LESSON IX
Reading edition
Las frutas se comen. Las flores se huelen, nada más.[9]
—LOS QUINTERO.
23. The verb to grow, meaning to cultivate or be cultivated, is translated cultivar or cultivarse; meaning to increase in size it is crecer or aumentarse; meaning to become it is rendered ponerse or hacerse, the first expressing temporary, the second approximately permanent, change. To grow up is translated criarse.
In the Argentine Republic they grow much wheat.
En la República Argentina cultivan (se cultiva) mucho trigo.
Why! How this child has grown!
¡Vaya, que ha crecido este niño!
The number grows year by year.
El número se aumenta de año en año.
She must be ill. She is growing thinner day by day.
Debe estar mala. Se pone más delgada de día en día.
By means of gymnastic exercises he has grown very strong.
Por medio de ejercicios gimnásticos se ha hecho muy fuerte.
This child grew up with her mother until she was five years old.
Esta niña se crió junto a su madre hasta tener cinco años.
—PÉREZ GALDÓS.
24. The word just has numerous renderings in Spanish. As an adjective it is justo.
Since our cause is just, we shall win.
Puesto que es justa nuestra causa, venceremos.
(a) Meaning only it may be translated by the adverb sólo, or by the phrases nada más or no ... más que (de before numerals). Nada más is placed at the end of the sentence.
There were just twenty persons present.
Asistieron sólo veinte personas (no más de veinte personas; veinte personas nada más).
How much do you want? I have just a pound.
¿Cuánto quiere usted? No tengo más que una libra.
Note.—If this sentence meant exactly a pound, the translation would be una libra justa; so always when just equals exactly.
We just came to look for a pencil and paper for Patros.
No venimos más que a buscar lápiz y papel para Patros.
—PÉREZ GALDÓS.
For you must know, my son, that the dreaming of the old is just remembering.
Porque has de saber, hijo mío, que el soñar de los viejos es sólo recordar.—MARTÍNEZ SIERRA.
It was just the door closing.
Era la puerta que se cerraba, nada más.
(b) Meaning at this or that moment, just is translated en este or ese mismo momento; or it may be implied in the present or imperfect tenses.
The door is just closing.Se cierra la puerta.
The door was just closing. Se cerraba la puerta.
The phrase en este mismo momento makes the just more emphatic.
(c) In expressions of time of day just is rendered en punto; just now is hace poco or hace un ratito, referring to past time, ahora or al momento when present time is understood; just yet is rendered todavía.
What time is it? It is just eight o'clock.
¿Qué hora es? Son las ocho en punto.
I saw them just now and they said they were coming.
Los vi hace poco y dijeron que iban a venir.
I'm sorry I can't go with you, but I'm very busy just now.
Siento no poder acompañarle, pero al momento estoy muy ocupado.
It isn't ready just yet. I will call you as soon as it is.
No está listo todavía. Le llamaré en cuanto lo esté.
(d) Have just and had just with a past participle are translated by the present and imperfect of the verb acabar followed by de and the infinitive of the verb that in English is in the participle.
He has just arrived. He had just gone.
Acaba de llegar. Acababa de marcharse.
25. EXERCISES
(a) 1. Hacemos este viaje sólo por placer. 2. El sol acababa de ponerse. 3. No podía soportar que su única hija se criase como un muchacho. 4. Hablábamos de la posibilidad de su llegada, nada más. 5. ¡Ya se ve! Crióse sin madre casi sin nodriza. 6. Esto ocurrió hace un año. No, hace tres meses justos. 7. Un momento nada más y sales diciéndoles que tienes que hacer en la casa. 8. El tabaco no se cultiva en este estado. 9. Estos niños crecen como la mala hierba. 10. Son las ocho en punto y dicen que acaban de llegar las distinguidas visitas.
(b) 1. I am just going. Do you want to go with me? 2. We grow just flowers in our garden. 3. What are you doing? I'm just reading. 4. They have just come in and they say it is just beginning to rain. 5. When we got there he had just begun to speak. 6. That is just what I was going to say. 7. It was growing darker and we could only just see. 8. This is just for the little girls. 9. How you have grown! The other day you were just a little boy. 10. He is growing weaker every day.