Spanish-English Intermediate Bilingual Novella
(long short story OR short novel)
FRANZ KAFKA
La Metamorfosis [The Metamorphosis]
PART THREE
SECTION A ~ Traditional Parallel Text
The best Spanish reading of this text can be found at Albalearning, an excellent site for those learning Spanish. |
Start audio at 10:34
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Así pues, intentó en primer lugar sacar de la cama la parte superior del cuerpo y volvió la cabeza con cuidado hacia el borde de la cama. Lo logró con facilidad y, a pesar de su anchura y su peso, el cuerpo siguió finalmente con lentitud el giro de la cabeza. Pero cuando, por fin, tenía la cabeza colgando en el aire fuera de la cama, le entró miedo de continuar avanzando de este modo porque, si se dejaba caer en esta posición, tenía que ocurrir realmente un milagro para que la cabeza no resultase herida, y precisamente ahora no podía de ningún modo perder la cabeza, prefería quedarse en la cama.
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So then he tried to get the top part of his body out of the bed first, carefully turning his head to the side. This he managed quite easily, and despite its breadth and its weight, the bulk of his body eventually followed slowly in the direction of the head. But when he had at last got his head out of the bed and into the fresh air it occurred to him that if he let himself fall it would be a miracle if his head were not injured, so he became afraid to carry on pushing himself forward the same way. And he could not knock himself out now at any price; better to stay in bed than lose consciousness.
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Pero como, jadeando después de semejante esfuerzo, seguía allí tumbado igual que antes, y veía sus patitas de nuevo luchando entre si, quizá con más fuerza aún, y no encontraba posibilidad de poner sosiego y orden a este atropello, se decía otra vez que de ningún modo podía permanecer en la cama y que lo más sensato era sacrificarlo todo, si es que con ello existía la más mínima esperanza de liberarse de ella. Pero al mismo tiempo no olvidaba recordar de vez en cuando que reflexionar serena, muy serenamente, es mejor que tomar decisiones desesperadas. En tales momentos dirigía sus ojos lo más agudamente posible hacia la ventana, pero, por desgracia, poco optimismo y ánimo se podían sacar del espectáculo de la niebla matinal, que ocultaba incluso el otro lado de la estrecha calle. «Las siete ya — se dijo cuando sonó de nuevo el despertador—, las siete ya y todavía semejante niebla», y durante un instante permaneció tumbado, tranquilo, respirando débilmente, como si esperase del absoluto silencio el regreso del estado real y cotidiano.
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It took just as much effort to get back to where he had been earlier, but when he lay there sighing, and was once more watching his legs as they struggled against each other even harder than before, if that was possible, he could think of no way of bringing peace and order to this chaos. He told himself once more that it was not possible for him to stay in bed and that the most sensible thing to do would be to get free of it in whatever way he could at whatever sacrifice. At the same time, though, he did not forget to remind himself that calm consideration was much better than rushing to desperate conclusions. At times like this he would direct his eyes to the window and look out as clearly as he could, but unfortunately, even the other side of the narrow street was enveloped in morning fog and the view had little confidence or cheer to offer him. "Seven o'clock, already", he said to himself when the clock struck again, "seven o'clock, and there's still a fog like this." And he lay there quietly a while longer, breathing lightly as if he perhaps expected the total stillness to bring things back to their real and natural state.
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Pero después se dijo: «Antes de que den las siete y cuarto tengo que haber salido de la cama del todo, como sea. Por lo demás, para entonces habrá venido alguien del almacén a preguntar por mí, porque el almacén se abre antes de las siete.» Y entonces, de forma totalmente regular, comenzó a balancear su cuerpo, cuan largo era, hacia fuera de la cama. Si se dejaba caer de ella de esta forma la cabeza, que pretendía levantar con fuerza en la caída, permanecería probablemente ilesa. La espalda parecía ser fuerte, seguramente no le pasaría nada al caer sobre la alfombra. Lo más difícil, a su modo de ver, era tener cuidado con el ruido que se produciría, y que posiblemente provocaría al otro lado de todas las puertas, si no temor, al menos preocupación. Pero había que intentarlo.
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But then he said to himself: "Before it strikes quarter past seven I'll definitely have to have got properly out of bed. And by then somebody will have come round from work to ask what's happened to me as well, as they open up at work before seven o'clock." And so he set himself to the task of swinging the entire length of his body out of the bed all at the same time. If he succeeded in falling out of bed in this way and kept his head raised as he did so he could probably avoid injuring it. His back seemed to be quite hard, and probably nothing would happen to it falling onto the carpet. His main concern was for the loud noise he was bound to make, and which even through all the doors would probably raise concern if not alarm. But it was something that had to be risked.
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Cuando Gregorio ya sobresalía a medias de la cama — el nuevo método era más un juego que un esfuerzo, sólo tenía que balancearse a empujones— se le ocurrió lo fácil que sería si alguien viniese en su ayuda. Dos personas fuertes — pensaba en su padre y en la criada— hubiesen sido más que suficientes; sólo tendrían que introducir sus brazos por debajo de su abombada espalda, descascararle así de la cama, agacharse con el peso, y después solamente tendrían que haber soportado que diese con cuidado una vuelta impetuosa en el suelo, sobre el cual, seguramente, las patitas adquirirían su razón de ser. Bueno, aparte de que las puertas estaban cerradas, ¿debía de verdad pedir ayuda? A pesar de la necesidad, no pudo reprimir una sonrisa al concebir tales pensamientos.
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When Gregor was already sticking half way out of the bed - the new method was more of a game than an effort, all he had to do was rock back and forth - it occurred to him how simple everything would be if somebody came to help him. Two strong people - he had his father and the maid in mind - would have been more than enough; they would only have to push their arms under the dome of his back, peel him away from the bed, bend down with the load and then be patient and careful as he swang over onto the floor, where, hopefully, the little legs would find a use. Should he really call for help though, even apart from the fact that all the doors were locked? Despite all the difficulty he was in, he could not suppress a smile at this thought.
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Ya había llegado el punto en el que, al balancearse con más fuerza, apenas podía guardar el equilibrio y pronto tendría que decidirse definitivamente, porque dentro de cinco minutos serían las siete y cuarto, en ese momento sonó el timbre de la puerta de la calle. «Seguro que es alguien del almacén», se dijo, y casi se quedó petrificado mientras sus patitas bailaban aún más deprisa. Durante un momento todo permaneció en silencio. «No abren», se dijo Gregorio, confundido por alguna absurda esperanza. Pero entonces, como siempre, la criada se dirigió, con naturalidad y con paso firme, hacia la puerta y abrió. Gregorio sólo necesitó escuchar el primer saludo del visitante y ya sabía quién era, el apoderado en persona. ¿Por qué había sido condenado Gregorio a prestar sus servicios en una empresa en la que al más mínimo descuido se concebía inmediatamente la mayor sospecha? ¿Es que todos los empleados, sin excepción, eran unos bribones? ¿Es que no había entre ellos un hombre leal y adicto a quien, simplemente porque no hubiese aprovechado para el almacén un par de horas de la mañana, se lo comiesen los remordimientos y francamente no estuviese en condiciones de abandonar la cama?
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After a while he had already moved so far across that it would have been hard for him to keep his balance if he rocked too hard. The time was now ten past seven and he would have to make a final decision very soon. Then there was a ring at the door of the flat. "That'll be someone from work", he said to himself, and froze very still, although his little legs only became all the more lively as they danced around. For a moment everything remained quiet. "They're not opening the door", Gregor said to himself, caught in some nonsensical hope. But then of course, the maid's firm steps went to the door as ever and opened it. Gregor only needed to hear the visitor's first words of greeting and he knew who it was - the chief clerk himself. Why did Gregor have to be the only one condemned to work for a company where they immediately became highly suspicious at the slightest shortcoming? Were all employees, every one of them, louts, was there not one of them who was faithful and devoted who would go so mad with pangs of conscience that he couldn't get out of bed if he didn't spend at least a couple of hours in the morning on company business?
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¿Es que no era de verdad suficiente mandar a preguntar a un aprendiz si es que este «pregunteo» era necesario? ¿Tenía que venir el apoderado en persona y había con ello que mostrar a toda una familia inocente que la investigación de este sospechoso asunto solamente podía ser confiada al juicio del apoderado? Y, más como consecuencia de la irritación a la que le condujeron estos pensamientos que como consecuencia de una auténtica decisión, se lanzó de la cama con toda su fuerza. Se produjo un golpe fuerte, pero no fue un auténtico ruido. La caída fue amortiguada un poco por la alfombra y además la espalda era más elástica de lo que Gregorio había pensado; a ello se debió el sonido sordo y poco aparatoso. Solamente no había mantenido la cabeza con el cuidado necesario y se la había golpeado, la giró y la restregó contra la alfombra de rabia y dolor.
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Was it really not enough to let one of the trainees make enquiries - assuming enquiries were even necessary - did the chief clerk have to come himself, and did they have to show the whole, innocent family that this was so suspicious that only the chief clerk could be trusted to have the wisdom to investigate it? And more because these thoughts had made him upset than through any proper decision, he swang himself with all his force out of the bed. There was a loud thump, but it wasn't really a loud noise. His fall was softened a little by the carpet, and Gregor's back was also more elastic than he had thought, which made the sound muffled and not too noticeable. He had not held his head carefully enough, though, and hit it as he fell; annoyed and in pain, he turned it and rubbed it against the carpet.
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—Ahí dentro se ha caído algo— dijo el apoderado en la habitación contigua de la izquierda. Gregorio intentó imaginarse si quizá alguna vez no podría ocurrirle al apoderado algo parecido a lo que le ocurría hoy a él; había al menos que admitir la posibilidad. Pero, como cruda respuesta a esta pregunta, el apoderado dio ahora un par de pasos firmes en la habitación contigua e hizo crujir sus botas de charol. Desde la habitación de la derecha, la hermana, para advertir a Gregorio, susurró: —Gregorio, el apoderado está aquí. «Ya lo sé», se dijo Gregorio para sus adentros, pero no se atrevió a alzar la voz tan alto que la hermana pudiera haberlo oído.
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"Something's fallen down in there", said the chief clerk in the room on the left. Gregor tried to imagine whether something of the sort that had happened to him today could ever happen to the chief clerk too; you had to concede that it was possible. But as if in gruff reply to this question, the chief clerk's firm footsteps in his highly polished boots could now be heard in the adjoining room. From the room on his right, Gregor's sister whispered to him to let him know: "Gregor, the chief clerk is here." "Yes, I know", said Gregor to himself; but without daring to raise his voice loud enough for his sister to hear him.
END AUDIO AT 16:53 |
SECTION B ~ Spanish-English Bilingual Text
Sentence Under Sentence Translations
Así pues, intentó en primer lugar sacar de la cama la parte superior del cuerpo y volvió la cabeza con cuidado hacia el borde de la cama. So then he tried to get the top part of his body out of the bed first, carefully turning his head to the side.
Lo logró con facilidad y, a pesar de su anchura y su peso, el cuerpo siguió finalmente con lentitud el giro de la cabeza.
This he managed quite easily, and despite its breadth and its weight, the bulk of his body eventually followed slowly in the direction of the head.
Pero cuando, por fin, tenía la cabeza colgando en el aire fuera de la cama, le entró miedo de continuar avanzando de este modo porque, si se dejaba caer en esta posición, tenía que ocurrir realmente un milagro para que la cabeza no resultase herida,
But when he had at last got his head out of the bed and into the fresh air it occurred to him that if he let himself fall it would be a miracle if his head were not injured, so he became afraid to carry on pushing himself forward the same way.
y precisamente ahora no podía de ningún modo perder la cabeza, prefería quedarse en la cama.
And he could not knock himself out now at any price; better to stay in bed than lose consciousness.
Pero como, jadeando después de semejante esfuerzo, seguía allí tumbado igual que antes, y veía sus patitas de nuevo luchando entre si, quizá con más fuerza aún, y no encontraba posibilidad de poner sosiego y orden a este atropello,
It took just as much effort to get back to where he had been earlier, but when he lay there sighing, and was once more watching his legs as they struggled against each other even harder than before, if that was possible, he could think of no way of bringing peace and order to this chaos.
se decía otra vez que de ningún modo podía permanecer en la cama y que lo más sensato era sacrificarlo todo, si es que con ello existía la más mínima esperanza de liberarse de ella.
He told himself once more that it was not possible for him to stay in bed and that the most sensible thing to do would be to get free of it in whatever way he could at whatever sacrifice.
to himself said once again that in no way could he remain in the bed and that the most sensible (thing) was to sacrifice all, if it with that was existing the most miminum hope of liberating himself from it.
Pero al mismo tiempo no olvidaba recordar de vez en cuando que reflexionar serena, muy serenamente, es mejor que tomar decisiones desesperadas.
At the same time, though, he did not forget to remind himself that calm consideration was much better than rushing to desperate conclusions.
En tales momentos dirigía sus ojos lo más agudamente posible hacia la ventana, pero, por desgracia, poco optimismo y ánimo se podían sacar del espectáculo de la niebla matinal, que ocultaba incluso el otro lado de la estrecha calle.
At times like this he would direct his eyes to the window and look out as clearly as he could, but unfortunately, even the other side of the narrow street was enveloped in morning fog and the view had little confidence or cheer to offer him.
«Las siete ya — se dijo cuando sonó de nuevo el despertador—, las siete ya y todavía semejante niebla»,
"Seven o'clock, already", he said to himself when the clock struck again, "seven o'clock, and there's still a fog like this."
y durante un instante permaneció tumbado, tranquilo, respirando débilmente, como si esperase del absoluto silencio el regreso del estado real y cotidiano.
And he lay there quietly a while longer, breathing lightly as if he perhaps expected the total stillness to bring things back to their real and natural state.
Pero después se dijo:
But then he said to himself:
«Antes de que den las siete y cuarto tengo que haber salido de la cama del todo, como sea.
"Before it strikes quarter past seven I'll definitely have to have got properly out of bed.
Por lo demás, para entonces habrá venido alguien del almacén a preguntar por mí, porque el almacén se abre antes de las siete.»
And by then somebody will have come round from work to ask what's happened to me as well, as they open up at work before seven o'clock."
Y entonces, de forma totalmente regular, comenzó a balancear su cuerpo, cuan largo era, hacia fuera de la cama.
And so he set himself to the task of swinging the entire length of his body out of the bed all at the same time.
Si se dejaba caer de ella de esta forma la cabeza, que pretendía levantar con fuerza en la caída, permanecería probablemente ilesa.
If he succeeded in falling out of bed in this way and kept his head raised as he did so he could probably avoid injuring it.
La espalda parecía ser fuerte, seguramente no le pasaría nada al caer sobre la alfombra.
His back seemed to be quite hard, and probably nothing would happen to it falling onto the carpet.
Lo más difícil, a su modo de ver, era tener cuidado con el ruido que se produciría, y que posiblemente provocaría al otro lado de todas las puertas, si no temor, al menos preocupación.
His main concern was for the loud noise he was bound to make, and which even through all the doors would probably raise concern if not alarm.
Pero había que intentarlo.
But it was something that had to be risked.
Cuando Gregorio ya sobresalía a medias de la cama
When Gregor was already sticking half way out of the bed
(el nuevo método era más un juego que un esfuerzo, sólo tenía que balancearse a empujones)
- the new method was more of a game than an effort, all he had to do was rock back and forth -
se le ocurrió lo fácil que sería si alguien viniese en su ayuda.
it occurred to him how simple everything would be if somebody came to help him.
Dos personas fuertes
Two strong people
(pensaba en su padre y en la criada)
- he had his father and the maid in mind -
hubiesen sido más que suficientes;
would have been more than enough;
introducir sus brazos por debajo de su abombada espalda, descascararle así de la cama, agacharse con el peso, y después solamente tendrían que haber soportado que diese con cuidado una vuelta impetuosa en el suelo, sobre el cual, seguramente, las patitas adquirirían su razón de ser.
they would only have to push their arms under the dome of his back, peel him away from the bed, bend down with the load and then be patient and careful as he swang over onto the floor, where, hopefully, the little legs would find a use.
Bueno, aparte de que las puertas estaban cerradas, ¿debía de verdad pedir ayuda?
Should he really call for help though, even apart from the fact that all the doors were locked?
A pesar de la necesidad, no pudo reprimir una sonrisa al concebir tales pensamientos.
Despite all the difficulty he was in, he could not suppress a smile at this thought.
Ya había llegado el punto en el que, al balancearse con más fuerza, apenas podía guardar el equilibrio After a while he had already moved so far across that it would have been hard for him to keep his balance if he rocked too hard.
y pronto tendría que decidirse definitivamente, porque dentro de cinco minutos serían las siete y cuarto,
The time was now ten past seven and he would have to make a final decision very soon.
and soon would have to definitively himselfdecide because within of five minutes would be the seven and quarter
en ese momento sonó el timbre de la puerta de la calle.
Then there was a ring at the door of the flat.
«Seguro que es alguien del almacén», se dijo, y casi se quedó petrificado mientras sus patitas bailaban aún más deprisa.
"That'll be someone from work", he said to himself, and froze very still, although his little legs only became all the more lively as they danced around.
Durante un momento todo permaneció en silencio.
For a moment everything remained quiet.
«No abren», se dijo Gregorio, confundido por alguna absurda esperanza.
"They're not opening the door", Gregor said to himself, caught in some nonsensical hope.
Pero entonces, como siempre, la criada se dirigió, con naturalidad y con paso firme, hacia la puerta y abrió.
But then of course, the maid's firm steps went to the door as ever and opened it.
Gregorio sólo necesitó escuchar el primer saludo del visitante y ya sabía quién era, el apoderado en persona.
Gregor only needed to hear the visitor's first words of greeting and he knew who it was - the chief clerk himself.
¿Por qué había sido condenado Gregorio a prestar sus servicios en una empresa en la que al más mínimo descuido se concebía inmediatamente la mayor sospecha?
Why did Gregor have to be the only one condemned to work for a company where they immediately became highly suspicious at the slightest shortcoming?
¿Es que todos los empleados, sin excepción, eran unos bribones?
Were all employees, every one of them, louts,
¿Es que no había entre ellos un hombre leal y adicto a quien, simplemente porque no hubiese aprovechado para el almacén un par de horas de la mañana, se lo comiesen los remordimientos y francamente no estuviese en condiciones de abandonar la cama?
was there not one of them who was faithful and devoted who would go so mad with pangs of conscience that he couldn't get out of bed if he didn't spend at least a couple of hours in the morning on company business?
¿Es que no era de verdad suficiente mandar a preguntar a un aprendiz si es que este «pregunteo» era necesario?
Was it really not enough to let one of the trainees make enquiries - assuming enquiries were even necessary -
¿Tenía que venir el apoderado en persona y había con ello que mostrar a toda una familia inocente que la investigación de este sospechoso asunto solamente podía ser confiada al juicio del apoderado?
did the chief clerk have to come himself, and did they have to show the whole, innocent family that this was so suspicious that only the chief clerk could be trusted to have the wisdom to investigate it?
Y, más como consecuencia de la irritación a la que le condujeron estos pensamientos que como consecuencia de una auténtica decisión, se lanzó de la cama con toda su fuerza.
And more because these thoughts had made him upset than through any proper decision, he swang himself with all his force out of the bed.
Se produjo un golpe fuerte, pero no fue un auténtico ruido.
There was a loud thump, but it wasn't really a loud noise.
La caída fue amortiguada un poco por la alfombra y además la espalda era más elástica de lo que Gregorio había pensado;
His fall was softened a little by the carpet, and Gregor's back was also more elastic than he had thought,
a ello se debió el sonido sordo y poco aparatoso.
which made the sound muffled and not too noticeable.
Solamente no había mantenido la cabeza con el cuidado necesario y se la había golpeado, la giró y la restregó contra la alfombra de rabia y dolor.
He had not held his head carefully enough, though, and hit it as he fell; annoyed and in pain, he turned it and rubbed it against the carpet.
—Ahí dentro se ha caído algo— dijo el apoderado en la habitación contigua de la izquierda.
"Something's fallen down in there", said the chief clerk in the room on the left.
Gregorio intentó imaginarse si quizá alguna vez no podría ocurrirle al apoderado algo parecido a lo que le ocurría hoy a él;
Gregor tried to imagine whether something of the sort that had happened to him today could ever happen to the chief clerk too;
había al menos que admitir la posibilidad.
you had to concede that it was possible.
Pero, como cruda respuesta a esta pregunta, el apoderado dio ahora un par de pasos firmes en la habitación contigua e hizo crujir sus botas de charol.
But as if in gruff reply to this question, the chief clerk's firm footsteps in his highly polished boots could now be heard in the adjoining room.
Desde la habitación de la derecha, la hermana, para advertir a Gregorio, susurró:
From the room on his right, Gregor's sister whispered to him to let him know:
"Gregorio, el apoderado está aquí."
"Gregor, the chief clerk is here."
«Ya lo sé», se dijo Gregorio para sus adentros,
"Yes, I know", said Gregor to himself;
pero no se atrevió a alzar la voz tan alto que la hermana pudiera haberlo oído.
but without daring to raise his voice loud enough for his sister to hear him.