The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Page 89
Had I approached my discovery in a more noble spirit, had I risked the experiment while under the empire of generous or pious aspirations, all must have been otherwise, and from these agonies of death and birth, I had come forth an angel instead of a fiend.
Si hubiera abordado mi descubrimiento con un espíritu más noble, si hubiera arriesgado el experimento bajo el imperio de aspiraciones generosas o piadosas, todo habría sido diferente, y de estas angustias de muerte y nacimiento, habría surgido como un ángel en lugar de un demonio.
The drug had no discriminating action; it was neither diabolical nor divine; it but shook the doors of the prisonhouse of my disposition; and like the captives of Philippi, that which stood within ran forth.
La droga no tenía acción discriminatoria; no era ni diabólica ni divina; solo sacudió las puertas de la prisión de mi disposición; y como los cautivos de Filipos, lo que estaba dentro salió corriendo.
At that time my virtue slumbered; my evil, kept awake by ambition, was alert and swift to seize the occasion; and the thing that was projected was Edward Hyde.
En aquel momento mi virtud dormitaba; mi maldad, mantenida despierta por la ambición, estaba alerta y rápida para aprovechar la ocasión; y la cosa que fue proyectada fue Edward Hyde.
Hence, although I had now two characters as well as two appearances, one was wholly evil, and the other was still the old Henry Jekyll, that incongruous compound of whose reformation and improvement I had already learned to despair.
Por lo tanto, aunque ahora tenía dos caracteres así como dos apariencias, uno era completamente malvado, y el otro era todavía el viejo Henry Jekyll, ese compuesto incongruente de cuya reforma y mejora ya había aprendido a desesperar.
The movement was thus wholly toward the worse.
El movimiento fue así totalmente hacia lo peor.
Even at that time, I had not conquered my aversions to the dryness of a life of study.
Incluso en aquel momento, no había conquistado mis aversiones a la aridez de una vida de estudio.
I would still be merrily disposed at times; and as my pleasures were (to say the least) undignified, and I was not only well known and highly considered, but growing towards the elderly man, this incoherency of my life was daily growing more unwelcome.
Todavía estaría alegremente dispuesto a veces; y como mis placeres eran (por decir lo menos) indignos, y yo no solo era bien conocido y muy considerado, sino que me acercaba a la vejez, esta incoherencia de mi vida se volvía cada día más indeseable.
It was on this side that my new power tempted me until I fell in slavery.
Fue por este lado que mi nuevo poder me tentó hasta que caí en la esclavitud.
Vocabulary
- Si
- If; conditional conjunction
- hubiera
- Had; past subjunctive of haber
- abordado
- Approached, tackled, boarded
- mi
- My; possessive adjective
- descubrimiento
- Discovery; act of finding something
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment
- un
- A, an; masculine indefinite article
- espíritu
- Spirit, soul, mindset
- más
- More; comparative adverb
- noble
- Noble; morally good or aristocratic
- si
- If; conditional conjunction
- arriesgado
- Risked; past participle of arriesgar
- el
- The; masculine definite article
- experimento
- Experiment; scientific test or trial
- bajo
- Under, low; preposition or adjective
- imperio
- Empire, rule, command
- de
- Of, from; preposition
- aspiraciones
- Aspirations; hopes or ambitions
- generosas
- Generous; kind and giving
- o
- Or; conjunction presenting alternatives
- piadosas
- Pious, devout, merciful
- todo
- Everything, all; indefinite pronoun
- habría
- Would have; conditional of haber
- sido
- Been; past participle of ser
- diferente
- Different; not the same
- y
- And; conjunction
- estas
- These; feminine plural demonstrative
- angustias
- Anguishes, distresses, anxieties
- muerte
- Death; end of life
- nacimiento
- Birth; act of being born
- surgido
- Emerged, arisen; past participle of surgir
- como
- Like, as, how; comparison or manner
- ángel
- Angel; heavenly being
- en
- In, on, at; preposition of place
- lugar
- Place, location, instead
- demonio
- Demon, devil; evil spirit
- La
- The; feminine definite article
- droga
- Drug; medicinal or recreational substance
- no
- No, not; negation adverb
- tenía
- Had; imperfect of tener
- acción
- Action; act or effect of doing
- discriminatoria
- Discriminatory; showing prejudice or bias
- era
- Was; imperfect of ser
- ni
- Neither, nor; negative conjunction
- diabólica
- Diabolical, devilish; extremely wicked
- divina
- Divine; godly or heavenly
- solo
- Only, just, alone
- sacudió
- Shook; preterite of sacudir
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- puertas
- Doors; plural of puerta
- la
- The; feminine definite article
- prisión
- Prison, jail; place of confinement
- disposición
- Disposition, arrangement, willingness
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- cautivos
- Captives, prisoners; those held captive
- lo
- It, him; direct object pronoun
- que
- That, which, what; relative pronoun
- estaba
- Was; imperfect of estar
- dentro
- Inside, within; adverb of place
- salió
- Went out, left; preterite of salir
- corriendo
- Running; gerund of correr
- En
- In, on, at; preposition
- aquel
- That; masculine demonstrative adjective
- momento
- Moment; brief period of time
- virtud
- Virtue; moral excellence or goodness
- dormitaba
- Was dozing, slumbering; imperfect of dormitar
- maldad
- Evil, wickedness; quality of being bad
- mantenida
- Maintained, kept; past participle of mantener
- despierta
- Awake, alert; feminine adjective
- por
- By, for, through; preposition
- ambición
- Ambition; strong desire for success
- alerta
- Alert; watchful and ready
- rápida
- Fast, quick; feminine adjective
- para
- For, to, in order to; preposition
- aprovechar
- To take advantage of, make use of
- ocasión
- Occasion, opportunity; suitable time
- cosa
- Thing; object or matter
- fue
- Was; preterite of ser
- proyectada
- Projected, planned; past participle of proyectar
- Por
- By, for, through; preposition
- tanto
- Therefore, so much; adverb or quantifier
- aunque
- Although, even though; concessive conjunction
- ahora
- Now; at the present time
- dos
- Two; number 2
- caracteres
- Characters, traits; distinctive features
- así
- Thus, so, like this; adverb
- apariencias
- Appearances; outward looks or aspects
- uno
- One; number or indefinite pronoun
- completamente
- Completely, entirely; adverb
- malvado
- Evil, wicked; morally bad person or adjective
- otro
- Other, another; indefinite pronoun or adjective
- todavía
- Still, yet; adverb indicating continuation
- viejo
- Old; advanced in age
- ese
- That; masculine demonstrative adjective
- compuesto
- Compound, composite; mixture or past participle
- incongruente
- Incongruous, inconsistent; not harmonious
- cuya
- Whose; feminine possessive relative pronoun
- reforma
- Reform; improvement or change
- mejora
- Improvement; act of making better
- ya
- Already, now, yet; adverb of time
- había
- Had; imperfect of haber
- aprendido
- Learned; past participle of aprender
- a
- To, at; preposition
- desesperar
- To despair, lose hope; verb
- El
- The; masculine definite article
- movimiento
- Movement, motion; act of moving
- totalmente
- Totally, completely; adverb
- hacia
- Toward, towards; preposition of direction
- peor
- Worse, worst; comparative or superlative
- Incluso
- Even, including; adverb
- conquistado
- Conquered, overcome; past participle of conquistar
- mis
- My; plural possessive adjective
- aversiones
- Aversions, dislikes; strong feelings against
- aridez
- Aridity, dryness; barrenness or dullness
- una
- A, an, one; feminine indefinite article
- vida
- Life; existence from birth to death
- estudio
- Study; learning or examination
- Todavía
- Still, yet; adverb of time
- estaría
- Would be; conditional of estar
- alegremente
- Happily, cheerfully; adverb
- dispuesto
- Willing, ready, disposed; past participle
- veces
- Times, occasions; plural of vez
- placeres
- Pleasures; enjoyable experiences or sensations
- eran
- Were; imperfect of ser
- decir
- To say, tell; verb
- menos
- Less, fewer, minus; comparative adverb
- indignos
- Unworthy, undeserving; morally improper
- yo
- I; first person singular pronoun
- bien
- Well, good; adverb or noun
- conocido
- Known, famous; past participle of conocer
- muy
- Very, quite; adverb of degree
- considerado
- Considerate, esteemed; past participle of considerar
- sino
- But, rather; conjunction expressing contrast
- me
- Me, myself; first person object pronoun
- acercaba
- Was approaching; imperfect of acercar
- vejez
- Old age; state of being old
- esta
- This; feminine demonstrative adjective
- incoherencia
- Incoherence, inconsistency; lack of logical connection
- se
- Oneself, himself, herself; reflexive pronoun
- volvía
- Was becoming, turning; imperfect of volver
- cada
- Each, every; distributive adjective
- día
- Day; 24-hour period
- indeseable
- Undesirable; not wanted or wished for
- Fue
- Was; preterite of ser
- este
- This; masculine demonstrative adjective
- lado
- Side, flank; part or aspect
- nuevo
- New; recently made or discovered
- poder
- Power, ability; capacity or authority
- tentó
- Tempted; preterite of tentar
- hasta
- Until, up to, even; preposition
- caí
- Fell; preterite first person of caer
- esclavitud
- Slavery, bondage; state of being enslaved
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