The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Page 103
A moment before I had been safe of all men's respect, wealthy, beloved—the cloth laying for me in the dining-room at home; and now I was the common quarry of mankind, hunted, houseless, a known murderer, thrall to the gallows.
Un momento antes había estado seguro del respeto de todos los hombres, rico, amado—el mantel puesto para mí en el comedor de casa; y ahora era la presa común de la humanidad, cazado, sin hogar, un asesino conocido, esclavo de la horca.
My reason wavered, but it did not fail me utterly.
Mi razón vaciló, pero no me falló por completo.
I have more than once observed that in my second character, my faculties seemed sharpened to a point and my spirits more tensely elastic; thus it came about that, where Jekyll perhaps might have succumbed, Hyde rose to the importance of the moment.
He observado más de una vez que en mi segundo carácter, mis facultades parecían agudizadas al extremo y mis ánimos más tensamente elásticos; así ocurrió que, donde Jekyll quizás habría sucumbido, Hyde se elevó a la importancia del momento.
My drugs were in one of the presses of my cabinet; how was I to reach them?
Mis drogas estaban en uno de los armarios de mi gabinete; ¿cómo iba a alcanzarlas?
That was the problem that (crushing my temples in my hands) I set myself to solve.
Ese era el problema que (apretando mis sienes con mis manos) me propuse resolver.
The laboratory door I had closed.
La puerta del laboratorio la había cerrado.
If I sought to enter by the house, my own servants would consign me to the gallows.
Si intentaba entrar por la casa, mis propios sirvientes me entregarían a la horca.
I saw I must employ another hand, and thought of Lanyon.
Vi que debía emplear otra mano, y pensé en Lanyon.
How was he to be reached? how persuaded?
¿Cómo podía ser alcanzado? ¿cómo persuadido?
Supposing that I escaped capture in the streets, how was I to make my way into his presence? and how should I, an unknown and displeasing visitor, prevail on the famous physician to rifle the study of his colleague, Dr. Jekyll?
Suponiendo que escapara de la captura en las calles, ¿cómo iba a abrirme paso hasta su presencia? y ¿cómo debía yo, un visitante desconocido y desagradable, persuadir al famoso médico para que saqueara el estudio de su colega, el Dr. Jekyll?
Then I remembered that of my original character, one part remained to me: I could write my own hand; and once I had conceived that kindling spark, the way that I must follow became lighted up from end to end.
Entonces recordé que de mi carácter original, una parte permanecía conmigo: podía escribir con mi propia mano; y una vez que concebí esa chispa encendida, el camino que debía seguir se iluminó de principio a fin.
Vocabulary
- Un
- Indefinite article: a, an (masculine singular)
- momento
- Moment, instant of time
- antes
- Before, previously, earlier
- había
- There was/were; I/he/she/it had (imperfect)
- estado
- State, condition; been (past participle of estar)
- seguro
- Sure, certain, safe, secure
- del
- Of the, from the (de + el contraction)
- respeto
- Respect, regard, esteem
- de
- Of, from, about (preposition)
- todos
- All, every, everyone (masculine plural)
- los
- The (masculine plural definite article)
- hombres
- Men, human beings
- rico
- Rich, wealthy, delicious
- amado
- Loved, beloved (past participle)
- el
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- mantel
- Tablecloth
- puesto
- Put, placed; position, job, stall
- para
- For, to, in order to
- mí
- Me (prepositional pronoun, first person singular)
- en
- In, on, at (preposition of place)
- comedor
- Dining room
- casa
- House, home
- y
- And (conjunction)
- ahora
- Now, at present
- era
- Was, used to be (imperfect of ser)
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- presa
- Prey, dam, capture
- común
- Common, ordinary, shared
- humanidad
- Humanity, mankind, humaneness
- cazado
- Hunted, chased (past participle of cazar)
- sin
- Without, lacking
- hogar
- Home, hearth, household
- un
- A, an (masculine singular indefinite article)
- asesino
- Murderer, assassin, killer
- conocido
- Known, famous, acquaintance
- esclavo
- Slave, enslaved person
- Mi
- My (possessive adjective, singular)
- razón
- Reason, reasoning, right
- vaciló
- Hesitated, wavered, faltered (preterite)
- pero
- But, however (conjunction)
- no
- No, not (negation)
- me
- Me, myself (reflexive/object pronoun)
- falló
- Failed, broke down (preterite of fallar)
- por
- By, for, through, because of
- completo
- Complete, full, entire
- He
- I have (present perfect auxiliary)
- observado
- Observed, noticed, watched (past participle)
- más
- More, most, plus
- una
- A, an, one (feminine singular)
- vez
- Time, occasion, turn
- que
- That, which, who, than
- mi
- My (possessive adjective, singular)
- segundo
- Second (ordinal number)
- carácter
- Character, nature, personality
- mis
- My (possessive adjective, plural)
- facultades
- Faculties, abilities, powers
- parecían
- They seemed, appeared (imperfect of parecer)
- al
- To the, at the (a + el contraction)
- extremo
- Extreme, end, utmost
- ánimos
- Spirits, moods, courage
- elásticos
- Elastic, flexible, stretchy
- así
- Thus, so, like this
- ocurrió
- Happened, occurred (preterite of ocurrir)
- donde
- Where, in which place
- quizás
- Perhaps, maybe, possibly
- habría
- Would have, there would be (conditional)
- sucumbido
- Succumbed, yielded, died (past participle)
- se
- Himself/herself/itself/themselves; reflexive pronoun
- elevó
- Rose, lifted, elevated (preterite)
- a
- To, at, in (preposition)
- importancia
- Importance, significance
- Mis
- My (possessive adjective, plural)
- drogas
- Drugs, medicines
- estaban
- Were, they/you were (imperfect of estar)
- uno
- One, a, someone
- armarios
- Cabinets, cupboards, closets
- gabinete
- Cabinet, office, study
- cómo
- How, in what way
- iba
- Was going, used to go (imperfect)
- alcanzarlas
- To reach them (infinitive + pronoun)
- Ese
- That (demonstrative adjective/pronoun, masculine)
- problema
- Problem, issue
- apretando
- Squeezing, pressing, tightening (gerund)
- con
- With, along with
- manos
- Hands
- propuse
- Proposed, set out (preterite first person)
- resolver
- To resolve, solve, settle
- La
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- puerta
- Door, gate, entrance
- laboratorio
- Laboratory
- cerrado
- Closed, shut, locked
- Si
- If, whether (conditional conjunction)
- intentaba
- Tried, attempted (imperfect of intentar)
- entrar
- To enter, go in, come in
- propios
- Own, proper, characteristic
- sirvientes
- Servants, household staff
- entregarían
- Would hand over, would deliver (conditional)
- Vi
- Saw, I saw (preterite of ver)
- debía
- Should, must, owed (imperfect of deber)
- emplear
- To employ, use, hire
- otra
- Other, another (feminine)
- mano
- Hand
- pensé
- Thought, I thought (preterite of pensar)
- Cómo
- How, in what way
- podía
- Could, was able to (imperfect)
- ser
- To be (permanent states/identity)
- alcanzado
- Reached, achieved, attained (past participle)
- persuadido
- Persuaded, convinced (past participle)
- Suponiendo
- Supposing, assuming (gerund of suponer)
- escapaba
- Escaped, was escaping (imperfect)
- captura
- Capture, seizure, catch
- las
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- calles
- Streets
- abrirme
- To open for myself (infinitive + pronoun)
- paso
- Step, pace, passage, way
- hasta
- Until, up to, even
- su
- His, her, its, your, their (possessive)
- presencia
- Presence, appearance, attendance
- yo
- I (subject pronoun, first person)
- visitante
- Visitor, guest, caller
- desconocido
- Unknown, stranger, unfamiliar
- desagradable
- Unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty
- persuadir
- To persuade, convince
- famoso
- Famous, well-known, renowned
- médico
- Doctor, physician, medical
- estudio
- Study, office, studio
- colega
- Colleague, coworker, associate
- Entonces
- Then, at that time, so
- recordé
- Remembered, recalled (preterite first person)
- original
- Original, first, unique
- parte
- Part, portion, side, place
- permanecía
- Remained, stayed (imperfect of permanecer)
- conmigo
- With me (prepositional pronoun)
- escribir
- To write
- propia
- Own, proper, characteristic (feminine)
- concebí
- Conceived, imagined (preterite first person)
- esa
- That (demonstrative adjective, feminine)
- chispa
- Spark, flash, bit
- encendida
- Lit, ignited, turned on
- camino
- Path, road, way
- seguir
- To follow, continue, pursue
- iluminó
- Illuminated, lit up (preterite)
- principio
- Beginning, start, principle
- fin
- End, purpose, goal
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