VOCABULARY.
=acaudalado=, rich, wealthy =*advertir=, to notice =alcalde=, mayor =alfombrada=, carpeting =añadir=, to add =apagarse=, to go out (fire) =atraicionar=, to betray =boticario=, chemist =caja fuerte=, safe =calorífero=, stove =carbón (de piedra)=, coal =carbón (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) =escaño=, 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 Cía. es tan respetable por su buena fama (name) como por lo acaudalados que son sus propietarios.
2. Sí, es más estimada que cualquiera otra.
3. Dicen que tiene más de £150,000 de capital.
4. Es muy rica en efecto, pero no creo que su capital ascienda á más que £100,000.
5. Cuanto más 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) amplísimo para nuestras operaciones, las cuales hasta aquí han tenido felicísimo resultado.
8. Nuestros géneros son todos de óptima calidad y á precios ínfimos.
9. Es de interés supremo para nosotros el dar los mejores productos á precios mínimos.
10. La cantidad máxima no ha de exceder 500 kilógramos.
11. El hermano mayor es notario y alcalde del pueblo, el menor es boticario.
12. La ciudad de Cádiz es antiquísima; fundóse en el siglo XV antes de la era vulgar por los Fenicios.
13. El clima de Valparaíso es salubírrimo.
14. Fidelísimo criado, no quiso atraicionar á su amo que había sido beneficentísimo para con él.
15. Euclides fué celebérrimo geómetra.
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 atención al) fire, it is going out, poke it (removerlo) a little and add some coal.
10. This is the coal scuttle (caja del carbón), 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 (¡que fastidio! ¡que barbaridad!).
13. Post these letters. Stamp them (póngales 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.
(Lección trigésima 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 Tomás (or Tomé), Santo Domingo, and Santo Torribio.
But—La isla de San Tomás (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 francés, 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 más próspero 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 cuádruplo (4 fold)
El quíntuple (5 fold)
El séxtuple (6 fold)
El décuplo (10 fold)
El céntuplo (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.
Exclamó ufano, cortés, 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 á, or con, or para con todos: Affable to all.
Agradecido á 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 á su fin: Nearing his end.
¡Desdichado de mí!: Unhappy me!
Difícil de comprender: Hard to understand.
Dotado de buenas partes: Endowed with good parts.
Duro de cabeza (de mollera), de corazón: Hard-headed, hard-hearted.
Evidente para todo el mundo: Evident to all.
Fácil 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.
Pequeño 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 á comprender: Slow in understanding.
Triste de aspecto: Sad in countenance.