Chapter 9

POLICHINELA. ¡Calla, calla, loca, desvergonzada! Éstas son las enseñanzas de tu madre..., sus vanidades y fantasías. Éstas son las lecturas romancescas, las músicas a la luz de la luna.

SEÑORA DE POLICHINELA. Todo es preferible a que mi hija se case con un hombre como tú, para ser desdichada como su madre. ¿De qué me sirvió nunca la riqueza?

SIRENA. Decís bien, señora Polichinela. ¿De qué sirven las riquezas sin amor?

COLOMBINA. De lo mismo que el amor sin riquezas.

DOCTOR. Señor Polichinela, nada os estará mejor que casarlos.

PANTALÓN. Ved que esto ha de saberse en la ciudad.

HOSTELERO. Ved que todo el mundo estará de su parte.

CAPITÁN. Y no hemos de consentir que hagáis violencia a vuestra hija.

DOCTOR. Y ha de constar en el proceso que fue hallada aquí, junta con él.

CRISPÍN. Y en mi señor no hubo más falta que carecer de dinero, pero a él nadie le aventajará en nobleza..., y vuestros nietos serán caballeros... si no dan en salir al abuelo...

TODOS. ¡Casadlos! ¡Casadlos!

PANTALÓN. O todos caeremos sobre vos.

HOSTELERO. Y saldrá a relucir vuestra historia...

ARLEQUÍN. Y nada iréis ganando...

SIRENA. Os lo pide una dama, conmovida por este amor tan fuera de estos tiempos.

COLOMBINA. Que más parece de novela.

TODOS. ¡Casadlos! ¡Casadlos!

POLICHINELA. Cásense enhoramala. Pero mi hija quedará sin dote y desheredada... Y arruinaré toda mi hacienda antes que ese bergante...

DOCTOR. Eso sí que no haréis, señor Polichinela.

PANTALÓN. ¿Qué disparates son ésos?

HOSTELERO. ¡No lo penséis siquiera!

ARLEQUÍN. ¿Qué se diría?

CAPITÁN. No lo consentiremos.

SILVIA. No, padre mío; soy yo la que nada acepto, soy yo la que ha de compartir su suerte. Así le amo.

LEANDRO. Y sólo así puedo aceptar tu amor... (_Todos corren hacia Silvia y Leandro._)

DOCTOR. ¿Qué dicen? ¿Están locos?

PANTALÓN. ¡Eso no puede ser!

HOSTELERO. ¡Lo aceptaréis todo!

ARLEQUÍN. Seréis felices y seréis ricos.

SEÑORA DE POLICHINELA. ¡Mi hija en la miseria! ¡Ese hombre es un verdugo!

SIRENA. Ved que el amor es niño delicado y resiste pocas privaciones.

DOCTOR. ¡No ha de ser! Que el señor Polichinela firmará aquí mismo espléndida donación, como corresponde a una persona de su calidad y a un padre amantísimo. Escribid, escribid, señor Secretario, que a esto no ha de oponerse nadie.

TODOS. (_Menos Polichinela._) ¡Escribid, escribid!

DOCTOR. Y vosotros, jóvenes enamorados..., resignaos con las riquezas, que no conviene extremar escrúpulos que nadie agradece.

PANTALÓN. (_A Crispín._) ¿Seremos pagados?

CRISPÍN. ¿Quién lo duda? Pero habéis de proclamar que el señor Leandro nunca os engañó... Ved cómo se sacrifica por satisfaceros aceptando esa riqueza, que ha de repugnar a sus sentimientos.

PANTALÓN. Siempre le creímos un noble caballero.

HOSTELERO. Siempre.

ARLEQUÍN. Todos lo creímos.

CAPITÁN. Y lo sostendremos siempre.

CRISPÍN. Y ahora, Doctor, ese proceso, ¿habrá tierra bastante en la tierra para echarle encima?

DOCTOR. Mi previsión se anticipa a todo. Bastará con puntuar debidamente algún concepto... Ved aquí: donde dice... «Y resultando que si no declaró...», basta una coma, y dice: «Y resultando que sí, no declaró...» Y aquí: «Y resultando que no, debe condenársele...», fuera la coma, y dice: «Y resultando que no debe condenársele...»

CRISPÍN. ¡Oh, admirable coma! ¡Maravillosa coma! ¡Genio de la Justicia! ¡Oráculo de la Ley! ¡Monstruo de la Jurisprudencia!

DOCTOR. Ahora confío en la grandeza de tu señor.

CRISPÍN. Descuidad. Nadie mejor que vos sabe cómo el dinero puede cambiar a un hombre.

SECRETARIO. Yo fui el que puso y quitó esas comas...

CRISPÍN. En espera de algo mejor... Tomad esta cadena. Es de oro.

SECRETARIO. ¿De ley?[104.1]

CRISPÍN. Vos lo sabréis que entendéis de leyes...

POLICHINELA. Sólo impondré una condición. Que este pícaro deje para siempre de estar a tu servicio.

CRISPÍN. No necesitáis pedirlo, señor Polichinela. ¿Pensáis que soy tan pobre de ambiciones como mi señor?

LEANDRO. ¿Quieres dejarme, Crispín? No será sin tristeza de mi parte.

CRISPÍN. No la tengáis, que ya de nada puedo serviros y conmigo dejáis la piel del hombre viejo... ¿Qué os dije, señor? Que entre todos habían de salvarnos... Creedlo. Para salir adelante con todo, mejor que crear afectos es crear intereses...

LEANDRO. Te engañas, que sin el amor de Silvia, nunca me hubiera salvado.

CRISPÍN. ¿Y es poco interés ese amor? Yo di siempre su parte al ideal y conté con él siempre. Y ahora, acabó la farsa.

SILVIA. (_Al público._) Y en ella visteis, como en las farsas de la vida, que a estos muñecos como a los humanos, muévenlos cordelillos groseros, que son los intereses, las pasioncillas, los engaños y todas las miserias de su condición: tiran unos de sus pies y los llevan a tristes andanzas; tiran otros de sus manos, que trabajan con pena, luchan con rabia, hurtan con astucia, matan con violencia. Pero entre todos ellos, desciende a veces del cielo al corazón un hilo sutil, como tejido con luz de sol y con luz de luna, el hilo del amor, que a los humanos, como a estos muñecos que semejan humanos, les hace parecer divinos, y trae a nuestra frente resplandores de aurora, y pone alas en nuestro corazón y nos dice que no todo es farsa en la farsa, que hay algo divino en nuestra vida que es verdad y es eterno y no puede acabar cuando la farsa acaba.

NOTES

With few exceptions the Notes contain only words and locutions that require more than translation or a word or two of simple explanation; for other forms see vocabulary.

Grammatical references, when not given in full, are as follows:

Ramsey = M. M. Ramsey, _A Text Book of Modern Spanish_, New York, 1894.

Bello-Cuervo = Andrés Bello, _Gramática de la lengua castellana... con extensas notas y un copioso índice alfabético de D. Rufino José Cuervo_, Paris, 1908.

SIN QUERER

This one-act comedy illustrates Benavente's fondness for ironical and surprising situations. It is characteristic of the time when he was wont to make fun of the aristocratic circles of Madrid. The ostensible purpose of the play is to ridicule the traditional manner of arranging marriages in Spain. Joined to this is the more simple idea of amusing the audience. It is interesting to note that Benavente himself acted the part of Pepe in the first production of the piece, thereby demonstrating his close relationship with the practical side of the theater. The Teatro de la Comedia, where the sketch was first shown, is on the Calle del Príncipe, near the Puerta del Sol, in Madrid. It is devoted to high-class comedy. Press notices attest that _Sin querer_ was well received by the public.

[3.1] =con que= 'provided,' 'if only.' The meaning of this conjunction varies according to whether it is followed by the indicative or the subjunctive. See vocabulary, under =con=.

[3.2] =que pase= 'let him come in.' Here que introduces the imperative of the third person; the different uses of =que= must be carefully distinguished in the three plays of this volume.

[3.3] =nos avisas.= The present indicative, instead of the future or imperative, for greater vividness.

[3.4] =Porque me haya usted oído= 'Because you may have heard me.' =Porque= does not influence the mood of =haya=; the subjunctive is governed by an idea of possibility not expressed, but which might be indicated by =es posible= or by =se puede=.

[3.5] =una.= An indefinite subject, indicated in English by 'one,' 'we,' 'you,' 'they,' 'people,' etc., is usually expressed in Spanish by the reflexive. The pronoun =uno= or =una= may, however, replace =se= and it tends to make the subject less vague.

[3.6] =Tratándose de usted= 'When you are concerned.' Participial constructions (whether the participle be present or past) are frequently best translated by dependent clauses.

[3.7] =al pasar= 'in passing,' 'when you pass.' The common use of =al= with the infinitive, where English has a dependent clause or the present participle governed usually by 'in,' 'on,' 'upon,' 'while,' etc.

[4.1] =hombre.= A common form of emphatic address, sometimes to be translated and sometimes to be omitted according to the English context; =mujer= is similarly employed.

[4.2] =Ya supondrás= 'Of course you must suppose' (or 'imagine'). The future tense denoting probability is especially prominent in conversation and therefore in the drama, and must be watched closely. It may be translated by 'must' or 'can,' or by such words as 'probably,' 'quite,' 'of course.' =Ya= frequently accompanies it.

[4.3] =nuestro corazón.= When reference is made to a part of the body common to two or more individuals of a group, or to an object possessed by each one of them, Spanish, unlike English, generally employs a singular noun.

[4.4] =de... a.= Correlative prepositions equivalent to 'between... and.'

[4.5] =hemos de= 'should.' Perhaps no Spanish locution assumes so many shades of meaning as =haber de=. It may be rendered by any of the large number of English words and phrases that denote a mild obligation. When it occurs in this text, the list of meanings in the vocabulary should be consulted and the most appropriate one chosen. Moreover, the reader has ample opportunity, in particular cases, to improve upon any given list of meanings.

[5.1] =habrá dicho= 'must have told.' The future perfect of probability; cf. page 4, note 2.

[5.2] =es hora de que= 'it is time that.' Many verbs, adjectives, and nouns require a preposition before an infinitive in Spanish and in English. Thus, =es hora de comer= means 'it is time _to_ eat.' But whereas in English this preposition is omitted before a dependent clause introduced by 'that,' in Spanish it is usually retained.

[5.3] =Real= (el). A theater in Madrid on the Plaza de Oriente near the Royal Palace; it is subsidized by the government and is devoted to opera.

[5.4] =Lo que es= 'As for.' A peculiar use of =lo que= with =ser=, to be distinguished from its ordinary meanings and from its meanings in exclamations.

[5.5] =tercer turno.= A term designating one of the sections of season ticket holders at the Teatro Real. One group holds tickets of =primer turno=, another of =segundo turno=, and a third of =tercer turno=. Each group attends only the performances belonging to its turn or section. The terms do not give much satisfaction if translated literally.

[5.6] =no le importaría= 'he wouldn't mind.' Impersonal verbs occur much more frequently in Spanish than in English, and it is often wise, in translating, to change to the personal construction (cf. translation of =tratándose=, page 3, note 6). However, the impersonal form may well be retained, if appropriate. In this book consideration is to be given to such verbs as =antojarse=, =bastar=, =constar=, =convenir=, =gustar=, =importar=, =pasar=, =pesar=, =placer=, =sentar=, =sobrar=, =suceder=, =tardarse=, =tratarse=, etc. The vocabulary suggests various translations.

[5.7] =desde muy niña= 'since you were very young.' Here =muy= is correct because, in this context, =niña= is virtually an adjective; cf. =muy hombre=, =muy maestro=, and the English 'very much a man.'

[6.1] =¡Ay, si lo sé!= 'Indeed I do know it,' 'Of course I know it.' It is not unusual to find =si= after interjections; cf. =¡vaya si lo sé!= Here =si=, meaning 'whether,' may be regarded as grammatically dependent upon some verb of asking understood.

[6.2] =no estás para= 'you are not in a position to.' The idiom here has a different meaning from the usual 'be about to.'

[6.3] =que.= Here elliptical and emphatic; =que= often occurs at the beginning of a clause, and serves to call attention to what follows, thereby intensifying the statement; such a =que= cannot be translated. To understand it we may supply some such word as =parece=, =hay=, =sucede=, etc.

[6.4] =nosotros.= Note the emphatic position of this word, stressed by the insertion of =se puede decir que=.

[6.5] =¿Cómo había de importarme?= 'How could I have cared?' See page 4, note 5.

[6.6] =Estaba seguro de que= 'I was sure that.' See page 5, note 2.

[6.7] =enamoradilla= 'slightly in love.' The exact force of certain Spanish augmentatives and diminutives cannot readily be given in English. An effort has been made in the vocabulary to suggest suitable translations wherever a fair degree of accuracy seems attainable.

[6.8] =no se diga= 'there's no denying it,' 'there's no use talking.' =Decir= is used in several exclamatory or semi-exclamatory expressions where a different verb would often be employed in English. Attention will be called to other examples.

[7.1] =Fulanito... Menganito.= =Fulano= regularly corresponds to So-and-So, John Doe, etc. If a second name is desired, =Mengano= or =Zutano= is used. The diminutive can scarcely be translated.

[7.2] =cómo se va avispando= 'how clever he is getting.' In progressive tenses, =ir= emphasizes, more strongly than =estar=, continuity of action.

[7.3] =tonterías.= Contrary to English usage, abstract nouns are often put in the plural. Translations of such forms are suggested in various ways in the vocabulary.

[7.4] =¿Qué iba yo a cambiar...?= 'What was I going to change in a saint [if I married one]?' _i.e._ 'What could I change?' The conditional of =poder= would be an obvious conventional form, but the imperfect indicative and the verb =ir= add strength to the question; cf. the English 'What are you going to do about it?'

[7.5] =de gran espectáculo, con mutaciones.= Pepe borrows from theatrical language to describe vividly the kind of husband for whom Luisa professes admiration.

[7.6] =me parece.= See page 5, note 6.

[7.7] =Si yo no tengo secretos= 'Why, I haven't any secrets.' =Si= is often to be translated by 'why,' 'well,' or 'of course,' expressive of surprise or expostulation. A clause is suppressed for brevity. The full form would be something like this--=Si yo no tengo secretos... ¿cómo quieres que te lo diga?=

[7.8] =formal.= Used by Luisa to mean 'real,' 'genuine'; Pepe pretends to take it in its sense of 'serious' or 'sensible.'

[7.9] =Digo= 'I mean.' See page 6, note 8.

[8.1] =pareció.= According to strict rule, the preterit tense may indicate any definite past action, even if it took place only a moment ago. However, for actions so recent that they almost touch the present, the perfect (_e.g._ =ha parecido=) is the common tense. The preterit, when sparingly and skilfully applied, adds variety and vigor to the phrase. It is especially preferred in describing something inevitable. The English translation requires the perfect (_e.g._ 'has appeared') or (occasionally) even the present.

[8.2] =quieras que no= 'whether you like it or not.' The full form is =que quieras o que no quieras=; =que quieras que no= and =quieras o no quieras= are also found. Ramsey, § 940, says: "The alternative expressions made by the subjunctive used independently may be regarded as modifications of the imperative, in which the thing commanded is so indeterminate that they are mere general permissions." See also, §§ 941, 942.

[8.3] =orejita.= See page 6, note 7.

[8.4] =la tienes.= A frequent conversational substitute for =estar=, which here would give =está cantando=.

[9.1] =podía.= The imperfect indicative sometimes replaces the conditional or the =-ra= form of the imperfect subjunctive in the conclusion of a conditional sentence contrary to fact. Cf. Bello-Cuervo, § 695: "This use of the imperfect indicative does not occur often; but when properly used it is emphatic and elegant." See page 7, note 4.

[9.2] =quien.= Note the singular form with a plural antecedent, still found occasionally; =quien= (from the Latin _quem_) had no plural until the sixteenth century; see Menéndez Pidal, _Gramática histórica española_, § 101.

[9.3] =que todo se quede en casa= 'that it should all remain a family matter.'

[10.1] =que lo envolvía todo= 'that enveloped it all.' See page 15, note 3.

[10.2] =Sí.= The affirmative adverb =sí= is much used to intensify statements, or to repeat the idea contained in a preceding statement. It is equivalent to 'indeed,' 'surely,' 'of course,' etc., or to the English auxiliary verbs used in repetitions; for instance in "I have not gone to town but he has," the verb 'has' may be rendered by =sí=.

[10.3] =en lo único que= 'the only thing in which.' The word order, although not strictly logical, is correct and even elegant. In expressions containing =lo que=, prepositions which logically govern =que= are often placed before =lo=.

[11.1] =serían.= Following =me atrevo=, present, we should expect =serán=, but =serían= exemplifies the occasional inaccuracy of everyday speech. Luisa is narrating past happenings, and is therefore influenced by the standpoint of the past.

[11.2] =está.= Supply =diciendo=.

[11.3] =que= is elliptical; see page 6, note 3.

[11.4] =cariñosa.= A predicate adjective modifying the subject; English uses an adverb modifying the verb.

[11.5] =que en qué cosas me fijo.= This =que=, not translatable, is required to connect =dirás= with the following indirect question, and very often joins =decir= to succeeding words or statements; cf. =decir que sí= etc.

[12.1] =por complacer.= Before an infinitive =por= ordinarily expresses cause or reason; when substituted for =para= to indicate purpose, as here, it implies that the attainment of the object is uncertain; =por que= is sometimes similarly used instead of =para que=.

[12.2] =porque a ellos les conviniera= 'because it might suit _them_.' See page 3, note 4.

[12.3] =nunca lo hubiera habido= 'there never would have been any.' =Lo= refers to a preceding word, phrase, or idea (in this case to =desaire=), and is translated (if at all) by 'one,' 'some,' 'any,' or 'so.' =Hubiera habido= is the pluperfect subjunctive of =haber= in the impersonal sense.

[12.4] =por no contrariar.= See page 12, note 1.

[12.5] =pero.= Used to reinforce the repetition; cf. _mais_ in French, and the occasional use in English of the word 'and,' which is not unsuitable here.

[13.1] =sales.= See page 3, note 3.

[14.1] =¿A qué ha venido?= 'For what has he come?' 'Why has he come?' This use of =a= is parallel to its use before an infinitive after =venir= and other intransitive verbs of motion. In this case =a= expresses purpose.

[15.1] =se.= Ethical dative, best omitted in translation; analysis shows that the pronoun contains an idea of advantage, or at least of reference, to the subject.

[15.2] =del botarate de su hijo= 'of his madcap of a son.' In Spanish, as in English, the preposition merely denotes that what follows is appositive. There is no change of identity. In Spanish, this construction is more comprehensive than in English: =el bueno de Juan=. Note =la ciudad de Madrid= 'the city of Madrid.'

[15.3] =todo lo.= When =todo= precedes a verb of which it is the object, =lo= also must be used. When =todo= follows the verb, =lo= may be used, but is not required. See page 10, note 1.

[15.4] =sin contar... con.= See vocabulary under =contar=, and see page 21, note 1.

DE PEQUEÑAS CAUSAS

_De pequeñas causas_... illustrates Benavente's satirical vein. It seems to have been written chiefly to amuse; but the plot amply allows for character study. The pettiness of the reason that finally induces Manuel to remain in the ministry reminds the listener or reader of the author's delight in details and in ironical situations. The Teatro de la Princesa, where the comedy was first performed, is on the Calle de Tamayo near the Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid. This theater is devoted to the production of high-class comedy. Contemporary press reports state that _De pequeñas causas_... was well received. The implication in the title is that from small causes proceed great results.

[19.1] =está.= Supply =en casa=.

[19.2] =para mí sí= 'for me he _is_'; cf. page 10, note 2.

[19.3] =Nada.= Incomplete in itself; here we might translate: 'Don't say anything,' 'There's no use talking,' 'Not a word.'

[19.4] =guste.= The personal use of =gustar=; see vocabulary.

[20.1] =señor... señor.= The first =señor= refers to Manuel, and illustrates a conventional way in which servants address their masters; the second refers to González. On the stage the servant would make his reference clear by gestures.

[21.1] =cuenta usted con= 'you have at your disposal.' The idiom =contar con= assumes many shades of meaning that are developed from the literal meaning 'count with' or 'reckon with.' When =contar con= occurs in this book, the list of translations in the vocabulary should be consulted, and the most suitable one chosen.

[21.2] =¿a qué?= The personal =a= is used for clearness and emphasis. Cf. Ramsey, § 1318: "Verbs of naming, calling, considering, etc., may take two direct objects--the true object and the predicate or thing asserted. The true object takes the distinctive =a=."

[21.3] =pasar por.= Distinguish here between the two meanings 'pass through' (_i.e._ 'go through with,' 'put up with') and 'pass for' or 'be regarded as.' Here =pasar por= means 'put up with.'

[22.1] =Me basto.= Personal use of =bastar=; see vocabulary.

[22.2] =Mire usted que= 'Look out' or 'Bear in mind that.' =Mirar= sometimes assumes peculiar meanings in exclamatory or semi-exclamatory expressions; note the translation of =que=.

[23.1] =hacer saber= 'make known.' One of the most common formations in Spanish, and yet frequently hard to translate; =hacer= with the infinitive is variously rendered by 'make,' 'have,' 'get,' 'cause to,' or 'let' with the passive.

[24.1] =el señor ministro.= Before a title or before the name of a relative of the person addressed, =señor= should not be translated unless the use of 'Mr.' is natural, as in a few cases of direct address; cf. 'Mr. President,' 'Mr. Secretary.'

[24.2] =Si acaso= 'Well perhaps.' If a clause is supplied the meaning of this expression will be clear; we might say--'If by chance I read any, I read....'

[24.3] =créditos extraordinarios.= Several terms in this and the succeeding speech are borrowed by Emilia from financial and ministerial language; the effect is ironical.

[25.1] =creación.= A gallicism used in Spain as the word 'creation' is used in England or America in speaking, for instance, of a woman's gown or hat.

[25.2] =el chic.= A French word, used as a substantive and as an adjective both in French and in Spanish, which borrows the word.

[26.1] =Si no me ha dicho nada=, etc. Translate =si= by 'why'; see page 7, note 7.

[26.2] =tomarme.= An ethical dative expressing advantage; hardly translatable; see page 15, note 1.

[27.1] =Que la acepten o no la acepten= expresses an alternative: 'Whether... or not.' See page 8, note 2.

[27.2] =pero sí= 'but you _have_ seen in me.' See page 10, note 2. In this case =sí= takes the place of several words.

[28.1] =diputado.= After this word a few lines spoken by Emilia and Manuel are omitted; it is not believed that their absence obscures seriously the progress of the plot.

[28.2] =mundo.= Five words spoken by Manuel are omitted.

[28.3] =Lo que ha de ser.= An unfinished statement, easily completed by adding something to repeat the idea expressed by =ha de ser.= Cf. the English 'What is to be, must be.'

[29.1] =¡Que no tendrás ocasión!= 'As if you won't have the chance.' Note the numerous possible translations of =que=.

[29.2] =No es de baile= 'It isn't meant for a ball.' Distinguish between =ser de= 'belong to' or 'be meant for' and =ser de= 'become of.'

[30.1] =No me explico= 'I don't understand.' The pronoun is indirect object.

[31.1] =¡Tendría que ver!= A forcible idiomatic expression denoting scorn; the verb is in the third person; see vocabulary and cf. the English 'I'd like to see myself [doing such a thing]!'

[31.2] =lo= refers to =sacrificio=. See page 12, note 3.

[31.3] =Sí que= 'Of course,' 'As if.' Sometimes =sí= is connected by =que= with what follows; the statement is thereby emphasized.