LESSON XXVIII
Reading edition
Cuando me habla el deber, tan sólo escucho su voz.[28]
—Gil y Zárate.
84. The verb to sit (down) is rendered sentarse. To be sitting is rendered estar sentado.
I'm going, I'm going, you say, and you sit down.
Ya voy, ya voy, dices, y te sientas.—TOMAYO Y BAUS.
Will you sit (down) here a moment, please?
¿Quiere usted sentarse aquí un momento?
Don Miguel is sitting in an armchair near the stove.
Don Miguel está sentado en un sillón inmediato al brasero.
—LOS QUINTERO.
Note.—It is always well to paraphrase sit before translating. So, I sat (sat down, took a seat, seated myself) where they told me to; I sat (was sitting) in the armchair.
85. To stand meaning to be on one's feet is rendered estar en pie or parado; meaning to rise to one's feet it is ponerse de pie.
Pardon me, I am troubled with my heart. I can't stand.
Perdóneme usted. Padezco del corazón. No puedo estar en pie.—PÉREZ GALDÓS.
When they saw the lady enter, everybody stood.
Al ver entrar a la señora todo el mundo se puso de pie.
(a) Meaning to be situated, stand is translated hallarse or estar situado.
That church has stood there for years.
Aquella iglesia se halla allí desde hace muchos años.
(b) Meaning to endure, bear, suffer, stand is rendered aguantar, sufrir, soportar.
He couldn't stand the pain.
No podía soportar el dolor.
I can't stand this noise any longer.
No puedo sufrir más este ruido.
86. English corner has two translations. Meaning an exterior angle, it is rendered esquina; as an interior angle, it is rincón.
At the corner of that street stands a house, and in one corner of the garden of that house is a beautiful tree.
En la esquina de aquella calle se halla una casa, y en un rincón del jardín de esa casa se halla un hermoso árbol.
87. EXERCISES
(a) 1. La casa estaba situada en medio de grandes jardines. 2. Junto a él nos sentábamos nosotros, es decir, el padre cura y yo. 3. Se sentaron en torno de una mesa junta a la ventana. 4. ¡Ponte de pie cuando yo te hablo! 5. Estamos muy bien en este rinconcito. 6. Ha de saber usted que no puedo aguantar a este hombre. 7. En la obscuridad di contra la esquina de la mesa y me lastimé el brazo. 8. No había asientos para todos y algunos tenían que quedarse parados (en pie). 9. ¿Cómo ha soportado el enfermo el largo viaje? 10. Aquí en el rincón hay un banco. Sentémonos aquí.
(b) 1. I am tired of sitting. Let's all stand up for a few minutes. 2. Who is that boy who is still sitting down? 3. How long are we going to have to stand this? 4. We sat down to rest a few minutes because we were tired. 5. The house stands a little to the right of the church. 6. She has been sitting here so very, very quiet that I had almost forgotten her. 7. You must always stand when a lady speaks to you. 8. Turning the corner, he found himself in a little square that he had never seen before. 9. Put the table in the corner. We want to sit there. 10. There was a lady whom I didn't know standing by the window.