LESSON XV
Reading edition
La ley es Dios—o debe serlo.[15]
—PÉREZ GALDÓS.
40. English now is generally translated ahora, but when it means already it is rendered ya.
I am going to take a walk through the village now.
Voy a salir a dar una vuelta por el pueblo ahora.
—LOS QUINTERO.
I have been a workman in the shops for a week now.
Soy operario de los talleres hace ya una semana.
—LOS QUINTERO.
(a) The phrases well, now, and now, then, may be rendered ahora bien. The exclamatory phrase come, now! is expressed ¡vamos!, ¡vaya!, or ¡ea!
Come now, Antonio dear, a little patience!
¡Ea, Antoñito, un poco de paciencia!—TOMAYO Y BAUS.
Come now! Tell me everything. I am your friend.
¡Vamos! Confíemelo todo. Yo soy su amiga.
—MARIANO JOSÉ DE LARRA.
(b) Now ... now ... is translated ya ... ya ... or ora ... ora ....
Now it was too hot, now it was too cold for him.
Ya hacía demasiado calor, ya demasiado frío.
Note.—The phrase from now on is translated de aquí en adelante.
41. English about as a preposition meaning of is translated de; meaning in regard to or concerning it is rendered acerca de; meaning almost, nearly, in the neighborhood of it is cerca de or más o menos.
What are you talking about?
¿De qué habla usted?
I have to write to him about that matter.
Tengo que escribirle acerca de ese asunto.
I have about a hundred.
Tengo cerca de ciento (ciento más o menos).
42. To be about to is rendered estar al punto de or estar para.
When we arrived, the others were about to leave.
Al llegar nosotros, estaban los otros para salir.
43. The verb to feel meaning to experience, perceive is rendered sentir; meaning to be of the opinion, think it is rendered pensar, ser de la opinion, parecerle a uno; meaning to have the feeling of it is rendered ser ... al tacto; meaning to touch it is palpar or tentar.
I feel for this man a tremendous interest.
Siento por este hombre un interés tremendo.
—PÉREZ GALDÓS.
Do you feel ill? Just a little pain.
¿Te sientes malo? Un dolorcillo, nada más.
—TOMAYO Y BAUS.
Well, I feel that it would be better to return now.
Pues, a mí me parece que sería mejor volver ahora.
What's in this bag? It is something that feels hard.
¿Qué hay en este saco? Es algo que es muy duro al tacto.
Feel this. It's too hard, isn't it?
Palpe (Tiente) éste. Es demasiado duro, ¿no?
44. EXERCISES
(a) 1. Ahora tengo ganas de bailar. 2. Pero ya no ha de ir usted, ¿verdad? 3. Por desgracia ya me quedan pocos. 4. De aquí en adelante se ha de trocar mi adversa fortuna en próspera. 5. Palpaba su chaqueta para ver si estaba mojada. 6. Me gusta mucho esta tela. Es muy blanda al tacto. 7. Eran cerca de las ocho cuando oimos sonar una campana. 8. Ya es hora de acabar. 9. Los viejos sienten el frío. 10. Ya lo vi y ya desapareció de nuevo.
(b) 1. He feels better now. It's not necessary to call the doctor. 2. Do you want to see them? Well, they have come now. 3. He has about two hundred books in his library. 4. Come now! You know what I told you just now (see Section 24 (c)). 5. Feel his hands. How cold they are! 6. It was about six o'clock when we felt the first shock of the earthquake. 7. He was feeling his way (to feel one's way, andar a tientas) in the dark corridor. 8. We do not feel safe here, but father feels that it would be foolish to go out just now.