The Picture of Dorian Gray — Chapter 3 in Spanish
By Oscar Wilde
A las doce y media del día siguiente, Lord Henry Wotton se paseó desde Curzon Street hasta el Albany para visitar a su tío, Lord Fermor, un viejo soltero genial aunque algo de modales toscos, a quien el mundo exterior llamaba egoísta porque no obtenía ningún beneficio particular de él, pero que era considerado generoso por la Sociedad ya que alimentaba a las personas que lo divertían. At half-past twelve next day Lord Henry Wotton strolled from Curzon Street over to the Albany to call on his uncle, Lord Fermor, a genial if somewhat rough-mannered old bachelor, whom the outside world called selfish because it derived no particular benefit from him, but who was considered generous by Society as he fed the people who amused him. Su padre había sido nuestro embajador en Madrid cuando Isabella era joven y Prim era desconocido, pero se había retirado del servicio diplomático en un momento caprichoso de disgusto por no haberle ofrecido la Embajada en París, un puesto para el cual consideraba que tenía plenos derechos por su nacimiento, su indolencia, el buen inglés de sus despachos y su pasión desmesurada por el placer. His father had been our ambassador at Madrid when Isabella was young and Prim unthought of, but had retired from the diplomatic service in a capricious moment of annoyance on not being offered the Embassy at Paris, a post to which he considered that he was fully entitled by reason of his birth, his indolence, the good English of his dispatches, and his inordinate passion for pleasure. El hijo, que había sido secretario de su padre, había renunciado junto con su jefe, algo tontamente como se creía en ese momento, y al asumir el título algunos meses después, se había dedicado al estudio serio del gran arte aristocrático de no hacer absolutamente nada. The son, who had been his father's secretary, had resigned along with his chief, somewhat foolishly as was thought at the time, and on succeeding some months later to the title, had set himself to the serious study of the great aristocratic art of doing absolutely nothing. Tenía dos grandes casas de ciudad, pero prefería vivir en habitaciones porque causaba menos molestias, y tomaba la mayoría de sus comidas en su club. He had two large town houses, but preferred to live in chambers as it was less trouble, and took most of his meals at his club. Prestaba algo de atención a la gestión de sus minas de carbón en los condados de Midland, disculpándose por esta mancha de industria argumentando que la única ventaja de tener carbón era que permitía a un caballero permitirse el lujo de quemar madera en su propia chimenea. He paid some attention to the management of his collieries in the Midland counties, excusing himself for this taint of industry on the ground that the one advantage of having coal was that it enabled a gentleman to afford the decency of burning wood on his own hearth. En política era conservador, excepto cuando los conservadores estaban en el poder, durante cuyo período los abusaba rotundamente por ser una pandilla de Radicales. In politics he was a Tory, except when the Tories were in office, during which period he roundly abused them for being a pack of Radicals. Era un héroe para su criado, quien lo intimidaba, y un terror para la mayoría de sus relaciones, a quienes intimidaba a su vez. He was a hero to his valet, who bullied him, and a terror to most of his relations, whom he bullied in turn. Solo Inglaterra podría haberlo producido, y siempre decía que el país se iba a los perros. Only England could have produced him, and he always said that the country was going to the dogs. Sus principios estaban anticuados, pero había mucho que decir a favor de sus prejuicios. His principles were out of date, but there was a good deal to be said for his prejudices.
Cuando Lord Henry entró en la habitación, encontró a su tío sentado en un áspero abrigo de caza, fumando un puro corto y quejándose del Times. When Lord Henry entered the room, he found his uncle sitting in a rough shooting-coat, smoking a cheroot and grumbling over _The Times_. "Bueno, Harry", dijo el anciano caballero, "¿qué te trae fuera tan temprano? "Well, Harry," said the old gentleman, "what brings you out so early? Creí que ustedes los elegantes nunca se levantaban hasta las dos, y no eran visibles hasta las cinco. I thought you dandies never got up till two, and were not visible till five."
"Puro afecto familiar, le aseguro, tío George. "Pure family affection, I assure you, Uncle George. Quiero obtener algo de ti." I want to get something out of you."
"Dinero, supongo", dijo Lord Fermor, haciendo una mueca. "Money, I suppose," said Lord Fermor, making a wry face. "Bueno, siéntate y cuéntame todo sobre ello. "Well, sit down and tell me all about it. La gente joven, hoy en día, imagina que el dinero es todo." Young people, nowadays, imagine that money is everything."