Won from the Waves — Page 9
That the ship had struck and was in dire distress there could be no doubt, but when they gazed at the dark, heaving waves which rolled in crested with foam, and just discernible in the fast waning twilight, and felt the fierce blast against which even they could scarcely stand upright on the slippery pier, hardy and bold as they were, they hesitated about venturing forth to the rescue of the hapless crew.
De que el barco había encallado y se encontraba en grave apuro no podía haber duda alguna, pero cuando contemplaron las oscuras y agitadas olas que avanzaban coronadas de espuma, apenas perceptibles en el rápidamente menguante crepúsculo, y sintieron la feroz ráfaga contra la cual incluso ellos apenas podían mantenerse en pie sobre el resbaladizo muelle, rudos y audaces como eran, dudaron en aventurarse a salir al rescate de la desventurada tripulación.
Long before they could reach the wreck darkness would be resting on the troubled ocean; they doubted, indeed, whether they could force their boat out in the teeth of the fierce gale.
Mucho antes de que pudieran alcanzar el naufragio, la oscuridad se habría posado sobre el agitado océano; dudaban, en efecto, de si podrían hacer avanzar su bote de frente al feroz vendaval.
Adam took a turn on the pier.
Adán dio un paseo por el muelle.
His heart was greatly troubled.
Su corazón estaba muy turbado.
He had never failed, if a boat could live, to be among the first to dash out to the rescue of his fellow-creatures when a ship had been cast on those treacherous sandbanks.
Nunca había dejado de estar entre los primeros en lanzarse al rescate de sus semejantes, si un bote podía sobrevivir, cuando un barco había sido arrojado sobre aquellos traicioneros bancos de arena.
The hazard was great.
El riesgo era grande.
He knew that with the strength of his crew exhausted the boat might be hurled back amid the breakers, to be dashed on the shore; or, should they even succeed in reaching the neighbourhood of the wreck, where the greatest danger was to be encountered, they might fail in getting near enough to save any of the people.
Sabía que con las fuerzas de su tripulación agotadas, el bote podría ser lanzado de vuelta entre las rompientes, para estrellarse contra la orilla; o, si lograban alcanzar las inmediaciones del naufragio, donde el mayor peligro había de afrontarse, podría resultarles imposible acercarse lo suficiente para salvar a alguno de los tripulantes.
Every moment of delay increased the risk which must be run.
Cada momento de demora incrementaba el riesgo que debía correrse.
Vocabulary
- De
- Of; from; belonging to something
- que
- That; which; what in relative clauses
- el
- The; definite article for masculine nouns
- barco
- Ship; boat used for water transportation
- había
- Had; past tense of haber auxiliary verb
- encallado
- Stranded; run aground on rocks or shore
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself in third person
- encontraba
- Found; was located or positioned somewhere
- en
- In; at; on indicating position or location
- grave
- Serious; severe or dangerous situation condition
- apuro
- Difficulty; tight spot or predicament situation
- no
- No; not negation of statement
- podía
- Could; was able to do something
- haber
- To have; auxiliary verb for perfect tenses
- duda
- Doubt; uncertainty about truth or fact
- alguna
- Any; some feminine form of alguno
- pero
- But; conjunction showing contrast between ideas
- cuando
- When; at the time that something happens
- contemplaron
- Contemplated; looked at or observed carefully
- las
- The; feminine plural definite article
- oscuras
- Dark; lacking light feminine plural adjective
- agitadas
- Agitated; turbulent or disturbed state feminine
- olas
- Waves; undulating movements on water surface
- avanzaban
- Advanced; moved forward or progressed toward something
- coronadas
- Crowned; topped with foam or crest
- espuma
- Foam; frothy bubbles on water surface
- apenas
- Barely; scarcely or hardly perceptible amount
- perceptibles
- Perceptible; able to be noticed or detected
- rápidamente
- Rapidly; quickly or at fast speed
- menguante
- Waning; decreasing especially of light or moon
- crepúsculo
- Twilight; time between sunset and complete darkness
- sintieron
- Felt; experienced emotion or physical sensation
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- feroz
- Fierce; wild or aggressive in nature
- ráfaga
- Gust; sudden violent wind or breeze
- contra
- Against; in opposition to something
- cual
- Which; that one referring to mentioned thing
- incluso
- Even; including or moreover in addition
- ellos
- They; masculine plural personal pronoun
- podían
- Could; were able to do something
- mantenerse
- Maintain; keep oneself in certain condition
- pie
- Foot; base of body or standing position
- sobre
- On; upon or above indicating position
- resbaladizo
- Slippery; smooth surface causing difficulty walking
- muelle
- Wharf; dock or pier for ships
- rudos
- Rough; crude or lacking refinement manner
- audaces
- Audacious; daring or bold in action
- como
- Like; as or in the manner
- eran
- Were; past tense of ser to be
- dudaron
- Doubted; felt uncertainty about doing something
- aventurarse
- Venture; dare or risk oneself doing something
- salir
- Go out; leave or exit from place
- al
- To the; contraction of a plus el
- rescate
- Rescue; act of saving someone from danger
- desventurada
- Unfortunate; unlucky or wretched condition feminine
- tripulación
- Crew; group of people operating a ship
- Mucho
- Much; great amount or quantity masculine
- antes
- Before; previously or prior to time
- pudieran
- Could; might be able subjunctive of poder
- alcanzar
- Reach; arrive at or attain destination
- naufragio
- Shipwreck; sinking or destruction of ship
- oscuridad
- Darkness; absence of light or illumination
- habría
- Would have; conditional past tense haber
- posado
- Settled; come to rest or landed
- agitado
- Agitated; disturbed or turbulent condition masculine
- océano
- Ocean; vast body of salt water
- dudaban
- Doubted; were uncertain about situation outcome
- efecto
- Effect; result or consequence of action
- si
- If; conditional conjunction or themselves reflexive
- podrían
- Could; would be able conditional poder
- hacer
- Make; do or perform action activity
- avanzar
- Advance; move forward or progress ahead
- su
- His; her or their possessive adjective
- bote
- Boat; small vessel for water transportation
- frente
- Front; facing or opposite side direction
- vendaval
- Gale; strong violent wind or storm
- dio
- Gave; past tense of dar to give
- un
- A; an indefinite article masculine form
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