THE PRONOUN.


The pronouns Nos and Vos are used for the 1st and 2nd person
singular, respectively, in poetry and high-flown prose.

Nos is used in Royal decrees; and Vos often to translate the French
"vous" and English "you" in novels. They require the verb in the plural
and any occurring adjective in the singular, masculine or feminine
according to the sex represented--

Nos el Rey somos justo: We the King are just.

Vos Doña Catalina sois generosa: You, Lady Catherine, are generous.

A subject pronoun following "to be" and preceding a relative may be
followed by a verb in the 1st or 3rd person, as--

Soy yo quien giré or giró aquella letra: It is I who drew that bill.

Two or more personal pronouns used as subjects of one verb require the
verb in the plural, and in the 1st person in preference to the 2nd and
3rd, and 2nd in preference to 3rd, as--

Yo y tú (or yo y él) vamos; tú y él vais.

A conjunctive pronoun should precede the verb in the Indic. Cond. and
Subj. moods, but with the verb in the Indic. or Cond. mood a great
latitude is allowed for the sake of euphony or emphasis. The principal
idea is to give thereby more prominence to the verb, as--

Entreguéle los bultos, acordéle toda facilidad para el pago y quise
acabarlo todo amistosamente.

The conjunctive pronouns lo, le, are both used for "him," "it" (m.),
(direct object); the second is more generally used for a person, but no
distinction is strictly observed.

Lo (not le) should however be used for "it," referring to a whole
statement.

Lo translates often the English "so," as--

Lo digo: I say it, I say so.

Ya lo creo: I should think so.

The conjunctive dative (indirect object) should be le for both genders
(sing.). La instead of le for the feminine is however permissible
and is used by the best writers.

Les instead of los is often found in the accusative (direct object),
masculine plural, but this should not be imitated.

When a conjunctive pers. pronoun follows the verb, the subject pronoun
must also follow, as--

Dígolo yo (not yo dígolo): I say so.

Otherwise the position of the subject pronoun in relation to the verb is
very arbitrary, the general practice being, of course, to put it before
unless the sentence is interrogative.

The conj. pronouns nos and os following a verb in the Imperative
mood require the elision of the s and d termination of the verb,
as--

Escribámonos: Let us write to each other.

Escribíos: Write to each other.

Conjunctive pronouns are used to substitute the possessive adjective
before parts of the body or articles of dress, as--

Me quebré el brazo: I broke my arm.

Se lastimó el dedo: He hurt his finger.

Se puso el sombrero: He put on his hat.

Also--

Me han impuesto una multa sobre los géneros: They have inflicted a fine
on my goods.

And in all similar cases when by doing this the possessive may be
avoided without creating confusion.

A somewhat similar use of these pronouns is the "ethical" dative, as--

Póngame aquí un clavo: Put me a nail here.

Castígueme este muchacho para que aprenda: Punish this boy (for me) so
that he may learn.

Córteme el pelo á este muchacho: Cut this boy's hair.

This "ethical dative" shows the person interested in the action. Its
use is much more frequent in Spanish than in English.


Conducir (model verb for all ending in ducir; to conduct, to lead).

Pres. Indic., Conduzco----------

Pres. Subj., Conduzca, conduzcas, conduzca, conduzcamos, conduzcáis,
conduzcan.

Past Def., Conduje, condujiste, condujo, condujimos, condujisteis,
condujeron.[186]

[Footnote 186: Not "condujieron." Imp. Subj., of course, Condujese, etc.]


     VOCABULARY.

abordar to board, to accost, to approach
*abrir agua to spring a leak
ajeno belonging to others, outward
*andar en cuestiones to dispute
barrica cask
cabo corporal
¿cómo no? yes, of course I will
*cubrir (p.p. cubierto) to cover
*dar dos pasos to take a stroll
*dar la lengua to chat, to parley
despejar to clear
devanarse los sesos to rack one's brains
difunto late, deceased
estallar to burst, to explode, to break out
formal formal, respectable
*ir repitiendo, etc., to keep repeating, etc.
jefe del despacho manager
llevarse bien to get on well together
lograr to contrive, to attain
machacar to hammer, to insist
mandato order, injunction
melindroso squeamish, very particular
multa fine, penalty
Noruego   Norwegian
peligro danger
remolcar to tow
sacar en limpio to make out
¡santo y bueno!   that is all very well
sargento sergeant
transportar to transport, to convey
tul bordado embroidered tulle
vender gato por liebre to cheat
¡vaya! come (exclam.)


                            EXERCISE 1 (73)

Translate into English--

1. ¿Vió V. á la Señora (the wife) del Coronel?

2. Víla ayer y la dí el recado del Sr. Mayor.

3. ¿Este cabo se lleva bien con sus soldados?

4. Lo creo, me lo ha dicho el sargento.

5. Bueno fuera írselo repitiendo al jefe para que abrevie, si puede ser.

6. Á mi no me cuente para nada (do not take me into account), valdríale
mejor verse con (see) el jefe del despacho.

7. Á él le gusta dar la lengua, vaya á hablarle.

8. No le conozco, V. se hace cargo (you understand) que me resulta
dificultoso el abordarle, y lo mismo da (it is the same) hablar con V.

9. V. se equivoca, va mucho de Pedro á Pedro (there is a great
difference between the two) y en cuanto á su timidez no sea V.
melindroso y tenga presente que el que no se atreve no pasa la mar
(nothing venture, nothing have).

10. Para no andar en más cuestiones seguiré su mandato (I shall do as
you tell me).

11. ¡Que tenga V. buena suerte!

12. Me devané los sesos procurando sacar en limpio lo que quería decir
la carta pero no me fué posible y dí al diablo con el hato y el garabato
(I gave up the whole confounded thing) como se suele decir.

13. Me puse el sombrero y me fuí para dar dos pasos y despejarme la
cabeza.

14. Sr. Juan, V. machaca desde muchos días sobre que le debo dar alguna
orden á Don José, pues para darles gusto á ambos salúdemele V. mucho
(give him my kind regards), en su primera carta y dígale que me envíe
luego 500 piezas de tul bordado repetición de mi pedido anterior, mismos
matices.


                            EXERCISE 2 (74).

Translate into Spanish--

1. It is I who conveyed (trasmitir) that information to him.

2. The goods were conveyed by the Ship Canal (el canal marítimo).

3. Have you made it clear (lo ha explicado claramente) that the risk
will be covered whether the casks travel by steamer or other conveyance
(medio de trasporte)?

4. Our agent contrived to get the fine refunded (hacerse refundir); he
wrote us so.

5. The vessel sprang a leak and was in danger but she spoke (habló con
la bocina á) a Norwegian steamer, who gave her assistance and towed her
to (al) Havre.

6. The conditions you have put forth (presentado) are altogether
unacceptable.

7. Put him in the way (muéstrele V. el modo) of conducting his business
without depending on (de) outward assistance.

8. He conducted his late employer's (jefe) business quite
satisfactorily.

9. Had I feared he would not conduct his own affairs properly (bien) I
should not have financed (comanditado) him.

10. He puts a wrong construction to my words (interpreta mal).

11. He owes us some money and keeps putting us off (y nos va dando
largas).

12. He has put off his journey (diferido, aplazado).

13. If you wish me to do business with your goodselves (su estimada
casa) you must put me on (concederme) the best possible terms.

14. The alarming news from India has put our market out of gear
(descompuesto).

15. Mr. Núñez was dreadfully put out (terriblemente desconcertado) by
the news that the revolution had broken out in Ecuador.

16. We must put up with (soportar) some inconvenience.

17. We shall put an end to (acabaremos) this exercise.