Spanish Composition Part 4

=No los he visto desde hace mucho tiempo.=

_Note._--When a phrase expressing duration of time introduced by _for_ is equivalent to _since ... ago_, _for_ is translated =desde hace=.

(_a_) The phrase _to be long_ (_in_), followed by a verbal in _-ing_, expressed or understood, is rendered =tardar= (=en=), followed by an infinitive expressed or understood.

_Have patience! You will not be long in learning how to do it._

=Ten paciencia! No tardaras en aprender a hacerlo.=

_You go now. I will follow.--All right, but don't be long._

=Vete ahora. Yo te seguire.--Bueno, pero no tardes.=

--PeREZ GALDoS.

(_b_) =Tardar en= may also be used to translate the expression _before long_.

_They will be back before long._

=No tardaran en volver.=

(_c_) The adverbial phrases _no longer_, _any longer_ are translated =ya no=.

_I wonder why they are so long. I can't wait any longer._

=Por que tardaran tanto? Ya no puedo esperar mas.=

(_d_) The conjunctive phrase _as long as is_ rendered =mientras=.

_As long as it was raining we could not go out._

=Mientras llovia no podiamos salir.=

=13.= The word _before_ as an adverb is rendered =antes=; as a conjunction, =antes que=; as a preposition of time, =antes de=; as a preposition of place, it is rendered =delante de= or =ante=, the latter being used especially with the meaning of _in the presence of_.

_I had never done that before._

=No habia hecho eso antes.=

_Before he went away he said that he would be back before long._

=Antes que se fue me dijo que no tardaria en volver.=

_Before taking it you ought to have spoken to me._

=Antes de cogerla debio usted hablar conmigo.=

--PeREZ GALDoS.

_He wanted to appear before them as a millionaire._

=Queria presenta.r.s.e delante de ellos como millonario=.

--BLASCO IBanEZ.

_They look at the gypsy who stops before them._

=Miran al hungaro que se para ante ellos.=--MARTiNEZ SIERRA.

_Note._--=Antes= also translates English _formerly_.

=14.= The verb _to know_, meaning _to be acquainted with_, is =conocer=; otherwise _to know_ and _to know how_ are rendered =saber=.

_I know the family, but I don't know where they live._

=Conozco a la familia, pero no se donde viven.=

_I know how to sew, I know how to cook, I know how to wash clothes._

=Yo se coser, yo se guisar, yo se lavar la ropa.=--LOS QUINTERO.

_Note_.--=Conocer= also translates English _to make the acquaintance of_.

=15.= =EXERCISES=

(_a_) 1. No se como he vivido tanto tiempo con ellos. 2. Bien ha tardado Vd. esta noche! 3. Cuanto tiempo espera Vd. pasar aqui? 4.

Digales que yo quiero verlas antes que salgan. 5. No se leer el espanol pero conozco las obras de Benavente en traduccion. 6. No tardamos en saber lo que habia hecho. 7. Antes de escribir los ejercicios tenemos que estudiar las reglas. 8. Antes era rico, ya no lo es. 9. En el abecedario viene la _a_ ante la _be_. 10. Puesto que no puedo quedarme mas tiempo, tendra Vd. que acabarlo solo.

(_b_) 1. Do you know the works of Blasco Ibanez? 2. How long have you been here? 3. I don't know how to describe it to you. 4. I don't know how long he has been ill. 5. Before I speak I want to know how much you know. 6. Do you know this song? Yes, but I don't know how to sing it. 7.

Before buying the house he told me that he had known the owner for a long time. 8. Ask him if he knows who has lived in it since. 9. I knew him before he went to live there. 10. I'm sure I shall see him before long.

LESSON VI

_Ya ves que no hay que fiar de suenos._[6]

--PALACIO VALDeS.

=16.= The English _to get_ has so many different translations in Spanish that it is always advisable to paraphrase it before translating. So: _I am going to get_ (buy) _some bread. We are going to get_ (fetch _or_ bring) _our books. He gets_ (receives) _his money here. The lion got out_ (escaped). _We got back_ (arrived, returned) _this morning. It gets_ (grows, becomes) _dark early._ In such examples as the last, however, the alternatives are also verbs that present some difficulty in translations: and many of the compounds of _get_ and a preposition must be learned literally.

_He got_ (obtained) _what he wanted._