The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Page 99
But I had voluntarily stripped myself of all those balancing instincts by which even the worst of us continues to walk with some degree of steadiness among temptations; and in my case, to be tempted, however slightly, was to fall.
Pero yo me había despojado voluntariamente de todos aquellos instintos equilibradores por los cuales incluso el peor de nosotros continúa caminando con algún grado de firmeza entre las tentaciones; y en mi caso, ser tentado, por levemente que fuera, era caer.
Instantly the spirit of hell awoke in me and raged.
Instantáneamente el espíritu del infierno despertó en mí y se enfureció.
With a transport of glee, I mauled the unresisting body, tasting delight from every blow; and it was not till weariness had begun to succeed, that I was suddenly, in the top fit of my delirium, struck through the heart by a cold thrill of terror.
Con un arrebato de júbilo, golpeé el cuerpo que no oponía resistencia, saboreando el deleite de cada golpe; y no fue hasta que el cansancio comenzó a sobrevenir, que fui súbitamente, en el apogeo de mi delirio, atravesado por el corazón por un escalofrío helado de terror.
A mist dispersed; I saw my life to be forfeit; and fled from the scene of these excesses, at once glorying and trembling, my lust of evil gratified and stimulated, my love of life screwed to the topmost peg.
Una niebla se disipó; vi que mi vida estaba perdida; y huí de la escena de estos excesos, a la vez glorificándome y temblando, mi lujuria del mal gratificada y estimulada, mi amor a la vida elevado al punto máximo.
I ran to the house in Soho, and (to make assurance doubly sure) destroyed my papers; thence I set out through the lamplit streets, in the same divided ecstasy of mind, gloating on my crime, light-headedly devising others in the future, and yet still hastening and still hearkening in my wake for the steps of the avenger.
Corrí a la casa en Soho, y (para asegurarme doblemente) destruí mis papeles; de allí partí por las calles iluminadas, en el mismo éxtasis dividido de mente, regodeándome en mi crimen, ideando ligeramente otros en el futuro, y sin embargo apresurándome aún y escuchando todavía tras de mí los pasos del vengador.
Hyde had a song upon his lips as he compounded the draught, and as he drank it, pledged the dead man.
Hyde tenía una canción en los labios mientras preparaba la pócima, y al beberla, brindó por el hombre muerto.
The pangs of transformation had not done tearing him, before Henry Jekyll, with streaming tears of gratitude and remorse, had fallen upon his knees and lifted his clasped hands to God.
Los dolores de la transformación no habían terminado de desgarrarlo, antes de que Henry Jekyll, con lágrimas abundantes de gratitud y remordimiento, hubiera caído de rodillas y levantado sus manos entrelazadas hacia Dios.
Vocabulary
- Pero
- But, however; conjunction showing contrast or exception
- yo
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- me
- Me, myself; first person reflexive or object pronoun
- había
- Had; imperfect tense of haber, auxiliary verb
- despojado
- Stripped, deprived; past participle of despojar
- voluntariamente
- Voluntarily, willingly; adverb meaning of one's own will
- de
- Of, from; preposition indicating possession or origin
- todos
- All, every; masculine plural adjective or pronoun
- aquellos
- Those; masculine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- instintos
- Instincts; plural noun meaning natural impulses or behaviors
- por
- For, by, through; preposition with multiple meanings
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- cuales
- Which; plural relative pronoun used in clauses
- incluso
- Even, including; adverb emphasizing inclusion or extent
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- peor
- Worst, worse; comparative or superlative adjective
- nosotros
- We, us; first person plural subject pronoun
- continúa
- Continues; third person singular present of continuar
- caminando
- Walking; present participle or gerund of caminar
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- algún
- Some, any; masculine singular indefinite adjective
- grado
- Degree, level; noun meaning extent or measure
- firmeza
- Firmness, steadiness; noun meaning stability or resolve
- entre
- Between, among; preposition indicating position or relation
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- tentaciones
- Temptations; plural noun meaning allurements or enticements
- y
- And; conjunction connecting words, phrases, or clauses
- en
- In, on, at; preposition indicating location
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- caso
- Case, instance; noun meaning situation or example
- ser
- To be; infinitive verb indicating existence or identity
- tentado
- Tempted; past participle of tentar, meaning enticed
- levemente
- Slightly, lightly; adverb meaning to a small degree
- que
- That, which; relative pronoun or conjunction
- fuera
- Were, outside; imperfect subjunctive of ser or noun
- era
- Was; imperfect tense of ser, third person singular
- caer
- To fall; infinitive verb meaning to drop
- Instantáneamente
- Instantly, immediately; adverb meaning happening at once
- espíritu
- Spirit, soul; noun meaning essence or ghost
- del
- Of the; contraction of de and el
- infierno
- Hell, inferno; noun meaning underworld or torment
- despertó
- Awakened, woke up; preterite third person of despertar
- mí
- Me; first person prepositional pronoun with accent
- se
- Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun third person
- enfureció
- Enraged, infuriated; preterite third person of enfurecer
- Con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- un
- A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
- arrebato
- Outburst, fit; noun meaning sudden emotional display
- júbilo
- Jubilation, joy; noun meaning great happiness
- golpeé
- I hit, struck; preterite first person of golpear
- cuerpo
- Body; noun meaning physical form or corpse
- no
- No, not; adverb of negation
- oponía
- Opposed, resisted; imperfect third person of oponer
- resistencia
- Resistance; noun meaning opposition or endurance
- saboreando
- Savoring, tasting; present participle of saborear
- deleite
- Delight, pleasure; noun meaning great enjoyment
- cada
- Each, every; invariable adjective meaning individual items
- golpe
- Blow, hit; noun meaning strike or impact
- fue
- Was, went; preterite third person of ser/ir
- hasta
- Until, up to; preposition indicating limit or extent
- cansancio
- Tiredness, fatigue; noun meaning state of exhaustion
- comenzó
- Began, started; preterite third person of comenzar
- a
- To, at; preposition indicating direction or purpose
- fui
- I was, went; preterite first person of ser/ir
- súbitamente
- Suddenly, abruptly; adverb meaning happening without warning
- apogeo
- Peak, climax; noun meaning highest point
- delirio
- Delirium, frenzy; noun meaning state of confusion
- atravesado
- Pierced, crossed; past participle of atravesar
- corazón
- Heart; noun meaning organ or center of emotion
- escalofrío
- Shiver, chill; noun meaning cold sensation or tremor
- helado
- Frozen, ice cream; adjective or noun
- terror
- Terror, extreme fear; noun meaning intense fright
- Una
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- niebla
- Fog, mist; noun meaning dense vapor
- disipó
- Dissipated, dispersed; preterite third person of disipar
- vi
- I saw; preterite first person of ver
- vida
- Life; noun meaning existence or living state
- estaba
- Was; imperfect first/third person of estar
- perdida
- Lost; feminine past participle or adjective
- huí
- I fled, escaped; preterite first person of huir
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- escena
- Scene; noun meaning setting or incident
- estos
- These; masculine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- excesos
- Excesses; plural noun meaning overindulgences or extremes
- vez
- Time, occasion; noun meaning instance or turn
- temblando
- Trembling, shaking; present participle of temblar
- lujuria
- Lust; noun meaning excessive sexual desire
- mal
- Evil, bad, badly; noun, adjective, or adverb
- estimulada
- Stimulated; feminine past participle of estimular
- amor
- Love; noun meaning affection or romantic feeling
- elevado
- Elevated, raised; past participle of elevar
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el
- punto
- Point, dot; noun meaning location or moment
- máximo
- Maximum, highest; adjective meaning greatest possible
- Corrí
- I ran; preterite first person of correr
- casa
- House, home; noun meaning dwelling or building
- para
- For, to; preposition indicating purpose or destination
- asegurarme
- To assure myself; infinitive with reflexive pronoun
- doblemente
- Doubly, twice; adverb meaning in double measure
- destruí
- I destroyed; preterite first person of destruir
- mis
- My; first person plural possessive adjective
- papeles
- Papers, documents; plural noun meaning sheets or records
- allí
- There; adverb indicating a specific location
- partí
- I departed, left; preterite first person of partir
- calles
- Streets; plural noun meaning roads or pathways
- iluminadas
- Illuminated, lit; feminine plural past participle
- mismo
- Same, very; adjective emphasizing identity or intensifying
- éxtasis
- Ecstasy; noun meaning overwhelming joy or rapture
- dividido
- Divided, split; past participle of dividir
- mente
- Mind; noun meaning intellect or consciousness
- crimen
- Crime; noun meaning illegal act or offense
- ideando
- Devising, conceiving; present participle of idear
- ligeramente
- Lightly, slightly; adverb meaning in small degree
- otros
- Others; masculine plural pronoun or adjective
- futuro
- Future; noun or adjective meaning time ahead
- sin
- Without; preposition indicating absence or lack
- embargo
- However, embargo; noun or part of phrase
- apresurándome
- Hurrying myself; present participle with reflexive pronoun
- aún
- Still, yet; adverb indicating continuance with accent
- escuchando
- Listening; present participle of escuchar
- todavía
- Still, yet; adverb indicating continuance or persistence
- tras
- After, behind; preposition indicating position or sequence
- pasos
- Steps, footsteps; plural noun meaning paces or stages
- tenía
- Had; imperfect first/third person of tener
- una
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- canción
- Song; noun meaning musical composition with words
- labios
- Lips; plural noun meaning mouth edges
- mientras
- While, meanwhile; conjunction or adverb indicating simultaneity
- preparaba
- Prepared, was preparing; imperfect of preparar
- beberla
- To drink it; infinitive beber with object pronoun
- brindó
- Toasted, offered; preterite third person of brindar
- hombre
- Man; noun meaning adult male human
- muerto
- Dead; past participle or adjective meaning deceased
- Los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- dolores
- Pains, aches; plural noun meaning physical suffering
- transformación
- Transformation; noun meaning change or conversion
- habían
- Had; imperfect third person plural of haber
- terminado
- Finished, ended; past participle of terminar
- antes
- Before; adverb indicating previous time or position
- lágrimas
- Tears; plural noun meaning drops from crying
- abundantes
- Abundant, plentiful; plural adjective meaning copious
- gratitud
- Gratitude; noun meaning thankfulness or appreciation
- remordimiento
- Remorse; noun meaning deep regret or guilt
- hubiera
- Had, would have; imperfect subjunctive of haber
- caído
- Fallen; past participle of caer
- rodillas
- Knees; plural noun meaning leg joints
- levantado
- Raised, lifted; past participle of levantar
- sus
- His, her, their; third person possessive adjective
- manos
- Hands; plural noun meaning body parts
- hacia
- Toward, towards; preposition indicating direction
- Dios
- God; proper noun meaning supreme deity
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