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

Chapter 8

Chapter 83,745 wordsPublic domain

=algo=, somewhat =asunto=, matter =calor=, heat =carranclanes, guingas=, ginghams =cerrar el trato=, to conclude the bargain =cheques=, cheques =circular=, to circulate, to go round =cobrar=, to collect (money) =comprometer=, to compromise =costa=, coast =cuesta=, slope =cuidar=, to take care =cuidarse=, to take care of oneself =decididamente=, decidedly =decidir=, to decide =después=, afterwards =drogas=, drysalteries =durante=, during =faltar, hacer falta=, to be wanting, to be wanted =el fin=, the end =fustanes=, fustians =gasa=, gauze =gastos=, expenditure =ingresos netos=, net revenue =jamón=, ham =letras=, bills of exchange =maíz=, maize =malbaratar=, to undersell =mantas con franjas=, fringed blankets =mercería=, haberdashery =paseo=, promenade, walk, stroll =puerto=, port, harbour =recursos=, means =*reducir=, to reduce =reduje=, etc., I reduced, etc. =reduzco, reduces=, etc., I reduce, etc. =*seguir=, to follow, to continue =sigo, sigues=, etc., I follow, etc. =el temporal=, the storm =*valer más=, to be preferable =vencer=, to fall due =vidriado=, glassware

EXERCISE 1 (39).

Translate into English--

1. Amaneció el día hermoso pero algo frío.

2. Hizo más calor después y por la tarde hizo _or_ sopló (blew) viento fuerte.

3. Anocheció cuando aun no habíamos llegado, pero como hacía luna el paseo siguió siendo (continued to be) agradable.

4. Ayer llovió, granizó, nevó y lloviznó sucesivamente todo el santo día (the livelong day).

5. Me parece que no le conviene de cerrar el trato con el banco bajo estas condiciones.

6. Me hace falta dinero pues es menester (it is necessary) proporcionarme (to get) el importe que me falta para completar las £1,000 que vencen el 15 del corriente.

7. Más vale aceptar las condiciones del banco que tener que malbaratar los géneros.

8. Ande V. con cuidado (be careful) no sea (lest) que vaya V. á comprometer su crédito.

9. Reina por estas costas muy violento temporal á cuya consecuencia ha resultado el vapor "Juan" con el árbol de la hélice (shaft of the screw) roto, por lo cual hubo de ser traído á remolque á (to be towed into) este puerto.

10. El "Juan" navegaba con rumbo á (was bound for) Cádiz.

11. Los modernos medios de fabricación de que disponemos, el abaratamiento (cheapening) de la mano de obra (labour) y las facilitaciones de que disfrutamos (we enjoy) merced á (thanks to) nuestros cuantiosos (abundant) recursos, nos permiten, ahora más que nunca, realizar nuestras ventas en condiciones que no cabe competencia posible (which preclude ...).

12. Hemos asegurado buenas partidas de fustanes, mantas con franjas, gasas, y carranclanes.

EXERCISE 2 (40).

Translate into Spanish--

1. San Paulo (Brazilian) Railway.--The net revenue for the half-year from the main line (línea principal) amounted to £607,297 as against (contra) £743,077 in 1909.

2. The expenditure in England and the Interest on Stores (sobre los depósitos) reduce the amount to £594,714.

3. The Stock Exchange (la Bolsa) will be closed from this evening (esta tarde) until next Monday morning.

4. The turnover (giro) of the day's transactions has been small.

5. Sentiment turned somewhat bearish (hubo disposición á la baja) during the forenoon (la mañana), but became (se volvió) decidedly bullish (á la alza) towards the end of the day.

6. The following figures show the amount of bills and cheques which passed through the banker's clearing-house (por el banco de liquidación) during the week ended April 12th (que acabó el 12 de abril).

7. We must not attach (atribuir) too much importance to the rumours (los rumores, las especies) which are circulating in the market.

8. You should take care that the bales are properly (bien) packed.

9. I was ignorant of the fact that (no sabía que) he had been declared a bankrupt.

10. I shall do all that depends on me (de mí dependa) to collect the money in full (por entero).

11. As far as we are concerned (en cuanto á nosotros), we have decided not to take (dar) any steps in the matter.

12. We do not wish to throw good money after bad (echar la soga tras el caldero).[133]

13. We shall invoice by next mail your glassware and haberdashery.

14. Ham is a drug in the market (no tiene salida).

15. A good business is done at present in drysalteries.

16. A good crop of maize is announced from Cape Town (desde el Cabo).

[Footnote 133: Lit.: to throw the rope after the pail.]

LESSON XXI. (Lección vigésima primera.)

DEFECTIVE AND PRONOMINAL VERBS.

=Defective Verbs= are those only certain parts of which are in use, the rest having never existed in the language or having died out of it.

The principal ones are--

_Soler_. "To be wont," "to be accustomed to." Used in the pres. indic., Suelo, sueles, suele, solemos, soleis, suelen; in the imperf. indic., Solía, solías, etc.; and in the pres. perf., He solido, has solido, etc., as--

En su juventud solía trabajar con ahinco--ahora ya ha aflojado un poco: When he was young he used to work with fervour, now he begins to flag a little.

_Yacer_. "To lie"; generally on tombstones, as: Aquí yace: Here lies.

(In poetry, but seldom in prose, it is found conjugated throughout.)

_Salve_ and _Vale_ used in the Imperative for "Hail!" and "Farewell!"

_Placer_ (to please). Generally used in "Plegue á Dios" (may it please God) and "Pluguiera (pluguiese) á Dios" (might it please God).

It is still used also in the 3rd pers. of Pres. Indic., Imperf. Indic, and Past Def. (the Past Def. is "Plugo").

EXAMPLES--

Mucho me place: It pleases me much.

Plegue á Dios que no se declare la huelga: May it please God that a strike is not declared.

_Abolir_ (to abolish) is irregular like "mover" (viz., changes _o_ into _ue_ when stressed). Its irregular parts are however never used, and are substituted by giving a different turn to the sentence, as--

Digo que =se debe abolir= _instead of_ =se abuela=: I say that it must be abolished.

_Atañer_ (to bear upon) is only used in the 3rd pers., as--

Lo que atañe al asunto: What bears on the subject.

Las noticias que atañen a nuestro proyecto: The news that bears on our scheme.

_Concerner_ (to concern) is only used in the pres. participle--concerniendo (concerning) and in the 3rd persons, as: concierne (it concerns), etc.

=Pronominal Verbs= are verbs conjugated throughout with a double pronoun of the same person, as--

_Amarse_--Yo me amo, tú te amas, el se ama, nosotros nos amamos, vosotros os amais, ellos se aman.

These are--

1. Reflexive Verbs (when the action falls back on the subject. See Lesson XVIII), as--Yo me amo: I love myself.

N.B.--The second pronoun must be direct object. If the second pronoun is indirect object, the verb is called Transitive Pronominal, as--

Procurarse una clientela: To get a _clientèle_ (a connection).

2. Intransitive Pronominal Verbs (see Lesson XIX).

3. Intransitive Verbs made Pronominal from verbs ordinarily transitive (see Lesson XIX), as--

Hacerse, Volverse: To become.

La competencia se ha hecho imposible: Competition has become impossible.

4. The 3rd pers. pronominal forms the Passive Voice, same as the verb _ser_, as--

La sabiduría se alaba _or_ es alabada: Wisdom is praised.

N.B.--If the doer is expressed after using _ser_ it may be preceded by _de_ or _por_, as--

La sabiduría es alabada de _or_ por todos[134]: Wisdom is praised by all.

[Footnote 134: When the verb does not mean a physical action _de_ is preferable.]

If it is expressed after using _se_, =Por= must be used, as--

La sabiduría se alaba por todos: Wisdom is praised by all. (Grammar of the Academy.)

Pronominal Verbs are used in Spanish very frequently in conjunction with the article to avoid the use of the possessive adjective before parts of the body, or articles of dress,[135] as--

Me he quebrado la pierna: I broke my leg.

Se ha dañado los ojos, _or_ la vista: He has damaged his eyes or eyesight.

[Footnote 135: The article is most generally substituted for the possessive pronoun referring to parts of the body or articles of dress, whenever this can be done _without producing ambiguity_, as--

Me dió la mano: He gave me his hand. Tiene los ojos azules: His eyes are blue. Le cogí el brazo: I caught his arm. Me duele la cabeza: My head aches. Me lastiman las botas: My boots hurt me.]

=Irregular Verbs= (_contd._).

[Footnote 136: And its group (see Appendix IV)]

[Footnote 137: And its group (see Appendix IV)]

VOCABULARY.

=acusar recibo=, to acknowledge receipt =ascensor=, lift, hoist =bien estar=, well being =colección=, collection, set of samples =confiar á=, to entrust =confiar en=, to trust in =corresponder á las necesidades=, to meet the requirements =corriente, el que rige=, inst. =cucharas=, spoons =cuchillo=, knife =cueros=, hides =*deshacerse=, to get rid of =deshecho=, got rid of =distrito=, district =empacar=, to pack =empaqué, etc=., I packed, etc. =*establecerse=, to establish oneself =me establezco, etc=., I establish myself, etc. =fantasías=, fancies =herramientas=, tools =manga=, sleeve =*manifestar=, to inform, to say by letter =manifiesto, etc=., I inform, etc. =moeres=, mohair =nanquines=, nankeens =pieles=, skins =planchas de hierro=, sheet iron =principio=, beginning =telas para trajes= (=de Señora=), dress goods =tenedores=, forks =*torcer=, to twist =tuerzo, etc=., I twist, etc. =vale=, farewell, adieu =viajante=, traveller (commercial) =viajar=, to travel =vivamente=, earnestly, vividly

EXERCISE 1 (41).

Translate into English--

1. Sin ningunas de sus gratas á que referirnos dirigimos á Vs. la presente para manifestarles que estando muy á corto (short) de fondos nos hemos visto precisados (we have been obliged) á girar á su cargo (on you) por el saldo de nuestra factura de Planchas de Hierro y Herramientas.

2. ¡Plegue á Dios que nuestros buenos deseos tengan pleno cumplimiento (may be fully realised)!

3. ¿Quiere V. encargarse (take charge) de ese asunto?

4. Mucho me place (with much pleasure).

5. Se dice que pronto se abolirá esta ley.

6. Tendré mucho gusto que sea abolida (_not_ se abuela).

7. Todo lo que atañe al desarrollo de la agricultura ó que concierne el bien estar general del país me interesa vivamente.

8. La honradez (honesty) es alabada de (_or_ por) todos pero nunca se alaba tanto como por los de manga ancha (those who themselves are not over-scrupulous).

9. El comerciante después de haberse muy bien establecido se consumió el capital en especulaciones bursátiles.

10. Nos hemos deshecho de los cuchillos, tenedores y cucharas sin tanta pérdida como temíamos.

11. El cajero bajando en el ascensor se ha torcido el pie y se está en casa guardando cama (in bed).

12. ¿Entiende V. las razones porque ha de subir el cambio?

13. Para que las entienda debo leer la revista de la Bolsa (Exchange Review).

14. Entienda V. que esto no ha de hacerse otra vez. ¡Entendido!

EXERCISE 2 (42).

Translate into Spanish--

1. With reference to your esteemed order of 1st inst. for skins and hides, we understand exactly what you want, but we much regret to say that we are unable to get in (obtenerlos) at your limit.

2. We acknowledge receipt of your favour (apreciable) of the 1st inst. with note of purchase we are to make on (de _or_ por) your account, and we shall report thereon (contestaremos, relataremos) by our next.

3. We have picked up (escogido) a few suitable clearing lines (saldos), which are awaiting shipment (se embarcarán) by next steamer.

4. Stripes and checks.--Owing to a breakdown in the works these will not be ready for (antes de) another fortnight.

5. The goods were packed according to (de conformidad con) your instructions, but we take no responsibility for sending them (haberlos mandado) in bales instead of cases as usual (como de costumbre).

6. We hand (pasamos) you enclosed the invoice amounting to (importando en, ascendiendo a) £155 6s. 7d. to the debit of your account, value (valor al) 15th inst.

7. We can assure you that any (cualesquiera) orders entrusted to our care (que se nos confíen) will receive careful attention.

8. Our traveller will be in your district by the beginning of September, and he will have much pleasure in waiting upon you (en visitarles) with our full (completa) collection of dress goods and fancies.

9. We hasten to offer you a lot of cheap mohairs and nankeens and hope they will meet your requirements.

Hoping to receive a favourable reply, Yours faithfully, SMITH AND Co.

Prices are (van _or_ están) marked on (en) the samples. S. & Co. (Vale).[138]

[Footnote 138: Used instead of initialling a postscriptum.]

LESSON XXII. (Lección vigésima segunda.)

THE MOODS.

Mood is that form or modification of the Verb which marks the mode in which an action is viewed or stated.

There are =5= moods in Spanish: one the Infinitive and =4= Finite, viz., the Indicative, Conditional, Subjunctive, and Imperative.

The =Infinitive Mood= (Modo Infinitivo) represents the action or state of being without any reference to time or person. The present and past participles are parts of the Infinitive Mood.

The Infinitive Mood may be used in the capacity of a noun either as Subject or Object of the sentence. It is then generally (but not necessarily) accompanied by the def. article, as--

El leer es útil: To read is useful. Me es necesario el leer: It is necessary for me to read.

The form of the Pres. Part. used in this capacity in English is inadmissible in Spanish, e.g., we could never say "leyendo" for "el leer" (or "la lectura").

The Infinitive Mood preceded by _á_ may have a passive meaning, as--

Una consignación á hacer _or also_ á hacerse (á ser hecha): A shipment to be made.

The Infinitive Mood preceded by _á_ may be used instead of the Finite Mood introduced by "if," as--

Á saber yo que V. era accionista de aquella compañía, le habría comunicado luego aquella relación: If I had known (or had I known) that you were a shareholder in that society, I would have sent you at once that report. The =Present Participle= after "to be" is used in both languages to form the continuous or progressive tenses; in Spanish this happens much less frequently than in English, and only with verbs whose action implies =duration of time= and besides when it is spoken of as =actually in progress=. This form is never possible with the verb "to go," and is very rarely found with "to come," as--

Miro aquellas Mantas y Terlices que me gustan: I am looking at those Blankets and Tickings which I like.

Grita: He is shouting.

Nos escribe continuamente: He is continually writing us.

Hoy como con el arquitecto: To-day I am dining with the architect.

Estoy haciendo mi correspondencia, no puedo dejar el despacho: I am writing my correspondence, I cannot leave the office.

A =Preposition= before a Pres. Part. is either translated by a preposition followed by the Infinitive Mood or by the Pres. Part. without a Preposition, as--

Al ir _(or _yendo) á la Bolsa; On going to the Exchange.

EXCEPTION--

After _en_ we find the Pres. Part. used with the following meaning--e.g.

En acabando saldré: As soon as I have finished, I shall go out.

"I, acting as trustee," is translated "Yo, procediendo como síndico"; but "I wrote to the party acting as umpire" would be "Escribí á la persona que funcionaba (_not_ funcionando) de árbitro."

After "Intentar,"[139] "Ver," "Oir," "Sentir," and "Simular" the Infinitive only can be used in Spanish, as--

[Footnote 139: Or verbs of similar meaning.

Intento (_or_ pienso) hipotecar la casa: I intend mortgaging the house. Le veo pasar: I see him passing. "My coming," "my going," etc., are translated: "El venir _or_ el haber venido yo," etc.]

The Past Part. may be used in an absolute manner, as--

Entregada la carta se fué: The letter (being) delivered, he went.

Sellados los sobres, los echó al correo: Having sealed the envelopes he posted them.

VOCABULARY.

=abogado=, lawyer, barrister =bombas de aire=, air pumps =*contribuir=, to contribute =contribuyo, etc=., I contribute =convenio=, agreement =desperdiciar=, to waste =diseño=, design =embajador=, ambassador =empeños=, obligations, engagements =estación, temporada=, season =Estados Unidos=, United States =excelentemente=, excellently =forma=, shape =forros=, linings =gorras=, caps =*hacer frente=, to face, to meet (bills, etc.) =honrar=, to honour =locomotora=, locomotive =malgastar=, to waste, to squander =Navidad=, Christmas =necesitar, desear=, to require =paso= step =*poner en conocimiento=, to inform =ponerse de acuerdo=, to agree =pormenores=, particulars =presupuesto=, estimate =proyectar=, to project, to plan =representar=, to represent, to act for =rizo del ala=, curl of the brim (of a hat) =secretario=, secretary =senado=, senate =someter=, to submit =supondré, etc=., I shall suppose, etc. =*suponer=, to suppose =supongo, etc=., I suppose, etc. =supuse, etc=., I supposed, etc. =tarea=, task =tratado de arbitraje=, arbitration treaty =varar=, to ground (a ship) =variedad=, variety =vendré, etc=., I shall come, etc. =vengo, vienes, etc=., I come, etc. =*venir=, to come =vine, etc=., I came, etc.

EXERCISE 1 (43).

Translate into English--

1. El escribir concisa y claramente contribuye al buen éxito (success) de una casa comercial.

2. Quedan muchos pasos á dar.

3. Á suponer yo que no honrara sus aceptaciones no le habría concedido el crédito.

4. ¿Qué hace V.?

5. Estoy escribiendo un presupuesto para una locomotora y cuatro bombas de aire que se piden para Chile; en acabando mi tarea saldré (I shall come out) con V.

6. Debemos escribir al abogado que representa al Sr. Fulano para ponerle en conocimiento de los pormenores que puedan interesarle.

7. Sí, Señor, pensaba hacerlo mañana.

8. Siento tener que informar á V. que he encontrado al Sr. Smith y le he oído decir que no puede hacer frente á sus empeños.

9. Ejecutada esta primera orden, y pagada que sea (once paid) le manifestaré claramente que no me conviene continuar bajo estas condiciones.

10. Se asegura que el secretario del departamento de Estado y el embajador de Inglaterra se han puesto de acuerdo, hace poco, sobre los principales puntos del tratado de arbitraje proyectado por el Presidente de los Estados Unidos.

11. Se supone que dicho (said) convenio será sometido al senado antes de Navidad.

12. Se han recibido noticias de haber naufragado (shipwrecked) un buque en la costa de Marruecos (Morocco) y de haber varado otro en Almería.

EXERCISE 2 (44).

Translate into Spanish--

1. I do not consider (no creo que) I have been fairly (equitativamente _or_ bien) treated.

2. Silk and Cotton Linings.--We note (nos enteramos de) your complaints but you know they were bought as job lots (imperfectos) and in buying such lots, one has to put up with (conformarse con) some imperfections (defectos, imperfecciones).

3. The hats and caps have turned out (salido) excellently.

4. The former (aquéllos) are exactly of the shape and curl you require and the latter (éstas) include (abarcan) a large variety of designs.

5. They will reach you (le llegarán) in plenty of time (con bastante anticipación) for the coming (entrante) season.

6. Please report (hacer sus comentos) on samples as soon as received (luego que las reciban).

7. Reading good papers is necessary to keep oneself posted up (mantenerse al corriente), but reading the sensational news (noticias sensacionales) of a certain press (prensa) is wasting one's time.

8. Are you going to Spain this year?

9. I do not think so, my correspondent is coming to England.

10. We shall write to the gentleman acting as secretary to send us (que nos envíe) a copy of the report.

11. Did you hear him saying that?

12. I regret having to inform you that once I have paid what I owe (to owe = deber), I shall not continue my transactions with your firm.

LESSON XXIII. (Lección vigésima tercera.)

THE MOODS (_contd._).

The =Indicative Mood= (Modo Indicativo) is that form of the verb that expresses the action in a =positive manner=, as a =fact=.

The =Conditional Mood= (Modo Condicional)[140] affirms like the Indicative Mood in a positive manner, =but subject to a condition=.

The =Imperative Mood= is used to command or to beg. This mood has only one tense and one distinct form of person: the second, as--

Habla tú: Speak thou. Hablad vosotros: Speak ye _or_ you.

The 1st pers. sing, does not occur and the other persons are taken from the Present Subjunctive.[141]

In the 3rd person (and sometimes even the 1st plural) the pres. subj. may take the place of the Imperative used affirmatively. This becomes apparent by the use of _Que_, which precedes the Subjunctive and when an object pronoun occurs in the sentence, as--

Escríbalo él _or_ Que lo escriba él: Let him write it.

There is no Imperative Mood negative in Spanish.[142]

[Footnote 140: English form: (auxiliary) should + verb for 1st persons; (auxiliary) would + verb for 2nd and 3rd persons.]

[Footnote 141: With only one exception-- =Ir= (to go). 1st pers. pl., Pres. Subj.--Vayamos. 1st pers. pl., Imperative--Vayamos _or_ vamos (more used).]

[Footnote 142: It is borrowed entirely from the Pres. Subjunctive, as: No hables, no hable, no hablemos, no habléis, no hablen. The difference is of course, only apparent in the 2nd person.]

=The Subjunctive Mood=.

This mood offers some difficulty to English students; this arises from the fact that in English this mode of viewing the action of the verb is often rendered by the indicative mood or by the semi-auxiliary verbs "may," "might," "should," "would."

=Note=.--The Spanish rule on the Subjunctive mood must be therefore applied irrespective of the English construction.

GENERAL RULE.

The Subjunctive Mood can only be used in dependent clauses, as--

Yo quiero que él venga: I wish him to come. Yo quiero que él vaya: I wish him to go.

And then, only when, by reason of what precedes in the Principal Clause, the action of the Subordinate verb is not expressed in a positive manner (i.e., as a fact) but as merely contingent (i.e., only conceived in the mind), as--

Yo declare que él vino (_or_ vendría): I say that he came _or_ that he would come. Yo espero que él venga: I hope that he may come. Yo esperaba que él viniese: I hoped that he might, _or_ would come.

SPECIAL RULES.

I. A verb in a dependent clause is placed (generally) in the Subjunctive Mood after verbs expressing an action, or emotion of the mind, when the subjects of the principal and of the subordinate verbs are different.

EXAMPLES of principal verbs which govern the following verb in the Subjunctive Mood--

aconsejar (to advise) alegrarse de que (to be glad that) avergonzarse de que (to be ashamed that) conceder (to grant) conseguir (to obtain) desear (to desire) esperar (to hope) evitar (to avoid) impedir (to hinder) mandar (to order) querer (to wish) rogar (to ask, to beg) sentir (to regret) temer (to fear) confiar en que (to trust)