y sepultura, crea un parentesco entre el ser humano y la localidad, completamente independiente de cualquier encanto en el paisaje o las circunstancias morales que lo rodean.
It is not love, but instinct.
No es amor, sino instinto.
Vocabulary
- Arraigada
- Deeply rooted or firmly established in something
- profundamente
- Deeply or thoroughly; to a great extent
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or at
- la
- Definite article meaning the (feminine singular)
- más
- Adverb meaning more or most
- temprana
- Early; occurring at the beginning of a period
- infancia
- Infancy or early childhood period of life
- y
- Conjunction meaning and
- niñez
- Childhood; the early years of a person's life
- del
- Contraction of de and el, meaning of the
- pueblo
- Town, village, or the common people
- por
- Preposition meaning by, for, or through
- estos
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning these (masculine plural)
- dos
- The number two
- hombres
- Men; plural of hombre
- serios
- Serious or grave in manner or character
- enérgicos
- Energetic; full of energy and determination
- estirpe
- Lineage, stock, or family descent
- ha
- Third person singular present of haber; has
- subsistido
- Subsisted; continued to exist over time
- aquí
- Adverb meaning here, in this place
- desde
- Preposition meaning since or from a point
- entonces
- Adverb meaning then or at that time
- siempre
- Always; at all times without exception
- además
- Furthermore; in addition to what was said
- con
- Preposition meaning with
- respetabilidad
- Respectability; quality of being worthy of respect
- jamás
- Never; emphatic negation of ever
- hasta
- Preposition meaning until, up to, as far
- donde
- Relative adverb meaning where
- yo
- First person singular pronoun meaning I
- sé
- First person singular present of saber; I know
- deshonrada
- Dishonored; having lost one's honor or reputation
- un
- Indefinite article meaning a or one
- solo
- Alone or single; only one
- miembro
- Member; a person belonging to a group
- indigno
- Unworthy; lacking dignity or moral worth
- pero
- Conjunction meaning but, introducing a contrast
- pocas
- Few; a small number (feminine plural)
- veces
- Times; plural of vez, meaning occasions
- o
- Conjunction meaning or
- nunca
- Never; at no time
- otro
- Another or other; a different one
- lado
- Side; one part or edge of something
- tras
- Preposition meaning after or behind
- las
- Definite article meaning the (feminine plural)
- primeras
- First; earliest in order (feminine plural)
- generaciones
- Generations; groups of people born at same time
- realizando
- Carrying out or accomplishing an act or deed
- algún
- Some; an unspecified one (masculine singular)
- acto
- Act; a deed or action performed
- memorable
- Memorable; worth remembering due to significance
- ni
- Nor; negative conjunction linking two negatives
- siquiera
- Even; used for emphasis in negative statements
- llegando
- Arriving or managing to reach a point
- a
- Preposition meaning to or at
- reclamar
- To claim or demand something as one's right
- atención
- Attention; notice or consideration given to something
- pública
- Public; relating to or known by everyone
- Gradualmente
- Gradually; slowly and in small increments
- han
- Third person plural present of haber; have
- caído
- Fallen; past participle of caer
- casi
- Almost; very nearly but not completely
- el
- Definite article meaning the (masculine singular)
- olvido
- Oblivion or forgetfulness; state of being forgotten
- como
- Like or as; used for comparisons
- casas
- Houses; plural of casa
- viejas
- Old; aged (feminine plural)
- allá
- Over there; in a distant place
- calles
- Streets; plural of calle
- quedan
- Remain or are left in a state
- cubiertas
- Covered; having a surface obscured by something
- mitad
- Half; one of two equal parts
- alero
- Eave; overhanging edge of a roof
- acumulación
- Accumulation; a gradual gathering of material
- de
- Preposition meaning of or from
- nueva
- New; recently made or existing (feminine)
- tierra
- Earth, soil, or land
- De
- Preposition meaning of or from
- padre
- Father; male parent
- hijo
- Son; male child of a parent
- durante
- During; throughout a period of time
- cien
- One hundred; the number 100
- años
- Years; plural of año
- siguieron
- Followed or continued; past tense of seguir
- mar
- Sea; large body of salt water
- capitán
- Captain; commander of a ship or vessel
- barco
- Ship or boat; a watercraft for travel
- canoso
- Gray-haired; having white or gray hair
- cada
- Each or every; referring to individual members
- generación
- Generation; a group of people of similar age
- retirándose
- Withdrawing or retiring from an activity or place
- alcázar
- Quarterdeck; the rear upper deck of a ship
- al
- Contraction of a and el, meaning to the
- hogar
- Home; the place where one lives
- paterno
- Paternal; relating to or inherited from the father
- mientras
- While; during the same time as
- muchacho
- Boy or young man; a youth
- catorce
- Fourteen; the number 14
- tomaba
- Was taking; imperfect past of tomar
- lugar
- Place or position; a specific location
- hereditario
- Hereditary; passed down through family generations
- ante
- Preposition meaning before or in front of
- mástil
- Mast; tall pole on a ship for sails
- enfrentando
- Facing or confronting something directly
- salpicadura
- Splash or splatter of liquid droplets
- salada
- Salty; containing or tasting of salt
- vendaval
- Strong wind or gale; a powerful windstorm
- que
- Relative pronoun or conjunction meaning that or which
- había
- There had been; imperfect of haber
- bramado
- Roared or howled; past participle of bramar
- contra
- Against; in opposition to something
- su
- His, her, its, or their (possessive adjective)
- abuelo
- Grandfather; father's or mother's father
- El
- Definite article meaning the (masculine singular)
- también
- Also or too; in addition to something else
- debido
- Due or owing; appropriate to circumstances
- tiempo
- Time or weather; a measurable period
- pasó
- Passed or moved; past tense of pasar
- proa
- Prow; the front part of a ship
- cabina
- Cabin; small room or compartment on a vessel
- vivió
- Lived; past tense of vivir
- una
- Indefinite article meaning a or one (feminine)
- virilidad
- Virility or manhood; qualities associated with men
- tempestuosa
- Tempestuous; stormy or turbulent in nature
- regresó
- Returned; past tense of regresar
- sus
- His, her, or their (possessive plural adjective)
- andanzas
- Wanderings or adventures; journeys through life
- mundo
- World; the earth and all its people
- para
- Preposition meaning for, in order to
- envejecer
- To grow old; to age over time
- morir
- To die; to cease living
- mezclar
- To mix or blend together different elements
- polvo
- Dust or powder; fine dry particles
- natal
- Native; relating to the place of birth
- Esta
- Demonstrative adjective meaning this (feminine singular)
- larga
- Long; extended in length or duration (feminine)
- vinculación
- Connection or bond linking people or things together
- familia
- Family; group of related people
- sitio
- Site or place; a specific location or spot
- nacimiento
- Birth; the moment of coming into life
- sepultura
- Burial or grave; place where someone is buried
- crea
- Creates; third person singular present of crear
- parentesco
- Kinship or relationship; familial connection between people
- entre
- Between or among; in the middle of
- ser
- To be; fundamental verb of existence or identity
- humano
- Human; relating to or characteristic of people
- localidad
- Locality; a particular place or neighborhood
- completamente
- Completely; in a total or absolute manner
- independiente
- Independent; free from outside control or influence
- cualquier
- Any; whichever one without specification
- encanto
- Charm or enchantment; a pleasing attractive quality
- paisaje
- Landscape or scenery; natural visual environment
- circunstancias
- Circumstances; conditions surrounding a situation or event
- morales
- Moral; relating to ethics and right conduct
- lo
- Neuter pronoun or direct object meaning it or him
- rodean
- Surround; encircle something on all sides
- No
- No or not; negation
- es
- Is; third person singular present of ser
- amor
- Love; deep affection for someone or something
- sino
- But rather; used to contrast after a negation
- instinto
- Instinct; innate natural impulse or tendency
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