The Picture of Dorian Gray — Chapter 15 in Spanish
By Oscar Wilde
Esa noche, a las ocho y media, elegantemente vestido y luciendo un ojal grande de violetas de Parma, Dorian Gray fue introducido en el salón de Lady Narborough por sirvientes que se inclinaban. That evening, at eight-thirty, exquisitely dressed and wearing a large button-hole of Parma violets, Dorian Gray was ushered into Lady Narborough's drawing-room by bowing servants. Su frente palpitaba con nervios enloquecidos, y se sentía salvajemente emocionado, pero su manera al inclinar sobre la mano de su anfitriona era tan fácil y graciosa como siempre. His forehead was throbbing with maddened nerves, and he felt wildly excited, but his manner as he bent over his hostess's hand was as easy and graceful as ever. Quizás nunca uno parece estar tan cómodo como cuando tiene que representar un papel. Perhaps one never seems so much at one's ease as when one has to play a part. Ciertamente, nadie que mirara a Dorian Gray esa noche habría podido creer que había pasado por una tragedia tan horrible como cualquier tragedia de nuestra época. Certainly no one looking at Dorian Gray that night could have believed that he had passed through a tragedy as horrible as any tragedy of our age. Esos dedos finamente formados nunca podrían haber agarrado un cuchillo por el pecado, ni esos labios sonrientes haber clamado a Dios y la bondad. Those finely shaped fingers could never have clutched a knife for sin, nor those smiling lips have cried out on God and goodness. El mismo no podía evitar maravillarse de la calma de su comportamiento, y por un momento sintió profundamente el terrible placer de una doble vida. He himself could not help wondering at the calm of his demeanour, and for a moment felt keenly the terrible pleasure of a double life.
Era una pequeña fiesta, preparada bastante apresuradamente por Lady Narborough, que era una mujer muy inteligente con lo que Lord Henry solía describir como los restos de una fealdad realmente notable. It was a small party, got up rather in a hurry by Lady Narborough, who was a very clever woman with what Lord Henry used to describe as the remains of really remarkable ugliness. Había demostrado ser una excelente esposa de uno de nuestros embajadores más aburridos, y habiendo enterrado adecuadamente a su marido en un mausoleo de mármol, que ella misma había diseñado, y habiendo casado a sus hijas con algunos hombres ricos y bastante ancianos, ahora se dedicaba a los placeres de la ficción francesa, la cocina francesa, y el espíritu francés cuando podía obtenerlo. She had proved an excellent wife to one of our most tedious ambassadors, and having buried her husband properly in a marble mausoleum, which she had herself designed, and married off her daughters to some rich, rather elderly men, she devoted herself now to the pleasures of French fiction, French cookery, and French _esprit_ when she could get it.
Dorian era uno de sus favoritos especiales, y siempre le decía que estaba extremadamente feliz de no haberlo conocido en sus primeros años de vida. Dorian was one of her especial favourites, and she always told him that she was extremely glad she had not met him in early life. Sé, mi querido, habría caído locamente enamorada de ti, solía decir, y habría lanzado mi sombrero justo sobre los molinos por ti. "I know, my dear, I should have fallen madly in love with you," she used to say, "and thrown my bonnet right over the mills for your sake. Es sumamente afortunado que no se pensara en ti en ese momento. It is most fortunate that you were not thought of at the time. Tal como fue, nuestros sombreros eran tan poco favorables, y los molinos estaban tan ocupados intentando ganarse la vida, que nunca tuve ni siquiera un coqueteo con nadie. As it was, our bonnets were so unbecoming, and the mills were so occupied in trying to raise the wind, that I never had even a flirtation with anybody. Sin embargo, eso fue culpa completamente de Narborough. However, that was all Narborough's fault. Era terriblemente miope, y no hay placer en tomar un marido que nunca ve nada. He was dreadfully short-sighted, and there is no pleasure in taking in a husband who never sees anything."
Sus invitados esta noche eran bastante aburridos. Her guests this evening were rather tedious. El hecho era, como le explicó a Dorian, detrás de un abanico muy gastado, que una de sus hijas casadas había llegado bastante de repente a quedarse con ella, y, para empeorar las cosas, había traído literalmente a su marido con ella. The fact was, as she explained to Dorian, behind a very shabby fan, one of her married daughters had come up quite suddenly to stay with her, and, to make matters worse, had actually brought her husband with her. Creo que es muy indelicado de su parte, mi querido, susurró. "I think it is most unkind of her, my dear," she whispered. Por supuesto, voy y me quedo con ellos cada verano después de venir de Homburg, pero entonces una mujer vieja como yo debe tener aire fresco a veces, y además, realmente los despierto. "Of course I go and stay with them every summer after I come from Homburg, but then an old woman like me must have fresh air sometimes, and besides, I really wake them up. No sabes qué existencia llevan allá abajo. You don't know what an existence they lead down there. Es pura vida campestre sin adulteraciones. It is pure unadulterated country life. Se despiertan temprano, porque tienen mucho que hacer, y se van a la cama temprano, porque tienen tan poco en qué pensar. They get up early, because they have so much to do, and go to bed early, because they have so little to think about. No ha habido un escándalo en el vecindario desde la época de la Reina Isabel, y en consecuencia todos se duermen después de la cena. There has not been a scandal in the neighbourhood since the time of Queen Elizabeth, and consequently they all fall asleep after dinner. No te sentarás junto a ninguno de ellos. You shan't sit next either of them. Te sentarás junto a mí y me divertirás. You shall sit by me and amuse me."