Heath's Modern Language Series: The Spanish American Reader - Part 3
Library

Part 3

[71] =objetos de cemento armado=, _objects of reinforced concrete_. The article is omitted before a noun modified by an adjectival phrase. This also applies to =azulejos=, =mosaicos=, etc., in 67.

[72] =puertas-cancelas=, and not _puerta-cancelas_. Note that this compound word is made of two nouns and that it is used only in Latin America. Also =cancel=, =puerta cancel=.

[73] =Se emplea= and not _se emplean_.

[74] =Uno y otro sistema=, _Both systems_. VARIANTS: =Ambos sistemas=; =los dos sistemas=.

[75] =Como iba diciendo=, _As I was saying_. VARIANT: =Como decia= (not =dije=).

[76] =toma-corrientes=. See 72.

[77] =de las=, _of those_. VARIANT: =De esas=.

[78] =de las denominadas=, _of those called_. VARIANT: =De las que se denominan= (or =llaman=). Note that past participles used as adjectives are inflected like adjectives.

[79] =Por su parte, el cerrajero=, _The locksmith, in turn_. VARIANTS: =En cuanto al cerrajero=; =por lo que toca= (or =concierne=) =al cerrajero=.

[80] =al cuidado de=. VARIANT: =A cargo de=.

[81] _Cuyo_, _cuya_, _cuyos_, _cuyas_, always denote possession, and should be used only when equivalent to _del cual_, _de la cual_, _de los cuales_, _de las cuales_, _de quien_, _de quienes_.

[82] =amen de=, _besides_. VARIANTS: =Ademas de=; =asi como=.

[83] =a mano=, _at hand_. VARIANTS: =Al alcance de la mano=; =cerca=.

[84] =Mientras=. VARIANTS: =Entretanto=; =en tanto=; =al mismo tiempo que=.

[85] Present indicative, which corresponds to _they take_, _they are taking_ or _they do take_ (_place_). Note also =blanquean=, =pintan= further on.

[86] =a la cal=, _calcimining_. An adverbial locution similar in form to the French _a la_.

[87] =las que reciben=. VARIANTS: =Las cuales reciben=; =a las= =que se da=; =a las cuales se da=.

[88] Compare _aquel_, _aquella_, _aquellos_, _aquellas_, meaning 'the former,' with _aquel_, _aquella_, _aquellos_, _aquellas_, meaning 'that'

or 'those.' See 31.

[89] =Entretanto.= VARIANTS: =Entre tanto=; =mientras tanto=; =en el intervalo=; =en el interin=.

[90] Although there is great freedom in the position of the adjective, there are cases in which the adjective must follow the noun.

[91] =Cual es la distribucion que se da?= =Cual=, followed by the verb _to be_, corresponds to _what_, except when the question is to be answered by a definition. VARIANTS: =En que forma= (or =de que modo=) =se distribuyen?=

[92] =En paises de tierra barata.= VARIANT: =En paises donde la tierra es barata=.

[93] =caracterizado por=. VARIANTS: =Que se distinguen por al que caracteriza=; =cuya caracteristica es=.

[94] =una tras otra=, _one after the other_. VARIANT: =En fila=.

[95] =caballitos=, _ponies_.

[96] =por unos centavos=, _for a few cents_.

[97] =adonde=. Compare with _donde_.

[98] =donde=, _where_. See 97.

[99] =y de aqui que se la designe...=, _and this is why it is designated_; _hence..._ . VARIANT: =Y esta es la razon por la cual se designa= (or =se la designa=).

[100] =que da a=, _which gives upon_ or _opens to_.

[101] =A la puerta exterior... sigue el zaguan, que conduce al _hall_.= Note the inverted construction. VARIANT: =El zaguan, que conduce al _hall_, sigue a la puerta=.

[102] =al _hall_, palabra=. Note the omission of the indefinite article.

[103] =En torno del=, _Around_. VARIANT: =Circundando el=.

[104] =en estas casas, necesariamente pequenas=, i.e., _en estas casas_ (_que_) _necesariamente_ (_deben ser_) _pequenas_.

[105] =Suele halla.r.s.e=, _It is usually found_. VARIANTS: =Se halla=; =se instala=.

[106] =de intento=, _on purpose_.

[107] Note omission of indefinite article.

[108] =alguna particularidad=. Compare the use of _alguno_ in affirmative and negative uses.

[109] =ninguna=. Negative of =alguno, -a=. See 108.

[110] =los duenos=. The words _dueno_, _hijo_, _padre_, _rey_, _hermano_, are used in the masculine plural to denote persons of both s.e.xes.

[111] =se compone de un juego del que forman parte=, _consists of a set which is made up of_. VARIANT: =Un juego formado= (or =const.i.tuido=) =por=.

[112] =pies=. Note irregular form of plural.

[113] =algun reloj=. See 108.

[114] =u otro=. Note that =u= takes the place of _o_ before words beginning with _o_ or _ho_.

[115] =aunque no dejan de=. VARIANT: =Aun cuando tambien se ven= (or =suelen verse=).

[116] =algunos=. See 108.

[117] =si son=. Note omission of p.r.o.noun.

[118] =y hasta=. VARIANT: =Y aun=. See 54, p. 5.

[119] =si no=. Compare with _sino_.