The Souls of Black Folk — Page 7
This, then, is the end of his striving: to be a co-worker in the kingdom of culture, to escape both death and isolation, to husband and use his best powers and his latent genius.
Este, pues, es el fin de su esfuerzo: ser un colaborador en el reino de la cultura, escapar tanto de la muerte como del aislamiento, administrar y utilizar sus mejores facultades y su genio latente.
These powers of body and mind have in the past been strangely wasted, dispersed, or forgotten.
Estas facultades de cuerpo y mente han sido en el pasado extrañamente desperdiciadas, dispersadas u olvidadas.
The shadow of a mighty Negro past flits through the tale of Ethiopia the Shadowy and of Egypt the Sphinx.
La sombra de un poderoso pasado negro revolotea a través del relato de Etiopía la Sombría y de Egipto la Esfinge.
Through history, the powers of single black men flash here and there like falling stars, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness.
A lo largo de la historia, las facultades de hombres negros individuales destellan aquí y allá como estrellas fugaces, y se apagan a veces antes de que el mundo haya calibrado debidamente su brillo.
Here in America, in the few days since Emancipation, the black man's turning hither and thither in hesitant and doubtful striving has often made his very strength to lose effectiveness, to seem like absence of power, like weakness.
Aquí en América, en los pocos días transcurridos desde la Emancipación, el ir y venir del hombre negro en su esfuerzo vacilante e incierto ha hecho a menudo que su propia fortaleza pierda eficacia, que parezca ausencia de poder, debilidad.
And yet it is not weakness,—it is the contradiction of double aims.
Y sin embargo no es debilidad, —es la contradicción de los objetivos dobles.
The double-aimed struggle of the black artisan—on the one hand to escape white contempt for a nation of mere hewers of wood and drawers of water, and on the other hand to plough and nail and dig for a poverty-stricken horde—could only result in making him a poor craftsman, for he had but half a heart in either cause.
La lucha de doble objetivo del artesano negro —por un lado escapar del desprecio blanco hacia una nación de meros leñadores y aguadores, y por otro lado arar y clavar y cavar para una horda sumida en la pobreza— solo podía resultar en convertirlo en un artesano mediocre, pues no ponía más que medio corazón en ninguna de las dos causas.
By the poverty and ignorance of his people, the Negro minister or doctor was tempted toward quackery and demagogy; and by the criticism of the other world, toward ideals that made him ashamed of his lowly tasks.
Por la pobreza y la ignorancia de su pueblo, el pastor o el médico negro se veía tentado hacia el charlatanismo y la demagogia; y por la crítica del otro mundo, hacia ideales que le hacían avergonzarse de sus humildes tareas.
Vocabulary
- Este
- This; that (masculine singular demonstrative).
- pues
- Then; well; since; for (conjunction or interjection).
- es
- Is (third person singular present of ser).
- el
- The (masculine singular definite article).
- fin
- End; purpose; goal; objective.
- de
- Of; from; about; by (preposition).
- su
- His; her; its; your; their (possessive adjective).
- esfuerzo
- Effort; struggle; exertion; endeavor.
- ser
- To be; essential nature; existence.
- un
- A; an (masculine singular indefinite article).
- colaborador
- Collaborator; contributor; assistant; partner.
- en
- In; on; at; within (preposition).
- reino
- Kingdom; realm; domain; field.
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article).
- cultura
- Culture; cultivation; learning; refinement.
- escapar
- To escape; to avoid; to flee; to get away.
- tanto
- So much; as much; so many; as many.
- muerte
- Death; dying; end; demise.
- como
- Like; as; such as; how; when.
- del
- Of the; from the (contraction of de+el).
- aislamiento
- Isolation; solitude; separation; insulation.
- administrar
- To administer; to manage; to govern; to give.
- utilizar
- To use; to utilize; to employ; to make use.
- sus
- His; her; its; your; their (plural possessive).
- mejores
- Best; finest; most excellent; superior.
- facultades
- Faculties; powers; abilities; capabilities; departments.
- genio
- Genius; talent; spirit; genie; demon.
- latente
- Latent; hidden; dormant; potential; concealed.
- Estas
- These (feminine plural demonstrative pronoun).
- cuerpo
- Body; physical form; substance; matter.
- mente
- Mind; intellect; consciousness; mental faculty.
- han
- Have (third person plural perfect auxiliary).
- sido
- Been (past participle of ser).
- pasado
- Past; passed; last; former; previous.
- extrañamente
- Strangely; oddly; curiously; peculiarly; unusually.
- desperdiciadas
- Wasted; squandered; misused; dissipated.
- dispersadas
- Scattered; dispersed; spread out; distributed.
- olvidadas
- Forgotten; neglected; disregarded; overlooked.
- La
- The (feminine singular definite article).
- sombra
- Shadow; shade; darkness; phantom; specter.
- poderoso
- Powerful; mighty; strong; potent; influential.
- negro
- Black; dark; gloomy; melancholy; sinister.
- revolotea
- Flutters; flutters about; hovers; flies around.
- través
- Through; across; by means of; throughout.
- relato
- Account; narrative; story; tale; report.
- Sombría
- Dark; gloomy; somber; shadowy; murky.
- lo
- It; that; him (neuter/masculine singular pronoun).
- largo
- Long; lengthy; extended; wide; broad.
- historia
- History; story; account; tale; narrative.
- las
- The (feminine plural definite article).
- hombres
- Men; human beings; mankind; persons.
- negros
- Black; dark; negro; of African descent.
- individuales
- Individual; separate; particular; distinct; personal.
- destellan
- Shine; sparkle; glitter; twinkle; gleam.
- aquí
- Here; in this place; at this spot.
- allá
- There; over there; in that place; yonder.
- estrellas
- Stars; celestial bodies; celebrities; famous people.
- fugaces
- Fleeting; transient; brief; passing; ephemeral.
- se
- Oneself; himself; herself; itself; themselves.
- apagan
- Turn off; extinguish; go out; fade.
- veces
- Times; occasions; instances; turns; moments.
- antes
- Before; previously; earlier; rather; first.
- que
- That; which; who; what; than.
- mundo
- World; earth; mankind; society; universe.
- haya
- May have; might have; beech tree.
- calibrado
- Calibrated; measured; gauged; assessed; evaluated.
- debidamente
- Duly; properly; appropriately; fitly; correctly.
- brillo
- Brightness; brilliance; shine; luster; radiance.
- Aquí
- Here; in this place; at this spot.
- los
- The (masculine plural definite article).
- pocos
- Few; a few; scant; limited; small.
- días
- Days; daytime; period of time; era.
- transcurridos
- Elapsed; passed; gone by; transpired.
- desde
- Since; from; starting from; as from.
- Emancipación
- Emancipation; liberation; freedom; independence.
- ir
- To go; to travel; to move; to proceed.
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