The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments — Page 13
In other words, I insert nothing that I deem greatly inferior in interest to the tales in the old version.
En otras palabras, no inserto nada que considere muy inferior en interés a los cuentos de la versión antigua.
Certain passages which, in the original work, are of an objectionable nature, I have slightly varied; but in doing this, I have been particularly careful to render them so as to be perfectly agreeable with Arab manners and customs.
Ciertos pasajes que, en la obra original, son de naturaleza censurable, los he variado ligeramente; pero al hacer esto, he tenido especial cuidado en presentarlos de modo que sean perfectamente acordes con los modales y costumbres árabes.
It was originally my intention to omit almost the whole of the poetry, thinking that the loss of measure and rhyme, and the impossibility of preserving the examples of paronomasia and some other figures with which they abound, would render translations of them generally intolerable to the reader:
En un principio, mi intención era omitir casi toda la poesía, pensando que la pérdida de la métrica y la rima, y la imposibilidad de preservar los ejemplos de paronomasia y otras figuras retóricas con las que abundan, harían que sus traducciones resultaran en general intolerables para el lector:
but afterwards I reflected that the character of the work would be thus greatly altered; and its value, as illustrating Arab manners and feelings, much diminished.
pero luego reflexioné que el carácter de la obra quedaría así muy alterado; y su valor, como ilustración de los modales y sentimientos árabes, muy disminuido.
I therefore determined to preserve a considerable number of select pieces, chosen either for their relative merits or because required by the context.
Por lo tanto, decidí conservar un número considerable de piezas seleccionadas, elegidas bien por sus méritos relativos o bien porque el contexto así lo requería.
The number of those comprised in the first volume of my translation is nearly half of the number contained in the corresponding portion of the original work;
El número de las incluidas en el primer volumen de mi traducción es aproximadamente la mitad del número contenido en la parte correspondiente de la obra original;
but in several cases I have omitted one or more verses of a piece as unsuitable, or for some other reason; and in a few instances I have given only the first verse or the first couplet.
pero en varios casos he omitido uno o más versos de una pieza por considerarlos inapropiados, o por alguna otra razón; y en algunos casos he dado únicamente el primer verso o el primer dístico.
Vocabulary
- En
- In, at, or on (preposition indicating location or time)
- otras
- Other, different (feminine plural of otro)
- palabras
- Words, language units with specific meanings
- no
- No, not (negation adverb)
- nada
- Nothing, not anything (negation pronoun)
- que
- That, which, who (relative conjunction)
- considere
- Consider, regard (subjunctive of considerar)
- muy
- Very, extremely (adverb of degree)
- inferior
- Lower in quality or rank; worse than something else
- interés
- Interest, concern, or financial advantage gained
- los
- The (masculine plural definite article)
- cuentos
- Stories, tales, or short narratives
- de
- Of, from, or belonging to (preposition)
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- versión
- Version, variant form or translation of work
- antigua
- Ancient, old, or from previous time period
- Ciertos
- Certain, specific, or some particular things
- pasajes
- Passages, sections or excerpts from text
- obra
- Work, literary or artistic creation or composition
- original
- Original, first version or source material
- son
- Are (third person plural of ser)
- naturaleza
- Nature, inherent character or essential quality
- he
- Have (first person singular of haber)
- variado
- Varied, changed, or modified (past participle)
- ligeramente
- Lightly, slightly, or in a minor way
- pero
- But, however (coordinating conjunction)
- al
- To the, at the (contraction of a+el)
- hacer
- To do, to make (infinitive verb)
- esto
- This, this thing (neuter demonstrative pronoun)
- tenido
- Had, held (past participle of tener)
- especial
- Special, particular, or specific to something
- cuidado
- Care, caution, or attention to detail
- presentarlos
- Present them, introduce or show them to others
- modo
- Mode, manner, or way of doing something
- sean
- Be, are (subjunctive of ser)
- perfectamente
- Perfectly, completely, or in perfect manner
- acordes
- In accord, harmonious, or in agreement
- con
- With, alongside, or accompanied by
- modales
- Manners, customs, or ways of behaving
- costumbres
- Customs, traditions, or habitual practices
- árabes
- Arab, Arabic-speaking people or language
- un
- A, an (masculine singular indefinite article)
- principio
- Principle, beginning, or fundamental truth
- mi
- My (possessive adjective, first person singular)
- intención
- Intention, purpose, or aim of action
- era
- Was (first/third person singular of ser)
- omitir
- To omit, to leave out or exclude
- casi
- Almost, nearly, or practically complete
- toda
- All, entire (feminine singular of todo)
- poesía
- Poetry, verse, or poetic composition
- pensando
- Thinking, considering (gerund of pensar)
- pérdida
- Loss, waste, or something that is lost
- rima
- Rhyme, correspondence of sounds at word ends
- imposibilidad
- Impossibility, state of being unable to do
- preservar
- To preserve, to keep or maintain
- ejemplos
- Examples, illustrations, or sample instances
- figuras
- Figures, shapes, or rhetorical devices
- retóricas
- Rhetorical, relating to effective speaking or writing
- abundan
- Abound, exist in large quantities (third person)
- harían
- Would make or do (conditional of hacer)
- sus
- His, her, its, their (possessive adjective)
- traducciones
- Translations, versions rendered into another language
- resultaran
- Would result, turn out (subjunctive conditional)
- general
- General, not specific, or as a whole
- intolerables
- Intolerable, unbearable, or unacceptable to endure
- para
- For, in order to, toward (preposition)
- el
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- lector
- Reader, one who reads or peruses
- luego
- Then, later, or subsequently (adverb)
- reflexioné
- Reflected, thought carefully (first person past)
- carácter
- Character, nature, or distinctive qualities
- quedaría
- Would remain, stay, or be left
- así
- Thus, so, or in this manner
- alterado
- Altered, changed, or modified from original
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