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Lección Veintinueve (29)

  
  ¡Qué torpe estoy! (1) How clumsy I am!
     
1 Llegaremos a Madrid cerca de las ocho,
si el tren recupera su retraso (2).		 We shall arrive in Madrid about 8 o'clock,
if the train makes up for [its] lost time.
2 Está convenido que tomaremos un taxi juntos.
Las señoras llevan poco equipaje (3).		 It's agreed that we shall take a taxi together [joined].
The ladies have little luggage.
3

Vienen de San Sebastián,
donde pasaron unos días en casa de una hermana de doña Amelia,
y después visitaron Biarritz (4).

They come from San-Seb.
where they spent a few days at the house of a sister of doña Amelia,
and afterwards visited B.

4 ¿Son ustedes parientes? pregunto.

Are you related? I ask.

5 ¿Usted qué cree? responde doña Amelia.
¿Qué somos madre e hija, o tía y sobrina (5) ?		 And what do you think? answers doña Amelia.
That we are mother and daughter, or aunt and niece?
6 Madre e hija no, puesto que ustedes no se tutean, digo;
y pensando ser galante con doña Amelia (6), añado :

Mother and daughter, no, since you don't say tú to each other, I say;
and thinking I am [to be] gallant with doña Amelia, I add :

7 Y porque usted no tiene edad para ser madre de doña Victoria. And because you have not the age to be the mother of doña Victoria.
8 ¡Victoria! parece que el señor la cree (7) de una edad respetable!
exclama doña Amelia, riendo.		 Victoria! it seems that this gentleman believe you [her] (to be) of a respectable age!
 exclaims doña Amelia laughing.
9 He metido la pata.
Intento disculparme, y al mismo tiempo me juro
que nunca más hablará de edad delante de mujeres (8).		 I've put my foot (in it)!
I try to exculpate myself, and at the same time I swear to myself
that I shall never more speak of age before women.
  EJERCICIOS EXERCISE :
1 ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que no nos hemos visto? How long is it [h. much time does it make] since [that] we have not seen each other?
2 Cerca de dos meses; ¡cómo pasa el tiempo! About two months; how time passes!
3 Y sus padres de usted, ¿están todavía en Inglaterra? And your parents [his p. of his Honour] are still in England?
4 Sí, y yo vivo en casa de mi tío José (pron. Hossy) ;
¿creo que usted le conoce?		 Yes, and I live at my uncle Joseph's;
I think that you know him?
5

No, pero su hijo Pablo es amigo mío;
hace mucho tiempo que no le (or : lo) he visto.

No, but his son Paul is a friend (of) mine;
it is [makes] a long time since [that] I saw him.
6 Está muy ocupado, y sale poco.
¿Y usted qué hace? 		He is much occupied and goes out (very) little.
And you, what do you do?
7 Nada; bien he intentado trabajar, pero no puedo; Nothing. I have tried indeed to work, but I can't.
8 no quiero disimular delante de usted, y confieso que
el trabajo me aburre.		 1 will not dissemble before you, and I own
that work bores me.
  NOTES.
1 ¡Qué torpe soy! would mean : how clumsy I am (naturally, deeply).
With estoy, the meaning is different : how clumsy I am (at times).
2 Llegar, to arrive; llevar, to carry.
3 Está convenido : it is agreed; it's a thing that has just been done, and is not unchangeable at all :
está and not es.
- A taxi: un taxi or un taxis.
Two taxis : dos taxis.
4 Pasaron, visitaron (hard s) : spent, visited :
as in English, the preterite is a much used tense.
5 ¿ Qué cree usted? What do you think? - If one begins by usted, it is emphasized.
¿ Usted qué cree? What do you think?
- The son : el hijo (eeHo); the daughter : la hija (eeHa).
- Notice that before a word beginning by stressed i or hi, and is : e and not y, for euphony.
6

Ustedes no se tutean : "your Honours" do not say '"tú" to each other.
- Pensando ser galante : by saying estar, one would underline that it is only feigned gallantry,
for the occasion only.
7 ... la cree : thinks her (Honour), or with a repetition : la cree a usted.
8

Meter la pata : same simile in English : to put one's foot [paw] (in it).
- La mujer (moo-Hair) : the woman.
- Delante de : before.
   
 

Relatives of all degrees, uncles, cousins, brothers-in-law, etc. : los parientes.
The parents (mother and father) : los padres, i.e., the fathers.
- El padre, the father; la madre, the mother.
Eil hijo, la hija : the son, daughter.
El hermano, la hermana : the brother, sister.
- El tío, la tía: the uncle, aunt.
- El sobrino, la sobrina : the nephew, niece.
- El primo, la prima : the (boy-) cousin, (girl-) cousin
(Not to be mistaken with primero, primera, first).

Me aburro : I "bore myself", feel dull.
¿Se aburre usted? Are you feeling dull?