Spanish-English Intermediate Bilingual Novella
(long short story OR short novel)
FRANZ KAFKA
La Metamorfosis [The Metamorphosis]
PART FIVE
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 25:24
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Pero Gregorio ya estaba mucho más tranquilo. Así es que ya no se entendían sus palabras a pesar de que a él le habían parecido lo suficientemente claras más claras que antes, sin duda, como consecuencia de que el oído se iba acostumbrando. Pero en todo caso ya se creía en el hecho de que algo andaba mal respecto a Gregorio, y se estaba dispuesto a prestarle ayuda. La decisión y seguridad con que fueron tomadas las primeras disposiciones le sentaron bien. Se sintió de nuevo incluido en el círculo de los seres humanos y esperaba de ambos, del médico y del cerrajero, sin distinguirlos del todo entre sí, excelentes y sorprendentes resultados. Con el fin de tener una voz lo más clara posible en las decisivas conversaciones que se avecinaban, tosió un poco esforzándose, sin embargo, por hacerlo con mucha moderación, porque posiblemente incluso ese ruido sonaba de una forma distinta a la voz humana, hecho que no confiaba poder distinguir él mismo. Mientras tanto en la habitación contigua reinaba el silencio. Quizás los padres estaban sentados a la mesa con el apoderado y cuchicheaban, quizá todos estaban arrimados a la puerta y escuchaban.
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Gregor, in contrast, had become much calmer. So they couldn't understand his words any more, although they seemed clear enough to him, clearer than before - perhaps his ears had become used to the sound. They had realised, though, that there was something wrong with him, and were ready to help. The first response to his situation had been confident and wise, and that made him feel better. He felt that he had been drawn back in among people, and from the doctor and the locksmith he expected great and surprising achievements - although he did not really distinguish one from the other. Whatever was said next would be crucial, so, in order to make his voice as clear as possible, he coughed a little, but taking care to do this not too loudly as even this might well sound different from the way that a human coughs and he was no longer sure he could judge this for himself. Meanwhile, it had become very quiet in the next room. Perhaps his parents were sat at the table whispering with the chief clerk, or perhaps they were all pressed against the door and listening.
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Gregorio se acercó lentamente hacia la puerta con la ayuda de la silla, allí la soltó, se arrojó contra la puerta, se mantuvo erguido sobre ella — las callosidades de sus patitas estaban provistas de una sustancia pegajosa— y descansó allí durante un momento, del esfuerzo realizado. A continuación comenzó a girar con la boca la llave, que estabadentro de la cerradura. Por desgracia, no parecía tener dientes propiamente dichos. —¿Con qué iba a agarrar la llave? —, pero, por el contrario, las mandíbulas eran, desde luego, muy poderosas, con su ayuda puso la llave, efectivamente, en movimiento, y no se daba cuenta de que, sin duda se estaba causando algún daño, porque un líquido parduzco le salía de la boca, chorreaba por la llave y goteaba hasta el suelo.
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Gregor slowly pushed his way over to the door with the chair. Once there he let go of it and threw himself onto the door, holding himself upright against it using the adhesive on the tips of his legs. He rested there a little while to recover from the effort involved and then set himself to the task of turning the key in the lock with his mouth. He seemed, unfortunately, to have no proper teeth - how was he, then, to grasp the key? - but the lack of teeth was, of course, made up for with a very strong jaw; using the jaw, he really was able to start the key turning, ignoring the fact that he must have been causing some kind of damage as a brown fluid came from his mouth, flowed over the key and dripped onto the floor.
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—Escuchen ustedes— dijo el apoderado en la habitación contigua, está dando la vuelta a la llave. Esto significó un gran estímulo para Gregorio; pero todos debían haberle animado, incluso el padre y la madre. «¡Vamos Gregorio! — debían haber aclamado—. ¡Duro con ello, duro con la cerradura!» Y ante la idea de que todos seguían con expectación sus esfuerzos, se aferró ciegamente a la llave con todas las fuerzas que fue capaz de reunir. A medida que avanzaba el giro de la llave, Gregorio se movía en torno a la cerradura, ya sólo se mantenía de pie con la boca, y, según era necesario, se colgaba de la llave o la apretaba de nuevo hacia dentro con todo el peso de su cuerpo. El sonido agudo de la cerradura, que se abrió por fin, despertó del todo a Gregorio. Respirando profundamente dijo para sus adentros: «No he necesitado al cerrajero», y apoyó la cabeza sobre el picaporte para abrir la puerta del todo.
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"Listen", said the chief clerk in the next room, "he's turning the key." Gregor was greatly encouraged by this; but they all should have been calling to him, his father and his mother too: "Well done, Gregor", they should have cried, "keep at it, keep hold of the lock!" And with the idea that they were all excitedly following his efforts, he bit on the key with all his strength, paying no attention to the pain he was causing himself. As the key turned round he turned around the lock with it, only holding himself upright with his mouth, and hung onto the key or pushed it down again with the whole weight of his body as needed. The clear sound of the lock as it snapped back was Gregor's sign that he could break his concentration, and as he regained his breath he said to himself: "So, I didn't need the locksmith after all". Then he lay his head on the handle of the door to open it completely.
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Como tuvo que abrir la puerta de esta forma, ésta estaba ya bastante abierta y todavía no se le veía. En primer lugar tenía que darse lentamente la vuelta sobre sí mismo, alrededor de la hoja de la puerta, y ello con mucho cuidado si no quería caer torpemente de espaldas justo ante el umbral de la habitación. Todavía estaba absorto en llevar a cabo aquel difícil movimiento y no tenía tiempo de prestar atención a otra cosa, cuando escuchó al apoderado lanzar en voz alta un «¡Oh!» que sonó como un silbido del viento, y en ese momento vio también cómo aquél, que era el más cercano a la puerta, se tapaba con la mano la boca abierta y retrocedía lentamente como si le empujase una fuerza invisible que actuaba regularmente. La madre — a pesar de la presencia del apoderado, estaba allí con los cabellos desenredados y levantados hacia arriba de haber pasado la noche— miró en primer lugar al padre con la manos juntas, dio a continuación dos pasos hacia Gregorio y, con el rostro completamente oculto en su pecho, cayó al suelo en medio de sus faldas, que quedaron extendidas a su alrededor. El padre cerró el puño con expresión amenazadora, como si quisiera empujar de nuevo a Gregorio a su habitación, miró inseguro a su alrededor por el cuarto de estar, después se tapó los ojos con las manos y lloró de tal forma que su robusto pecho se estremecía por el llanto.
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Because he had to open the door in this way, it was already wide open before he could be seen. He had first to slowly turn himself around one of the double doors, and he had to do it very carefully if he did not want to fall flat on his back before entering the room. He was still occupied with this difficult movement, unable to pay attention to anything else, when he heard the chief clerk exclaim a loud "Oh!", which sounded like the soughing of the wind.
Now he also saw him - he was the nearest to the door - his hand pressed against his open mouth and slowly retreating as if driven by a steady and invisible force. Gregor's mother, her hair still dishevelled from bed despite the chief clerk's being there, looked at his father. Then she unfolded her arms, took two steps forward towards Gregor and sank down onto the floor into her skirts that spread themselves out around her as her head disappeared down onto her breast. His father looked hostile, and clenched his fists as if wanting to knock Gregor back into his room. Then he looked uncertainly round the living room, covered his eyes with his hands and wept so that his powerful chest shook. |
Gregorio no entró, pues, en la habitación, sino que se apoyó en la parte intermedia de la hoja de la puerta que permanecía cerrada, de modo que sólo podía verse la mitad de su cuerpo y sobre él la cabeza, inclinada a un lado, con la cual miraba hacia los demás. Entre tanto el día había aclarado; al otro lado de la calle se distinguía claramente una parte del edificio de enfrente, negruzco e interminable — era un hospital—, con sus ventanas regulares que rompían duramente la fachada. Todavía caía la lluvia, pero sólo a grandes gotas, que se distinguían una por una, y que eran lanzadas hacia abajo aisladamente sobre la tierra. Las piezas de la vajilla del desayuno se extendían en gran cantidad sobre la mesa porque para el padre el desayuno era la comida principal del día, que prolongaba durante horas con la lectura de diversos periódicos. Justamente en la pared de enfrente había una fotografía de Gregorio, de la época de su servicio militar, que le representaba con uniforme de teniente, y cómo, con la mano sobre la espada, sonriendo despreocupadamente, exigía respeto para su actitud y su uniforme. La puerta del vestíbulo estaba abierta y, como la puerta del piso también estaba abierta, se podía ver el rellano de la escalera y el comienzo de la misma, que conducían hacia abajo.
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So Gregor did not go into the room, but leant against the inside of the other door which was still held bolted in place. In this way only half of his body could be seen, along with his head above it which he leant over to one side as he peered out at the others. Meanwhile the day had become much lighter; part of the endless, grey-black building on the other side of the street - which was a hospital - could be seen quite clearly with the austere and regular line of windows piercing its façade; the rain was still falling, now throwing down large, individual droplets which hit the ground one at a time. The washing up from breakfast lay on the table; there was so much of it because, for Gregor's father, breakfast was the most important meal of the day and he would stretch it out for several hours as he sat reading a number of different newspapers. On the wall exactly opposite there was photograph of Gregor when he was a lieutenant in the army, his sword in his hand and a carefree smile on his face as he called forth respect for his uniform and bearing. The door to the entrance hall was open and as the front door of the flat was also open he could see onto the landing and the stairs where they began their way down below.
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—Bueno— dijo Gregorio, y era completamente consciente de que era el único que había conservado la tranquilidad—, me vestiré inmediatamente, empaquetaré el muestrario y saldré de viaje. ¿Queréis dejarme marchar? Bueno, señor apoderado, ya ve usted que no soy obstinado y me gusta trabajar, viajar es fatigoso, pero no podría vivir sin viajar. ¿Adónde va usted, señor apoderado? ¿Al almacén? ¿Sí? ¿Lo contará usted todo tal como es en realidad? En un momento dado puede uno ser incapaz de trabajar, pero después llega el momento preciso de acordarse de los servicios prestados y de pensar que después, una vez superado el obstáculo, uno trabajará con toda seguridad, con más celo y concentración. Yo le debo mucho al jefe, bien lo sabe usted. Por otra parte, tengo a mi cuidado a mis padres y a mi hermana. Estoy en un aprieto, pero saldré de él. Pero no me lo haga usted más difícil de lo que ya es. ¡Póngase de mi parte en el almacén! Ya sé que no se quiere bien al viajante. Se piensa que gana un montón de dinero y se da la gran vida. Es cierto que no hay una razón especial para meditar a fondo sobre este prejuicio, pero usted, señor apoderado, usted tiene una visión de conjunto de las circunstancias mejor que la que tiene el resto del personal; sí, en confianza, incluso una visión de conjunto mejor que la del mismo jefe, que, en su condición de empresario, cambia fácilmente de opinión en perjuicio del empleado. También sabe usted muy bien que el viajante, que casi todo el año está fuera del almacén, puede convertirse fácilmente en víctima de murmuraciones, casualidades y quejas infundadas, contra las que le resulta absolutamente imposible defenderse, porque la mayoría de las veces no se entera de ellas y más tarde, cuando, agotado, ha terminado un viaje, siente sobre su propia carne, una vez en el hogar, las funestas consecuencias cuyas causas no puede comprender. Señor apoderado, no se marche usted sin haberme dicho una palabra que me demuestre que, al menos en una pequeña parte, me da usted la razón.
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"Now, then", said Gregor, well aware that he was the only one to have kept calm, "I'll get dressed straight away now, pack up my samples and set off. Will you please just let me leave? You can see", he said to the chief clerk, "that I'm not stubborn and like I like to do my job; being a commercial traveller is arduous but without travelling I couldn't earn my living. So where are you going, in to the office? Yes? Will you report everything accurately, then? It's quite possible for someone to be temporarily unable to work, but that's just the right time to remember what's been achieved in the past and consider that later on, once the difficulty has been removed, he will certainly work with all the more diligence and concentration. You're well aware that I'm seriously in debt to our employer as well as having to look after my parents and my sister, so that I'm trapped in a difficult situation, but I will work my way out of it again. Please don't make things any harder for me than they are already, and don't take sides against me at the office. I know that nobody likes the travellers. They think we earn an enormous wage as well as having a soft time of it. That's just prejudice but they have no particular reason to think better it.
But you, sir, you have a better overview than the rest of the staff, in fact, if I can say this in confidence, a better overview than the boss himself - it's very easy for a businessman like him to make mistakes about his employees and judge them more harshly than he should. And you're also well aware that we travellers spend almost the whole year away from the office, so that we can very easily fall victim to gossip and chance and groundless complaints, and it's almost impossible to defend yourself from that sort of thing, we don't usually even hear about them, or if at all it's when we arrive back home exhausted from a trip, and that's when we feel the harmful effects of what's been going on without even knowing what caused them. Please, don't go away, at least first say something to show that you grant that I'm at least partly right!" |
Pero el apoderado ya se había dado la vuelta a las primeras palabras de Gregorio, y por encima del hombro, que se movía convulsivamente, miraba hacia Gregorio poniendo los labios en forma de morro, y mientras Gregorio hablaba no estuvo quieto ni un momento, sino que, sin perderle de vista, se iba deslizando hacia la puerta, pero muy lentamente, como si existiese una prohibición secreta de abandonar la habitación. Ya se encontraba en el vestíbulo y, a juzgar por el movimiento repentino con que sacó el pie por última vez del cuarto de estar, podría haberse creído que acababa de quemarse la suela. Ya en el vestíbulo, extendió la mano derecha lejos de sí y en dirección a la escalera, como si allí le esperase realmente una salvación sobrenatural.
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But the chief clerk had turned away as soon as Gregor had started to speak, and, with protruding lips, only stared back at him over his trembling shoulders as he left. He did not keep still for a moment while Gregor was speaking, but moved steadily towards the door without taking his eyes off him. He moved very gradually, as if there had been some secret prohibition on leaving the room. It was only when he had reached the entrance hall that he made a sudden movement, drew his foot from the living room, and rushed forward in a panic. In the hall, he stretched his right hand far out towards the stairway as if out there, there were some supernatural force waiting to save him.
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SECTION B ~ Spanish-English Bilingual Text
Sentence Under Sentence Text Alignment
Pero Gregorio ya estaba mucho más tranquilo.
Gregor, in contrast, had become much calmer.
Así es que ya no se entendían sus palabras a pesar de que a él le habían parecido lo suficientemente claras más claras que antes, sin duda, como consecuencia de que el oído se iba acostumbrando.
So they couldn't understand his words any more, although they seemed clear enough to him, clearer than before - perhaps his ears had become used to the sound.
Pero en todo caso ya se creía en el hecho de que algo andaba mal respecto a Gregorio, y se estaba dispuesto a prestarle ayuda.
They had realised, though, that there was something wrong with him, and were ready to help.
La decisión y seguridad con que fueron tomadas las primeras disposiciones le sentaron bien.
The first response to his situation had been confident and wise, and that made him feel better.
the decision and certainty with which was taken the first dispositions him suited/agreed.with well
Se sintió de nuevo incluido en el círculo de los seres humanos y esperaba de ambos, del médico y del cerrajero, sin distinguirlos del todo entre sí, excelentes y sorprendentes resultados. He felt that he had been drawn back in among people, and from the doctor and the locksmith he expected great and surprising achievements - although he did not really distinguish one from the other.
Con el fin de tener una voz lo más clara posible en las decisivas conversaciones que se avecinaban, tosió un poco esforzándose, sin embargo, por hacerlo con mucha moderación, porque posiblemente incluso ese ruido sonaba de una forma distinta a la voz humana, hecho que no confiaba poder distinguir él mismo.
Whatever was said next would be crucial, so, in order to make his voice as clear as possible, he coughed a little, but taking care to do this not too loudly as even this might well sound different from the way that a human coughs and he was no longer sure he could judge this for himself.
Mientras tanto en la habitación contigua reinaba el silencio.
Meanwhile, it had become very quiet in the next room.
Quizás los padres estaban sentados a la mesa con el apoderado y cuchicheaban, quizá todos estaban arrimados a la puerta y escuchaban.
Perhaps his parents were sat at the table whispering with the chief clerk, or perhaps they were all pressed against the door and listening.
Gregorio se acercó lentamente hacia la puerta con la ayuda de la silla, Gregor slowly pushed his way over to the door with the chair.
allí la soltó, se arrojó contra la puerta, se mantuvo erguido sobre ella — las callosidades de sus patitas estaban provistas de una sustancia pegajosa—
Once there he let go of it and threw himself onto the door, holding himself upright against it using the adhesive on the tips of his legs.
there it (he) released, himself threw against the door, himself maintained upright/straight on it - the (hardened)pads of his (animal)legs were provided of a substance sticky -
y descansó allí durante un momento, del esfuerzo realizado.
He rested there a little while to recover from the effort involved
A continuación comenzó a girar con la boca la llave, que estabadentro de la cerradura. and then set himself to the task of turning the key in the lock with his mouth.
Por desgracia, no parecía tener dientes propiamente dichos.
He seemed, unfortunately, to have no proper teeth
—¿Con qué iba a agarrar la llave? --,
- how was he, then, to grasp the key? -
pero, por el contrario, las mandíbulas eran, desde luego, muy poderosas,
but the lack of teeth was, of course, made up for with a very strong jaw;
but, on the contrary, his mandibles were, of course, very powerful,
con su ayuda puso la llave, efectivamente, en movimiento, y no se daba cuenta de que, sin duda se estaba causando algún daño, porque un líquido parduzco le salía de la boca, chorreaba por la llave y goteaba hasta el suelo.
using the jaw, he really was able to start the key turning, ignoring the fact that he must have been causing some kind of damage as a brown fluid came from his mouth, flowed over the key and dripped onto the floor.
with its aid (he) put the key, effectivly, in motion, and no himself gave account that, without doubt himself was causing some damage, as a liquid brown him was coming.out of the mouth, ouzing over(by) the key and dripping towards the floor.
—Escuchen ustedes— dijo el apoderado en la habitación contigua, está dando la vuelta a la llave.
"Listen", said the chief clerk in the next room, "he's turning the key."
Esto significó un gran estímulo para Gregorio;
Gregor was greatly encouraged by this;
pero todos debían haberle animado, incluso el padre y la madre.
but they all should have been calling to him, his father and his mother too:
«¡Vamos Gregorio! — debían haber aclamado—.
"Well done, Gregor", they should have cried,
¡Duro con ello, duro con la cerradura!»
"keep at it, keep hold of the lock!"
Y ante la idea de que todos seguían con expectación sus esfuerzos, se aferró ciegamente a la llave con todas las fuerzas que fue capaz de reunir.
And with the idea that they were all excitedly following his efforts, he bit on the key with all his strength, paying no attention to the pain he was causing himself.
...grasped blindly at the key with all the force that (he) was capable to unite.
A medida que avanzaba el giro de la llave, Gregorio se movía en torno a la cerradura, ya sólo se mantenía de pie con la boca, y, según era necesario, se colgaba de la llave o la apretaba de nuevo hacia dentro con todo el peso de su cuerpo.
As the key turned round he turned around the lock with it, only holding himself upright with his mouth, and hung onto the key or pushed it down again with the whole weight of his body as needed.
((in the spanish version gregor presses the key into, not pushes down on it))
El sonido agudo de la cerradura, que se abrió por fin, despertó del todo a Gregorio.
The clear sound of the lock as it snapped back was Gregor's sign that he could break his concentration,
Respirando profundamente dijo para sus adentros: «No he necesitado al cerrajero»,
and as he regained his breath he said to himself: "So, I didn't need the locksmith after all".
y apoyó la cabeza sobre el picaporte para abrir la puerta del todo.
Then he lay his head on the handle of the door to open it completely.
Como tuvo que abrir la puerta de esta forma, ésta estaba ya bastante abierta y todavía no se le veía.
Because he had to open the door in this way, it was already wide open before he could be seen.
En primer lugar tenía que darse lentamente la vuelta sobre sí mismo, alrededor de la hoja de la puerta, y ello con mucho cuidado si no quería caer torpemente de espaldas justo ante el umbral de la habitación.
He had first to slowly turn himself around one of the double doors, and he had to do it very carefully if he did not want to fall flat on his back before entering the room.
Todavía estaba absorto en llevar a cabo aquel difícil movimiento y no tenía tiempo de prestar atención a otra cosa, cuando escuchó al apoderado lanzar en voz alta un «¡Oh!» que sonó como un silbido del viento,
He was still occupied with this difficult movement, unable to pay attention to anything else, when he heard the chief clerk exclaim a loud "Oh!", which sounded like the soughing of the wind.
y en ese momento vio también cómo aquél, que era el más cercano a la puerta, se tapaba con la mano la boca abierta y retrocedía lentamente como si le empujase una fuerza invisible que actuaba regularmente.
Now he also saw him - he was the nearest to the door - his hand pressed against his open mouth and slowly retreating as if driven by a steady and invisible force.
La madre — a pesar de la presencia del apoderado, estaba allí con los cabellos desenredados y levantados hacia arriba de haber pasado la noche— miró en primer lugar al padre
Gregor's mother, her hair still dishevelled from bed despite the chief clerk's being there, looked at his father.
the mother - in spite of the presence of.the boss, was there with the hair unravelled and raised toward up((upwards)) of having passed the night - looked in first place at.the father
con la manos juntas, dio a continuación dos pasos hacia Gregorio y, con el rostro completamente oculto en su pecho, cayó al suelo en medio de sus faldas, que quedaron extendidas a su alrededor.
Then she unfolded her arms, took two steps forward towards Gregor and sank down onto the floor into her skirts that spread themselves out around her as her head disappeared down onto her breast.
with the hands joined, continued with two steps towards gregor and, with the face completely hidden in her breast, fell to.the floor in (the) middle of her skirts, that remained extended around her
El padre cerró el puño con expresión amenazadora, como si quisiera empujar de nuevo a Gregorio a su habitación,
His father looked hostile, and clenched his fists as if wanting to knock Gregor back into his room.
miró inseguro a su alrededor por el cuarto de estar, después se tapó los ojos con las manos y lloró de tal forma que su robusto pecho se estremecía por el llanto.
Then he looked uncertainly round the living room, covered his eyes with his hands and wept so that his powerful chest shook.
Gregorio no entró, pues, en la habitación, sino que se apoyó en la parte intermedia de la hoja de la puerta que permanecía cerrada, So Gregor did not go into the room, but leant against the inside of the other door which was still held bolted in place.
de modo que sólo podía verse la mitad de su cuerpo y sobre él la cabeza, inclinada a un lado, con la cual miraba hacia los demás.
In this way only half of his body could be seen, along with his head above it which he leant over to one side as he peered out at the others.
Entre tanto el día había aclarado;
Meanwhile the day had become much lighter;
al otro lado de la calle se distinguía claramente una parte del edificio de enfrente, negruzco e interminable — era un hospital—, con sus ventanas regulares que rompían duramente la fachada.
part of the endless, grey-black building on the other side of the street - which was a hospital - could be seen quite clearly with the austere and regular line of windows piercing its façade;
Todavía caía la lluvia, pero sólo a grandes gotas, que se distinguían una por una, y que eran lanzadas hacia abajo aisladamente sobre la tierra.
the rain was still falling, now throwing down large, individual droplets which hit the ground one at a time.
Las piezas de la vajilla del desayuno se extendían en gran cantidad sobre la mesa porque para el padre el desayuno era la comida principal del día, que prolongaba durante horas con la lectura de diversos periódicos.
The washing up from breakfast lay on the table; there was so much of it because, for Gregor's father, breakfast was the most important meal of the day and he would stretch it out for several hours as he sat reading a number of different newspapers.
Justamente en la pared de enfrente había una fotografía de Gregorio, de la época de su servicio militar, que le representaba con uniforme de teniente, y cómo, con la mano sobre la espada, sonriendo despreocupadamente, exigía respeto para su actitud y su uniforme.
On the wall exactly opposite there was photograph of Gregor when he was a lieutenant in the army, his sword in his hand and a carefree smile on his face as he called forth respect for his uniform and bearing.
La puerta del vestíbulo estaba abierta y, como la puerta del piso también estaba abierta, se podía ver el rellano de la escalera y el comienzo de la misma, que conducían hacia abajo.
The door to the entrance hall was open and as the front door of the flat was also open he could see onto the landing and the stairs where they began their way down below.
—Bueno— dijo Gregorio, y era completamente consciente de que era el único que había conservado la tranquilidad—, me vestiré inmediatamente, empaquetaré el muestrario y saldré de viaje.
"Now, then", said Gregor, well aware that he was the only one to have kept calm, "I'll get dressed straight away now, pack up my samples and set off.
¿Queréis dejarme marchar?
Will you please just let me leave?
Bueno, señor apoderado, ya ve usted que no soy obstinado y me gusta trabajar,
You can see", he said to the chief clerk, "that I'm not stubborn and like I like to do my job;
viajar es fatigoso, pero no podría vivir sin viajar.
being a commercial traveller is arduous but without travelling I couldn't earn my living.
¿Adónde va usted, señor apoderado? ¿Al almacén? ¿Sí?
So where are you going, in to the office? Yes?
¿Lo contará usted todo tal como es en realidad?
Will you report everything accurately, then?
En un momento dado puede uno ser incapaz de trabajar, pero después llega el momento preciso de acordarse de los servicios prestados y de pensar que después, una vez superado el obstáculo, uno trabajará con toda seguridad, con más celo y concentración.
It's quite possible for someone to be temporarily unable to work, but that's just the right time to remember what's been achieved in the past and consider that later on, once the difficulty has been removed, he will certainly work with all the more diligence and concentration.
Yo le debo mucho al jefe, bien lo sabe usted.
You're well aware that I'm seriously in debt to our employer
Por otra parte, tengo a mi cuidado a mis padres y a mi hermana.
as well as having to look after my parents and my sister,
Estoy en un aprieto, pero saldré de él.
so that I'm trapped in a difficult situation, but I will work my way out of it again.
Pero no me lo haga usted más difícil de lo que ya es.
Please don't make things any harder for me than they are already,
¡Póngase de mi parte en el almacén!
and don't take sides against me at the office.
((put yourself of my part in the store/depot/warehouse))
Ya sé que no se quiere bien al viajante.
I know that nobody likes the travellers.
Se piensa que gana un montón de dinero y se da la gran vida.
They think we earn an enormous wage as well as having a soft time of it.
Es cierto que no hay una razón especial para meditar a fondo sobre este prejuicio,
That's just prejudice but they have no particular reason to think better it.
pero usted, señor apoderado, usted tiene una visión de conjunto de las circunstancias mejor que la que tiene el resto del personal;
But you, sir, you have a better overview than the rest of the staff,
sí, en confianza, incluso una visión de conjunto mejor que la del mismo jefe, que, en su condición de empresario, cambia fácilmente de opinión en perjuicio del empleado.
in fact, if I can say this in confidence, a better overview than the boss himself - it's very easy for a businessman like him to make mistakes about his employees and judge them more harshly than he should.
También sabe usted muy bien que el viajante, que casi todo el año está fuera del almacén, puede convertirse fácilmente en víctima de murmuraciones, casualidades y quejas infundadas,
And you're also well aware that we travellers spend almost the whole year away from the office, so that we can very easily fall victim to gossip and chance and groundless complaints,
contra las que le resulta absolutamente imposible defenderse, porque la mayoría de las veces no se entera de ellas y más tarde, cuando, agotado, ha terminado un viaje, siente sobre su propia carne, una vez en el hogar, las funestas consecuencias cuyas causas no puede comprender.
and it's almost impossible to defend yourself from that sort of thing, we don't usually even hear about them, or if at all it's when we arrive back home exhausted from a trip, and that's when we feel the harmful effects of what's been going on without even knowing what caused them.
Señor apoderado, no se marche usted sin haberme dicho una palabra que me demuestre que, al menos en una pequeña parte, me da usted la razón.
Please, don't go away, at least first say something to show that you grant that I'm at least partly right!"
Pero el apoderado ya se había dado la vuelta a las primeras palabras de Gregorio, y por encima del hombro, que se movía convulsivamente, miraba hacia Gregorio poniendo los labios en forma de morro,
But the chief clerk had turned away as soon as Gregor had started to speak, and, with protruding lips, only stared back at him over his trembling shoulders as he left.
y mientras Gregorio hablaba no estuvo quieto ni un momento, sino que, sin perderle de vista, se iba deslizando hacia la puerta,
He did not keep still for a moment while Gregor was speaking, but moved steadily towards the door without taking his eyes off him.
pero muy lentamente, como si existiese una prohibición secreta de abandonar la habitación.
He moved very gradually, as if there had been some secret prohibition on leaving the room.
Ya se encontraba en el vestíbulo y, a juzgar por el movimiento repentino con que sacó el pie por última vez del cuarto de estar, podría haberse creído que acababa de quemarse la suela.
It was only when he had reached the entrance hall that he made a sudden movement, drew his foot from the living room, and rushed forward in a panic.
Ya en el vestíbulo, extendió la mano derecha lejos de sí y en dirección a la escalera, como si allí le esperase realmente una salvación sobrenatural.
In the hall, he stretched his right hand far out towards the stairway as if out there, there were some supernatural force waiting to save him.
Gregor, in contrast, had become much calmer.
Así es que ya no se entendían sus palabras a pesar de que a él le habían parecido lo suficientemente claras más claras que antes, sin duda, como consecuencia de que el oído se iba acostumbrando.
So they couldn't understand his words any more, although they seemed clear enough to him, clearer than before - perhaps his ears had become used to the sound.
Pero en todo caso ya se creía en el hecho de que algo andaba mal respecto a Gregorio, y se estaba dispuesto a prestarle ayuda.
They had realised, though, that there was something wrong with him, and were ready to help.
La decisión y seguridad con que fueron tomadas las primeras disposiciones le sentaron bien.
The first response to his situation had been confident and wise, and that made him feel better.
the decision and certainty with which was taken the first dispositions him suited/agreed.with well
Se sintió de nuevo incluido en el círculo de los seres humanos y esperaba de ambos, del médico y del cerrajero, sin distinguirlos del todo entre sí, excelentes y sorprendentes resultados. He felt that he had been drawn back in among people, and from the doctor and the locksmith he expected great and surprising achievements - although he did not really distinguish one from the other.
Con el fin de tener una voz lo más clara posible en las decisivas conversaciones que se avecinaban, tosió un poco esforzándose, sin embargo, por hacerlo con mucha moderación, porque posiblemente incluso ese ruido sonaba de una forma distinta a la voz humana, hecho que no confiaba poder distinguir él mismo.
Whatever was said next would be crucial, so, in order to make his voice as clear as possible, he coughed a little, but taking care to do this not too loudly as even this might well sound different from the way that a human coughs and he was no longer sure he could judge this for himself.
Mientras tanto en la habitación contigua reinaba el silencio.
Meanwhile, it had become very quiet in the next room.
Quizás los padres estaban sentados a la mesa con el apoderado y cuchicheaban, quizá todos estaban arrimados a la puerta y escuchaban.
Perhaps his parents were sat at the table whispering with the chief clerk, or perhaps they were all pressed against the door and listening.
Gregorio se acercó lentamente hacia la puerta con la ayuda de la silla, Gregor slowly pushed his way over to the door with the chair.
allí la soltó, se arrojó contra la puerta, se mantuvo erguido sobre ella — las callosidades de sus patitas estaban provistas de una sustancia pegajosa—
Once there he let go of it and threw himself onto the door, holding himself upright against it using the adhesive on the tips of his legs.
there it (he) released, himself threw against the door, himself maintained upright/straight on it - the (hardened)pads of his (animal)legs were provided of a substance sticky -
y descansó allí durante un momento, del esfuerzo realizado.
He rested there a little while to recover from the effort involved
A continuación comenzó a girar con la boca la llave, que estabadentro de la cerradura. and then set himself to the task of turning the key in the lock with his mouth.
Por desgracia, no parecía tener dientes propiamente dichos.
He seemed, unfortunately, to have no proper teeth
—¿Con qué iba a agarrar la llave? --,
- how was he, then, to grasp the key? -
pero, por el contrario, las mandíbulas eran, desde luego, muy poderosas,
but the lack of teeth was, of course, made up for with a very strong jaw;
but, on the contrary, his mandibles were, of course, very powerful,
con su ayuda puso la llave, efectivamente, en movimiento, y no se daba cuenta de que, sin duda se estaba causando algún daño, porque un líquido parduzco le salía de la boca, chorreaba por la llave y goteaba hasta el suelo.
using the jaw, he really was able to start the key turning, ignoring the fact that he must have been causing some kind of damage as a brown fluid came from his mouth, flowed over the key and dripped onto the floor.
with its aid (he) put the key, effectivly, in motion, and no himself gave account that, without doubt himself was causing some damage, as a liquid brown him was coming.out of the mouth, ouzing over(by) the key and dripping towards the floor.
—Escuchen ustedes— dijo el apoderado en la habitación contigua, está dando la vuelta a la llave.
"Listen", said the chief clerk in the next room, "he's turning the key."
Esto significó un gran estímulo para Gregorio;
Gregor was greatly encouraged by this;
pero todos debían haberle animado, incluso el padre y la madre.
but they all should have been calling to him, his father and his mother too:
«¡Vamos Gregorio! — debían haber aclamado—.
"Well done, Gregor", they should have cried,
¡Duro con ello, duro con la cerradura!»
"keep at it, keep hold of the lock!"
Y ante la idea de que todos seguían con expectación sus esfuerzos, se aferró ciegamente a la llave con todas las fuerzas que fue capaz de reunir.
And with the idea that they were all excitedly following his efforts, he bit on the key with all his strength, paying no attention to the pain he was causing himself.
...grasped blindly at the key with all the force that (he) was capable to unite.
A medida que avanzaba el giro de la llave, Gregorio se movía en torno a la cerradura, ya sólo se mantenía de pie con la boca, y, según era necesario, se colgaba de la llave o la apretaba de nuevo hacia dentro con todo el peso de su cuerpo.
As the key turned round he turned around the lock with it, only holding himself upright with his mouth, and hung onto the key or pushed it down again with the whole weight of his body as needed.
((in the spanish version gregor presses the key into, not pushes down on it))
El sonido agudo de la cerradura, que se abrió por fin, despertó del todo a Gregorio.
The clear sound of the lock as it snapped back was Gregor's sign that he could break his concentration,
Respirando profundamente dijo para sus adentros: «No he necesitado al cerrajero»,
and as he regained his breath he said to himself: "So, I didn't need the locksmith after all".
y apoyó la cabeza sobre el picaporte para abrir la puerta del todo.
Then he lay his head on the handle of the door to open it completely.
Como tuvo que abrir la puerta de esta forma, ésta estaba ya bastante abierta y todavía no se le veía.
Because he had to open the door in this way, it was already wide open before he could be seen.
En primer lugar tenía que darse lentamente la vuelta sobre sí mismo, alrededor de la hoja de la puerta, y ello con mucho cuidado si no quería caer torpemente de espaldas justo ante el umbral de la habitación.
He had first to slowly turn himself around one of the double doors, and he had to do it very carefully if he did not want to fall flat on his back before entering the room.
Todavía estaba absorto en llevar a cabo aquel difícil movimiento y no tenía tiempo de prestar atención a otra cosa, cuando escuchó al apoderado lanzar en voz alta un «¡Oh!» que sonó como un silbido del viento,
He was still occupied with this difficult movement, unable to pay attention to anything else, when he heard the chief clerk exclaim a loud "Oh!", which sounded like the soughing of the wind.
y en ese momento vio también cómo aquél, que era el más cercano a la puerta, se tapaba con la mano la boca abierta y retrocedía lentamente como si le empujase una fuerza invisible que actuaba regularmente.
Now he also saw him - he was the nearest to the door - his hand pressed against his open mouth and slowly retreating as if driven by a steady and invisible force.
La madre — a pesar de la presencia del apoderado, estaba allí con los cabellos desenredados y levantados hacia arriba de haber pasado la noche— miró en primer lugar al padre
Gregor's mother, her hair still dishevelled from bed despite the chief clerk's being there, looked at his father.
the mother - in spite of the presence of.the boss, was there with the hair unravelled and raised toward up((upwards)) of having passed the night - looked in first place at.the father
con la manos juntas, dio a continuación dos pasos hacia Gregorio y, con el rostro completamente oculto en su pecho, cayó al suelo en medio de sus faldas, que quedaron extendidas a su alrededor.
Then she unfolded her arms, took two steps forward towards Gregor and sank down onto the floor into her skirts that spread themselves out around her as her head disappeared down onto her breast.
with the hands joined, continued with two steps towards gregor and, with the face completely hidden in her breast, fell to.the floor in (the) middle of her skirts, that remained extended around her
El padre cerró el puño con expresión amenazadora, como si quisiera empujar de nuevo a Gregorio a su habitación,
His father looked hostile, and clenched his fists as if wanting to knock Gregor back into his room.
miró inseguro a su alrededor por el cuarto de estar, después se tapó los ojos con las manos y lloró de tal forma que su robusto pecho se estremecía por el llanto.
Then he looked uncertainly round the living room, covered his eyes with his hands and wept so that his powerful chest shook.
Gregorio no entró, pues, en la habitación, sino que se apoyó en la parte intermedia de la hoja de la puerta que permanecía cerrada, So Gregor did not go into the room, but leant against the inside of the other door which was still held bolted in place.
de modo que sólo podía verse la mitad de su cuerpo y sobre él la cabeza, inclinada a un lado, con la cual miraba hacia los demás.
In this way only half of his body could be seen, along with his head above it which he leant over to one side as he peered out at the others.
Entre tanto el día había aclarado;
Meanwhile the day had become much lighter;
al otro lado de la calle se distinguía claramente una parte del edificio de enfrente, negruzco e interminable — era un hospital—, con sus ventanas regulares que rompían duramente la fachada.
part of the endless, grey-black building on the other side of the street - which was a hospital - could be seen quite clearly with the austere and regular line of windows piercing its façade;
Todavía caía la lluvia, pero sólo a grandes gotas, que se distinguían una por una, y que eran lanzadas hacia abajo aisladamente sobre la tierra.
the rain was still falling, now throwing down large, individual droplets which hit the ground one at a time.
Las piezas de la vajilla del desayuno se extendían en gran cantidad sobre la mesa porque para el padre el desayuno era la comida principal del día, que prolongaba durante horas con la lectura de diversos periódicos.
The washing up from breakfast lay on the table; there was so much of it because, for Gregor's father, breakfast was the most important meal of the day and he would stretch it out for several hours as he sat reading a number of different newspapers.
Justamente en la pared de enfrente había una fotografía de Gregorio, de la época de su servicio militar, que le representaba con uniforme de teniente, y cómo, con la mano sobre la espada, sonriendo despreocupadamente, exigía respeto para su actitud y su uniforme.
On the wall exactly opposite there was photograph of Gregor when he was a lieutenant in the army, his sword in his hand and a carefree smile on his face as he called forth respect for his uniform and bearing.
La puerta del vestíbulo estaba abierta y, como la puerta del piso también estaba abierta, se podía ver el rellano de la escalera y el comienzo de la misma, que conducían hacia abajo.
The door to the entrance hall was open and as the front door of the flat was also open he could see onto the landing and the stairs where they began their way down below.
—Bueno— dijo Gregorio, y era completamente consciente de que era el único que había conservado la tranquilidad—, me vestiré inmediatamente, empaquetaré el muestrario y saldré de viaje.
"Now, then", said Gregor, well aware that he was the only one to have kept calm, "I'll get dressed straight away now, pack up my samples and set off.
¿Queréis dejarme marchar?
Will you please just let me leave?
Bueno, señor apoderado, ya ve usted que no soy obstinado y me gusta trabajar,
You can see", he said to the chief clerk, "that I'm not stubborn and like I like to do my job;
viajar es fatigoso, pero no podría vivir sin viajar.
being a commercial traveller is arduous but without travelling I couldn't earn my living.
¿Adónde va usted, señor apoderado? ¿Al almacén? ¿Sí?
So where are you going, in to the office? Yes?
¿Lo contará usted todo tal como es en realidad?
Will you report everything accurately, then?
En un momento dado puede uno ser incapaz de trabajar, pero después llega el momento preciso de acordarse de los servicios prestados y de pensar que después, una vez superado el obstáculo, uno trabajará con toda seguridad, con más celo y concentración.
It's quite possible for someone to be temporarily unable to work, but that's just the right time to remember what's been achieved in the past and consider that later on, once the difficulty has been removed, he will certainly work with all the more diligence and concentration.
Yo le debo mucho al jefe, bien lo sabe usted.
You're well aware that I'm seriously in debt to our employer
Por otra parte, tengo a mi cuidado a mis padres y a mi hermana.
as well as having to look after my parents and my sister,
Estoy en un aprieto, pero saldré de él.
so that I'm trapped in a difficult situation, but I will work my way out of it again.
Pero no me lo haga usted más difícil de lo que ya es.
Please don't make things any harder for me than they are already,
¡Póngase de mi parte en el almacén!
and don't take sides against me at the office.
((put yourself of my part in the store/depot/warehouse))
Ya sé que no se quiere bien al viajante.
I know that nobody likes the travellers.
Se piensa que gana un montón de dinero y se da la gran vida.
They think we earn an enormous wage as well as having a soft time of it.
Es cierto que no hay una razón especial para meditar a fondo sobre este prejuicio,
That's just prejudice but they have no particular reason to think better it.
pero usted, señor apoderado, usted tiene una visión de conjunto de las circunstancias mejor que la que tiene el resto del personal;
But you, sir, you have a better overview than the rest of the staff,
sí, en confianza, incluso una visión de conjunto mejor que la del mismo jefe, que, en su condición de empresario, cambia fácilmente de opinión en perjuicio del empleado.
in fact, if I can say this in confidence, a better overview than the boss himself - it's very easy for a businessman like him to make mistakes about his employees and judge them more harshly than he should.
También sabe usted muy bien que el viajante, que casi todo el año está fuera del almacén, puede convertirse fácilmente en víctima de murmuraciones, casualidades y quejas infundadas,
And you're also well aware that we travellers spend almost the whole year away from the office, so that we can very easily fall victim to gossip and chance and groundless complaints,
contra las que le resulta absolutamente imposible defenderse, porque la mayoría de las veces no se entera de ellas y más tarde, cuando, agotado, ha terminado un viaje, siente sobre su propia carne, una vez en el hogar, las funestas consecuencias cuyas causas no puede comprender.
and it's almost impossible to defend yourself from that sort of thing, we don't usually even hear about them, or if at all it's when we arrive back home exhausted from a trip, and that's when we feel the harmful effects of what's been going on without even knowing what caused them.
Señor apoderado, no se marche usted sin haberme dicho una palabra que me demuestre que, al menos en una pequeña parte, me da usted la razón.
Please, don't go away, at least first say something to show that you grant that I'm at least partly right!"
Pero el apoderado ya se había dado la vuelta a las primeras palabras de Gregorio, y por encima del hombro, que se movía convulsivamente, miraba hacia Gregorio poniendo los labios en forma de morro,
But the chief clerk had turned away as soon as Gregor had started to speak, and, with protruding lips, only stared back at him over his trembling shoulders as he left.
y mientras Gregorio hablaba no estuvo quieto ni un momento, sino que, sin perderle de vista, se iba deslizando hacia la puerta,
He did not keep still for a moment while Gregor was speaking, but moved steadily towards the door without taking his eyes off him.
pero muy lentamente, como si existiese una prohibición secreta de abandonar la habitación.
He moved very gradually, as if there had been some secret prohibition on leaving the room.
Ya se encontraba en el vestíbulo y, a juzgar por el movimiento repentino con que sacó el pie por última vez del cuarto de estar, podría haberse creído que acababa de quemarse la suela.
It was only when he had reached the entrance hall that he made a sudden movement, drew his foot from the living room, and rushed forward in a panic.
Ya en el vestíbulo, extendió la mano derecha lejos de sí y en dirección a la escalera, como si allí le esperase realmente una salvación sobrenatural.
In the hall, he stretched his right hand far out towards the stairway as if out there, there were some supernatural force waiting to save him.