LESSON XXXVIII
Reading edition
Vale más errar por generosidad que acertar por egoísmo.[38]
—EMILIO CASTELAR.
115. English can and could, translated by the present and past tenses of poder when possibility is implied, are differently translated to express conjecture. In the latter case, Spanish uses the future and conditional of the verbs that in English are the complements of can and could. The examples should be very carefully studied and compared with those given under section 102.
What can be the matter with the poor boy?
¿Qué tendrá el pobrecillo?—RAMOS CARRIÓN.
Where could Telmo be hidden?
¿Dónde estaría metido Telmo?—EMILIA PARDO BAZÁN.
The first man who made a friend—what could he have been thinking about?
El primer hombre que se hizo amigo—¿en qué estaría pensando?—TOMAYO Y BAUS.
"It wasn't Peter apparently." "It wasn't? Who could it have been?"
No era Pedro a lo visto.—¿No? ¿Quién estaría?
—TOMAYO Y BAUS.
Note that the conditional translates both could be and could have been.
116. To ring is tocar as a transitive and sonar as an intransitive verb.
We rang twice before we heard the bell ring within the house.
Tocamos dos veces antes de oír sonar la campanilla dentro de la casa.
At that moment a shot rang out very close.
En aquel mismo instante sonó un tiro muy próximo.
—ALARCÓN.
117. English but as a synonym of however is pero; as an adversative conjunction it is rendered sino; in the sense of only or except it may be rendered sino or no ... más de (que).
He is not here at present, but I am expecting him at any moment.
No está aquí en este momento, pero le estoy esperando de un momento a otro.
She is not Spanish, but Italian.
No es española sino italiana.
No one knows it but you.
Nadie lo sabe sino tú.
Remember that now you have no father but this gentleman.
Acuérdate de que ya no tienes más padre que este señor.
—EMILIA PARDO BAZÁN.
118. EXERCISES
(a) 1. ¿Quién será?—exclamó la joven que se había puesto pálida. 2. ¿Sería mi hermano el que ha hecho eso? 3. Sonó la campanilla, pero el viejo no la oyó por ser él sordo. 4. ¿Serán ya las tres? ¿Sonaría la campanilla sin que nosotros la oyésemos? 5. Voy a mandarle todo lo que me ha pedido menos este libro, que no puedo pasarme sin él. 6. Me dijo que a las doce de la noche había sonado la campanilla del teléfono. ¿Quién me telefonaría a esas horas? 7. Ya no le queda más dinero que la pequeña suma que heredó de su padre el año pasado. 8. ¿Sería el vecino que me robó el caballo? 9. Es la primera vez que ha faltado a la cita. ¿Estará mala? 10. Yo no sabía de quien sería el bolsillo que acababa de hallar. 11. No hay quien toque las campanas como usted.
(b) 1. Ring the bell and when they open the door ask for him. 2. Who can that man be? There is no one here who knows him. 3. We heard the coins ring as they fell on the table. 4. He speaks no language but English, but he reads Spanish and French. 5. I have no friend but you in the whole city. 6. Could it have been your father who telephoned you last night? 7. Where can my brother be? I hope he has not lost his way. 8. I was wondering if he could have taken them. She could not have lifted them. 9. We had nothing but bread and butter to eat, but it was enough as we were not hungry. 10. What can he be reading that seems to interest him so much? Generally he reads nothing but the daily paper.