LESSON XI

Cuando uno no quiere, dos no riñen.[11]

—Tomayo y Baus.

29. English here is rendered aquí denoting place where and acá with a verb of motion.

Here lived a member of my husband's family.

Aquí habitaba un individuo de la familia de mi esposo.

—JOSÉ MÁRMOL.

Go and tell him to please come here.

Ve y dile que tenga la bondad de venir acá.—LOS QUINTERO.

Note.—Aquí is sometimes found with verbs of motion, but acá is the commoner form.

(a) Here accompanying the offer of something may be rendered by the imperative of tomar, to take, or by aquí with the verb tener.

Haven't you a pencil? Well, here. I have two.

¿No tiene usted lápiz? Pues, tome. Yo tengo dos.

Here's the money they gave me for you.

Aquí tiene usted el dinero que me dieron para usted.

(b) To be here in the sense of to arrive is translated llegar.

They will be here in time according to what they write me.

Llegarán a tiempo según me escriben.

30. English well as an adverb is translated bien; as an adjective it is bueno. As an introductory word having no grammatical connection with the rest of the sentence it is rendered bien, bueno, or pues. With exclamatory force it may be rendered ¡vaya! or ¡toma!

It is very well made, isn't it?

Está muy bien hecho, ¿no?

He must stay here until he gets well.

Debe quedar aquí hasta que se ponga bueno.

Well, that's done. And now what else is there to do?

Bueno (bien), ya está hecho eso. Y ahora, ¿qué más hay que hacer?

Well, I feel ill, very ill.

Pues yo me siento mal, muy mal.—RAMOS CARRIÓN.

Well! Here am I to get everybody out of difficulties.

¡Vaya! Aquí estoy yo para sacar de apuros a todo el mundo.

—RAMOS CARRIÓN.

31. The verb to hold as a synonym of to have is translated tener; meaning to contain it is contener. When it indicates that a thing has a certain capacity it is translated caber en. In this last sense the English subject becomes in Spanish the object of the preposition en, while the English object becomes the subject of caber.

He held his hat in his hand all the time.

Tenía el sombrero en la mano todo el tiempo.

This box holds all that I want.

Este cajón contiene todo lo que yo necesito.

We shall have to get another sack. This one holds only a pound.

Tendremos que buscar otro saco. En éste cabe solo una libra.

Contiene solo una libra would mean there is only a pound in it.

Note.—A very common expression is no cabe duda, which translates there is no doubt.

(a) The phrase to hold out has many translations, according to its meanings as here illustrated.

He held out (offered) his hand to me.

Me ofreció la mano.

He held out his hand for the money.

Extendió la mano para el dinero.

He held out (persisted) for a week.

Se mantuvo firme por una semana.

The coffee held out (there was enough).

Hubo bastante cafe.

32. EXERCISES

(a) 1. El vino acá en el tranvía. 2. Pues, que lo haga tan bien como yo lo he hecho. 3. No cabían en el barco más de cuatro personas. 4. Búsqueme un cesto más grande. En éste no caben las manzanas. 5. El cajón contenía frutas y dulces. 6. ¿Y la familia? Están todos buenos según me escriben. 7. Con tal que haya bastante harina, no nos falta más. 8. Está cansadísimo. No sé si se le mantendrán las fuerzas hasta que llegue a casa. 9. ¡Vaya! ¿Usted aquí? ¿Y desde cuándo?

(b) 1. This bottle will not hold all that ink. 2. Well, what shall I do with what is left? 3. Put it here and get another bottle. 4. New countries hold out better opportunities to young men than to old ones. 5. Well, everything is ready for them when they get here. 6. He held out the sack to show me what it held. 7. I can't help thinking that he is too young for the office that he holds. 8. How much is it? Well, here's the money. 9. How many books will this bookcase hold? 10. There is not the least doubt that they knew that the box held money.