Se vi estus turninta vin, vi estus vidinta tion, if you had turned, you would have seen that.
Se la malsekaĵo ne estus densiĝinta, ne estus pluvinte, if the moisture had not condensed, it would not have rained.
Se li estus kaptita, li estus punita, if he had been caught, he would have been punished.
Se li estus sidanta tie, mi vidus lin, if he were (if he should be) sitting there, I should see him.
Se la gravitado ne ekzistus, tiu pluvo ne estus falanta, if gravitation did not (should not) exist, that rain would not be falling.
THE VERB DEVI.
247. The verb devi (cf. devo, duty) is equivalent to the verb must (which in English has no future, past, infinitive, etc.), and to to have to, to be obliged to, etc., carrying the idea of must into all tenses and moods. In the conditional mood its meaning is softened into a vaguer sense (of moral obligation), and carries the idea of ought:
Objektoj en la aero devas fali, objects in the air have to fall.
Ni devis agi laŭ la leĝoj, we had to act according to the laws.
Vi devos iri, you must (will have to) go.
Ŝi ne volas devi fari tion, she does not wish to have to do that.
Ili devigis min iri, they compelled me to go.
Vi devus iri, you should go (you ought to go).
Oni devus pensi antaŭ ol paroli, one ought to think before speaking.
Li estus devinta veni, he ought to have come.
Tio devus esti farita, that ought to have been done.
THE PREPOSITION SEN.
248. The preposition sen, without, indicates the omission, absence or exclusion of that which is expressed by its complement. It may be used as a prefix (160), giving a sense of deprivation or exclusion (like that given by the English suffix -less):
Li difinis la vorton sen eraro, he defined the word without an error.
La rivero senĉese fluas, the river flows without ceasing.
Tio estas ne nur senutila sed eĉ malutila, that is not only useless but even harmful.
Li ne plu estas senmona, he is no longer penniless.
Li sentime alproksimiĝis al ĝi, he fearlessly approached it.
English phrases containing "without" as in "without reading," must be changed to phrases clearly containing verbal nouns, as "without the reading of," before translating into an Esperanto phrase with sen. Otherwise a participle with ne should replace the phrase (222): Sen la legado de tio, mi ne komprenus, without (the) reading (of) that, I should not understand. Ne leginte tion, mi ne komprenus, without reading (not having read) that, I should not understand.
Vocabulary.
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akuz-i, to accuse. instru-i, to teach. kondamn-i, to condemn. konfes-i, to confess, to admit. konscienc-o, conscience. kulp-o, guilt. merit-i, to deserve. |
nobl-a, noble. pardon-i, to pardon. pek-i, to sin. prav-a, right, correct. sen, without (248). So-krato, Socrates. venen-o, poison. |