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The Souls of Black Folk — Page 11

English → Spanish Full Text Level 8/10

Here at last seemed to have been discovered the mountain path to Canaan; longer than the highway of Emancipation and law, steep and rugged, but straight, leading to heights high enough to overlook life.

Aquí, por fin, parecía haberse descubierto el camino de montaña hacia Canaán; más largo que la carretera de la Emancipación y la ley, empinado y escarpado, pero recto, que conducía a alturas suficientemente elevadas como para contemplar la vida desde arriba.

Up the new path the advance guard toiled, slowly, heavily, doggedly; only those who have watched and guided the faltering feet, the misty minds, the dull understandings, of the dark pupils of these schools know how faithfully, how piteously, this people strove to learn.

Por el nuevo camino avanzó penosamente la vanguardia, lenta, pesadamente, con tenacidad; solo quienes han observado y guiado los pasos vacilantes, las mentes nebulosas, los entendimientos torpes de los oscuros alumnos de estas escuelas saben con cuánta dedicación, con cuánta aflicción, se esforzó este pueblo por aprender.

It was weary work.

Era una labor agotadora.

The cold statistician wrote down the inches of progress here and there, noted also where here and there a foot had slipped or some one had fallen.

El frío estadístico anotaba los palmos de progreso aquí y allá, señalando también los lugares donde algún pie había resbalado o alguien había caído.

To the tired climbers, the horizon was ever dark, the mists were often cold, the Canaan was always dim and far away.

Para los cansados escaladores, el horizonte era siempre oscuro, las nieblas eran a menudo frías, y Canaán estaba siempre difusa y lejana.

If, however, the vistas disclosed as yet no goal, no resting-place, little but flattery and criticism, the journey at least gave leisure for reflection and self-examination; it changed the child of Emancipation to the youth with dawning self-consciousness, self-realization, self-respect.

Sin embargo, si las perspectivas no revelaban aún ninguna meta, ningún lugar de descanso, poco más que adulación y crítica, el viaje brindaba al menos tiempo para la reflexión y el autoexamen; transformó al hijo de la Emancipación en el joven con una naciente conciencia de sí mismo, autorrealización y autoestima.

In those sombre forests of his striving his own soul rose before him, and he saw himself,—darkly as through a veil; and yet he saw in himself some faint revelation of his power, of his mission.

En aquellos sombríos bosques de su lucha, su propia alma se alzó ante él, y se vio a sí mismo —oscuramente, como a través de un velo—; y sin embargo vislumbró en sí mismo una tenue revelación de su poder, de su misión.

He began to have a dim feeling that, to attain his place in the world, he must be himself, and not another.

Comenzó a tener una vaga sensación de que, para alcanzar su lugar en el mundo, debía ser él mismo, y no otro.

Vocabulary

Aquí
In this place; here.
por
For; by; through; per.
fin
End; finally; purpose or goal.
parecía
Seemed; appeared (imperfect tense of parecer).
haberse
To have (reflexive infinitive form).
descubierto
Discovered; uncovered (past participle).
el
The (masculine singular definite article).
camino
Road; path; way.
de
Of; from (preposition).
montaña
Mountain; mountainous region.
hacia
Towards; in the direction of.
más
More; most (comparative/superlative).
largo
Long; lengthy in distance or time.
que
That; which; than (conjunction/relative).
la
The (feminine singular definite article).
carretera
Road; highway; main thoroughfare.
ley
Law; rule; legal statute.
empinado
Steep; rising sharply upward.
escarpado
Steep; precipitous; rugged terrain.
pero
But; however (conjunction).
recto
Straight; direct; upright.
conducía
Led; conducted (imperfect tense).
alturas
Heights; high places; elevations.
suficientemente
Sufficiently; adequately; enough.
elevadas
Elevated; high; raised up.
como
Like; as; approximately.
para
For; in order to; towards.
contemplar
To contemplate; observe; behold.
vida
Life; living things.
desde
From; since (preposition).
arriba
Above; up; upstairs.
Por
By; for; through (preposition).
nuevo
New; novel; again (anew).
avanzó
Advanced; moved forward (past tense).
penosamente
Laboriously; painfully; with difficulty.
vanguardia
Vanguard; forefront; leading edge.
lenta
Slow; slowly (feminine adjective).
pesadamente
Heavily; ponderously; with difficulty.
con
With (preposition).
tenacidad
Tenacity; perseverance; persistent determination.
solo
Only; alone; sole.
quienes
Those who; whoever (relative pronoun).
han
Have (auxiliary verb, present perfect).
observado
Observed; watched; noticed (past participle).
guiado
Guided; directed; led (past participle).
los
The; those (masculine plural article/pronoun).
pasos
Steps; paces; footsteps.
vacilantes
Vacillating; hesitant; wavering.
las
The; those (feminine plural article/pronoun).
mentes
Minds; intellects; mentalities.
nebulosas
Nebulous; unclear; cloudy (feminine plural).
torpes
Clumsy; awkward; dull-witted.
oscuros
Dark; obscure; dim.
alumnos
Students; pupils; learners.
estas
These (feminine plural demonstrative).
escuelas
Schools; educational institutions.
saben
Know; understand (present tense).
cuánta
How much; what amount (feminine).
dedicación
Dedication; devotion; commitment.
aflicción
Affliction; distress; sorrow.
se
Reflexive pronoun; oneself.
esforzó
Strove; endeavored; made effort (past).
este
This; this one (masculine).
pueblo
People; nation; town or village.
aprender
To learn; acquire knowledge.
Era
Was; it was (imperfect tense).
una
A; an (feminine singular article).
labor
Labor; work; task.
agotadora
Exhausting; tiring; wearing (feminine).
El
The (masculine singular definite article).
frío
Cold; chill; coldness.
estadístico
Statistic; statistical; statistician.
anotaba
Noted; recorded; registered (imperfect).
progreso
Progress; advancement; improvement.
aquí
Here; in this place.
allá
There; over there; yonder.
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