The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 6
"
"
"You flatter me," replied the Prefect; "but it is possible that some such opinion may have been entertained."
«Me halaga usted», respondió el Prefecto; «pero es posible que tal opinión haya sido sostenida».
"It is clear," said I, "as you observe, that the letter is still in possession of the minister; since it is this possession, and not any employment of the letter, which bestows the power.
«Está claro», dije yo, «como usted observa, que la carta sigue en poder del ministro; puesto que es esta posesión, y no el uso de la carta, lo que otorga el poder.
With the employment the power departs."
Con el uso, el poder desaparece».
"True," said G.; "and upon this conviction I proceeded.
«Cierto», dijo G.; «y con esta convicción procedí.
My first care was to make thorough search of the minister's hotel; and here my chief embarrassment lay in the necessity of searching without his knowledge.
Mi primera preocupación fue hacer un registro minucioso del hotel del ministro; y aquí mi principal dificultad residía en la necesidad de registrarlo sin su conocimiento.
Beyond all things, I have been warned of the danger which would result from giving him reason to suspect our design."
Sobre todo, he sido advertido del peligro que resultaría de darle motivo para sospechar nuestro propósito».
"But," said I, "you are quite au fait in these investigations.
«Pero», dije yo, «usted está perfectamente al tanto de estas investigaciones.
The Parisian police have done this thing often before."
La policía parisina ha hecho esto muchas veces antes».
"Oh, yes; and for this reason I did not despair.
«Oh, sí; y por esta razón no desesperé.
The habits of the minister gave me, too, a great advantage.
Los hábitos del ministro me proporcionaron también una gran ventaja.
He is frequently absent from home all night.
Con frecuencia está ausente de su casa durante toda la noche.
His servants are by no means numerous.
Sus criados no son en absoluto numerosos.
They sleep at a distance from their master's apartment, and, being chiefly Neapolitans, are readily made drunk.
Duermen lejos del apartamento de su amo y, siendo principalmente napolitanos, se emborrachan con facilidad.
I have keys, as you know, with which I can open any chamber or cabinet in Paris.
Tengo llaves, como usted sabe, con las que puedo abrir cualquier habitación o gabinete en París.
For three months a night has not passed, during the greater part of which I have not been engaged, personally, in ransacking the D—— Hotel.
Durante tres meses no ha pasado una noche en la mayor parte de la cual no haya estado ocupado, personalmente, en registrar a fondo el Hotel D——.
My honor is interested, and, to mention a great secret, the reward is enormous.
Mi honor está en juego y, para mencionar un gran secreto, la recompensa es enorme.
Vocabulary
- halaga
- Flatters or pleases someone with compliments
- usted
- Formal second person singular pronoun meaning 'you'
- respondió
- He/she responded or replied to something said
- Prefecto
- High-ranking official or prefect overseeing administration
- posible
- Possible; able to happen or be done
- tal
- Such or a certain; referring to something mentioned
- opinión
- Opinion; a personal view or judgment on something
- haya
- Subjunctive form of 'haber,' meaning 'has' or 'have'
- sido
- Past participle of 'ser,' meaning 'been'
- sostenida
- Sustained or held; maintained over time or discussion
- claro
- Clear; obvious or easy to understand
- dije
- First person singular preterite of 'decir,' meaning 'I said'
- observa
- Observes or notices; pays careful attention to something
- carta
- Letter; a written message sent to someone
- sigue
- Continues or follows; keeps going in a direction
- poder
- Power or possession; ability or control over something
- ministro
- Minister; a high-ranking government official
- puesto
- Since or given that; also a position or post
- posesión
- Possession; having ownership or control of something
- uso
- Use; the act of employing something for a purpose
- otorga
- Grants or confers power or authority to someone
- desaparece
- Disappears; ceases to be visible or present
- Cierto
- Certain or true; expressing agreement with a statement
- dijo
- Third person singular preterite of 'decir,' meaning 'said'
- convicción
- Conviction; a firmly held belief or certainty
- procedí
- I proceeded; moved forward with a plan or action
- preocupación
- Concern or worry about a problem or situation
- fue
- Preterite of 'ser' or 'ir,' meaning 'was' or 'went'
- hacer
- To do or make; to perform an action or create something
- registro
- Search or inspection; thorough examination of a place
- minucioso
- Thorough or meticulous; paying great attention to detail
- principal
- Main or primary; most important among several things
- dificultad
- Difficulty; a problem or challenge encountered
- residía
- Resided or lay in; was located or situated somewhere
- necesidad
- Necessity; something required or urgently needed
- registrarlo
- To search it; inspect or examine a place thoroughly
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without,' indicating absence
- conocimiento
- Knowledge or awareness of something or someone
- Sobre
- Above or about; also a preposition for 'on top of'
- advertido
- Warned or noticed; having been made aware of danger
- peligro
- Danger; a situation involving risk of harm
- resultaría
- Would result; conditional form indicating a consequence
- darle
- To give him/her; infinitive with indirect object pronoun
- motivo
- Motive or reason; cause behind an action
- sospechar
- To suspect; to have doubts about someone's intentions
- nuestro
- Our; first person plural possessive adjective
- propósito
- Purpose or intention; goal one aims to achieve
- perfectamente
- Perfectly; completely or in a flawless manner
- tanto
- So much; also used in phrases like 'al tanto' (aware)
- investigaciones
- Investigations; systematic inquiries or searches for information
- policía
- Police; law enforcement organization maintaining public order
- parisina
- Parisian; relating to or from the city of Paris
- hecho
- Done or made; past participle of 'hacer'
- veces
- Times; plural of 'vez,' indicating repeated occurrences
- antes
- Before; at an earlier time or previously
- razón
- Reason; logical explanation or justification for something
- desesperé
- I despaired; lost hope in a difficult situation
- hábitos
- Habits; regular behaviors or customs of a person
- proporcionaron
- Provided or furnished; gave something useful to someone
- gran
- Great or large; significant in size or importance
- ventaja
- Advantage; a favorable condition or benefit
- frecuencia
- Frequency; how often something occurs or happens
- ausente
- Absent; not present in a particular place
- casa
- House or home; a place where someone lives
- durante
- During; throughout the duration of a time period
- toda
- All or entire; complete without exception
- noche
- Night; the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
- criados
- Servants; people employed to work in a household
- absoluto
- Absolute; total or complete, without any limitations
- numerosos
- Numerous; many in number or quantity
- Duermen
- They sleep; third person plural present of 'dormir'
- lejos
- Far away; at a great distance from something
- apartamento
- Apartment; a self-contained residential unit in a building
- amo
- Master or owner; one who employs or owns servants
- siendo
- Being; present participle of 'ser,' indicating a state
- principalmente
- Mainly or primarily; above all else
- napolitanos
- Neapolitans; people from Naples, Italy
- emborrachan
- Get drunk; consume excessive alcohol easily
- facilidad
- Ease or facility; ability to do something without difficulty
- llaves
- Keys; tools used to open or lock a door
- puedo
- I can; first person singular present of 'poder'
- abrir
- To open; to cause something to no longer be closed
- cualquier
- Any; used before a noun to mean 'whichever one'
- habitación
- Room; a space within a building used for a purpose
- gabinete
- Cabinet or small private room used for meetings
- meses
- Months; plural of 'mes,' units of calendar time
- pasado
- Past; referring to a previous time period
- mayor
- Greater or older; larger in degree or age
- parte
- Part; a portion or section of something larger
- cual
- Which; relative pronoun referring to something previously mentioned
- estado
- Been; past participle of 'estar,' indicating a state
- ocupado
- Busy or occupied; engaged in an activity or task
- personalmente
- Personally; done by oneself rather than through another
- registrar
- To search or register; examine thoroughly or record
- fondo
- Bottom or depth; also means thoroughly in 'a fondo'
- honor
- Honor; high respect, integrity, or moral virtue
- juego
- Game or play; also 'at stake' in certain expressions
- mencionar
- To mention; to briefly refer to something in speech
- secreto
- Secret; information kept hidden from others
- recompensa
- Reward; something given in return for a service
- enorme
- Enormous; extremely large in size or amount
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