LESSON XII
Reading edition
Dios no hace las cosas a medias.[12]
—JOSÉ MÁRMOL.
33. The adverb so expressing manner is rendered así, thus; as an adverb of degree so is tan. So much and so many are rendered tanto, -a, tantos, -as, when used adjectively or pronominally. As an adverb so much is tanto.
And I am to live so, as long as I am alone.
Y así he de vivir mientras esté solo.—PÉREZ GALDÓS.
I didn't know that it was so hard to do that.
Yo no sabía que era tan difícil hacer eso.
That's why they make so many mistakes (are mistaken so many times).
De ahí que se equivoquen tantas veces.—LOS QUINTERO.
I don't need so much. You take what's left.
Yo no necesito tanto. Tome usted lo que sobra.
(a) Used in the manner of a neuter pronoun so is rendered lo.
I asked him to call them and he did so at once.
Le rogué los llamase y lo hizo en seguida.
(b) In such expressions as I think so, I believe so, he says so, where so stands for an affirmative clause, it is translated que sí.
Is it going to snow? John says so.
¿Va a nevar? Juan dice que sí.
"I think so," he said, taking the instruments from the man's hands.
Creo que sí, dijo, tomando los instrumentos de las manos del hombre.
—JOSÉ MÁRMOL.
(c) The conjunctive phrase and so is rendered y así when it is equal to and therefore. When it is equivalent to well, then, it is rendered conque.
We weren't busy, and so we could help them.
Nosotros no estábamos ocupados y así podíamos ayudarlos.
And so you say they are to be here at five o'clock?
Conque, ¿dice usted que han de estar aquí a las cinco?
—PÉREZ GALDÓS.
34. English to keep in its simplest meaning of to retain is rendered guardar or quedarse con. It has many other meanings, most of which may be obtained by paraphrase. So: to keep (observe) a holiday; to keep quiet (be still, stop talking); to keep out (not to enter); to keep in (not to let go out); to keep on (to continue, or not to take off); to keep from (to hinder, prevent, abstain from).
Well, I'm going to keep what I have.
Pues, yo voy a quedarme con lo que tengo.
At home we keep all the national holidays.
En casa observamos todas las fiestas nacionales.
Well, I agree, and I keep on sacrificing myself.
Pues, me conformo, y sigo sacrificándome.—ECHEGARAY.
The noise of the street kept him from sleeping.
El ruido de la calle le impidió el dormir.—BLASCO IBÁÑEZ.
Tell them to come back. I will keep them just a moment.
Dígales que vuelvan. Los detendré un momento, nada más.
35. EXERCISES
(a) 1. Así es, por desgracia. No te espero hoy. 2. La cordera siguió corriendo y llegó a lo alto de las peñas. 3. Guardó un asiento vacío junto al suyo. 4. Ha retenido la mitad de lo que me debe. 5. Su enfermedad le impidió que adelantara en sus estudios. 6. Si todos nos mantenemos quietos, no sabrán que estámos aquí. 7. Yo le dije que callase, pero siguió hablando. 8. Conque, se marchan ustedes hoy ¿no?
(b) 1. I don't know why she wants so much to see me. 2. Of course if she wants to go, I can't keep her from it. 3. She keeps on writing to me, asking me not to keep it. 4. Has he kept back more than he should? They say so. 5. He always keeps out of the house when he sees that the maid has just cleaned the floors. 6. In Spain and South America they keep all the church holidays. 7. This lesson is not so hard (difficult). 8. If it keeps on raining, you must keep on your raincoats. 9. I tried to keep the children from making so much noise. 10. Keep them out of this room for just a few minutes.