The Souls of Black Folk — Page 8
The would-be black savant was confronted by the paradox that the knowledge his people needed was a twice-told tale to his white neighbors, while the knowledge which would teach the white world was Greek to his own flesh and blood.
El aspirante a sabio negro se enfrentaba a la paradoja de que el conocimiento que su pueblo necesitaba era una historia ya sabida para sus vecinos blancos, mientras que el conocimiento que podría instruir al mundo blanco era griego para su propia carne y sangre.
The innate love of harmony and beauty that set the ruder souls of his people a-dancing and a-singing raised but confusion and doubt in the soul of the black artist; for the beauty revealed to him was the soul-beauty of a race which his larger audience despised, and he could not articulate the message of another people.
El amor innato por la armonía y la belleza que impulsaba a las almas más simples de su pueblo a bailar y a cantar no generaba sino confusión y duda en el alma del artista negro; pues la belleza que se le revelaba era la belleza espiritual de una raza que su público más amplio despreciaba, y no podía articular el mensaje de otro pueblo.
This waste of double aims, this seeking to satisfy two unreconciled ideals, has wrought sad havoc with the courage and faith and deeds of ten thousand thousand people,—has sent them often wooing false gods and invoking false means of salvation, and at times has even seemed about to make them ashamed of themselves.
Este desperdicio de objetivos dobles, esta búsqueda de satisfacer dos ideales irreconciliables, ha causado un triste estrago en el valor, la fe y las obras de diez millones de personas, —las ha llevado con frecuencia a cortejar falsos dioses e invocar falsos medios de salvación, y en ocasiones ha parecido estar a punto de hacerlas avergonzarse de sí mismas.
Away back in the days of bondage they thought to see in one divine event the end of all doubt and disappointment; few men ever worshipped Freedom with half such unquestioning faith as did the American Negro for two centuries.
Allá en los tiempos de la esclavitud, creyeron ver en un único acontecimiento divino el fin de toda duda y decepción; pocos hombres han adorado jamás la Libertad con una fe tan incondicional como la que profesó el negro americano durante dos siglos.
To him, so far as he thought and dreamed, slavery was indeed the sum of all villainies, the cause of all sorrow, the root of all prejudice; Emancipation was the key to a promised land of sweeter beauty than ever stretched before the eyes of wearied Israelites.
Para él, en la medida en que pensaba y soñaba, la esclavitud era en verdad la suma de todas las vilezas, la causa de todo dolor, la raíz de todo prejuicio; la Emancipación era la llave a una tierra prometida de belleza más dulce que la que jamás se extendió ante los ojos de los cansados israelitas.
Vocabulary
- el
- The (masculine singular article)
- aspirante
- Aspirant; one who aspires to achieve something
- sabio
- Wise; a wise person or scholar
- negro
- Black; dark in color or relating to race
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; himself, herself, oneself, itself
- enfrentaba
- Faced; confronted (imperfect past tense)
- la
- The (feminine singular article)
- paradoja
- Paradox; a seemingly contradictory statement
- de
- Of; from; belonging to something
- que
- That; which; who (relative pronoun)
- conocimiento
- Knowledge; understanding or awareness of something
- su
- His; her; their; your (possessive adjective)
- pueblo
- People; town; village or community
- necesitaba
- Needed; required something (imperfect past tense)
- era
- Was; past tense of ser (to be)
- una
- A; an (feminine singular article)
- historia
- History; story or narrative account
- ya
- Already; by now; at present or past
- sabida
- Known; understood or recognized previously
- para
- For; in order to; towards purpose
- vecinos
- Neighbors; people living nearby or adjacent
- blancos
- White; relating to white color or race
- mientras
- While; meanwhile; during the time that
- podría
- Could; would be able to (conditional)
- instruir
- Instruct; teach or educate someone
- al
- To the; at the (contraction)
- mundo
- World; the entire earth or universe
- blanco
- White; relating to white color
- griego
- Greek; relating to Greece or its people
- propia
- Own; belonging to oneself exclusively
- carne
- Flesh; meat; the physical body
- sangre
- Blood; vital fluid in veins and arteries
- amor
- Love; affection or deep feeling for
- innato
- Innate; inborn; natural from birth
- por
- By; for; through; because of
- armonía
- Harmony; agreement or pleasing arrangement
- belleza
- Beauty; quality of being beautiful
- impulsaba
- Impelled; urged or drove forward
- almas
- Souls; spiritual or immaterial essence
- más
- More; greater in quantity or degree
- simples
- Simple; uncomplicated or basic
- bailar
- Dance; move rhythmically to music
- cantar
- Sing; produce musical sounds vocally
- no
- No; not; negation or denial
- generaba
- Generated; produced or created something
- sino
- But; rather; instead or on contrary
- confusión
- Confusion; state of disorder or uncertainty
- duda
- Doubt; uncertainty or lack of conviction
- en
- In; inside; within location or time
- alma
- Soul; spiritual or essential nature
- artista
- Artist; creative person who makes art
- pues
- Well; then; therefore or since
- le
- Him; her; you (indirect object pronoun)
- revelaba
- Revealed; disclosed or made known
- espiritual
- Spiritual; relating to spirit or soul
- raza
- Race; group with shared characteristics
- público
- Public; of or for the general people
- amplio
- Wide; broad or spacious in extent
- despreciaba
- Despised; regarded with contempt or scorn
- podía
- Could; was able to (past tense)
- articular
- Articulate; express clearly or distinctly
- mensaje
- Message; communication conveying information
- otro
- Other; different or additional one
- Este
- This; referring to something nearby
- desperdicio
- Waste; worthless or squandered thing
- objetivos
- Objectives; goals or aims to achieve
- dobles
- Double; twofold or two-fold quantity
- búsqueda
- Search; act of looking for something
- satisfacer
- Satisfy; fulfill desire or requirement
- dos
- Two; number between one and three
- ideales
- Ideals; perfect or most admirable standards
- ha
- Has; auxiliary verb for present perfect
- causado
- Caused; brought about or produced effect
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