Pitman's Commercial Spanish Grammar (2nd ed.)

by C. A. Toledano

VOCABULARY.

=agradar, favorecer=, to oblige =almacenero, dependiente de almacén=, warehouseman =celebrar=, to be glad of =colorido=, colouring =*complacer=, to oblige =complazco, etc=., I oblige, etc. =(el) cortapluma=, penknife =cortésmente=, politely =coste flete y seguro=, cost, freight and insurance =*dar las gracias=, to hank =demora=, delay =*demostrar confianza=, to show confidence =deplorar=, to deplore =dictados=, dictates =en seguida=, at once =franco de avería particular=, free of particular average =*hacer una remesa=, to send a remittance =intereses=, interests =justificarse=, to justify oneself =mucho=, much, exceedingly, greatly =navajas de afeitar=, razors =obrar=, to act =patines=, skates =primer dependiente=, chief clerk =propio=, own =*rogar=, to beg, to request =ruego, etc=., I beg, etc. =sin novedad=, safe and sound =tela para pantalones=, trousering =tijeras=, scissors

EXERCISE 1 (45).

Translate into English—

1. En nuestra anterior les rogámos[143] nos enviasen una muestra de las telas de nuestros competidores.

2. Celebraremos mucho que encuentren ventaja en el cambio de vía (route) que hemos adoptado para sus envíos.

3. Siento haber hecho este error y siento también que mi primer dependiente no me lo haya hecho observar.

4. Me avergüenzo que por culpa de un dependiente de almacén negligente haya recibido V. un género por otro (the wrong goods).

5. Nunca me avergüenzo de hablar á las claras (openly, clearly).

6. No podemos ni deberíamos querer impedir á los otros que piensen como quieran; lo que sí debemos hacer es aconsejar á todos que obren según los dictados de su propia conciencia.

7. Lo que me esté bien (is my duty) hacer lo haré.

8. Espero me mande pronto los coloridos para las telas para pantalones.

9. Deploro que él quiera justificarse con argumentos que se quiebran de sutiles (which do not stand the light of day).

10. Explícate para que te entienda.

11. No te justifiques con malas razones (by quibbling).

12. Explíqueme V. de que se trata (what it is about).

13. No le explique V. más de lo necesario.

[Footnote 143: The 1st pers. plural Past Definite of the 1st Conjugation may take an accent to distinguish it from the Present Indicative.]

EXERCISE 2 (46).

Translate into Spanish—

1. We should like to do more business with your firm.

2. You would greatly oblige (us) by sending us a remittance.

3. He would do well to write it to them.

4. Let him write at once.

5. We hope you may arrive safe and sound, and we advise you to take care of yourself.

6. From what we can gather (por lo que tenemos entendido) the firm is doing a successful (buenos) business.

7. We trust this information will be of service (de utilidad) to you.

8. The documents appear to be in order and we hope there will be no difficulty.

9. We are glad the goods have arrived before the time stipulated (estipulado).

10. We do not want you to lose any money; on the contrary, we wish you to realise a substantial (buena) profit.

11. Tell the clerk to write more politely.

12. Order them to do it quickly.

13. I may come (es posible que venga) to-morrow.

14. We notice (observamos) that the Razors, Scissors, Penknives and Skates are ready to be shipped, and trust (confiamos) that, as announced (nos anunciaron Vs.), they will come to hand (llegaran á manos) without delay.

15. We thank you for the confidence you have shown in us which we hope to justify and you may be sure that we shall do our best for (por) your interests.

16. I request you kindly to insure the cargo against total loss or f.p.a.[144]

17. Sell at 21s. c.i.f.[145]

[Footnote 144: Free of particular average.]

[Footnote 145: Cost, insurance, freight.]

LESSON XXIV.
(Lección vigésima cuarta.)

THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD (contd.).

II. The Subjunctive Mood is used after Impersonal verbs, as

Es menester que lo haga: It is needful that he does it.
Es necesario que lo haga: It is necessary that he does it.

EXCEPTIONS—

1. When the Impersonal Verb expresses certainty, as—

Es cierto que lo hará: It is certain that he will do it.

2. When the dependent verb has not its own subject, both the following constructions are correct—

Es necesario hacerlo: It must be done
Es necesario que se haga: It must be done

III. The Subjunctive Mood is used after the following locations—-

Antes que (before)
En caso que (in case)
De miedo que (lest)
Por más que (however much, although)
Sin que (without)
Para que (so that)
Á menos que (unless)
Salvo que (except that)
Con tal que (provided that)
Sea que (whether … or)
Aunque (even if)

IV. The Subjunctive Mood is generally used after the following locations, when the action refers to future time, but the Indicative is used when the action refers to the past or present—

Después que (after)
Aunque (although)
De modo que (so that)
No obstante que (notwithstanding)
Cuandoquiera que (whenever)
Hasta que (until)
Luego que (as soon as)
Quienquiera que (whoever)
Comoquiera que (however)
Cualquiera que (whichever, whoever)
Dondequiera que (wherever)
El 1°, 2°, 3°, etc., que (the 1st 2nd 3rd, etc., that)
El único que (the only one that)
El solo que (the only one that)
El último que (the last that)
Nada que (nothng that)
Ninguo, nadie que (no one that)
El mejor (or any other superlative) que (the best etc., that)

E.g.—

Escribió de modo que su padre quedó contento: He wrote so that his father remained content.

Escriba V. de modo que su padre quede contento: Write so that your father may remain content.

Le pagué aunque no hizo su trabajo: I paid him, although he did not do his work.

No le pagaré aunque haga su trabajo: I shall not pay him although he may do his work.

The above rules have liberties and exceptions to be learnt by practice, generally turning on whether the action is intended to be alluded to =as a fact= or as =a mere conception=.

V. The Subjunctive Mood is used after cuando, así como, luego que and similar expressions when the action of the verb refers =to the future=, as—

Lo haré cuando tenga tiempo: I shall do it when I have time.

N.B.—The Future Subjunctive is often used in this case.

VI. The Subjunctive Mood is used after si (conditional if) when the context requires the following verb in the past form, as—

Lo haría si tuviese (tuviera) dinero: I should do it if I had money.

N.B.—If the context requires the verb in the present form, the
Indicative Present must be used, as—

Lo hago si tengo tiempo: I do it if I have time.

Lo haré si tengo tiempo: I shall do it if I have time.

When, as in the latter example a future time is indicated, the Future
Subjunctive may be used instead of the Pres. Indicative, as—

Lo haré si tuviere tiempo: I shall do it if (ever) I have time.

VII. After como the Subjunctive Mood is used idiomatically but not necessarily, as—

Como le vió le habló: As soon as he saw him he spoke to him.

Como le viese le habló: On seeing him he spoke to him.

VIII. After creer, pensar, opinar, and similar verbs, the following verb is generally in the Indicative; but after no creer, etc., the verb is in the Subjunctive mood. After creer, etc., used interrogatively, the verb may be Indicative or Subjunctive.