[25-11]lo dejas, 'you may leave it alone.' The pres. ind. has here the force of a fut. ind. used imperatively.
[25-19]la que había emprendido Pablo, 'that which Paul had taken.'
[25-29]como si tratara de, 'as if he were trying to.'
26.—[26-11]Nuevamenteis redundant: do not translate.—volvió á colocarse, 'placed himselfagain.'
[26-12]hasta chocar... con, 'until he struck... against.' The infinitive is used here because the main and the subordinate verbs have the same subject.]
[26-22]á quien... decirle, 'whose master does not understand what he means.'
[26-27]sin que soltara, 'without his letting go of.'
27.—[27-10]Al aturdimiento: theáofalindicates thataturdimientois the object of the verb.
[27-15]por, 'with.'
[27-19]dándole, 'by giving him.'
28.—[28-20]después de muerto, 'after death' (lit., 'after dead').
[28-31]fué perdiendo, 'lost' (lit., 'went losing').
29.—[29-6]Perdona, 'pardon me.'
[29-7]llevarte, 'carry for you':teis ethical dative (dative of interest).—ya lo ves, 'you see now.'
[29-11]ha de, 'shall.'
[29-13]lleva por nombre, 'has borne the name of.' The pres. ind. is used, since the act or state still continues.
PESCADOR DE CAÑA
Ernesto García Ladevese, b. 1850, a writer of commonplace, and sometimes coarse, stories. He is at his best inPescador de caña. Other works areFuego y cenizas(verse) and several volumes of short stories.
30.—[30-1]cubierta la cabeza=la cabeza cubierta.
[30-5]el bueno de Chaviri, 'the good Chaviri.'
[30-7]al pasar por allí, 'upon passing by there.'
[30-9]Y no siempre eran los chicos los que=y los chicos no eran siempre los que('the ones who').
[30-17]Antes de hacerse Chaviri, 'before Chaviri became.' Note thatChaviriis the subject ofhacerse.
[30-20]al ir á, 'when about to' (lit., 'upon going to').
[30-21]se le adelantó alguno, 'some one got ahead of him.'
[30-22]por él concebidas=concebidas por él.
[30-23]Lo que no... nunca, 'what he never fully understood.']
[30-24]chascosis the subject ofproducían.
[30-25]cómo á... no les había pasado lo mismo, 'why the same thing had not happened to....'
31.—[31-1]al establecerse, 'when they went into business.'
[31-3]Anduvo, 'he was' (lit., 'he went'.
[31-11]se, 'to themselves,' or 'to one another.'—al verle, 'upon seeing him.' Note again this common use ofalwith the infinitive.
[31-12]Chaviriis the subject oftrae.
[31-13]se supo, 'it was known.'
[31-14]no hubo quien no dijese, 'there wasn't any one who didn't say.'
[31-23]leis redundant: do not translate. It is in apposition topescador. This idiom is very common in colloquial Spanish.
[31-25]de tarde en tarde, 'some afternoons' (lit., 'from afternoon to afternoon').—se le veía, 'he was seen,' or 'they saw him.'
[31-29]cuya pesca, 'the catching of which.'
[31-30]que.. le pagaban á subido precio, 'for which... paid him a high price.'
32.—[32-1]Ho había nadie que... llevara, 'there wasn't any one who brought....'
[32-2]la de Chaviri, 'that of Chaviri,' or 'Chaviri's.'
[32-4]iba durando una y otra semana, 'lasted week after week.'
[32-5]Á los dos meses, 'after two months.'
[32-7]Fué la noticia extendiéndose, 'the report spread.'
[32-8]ya no volvieron á gritarle, 'no longer shouted at him.'
[32-14]en evitar que nadie me viese, 'to avoid being seen' (lit., 'in avoiding that any one should see me').
[32-20]á que acertasen el sitio, 'to the risk of their finding the place' (lit., 'to that they should hit upon the place').
[32-26]levantóse=se levantó.
33.—[33-4]del de más allá, 'from one farther away.'
[33-9]Si querrás, 'can you indeed expect':querrásis fut. of conjecture.—se puede, 'one can.']
[33-11]¿Cómo que no?'why not?'
[33-12]los tres, 'you three.'
CONFESIÓN DE UN CRIMEN
Armando Palacio Valdés, b. 1853 in the Asturias. Palacio Valdés is a journalist and novelist. He began as a realist, but his later works have become more and more idealistic. He is a careful, direct writer, elegant in diction, and he excels in psychological analysis. Palacio Valdés and Pérez Galdós are probably the strongest and the best known Spanish novelists of today. Works:Marta y María,El idilio de un enfermo,José,El cuarto poder,La hermana San Sulpicio,La espuma,La fe,El maestrante,La alegría del capitán Ribot,La aldea perdida, et al.
34.—[34-1]salón del Prado: seepradoandsalón, in Vocab.
[34-1]aún no había gente, 'there were not yet any people.'
[34-14]sin que... perdiesen de vista, 'without... losing sight of.'
[34-17]en una silla metálica de las que=en una de las sillas metálicas que. Both constructions occur, but the first is considered the better.
[34-18]me puse á: seeponerse á, in Vocab.
[34-25]gravedadis the subject ofllamó.
35.—[35-2]alegríais the subject of causaba.
[35-10]vestido de marinero, 'in a sailor-suit' (lit., 'dressed as a sailor').
[35-14]Luisa: see this name, and those that follow, in the Vocab.
[35-15]le tiró por los..., 'pulled his....'
[35-18]oí exclamar á Luisa=oí á Luisa que exclamaba.
[35-30]de su misma edad, 'of the same age as they.'
36.—[36-2]debía de ser, 'must have been.'
[36-9]visto lo cual por su amiga, 'her friend having observed this' (lit., 'which seen by her friend').]
[36-11]lo que la ponía, 'what made her.'
[36-13]ya no: seeya no, underya, in Vocab.
[36-16]Mañana hace un mes que=hará('it will be')un mes mañana que.
[36-17]Á mí... me: translate by an emphatic 'me.' The double construction is here used for emphasis.—toda la tarde la pasé=pasé toda la tarde. The redundantlais here used because the object precedes the verb.
[36-18]te lo('so')puede decir=puede decírtelo.
[36-22]lo éramos desde hacía dos meses=hacía dos meses que lo éramos(eramos, 'had been'). The imperfect is used, as the condition still existed:lotakes the place ofnovios,—omit in translation, or translate 'engaged.'
[36-23]al entrar en, 'as I was going into.'
[36-24]echó á correr: seeechar(se) á, underechar, in Vocab.
[36-26]le había gustado: does this mean 'he had liked me' or 'I had liked him'?—le quería=[le] quería á el: seequerer á, in Vocab.
[36-27]en: see Vocab.—que era la que, 'which was the one that.'
[36-29]á Luisa... Paco Núñez=también Paco Núñez había escrito á Luisa: for the use ofle, see second note, l. 17.
[36-31]le dije, 'said to him' (Paco).—en el paseo: on Sunday afternoons and on other holidays, groups of young women accompanied by older persons, and groups of young men, stroll up one side of thepaseoand down the other. Often they will go in opposite directions so that they may speak in passing.
In Spain and in Spanish America, as in all Latin countries, young men and young women, not closely related, may not walk out together unless they are engaged to be married, and even then they must be accompanied by an older person, usually the young woman's mother.
37.—[37-1]que sí, 'yes.' This expression may have its origin indice que sí, 'he says so.'—á la otra vuelta, 'when we went around again' (lit., 'at the next turn').]
[37-6]una vez bailando, 'once when we were dancing.' In the Latin countries it is usually considered harmless to dance on Sundays after returning from mass, and the most devout Christians may do so.—estaba=él estaba.
[37-10]á la salida del colegio, 'as I came from school.' Seecolegioin Vocab.
[37-14]á que continuase, 'for her to continue.'
[37-23]metido en, 'standing in' (lit., 'packed closely in').
[37-28]el de la criada, 'the servant's.'
[37-29]le dejé ir mojándose hasta casa, 'I let him go on getting wet all the way home.'
[37-31]fué que, 'it was because.'
38.—[38-1]se le anudó la voz en la garganta, 'the words choked in her throat.'
[38-3]se la quedó mirando=se quedó mirándola.
[38-10]sin que... perdiesen, 'without... their losing.'
[38-23]debió pasar, 'must have passed.'
[38-25]destacóse=se destacó. Note, finally, that a personal pronoun object may follow any verb that comes first in a clause.—le echó los brazos al cuello, 'threw her arms about her neck.'
[38-31]dejó de: seeno(orni)dejar de, underdejar, in Vocab.
39.—[39-1]queis expletive: do not translate.
ECONOMÍA PRÁCTICA
Luis Taboada, b. 1848 at Vigo in Galicia, d. 1906. Taboada is a playwright and novelist, but he has probably excelled in the humorous articles that he has written for the daily press.
There is a good American edition of some of these humorous sketches,Cuentos alegresedited by Prof. Murray Anthony Potter of Harvard University (Boston, 1907). The editor ofSpanish Tales for Beginnershas pleasure in acknowledging his indebtedness to Professor Potter.
40.—[40-7]Quiero que sea, 'I wish it to be.']
41.—[41-6]después de... rebajen, 'after getting them to throw off.'
[41-19]Hace pocos días tuvo que, 'a few days ago he had to.'
[41-30]Oiga usted, 'listen.'
42.—[42-2]póngase usted en razón, 'be reasonable.'
[42-4]He dicho que no: do not translateque.
[42-7]el de los pájaros, 'the bird-dealer' (lit., 'he of the birds').
[42-12]Conque ya lo sabe usted, 'well, you understand' (lit., 'so you already know it').
[42-15]en, 'for.'
DE VIAJE
Luis Taboada: see note, page 40.
43.—[43-4]ha de, 'is to.'
[43-9]á la que trata de, 'which she tries to' (quealone would be ambiguous, as it might be subject or object, butá la quemust be the object).
[43-16]dígale V. que no se moleste, 'tell it not to trouble itself.'
[43-25]Los demás viajeros conseguimos, 'the rest of us succeed in' (lit., 'we other passengers...').
44.—[44-12]Salvador=Amós Salvador, at one time minister of finance,—a member of the liberal party.
[44-16]en éstas y las otras=en estas y otras cosas, 'in the meantime.'
[44-17]poco menos que, 'almost' (lit., 'little less than').
[44-30]¿Que no?'no?'
45.—[45-2]se las calza, 'puts them on.'
[45-24]¿Cómo quieres que esté un hombre?'how do you expect a man to be?'
TEMPRANO Y CON SOL
Emilia Pardo Bazán, b. 1851 in Galicia, a literary critic and novelist. Pardo Bazán is considered the most highlycultivated and the most forceful contemporary writer amongst the women of modern Spain. Works:Los pazos de Ulloa,La madre naturaleza,El cisne de Vilamorta,De mi tierra,Pascual López,La cuestión palpitante, et al.
46.—[46-7]de, 'with.'
[46-10]le sentaba á las mil maravillas, 'was wonderfully becoming to her.'
[46-12]sobre poco más ó menos: see undermás, in Vocab.
[46-17]quien, 'one who.'
[46-21]Ahí va dinero, 'there's the money.'
47.—[47-5]Al decir esto el empleado=cuando el empleado dijo esto. Note thatempleadois the subject ofdecir. See note, page 6, l. 22.
[47-6]damisela: why candamiselanot be the object ofhabía soltado?
[47-17]Sonó la campana=la campana sonó. Note how often the subject follows the verb in this story.
[47-20]fuesen, 'might be.'
[47-25]del, 'in the.'
48.—[48-9]que le enseñase, 'to show him.'
[48-13]Tengo la colección completa=la colección está completa.
[48-19]Éste no lo tengo yo=yo no tengo éste; butésteis more emphatic in the first sentence.
[48-23]se pusiese color de, 'turned the color of.' Note the subj. withcomo('as'):como se pusiese=poniéndose.
[48-27]te he de decir una cosa, 'I have something to tell you.'
[48-28]dímela(di-me-la): seedi, in Vocab.
49.—[49-1]Hay que ir: seehay queunderhaber, in Vocab.
[49-7]que le había de suceder algo raro..., 'that something unusual... would' (or 'was to) happen to him.'
[49-9]con: seesoñar con, in Vocab.
[49-10]coleccionaba, soñaba: why must these be translated by the English pluperfect indicative?]
[49-18]constándole á, 'as it was clear' (or 'evident) to.'
[49-19]habíais here the imp. ind. ofhay.
[49-25]Lo que me ibas á decir=lo que('what')ibas á decirme.
[49-28]Si: note thatsihere means 'why' or 'indeed,' and not 'if.'
50.—[50-4]echó á=empezó á.
[50-10]Se halla un alma enamorada=un alma se halla enamorada. Noteun, whereelwould be used, before a feminine noun beginning with stresseda. It is considered better form to useuna.
[50-14]No... más que en, '... only of.'
[50-17]novios en regla, 'real lovers.' Herenoviodoes not mean formally 'betrothed.'
[50-19]se hablaba de, 'they were speaking of.'
[50-24]¡Jesús, María y José!'great heavens!' Custom has made this invocation of the Holy Family less sacrilegious in Spanish than in English. Cf.dios mío, 'dear me.'
[50-36]irán, 'can they be going?' See note, page 1, l. 24.—Aviso=avisaré. The pres. ind. may often be used for the fut.
51.—[51-14]que, 'to.'
[51-19]La hicimos, 'we have done it.'Lais here an indefinite pronoun.
[51-20]será de: see underser, in Vocab.
[51-21]Lo que, 'how,' or 'what (a good time).'
[51-28]¿Por dónde se va?see underdónde, in Vocab.
52.—[52-2]á la del Inglés=á la fonda del Inglés.
[52-8]no se les permitió, 'they were not permitted.'—ni aún los domingos: theinternos, or boarding-students, of acolegioare allowed to visit their parents or guardians on Sundays. On other occasions they may leave the confines of thecolegioonly when accompanied by an instructor. Seecolegioin Vocab.]
EL PREMIO GORDO
Emilia Pardo Bazán: see note, page 46.
53.—[53-25]no lo pasaban mal tampoco, 'did not have a bad time of it either.'
54.—[54-2]nadie, 'any one.' Note the negative pronoun after a comparative (mejor).
[54-3]andaban ellos de contentos, 'they were well satisfied.'
[54-26]Al oir tal, 'on hearing this.'—hubo=pret. ofhay.
[54-29]que el que echaba con señores, 'that he who gambled with gentlemen.'
[54-30]de lo cual le pesó tanto al marqués, 'at which the marquis was so displeased' (lit., 'on account of which it weighed so upon the marquis').
55.—[55-2]le cobijaba, 'had given him shelter.' Why imp. ind. in Spanish?
[55-13]se le colaba el frío por la nuca, 'his neck was getting cold' (lit., 'the cold was filtering through the nape of his neck').
[55-15]no nos ha de caer, 'will not fall to us.'
[55-17]se las compuso, 'arranged matters' (lasis here an indefinite pronoun. Some such word ascosasis probably understood afterlas).
[55-18]no sé qué, 'some... or other' (lit., 'I know not what').
[55-31]El Siglo Futuro, an ultra-catholic paper.
56.—[56-3]á los diez segundos de atender, 'after paying attention for ten seconds.'
[56-8]No tardó tres minutos en regresar el enviado=el enviado regresó dentro de tres minutos. Seetardar, in Vocab.
[56-11]por querer, 'in his efforts' (lit., 'through seeking').
[56-14]logró oir brotar, 'he finally heard... burst forth' (lit., 'he succeeded in hearing burst forth').
[56-20]rauda y amorosamente=raudamente y amorosamente. Note thatmenteis used with only the last adjective, and note also that the adjectives are feminine to agree withmente.][56-26]sin que fuese poderoso, 'without his being able.'
[56-27]echándoselo unos á otros, 'tossing him from one to another.' Note that bothseandunos á otrosare here reciprocal.
[56-31]quieras no quieras, 'whether he were willing or not' (lit., 'you may be willing [or] you may not be willing').
57.—[57-4]por haber, 'from having.'
[57-5]sangre, 'liquid,' or 'contents' (lit., 'blood').
[57-11] Note the abbreviations:V.=usted, andD.=don.
[57-21]tener el diablo en el cuerpo, 'to be possessed' (lit., 'to have the devil in one's body').
[57-26]como pudiesen, 'as best they could.'
58.—[58-3]Quien vuecencia disponga..., 'whoever your Excellency may arrange to....'
[58-9]Sepa vuecencia, 'may your Excellency know,' or 'your Excellency should know' (sepais used imperatively).
[58-12]Váyase V. al..., 'go to the....'
[58-17]sin que se atreviese, 'without daring.'
[58-18]por no arrostrar, 'for fear of facing.'
59.—[59-2]sí no, 'not.' Heresísimply makesnoemphatic.
[59-8]dió, 'he met with.'
[59-11]Abierto el testamento=cuando el testamento fué abierto.
[59-12]por heredero, 'as his heir.'
EL LIBRO TALONARIO
Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, b. 1833 in Granada, d. 1891. Alarcón was a journalist, poet, novelist, and writer of works of travel; member of the Council of State, Minister to Turkey, etc. He had a lively vein and was often humorous or ironical, but he was seldom a careful writer. Beginning as a writer of frivolous tales for newspapers, he ended as a conservativeand a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. Works:El final de Norma,El escándalo,El niño de la bola,El sombrero de tres picos,El capitán Veneno,Historietas nacionales, et al.
60.—[60-2]Rota: the action begins at Rota, one of the many villages on the Bay of Cadiz in southwestern Spain.
[60-4]era que, 'the fact was.'
[60-5]llevaba cuarenta de labrar, 'he had cultivated for forty years.' Seellevar, in Vocab.
[60-10]había mediado el mes de junio, 'it was the middle of June' (lit., 'the month of June was half gone').
[60-12]á los... ejemplaresis an object ofconocíaabove.
[60-22]¡Feliz quien se las coma!'happy he who eats them.' The pronounse, an ethical dative or dative of interest, is best not translated.
61.—[61-1]¡Lástima de mis calabazas!'my poor squashes!'
[61-5]Gradúese... cuánto sería, 'judge how great must have been' (lit., 'let it judge itself...').
[61-12]¡Si te encuentro!SeeMerchant of Venice, Act I, Scene 3.
[61-16]de que él las reconociese, 'of his recognizing them.'
[61-18]Como si lo viera, '[as truly] as if I saw them' (lit., 'it').
[61-19]debió de robármelas, 'must have stolen them from me' (meis dat. of separation).
[61-20]se escaparía: see note, page 2, l. 27.
[61-23]maravilla será que, 'it will be a wonder if.'
62.—[62-7]villa..., Hércules=Rota, andCádiz. The first belonged to the Duke of Arcos; the second is so called, since tradition has it that Cádiz was founded by Hercules.
[62-19]contárselo: note that lo denoteseso, andsedenotesAlcalde.
[62-21]¡Que no!'no!';¡Que sí!'yes!' The full expressions would probably be:digo que no, anddigo que sí.
[62-23]Tío: seetío, in Vocab.
[62-25]Vds.=ustedes. NoteV.,Vd., andUd.,=usted.
63.—[63-3]Á quién le..., 'of whom....' The expletive le refers toquién. Both are datives of separation.
[63-6]¡Ése había de ser!'it must have been that very fellow!' Seeese, in Vocab.
[63-8]en la del vecino, 'in his neighbor's.' Note thatvecino, in line 4, means 'resident.'
[63-9]admitida la hipótesis=la hipótesis habiendo sido admitida.—de que á V. le han robado, 'that they stole from you.' Note this use of the pres. perfect with the force of a preterite, which is not uncommon in Spain today.
[63-12]las suyas('yours') is more distinctive and emphatic thansuyas; but the article is usually omitted when the possessive is in predicate.
[63-14]conocerá: see note, page 1, l. 24.
[63-20]con que usted reconozca, 'with your recognizing.'
[63-27]hasta sentarse, 'until he sat.'
64.—[64-10]se lo impidieron, 'prevented his going' (lit., 'impeded it to him'):lodenotesirse.
[64-11]el mismo Regidor=el Regidor mismo('himself').
[64-16]ha de ver, 'must consider,' or 'must be careful.'
[64-24]por, 'over.'
[64-31]de donde va cortando, 'from which he keeps on cutting.'
65.—[65-1]comprobarse si tal ó cual, 'be proved whether such and such a.'
[65-2]ó no lo es=ó no es falso.
[65-19]las que pudiéramos llamar cicatrices..., 'the scars ..., as we might call them':cicatricesis the subject ofpresentaban.
[65-26]¡Nada!'by all means!' This positive force of the exclamatory adverbnadais not uncommon.
66.—[66-8]fuese(fromir), 'kept on.'
[66-9]He debido traerme á Manuela, 'I should have brought Emma away with me.'
10.comérmela: do not translate the ethical dativeme.
EL PÁJARO EN LA NIEVE
Armando Palacio Valdés: see note, page 34.
67.—[67-5][murió] hacía un año, 'had been dead a year.'
[67-20]antes de morir: note again that a Spanish infinitive after a preposition is usually best translated by the English present participle.—había conseguido que le diesen, 'had gotten them to give.'
[67-24]por modesta que fuese: seepor... que, underpor, in Vocab.
[67-25]pasados los... días=los... días habiendo pasado.—quince días: see underdía, in Vocab.
68.—[68-6]sin salir...: seesin más que, undermás, in Vocab.
[68-10]que contaba se tocase, 'which, he expected, would be played.'
[68-11]por la caridad: since he was unable to pay for the mass, or for prayers for the dead.
[68-19]cesante: this is one of the many sarcastic flings at Spanish politics in which Palacio Valdés indulges.
[68-27]llevase á empeñar: see underempeñar, in Vocab.
69.—[69-2]ya no tuvo...=ya no tuvo nada que empeñar: seeya noandtener que, in Vocab.
[69-3]tuvieron, 'kept.'
[69-6]podíanhas here the force ofhubieran podido.—que les quedaba á deber, 'which he still owed them.'
[69-14]De... en, 'from... to.'
[69-16]el calzado..., los pantalones: translate bothelandlosby 'with his.'
[69-20]Comía lo preciso...: see underpreciso, in Vocab.
70.—[70-6]del mejor modo que pudo, 'as best he could.'
[70-9]El corazón le latía: note thatel+le='his.'
[70-17]iba venciendo, 'he was overcoming (little by little).'Note thatirwith a present participle denotes progressive action.
[70-22]Por lo cual: see undercual, in Vocab.
71.—[71-3]vuelta á reunirse=volvió(ortornó)á reunirse.
[71-28]Al llegar la noche=cuando llegó la noche.
72.—[72-1]pausada y copiosamente: see note, page 56, l. 20.
[72-7]el caer, 'the falling' or 'fall.' Note that the infinitive is here a noun, and is modified by an adjective.
[72-16]en: do not translate. See note, page 24, l. 3.
[72-21]sería, 'was probably' (cond. of probability).—lo de siempre: see undersiempre, in Vocab. The reference here is to the usual command to "move on."
[72-26]Apenas puedo, 'I can scarcely [do so].'
73.—[73-1]vamos á ver=veamos. Sometimesá veralone is used with the force ofvamos á ver.—si hallamos, aftervamos á ver, may be best translated by 'if we can find.'
[73-7]á ver si llegamos: seevamos á verandhallamosabove.
[73-9]se lo pagará á V., 'will repay you' (lit., 'will pay you for it').
[73-11]Nada de morirse=no diga V. nada de morirse.
75.—[75-2]hacía cuatro meses que estaba: the imperf. ind. is used because the act or state still continued at the time. See underhacer, in Vocab.
[75-29]hasta sentarle, 'to a seat' (lit., 'as far as to seat him').
76.—[76-4]no pudo menos de: see underpoder, in Vocab.
[76-9]cuando se le da cuerda=cuando alguno le da cuerda: seecuerda, in Vocab.
[76-15]me hago como que: seehacerse como que, underhacer, in Vocab.
77.—[77-1]creía escuchar la...=creía que escuchaba la voz...; but the infin. (escuchar) is better, as both verbs have the same subject.]
[77-3]Y todavía quiso añadir más cuidados á los de Santiago, 'and she sought to show him even greater attention than James had done.'
[77-4]mandó traer: see undermandar, in Vocab.
[77-8]dejándose acariciar de, 'letting themselves be caressed by.'
[77-16]Á que: see underque, in Vocab.
[77-24]se me cierran los ojos, 'my eyes close.'—sin poderlo remediar=sin poder yo remediarlo.
[77-29]echándole... al, 'throwing... about his.'
78.—[78-6]dijo un guardia de los que=dijo uno de los guardias que.
LA BALLENA DEL MANZANARES
Antonio de Trueba y Quintana: see note, page 8.
79.—[79-1]El Manzanaresis the river that flows through Madrid. Generally it carries little water, but after heavy rains it sometimes becomes a raging torrent. In the Appendix toCuentos populares, Trueba says that the people of Madrid are twitted for having once believed that there was a whale in the Manzanares river, when it was only a floating pack-saddle.
[79-8]Dar el primero, 'to be the first to give.'
[79-10]Ver Alvar..., y salir..., todo era uno, 'it was all one for Alvar to see..., and for him to go out...'='as soon as Alvar saw..., he would go out....'
[79-13]el gusto de que acudiesen, 'the pleasure of their coming.'
[79-15]antes que nadie, 'before any one else.'
[79-20]San Isidro, 'Saint Isidor,' the patron saint of Madrid. He lived in the twelfth century. It is related of him that he was one day at prayer in his fields, when angels descended from heaven and drove the plow, finishing his plowing for him. He is also called theLabrador de Madrid.
[79-21]sobre si: see undersi, in Vocab.
80.—[80-5]á más no poder: see underpoder, in Vocab.
[80-6]á poco más: see underpoco, in Vocab.]
[80-7]no lo dejó, 'it did not stop [raining].'
[80-10]por no tener, 'on account of not having,' or 'because it did not have.'
[80-11]aprendiz de río, 'an apprentice of a river.'
[80-17]Móstoles: the wine-grower ofMóstoleshad been mentioned before. He had a wine-shop atMóstoles, about nine miles west of Madrid, and had recently established a branch in the outskirts of Madrid beside the Manzanares. In a meadow between the wine-shop and the river the empty wine-casks (cubas) were accumulating.
81.—[81-4]del agua sacarían vino=sacarían vino del agua.
[81-7]Oir Alvar, 'for Alvar to hear': see note, page 79, l. 10.
[81-19]coronada villa del oso.—The arms of Madrid show a bear climbing amadroño(see Vocab.). The crest is a crown.
82.—[82-2]Otra te pego=te pegaré otra[paliza,bofetada, or some such word].
[82-5]me, 'from me':meis dat. of separation or privation.—una va llena, 'one is full (lit., 'one goes full'). Note thatva llenais taken forballena. As a matter of fact, most Spaniards pronouncebandvalike. See the Hills-FordSpanish Grammar, § 6.
[82-8]anda á: see underandar, in Vocab. Cf.ve á hacerlo, 'goanddo it'; andven á hacerlo, 'comeanddo it.'—la cabra de tu madre, 'your goat of a mother.'
[82-12]Que: do not translate.—me dan de palos: note this partitive construction withdar;demay be translated by 'some.'
[82-23]albarda: see l. 7 of the same page.
[82-25]empinarse á un madroñomay be freely rendered: 'to be turned into bears (for their stupidity).'
LA CASA DONDE MURIÓ
Julia de Asensi(?), a writer of stories that are generally interesting, but are often morbidly sentimental or gruesome.La casa donde murióis decidedly gruesome, but it has themerit of portraying the superstitious nature of a considerable part of the Spanish people. There is a good American edition of some of Asensi's short stories, edited by Prof. Edgar S. Ingraham, of the Ohio State University (Boston, 1908). The editor ofSpanish Tales for Beginnershas pleasure in acknowledging his indebtedness to Professor Ingraham.
83.—[83-1]Camino: seecamino de, undercamino, in Vocab.
[83-6]los cuatro, 'we four' (since the verb is in the first person).
[83-7]La señora de López, 'Mrs. López.'Lópezis doubtless her husband's name, hence thede. A Spanish woman usually retains her maiden name after marriage, but adds her husband's name. Thus, ifla señorita Martínezis married toel señor López, her official name becomesla señora Martínez de López. Children born of the union may use both names, if they wish: thus,López y Martínez.
[83-11]por la que: note that, after a preposition, Asensi prefersel que(la que, etc.) toquealone.
[83-12]Serían, cond. of probability.
[83-14]se veneraba á: translate 'was worshiped.'
[83-15]tenía particular devoción: although 'Our Lady of Mercy' (or 'of Pardons') is merely one attribute of the Virgin Mary, it is to this attribute that Mrs. López is particularly devoted.
[83-17]que le siguiera, 'to follow him.'
[83-21]leyéndose, 'where were to be read' (lit., 'reading themselves,' 'being read').
84.—[84-2]por verla por lo que: translate 'to see it that.' Notepor lo quewherequealone would be expected. This expletive use of preposition and relative is not uncommon.
[84-12]Lo de siempre: see undersiempre, in Vocab.
[84-14]Diez años hace que: see underhacer, in Vocab.
[84-18]hace diez años, 'ten years ago.' Note the different meanings ofhacein expressions of time. Compare: (1)hace tres meses que está aquí, 'he has been here for three months';hace tres meses que se fué, orse fué hace tres meses, 'he went away three months ago.'
[84-22]¿Acaso lo sé yo?'how do I know?' (lit., 'do I, perchance, know it?').Acasooften indicates improbability, and is best omitted in the translation.
[84-26]el plazo: in Spanish graveyards a space of ground may be taken for a limited time (plazo) or in perpetuity, according to the amount of money paid. If the time is limited, the grave is opened at the expiration of the time, and the bones are removed to the "bone pile." The same ground may then be occupied by another body. The poor who can not pay are cast into a common grave, where the bodies remain until the bones can be taken away. Often a score of bodies, sprinkled with quicklime to hasten decay, are buried in the same common grave. Although this custom is decidedly repellant, it must be borne in mind that in old and densely populated countries the available ground-space is limited.