LESSON VI

Ya ves que no hay que fiar de sueños.[6]

—PALACIO VALDÉS.

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.

Obtuvo lo que quería.

There is no more sugar. I shall have to go and get some.

No hay más azúcar. Tendré que ir a comprar más.

Have you sent the boy to get the car?

¿Ha mandado usted al mozo a traer el automóvil?

I get a letter from home every Tuesday.

Recibo carta de casa todos los martes.

There was a fire at the Zoölogical Gardens yesterday and a lion got out (away).

Hubo incendio en los jardines zoológicos ayer y se escapó un león.

(a) To get meaning to grow or become is translated ponerse or hacerse, the former indicating a temporary change of state, the latter a more permanent one.

She gets very cross if she has to wait for us.

Se pone muy enojada (enfadada) si tiene que esperarnos.

He got rich quickly, but his methods couldn't be admired.

Se hizo rico pronto, pero sus métodos no podían admirarse.

(b) To get along with, speaking of persons, may be rendered entenderse con, or congeniar con: when the object is a thing, the translation is servirse de. To get along without is translated pasarse sin.

He doesn't get along very well with his oldest brother.

No se entiende muy bien con su hermano mayor.

I shall have to get along with this knife since there is no other.

Tendré que servirme de este cuchillo puesto que no hay otro.

I get along without a laundress now that my daughter is at home.

Yo me paso sin lavandera ya que está en casa mi hija.

(c) To get into and out of vehicles are rendered subir a and bajar de.

They get out of one automobile and into another.

Bajaron de un automóvil y subieron a otro.

(d) To get out of the way may be rendered apartarse del camino or quitarse de en medio.

You know that to me she is always at home. Get out of the way!

Sabe Vd. que para mí siempre está. ¡Quítese de en medio!

—TOMAYO Y BAUS.

(e) To get up, rise, is rendered levantárse or ponerse de pie.

I got up very, very early this morning.

Esta mañana me levanté muy de madrugada.

When the teacher spoke to the pupil the latter got up.

Cuando habló el maestro al discípulo se puso de pie éste.

17. EXERCISES

(a) 1. El coche se detuvo delante de la puerta y bajaron dos señores. 2. Primero tenemos que apartar del camino este montón de piedras. 3. Se levantó Vd. tarde hoy. 4. Queremos deshacernos de nuestro viejo automóvil. 5. Los tejados se ponen blancos. 6. Las abejas sacan la miel de las flores. 7. No se sabe como han logrado entrar en la casa los ladrones. 8. Aunque cerramos la puerta con llave lograron salir. 9. Le he mandado a traerme otro cuchillo, porque éste no corta. 10. Baja de este muro en seguida si no quieres caer.

(b) 1. The fruit is getting ripe now. 2. You ought to get rid of the old house before you buy a new one. 3. We shall have to get up early to catch that train. 4. Mother is in the kitchen getting dinner. 5. How dark the sky is getting. I think there will be a storm. 6. As I was getting up this morning my mother called to me and said, "Hurry up, John, I want you to go and get some milk for breakfast." 7. Since there is no ink we shall have to get along with pencils. 8. My parents do not like to get letters written in pencil. 9. That company gets out beautiful illustrated books. 10. He has been ill and has not been able to get out for a long time.