← Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience

Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience — Page 3

English → Spanish Full Text Level 8/10

I would fain say something, not so much concerning the Chinese and Sandwich Islanders as you who read these pages, who are said to live in New England; something about your condition, especially your outward condition or circumstances in this world, in this town, what it is, whether it is necessary that it be as bad as it is, whether it cannot be improved as well as not.

Quisiera decir algo, no tanto acerca de los chinos y los isleños de Sandwich como acerca de vosotros, los que leéis estas páginas, de quienes se dice que vivís en Nueva Inglaterra; algo sobre vuestra condición, especialmente vuestra condición exterior o circunstancias en este mundo, en esta ciudad, lo que es, si es necesario que sea tan mala como lo es, si no puede mejorarse o no.

I have travelled a good deal in Concord; and everywhere, in shops, and offices, and fields, the inhabitants have appeared to me to be doing penance in a thousand remarkable ways.

He viajado bastante por Concord; y en todas partes, en tiendas, oficinas y campos, los habitantes me han parecido estar haciendo penitencia de mil maneras notables.

What I have heard of Brahmins sitting exposed to four fires and looking in the face of the sun; or hanging suspended, with their heads downward, over flames; or looking at the heavens over their shoulders "until it becomes impossible for them to resume their natural position, while from the twist of the neck nothing but liquids can pass into the stomach;" or dwelling, chained for life, at the foot of a tree; or measuring with their bodies, like caterpillars, the breadth of vast empires; or standing on one leg on the tops of pillars,—even these forms of conscious penance are hardly more incredible and astonishing than the scenes which I daily witness.

Lo que he oído de los brahmanes sentados expuestos a cuatro fuegos y mirando de frente al sol; o colgados boca abajo sobre llamas; o mirando los cielos por encima de sus hombros "hasta que les resulta imposible recuperar su posición natural, mientras que por la torsión del cuello solo los líquidos pueden pasar al estómago;" o morando, encadenados de por vida, al pie de un árbol; o midiendo con sus cuerpos, como orugas, la anchura de vastos imperios; o de pie sobre una pierna en lo alto de columnas,—incluso estas formas de penitencia consciente son apenas más increíbles y asombrosas que las escenas que presencio a diario.

Vocabulary

Quisiera: I would like; expresses polite desire or wish
decir: To say or tell something
algo: Something; an unspecified thing or matter
no: No; negation word used to deny or refuse
tanto: So much; to such a degree or extent
acerca: About; concerning a particular subject or topic
de: Of, from; common preposition indicating origin or belonging
los: The; masculine plural definite article
chinos: Chinese people; referring to persons from China
y: And; conjunction joining words or clauses together
isleños: Islanders; people who live on an island
como: Like, as; used to make comparisons between things
vosotros: You all; second person plural pronoun used in Spain
que: That, which; relative pronoun or conjunction connecting clauses
leéis: You all read; second person plural present tense
estas: These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun
páginas: Pages; sheets of a book or document
quienes: Who; plural relative pronoun referring to people
se: Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive or passive verbs
dice: Says, it is said; third person singular of decir
vivís: You all live; second person plural present tense
en: In, at; preposition indicating location or time
Nueva: New; feminine adjective indicating something new or recent
sobre: About, on, over; preposition indicating topic or position
vuestra: Your; feminine singular possessive adjective used in Spain
condición: Condition; state or circumstance of a person
especialmente: Especially; particularly or above all other things
exterior: External, outer; relating to the outside or outward appearance
o: Or; conjunction presenting an alternative choice
circunstancias: Circumstances; conditions or facts surrounding a situation
este: This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
mundo: World; the earth or all of human society
esta: This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective or pronoun
ciudad: City; a large urban settlement or town
lo: It; neuter pronoun or masculine singular direct object
es: Is; third person singular present tense of ser
si: If; conjunction introducing a conditional clause
necesario: Necessary; something required or indispensable
sea: Be; subjunctive form of ser expressing possibility
tan: So, as; adverb used in comparisons or intensification
mala: Bad; feminine adjective describing something negative or poor
puede: Can, may; third person singular of poder
mejorarse: To improve oneself; to get better reflexively
He: I have; first person singular present perfect auxiliary
viajado: Traveled; past participle of viajar, to travel
bastante: Quite, enough; adverb indicating sufficient or considerable amount
por: Through, by, for; preposition with many uses
todas: All; feminine plural adjective meaning every or entire
partes: Parts, places; sections or locations of something
tiendas: Shops, stores; places where goods are sold
oficinas: Offices; rooms or buildings used for professional work
campos: Fields, countryside; open rural or agricultural land
habitantes: Inhabitants; people who live in a place
me: Me; first person singular reflexive or direct object pronoun
han: Have; third person plural present perfect auxiliary haber
parecido: Seemed; past participle of parecer, to seem
estar: To be; indicates state or condition rather than identity
haciendo: Doing, making; present participle of hacer
penitencia: Penance; self-punishment or atonement for wrongdoing
mil: Thousand; the number one thousand
maneras: Ways, manners; methods or styles of doing something
notables: Notable, remarkable; worthy of attention or observation
Lo: It; neuter pronoun used as direct object
he: I have; first person singular present perfect auxiliary
oído: Heard; past participle of oír, to hear
sentados: Seated, sitting; past participle used as adjective
expuestos: Exposed; subjected to external elements or conditions
a: To, at; common preposition indicating direction or recipient
cuatro: Four; the number four
fuegos: Fires; burning flames used for heat or ritual
mirando: Looking, watching; present participle of mirar
frente: Forehead, front; facing toward or the front part
al: To the; contraction of a and el
sol: Sun; the star at the center of our solar system
colgados: Hanging; suspended from above in a position
boca: Mouth; the opening of the face used for eating
abajo: Down, below; indicating a lower position or direction
llamas: Flames; burning tongues of fire
cielos: Skies, heavens; the upper atmosphere or celestial realm
encima: Above, on top; indicating a higher position
sus: Their, his, her; third person plural possessive adjective
hombros: Shoulders; the joints connecting the arms to the torso
hasta: Until, even, up to; preposition indicating limit or extent
les: Them, to them; third person plural indirect object pronoun
resulta: Results, turns out; third person singular of resultar
imposible: Impossible; not able to be done or achieved
recuperar: To recover, regain; to get something back again
su: His, her, their; third person singular possessive adjective
posición: Position; place or location where something is situated
natural: Natural; relating to nature or an innate state
mientras: While, whereas; conjunction indicating simultaneous actions
la: The; feminine singular definite article
torsión: Torsion, twisting; the act of twisting something
del: Of the; contraction of de and el
cuello: Neck; the part of the body connecting head and torso
solo: Only, alone; just one thing or by oneself
líquidos: Liquids; substances that flow and are not solid
pueden: Can, are able to; third person plural of poder
pasar: To pass, to happen; to move through or occur
estómago: Stomach; the organ in the body that digests food
morando: Dwelling, residing; present participle of morar
encadenados: Chained; bound with chains, restrained physically
vida: Life; the state of being alive or one's existence
pie: Foot; the lower extremity of the leg
un: A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
árbol: Tree; a large woody perennial plant
midiendo: Measuring; present participle of medir, to measure
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
cuerpos: Bodies; the physical structures of living beings
orugas: Caterpillars; larval stage of butterflies and moths
anchura: Width, breadth; the measurement from side to side
vastos: Vast; extremely large in extent or size
imperios: Empires; large territories ruled by a single authority
una: A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
pierna: Leg; the limb used for walking and standing
alto: Tall, high; having great vertical extent or height
columnas: Columns; vertical pillars used as architectural supports
incluso: Even, including; used to add emphasis or inclusion
formas: Forms, shapes; the visible or structural appearance of things
consciente: Conscious, aware; being mentally awake and aware
son: Are; third person plural present tense of ser
apenas: Barely, scarcely, just; only to a small degree
más: More; comparative adverb indicating greater quantity
increíbles: Incredible; too extraordinary to be believed or imagined
asombrosas: Astonishing; causing great surprise or amazement
las: The; feminine plural definite article
escenas: Scenes; views or situations witnessed in daily life
presencio: I witness; first person singular present of presenciar
diario: Daily; happening every day, or a diary

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