The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 14
This functionary grasped it in a perfect agony of joy, opened it with a trembling hand, cast a rapid glance at its contents, and then, scrambling and struggling to the door, rushed at length unceremoniously from the room and from the house, without having uttered a syllable since Dupin had requested him to fill up the check.
Este funcionario lo tomó en un perfecto éxtasis de alegría, lo abrió con mano temblorosa, lanzó una rápida mirada a su contenido, y luego, trepando y luchando hacia la puerta, salió finalmente sin ceremonias de la habitación y de la casa, sin haber pronunciado una sola sílaba desde que Dupin le había pedido que rellenara el cheque.
When he had gone, my friend entered into some explanations.
Cuando se hubo marchado, mi amigo procedió a darme algunas explicaciones.
"The Parisian police," he said, "are exceedingly able in their way.
«La policía parisina», dijo, «es sumamente hábil a su manera.
They are persevering, ingenious, cunning, and thoroughly versed in the knowledge which their duties seem chiefly to demand.
Son perseverantes, ingeniosos, astutos y están perfectamente versados en los conocimientos que sus obligaciones parecen exigir principalmente.
Thus, when G—— detailed to us his mode of searching the premises at the Hotel D——, I felt entire confidence in his having made a satisfactory investigation—so far as his labors extended."
Así pues, cuando G—— nos describió su método de registro en el Hotel D——, tuve plena confianza en que había llevado a cabo una investigación satisfactoria, en la medida en que alcanzaron sus esfuerzos.»
"So far as his labors extended?" said I.
«¿En la medida en que alcanzaron sus esfuerzos?», dije yo.
"Yes," said Dupin. "The measures adopted were not only the best of their kind, but carried out to absolute perfection.
«Sí», dijo Dupin. «Las medidas adoptadas no solo eran las mejores en su género, sino que fueron llevadas a cabo con absoluta perfección.
Had the letter been deposited within the range of their search, these fellows would, beyond a question, have found it."
Si la carta hubiera estado depositada dentro del alcance de su búsqueda, esos hombres la habrían encontrado, sin lugar a dudas.»
I merely laughed—but he seemed quite serious in all that he said.
Me limité a reír, pero él parecía completamente serio en todo lo que decía.
"The measures, then," he continued, "were good in their kind, and well executed; their defect lay in their being inapplicable to the case, and to the man.
«Las medidas, pues», continuó, «eran buenas en su género y bien ejecutadas; su defecto radicaba en que eran inaplicables al caso y al hombre.
A certain set of highly ingenious resources are, with the Prefect, a sort of Procrustean bed, to which he forcibly adapts his designs.
Un determinado conjunto de recursos sumamente ingeniosos constituye, para el Prefecto, una especie de lecho de Procusto, al que adapta a la fuerza sus planes.
Vocabulary
- Este
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this'
- funcionario
- A government official or public servant
- lo
- Direct object pronoun meaning 'it' or 'him'
- tomó
- Past tense of 'tomar'; grabbed or took something
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- perfecto
- Adjective meaning complete, flawless, or perfect
- éxtasis
- State of intense joy or ecstasy
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
- alegría
- Feeling of happiness, joy, or delight
- abrió
- Past tense of 'abrir'; opened something
- con
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- mano
- The hand, a body part used for grasping
- temblorosa
- Adjective meaning trembling, shaking, or quivering
- lanzó
- Past tense of 'lanzar'; threw or cast quickly
- una
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- rápida
- Adjective meaning fast, quick, or swift
- mirada
- A look or glance directed at something
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'toward'
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'
- contenido
- The contents or material inside something
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- luego
- Adverb meaning 'then,' 'later,' or 'afterward'
- trepando
- Gerund of 'trepar'; climbing or scrambling upward
- luchando
- Gerund of 'luchar'; struggling or fighting toward something
- hacia
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of'
- la
- Feminine definite article meaning 'the'
- puerta
- A door or entrance to a room or building
- salió
- Past tense of 'salir'; left or exited a place
- finalmente
- Adverb meaning 'finally' or 'at last'
- sin
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- ceremonias
- Formalities or polite social rituals
- habitación
- A room, especially a bedroom or living space
- casa
- A house or home where people live
- haber
- Auxiliary verb meaning 'to have' (in compound tenses)
- pronunciado
- Past participle of 'pronunciar'; uttered or spoken aloud
- sola
- Adjective meaning alone, single, or solitary
- sílaba
- A syllable, a unit of spoken language
- desde
- Preposition meaning 'since' or 'from' a point in time
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him' or 'to her'
- había
- Imperfect of 'haber'; had (auxiliary for past perfect)
- pedido
- Past participle of 'pedir'; requested or asked for something
- rellenara
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'rellenar'; that he fill out
- el
- Masculine definite article meaning 'the'
- cheque
- A written bank order to pay a specific amount
- Cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when' introducing a time clause
- se
- Reflexive or impersonal pronoun used with verbs
- hubo
- Preterite of 'haber'; used in past perfect constructions
- marchado
- Past participle of 'marcharse'; gone away or departed
- mi
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my'
- amigo
- A friend or close companion
- procedió
- Past tense of 'proceder'; proceeded or went on to do
- darme
- Infinitive 'dar' plus 'me'; to give me something
- algunas
- Feminine plural of 'algún'; some or a few
- explicaciones
- Plural of 'explicación'; explanations or clarifications given
- La
- Feminine definite article meaning 'the'
- policía
- The police force or a police officer
- parisina
- Adjective meaning Parisian, relating to Paris
- dijo
- Past tense of 'decir'; said or stated something
- es
- Third person singular present of 'ser'; is
- sumamente
- Adverb meaning extremely or to the highest degree
- hábil
- Adjective meaning skillful, capable, or clever
- manera
- A way, manner, or method of doing something
- Son
- Third person plural present of 'ser'; they are
- perseverantes
- Adjective meaning persistent, steadfast, or persevering
- ingeniosos
- Adjective meaning clever, ingenious, or resourceful
- astutos
- Adjective meaning cunning, shrewd, or crafty
- están
- Third person plural of 'estar'; they are (state/condition)
- perfectamente
- Adverb meaning perfectly or completely well
- versados
- Adjective meaning well-versed, knowledgeable, or experienced
- los
- Masculine plural definite article or object pronoun 'them'
- conocimientos
- Knowledge, skills, or areas of understanding
- sus
- Plural possessive adjective meaning 'their,' 'his,' or 'her'
- obligaciones
- Duties, obligations, or responsibilities one must fulfill
- parecen
- Third person plural of 'parecer'; they seem or appear
- exigir
- Infinitive meaning to demand, require, or call for
- principalmente
- Adverb meaning mainly, principally, or above all
- Así
- Adverb meaning 'thus,' 'so,' or 'in this way'
- pues
- Conjunction meaning 'then,' 'well,' or 'therefore'
- cuando
- Conjunction meaning 'when' introducing a time clause
- nos
- First person plural object pronoun meaning 'us'
- describió
- Past tense of 'describir'; described or outlined something
- método
- A method, procedure, or systematic way of doing
- registro
- A search, inspection, or official record
- Hotel
- A lodging establishment offering rooms for guests
- tuve
- First person preterite of 'tener'; I had
- plena
- Adjective meaning full, complete, or total
- confianza
- Trust, confidence, or faith in someone or something
- llevado
- Past participle of 'llevar'; carried out or conducted
- cabo
- End or tip; 'llevar a cabo' means to carry out
- investigación
- An investigation, inquiry, or research process
- satisfactoria
- Adjective meaning satisfactory, adequate, or sufficient
- medida
- A measure, extent, or degree of something
- alcanzaron
- Past tense of 'alcanzar'; reached or achieved something
- esfuerzos
- Efforts, attempts, or exertions toward a goal
- En
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at'
- dije
- First person preterite of 'decir'; I said
- yo
- First person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'
- Sí
- Affirmative adverb meaning 'yes'
- Las
- Feminine plural definite article meaning 'the'
- medidas
- Measures, steps, or actions taken in a situation
- adoptadas
- Past participle of 'adoptar'; adopted or implemented measures
- no
- Negation adverb meaning 'no' or 'not'
- solo
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'only' or 'alone'
- eran
- Imperfect of 'ser'; they were (describing past state)
- las
- Feminine plural definite article or object pronoun 'them'
- mejores
- Plural of 'mejor'; the best or superior ones
- género
- Type, kind, genre, or category of something
- sino
- Conjunction meaning 'but rather' or 'but instead'
- fueron
- Preterite of 'ser' or 'ir'; they were or went
- llevadas
- Past participle feminine plural of 'llevar'; carried out
- absoluta
- Adjective meaning absolute, total, or complete
- perfección
- The state of being perfect or flawless
- Si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' introducing a conditional clause
- carta
- A letter, written message, or correspondence document
- hubiera
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'haber'; had (hypothetically)
- estado
- Past participle of 'estar'; been (state or condition)
- depositada
- Past participle of 'depositar'; placed or stored somewhere
- dentro
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'inside' or 'within'
- del
- Contraction of 'de' + 'el' meaning 'of the'
- alcance
- Reach, range, or scope of an action or ability
- búsqueda
- A search, quest, or act of looking for something
- esos
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'those' (masculine plural)
- hombres
- Plural of 'hombre'; men or people in general
- habrían
- Conditional of 'haber'; they would have (done something)
- encontrado
- Past participle of 'encontrar'; found or discovered something
- lugar
- A place, location, or spot where something exists
- dudas
- Doubts, uncertainties, or questions about something
- Me
- First person reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me'
- limité
- First person preterite of 'limitarse'; I limited myself to
- reír
- Infinitive meaning to laugh or chuckle
- pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but' introducing a contrast
- él
- Third person singular subject pronoun meaning 'he'
- parecía
- Imperfect of 'parecer'; he seemed or appeared (past)
- completamente
- Adverb meaning completely, entirely, or wholly
- serio
- Adjective meaning serious, earnest, or grave
- todo
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all,' 'everything,' or 'every'
- decía
- Imperfect of 'decir'; he was saying or used to say
- continuó
- Past tense of 'continuar'; continued or went on speaking
- buenas
- Feminine plural of 'bueno'; good or well-done
- bien
- Adverb meaning 'well,' 'good,' or 'correctly'
- ejecutadas
- Past participle of 'ejecutar'; executed or carried out
- defecto
- A defect, flaw, or shortcoming in something
- radicaba
- Imperfect of 'radicar'; lay or was rooted in something
- inaplicables
- Adjective meaning inapplicable or not suitable to apply
- al
- Contraction of 'a' + 'el' meaning 'to the'
- caso
- A case, situation, or instance being considered
- hombre
- A man or human being; often used generically
- Un
- Masculine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- determinado
- Adjective meaning determined, specific, or particular
- conjunto
- A set, collection, or combination of things together
- recursos
- Resources, means, or tools available for use
- constituye
- Third person singular of 'constituir'; constitutes or forms
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'to,' or 'in order to'
- Prefecto
- A prefect or chief administrator of police or region
- especie
- A species, type, or kind of something
- lecho
- A bed or resting surface; also a riverbed
- adapta
- Third person singular of 'adaptar'; adapts or adjusts
- fuerza
- Force, strength, or power applied to something
- planes
- Plans, schemes, or organized intentions for action
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