Heath's Modern Language Series: Tres Comedias Part 29

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 PEQUEnAS CAUSAS

_De pequenas causas_... ill.u.s.trates 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-cla.s.s comedy. Contemporary press reports state that _De pequenas causas_... was well received. The implication in the t.i.tle is that from small causes proceed great results.

[19.1] =esta.= Supply =en casa=.

[19.2] =para mi si= '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] =senor... senor.= The first =senor= refers to Manuel, and ill.u.s.trates a conventional way in which servants address their masters; the second refers to Gonzalez. 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= a.s.sumes 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 que?= 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 a.s.serted.

The true object takes the distinctive =a=."

[21.3] =pasar por.= Distinguish here between the two meanings 'pa.s.s through' (_i.e._ 'go through with,' 'put up with') and 'pa.s.s 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 a.s.sumes 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 pa.s.sive.

[24.1] =el senor ministro.= Before a t.i.tle or before the name of a relative of the person addressed, =senor= 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] =creditos extraordinarios.= Several terms in this and the succeeding speech are borrowed by Emilia from financial and ministerial language; the effect is ironical.

[25.1] =creacion.= 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 si= 'but you _have_ seen in me.' See page 10, note 2. In this case =si= 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 tendras ocasion!= '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 p.r.o.noun is indirect object.

[31.1] =Tendria 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] =Si que= 'Of course,' 'As if.' Sometimes =si= is connected by =que= with what follows; the statement is thereby emphasized.

[31.4] =a los hombres os parece= 'you men think.' When a noun is in apposition with a personal p.r.o.noun, it is regularly preceded by the article, because it is used in a general sense: 'to [all you] men.'

[31.5] =pasaras por= 'you will be regarded as.' See page 21, note 3.

[32.1] =Pepe.= Being put before =lo= (instead of after =deseando=), =Pepe= seems to be left suspended; it is necessarily followed by a very slight pause and is to be stressed.

[32.2] =No digas.= Supply =que no= or =nada=. The idea is that the speaker rejects any contradiction or attempt at denial on the part of the interlocutor. 'Don't contradict me.' Cf. page 6, note 8.

[32.3] =la toman.= The feminine of a p.r.o.noun is often used to indicate something indefinite. Some feminine noun may be understood to explain the gender; =cosa= is frequently suggested. Often we cannot know what noun (if any) is to be supplied. See vocabulary under =tomar=.

[33.1] =donde... tenga=. Equivalent to a relative clause (=donde= = =en= + relative p.r.o.noun) requiring the subjunctive because =tener= (=tenga=) expresses not reality but an ideal yet to be fulfilled.

[33.2] =aguantaba.= See page 9, note 1. The sentence is ironical; =cualquiera=, therefore, has the implication of _n.o.body_.

[34.1] =Y aun piden las mujeres que os concedan.= An abrupt change, natural in conversation, from the third person to the second.

LOS INTERESES CREADOS

Hardly any of Benavente's plays has made a more favorable impression than =Los intereses creados=. Not only were the first performances enthusiastically received by the audiences, but they called forth highly flattering criticisms. Praise was showered upon the author for his simplicity and idealism, for the effective symbolism conveyed in the characters, and for purity, clearness, and poetry of style. (See the first note, on =el tinglado de la antigua farsa=, page 39, note 2.) So great was the admiration that a banquet was given in honor of Benavente.

The first performance of the play was in the Teatro Lara, situated on the Corredera Baja de San Pablo, considerably to the north of the Puerta del Sol; the Teatro Lara is devoted to comedy and especially to short productions.

Literally translated, the t.i.tle is 'Created Interests'; in the course of the play Crispin explains the application of the term.

_Los intereses creados_ is a product of enthusiasm. The author is glad for once to turn away from modern themes and to indulge in the freedom and gayety of the old Italian Comedy of Masks. The masterly prologue explains to perfection the frame of mind in which Benavente approaches the old farces, and it also shows wherein he differs from his models.

Attempts to cla.s.sify this play with other works of Benavente are almost useless. It can be connected with its fellow productions only by virtue of fundamental qualities, such as clarity of style, irony, character study, etc. It would be stretching a point if we called attention to the n.o.bility of Leandro's character and to the happy ending in order to insert the play among those that show a serious moral purpose. A more logical course would be to attribute _Los intereses creados_ to Benavente's love of romance.