Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience — Page 2
Others have been curious to learn what portion of my income I devoted to charitable purposes; and some, who have large families, how many poor children I maintained.
Otros han tenido curiosidad por saber qué parte de mis ingresos dediqué a propósitos caritativos; y algunos, que tienen familias numerosas, cuántos niños pobres mantuve.
I will therefore ask those of my readers who feel no particular interest in me to pardon me if I undertake to answer some of these questions in this book.
Por lo tanto, pediré a aquellos de mis lectores que no sientan un interés particular en mí que me perdonen si me propongo responder algunas de estas preguntas en este libro.
In most books, the _I_, or first person, is omitted; in this it will be retained; that, in respect to egotism, is the main difference.
En la mayoría de los libros, el _yo_, o primera persona, se omite; en este se conservará; esa, en lo que respecta al egoísmo, es la principal diferencia.
We commonly do not remember that it is, after all, always the first person that is speaking.
Comúnmente no recordamos que es, al fin y al cabo, siempre la primera persona quien habla.
I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well.
No hablaría tanto de mí mismo si hubiera alguien más a quien conociera igual de bien.
Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience.
Desafortunadamente, estoy limitado a este tema por la estrechez de mi experiencia.
Moreover, I, on my side, require of every writer, first or last, a simple and sincere account of his own life, and not merely what he has heard of other men's lives; some such account as he would send to his kindred from a distant land; for if he has lived sincerely, it must have been in a distant land to me.
Además, yo, por mi parte, exijo de todo escritor, tarde o temprano, un relato simple y sincero de su propia vida, y no meramente lo que ha oído de las vidas de otros hombres; algún relato como el que enviaría a sus parientes desde una tierra lejana; porque si ha vivido sinceramente, debe haber sido en una tierra lejana para mí.
Perhaps these pages are more particularly addressed to poor students.
Quizás estas páginas están dirigidas más particularmente a los estudiantes pobres.
As for the rest of my readers, they will accept such portions as apply to them.
En cuanto al resto de mis lectores, aceptarán aquellas partes que les sean aplicables.
I trust that none will stretch the seams in putting on the coat, for it may do good service to him whom it fits.
Confío en que nadie forzará las costuras al ponerse el abrigo, pues puede prestar buen servicio a aquel a quien le quede bien.
Vocabulary
- Otros
- Other people or things; plural of 'otro'
- han
- Third person plural present perfect auxiliary verb 'have'
- tenido
- Past participle of 'tener'; have had
- curiosidad
- Desire to know or learn about something
- por
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'through'
- saber
- To know facts or information about something
- qué
- Interrogative pronoun meaning 'what'
- parte
- A portion or section of a whole
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- mis
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (plural)
- ingresos
- Money earned; income or earnings
- dediqué
- First person past tense of 'dedicar'; I dedicated
- propósitos
- Intentions or goals aimed at achieving something
- caritativos
- Relating to charity; generous toward those in need
- algunos
- Some; an unspecified number of people or things
- tienen
- Third person plural present tense of 'tener'; they have
- familias
- Groups of related people living together; families
- numerosas
- Large in number; many members or elements
- cuántos
- Interrogative adjective meaning 'how many'
- niños
- Young children, typically boys or children generally
- pobres
- People lacking money or resources; poor individuals
- mantuve
- First person past tense of 'mantener'; I supported
- Por
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'by', or 'through'
- tanto
- So much; used in 'por lo tanto' meaning 'therefore'
- pediré
- First person future tense of 'pedir'; I will ask
- aquellos
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' (distant, plural)
- lectores
- People who read; readers of a text
- sientan
- Subjunctive form of 'sentir'; feel or experience
- interés
- Attention or curiosity directed toward something
- particular
- Specific or special; relating to one person or thing
- mí
- First person singular pronoun used after prepositions; me
- perdonen
- Subjunctive form of 'perdonar'; forgive or excuse
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' in conditional sentences
- propongo
- First person present of 'proponer'; I propose or intend
- responder
- To answer or reply to a question or request
- algunas
- Some; a few unspecified feminine nouns
- estas
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' (feminine plural)
- preguntas
- Questions asked to obtain information or clarification
- este
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (masculine singular)
- libro
- A written or printed work; a book
- mayoría
- The greater number or part; majority
- libros
- Plural of 'libro'; written or printed works
- _yo_
- First person singular pronoun; 'I' the self
- primera
- Feminine ordinal adjective meaning 'first'
- persona
- An individual human being; grammatical person
- omite
- Third person present of 'omitir'; is left out
- conservará
- Future tense of 'conservar'; will keep or preserve
- esa
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (feminine singular)
- respecta
- Third person present of 'respectar'; concerns or regards
- egoísmo
- Excessive self-interest; selfishness or self-centeredness
- principal
- Most important; main or primary among others
- diferencia
- The way in which things are unlike each other
- Comúnmente
- Usually or ordinarily; in a common or typical manner
- recordamos
- First person plural present of 'recordar'; we remember
- fin
- End or purpose; conclusion of something
- cabo
- End or tip; used in 'al fin y al cabo' meaning 'after all'
- siempre
- At all times; always without exception
- quien
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' referring to a person
- habla
- Third person present of 'hablar'; speaks or talks
- hablaría
- Conditional form of 'hablar'; would speak or talk
- mismo
- Same; himself or itself; used for emphasis
- hubiera
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'haber'; there were or had been
- alguien
- Someone; an unspecified or unknown person
- más
- More; to a greater degree or extent
- conociera
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'conocer'; knew or was familiar
- igual
- The same; equal in degree or amount
- bien
- Well; in a good or satisfactory manner
- Desafortunadamente
- Regrettably; in an unfortunate or unlucky manner
- estoy
- First person present of 'estar'; I am (temporary state)
- limitado
- Restricted or confined within certain boundaries
- tema
- A subject or topic under discussion or study
- estrechez
- Narrowness or limitation; lack of breadth or scope
- mi
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (singular)
- experiencia
- Knowledge or skill gained through personal involvement
- Además
- Furthermore; in addition to what has been said
- yo
- First person singular subject pronoun; I
- exijo
- First person present of 'exigir'; I demand or require
- todo
- All or every; the entirety of something
- escritor
- A person who writes books or literary works
- tarde
- Late; after the expected or usual time
- temprano
- Early; before the expected or usual time
- relato
- A narrative or account of events or experiences
- simple
- Not complex; straightforward and easy to understand
- sincero
- Genuine and honest; free from pretense or deceit
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'their'
- propia
- Feminine adjective meaning 'own'; belonging to oneself
- vida
- The existence of a living being; life
- meramente
- Only or simply; nothing more than what is stated
- ha
- Third person singular present perfect auxiliary; has
- oído
- Past participle of 'oír'; heard something aurally
- vidas
- Plural of 'vida'; the lives of multiple beings
- otros
- Other people or things; plural of 'otro'
- hombres
- Adult male humans; men or humankind generally
- algún
- Some; an unspecified singular masculine noun
- como
- As or like; used for comparisons or manner
- enviaría
- Conditional form of 'enviar'; would send something
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'their' (plural)
- parientes
- Relatives or family members; people related by blood
- desde
- From a point in time or space; since
- tierra
- Land, earth, or soil; also a country or region
- lejana
- Distant or far away; remote in space or time
- porque
- Conjunction meaning 'because'; gives a reason
- vivido
- Past participle of 'vivir'; have lived or existed
- sinceramente
- In an honest and genuine way; sincerely
- debe
- Third person present of 'deber'; must or should
- haber
- Auxiliary verb meaning 'to have' in compound tenses
- sido
- Past participle of 'ser'; been (permanent state)
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to', or 'by'
- Quizás
- Perhaps or maybe; expressing uncertainty or possibility
- páginas
- The individual sheets or sides of a book
- están
- Third person plural present of 'estar'; they are
- dirigidas
- Aimed or addressed toward a particular audience
- particularmente
- Especially; to a greater degree than usual
- estudiantes
- People who study at a school or university
- cuanto
- As much as; used in 'en cuanto' meaning 'as for'
- resto
- The remaining part; what is left over
- aceptarán
- Future tense of 'aceptar'; they will accept or take
- aquellas
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'those' (feminine plural)
- partes
- Plural of 'parte'; sections or portions of something
- les
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to them' or 'for them'
- sean
- Subjunctive form of 'ser'; be (permanent characteristic)
- aplicables
- Relevant or suitable for a particular situation
- Confío
- First person present of 'confiar'; I trust or hope
- nadie
- No one; not any person at all
- forzará
- Future tense of 'forzar'; will force or stretch
- costuras
- Seams in clothing where pieces of fabric join
- ponerse
- Reflexive form of 'poner'; to put on clothing
- abrigo
- A heavy outer garment worn for warmth; coat
- pues
- Conjunction meaning 'for', 'since', or 'well then'
- puede
- Third person present of 'poder'; can or is able
- prestar
- To lend something or to render a service
- buen
- Shortened form of 'bueno'; good (before masculine nouns)
- servicio
- Work done for others; a helpful act or duty
- aquel
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that one' (distant, masculine)
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him', 'to her'
- quede
- Subjunctive form of 'quedar'; fit or remain
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