Heath's Modern Language Series: Tres Comedias Part 28

[5.1] =habra dicho= 'must have told.' The future perfect of probability; cf. page 4, note 2.

[5.2] =es hora de que= 'it is time that.' Many verbs, adjectives, and nouns require a preposition before an infinitive in Spanish and in English. Thus, =es hora de comer= means 'it is time _to_ eat.' But whereas in English this preposition is omitted before a dependent clause introduced by 'that,' in Spanish it is usually retained.

[5.3] =Real= (el). A theater in Madrid on the Plaza de Oriente near the Royal Palace; it is subsidized by the government and is devoted to opera.

[5.4] =Lo que es= 'As for.' A peculiar use of =lo que= with =ser=, to be distinguished from its ordinary meanings and from its meanings in exclamations.

[5.5] =tercer turno.= A term designating one of the sections of season ticket holders at the Teatro Real. One group holds tickets of =primer turno=, another of =segundo turno=, and a third of =tercer turno=. Each group attends only the performances belonging to its turn or section. The terms do not give much satisfaction if translated literally.

[5.6] =no le importaria= 'he wouldn't mind.' Impersonal verbs occur much more frequently in Spanish than in English, and it is often wise, in translating, to change to the personal construction (cf. translation of =tratandose=, page 3, note 6). However, the impersonal form may well be retained, if appropriate. In this book consideration is to be given to such verbs as =antoja.r.s.e=, =bastar=, =constar=, =convenir=, =gustar=, =importar=, =pasar=, =pesar=, =placer=, =sentar=, =sobrar=, =suceder=, =tarda.r.s.e=, =trata.r.s.e=, etc. The vocabulary suggests various translations.

[5.7] =desde muy nina= 'since you were very young.' Here =muy= is correct because, in this context, =nina= is virtually an adjective; cf. =muy hombre=, =muy maestro=, and the English 'very much a man.'

[6.1] =Ay, si lo se!= 'Indeed I do know it,' 'Of course I know it.' It is not unusual to find =si= after interjections; cf. =vaya si lo se!= Here =si=, meaning 'whether,' may be regarded as grammatically dependent upon some verb of asking understood.

[6.2] =no estas para= 'you are not in a position to.' The idiom here has a different meaning from the usual 'be about to.'

[6.3] =que.= Here elliptical and emphatic; =que= often occurs at the beginning of a clause, and serves to call attention to what follows, thereby intensifying the statement; such a =que= cannot be translated. To understand it we may supply some such word as =parece=, =hay=, =sucede=, etc.

[6.4] =nosotros.= Note the emphatic position of this word, stressed by the insertion of =se puede decir que=.

[6.5] =Como habia de importarme?= 'How could I have cared?' See page 4, note 5.

[6.6] =Estaba seguro de que= 'I was sure that.' See page 5, note 2.

[6.7] =enamoradilla= 'slightly in love.' The exact force of certain Spanish augmentatives and diminutives cannot readily be given in English. An effort has been made in the vocabulary to suggest suitable translations wherever a fair degree of accuracy seems attainable.

[6.8] =no se diga= 'there's no denying it,' 'there's no use talking.'

=Decir= is used in several exclamatory or semi-exclamatory expressions where a different verb would often be employed in English. Attention will be called to other examples.

[7.1] =Fulanito... Menganito.= =Fulano= regularly corresponds to So-and-So, John Doe, etc. If a second name is desired, =Mengano= or =Zutano= is used.

The diminutive can scarcely be translated.

[7.2] =como se va avispando= 'how clever he is getting.' In progressive tenses, =ir= emphasizes, more strongly than =estar=, continuity of action.

[7.3] =tonterias.= Contrary to English usage, abstract nouns are often put in the plural. Translations of such forms are suggested in various ways in the vocabulary.

[7.4] =Que iba yo a cambiar...?= 'What was I going to change in a saint [if I married one]?' _i.e._ 'What could I change?' The conditional of =poder= would be an obvious conventional form, but the imperfect indicative and the verb =ir= add strength to the question; cf. the English 'What are you going to do about it?'

[7.5] =de gran espectaculo, con mutaciones.= Pepe borrows from theatrical language to describe vividly the kind of husband for whom Luisa professes admiration.

[7.6] =me parece.= See page 5, note 6.

[7.7] =Si yo no tengo secretos= 'Why, I haven't any secrets.' =Si= is often to be translated by 'why,' 'well,' or 'of course,' expressive of surprise or expostulation. A clause is suppressed for brevity. The full form would be something like this--=Si yo no tengo secretos... como quieres que te lo diga?=

[7.8] =formal.= Used by Luisa to mean 'real,' 'genuine'; Pepe pretends to take it in its sense of 'serious' or 'sensible.'

[7.9] =Digo= 'I mean.' See page 6, note 8.

[8.1] =parecio.= According to strict rule, the preterit tense may indicate any definite past action, even if it took place only a moment ago.

However, for actions so recent that they almost touch the present, the perfect (_e.g._ =ha parecido=) is the common tense. The preterit, when sparingly and skilfully applied, adds variety and vigor to the phrase.

It is especially preferred in describing something inevitable. The English translation requires the perfect (_e.g._ 'has appeared') or (occasionally) even the present.

[8.2] =quieras que no= 'whether you like it or not.' The full form is =que quieras o que no quieras=; =que quieras que no= and =quieras o no quieras= are also found. Ramsey, -- 940, says: "The alternative expressions made by the subjunctive used independently may be regarded as modifications of the imperative, in which the thing commanded is so indeterminate that they are mere general permissions." See also, ---- 941, 942.

[8.3] =orejita.= See page 6, note 7.

[8.4] =la tienes.= A frequent conversational subst.i.tute for =estar=, which here would give =esta cantando=.

[9.1] =podia.= The imperfect indicative sometimes replaces the conditional or the =-ra= form of the imperfect subjunctive in the conclusion of a conditional sentence contrary to fact. Cf. Bello-Cuervo, -- 695: "This use of the imperfect indicative does not occur often; but when properly used it is emphatic and elegant." See page 7, note 4.

[9.2] =quien.= Note the singular form with a plural antecedent, still found occasionally; =quien= (from the Latin _quem_) had no plural until the sixteenth century; see Menendez Pidal, _Gramatica historica espanola_, -- 101.

[9.3] =que todo se quede en casa= 'that it should all remain a family matter.'

[10.1] =que lo envolvia todo= 'that enveloped it all.' See page 15, note 3.

[10.2] =Si.= The affirmative adverb =si= is much used to intensify statements, or to repeat the idea contained in a preceding statement. It is equivalent to 'indeed,' 'surely,' 'of course,' etc., or to the English auxiliary verbs used in repet.i.tions; for instance in "I have not gone to town but he has," the verb 'has' may be rendered by =si=.

[10.3] =en lo unico que= 'the only thing in which.' The word order, although not strictly logical, is correct and even elegant. In expressions containing =lo que=, prepositions which logically govern =que= are often placed before =lo=.

[11.1] =serian.= Following =me atrevo=, present, we should expect =seran=, but =serian= exemplifies the occasional inaccuracy of everyday speech. Luisa is narrating past happenings, and is therefore influenced by the standpoint of the past.

[11.2] =esta.= Supply =diciendo=.

[11.3] =que= is elliptical; see page 6, note 3.

[11.4] =carinosa.= A predicate adjective modifying the subject; English uses an adverb modifying the verb.

[11.5] =que en que cosas me fijo.= This =que=, not translatable, is required to connect =diras= with the following indirect question, and very often joins =decir= to succeeding words or statements; cf. =decir que si= etc.

[12.1] =por complacer.= Before an infinitive =por= ordinarily expresses cause or reason; when subst.i.tuted for =para= to indicate purpose, as here, it implies that the attainment of the object is uncertain; =por que= is sometimes similarly used instead of =para que=.

[12.2] =porque a ellos les conviniera= 'because it might suit _them_.' See page 3, note 4.

[12.3] =nunca lo hubiera habido= 'there never would have been any.' =Lo= refers to a preceding word, phrase, or idea (in this case to =desaire=), and is translated (if at all) by 'one,' 'some,' 'any,' or 'so.' =Hubiera habido= is the pluperfect subjunctive of =haber= in the impersonal sense.

[12.4] =por no contrariar.= See page 12, note 1.

[12.5] =pero.= Used to reinforce the repet.i.tion; cf. _mais_ in French, and the occasional use in English of the word 'and,' which is not unsuitable here.

[13.1] =sales.= See page 3, note 3.

[14.1] =A que ha venido?= 'For what has he come?' 'Why has he come?' This use of =a= is parallel to its use before an infinitive after =venir= and other intransitive verbs of motion. In this case =a= expresses purpose.

[15.1] =se.= Ethical dative, best omitted in translation; a.n.a.lysis shows that the p.r.o.noun contains an idea of advantage, or at least of reference, to the subject.

[15.2] =del botarate de su hijo= 'of his madcap of a son.' In Spanish, as in English, the preposition merely denotes that what follows is appositive. There is no change of ident.i.ty. In Spanish, this construction is more comprehensive than in English: =el bueno de Juan=.