Business Spanish - The Preposition

. Learn Spanish Grammer .

LESSON XLV.
(Lección cuadragésima quinta.)

THE PREPOSITION.

One word should not be used in Spanish governed by two different
prepositions, as--

He is an admirer of and a contributor to the "Times": Es admirador del
"Times" y colabora en ese periódico.

The man I spoke with and wrote to: El hombre con quien hablé y al cual
escribí.

However, we find the same construction as in English in cases of
_antithesis_, as--

Con ó sin él: With or without him.

El billete cuesta 20 pesetas desde ó hasta Madrid: The ticket is 20
ptas. from or to Madrid.

The Spanish Academy condemns this use, however.

As will have been noticed before, a preposition governing a word cannot
be used _after_ the word it governs, as--

The work[204] which I referred to: La obra á la cual referí.

[Footnote 204: Work, artistic, literary, scientific--"obra." Work,
manual, or mental--"trabajo."]

The preposition _con_ followed by an infinitive translates the English
"by," followed by the present participle--

Con enseñar se aprende: By teaching one learns.

The preposition _desde_ refers to "distance of time or space," as--

He marchado desde mi casa: I walked from my house.

However, _desde_ may be used instead of _de_ before names of countries
or cities--

Me escribieron desde Barcelona: They wrote me from Barcelona.

_Para_ may be used together with _con_ = "towards"--

Fué muy bueno conmigo, para mí, _or_ para conmigo.

"_En_ acabando[205] lo haré" has the meaning of "I shall do it as soon
as I have finished."

[Footnote 205: _En_ is the only preposition which may govern a pres.
participle, generally with the meaning given above.]

We add the following idiomatic uses of _Por_ and _Para_ to what we said
about these two prepositions in Lesson XXIX:

_Por_ may translate "on behalf of," "for the sake of," "in favour of,"
"during," "through"--

Habló por el proyecto de ley: He spoke in favour of the bill.
Se presentó por la casa: He appeared on behalf of the firm.
Por la paz y buena armonía concedemos lo que V. pide: For the sake of
peace we allow what you ask.
Les sirvió por cinco años: He served them during five years.
Trabaja por la mañana: He works during (in) the morning.
Vino por París: He came through Paris.
Cotizar por un artículo: To quote for an article.
Yo por mí (_or_ por mi parte) prefiero comprar al contado: I, for one,
prefer to buy for cash.
Por[206] rico que sea, no tendrá suficientes recursos: No matter how
rich he is, he will not have sufficient means.
Es demasiado avaro por ser tan rico: for such a rich man, he is too
miserly.
Caro por caro prefiero géneros ingleses: If I have to pay a dear price,
I prefer English goods.
Por sí ó por no: In any case, should it be so or not.
Ir (venir) por: To go (come) for.
Enviar por el médico: To send for the doctor.
Por holgazán perdió el empleo: He lost his employment through laziness.
Por bién ó por mal: Willy-nilly.
Vendré por la Navidad: I shall come by Christmas.
Por si acaso: In case that.

[Footnote 206: _Por_ has always this meaning before an adjective or
adverb.]

No sirve para más: He is good for nothing else.
Venir para la Pentecostés: To come for Whitsuntide.
Esto no es para menos: The thing (or occasion) is worth it.
Para español (_or_ por ser español) es muy alto: He is very tall for a
Spaniard.
Tener grande consideración para este hombre: To have great respect for
this man.
Dar pedidos para ferretería, ollería, y maquinaría: To give orders for
ironware, hollow-ware and machinery.
Es demasiado avaro para ser tan rico: He is too miserly to be so rich.

_Sin_--"without"--

Poseía £10,000 sin los bienes raíces que heredó de su padre:
He owned £10,000 besides the real property he inherited from his father.

_Según_--"according to"--

Según y como: That depends.

_So_ instead of _bajo_ is used in the following expressions--

So capa de: Under the cloak of.

So pretexto de: Under the pretext of.

And in a few other such phrases.

VOCABULARY.

=acabado, aderezo=, finish (cloth)
=acolchados=, quiltings
=admitir=, to admit, to accept
=agente exclusivo=, sole agent
=alfombradas=, carpetings
=á no ser así=, were it not so, otherwise
=anclar=, to anchor
=arreglo=, agreement
=bajista=, bearish (exchange)
=cablegrama=, cablegram, cable
=capataz=, foreman
=conceder=, to grant
=coquillos=, jeans
=disposición=, disposition, disposal
=empeñarse=, to pledge oneself
=en su ramo=, in your line
=exclusividad=, exclusive sale
=fama=, fame, reputation, name
=frazadas de algodón=, cotton blankets
=lento=, remiss
=nombrar=, to appoint
=palo de mesana=, mizzen mast
=palo mayor=, main mast
=por escrito=, in writing
=postergar=, to put off, to delay
=proveerse=, to supply oneself
=tapetes=, carpet rugs
*=tener inconveniente=, to have an objection
=tomar en consideración=, to take into consideration, to entertain
=trinquete=, foremast

EXERCISE 1 (89).

Translate into English--

1. Con ser abiertamente (manifestly) bajista la especulación, las
acciones mineras se han sostenido.

2. Desde Barcelona ha llegado un radiograma avisando que había anclado
en ese puerto el vapor "Cibeles" con el trinquete roto y el palo mayor y
el de mesana también dañados.

3. El jefe es muy bondadoso para con sus empleados.

4. Dos cajas de coquillos y una de pañuelos de andrinópolis (turkey red)
nos vinieron por Burdeos (Bordeaux), los acolchados, las alfombradas,
los tapetes y las frazadas de algodón se embarcaron por mar.

5. Por la buena fama de su casa no debería postergar por más tiempo el
pago.

6. Por sí ó por no mejor sería proveerse.

7. El capataz fué al Director por órdenes.

8. Por bien ó por mal tendrá que admitir los géneros pues se han
fabricado por su cuenta y tenemos su orden por escrito para ellos.

9. Se alarmó mucho, pues el asunto no era para menos.

10. Para género de algodón el acabado (or aderezo) es todo lo que se
puede desear.

11. Por ser género de algodón esta tela es de muy buena vista.

12. Es demasiado barato para ser de lana.

13. Si desea V. obtener órdenes debe tener mucha consideración para los
corresponsales.

14. No puedo prometerle entrega para 1° de Junio exactamente, pero haré
por efectuarla por esa fecha.

15. ¿Conoce V. el refrán: "No hay mal que por bien no venga"? (It is an
ill wind that blows nobody good.)

EXERCISE 2 (90).

Translate into Spanish--

1. This sample looks very nice for an imitation.

2. It being in your line, I thought I ought to give you the first chance
(hacerle la primera oferta) in case it would tempt you (por si acaso le
animara á comprar).

3. To begin with you would have to engage the cloth to us (darnos la
exclusividad).

4. I have no objection provided you guarantee a certain turnover
(venta).

5. He was appointed sole agent for the whole of Mexico through the
recommendation of his brother-in-law, and his agreement with the firm is
for 3 years certain (fijos).

6. That will bring him (le producirá) £500 a year if it brings him a
penny (por lo menos).

7. Being such an important concern (casa) they do not pay their staff
very handsomely (generosamente).

8. They are too remiss with (en) their payments to be such important
people.

9. I very nearly pledged myself to grant him the exclusive sale of my
article.

10. These are his instructions for the disposal of his goods

11. However clear they may be, we must have his cable confirmed by a
letter.

12. Therefore we cannot entertain your offer for the present.

13. It cannot be helped, otherwise (Tenga paciencia, si fuese posible)
we would do everything for you.