Los Puritanos, y otros cuentos

Notes for "Los Puritanos":

1. [67] Me lo presentó, note the use of "lo" instead of "le".

2. [68] Ha de estar, is to be.

3. [69] No debía de ser feo, ni mucho menos, he must not have been ugly, far from it.

4. [70] Il sogno beato, the beautiful dream.

   De pace e contento, of peace and contentment.

5. [71] La dolce memoria, the sweet memory.

   De un tenero amore, of a tender love.

6. [72] Parece que le gusta a V. Los Puritanos, it seems that you like the Puritanos.

7. [73] Vengan esas razones, let's have those reasons. Vengan, lit., let them come.

8. [74] Que no merece la pena, which is not worth the trouble.

9. [75] No aconsejaré a nadie que lo haga, I shall not advise anyone to do it.

10. [76] ¿Para qué te compones tanto, hombre de Dios? man alive, what are you dressing up so much for? This familiar use of "Dios" by the Spanish people is considered not a sin but "the instinctive elevation of the soul to its Maker".

11. [77] Para mis adentros, to myself.

12. [78] Mas como no era de presumir, but as it was not to be presumed.

13. [79] Estaba de pie, was standing.

14. [80] Yo no me voy sin verla, I am not going away without seeing her.

15. [81] Yo no tengo nada que hacer ahora; y lo mismo da vagar por un lado que por otro, I have nothing to do now; and it's just the same to loiter on one side as the other.

16. [82] Se echó a reír, she began to laugh.

17. [83] Cuando se trata de, when it is a question of.

18. [84] Antes de que pasase, (subjunctive "aorist"), before I passed.

19. [85] No pasaron cuatro minutos sin que viese asomar una naricita nacarada, four minutes did not pass without seeing a little pearly nose peeping.

20. [86] Cual si tratase de demostrar, as if she tried to show.

21. [87] Acompañado por lo que a mí respecta de, accompanied on my part by.

22. [88] Que debieron causar, which must have caused.

23. [89] Por más que me sintiese avergonzado, however much I felt ashamed.

24. [90] Tan bien... ermanita, también me gusta a mí. No crea V. que juego con muñecas. Era de mi hermanita.

25. [91] Hasta que se oía llamar, until she heard herself called.

26. [92] Debía de ser, must have been.

27. [93] Seguiles, I followed them.

28. [94] El que la mamá se enterase, that the mother should take notice.

29. [95] A todo esto, yo no sabía cómo se llamaba, after all this, I did not know her name; lit., how she called herself.

30. [96] Me llamo... muñecas, Me llamo Teresa. No crea V. por Dios que juego con muñecas.

31. [97] Me eché en cara, I upbraided myself.

32. [98] Para llevar a cabo, in order to carry out.

33. [99] Como no había peligro, as there was no danger.

34. [100] A más tardar, at the latest.

35. [101] Pensando en lo que había de decir, thinking of what I was to say.

36. [102] Por más que fuese, although he was.

37. [103] Que ya no haces falta, since I need you no longer.

38. [104] Me hice como que subía la escalera, I made out that I was going up the steps.

39. [105] Que por poco me oye, that he came near hearing me.

40. [106] De que solemos estar tan bien provistos los caballeros, with which we gentlemen are accustomed to be so well provided.

41. [107] ¡Qué polvorilla es V.! what a lively girl you are!

42. [108] ¡Vaya un modo de despedirse! a fine way of taking leave!

43. [109] Cuanto más se les quiere, the more one loves them.

44. [110] Estará enfadado conmigo, is he probably angry with me?

45. [111] Debí de haberle sido simpática, I must have been attractive to you.

46. [112] Que le he de querer, that I am to love him.

47. [113] Se echó a llorar, began to weep.

48. [114] Que parecía querer más a los chicos que a ellas, that he appeared to love the boys more than them, i. e., the girls.

49. [115] Las dos tenían novio, note that "novio" is singular, contrary to English usage.

50. [116] Dejó de charlar y se puso a, stopped chattering and began to.

51. [117] Que a mi me hizo sonreír el verla, that it made me smile to see her. The infinitive used as a verbal noun is preceded by the definite article el.

52. [118] Un sin fin de, no end of. The phrase sin fin is used as a substantive.

53. [119] Cuántos años tiene V.? How old are you?

54. [120] Si yo le he de querer lo mismo que tenga muchos que pocos, why I am to love you the same whether you have many or few, i. e., whether you are old or young.

55. [121] Que nos tratásemos de tú, that we address each other by thou. This would be an acknowledgment of intimate friendship.

56. [122] Pero después de aceptado se volvió atrás, but after having accepted, she backed out.

57. [123] Al bajarse el telón, when the curtain fell.

58. [124] Viendo las once, seeing that it was eleven o'clock.

59. [125] Que nos fue preciso evitar, which was necessary for us to avoid.

60. [126] Ya no había, there was no longer.

61. [127] Entonces me tocó llevar la voz cantante, then it came my turn to be cheerful.

62. [128] Recordele, I related to her.

63. [129] Hasta que se echó a llorar perdidamente, until she began to weep bitterly.

64. [130] Al fin lo conseguí elogiando, finally, I succeeded by praising.

65. [131] Jugando a las muñecas, jugar is regularly followed by "a".

66. [132] Para que conociese, that I should know.

67. [133] No pude menos de pedirle, I could not help asking her. Note that pedir takes the dative case.

68. [134] Que se me antojaran, that I should take a notion to.

69. [135] Que no se los pediría, that I would not ask her for them.

70. [136] Que no habían de volver, which were not to return.

71. [137] A las dos en punto, at two o'clock sharp.

72. [138] Cuidado que no faltes, take care that you do not fail.

73. [139] Al poco rato, after a little while.

74. [140] Todos los que pudo hasta que oí rechinar la llave, all that I could until I heard the key creak.