The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere — Page 11
The soldier expended his strength and generally laid down his life on alien soil, leaving no fit successor of his own stock to carry on the work according to his standards.
El soldado agotó sus fuerzas y generalmente entregó su vida en tierra ajena, sin dejar un sucesor adecuado de su propia estirpe que continuara la obra según sus normas.
The priest under the celibate system, in its better days left no offspring at all and in the days of its corruption none bred and reared under the influences that make for social and political progress.
El sacerdote bajo el sistema célibe, en sus mejores días no dejaba descendencia alguna y en los días de su corrupción ninguno era criado y educado bajo las influencias que favorecen el progreso social y político.
The dark chambers of the Inquisition stifled all advance in thought, so the civilization and the culture of Spain, as well as her political system, settled into rigid forms to await only the inevitable process of stagnation and decay.
Las oscuras cámaras de la Inquisición sofocaron todo avance en el pensamiento, de modo que la civilización y la cultura de España, así como su sistema político, se asentaron en formas rígidas para aguardar únicamente el inevitable proceso de estancamiento y decadencia.
In her proudest hour an old soldier, who had lost one of his hands fighting her battles against the Turk at Lepanto, employed the other in writing the masterpiece of her literature, which is really a caricature of the nation.
En su hora más gloriosa, un viejo soldado que había perdido una de sus manos combatiendo sus batallas contra el turco en Lepanto, empleó la otra en escribir la obra maestra de su literatura, que es en realidad una caricatura de la nación.
There is much in the career of Spain that calls to mind the dazzling beauty of her "dark-glancing daughters," with its early bloom, its startling--almost morbid--brilliance, and its premature decay.
Hay mucho en la trayectoria de España que evoca la deslumbrante belleza de sus «hijas de mirada oscura», con su temprano florecimiento, su brillantez sorprendente —casi morbosa— y su decadencia prematura.
Vocabulary
- soldado
- A person who serves in an army; soldier.
- agotó
- Exhausted or used up all of something completely.
- fuerzas
- Physical or military strength; forces or energies.
- generalmente
- In most cases; usually or commonly speaking.
- entregó
- Gave up, surrendered, or dedicated something to someone.
- vida
- The state of being alive; one's life.
- tierra
- Land, ground, or earth; territory belonging to a place.
- ajena
- Belonging to someone else; foreign or alien land.
- dejar
- To leave behind, allow, or stop doing something.
- sucesor
- A person who follows another in a position or role.
- adecuado
- Suitable, appropriate, or sufficient for a particular purpose.
- propia
- One's own; belonging specifically to oneself.
- estirpe
- Lineage, ancestry, or family stock passed through generations.
- continuara
- Subjunctive form of 'continue'; to carry on an undertaking.
- obra
- A work, project, or body of creative or historical achievement.
- según
- Preposition meaning 'according to' or 'depending on.'
- normas
- Rules, standards, or norms governing behavior or practice.
- sacerdote
- A ordained religious minister or priest in the church.
- bajo
- Under or beneath; also means 'low' as an adjective.
- sistema
- An organized set of rules, methods, or structures.
- célibe
- Unmarried and abstaining from marriage; celibate person.
- mejores
- Plural of 'mejor'; superior or more excellent individuals or things.
- dejaba
- Imperfect form of 'dejar'; used to leave or allow habitually.
- descendencia
- Offspring, descendants, or lineage passed down from ancestors.
- alguna
- Feminine form of 'algún'; some, any, or a certain one.
- corrupción
- Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power.
- ninguno
- None, not one, or no one at all.
- criado
- Raised or brought up; also means a domestic servant.
- educado
- Educated or raised with manners and formal instruction.
- influencias
- Forces or factors that shape opinions, behavior, or outcomes.
- favorecen
- They favor, support, or promote something beneficial.
- progreso
- Forward movement or improvement in society or conditions.
- social
- Relating to society, community life, or social interaction.
- político
- Related to government, politics, or the exercise of power.
- oscuras
- Dark, shadowy, or obscure; lacking light or clarity.
- cámaras
- Chambers, rooms, or enclosed spaces used for a purpose.
- Inquisición
- The Spanish Inquisition; historical church tribunal enforcing orthodoxy.
- sofocaron
- Suffocated, suppressed, or stifled something completely.
- avance
- An advance or progress forward in a field or area.
- pensamiento
- Thought, thinking, or intellectual reflection on a subject.
- modo
- A way, manner, or method of doing something.
- civilización
- An advanced stage of human social and cultural development.
- cultura
- The customs, arts, and achievements of a particular society.
- así
- Thus, so, or in this way; expressing manner or result.
- asentaron
- They settled, established, or firmly set something in place.
- formas
- Forms, shapes, or methods; ways of doing or appearing.
- rígidas
- Rigid, stiff, or inflexible in structure or attitude.
- aguardar
- To wait for or expect something to happen patiently.
- únicamente
- Only, solely, or exclusively; nothing more than this.
- inevitable
- Impossible to avoid; certain to happen regardless of action.
- proceso
- A series of steps or actions toward a particular result.
- estancamiento
- Stagnation; a state of no growth or forward movement.
- decadencia
- Decline, decay, or deterioration of a society or culture.
- hora
- An hour; a specific time or moment in the day.
- gloriosa
- Glorious, magnificent, or worthy of great praise and honor.
- viejo
- Old; an elderly person or something of great age.
- perdido
- Lost; past participle indicating something no longer possessed.
- manos
- Plural of 'mano'; the hands at the end of arms.
- combatiendo
- Fighting or battling against an enemy; in combat.
- batallas
- Plural of 'batalla'; armed conflicts or military engagements.
- contra
- Preposition meaning 'against,' indicating opposition or conflict.
- turco
- Turkish; relating to Turkey or the Ottoman Empire.
- Lepanto
- Site of a famous 1571 naval battle against the Ottomans.
- empleó
- Used, employed, or applied something for a specific purpose.
- escribir
- To write; the act of putting words on paper.
- maestra
- Masterful; a masterpiece or female teacher; highly skilled.
- literatura
- Written works considered to have artistic or intellectual value.
- realidad
- Reality; the state of things as they actually exist.
- caricatura
- A caricature or exaggerated representation of a person or thing.
- nación
- A nation; a country or large community of people.
- trayectoria
- A trajectory or path; the course taken over time.
- evoca
- Evokes or calls to mind a memory, image, or feeling.
- deslumbrante
- Dazzling, brilliant, or strikingly impressive in appearance.
- belleza
- Beauty; the quality of being pleasing to the senses.
- hijas
- Daughters; female children in relation to their parents.
- mirada
- A gaze or look; the act of looking at something.
- oscura
- Dark, gloomy, or obscure; lacking in light or clarity.
- temprano
- Early; occurring or done before the expected or usual time.
- florecimiento
- A flourishing or blossoming; period of great growth and success.
- brillantez
- Brilliance; exceptional intelligence, talent, or radiant brightness.
- sorprendente
- Surprising, astonishing, or causing wonder and amazement.
- casi
- Almost or nearly; very close to but not quite.
- morbosa
- Morbid; having an unhealthy interest in disturbing subjects.
- prematura
- Premature; occurring or done too early before the right time.
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