The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Page 85
Enough then, that I not only recognised my natural body from the mere aura and effulgence of certain of the powers that made up my spirit, but managed to compound a drug by which these powers should be dethroned from their supremacy, and a second form and countenance substituted, none the less natural to me because they were the expression, and bore the stamp, of lower elements in my soul.
Baste entonces con que no solo reconocí mi cuerpo natural por la mera aura y efulgencia de ciertos poderes que componían mi espíritu, sino que logré preparar una droga mediante la cual estos poderes debían ser destronados de su supremacía, y sustituidos por una segunda forma y semblante, no menos naturales para mí porque eran la expresión, y llevaban el sello, de elementos inferiores de mi alma.
I hesitated long before I put this theory to the test of practice.
Vacilé mucho antes de poner esta teoría a prueba en la práctica.
I knew well that I risked death; for any drug that so potently controlled and shook the very fortress of identity, might, by the least scruple of an overdose or at the least inopportunity in the moment of exhibition, utterly blot out that immaterial tabernacle which I looked to it to change.
Sabía bien que arriesgaba la muerte; pues cualquier droga que controlara y sacudiera tan potentemente la fortaleza misma de la identidad, podría, por el menor escrúpulo de una sobredosis o por la menor inoportunidad en el momento de la exhibición, borrar por completo ese tabernáculo inmaterial que yo esperaba cambiar con ella.
But the temptation of a discovery so singular and profound at last overcame the suggestions of alarm.
Pero la tentación de un descubrimiento tan singular y profundo finalmente venció las sugerencias de alarma.
I had long since prepared my tincture; I purchased at once, from a firm of wholesale chemists, a large quantity of a particular salt which I knew, from my experiments, to be the last ingredient required; and late one accursed night, I compounded the elements, watched them boil and smoke together in the glass, and when the ebullition had subsided, with a strong glow of courage, drank off the potion.
Hacía tiempo que había preparado mi tintura; compré de inmediato, de una firma de químicos mayoristas, una gran cantidad de una sal particular que sabía, por mis experimentos, era el último ingrediente requerido; y tarde en una noche maldita, mezclé los elementos, los observé hervir y humear juntos en el vaso, y cuando la ebullición se hubo calmado, con un fuerte destello de valor, bebí la poción.
Vocabulary
- Baste
- It is enough; it suffices (subjunctive of bastar)
- entonces
- then; at that time; therefore
- con
- with
- que
- that; which; who
- no
- no; not
- solo
- only; alone; single
- reconocí
- I recognized; I acknowledged (preterite of reconocer)
- mi
- my
- cuerpo
- body
- natural
- natural; normal; native
- por
- by; for; through; because of
- la
- the (feminine singular)
- mera
- mere; pure; simple
- aura
- aura; atmosphere; essence
- y
- and
- de
- of; from; about
- ciertos
- certain; some; sure (masculine plural)
- poderes
- powers; abilities
- componían
- they composed; they made up (imperfect of componer)
- espíritu
- spirit; soul; mind
- sino
- but; rather; except
- logré
- I achieved; I managed (preterite of lograr)
- preparar
- to prepare; to make ready
- una
- a; an; one (feminine singular)
- droga
- drug; medicine; narcotic
- mediante
- by means of; through; via
- cual
- which; who; what
- estos
- these (masculine plural)
- debían
- they should; they ought to (imperfect of deber)
- ser
- to be (permanent or essential characteristics)
- su
- his; her; their; your (formal)
- supremacía
- supremacy; dominance; superiority
- sustituidos
- substituted; replaced (past participle of sustituir)
- segunda
- second (feminine); another
- forma
- form; shape; way
- menos
- less; fewer; minus
- naturales
- natural; normal (plural)
- para
- for; to; in order to
- mí
- me (prepositional pronoun after prepositions)
- porque
- because; since; for
- eran
- they were; they used to be (imperfect of ser)
- expresión
- expression; manifestation; utterance
- llevaban
- they carried; they wore (imperfect of llevar)
- el
- the (masculine singular)
- sello
- seal; stamp; hallmark
- elementos
- elements; components; parts
- inferiores
- inferior; lower; lesser (plural)
- alma
- soul; spirit; heart
- Vacilé
- I hesitated; I wavered (preterite of vacilar)
- mucho
- much; a lot; very
- antes
- before; earlier; previously
- poner
- to put; to place; to set
- esta
- this (feminine singular)
- teoría
- theory; hypothesis
- a
- to; at; in
- prueba
- test; proof; trial; evidence
- en
- in; on; at
- práctica
- practice; practical application
- Sabía
- I knew; I used to know (imperfect of saber)
- bien
- well; good; right
- arriesgaba
- I risked; I was risking (imperfect of arriesgar)
- muerte
- death
- pues
- well; then; because; since
- cualquier
- any; whatever; whichever
- controlara
- controlled; might control (imperfect subjunctive of controlar)
- sacudiera
- shook; might shake (imperfect subjunctive of sacudir)
- tan
- so; such; as
- fortaleza
- fortress; strength; fortitude
- misma
- same; very; self (feminine)
- identidad
- identity; sameness
- podría
- could; might; would be able (conditional of poder)
- menor
- smaller; younger; slightest; least
- sobredosis
- overdose
- o
- or
- momento
- moment; time; instant
- exhibición
- exhibition; display; showing
- borrar
- to erase; to delete; to wipe out
- completo
- complete; full; entire
- ese
- that (masculine singular)
- yo
- I (subject pronoun)
- esperaba
- I hoped; I was waiting (imperfect of esperar)
- cambiar
- to change; to exchange; to alter
- ella
- she; her; it (feminine)
- Pero
- but; however; yet
- tentación
- temptation; enticement
- un
- a; an; one (masculine singular)
- descubrimiento
- discovery; finding; uncovering
- singular
- singular; unique; extraordinary
- profundo
- deep; profound; intense
- finalmente
- finally; eventually; lastly
- venció
- defeated; overcame; conquered (preterite of vencer)
- las
- the (feminine plural)
- sugerencias
- suggestions; hints; implications
- alarma
- alarm; alert; concern
- Hacía
- ago; it was (imperfect of hacer, time expressions)
- tiempo
- time; weather; period
- había
- there was; there were; I had (imperfect of haber)
- preparado
- prepared; ready (past participle of preparar)
- compré
- I bought; I purchased (preterite of comprar)
- inmediato
- immediate; instant; next
- firma
- signature; firm; company
- químicos
- chemicals; chemists (plural)
- gran
- great; big; large (apocopated form before singular noun)
- cantidad
- quantity; amount; number
- sal
- salt
- particular
- particular; specific; private
- sabía
- knew; used to know (imperfect of saber)
- mis
- my (plural possessive)
- experimentos
- experiments; tests
- era
- was; used to be (imperfect of ser)
- último
- last; final; latest
- ingrediente
- ingredient; component
- requerido
- required; needed (past participle of requerir)
- tarde
- afternoon; late; evening
- noche
- night; evening
- maldita
- cursed; damned; wretched (feminine)
- mezclé
- I mixed; I blended (preterite of mezclar)
- los
- the (masculine plural)
- observé
- I observed; I watched (preterite of observar)
- hervir
- to boil; to simmer
- juntos
- together; joined (masculine plural)
- vaso
- glass; vessel; container
- cuando
- when; whenever
- se
- himself; herself; itself; themselves; reflexive pronoun
- hubo
- there was; there were (preterite of haber)
- calmado
- calmed; calmed down (past participle of calmar)
- fuerte
- strong; loud; intense
- valor
- value; courage; worth
- bebí
- I drank; I consumed (preterite of beber)
- poción
- potion; brew; concoction
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