?Hace falta escribir? Is it necessary to write?--La hace, mucho: Yes,
very necessary.
In the case of two verbs governing each other as "ir a ver" (to go and
see), "mandar hacer" (to have made), etc., a conjunctive pronoun,
occurring, may be taken by either verb, as--
Irle a ver _or_ ir a verle: To go and see him.
Mandarlo hacer _or_ Mandar hacerlo: To have it made.
An object pronoun _after a preposition_ may often be either ordinary or
reflexive as in English, as--
Los abogados han zanjado el asunto entre si _or_ entre ellos: The
lawyers compromised the matter amongst themselves (or them).
Of course _el, ella, ellos, ellas_, cannot be used with reference to
"V." "Vs."--
Vs. lo han arreglado entre si _or_ entre Vs. (_but not_ entre ellos):
You have arranged it between yourselves.
=Demonstrative Pronouns=.
Old Spanish forms now obsolete or seldom used--
Aqueste, etc., aquese, etc., for este, ese, etc.
Estotro, esotro, etc., for este otro, ese otro, etc.
The English expressions "I have not seen him these three months," etc.,
should be translated "Hace _or_ ha tres meses que no le veo," "Hace _or_
ha tres meses que no le he visto," "No le he visto (_or_ no le veo)
desde hace tres meses," "Hace (_or_ ha) tres meses desde que le vi la
ultima vez."
"I have been writing these three hours," is translated "Hace tres horas
que escribo (estoy escribiendo)," "Escribo" (estoy escribiendo) desde
hace tres horas.
=Relative Pronouns=.
_Cuyo_ in reality a relative possessive pronoun is often used as a pure
relative instead of _el cual_ followed by a noun, as--
Lo di a un cliente, cuyo cliente lo paso a un amigo de el:
I gave it to a customer which customer handed it to a friend of his.
The correct grammatical construction would be "el cual cliente"; but
however much some grammarians disclaim this employment of _cuyo_, it is
in the language and found in the best books and therefore must be
accepted.
=Indefinite Pronouns=.
The Indefinite Pronouns _algo_ and _nada_ followed by an adjective,
generally (but not necessarily) take =de= before the adjective, as--
Tengo algo (de) bueno: I have something good.
No tengo nada (de) bueno: I have nothing good.
_Un nada_ is used as a noun, as--
Un nada le asusta: A nothing frightens him.
_La nada_--nothingness.
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| =Sentir= (to feel, to regret). |
|_Pres. Part._, |Sintiendo. |
|_Pres. Indic._,|Siento, sientes, siente ... sienten. |
|_Pres. Subj._, |Sienta, sientas, sienta, sintamos, sintais, sientan. |
|_Past Def._, | -- -- -- sintio -- -- -- sintieron.|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| =Pediz= (to ask, to request). |
|_Pres. Part._, |Pidiendo. |
|_Pres. Indic._,|Pido, pides, pide -- -- -- -- piden. |
|_Pres. Subj._, |Pida, pidas, pida, pidamos, pidais, pidan. |
|_Past Def._, | -- -- -- pidio -- -- -- pidieron. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| =Dormir= (to sleep).[187] |
|_Pres. Part._, |Durmiendo. |
|_Pres. Ind._, |Duermo, duermes, duerme ... duermen. |
|_Pres. Subj._, |Duerma, duermas, duerma, durmamos, durmais, duerman. |
|_Past Def._, | -- -- -- durmio -- -- -- durmieron.|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
[Footnote 187: "Morir" is conjugated like "dormir," but has its past part.
"muerto." N.B.--"Muerto" is also a double form of the past part. of
"matar" (to kill), as--Le han muerto: They have killed him.]
VOCABULARY.
=adeudar=, to debit, to pay (duty)
=atrasado=, in arrears, behind
=ce por be=, with all particulars, minutely
=chapas=, plates
*=contar=, to count, to relate
=discreto=, sensible, judicious, discreet
=dispensar=, to excuse
=echar a perder=, to spoil, to wreck
=empeoramiento=, turn for the worse
*=estar en poco de=, to be within an inch of
=grano de anis=, a trifling matter
*=hacer de las suyas=, to play one's pranks
*=hacer el obsequio=, to do the favour
=informe=, report
=mandar buscar=, to send for
=obligar=, to compel
*=obtener=, to obtain, to bring about
=pesado=, heavy
=quehaceres=, occupations, business
=reglamento=, regulation, bye-laws
=remesa=, remittance, shipment
=revista=, review
=rodajas (de goma)=, rubber heels (revolving)
=tacones (de goma)=, rubber heels (shaped)
=taller=, workshop
=tonto=, simpleton, foolish
=tornillos=, screws
EXERCISE 1 (75).
Translate into English--
1. Yo mismo escribo al Sr. Mendoza para decirle que puede hacer sus
pedidos a Vs. directamente pues, por mi parte no tengo inconveniente en
que asi se haga.
2. Si dicho Senor envia pedidos ?hace falta avisarle a V.?
3. Si, la hace, y les ruego tengan la bondad de decirmelo a fin de poner
a Vs. en conocimiento de las condiciones en que deben hacerse las
remesas, etc.
4. ?Hace ocho dias que Ilego el informe de la comision?
5. Creo que no los hace todavia.
6. Tengo los muestrarios aqui, voy a darselos a V.
7. Se los voy a devolver en seguida.
8. Nuestro agente y los corresponsales arreglaran esto entre ellos (_or_
entre si).
9. Hace tres meses que no recibimos las revistas semanales de ese
mercado, las hemos pedido continuamente y siempre en balde.
10. Nuestros aduaneros cobran todo el peso (charge full weight) por sus
tacones y rodajas como si fuera goma solamente siendo asi que vienen
juntos con sus chapas y tornillos, cuyos hierros, claro es, no debian
(deberian) adeudar el mismo derecho.
11. No sucedio nada de extraordinario para justificar su accion que en
poco estuvo de echarlo todo a perder.
12. Hagame V. el obsequio de contarmelo todo, pues no es ningun grano de
anis.
13. Sentarse[188] pues y se lo contare ce por be.
14. Dispense V. que le haya hecho esperar, tuve que despachar a mi
chauffeur.
15. Es V. muy dueno, pero acuerdese V. que primero los quehaceres y
despues los placeres.
16. V. es hombre discrete y lo que es yo, soy un pobre ton to.
17. Vamos e ver de que se trata.
18. ?Ha hecho V. alguna de las suyas?
[Footnote 188: Notice the Imperative Infinitive.]
EXERCISE 2 (76).
Translate into Spanish--
1. I regret having left the newspapers at the workshop, but I shall send
for them.
2. He regretted the turn for the worse in the market which compelled him
to request us to ask our friend for a guarantee.
3. English manufacturers are not asleep.
4. They have been asleep for many years but now they are wide awake (se
han despertado bien) to the necessity of adopting up-to-date methods
(modernos, a la altura de los tiempos) and adapting themselves to the
requirements of the consumers.
5. Manufacturers are selling every day but usually (generalmente) in
small lots.
6. Shirting makers want more money and find difficulty in getting it.
7. Dhooties (dhooties) and jacconets are now so well sold that producers
(productores) will only book (aceptan ordenes) at good prices.
8. Heavy textiles (telas) are too stiff for general attention (demasiado
firmes para atraer a los compradores) but makers are not hungry for
(ansiosos de obtener) orders.
9. Indian business was barely (apenas) of normal dimensions
(proporciones).
10. Will you set the books on that shelf (estante) and set (colocar)
those papers in order?
11. The term you have set me (fijado) is too short.
12. They ought to set a (dar) good example.
13. He set about it (puso mano a la obra) at once.
14. Setting aside the (prescindiendo del) fact that he is behind with
his payments, he does us great harm by running down (desacreditando) our
goods.
15. Winter has set in (principiado) and heavy cloths are in great
request.
16. I have set my mind on (me he decidido a) this venture.
17. A movement has been set on foot (iniciado) to bring about the
revision of the bye-laws.
LESSON XXXIX.
(Leccion trigesima nona.)
THE VERB.
All intransitive verbs in Spanish are conjugated with the auxiliary verb
_haber_, as--
Ha venido: He has or is come.
A verb that governs an infinitive through a certain preposition, as--
Convenimos en hacerlo: We agreed upon doing it.
should drop the preposition when a finite verb follows.
N.B.--Many such verbs, however, may preserve the preposition even before
a finite mood, as--
Convenimos que, _or_ en que, lo hiciesen: We agreed that they should do
it.
When the subject of a verb is a collective noun, the verb is placed in
the singular (see Lesson XXXII for exception).
When a compound subject _follows_ the verb, this may agree in number and
person with the first subject only, as--
Nos ha llegado la circular y los impresos que la acompanaban: We
received the circular and the printed matter which accompanied it.
The ambiguity between a Reflexive verb plural and a Reciprocal verb is
avoided thus--
Se comprometen a si (a si mismos--emphatic): They commit themselves.
Se comprometen el uno al otro, _or_ los unos a los otros: They commit
each other.
A Reflexive verb is that in which the second pronoun of the same person
as the subject, is the _direct object_ of the action, as--
Ellos se comprometen: They commit themselves.
But when the second pronoun stands for the indirect object, the verb is
only intransitive pronominal, as--
El se procuro un empleo: He procured for himself an employment.
=The Passive Voice=.
The Passive voice formed with _ser_ occurs much less in Spanish than in
English.
When the "doer" is not expressed the active voice with _se_ generally
takes its place, as--
Los ninos se aman _or_ Se ama[189] a los ninos: Children are loved.
[Footnote 189: Notice Sing. number.]
When the "doer" is mentioned the following construction is often used--
A estos ninos los aman sus padres: These children are loved by their
parents.
The English present participle used substantively is rendered in Spanish
by a noun or by the infinitive mood of the verb generally preceded by
the definite article, as--
El cambio de las condiciones: The changing of the terms.
El cambiar las condiciones: The changing of the terms.
Su comunicacion a las autoridades de la Aduana,
El escribir _or_ el haber escrito el a las autoridades de la Aduana:
His writing to the custom-house authorities.
El vender a credito a largos plazos no es un principio sano:
Selling on credit with long terms is not a sound practice.
Prefiero comprar disponible (_or_ las compras de disponible):
I prefer spot buying.
=_The English gerund following "by" is translated by the gerund without
preposition or by the infinitive preceded by _con_, as--_=
Depositando (_or_ con depositar) sus acciones se puso en perfecta regla:
By depositing his shares, he put himself in order.
The Spanish verbal forms ending in _ante_ and _iente_, as: Amante
(lover), tratante (dealer), dependiente (clerk), etc., used to be termed
"present participles," and the analogous forms "amando" (loving),
"tratando" (treating), "dependiendo" (depending), etc., "gerunds," but
this has now taken the place of both forms, used as verbs, and the forms
in _ante_ and _iente_ are classed as other parts of speech, according to
their meaning, as--
Amante de la musica (_adj._): Fond of music.
Un tratante en trigos (_noun_): A dealer in wheat.
Un dependiente de comercio (_noun_): A commercial clerk.
Durante la exposicion (_prep._): During the exhibition.
Mediante su ayuda (_prep._): By means of his help.
No obstante que vino (_conj._): Notwithstanding his coming.
iCorriente! (_interj._): All right! done!
=Huir= (to flee).[190]
_Pres. Indic._, Huyo, huyes, huye ... huyen. _Pres. Subj._, Huya, huyas,
huya, huyamos, huyais, huyan.
[Footnote 190: Model for all verbs ending in "uir" (with "u" sounded).]
VOCABULARY.
=acabado=, finish (cloth)
=acudir=, to have recourse, to attend, to run to
=a las claras=, plainly, clearly
=apresto=, size, also finish (cloth)
=aprovecharse=, to take advantage
=bomba de doble efecto=, double-acting pump
=burlarse=, to make fun of, to trifle with
=chucherias=, pretty trifles
*=convenir en=, to agree to
=enganifas=, tricks
=escandaloso=, scandalous, shocking
=granjearse=, to win over
*=hacer ver=, to show
*=herir=, to wound, to cut (fig.)
=mediar=, to come between, to intervene, to take place in the meantime
*=no tener pelo de tonto=, not to be a simpleton
=quitar=, to take away
*=reducir a un minimo=, to reduce to a minimum, to minimise
*=saber a punto fijo=, to know for certain
=sospechar=, to suspect
=suave=, soft, mellow, gentle
=subsanar=, to correct, to rectify
=tacto=, feel (_n._), touch (_n._)
=voluntad=, will, goodwill, favour
EXERCISE 1 (77).
Translate into English--
1. A mi no me venga con estas enganifas que no tengo pelo de tonto.
2. Me hace regalos de algunas chucherias para granjearse mi voluntad y
aprovecharse despues.
3. ?Sabe V. a punto fijo que son estas sus intenciones?
4. Mediaron algunas cosillas que me han hecho sospechar algo de eso y de
mi nadie se burla.
5. V. debe de equivocarse y solo por sospechas no debe quitarle su
amistad.
6. Estas hermosas calderas de alta presion las han construido en
Inglaterra y estas bombas de doble efecto las han importado de los
Estados Unidos.
7. El conceder el mayores facilidades a los compradores le ha hecho
conseguir una extensa clientela.
8. Con uniformarse a mis disposiciones (orders, instructions) el
cumplira con su deber y yo quedare mas contento.
9. No soy amante de disputas, mis dependientes podran asegurarle que
durante mi larga carrera y no obstante que no faltaron ocasiones, no
acudi una sola vez a los Tribunales.
EXERCISE 2 (78).
Translate into Spanish--
1. The long and short of the matter is that (en pocas palabras) we had
agreed he was to do it.
2. This is nothing short of dishonesty (esto se llama falta de honradez,
nada menos).
3. No matter what he will say (diga lo que dijere) I am sure he will
have to pay.
4. The estimate and the sketches attached reached us just in (a) time.
5. The cloth was run (plegada) in pieces of 20 yds. exactly, the
consequence being that some pieces were found by the customer to be with
cuts (cortes).
6. It is of no use (es inutil) our struggling any longer (por mas
tiempo) against adversity.
7. Your writing in that strain (en aquel tono) shows plainly that their
action has cut you to the quick (profundamente).
8. By selling in time he managed (logro) to minimise the loss.
9. The shocking abuses that existed under the monarchy are being (se
van) corrected by the Republican Government.
10. We shall show them that our firm is not to be trifled with.
11. These stuffs are too heavily sized and the finish is not
sufficiently mellow.
12. Their feel is not clothy (no tienen bastante cuerpo al tacto).
13. This defect will be made right in future deliveries.
LESSON XL.
(Leccion cuadrageseima.)
THE VERB (_contd._).
As in English, several past participles may be used with an active
meaning, as--
Un hombre leido: A well-read man (for a man who has read much and well).
The following are some examples--
Agradecido (grateful)
Atrevido (bold, daring)
Bien hablado (a courteous speaker)
Callado (taciturn)
Cansado (tiresome)
Comedido (thoughtful, considerate)
Corrido[191] (acute, artful)
Divertido (amusing)
Entendido (experienced, conversant)
Experimentado (experienced, expert)
Sufrido (patient)
[Footnote 191: With a passive meaning it is "abashed."]
=The Tenses=.
The periphrastic or progressive conjugation: "I am buying," "I was
selling," "I shall be buying," etc., exists in Spanish with the
following differences from English:--
In the present and the past it is used, but only when the action
embraces a certain length of time, otherwise the simple form "I buy," "I
sold" _(imperf. indic.)_ must be used, as--
Fulano se arrojaba por la ventana (_not_ se estaba arrojando).
The Spanish Academy gives this example as of an action more or less
instantaneous: So-and-So was throwing himself out of the window.
The periphrastic form is inadmissible unless one is _actually engaged_
in the action, as:
Hoy como con mi amigo (_not_ "estoy comiendo," because not actually
engaged in the action): To-day I am dining with my friend.
In the future this construction is permissible only in such cases as--
Cuando venga manana, yo estare escribiendo: To-morrow when he comes, I
shall be writing.
The periphrastic form never happens with the verb _ir_ (to go), and
seldom with _venir_ (to come).
The English present perfect (preterite compuesto) "I have done" is often
used in Spanish for the past definite "I did," when the period of time
in which the action took place is not specified.
The Spanish Academy gives--
Siempre que he ido a Madrid he visitado el Prado _for_ Whenever I went
to Madrid I visited the Prado.
We even find "ayer he hecho esto o aquello" for "yesterday I did this or
that," and this is accounted for by the "nearness" of the period
elapsed. Although colloquially this does not sound at all so badly as in
English, well-educated Spaniards will take care to avoid it.
The second or bye-form of the imperfect subjunctive may be used also for
the conditional mood, as--
Se lo diera si lo tuviese _instead of_ se lo daria, etc.: I should give
it to him if I had it.
It is also found (in books, not in conversation) for the compound
imperfect indicative, especially after _que_, as--
Los consejos que le diera (_for_ que le habia dado): The advice which I
had given him.
In old Spanish, and even now in poetry, we find it used for every one of
the compound past tenses.
=General Observations=.
The verb "to come" should be rendered in Spanish by _ir_ when the person
is not in the place in question at the time of speaking or writing, as--
?Quiere V. venir aqui a mi casa manana? Will you come here to my house
to-morrow?
Hoy estoy indispuesto pero manana ire a verle: To-day I am unwell (out
of sorts), but to-morrow I shall come to see you.
La vi escribir: I saw her writing; viz., I saw her write.
La vi escribiendo: I saw her writing; viz., whilst she was writing.
The emphatic word in an English sentence is often and more elegantly
translated by a paraphrase in Spanish--
?Es verdad que ha comprado los generos? _Has_ he bought the goods?
?Es el quien ha comprado los generos? Has _he_ bought the goods?
?De veras ha comprado los generos? Has he _bought_ the goods?
?Pues son los generos lo que ha comprado? Has he bought _the goods_?
Esta transaccion hubo de arruinarle: This transaction was within an ace
of ruining him.
"I believe myself to be clever," etc., is not translated "Yo me creo ser
habil," but "Yo me creo (_or_ considero) habil," or "Yo creo ser habil,"
or "Creo que soy habil."
=Decir (to say, to tell)=.
_Pres. Part_., Diciendo. _Past Part_., Dicho.
_Pres. Indic_., Digo, dices, dice,--,--, dicen.
_Pres. Subj_., Diga, digas, diga, digamos, digais, digan.
_Imp. Mood_, Di ...
_Past Def. Indic_., Dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron.
_Future Indic_., Dire, diras, dira, diremos, direis, diran.
VOCABULARY.
=agrupacion=, group, muster
=aislado=, isolated, hedged in
=alcalde=, mayor
=arreglo amistoso=, friendly understanding
=capataz=, foreman
=carta de naturaleza=, certificate of naturalization
=cifras=, figures
*=dar pasos=, to take steps
=dedicarse=, to devote oneself
=derechos protectores=, protective duties
=diputacion= provincial, provincial council
=elaborar=, to elaborate
=genio=, temper
=inquietarse=, to feel uneasy
*=no tenerlas todas consigo=, to feel uneasy
*=irse en rodeos=, to beat about the bush
=labor indigena=, native labour
=pequeneces=, trifling matters
=perspectivas=, prospects
=plan=, plan[192] (idea)
=proyecto=, project, scheme
=repasar=, to go through
=resultado=, result
=(de) resultas de=, in consequence of, as a result of
=vecino=, inhabitant, ratepayer[193]
=vuelta de correo (a), (by) return of post
[Footnote 192: Plan, sketch = "Plano."]
[Footnote 193: Vecino = ratepayer who has acquired certain rights after
a certain period of residence.]
EXERCISE 1 (79).
Translate into English--
1. Las leyes de Espana declaran: Son espanoles todas las personas
nacidas en territorio espanol, los hijos de padre o madre espanoles
aunque hayan nacido fuera de Espana, y los extranjeros que hayan
obtenido del Gobierno Espanol carta de naturaleza, o sean vecinos de
cualquier pueblo de Espana.
2. Anaden que los extranjeros pueden establecerse y dedicarse libremente
a sus profesiones en territorio espanol; pero ningun extranjero puede
ejercer en Espana cargo alguno que represente autoridad.
3. Los miembros del Concejo o cabildo o ayuntamiento o corporacion
municipal se llaman Concejales o regidores.
4. En Espana el alcalde de Madrid es nombrado libremente por el
Gobierno; el alcalde de las localidades cuya poblacion no baje de 6,000
habitantes es nombrado por el Gobierno de entre los concejales, los
demas alcaldes son nombrados por el voto de su companeros concejales.
5. Los cargos concejiles son gratuitos.
6. La Diputacion Provincial es la agrupacion de los varios municipios de
cada provincia, y se reune dos veces al ano en la capital de la
provincia.
EXERCISE 2 (80).
Translate into Spanish--
1. The foreman is grateful for his master's kindness.
2. The Director is elaborating a bold scheme for establishing, in a
foreign country hedged in by protective duties, a factory worked by
native labour under an English manager (gerente) and experienced English
instructors.
3. If this plan reaches concretion (se verifica) he will be going abroad
shortly, when he will find that his agents will be taking already the
preliminary steps.
4. The Director himself is coming towards us, he will tell you more
about it.
5. I am going to attend to several trifling matters which however want
looking after (hay que cuidar).
6. Whenever (siempre que) I decided on (he decidido) a thing, I have
always acted on my decision (la he puesto en ejecucion).
7. I tell you if I had a larger stock, I should feel rather uneasy at
(con) the prospects of the market.
8. Come and see me to-morrow at my office and we shall come (llegaremos)
to a friendly understanding without beating about the bush.
9. He told me the figures did not compare well with (no eran buenas en
comparacion de) those of last year.
10. Please go through the accounts again and tell me the result by
return of post.
11. Short reckonings make long friends (las cuentas claras y el
chocolate espeso).
12. He lost money as a result of his bad temper.
LESSON XLI.
(Leccion cuadragesima primera.)
THE VERB (_contd._).
_Ser_ and _Estar_. Such expressions as "Smoking is prohibited," etc.,
are translated either "Es prohibido fumar" or "Esta prohibido fumar."
Both translations are grammatically correct ("Esta prohibido fumar" is
the general expression in this particular case).
If we say "Es prohibido fumar," we are referring to the "doer" of the
action: "Es prohibido _por la ley, por la policia, por los jefes_, etc.,
etc."--a case of passive voice.
If we say "Esta prohibido fumar" we have no "doer" in our mind, but only
the thing itself = a case of "a condition of things" resulting from the
action (the prohibition).
=EXAMPLE--=
El fumar es prohibido por el jefe, por esto esta prohibido fumar en
nuestro despacho: Smoking is prohibited by our employer (viz., our
employer prohibits smoking), therefore it is not allowed in our office.
_The above example is given for the sake of illustration by contrast; in
practice, of course, such oddities are avoided._
The English expressions, "It is I, you, he, we, they, who ..." must be
rendered in Spanish by "Soy yo, es V., somos nosotros, etc., quien _or_
quienes ..."; i.e., the English impersonal "it is" must be made
personal in Spanish.
We said that verbs may have a different government in the two languages,
as--
Colgar de un clavo: To hang on a nail.
Entrar en una casa: To enter a house.
This, one of the points for which rules cannot be laid, belongs to the
idiom of the language, and practice is the only master (see Appendix V
for a list of the most conspicuous differences) In reading, together
with the meaning of a verb, _ascertain its government._
Some peculiarities of Spanish verbs--