The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Page 91
I was the first that could plod in the public eye with a load of genial respectability, and in a moment, like a schoolboy, strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty.
Yo era el primero que podía andar pesadamente ante el ojo público con una carga de afable respetabilidad, y en un momento, como un colegial, quitarme estos préstamos y lanzarme de cabeza al mar de la libertad.
But for me, in my impenetrable mantle, the safety was complete.
Pero para mí, en mi manto impenetrable, la seguridad era completa.
Think of it—I did not even exist!
¡Piénselo—ni siquiera existía!
Let me but escape into my laboratory door, give me but a second or two to mix and swallow the draught that I had always standing ready; and whatever he had done, Edward Hyde would pass away like the stain of breath upon a mirror; and there in his stead, quietly at home, trimming the midnight lamp in his study, a man who could afford to laugh at suspicion, would be Henry Jekyll.
Déjeme tan solo escapar por la puerta de mi laboratorio, déme tan solo uno o dos segundos para mezclar y tragar la poción que siempre tenía preparada; y cualquier cosa que él hubiera hecho, Edward Hyde desaparecería como la mancha del aliento sobre un espejo; y allí en su lugar, tranquilamente en casa, recortando la mecha de la lámpara de medianoche en su estudio, un hombre que podía permitirse reír de la sospecha, estaría Henry Jekyll.
The pleasures which I made haste to seek in my disguise were, as I have said, undignified; I would scarce use a harder term.
Los placeres que me apresuraba a buscar en mi disfraz eran, como he dicho, indignos; apenas usaría un término más duro.
But in the hands of Edward Hyde, they soon began to turn toward the monstrous.
Pero en las manos de Edward Hyde, pronto empezaron a volverse hacia lo monstruoso.
When I would come back from these excursions, I was often plunged into a kind of wonder at my vicarious depravity.
Cuando volvía de estas excursiones, a menudo me sumergía en una especie de asombro ante mi depravación vicaria.
This familiar that I called out of my own soul, and sent forth alone to do his good pleasure, was a being inherently malign and villainous; his every act and thought centered on self; drinking pleasure with bestial avidity from any degree of torture to another; relentless like a man of stone.
Este familiar que yo invoqué de mi propia alma, y envié solo para hacer su voluntad, era un ser inherentemente maligno y villano; cada uno de sus actos y pensamientos centrados en sí mismo; bebiendo placer con avidez bestial de cualquier grado de tortura a otro; implacable como un hombre de piedra.
Vocabulary
- Yo
- I, first person singular subject pronoun
- era
- was, imperfect tense of ser
- el
- the, masculine singular definite article
- primero
- first, initial in sequence or order
- que
- that, which, relative pronoun or conjunction
- podía
- could, was able to, imperfect of poder
- andar
- to walk, to move on foot
- pesadamente
- heavily, in a weighty or burdensome manner
- ante
- before, in front of, in presence of
- ojo
- eye, organ of sight
- público
- public, pertaining to people or community
- con
- with, in company or possession of
- una
- a, an, feminine singular indefinite article
- carga
- load, burden, cargo or weight carried
- de
- of, from, preposition indicating possession or origin
- afable
- affable, friendly and easy to talk to
- respetabilidad
- respectability, quality of being honorable or reputable
- y
- and, conjunction connecting words or phrases
- en
- in, on, at, preposition of location
- un
- a, an, masculine singular indefinite article
- momento
- moment, brief period of time
- como
- like, as, how, conjunction or adverb
- colegial
- schoolboy, student, pertaining to school
- quitarme
- to take off myself, to remove from myself
- estos
- these, masculine plural demonstrative adjective
- préstamos
- loans, borrowed items or money
- lanzarme
- to throw myself, to hurl or launch myself
- cabeza
- head, upper part of body containing brain
- al
- to the, contraction of a plus el
- mar
- sea, ocean, large body of saltwater
- la
- the, feminine singular definite article
- libertad
- freedom, liberty, state of being free
- Pero
- but, however, adversative conjunction
- para
- for, to, in order to, preposition
- mí
- me, first person singular prepositional pronoun
- mi
- my, first person singular possessive adjective
- manto
- cloak, mantle, covering garment
- impenetrable
- impenetrable, impossible to pass through or understand
- seguridad
- security, safety, state of being secure
- completa
- complete, full, entire, finished
- Piénselo
- think about it, imperative with pronoun attached
- ni
- neither, nor, not even
- siquiera
- even, not even, at least
- existía
- existed, imperfect tense of existir
- Déjeme
- let me, allow me, imperative with pronoun
- tan
- so, as, such, adverb of degree
- solo
- only, alone, just, single
- escapar
- to escape, to flee or get away
- por
- by, through, for, because of, preposition
- puerta
- door, entrance or exit in wall
- laboratorio
- laboratory, place for scientific experiments
- déme
- give me, imperative of dar with pronoun
- uno
- one, number or indefinite article
- o
- or, conjunction presenting alternatives
- dos
- two, number after one
- segundos
- seconds, units of time
- mezclar
- to mix, to blend or combine
- tragar
- to swallow, to gulp down
- poción
- potion, liquid mixture or medicinal drink
- siempre
- always, at all times, forever
- tenía
- had, imperfect tense of tener
- preparada
- prepared, ready, made ready in advance
- cualquier
- any, whatever, whichever
- cosa
- thing, object, matter
- él
- he, him, third person masculine pronoun
- hubiera
- had, would have, past subjunctive of haber
- hecho
- done, made, fact, past participle of hacer
- desaparecería
- would disappear, conditional tense of desaparecer
- mancha
- stain, spot, mark or blemish
- del
- of the, contraction of de plus el
- aliento
- breath, breathing, exhalation
- sobre
- on, over, about, above, preposition
- espejo
- mirror, reflective glass surface
- allí
- there, in that place
- su
- his, her, its, your, possessive adjective
- lugar
- place, location, spot or position
- tranquilamente
- calmly, peacefully, in a tranquil manner
- casa
- house, home, dwelling place
- recortando
- trimming, cutting, clipping, gerund of recortar
- mecha
- wick, fuse, strand of hair
- lámpara
- lamp, light fixture or device
- medianoche
- midnight, twelve o'clock at night
- estudio
- study, office, studio, or act of studying
- hombre
- man, adult male human
- permitirse
- to allow oneself, to afford
- reír
- to laugh, to express amusement
- sospecha
- suspicion, distrust, act of suspecting
- estaría
- would be, conditional tense of estar
- Los
- the, masculine plural definite article
- placeres
- pleasures, enjoyable activities or feelings
- me
- me, myself, first person object pronoun
- apresuraba
- hurried, rushed, imperfect of apresurarse
- a
- to, at, preposition indicating direction
- buscar
- to search, to look for, to seek
- disfraz
- disguise, costume, masquerade outfit
- eran
- were, imperfect plural of ser
- he
- have, first person singular of haber
- dicho
- said, told, past participle of decir
- indignos
- unworthy, disgraceful, not deserving respect
- apenas
- barely, hardly, scarcely, just
- usaría
- would use, conditional tense of usar
- término
- term, word, end or limit
- más
- more, most, plus, additional
- duro
- hard, tough, harsh, difficult
- las
- the, feminine plural definite article
- manos
- hands, body parts at end of arms
- pronto
- soon, quickly, early, fast
- empezaron
- began, started, preterite of empezar
- volverse
- to become, to turn into, to turn around
- hacia
- toward, to, in direction of
- lo
- it, him, masculine singular object pronoun
- monstruoso
- monstrous, hideous, enormous or horrible
- Cuando
- when, at the time that
- volvía
- returned, came back, imperfect of volver
- estas
- these, feminine plural demonstrative adjective
- excursiones
- excursions, trips, outings or expeditions
- menudo
- often, frequent, small or minor
- sumergía
- submerged, immersed, imperfect of sumergir
- especie
- species, kind, type or sort
- asombro
- astonishment, amazement, surprise
- depravación
- depravity, moral corruption or wickedness
- vicaria
- vicarious, experienced through another person
- Este
- this, masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- familiar
- familiar, family member, known or recognizable
- yo
- I, first person singular subject pronoun
- invoqué
- invoked, called upon, preterite of invocar
- propia
- own, proper, appropriate, belonging to oneself
- alma
- soul, spirit, essence of person
- envié
- sent, dispatched, preterite of enviar
- hacer
- to do, to make, to perform
- voluntad
- will, volition, desire or determination
- ser
- to be, being, creature or person
- inherentemente
- inherently, intrinsically, by its very nature
- maligno
- malignant, evil, harmful or wicked
- villano
- villain, scoundrel, evil person
- cada
- each, every, individual one
- sus
- his, her, its, their, possessive adjective
- actos
- acts, actions, deeds performed
- pensamientos
- thoughts, ideas, mental processes
- centrados
- centered, focused, concentrated on
- sí
- yes, himself, herself, itself, oneself
- mismo
- same, self, very, own
- bebiendo
- drinking, consuming liquid, gerund of beber
- placer
- pleasure, enjoyment, delight
- avidez
- greed, eagerness, avidity or voracity
- bestial
- bestial, brutal, animal-like or savage
- grado
- degree, grade, level or extent
- tortura
- torture, severe pain or suffering
- otro
- other, another, different one
- implacable
- implacable, relentless, unable to be appeased
- piedra
- stone, rock, hard mineral material
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