THE ARTICLE.


The Definite Article is used in Spanish and not in English (besides
rules given in Lesson II)--

1.  Before the seasons of the year--

+------------------------------------------------+
|La primavera (spring)       El otoño (autumn)   |
|El verano (summer)          El invierno (winter)|
|                                                |
|And the four cardinal points:                  |
|                                                |
|El norte (North)            El este (East)      |
|El sur (South)              El oeste (West)     |
+------------------------------------------------+

2. Before the hour of the day (with the words hora, horas,
understood), as--

Es la una: It is one o'clock.
Son las dos y cuarto: It is a quarter past two.
Son las tres y cinco:  It is five minutes past three.
Son las cuatro menos diez:  It is ten minutes to four.
Las cinco y media:  Half-past five.

3. Optionally, before the proper name of a woman used colloquially, as--

La Maria (Mary, our Mary).

4. Optionally, before the days of the week, especially when preceded by
"on" in English, as--

Vendré el sábado: I shall come on Saturday.

5. Before the names of the following countries--

El Perú, La India, El Japón.

And some towns to be learnt by practice, as--

La Coruña, El Havre, El Cairo, El Ferrol, etc.

Although found sometimes before the names of countries in general, this
example should not be followed.

The Definite Article is used in English and not in Spanish--

1. Before numbers following names of sovereigns, etc., as--

Carlos I (primero), Charles I (the first)
Alfonso XIII (trece), Alphonso XIII (the thirteenth)

2. In titles of books, headings, etc., as--Historia de la Inquisición
(The History of the Inquisition).

3. Before words in apposition, as--Madrid, capital de España (Madrid,
the capital of Spain).

But--

Alfonso el Sabio (Alphonso the Wise)
Juana la Loca (Jane the Mad)
because these are "titles."

The Indefinite Article is used in English and not in Spanish
(besides rules in Lesson II)--

1. Before words in apposition, as--
Rubio y Cía., casa importantísima de la Habana: Rubio
& Co., a most important firm in Havana.

2. In titles of books, headings, etc., as--
Lista de los géneros pedidos: A list of goods required.

3.  In "such a," "so ... a," as--
Tal amigo:  Such a friend.
Tan buen amigo:  So good a friend, such a good friend.

4.  In "a half" (medio), "a quarter" (cuarto), "a third"
(tercio), in the case of an integer preceding, as--
Uno y medio (1-1/2)              Cinco y tercio (penknife/3)
Dos y cuarto (2-1/4)

Occasionally the article is omitted before other fractions.

5.  Before otro, as--
Otra quiebra:   Another bankruptcy.

Before weights and measures the definite article is used in Spanish
instead of the indefinite used in English, as--

Dos chelines la libra:  Two shillings a pound.
Cinco pesetas el metro or por metro: 5 pesetas a metre.

The Definite Article is omitted before casa and palacio when they
are spoken of as places usually frequented by the person in question--

Iré á casa del ingeniero: I shall go to the engineer's house.
El Rey volvió ayer a palacio:  The King returned yesterday to the palace.

The article must not be employed before a noun used after a preposition
in an adjectival capacity, as--

Una viga de hierro (not del hierro): An iron beam.

The tendency of the Spanish language is to omit the indefinite article
whenever, by such omission the sense is not obscure, as--

Tengo intención de marcharme: I have a mind to go.
Vino con dolor de cabeza: He came with a headache.
Le dió cuenta de lo sucedido: He gave him an account of
all that had happened.
Este caballero tiene mucho or grande ingenio: This
gentleman has a great talent.

The Neuter article lo cannot precede a noun used as such, but it
may (elegantly) precede a noun used adjectively, as--

Todo me gusta en el, lo amigo, lo ciudadano, lo caballero:

I like everything in him: the friend, the citizen, the gentleman.




     VOCABULARY.

administrador, manager
anteriormente, previously
anunciar, to advertise
apacible, mild
armadura, frame, framing (mach.)
atajo, short cut
buen éxito, success
comprometerse, to undertake
edificio, building
empresa, undertaking
experimentar, to experience
grabados (géneros), embossed (goods)
hilado, yarn
intentar,*tener intención, to intend
junto á, coupled with
práctico, practical
*proponerse, to have in view
(á) rayas, striped (goods)
recto, straightforward
riqueza, wealth
sencillo, plain
suceder, to succeed, to happen
tenedores, holders (of securities, etc.)
tratar, to conduct (business)
vara, Spanish yard.




                            EXERCISE 1 (61).

Translate into English--

1. Eran las doce y media del domingo antepasado (before last), apacible
dia, que, aunque estamos en otoño, parecía mas dia de primavera, la
Maria me acompañaba, aquella Señora del Perú que ha viajado tanto en la
India y el Japón y cuyo marido y el mio eran tan amigos.

2. Íbamos a casa de la Señora.

3. La Coruña es ciudad de Galicia.

4. Carlos V., Emperador de Alemania es el mismo monarca que reinó en
España con el título de Carlos I desde 1517 á 1551.

5. Luis XIV de Francia no tenía sino cinco años de edad cuando sucedió á
su padre Luis XIII en 1643.

6. El principio de su reinado fué dirigido por Mazarín, italiano muy
fino (shrewd), y astuto conocedor de los hombres.

7. ¿Qué dice ese papel?

8. Lista de los accesorios que se dan con cada máquina.

9. Tan ventajosas condiciones no se hallan en ningunas otras Compañias
para el seguro de la vida.

10. Tales administradores, valen un tesoro (are worth their weight in
gold); de ellos depende el buen éxito de las empresas.

11. Otro dependiente como el Sr. Arboleda no lo hallarán entre mil.

12. Estos cuadritos y rayas cuestan 45 céntimos el metro, y estos
mercerizados y grabados valen 40 céntimos la vara.

13. ¿Qué es la vara?

14. Es medida española que equivale á 835 milimetros y 9 décimas ó
cerca de 33 pulgadas inglesas.




                            EXERCISE 2 (62).

Translate into Spanish--

1. An "iron framing" is a framing made of iron, but a "steam engine"
(máquina a vapor) is an engine moved by steam.

2. I had the intention of giving more such examples but I believe one is
enough.

3. In the construction of this building the architect had in view both
the beautiful and the practical.

4. Yes, see how (cuán) elegant and at the same time how solid these
columns are!

5. Business conducted through us (por nuestro medio) is different from
the many advertised systems and promised short cuts to wealth which are
dangled before the eyes of the (con que se deslumbra al) public.

6. Our plan is a plain (sencillo), straightforward method of operating
by which we undertake to implicitly carry out (cumplir con) the
instructions of our customers.

7. Our best advice and service are always at your command (a su
disposición).

8. "Kaffirs" have resorted to (han llegado) a state of idleness
(inercia) coupled with steadily (más y más) sagging (aflojados) prices.

9. Holders of spot cotton have again experienced quite a brisk inquiry
(una demanda muy activa) from spinners, who have freely (abundantemente)
covered forward sales (para sus entregas futuras) of yarn.

10. They also took up large lines (grandes cantidades) of cotton
previously contracted for (contratadas).

11. The total turnover (las ventas totales) was not quite as good as
expected.