The Souls of Black Folk — Page 5
I had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep through; I held all beyond it in common contempt, and lived above it in a region of blue sky and great wandering shadows.
A partir de entonces no tuve ningún deseo de derribar ese velo, de atravesarlo a hurtadillas; todo lo que había más allá de él lo tenía en común desprecio, y vivía por encima de él en una región de cielo azul y grandes sombras errantes.
That sky was bluest when I could beat my mates at examination-time, or beat them at a foot-race, or even beat their stringy heads.
Ese cielo era más azul cuando podía superar a mis compañeros en los exámenes, o vencerlos en una carrera a pie, o incluso golpear sus enjutas cabezas.
Alas, with the years all this fine contempt began to fade; for the words I longed for, and all their dazzling opportunities, were theirs, not mine.
Ay, con los años todo ese noble desprecio comenzó a desvanecerse; pues las palabras que yo anhelaba, y todas sus deslumbrantes oportunidades, eran de ellos, no mías.
But they should not keep these prizes, I said; some, all, I would wrest from them.
Pero ellos no deberían conservar esos premios, me dije; algunos, todos, yo se los arrebataría.
Just how I would do it I could never decide: by reading law, by healing the sick, by telling the wonderful tales that swam in my head,—some way.
Cómo lo haría exactamente nunca pude decidirlo: estudiando derecho, sanando a los enfermos, contando los maravillosos relatos que nadaban en mi cabeza, de alguna manera.
With other black boys the strife was not so fiercely sunny: their youth shrunk into tasteless sycophancy, or into silent hatred of the pale world about them and mocking distrust of everything white; or wasted itself in a bitter cry, Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in mine own house?
Para otros muchachos negros la lucha no era tan ferozmente luminosa: su juventud se encogía en una adulación insípida, o en un odio silencioso hacia el pálido mundo que los rodeaba y una burlona desconfianza de todo lo blanco; o se consumía en un amargo grito, ¿Por qué Dios me hizo un paria y un extraño en mi propia casa?
The shades of the prison-house closed round about us all: walls strait and stubborn to the whitest, but relentlessly narrow, tall, and unscalable to sons of night who must plod darkly on in resignation, or beat unavailing palms against the stone, or steadily, half hopelessly, watch the streak of blue above.
Las sombras de la casa de la prisión se cerraron en torno a todos nosotros: muros estrechos y obstinados incluso para el más blanco, pero implacablemente angostos, altos e inescalables para los hijos de la noche, que deben avanzar pesadamente en la oscuridad con resignación, o golpear palmas inútiles contra la piedra, o contemplar, firme y casi desesperanzadamente, la franja de azul en lo alto.
Vocabulary
- partir
- to leave, depart, or set out on a journey
- de
- of, from, or belonging to something
- entonces
- then, at that time, or in those days
- no
- no, not, or negation marker
- tuve
- I had (past tense of tener)
- ningún
- no, not any, or none at all
- deseo
- desire, wish, or strong inclination
- derribar
- to knock down, overthrow, or tear down
- ese
- that or that one (demonstrative pronoun)
- velo
- veil, curtain, or thin covering material
- atravesarlo
- to cross it, go through it, or traverse
- todo
- all, everything, or the whole thing
- lo
- the, it, or direct object pronoun
- que
- that, which, or what in relative clauses
- había
- there was, there were, or had been
- más
- more, greater, or additional quantity
- allá
- over there, beyond, or further away
- él
- he, him, or masculine pronoun
- tenía
- had or possessed (imperfect tense)
- en
- in, on, or at a location
- común
- common, shared, or in agreement
- desprecio
- scorn, contempt, or disdain
- vivía
- lived or inhabited (imperfect tense)
- por
- by, for, through, or per
- encima
- above, on top of, or over
- una
- a, an, or one (feminine article)
- región
- region, area, or geographic territory
- cielo
- sky, heaven, or atmosphere above
- azul
- blue or the color blue
- grandes
- large, great, or big things
- sombras
- shadows, shades, or dark areas
- errantes
- wandering, roaming, or moving about
- Ese
- That or that one (demonstrative)
- era
- was or used to be (imperfect)
- cuando
- when, at which time, or during
- podía
- could, was able to, or might
- superar
- to surpass, exceed, or overcome
- mis
- my or belonging to me
- compañeros
- companions, classmates, or fellow people
- los
- the, them, or masculine plural article
- exámenes
- exams, tests, or examinations
- vencerlos
- to defeat them, overcome, or win
- carrera
- race, career, or course of study
- pie
- foot, base, or bottom part
- incluso
- even, including, or furthermore
- golpear
- to hit, strike, or beat something
- sus
- their, his, or her possessive pronoun
- cabezas
- heads or minds of people
- Ay
- oh, alas, or exclamation of pain
- con
- with, accompanied by, or together
- años
- years or period of time
- noble
- noble, honorable, or of high status
- comenzó
- began, started, or commenced action
- desvanecerse
- to fade away, vanish, or disappear
- pues
- well, so, or therefore
- las
- the, them, or feminine plural article
- palabras
- words or spoken language units
- yo
- I or first person pronoun
- anhelaba
- longed for, yearned, or desired greatly
- todas
- all, every, or all things
- oportunidades
- opportunities, chances, or favorable moments
- eran
- were or used to be
- ellos
- they, them, or masculine plural
- mías
- mine or belonging to me
- Pero
- but, however, or on the contrary
- deberían
- should, ought to, or would have to
- conservar
- to keep, preserve, or maintain
- esos
- those or those ones (demonstrative)
- premios
- prizes, awards, or rewards
- me
- me, to me, or myself
- dije
- said or told (past tense)
- algunos
- some, a few, or certain ones
- se
- himself, herself, or reflexive pronoun
- Cómo
- how, in what way, or manner
- haría
- would do, would make, or would perform
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →