are being made by the British Chamber of Commerce in Paris to the French
Customs Administration (Administracion de Aduanas) concerning the recent
change in the classification of yarns wound on bobbins (en bobinas), a
matter which seriously affects Lancashire interests.
7. The great object (objeto principal) the meeting had in view was the
promotion of further (el abrir nuevas vias al) progress and (y a la)
civilisation. That necessarily implied fewer appeals to the arbitrament
of the sword (que deberian disminuir los casos de apelar a la espada)
and (y ser) more frequent appeals to the remedy of reason.
LESSON XXXV.
(Leccion trigesima quinta.)
THE ADJECTIVE (_contd._).
=Degrees of Comparison=.
"As ... as" and "so ... as" are translated "tan ... como," "as much ...
as" and "so much ... as" are translated "tanto-a,-os-as ... como" or
"cuanto."
N.B.--_Cuan_ may be used instead of _como_ before an adjective as--
Tan razonable en precio cuan apreciado por la buena calidad: As
reasonable in price as it is appreciated for its good quality.
"The more ... the more" is translated "cuanto mas ... tanto mas"; also
"mas ... mas" (without the article).
"Than whom," "than which" is translated as follows--
Sedas floreadas italianas que no las hay mejores en el mercado: Italian
flowered silks, than which there are no better on the market.
Adjectives ending in _io_ (not _io_) drop the whole diphthong before
adding _isimo_, as--
Amplio--Amplisimo (very ample).
EXCEPT Agrio--Agriisimo (very sour).
Those ending in _z_ change of course the _z_ into c, as--
Feliz--felicisimo[180] (very happy).
[Footnote 180: _Z_ should not occur before _e_ and _i_ in modern Spanish.]
The irregular superlatives _optimo, pesimo, maximo, minimo, infimo_ and
_supremo_ are used very sparingly, but they are found both as
superlative absolute and superlative relative, as--
Esta es una cantidad infima: It is an infinitesimal amount.
El precio minimo[181]: The minimum price.
[Footnote 181: Although improperly, we often find "mas minimo" (mas
infimo, etc.).]
El supremo bien de la vida es hacer a otros felices: The highest
blessing of life is to make others happy.
The irregular comparatives _mejor_ and _peor_ are in general use.
_Mayor_ and _menor_ refer more generally to age (older, elder, and
younger).
"_Inferior_" and "_superior_" are generally used as their English
equivalents.
The expressions "a larger building," "a higher tree," etc., are
generally rendered "un edificio mas grande," "un arbol mas alto," etc.
Irregular superlatives--
Acre (sour) Acerrimo
Amigo (friendly) Amicisimo
Antiguo (ancient) Antiquisimo
Aspero (harsh) Asperrimo
Benefico (beneficent) Beneficentisimo
Benevolo (benevolent) Benevolentisimo
Celebre (celebrated) Celeberrimo
Fiel (faithful) Fidelisimo
Integro (upright) Integerrimo
Libre (free), Liberrimo
Magnifico (magnificent) Magnificentisimo
Misero (miserable) Miserrimo
Munifico (munificent) Munificentisimo
Pobre (poor), Pauperrimo, _and_ Pobrisimo (more used)
Sabio (wise) Sapientisimo
Sagrado (holy) Sacratisimo
Salubre (healthy) Saluberrimo
Simple (simple) Simplicisimo
--Uberrimo (most fruitful)
Some of the best modern authors write "buenisimo," "nuevisimo," etc.,
regularly without substituting the diphthong by the pure vowel, as
"bonisimo," "novisimo," notwithstanding the shifting of the stress.[182]
[Footnote 182: See Note 47.]
Substantives used as adjectives admit of comparison, as--
Es tan caballero _or_ mas caballero que sus contrincantes: He is as (or
more) gentlemanly as (than) his neighbours (competitors).
"Than" followed by a number, unless the sentence be negative, is
translated by _de_.
"Than" followed by a finite verb is _de lo que_, as--
Cumple mas de lo que promete: He accomplishes more than he promises.
But--
Hablar Espanol es mas dificil que escribirlo: To speak Spanish is more
difficult than to write it.
The following expressions are translated--
El le lleva seis anos: He is older than you by six years.
Esta tela cuesta cinco peniques menos la yarda: This cloth is cheaper by
five pence a yard.
Esta casa es diez anos mas antigua: This firm is older by ten years.
Es tan poderoso que domina el mercado: He is so powerful as to control
the market.
=Ver= (to see).
_Past Part._, Visto.
_Pres. Indic._, Veo[183] ...
[Footnote 183: It forms the pres. subj., Vea, veas, etc.
_Imperf. Indic._, Veia, veias, veia, veiamos, veiais, veian.]
VOCABULARY.
=acaudalado=, rich, wealthy
=*advertir=, to notice
=alcalde=, mayor
=alfombrada=, carpeting
=anadir=, to add
=apagarse=, to go out (fire)
=atraicionar=, to betray
=boticario=, chemist
=caja fuerte=, safe
=calorifero=, stove
=carbon (de piedra)=, coal
=carbon (vegetal)=, charcoal
=carpeta=, writing-pad
=casillero=, pigeon-holes
=certificar=, to certify, to register (in the post)
=chimenea=, chimney
=contestar=, to answer
=echar al correro=, to post
=ensartar=, to string (beads), to file (papers)
=escano=, stool
=estante=, book-shelf
=franqueo=, postage
=guardafuego=, fender
=guardapapeles, ensartapapeles=, paper files
=humear=, to smoke (chimney)
=lacre=, sealing wax
=legajo=, bundle (of papers)
=librarse=, to get rid of
=mano de papel secante=, quire of blotting-paper
=pupitre=, writing desk
=sello=, seal
=el sobre=, the envelope
=sujeta papeles=, paper fasteners
EXERCISE 1 (69).
Translate into English--
1. La casa de Rioja a y Cia. es tan respetable por su buena fama (name)
como por lo acaudalados que son sus propietarios.
2. Si, es mas estimada que cualquiera otra.
3. Dicen que tiene mas de L150,000 de capital.
4. Es muy rica en efecto, pero no creo que su capital ascienda a mas que
L100,000.
5. Cuanto mas corriente en sus tratos es un negociante, tanto mejor le
resultan sus transacciones.
6. Estas son alfombradas de Bruselas que no las hay mejores en todo el
mundo.
7. Tenemos un campo (field) amplisimo para nuestras operaciones, las
cuales hasta aqui han tenido felicisimo resultado.
8. Nuestros generos son todos de optima calidad y a precios infimos.
9. Es de interes supremo para nosotros el dar los mejores productos a
precios minimos.
10. La cantidad maxima no ha de exceder 500 kilogramos.
11. El hermano mayor es notario y alcalde del pueblo, el menor es
boticario.
12. La ciudad de Cadiz es antiquisima; fundose en el siglo XV antes de
la era vulgar por los Fenicios.
13. El clima de Valparaiso es salubirrimo.
14. Fidelisimo criado, no quiso atraicionar a su amo que habia sido
beneficentisimo para con el.
15. Euclides fue celeberrimo geometra.
EXERCISE 2 (70).
Translate into Spanish--
1. I wish to straighten (poner en orden) the desk on (en) my table.
2. My pad is full of papers; I must get rid (librarme) of them.
3. Will you put all those answered letters in that shelf; You will find
the pigeon-holes alphabetically arranged, put each letter in the proper
bundle.
4. These others are filed away in that letter-file, alphabetically also.
5. Put the file in the safe; we always keep it under lock and key (bajo
llave).
6. Now give me a quire of blotting-paper, pens, nibs (puntitas),
paper-fasteners and the stamp-rack (porta-estampillas).
7. These envelopes go into the waste-paper basket (cestilla).
8. Fetch that stool, please; place it before that desk (banco).
9. See to the (hacer atencion al) fire, it is going out, poke it
(removerlo) a little and add some coal.
10. This is the coal scuttle (caja del carbon), the shovel (la pala) and
the poker (atizador) are near the fender.
11. Hot-water pipes (tubos) are preferable to fires or stoves.
12. Yes, our chimney always smokes; it is a nuisance (ique fastidio!
ique barbaridad!).
13. Post these letters. Stamp them (pongales los sellos) and notice
there are some to be registered (para certificar).
14. Do not forget to put the stamp of the firm (casa).
15. If any weigh in excess (demasiado), it does not matter (no importa);
put the excess postage.
16. Seal that envelope; here are the seal and sealing-wax.
LESSON XXXVI.
(Leccion trigesima sexta.)
THE ADJECTIVE (_contd_.).
The adjective _grande_ (great, large) may _precede_ or follow a noun.
If it precedes it _may_ drop the final syllable. When _grande_ (or
_gran_) precedes it generally refers more to quality than to size, but
this rule is not strict _at all_, as much is left to the tone of the
voice and also to gesture.
When "Santo" means "holy" it is always written in full.
When "Santo" means "saint" it drops the "to" before the name following.
EXCEPTIONS--
Santo Tomas (or Tome), Santo Domingo, and Santo Torribio.
But--La isla de San Tomas (the Island of St. Thomas, West Indies).
Some adjectives alter their meaning according as they precede or follow
a noun, as--
Cierto hombre: A certain man. (Not "un cierto.")
Una noticia cierta: A certain (sure) news.
Un pobre escritor: A poor writer--of little worth.
Un escritor pobre: An impecunious writer.
Un simple favor: A simple favour.
Un favor simple: A simple favour.
Un simple soldado: A simple (plain) soldier.
Un hombre simple: A simple man, a simpleton.
"One" and "ones" after an adjective are always left untranslated. "Man"
and "woman" in the majority of cases are also omitted, as--
Tengo algunos buenos: I have some good ones.
Un frances, una francesa: A Frenchman, a Frenchwoman.
Numeral adjectives used for measurement are translated as follows--
Una plataforma de 30 pies de largo y seis pies de ancho (_also_ de 30
pies por seis): A platform 30 feet long by six feet wide.
Este tanque tiene 16 pies de profundidad: This tank is 16 feet deep.
"In" after a superlative relative is rendered by _de_, as--
Es el negociante mas prospero de la ciudad: He is the most successful
merchant in the city.
The proportional adjectives are--
El doble (the double)
El triple (3 fold)
El cuadruplo (4 fold)
El quintuple (5 fold)
El sextuple (6 fold)
El decuplo (10 fold)
El centuplo (100 fold)
Siete veces tanto (7 fold)
Ocho veces tanto (8 fold). Etc., etc.
The adjective is used also adverbially, oftener in Spanish than in
English, as--
Hablar claro, alto, bajo, fuerte: To speak clearly, loudly, softly,
strongly.
Comprar caro, barato: To buy dear, cheap.
Ir derecho: To go straight.
Tener fuerte: To hold fast.
Exclamo ufano, cortes, enfadado, bondadoso: He proudly, courteously,
angrily, kindly exclaimed.
Justo ha llegado una carta: A letter has just arrived.
Adjectives have a governing power through a preposition and then the
preposition to be used belongs to the "idiom" of the language. Practice
will make perfect.
The following are some examples in which the construction differs from
the English--
Afable a, _or_ con, _or_ para con todos: Affable to all.
Agradecido a los beneficios: Grateful for the favours.
Agudo de ingenio: Sharp-witted.
Ajeno de la verdad: Foreign to truth.
Alegre de cascos: Light-headed.
Blanco de tez: fair-complexioned.
Cargado de espaldas: Round-shouldered.
Codicioso, deseoso de dinero: Greedy, wishing for money.
Cercano a su fin: Nearing his end.
iDesdichado de mi!: Unhappy me!
Dificil de comprender: Hard to understand.
Dotado de buenas partes: Endowed with good parts.
Duro de cabeza (de mollera), de corazon: Hard-headed, hard-hearted.
Evidente para todo el mundo: Evident to all.
Facil de explicar: Easy to explain.
Falto de juicio: Lacking in judgment.
Hermoso de ver: Beautiful to see.
Lleno de cerveza, de vino: Full of (or with) beer, wine.
Mayor _or_ Menor de edad: Of age, under age.
Pequeno de tamano: Small in size.
Rico de virtudes: Rich in virtues.
Seco (enjuto) de carnes: Spare in flesh.
Sorprendido de la noticia: Surprised at the news.
Tardo a comprender: Slow in understanding.
Triste de aspecto: Sad in countenance.
VOCABULARY.
=a la par=, at the same time
=las Antillas=, the West Indies
=atropellar por=, to infringe,
to trample upon, also to run down (vehicles, etc.)
=blando=, gentle, soft
=chaconada=, jacconet
=ciencia=, science, wisdom
=corto=, short, brief
=desarme=, disarmament
=deseoso=, wishful, eager
=dique=, dock
=doctrina=, doctrine, knowledge
=equivocarse=, to make a mistake
=fletar=, to freight, to charter
=forros estampados=, printed linings
=hidalguia=, chivalry, nobleness, gentlemanly principles
=imponerse a=, to command
=inconveniencia=, unsuitability, impropriety
=el inconveniente=, inconvenience
=ladrillos refractarios=, firebricks
=lastima=, pity, compassion
=nivel=, level
=principal=, principal, chief, leading
=quejarse (de)=, to complain
=responsable=, responsible
=rizados, crespolinas=, crimps
=tio=, uncle, also a coarse fellow[184]
*=tropezar=, to stumble
=ufano=, proud, full of dignity
=velero=, sailing vessel, sailer
[Footnote 184: Also used before names instead of "Senor" among country
folks.]
EXERCISE 1 (71).
Translate into English--
1. Gran lastima es, si lastima grande que las grandes naciones no se
pongan de acuerdo para proclamar el desarme general.
2. Santa vida fue la de San Francisco de Asis.
3. Aun los racionalistas respetan a este Santo como tambien a la
profunda doctrina de Santo Tom as de Aquino.
4. Ciertos nombres se imponen al respeto universal.
5. Es cosa cierta que la virtud puede ser patrimonio del hombre pobre
como del rico.
6. Pobre excusa seria el pretender haberlo hecho por un simple favor
pues esto no convenceria a los hombres mas simples.
7. El hombre mas sabio del mundo puede equivocarse alguna vez, llegue a
donde llegare su ciencia (however great, etc.)
8. Si V. me diera el doble, el triple, el quintuple, y aun seis, diez o
cien veces tanto, no cometeria esa indelicadeza, atropellando por las
leyes de la hidalguia y del honor.
9. El orador habla claro, metaforico, alto, bajo, fuerte, y blando segun
lo exija el argumento y las circunstancias pero se le demanda que tenga
por bianco (to have for his aim) la virtud y el progreso.
10. Ande V. derecho y tenga fuerte que no vaya (lest you) a tropezar y a
caerse.
11. Cortes y ufano a la par, repuso: "soy pobre mas soy honrado."
12. Justo lo que debia contestar.
13. Los estudiantes mas agudos de ingenio son a veces un tantico alegres
de cascos.
14. No importa (never mind), son todos deseosos de aprender y afables
con su profesor que ademas de ser cojo de un pie ya esta cercano a su
fin.
15. Este tio es duro de cabeza aunque sea dotado de buenas partes.
EXERCISE 2 (72).
Translate into Spanish--
1. We are open (dispuestos) to charter a small steamer or a sailing
vessel for St. Thomas in the West Indies.
2. We can offer you a small one for a voyage out and home (de ida y
vuelta).
3. The heating surface (superficie de caldeo) is (es de) 20' X 15'.
4. These warehouses are 30' long, 20' wide (de ancho) and 15 feet high
(de alto).
5. Some are built with stone and mortar (son de mamposteria), others
with firebricks, and they are the best in the docks.
6. Last week nothing was doing (no se hacia) on 'Change, but' to-day
leading operators are distinctly bullish (trabajan distintamente por la
alza) and have acquired a further large holding (y se han afianzado
mucho mas), being more convinced than ever that prices will climb[185]
(subiran) to a much higher level.
7. Meanwhile the market is getting dangerously overbought (el exceso de
compras en el mercado se hace peligroso).
8. He gave me too short a notice (aviso) and the consequence was 20
bales were short shipped (no se expidieron).
9. He now complains of being short of (que le faltan) printed linings,
jacconets and crimps, also of short measure (de falta de medida) in some
of the cloth invoiced.
10. Their orders fall short (son mucho menos) of what we expected.
11. We have run short of (se nos ha acabado) the raw material.
12. Our correspondents are short-staffed (no tienen bastante personal),
hence their delaying often to send out (y por tanto a menudo retardan el
envio de) our invoices, which is a great inconvenience.
[Footnote 185: To climb--_Trepar_.]
LESSON XXXVII.
(Leccion trigesima septima.)
THE PRONOUN.
The pronouns _Nos_ and _Vos_ are used for the 1st and 2nd person
_singular_, respectively, in poetry and high-flown prose.
_Nos_ is used in Royal decrees; and _Vos_ often to translate the French
"vous" and English "you" in novels. They require the verb in the plural
and any occurring adjective in the singular, masculine or feminine
according to the sex represented--
Nos el Rey somos justo: We the King are just.
Vos Dona Catalina sois generosa: You, Lady Catherine, are generous.
A subject pronoun following "to be" and preceding a relative may be
followed by a verb in the 1st or 3rd person, as--
Soy yo quien gire _or_ giro aquella letra: It is I who drew that bill.
Two or more personal pronouns used as subjects of one verb require the
verb in the plural, and in the 1st person in preference to the 2nd and
3rd, and 2nd in preference to 3rd, as--
Yo y tu (_or_ yo y el) vamos; tu y el vais.
A conjunctive pronoun should precede the verb in the Indic. Cond. and
Subj. moods, but with the verb in the Indic. or Cond. mood a great
latitude is allowed for the sake of euphony or emphasis. The principal
idea is to give thereby more prominence to the verb, as--
Entreguele los bultos, acordele toda facilidad para el pago y quise
acabarlo todo amistosamente.
The conjunctive pronouns _lo, le_, are both used for "him," "it" (_m._),
(direct object); the second is more generally used for a person, but no
distinction is strictly observed.
_Lo_ (not _le_) should however be used for "it," referring to a whole
statement.
_Lo_ translates often the English "so," as--
Lo digo: I say it, I say so.
Ya lo creo: I should think so.
The conjunctive dative (indirect object) should be _le_ for both genders
(_sing._). _La_ instead of _le_ for the feminine is however permissible
and is used by the best writers.
_Les_ instead of _los_ is often found in the accusative (direct object),
masculine plural, but this should not be imitated.
When a conjunctive pers. pronoun follows the verb, the subject pronoun
must also follow, as--
Digolo yo (_not_ yo digolo): I say so.
Otherwise the position of the subject pronoun in relation to the verb is
very arbitrary, the general practice being, of course, to put it before
unless the sentence is interrogative.
The conj. pronouns _nos_ and _os_ following a verb in the Imperative
mood require the elision of the _s_ and _d_ termination of the verb,
as--
Escribamonos: Let us write to each other.
Escribios: Write to each other.
Conjunctive pronouns are used to substitute the possessive adjective
before parts of the body or articles of dress, as--
Me quebre el brazo: I broke my arm.
Se lastimo el dedo: He hurt his finger.
Se puso el sombrero: He put on his hat.
Also--
Me han impuesto una multa sobre los generos: They have inflicted a fine
on my goods.
And in all similar cases when by doing this the possessive may be
avoided without creating confusion.
A somewhat similar use of these pronouns is the "ethical" dative, as--
Pongame aqui un clavo: Put me a nail here.
Castigueme este muchacho para que aprenda: Punish this boy (for me) so
that he may learn.
Corteme el pelo a este muchacho: Cut this boy's hair.
This "ethical dative" shows the person _interested in the action. Its
use is much more frequent in Spanish than in English.
=Conducir= (model verb for all ending in _ducir_; to conduct, to lead).
_Pres. Indic._, Conduzco----------
_Pres. Subj._, Conduzca, conduzcas, conduzca, conduzcamos, conduzcais,
conduzcan.
_Past Def._, Conduje, condujiste, condujo, condujimos, condujisteis,
condujeron.[186]
[Footnote 186: Not "condujieron." Imp. Subj., of course, Condujese, etc.]
VOCABULARY.
=abordar=, to board, to accost, to approach
=*abrir agua=, to spring a leak
=ajeno=, belonging to others, outward
*=andar en cuestiones=, to dispute
=barrica=, cask
=cabo=, corporal
=?como no?= yes, of course I will
*=cubrir (p.p. cubierto)=, to cover
*=dar dos pasos=, to take a stroll
*=dar la lengua=, to chat, to parley
=despejar=, to clear
=devanarse los sesos=, to rack one's brains
=difunto=, late, deceased
=estallar=, to burst, to explode, to break out
=formal=, formal, respectable
*=ir repitiendo, etc=., to keep repeating, etc.
=jefe del despacho=, manager
=llevarse bien=, to get on well together
=lograr=, to contrive, to attain
=machacar=, to hammer, to insist
=mandato=, order, injunction
=melindroso=, squeamish, very particular
=multa=, fine, penalty
=Noruego=, Norwegian
=peligro=, danger
=remolcar=, to tow
=sacar en limpio=, to make out
i=santo y bueno=! that is all very well
=sargento=, sergeant
=transportar=, to transport, to convey
=tul bordado=, embroidered tulle
=vender gato por liebre=, to cheat
i=vaya=! come (exclam.)
EXERCISE 1 (73)
Translate into English--
1. ?Vio V. a la Senora (the wife) del Coronel?
2. Vila ayer y la di el recado del Sr. Mayor.
3. ?Este cabo se lleva bien con sus soldados?
4. Lo creo, me lo ha dicho el sargento.
5. Bueno fuera irselo repitiendo al jefe para que abrevie, si puede ser.
6. A mi no me cuente para nada (do not take me into account), valdriale
mejor verse con (see) el jefe del despacho.
7. A el le gusta dar la lengua, vaya a hablarle.
8. No le conozco, V. se hace cargo (you understand) que me resulta
dificultoso el abordarle, y lo mismo da (it is the same) hablar con V.
9. V. se equivoca, va mucho de Pedro a Pedro (there is a great
difference between the two) y en cuanto a su timidez no sea V.
melindroso y tenga presente que el que no se atreve no pasa la mar
(nothing venture, nothing have).
10. Para no andar en mas cuestiones seguire su mandato (I shall do as
you tell me).
11. iQue tenga V. buena suerte!
12. Me devane los sesos procurando sacar en limpio lo que queria decir
la carta pero no me fue posible y di al diablo con el hato y el garabato
(I gave up the whole confounded thing) como se suele decir.
13. Me puse el sombrero y me fui para dar dos pasos y despejarme la
cabeza.
14. Sr. Juan, V. machaca desde muchos dias sobre que le debo dar alguna
orden a Don Jose, pues para darles gusto a ambos saludemele V. mucho
(give him my kind regards), en su primera carta y digale que me envie
luego 500 piezas de tul bordado repeticion de mi pedido anterior, mismos
matices.
EXERCISE 2 (74).
Translate into Spanish--
1. It is I who conveyed (trasmitir) that information to him.
2. The goods were conveyed by the Ship Canal (el canal maritimo).
3. Have you made it clear (lo ha explicado claramente) that the risk
will be covered whether the casks travel by steamer or other conveyance
(medio de trasporte)?
4. Our agent contrived to get the fine refunded (hacerse refundir); he
wrote us so.
5. The vessel sprang a leak and was in danger but she spoke (hablo con
la bocina a) a Norwegian steamer, who gave her assistance and towed her
to (al) Havre.
6. The conditions you have put forth (presentado) are altogether
unacceptable.
7. Put him in the way (muestrele V. el modo) of conducting his business
without depending on (de) outward assistance.
8. He conducted his late employer's (jefe) business quite
satisfactorily.
9. Had I feared he would not conduct his own affairs properly (bien) I
should not have financed (comanditado) him.
10. He puts a wrong construction to my words (interpreta mal).
11. He owes us some money and keeps putting us off (y nos va dando
largas).
12. He has put off his journey (diferido, aplazado).
13. If you wish me to do business with your goodselves (su estimada
casa) you must put me on (concederme) the best possible terms.
14. The alarming news from India has put our market out of gear
(descompuesto).
15. Mr. Nunez was dreadfully put out (terriblemente desconcertado) by
the news that the revolution had broken out in Ecuador.
16. We must put up with (soportar) some inconvenience.
17. We shall put an end to (acabaremos) this exercise.
LESSON XXXVIII.
(Leccion trigesima octava.)
THE PRONOUN. (_contd._).
Such expressions as "I did it myself," "You write it yourself," "we
spoke to him himself," are translated "Yo mismo lo hice," "V. mismo lo
escribe," "Le hablamos a el mismo."
Notice the following idiomatic uses of _Lo, La, Los, Las_ with the verbs
_haber_ and _hacer_--
?Hay dinero? Is there money?--Si, lo hay: Yes, there is some.
?Hay pasividades? Are there any liabilities?--Si, las hay: Yes, there
are some.
?Hace dos dias? Is it two days ago?--No, no los hace: No, it is not.