LESSON XXIII

Debe estar el valor de acuerdo con la prudencia.[23]

—Nuñez de Arce.

67. The verb to please meaning to give pleasure to is rendered agradar a; meaning to satisfy it is translated contentar; meaning to want to, be willing to it is usually rendered querer, though it may be translated as in (a).

It pleased him very much to hear that we had arrived safe and sound.

Le agradó muchísimo saber que habíamos llegado salvo y sano.

Do what I may I never manage to please her.

Haga lo que hiciere nunca logro contentarla.

Ask him if he will please come and help me.

Pregúntele si quiere venir a ayudarme.

(a) Please used in the imperative is translated by one of the following expressions: haga el favor de, tenga la bondad de; sírvase. Of these the first two are considered the more formally courteous. All are followed by the infinitive.

Please be quiet.

Hágame el favor de callar.—PALACIO VALDÉS.

Waiter, please open the window.

Mozo, sírvase abrir la ventana.

Note.—In curter familiar speech, the word favor alone may be used.

Please answer at once.

Favor de contestar en seguida.

68. The verb to mean, signifying to intend, is rendered tener la intención de or proponerse.

He means to finish the work without any one's helping him.

Se propone (tiene la intención de) acabar el trabajo sin que nadie le ayude.

(a) In the sense of to wish to say, mean is translated querer decir.

What does this word mean?

¿Qué quiere decir esta palabra?

When I mean introduces a qualifying phrase, it is often rendered digo, I say.

They call her little Pilar. I wish they'd call me little Pilar—I mean, little Antonio.

La llaman Pilarcita. ¡Si me llamasen a mí Pilarcita—digo, Antoñito!

—ECHEGARAY.

(b) Not to mean to do something is generally rendered by hacer algo sin querer.

I'm sorry I broke the window. I didn't mean to.

Yo siento haber quebrado el vidriero. Lo he hecho sin querer.

(c) To mean in the sense of to dare is rendered atreverse.

What do you mean by talking to me in that way?

¿Cómo se atreve Vd. hablarme de esta manera?

69. Without is translated sin, except when it introduces a verbal noun in -ing, modified by a possessive. In this case, without is rendered by the conjunction sin que, the English verbal noun becomes in Spanish a verb in the subjunctive mode and its possessive modifier becomes the subject of the clause.

He went away without looking at her and without her looking at him.

Se marchó sin mirarla y sin que ella le mirara a él.

—BLASCO IBÁÑEZ.

I won't go without saying good-by to you.

No iré sin decirte adios.—PÉREZ GALDÓS.

70. EXERCISES

(a) 1. Dígales que hagan el favor de pasar a la sala. 2. ¿Quiere Vd. hacerme el favor de plancharme este traje? 3. Sírvase Vd. decir al señor que yo le espero en mi despacho. 4. La representación nos ha agradado muchísimo. 5. ¡Vaya un tonto! ¿Tendrá la intención de quedar aquí? 6. Sabe tocar el violin, digo, el piano. 7. ¡Este sí que la contentará! 8. No debes llorar sin que yo sepa porqué lloras. 9. Mientras llueve no salimos sin paraguas. 10. No salgas sin que yo te dé permiso.

(b) 1. Please tell him that I'm waiting for him. 2. Do you think this will please him? 3. Don't go without me, please. 4. What do you mean by eating all the candy! 5. It will be impossible for us to go without their seeing us. 6. They have three daughters, I mean, two daughters and one son. 7. Please come as soon as you can if you can come without bringing the others. 8. I didn't mean to do that; please forgive me. 9. He means that if you mean to do that without your father's knowing it you will have to hurry. 10. He wrote without thinking that it was impossible for him to write without my knowing it.