The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Page 96
Once, very early in my career, it had totally failed me; since then I had been obliged on more than one occasion to double, and once, with infinite risk of death, to treble the amount; and these rare uncertainties had cast hitherto the sole shadow on my contentment.
Una vez, muy al principio de mi carrera, me había fallado totalmente; desde entonces me había visto obligado en más de una ocasión a duplicar, y una vez, con infinito riesgo de muerte, a triplicar la cantidad; y estas raras incertidumbres habían proyectado hasta entonces la única sombra sobre mi satisfacción.
Now, however, and in the light of that morning's accident, I was led to remark that whereas, in the beginning, the difficulty had been to throw off the body of Jekyll, it had of late gradually but decidedly transferred itself to the other side.
Ahora, sin embargo, y a la luz del accidente de aquella mañana, me vi llevado a observar que mientras que, al principio, la dificultad había sido desprenderme del cuerpo de Jekyll, últimamente se había transferido gradual pero decididamente al otro lado.
All things therefore seemed to point to this; that I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse.
Todas las cosas por lo tanto parecían señalar esto; que estaba perdiendo lentamente el control de mi yo original y mejor, y volviéndome lentamente incorporado con mi segundo y peor yo.
Between these two, I now felt I had to choose.
Entre estos dos, ahora sentía que tenía que elegir.
My two natures had memory in common, but all other faculties were most unequally shared between them.
Mis dos naturalezas tenían la memoria en común, pero todas las demás facultades estaban compartidas muy desigualmente entre ellas.
Jekyll (who was composite) now with the most sensitive apprehensions, now with a greedy gusto, projected and shared in the pleasures and adventures of Hyde; but Hyde was indifferent to Jekyll, or but remembered him as the mountain bandit remembers the cavern in which he conceals himself from pursuit.
Jekyll (que era compuesto) ora con las aprensiones más sensibles, ora con un gusto ávido, proyectaba y compartía los placeres y aventuras de Hyde; pero Hyde era indiferente a Jekyll, o sólo lo recordaba como el bandido de montaña recuerda la caverna en la que se oculta de la persecución.
Jekyll had more than a father's interest; Hyde had more than a son's indifference.
Jekyll tenía más que el interés de un padre; Hyde tenía más que la indiferencia de un hijo.
To cast in my lot with Jekyll, was to die to those appetites which I had long secretly indulged and had of late begun to pamper.
Echar mi suerte con Jekyll era morir a aquellos apetitos que había complacido secretamente durante mucho tiempo y que últimamente había comenzado a mimar.
Vocabulary
- Una
- Feminine singular indefinite article: a, an, one
- vez
- Time, occasion, instance (as in "una vez")
- muy
- Very, really, quite (adverb of intensity)
- al
- Contraction of a + el: to the
- principio
- Beginning, start, principle, origin
- de
- Of, from, about (preposition showing possession/origin)
- mi
- My (possessive adjective, first person singular)
- carrera
- Career, race, course, profession
- me
- Me, myself (reflexive or object pronoun)
- había
- Had (imperfect form of haber, auxiliary verb)
- fallado
- Failed, broken down, passed judgment (past participle)
- totalmente
- Totally, completely, entirely, absolutely
- desde
- Since, from, after (preposition indicating time/place)
- entonces
- Then, at that time, since then
- visto
- Seen, viewed (past participle of ver)
- obligado
- Obliged, forced, required, compelled
- en
- In, on, at (preposition of location/time)
- más
- More, most, plus, additional
- una
- A, an, one (feminine indefinite article)
- ocasión
- Occasion, opportunity, time, chance
- a
- To, at, for (preposition indicating direction/purpose)
- duplicar
- To duplicate, double, copy, replicate
- y
- And (conjunction connecting words or phrases)
- con
- With, by means of (preposition)
- infinito
- Infinite, endless, boundless, unlimited
- riesgo
- Risk, danger, hazard, peril
- muerte
- Death, demise, end of life
- triplicar
- To triple, multiply by three, triplicate
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- cantidad
- Quantity, amount, number, sum
- estas
- These (feminine plural demonstrative adjective/pronoun)
- raras
- Rare, strange, odd, unusual (feminine plural)
- incertidumbres
- Uncertainties, doubts, insecurities
- habían
- Had, they/you had (imperfect plural of haber)
- proyectado
- Projected, planned, cast, thrown (past participle)
- hasta
- Until, up to, even, as far as
- única
- Only, sole, unique, single (feminine)
- sombra
- Shadow, shade, darkness, ghost
- sobre
- On, over, about, above (preposition)
- satisfacción
- Satisfaction, contentment, pleasure, gratification
- Ahora
- Now, at present, currently
- sin
- Without, lacking, minus (preposition)
- embargo
- However, nevertheless (usually in phrase "sin embargo")
- luz
- Light, illumination, electricity, enlightenment
- del
- Of the, from the (contraction of de + el)
- accidente
- Accident, crash, mishap, incident
- aquella
- That (feminine singular, distant demonstrative adjective)
- mañana
- Morning, tomorrow (depending on context)
- vi
- I saw, I viewed (preterite of ver)
- llevado
- Carried, taken, led, worn (past participle)
- observar
- To observe, watch, notice, remark
- que
- That, which, who, what (conjunction/relative pronoun)
- mientras
- While, whereas, meanwhile, as long as
- dificultad
- Difficulty, trouble, problem, hardship
- sido
- Been (past participle of ser)
- desprenderme
- To detach myself, free myself, get rid of
- cuerpo
- Body, corpse, torso, substance
- últimamente
- Lately, recently, of late
- se
- Reflexive pronoun: himself, herself, themselves, oneself
- transferido
- Transferred, moved, conveyed, shifted (past participle)
- gradual
- Gradual, progressive, step-by-step
- pero
- But, yet, however (adversative conjunction)
- decididamente
- Decidedly, definitely, resolutely, firmly
- otro
- Other, another, different (masculine)
- lado
- Side, flank, edge, direction
- Todas
- All, every (feminine plural)
- las
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- cosas
- Things, objects, matters, stuff
- por
- By, for, through, per (preposition)
- lo
- It, him (masculine direct object pronoun)
- tanto
- So much, therefore, as much (adverb/conjunction)
- parecían
- Seemed, appeared, looked like (imperfect third person plural)
- señalar
- To point out, indicate, signal, mark
- esto
- This (neuter demonstrative pronoun)
- estaba
- Was, I/he/she was (imperfect of estar)
- perdiendo
- Losing, wasting, missing (present participle of perder)
- lentamente
- Slowly, gradually, unhurriedly
- el
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- control
- Control, command, check, regulation
- yo
- I (subject pronoun, first person singular)
- original
- Original, initial, first, authentic
- mejor
- Better, best, improved, superior
- volviéndome
- Becoming, turning myself into, going back
- incorporado
- Incorporated, integrated, sat up, built-in
- segundo
- Second, next, another (ordinal number/adjective)
- peor
- Worse, worst, inferior
- Entre
- Between, among, amid (preposition)
- estos
- These (masculine plural demonstrative adjective/pronoun)
- dos
- Two (number)
- ahora
- Now, at present, currently
- sentía
- Felt, sensed, regretted (imperfect of sentir)
- tenía
- Had, possessed, was having (imperfect of tener)
- elegir
- To choose, select, pick, elect
- Mis
- My (plural possessive adjective)
- naturalezas
- Natures, characters, essences, natural worlds
- tenían
- Had, they/you had (imperfect plural of tener)
- memoria
- Memory, recollection, remembrance, report
- común
- Common, shared, ordinary, usual
- todas
- All, every (feminine plural)
- demás
- Other, rest, remaining, others
- facultades
- Faculties, abilities, powers, permissions
- estaban
- Were, they/you were (imperfect plural of estar)
- compartidas
- Shared, divided, distributed (feminine plural past participle)
- desigualmente
- Unequally, unevenly, disparately
- entre
- Between, among, amid (preposition)
- ellas
- They, them (feminine plural pronoun)
- era
- Was, I/he/she was (imperfect of ser)
- compuesto
- Compound, composite, composed (past participle/adjective)
- aprensiones
- Apprehensions, fears, anxieties, concerns
- sensibles
- Sensitive, sensible, noticeable, perceptible
- un
- A, an, one (masculine indefinite article)
- gusto
- Taste, pleasure, liking, enjoyment
- ávido
- Avid, eager, greedy, hungry
- proyectaba
- Projected, planned, cast (imperfect of proyectar)
- compartía
- Shared, divided (imperfect of compartir)
- los
- The (masculine plural definite article)
- placeres
- Pleasures, delights, enjoyments
- aventuras
- Adventures, exploits, affairs, ventures
- indiferente
- Indifferent, unconcerned, apathetic, neutral
- o
- Or (conjunction presenting alternatives)
- sólo
- Only, just, alone, merely
- recordaba
- Remembered, recalled, reminded (imperfect of recordar)
- como
- As, like, how (conjunction/adverb)
- bandido
- Bandit, outlaw, robber, thief
- montaña
- Mountain, mount, hill
- recuerda
- Remembers, recalls, reminds (present tense of recordar)
- caverna
- Cave, cavern, den
- oculta
- Hidden, concealed, secret (feminine adjective/verb)
- persecución
- Persecution, pursuit, chase, harassment
- interés
- Interest, concern, stake, benefit
- padre
- Father, parent, priest
- indiferencia
- Indifference, unconcern, apathy, detachment
- hijo
- Son, child, offspring
- Echar
- To throw, cast, toss, pour
- suerte
- Luck, fortune, fate, chance
- morir
- To die, perish, expire, pass away
- aquellos
- Those (masculine plural distant demonstrative)
- apetitos
- Appetites, desires, cravings, hungers
- complacido
- Pleased, satisfied, indulged (past participle)
- secretamente
- Secretly, covertly, privately, stealthily
- durante
- During, for, throughout (preposition indicating duration)
- mucho
- Much, a lot, very (adverb/adjective)
- tiempo
- Time, weather, period, season
- comenzado
- Begun, started, commenced (past participle of comenzar)
- mimar
- To pamper, spoil, indulge, coddle
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