Spanish · Part Two

Ingenuidad e idiotismo

Innocence and Idiocy

49 sentences · 41 notes

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1
The chronicler of this story does not dare to define Erdosain, so numerous were the misfortunes of his life that the disasters he later set off in the company of the Astrologer can be explained by the psychic processes he suffered during his marriage.
Eltheel · determiner, masculine, singulardeterminer of cronista
cronistachroniclercronista · noun, masculine, singularsubject of atreve
deofde · prepositionpreposition marking historia
estathiseste · determiner, feminine, singulardeterminer of historia
historiastoryhistoria · noun, feminine, singularmodifies cronista
nonotno · adverbmodifies atreve
sehimselfél · pronoun, accusative, reflexivereflexive particle of atreve
atrevedaresatreverse · verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularmain verb of the sentence
atoa · prepositionintroduces the clause of definirlo
definirlodefine himdefinir él · verb, infinitivecomplement of atreve
a(object marker)a · prepositionpersonal 'a' marking Erdosain (clarifies definirlo)
The personal 'a' introduces Erdosain in apposition to the clitic 'lo,' clarifying who is being defined; it has no independent translation.
ErdosainErdosainErdosain · proper noundirect object of definirlo (in apposition)
tansotanto · adverbmodifies numerosas
numerosasnumerousnumeroso · adjective, feminine, pluralpredicate adjective, modifies desdichas
fueronwereser · auxiliary verb, past, indicative, third-person, pluralcopula linking to numerosas
lastheel · determiner, feminine, pluraldeterminer of desdichas
desdichasmisfortunesdesdicha · noun, feminine, pluralsubject of fueron (predicate numerosas)
deofde · prepositionpreposition marking vida
suhissu · determiner, singulardeterminer of vida
vidalifevida · noun, feminine, singularmodifies desdichas
quethatque · subordinating conjunctionintroduces the clause of explicarse
lostheel · determiner, masculine, pluraldeterminer of desastres
desastresdisastersdesastre · noun, masculine, pluralsubject of explicarse
quethatque · pronoundirect object of provocó (relative pronoun)
máslatermás · adverbmodifies tarde
tardelatertarde · adverbmodifies provocó
provocóset offprovocar · verb, past, indicative, third-person, singularverb of the relative clause (modifies desastres)
eninen · prepositionpreposition marking Astrólogo
compañíacompanycompañía · noun, feminine, singularpart of the phrase en compañía de
delof thedel · preposition + determiner, masculine, singulardeterminer of Astrólogo
AstrólogoAstrologerAstrólogo · proper nounoblique complement of provocó
puedencanpoder · auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, pluralauxiliary of explicarse
explicarsebe explainedexplicar él · verb, infinitivemain verb of the que-clause (predicate of desastres)
porbypor · prepositionpreposition marking procesos
lostheel · determiner, masculine, pluraldeterminer of procesos
procesosprocessesproceso · noun, masculine, pluraloblique complement of explicarse (agent introduced by por)
psíquicospsychicpsíquico · adjective, masculine, pluralmodifies procesos
sufridossufferedsufrido · adjective, masculine, pluralmodifies procesos
duranteduringdurante · prepositionpreposition marking matrimonio
suhissu · determiner, singulardeterminer of matrimonio
matrimoniomarriagematrimonio · noun, masculine, singularoblique complement of sufridos
GrammarRedundant object pronoun River Plate Spanish often doubles a person object with both the pronoun and the noun: «definirlo a Erdosain» literally puts both «lo» ('him') and «a Erdosain» on the same verb. The «a» is the personal «a» that marks a human direct object; the extra «lo» is the Buenos Aires habit of foreshadowing it. English just says 'to define Erdosain'.
2
Even today, when I reread Erdosain's confessions, it seems unbelievable to me that I should have witnessed such sinister unfoldings of shamelessness and anguish.
GrammarEnclitic pronoun on a finite verb «paréceme» is «me parece» ('it seems to me') with the pronoun «me» attached to the end of the verb instead of in front of it. This enclitic placement on a conjugated verb is archaic and literary today; Arlt uses it for an elevated, almost old-fashioned narrative voice.
3
I remember.
GrammarPronominal «acordarse» «acordarse (de)» means 'to remember' and is reflexive in form — it always carries a pronoun («me», «te», «se»…). Don't confuse it with «acordar» (without the pronoun), which means 'to agree' or 'to grant'.
During those three days when he was holed up in my house, he confessed it all.
GrammarPreterite for a closed span Both verbs are preterite. «estuvo refugiado» frames the three days as one bounded period now over, and «confesó» reports a completed act — Spanish uses the preterite, not the imperfect, when the past event is sealed off rather than ongoing.
4
We would meet in a huge room, empty of furniture, where little light reached.
Word«pieza» = room In River Plate Spanish «pieza» commonly means a 'room' (especially a bedroom or a let room), where Peninsular Spanish would say «habitación» or «cuarto». «pieza» can also mean a 'piece' generally, so context decides.
5
Erdosain would sit on the edge of a chair, his back arched, his elbows propped on his legs, his cheeks barred by his fingers, his gaze fixed on the floor.
GrammarAbsolute participle phrases Spanish piles up noun + past-participle clauses with no verb — «la espalda arqueada» = 'his back (being) arched', «los codos apoyados» = 'his elbows propped'. Each is a little snapshot of posture. Note the definite article «la / los» where English uses possessives ('his back', 'his elbows').
6
He spoke dully, without pause, as if reciting a lesson engraved in the cold by infinite atmospheres of pressure, on the plane of his dark consciousness.
Grammar«como si» + imperfect subjunctive «como si» ('as if') always triggers the subjunctive, and for a hypothetical happening at the same time it takes the imperfect subjunctive: «recitara» ('were reciting'). The construction sets up an unreal comparison — he wasn't really reciting a lesson, he only sounded as though he were.
The tone of his voice, whatever the events might be, was even, isochronous, methodical, like that of a clock's gearing.
GrammarConcessive subjunctive ('whatever…') «cuáles fueran los acontecimientos» uses the imperfect subjunctive «fueran» in a concessive sense: 'whatever the events were / might be'. Spanish builds 'no matter what / whoever / whenever' clauses with the subjunctive to signal that the case is left open.
7
If he was interrupted he did not grow annoyed, but rather began the account again, adding the requested details, always with his head bowed, his eyes fixed on the floor, his elbows propped on his knees.
Grammar«no… sino que» «sino» corrects a preceding negative — 'not X but rather Y'. When the contrast is between two whole conjugated clauses, Spanish uses «sino que»: «no se irritaba, sino que recomenzaba» = 'he did not get annoyed, but rather started over'. With just a word or phrase, plain «sino» would do.
He narrated with a slowness that came from an excess of attention, so as not to cause confusion.
Grammar«para» + infinitive of purpose «para» plus an infinitive states a purpose: «para no originar confusiones» = 'in order not to cause confusion'. The negative «no» sits directly before the infinitive. Because the subject is the same throughout, Spanish keeps the infinitive instead of a full «para que» + subjunctive clause.
8
Impassively he heaped unease upon iniquity.
He knew he was going to die, that the justice of men was hunting him, relentlessly, but he, with his revolver in his pocket, his elbows propped on his knees, his face barred by his fingers, his gaze fixed on the dust of the huge empty room, went on speaking impassively.
Grammar«ir a» + infinitive in the past «iba a morir» is the imperfect of «ir a» + infinitive — the past version of 'going to': 'he was going to die'. It expresses a future seen from a point in the past, the doom hanging over the scene rather than a finished act.
9
He had grown extraordinarily thin in just a few days.
GrammarPluperfect tense «había enflaquecido» is the pluperfect: imperfect of «haber» («había») + past participle. It reports an action completed before another past moment — by the time of the narration he had already wasted away. English matches it with 'had grown thin'.
The yellow skin, stuck to the flat bones of his face, gave him the look of a consumptive.
Word«tísico» = consumptive «tísico» means someone suffering from «tisis», the old word for tuberculosis ('consumption'). Used as a noun here, it conjures the wasted, hollow-cheeked look the disease was famous for — fitting the next sentence's autopsy.
Later the autopsy revealed that the disease was already far advanced in him.
10
He was telling me, on the second afternoon of his stay in my house:
GrammarEnclitic «me» on the imperfect «decíame» is «me decía» ('he was telling me') with the object pronoun attached after the verb. As with «paréceme» earlier, this enclitic-on-a-finite-verb word order is a literary archaism; modern speech puts the pronoun in front: «me decía».
11
—Before I married, I used to think of fornication with horror.
Grammar«antes de» + infinitive When both clauses share a subject, 'before doing X' is «antes de» + infinitive: «antes de casarme» = 'before getting married / before I married'. The reflexive «-me» on «casar» marks the subject as the one marrying.
To my mind, a man married only to be always at his wife's side and to enjoy the gladness of seeing each other at every hour; and to talk to each other, to love each other with the eyes, with words and smiles.
GrammarReciprocal «-se» Here the pronoun «-se» is reciprocal — 'each other'. «verse» = 'to see each other', «hablarse» = 'to talk to each other', «quererse» = 'to love each other'. Spanish folds the whole 'one another' idea into a single pronoun.
True, I was young then, but when I became Elsa's sweetheart I felt the need to renew all these things.
GrammarImperfect vs. preterite «era joven» (imperfect) describes a lasting background state — 'I was young'. «fui novio» and «sentí» (preterite) report bounded events — 'I became her sweetheart', 'I felt'. The same sentence shows the contrast: ongoing condition vs. punctual act.
12
He went on speaking.
13
Erdosain never kissed Elsa, because he was happy letting the vertigo of loving her tighten his throat, and because he also believed that "a young lady should not be kissed".
Grammar«dejar que» + subjunctive «dejar que» ('to let / allow that…') governs the subjunctive: «dejando que le apretara la garganta» = 'letting the vertigo tighten his throat'. «apretara» is imperfect subjunctive because the main verb «era» is in the past. The thing doing the tightening, «el vértigo», is the grammatical subject sitting after its verb.
And he mistook for spirituality what was in itself nothing more than an appetite of his flesh.
Grammar«lo que» = 'what / that which' «lo que» is a neuter relative meaning 'what' or 'that which' when there is no specific noun to point at: «lo que… no era más que un apetecimiento» = 'what was nothing more than an appetite'. The neuter «lo» refers to a whole idea rather than a masculine or feminine thing.
14
—Nor did we address each other as "tú", because the distance that the formal "usted" set between us was pleasant to me.
Grammar«tutear» = to use «tú» «tutear» means to address someone with the familiar «tú» (or, in Buenos Aires, «vos») rather than the formal «usted». Reflexive «tutearse» makes it mutual: «nos tuteábamos» = 'we were on familiar terms'. He prefers the cool formality of «usted».
Besides, I believed that one does not use "tú" with a young lady.
GrammarImpersonal «se» «no se la tutea» uses impersonal «se» for a generalized 'one': 'one does not address her familiarly'. The «la» is the feminine direct object ('her', the young lady). Spanish leans on «se» where English reaches for 'one', 'you', or the passive.
Don't laugh.
GrammarNegative «usted» command «no se ría» is a negative command addressed with «usted»: 'don't laugh'. Negative commands always use the subjunctive form («ría» from «reír»), and the reflexive «se» comes before the verb in a negative command (compare the affirmative «ríase»).
To my mind, the "señorita" was the true expression of purity, perfection, and innocence.
At her side I did not come to know desire, but the disquiet of a delicious rapture that filled my eyes with tears.
Grammar«conocer» in the preterite «conocer» in the imperfect means 'to know / be acquainted with', but in the preterite it shifts to 'to meet' or 'to come to know (for the first time)'. So «no conocí el deseo» = 'I did not come to know desire' — the onset of an experience, framed as a single event.
And I was happy because I loved with suffering, unaware of the aim of my desire, and because I believed that all that terrible organic convulsion which laid me low, blissful, before her still gaze was spiritual love — a clean gaze that slowly pierced the most trembling under-layers of my spirit.
GrammarFalse friend «ignorar» «ignorar» does not mean 'to ignore'; it means 'to be unaware of / not know'. «ignorando el fin de mi deseo» = 'not knowing the aim of my desire'. To say 'ignore (deliberately disregard)' Spanish would use «hacer caso omiso» or «no hacer caso».
15
While he spoke, I watched Erdosain.
Grammar«en tanto» = while «en tanto (que)» is a literary connector meaning 'while / meanwhile / as long as'. Here it sets the narrator's watching against Erdosain's talking, both ongoing in the imperfect («hablaba», «miraba»).
He was a murderer, a murderer, and he was talking about the shadings of an absurd feeling!
16
He went on:
17
—And on the night of the day we married, alone at last in the hotel room, she undressed unselfconsciously in front of the lit lamp.
GrammarReflexive «desnudarse» «desnudarse» ('to undress oneself') is reflexive — the «se» shows the subject acts on herself. Many grooming and dressing verbs work this way in Spanish: «vestirse» (get dressed), «bañarse» (bathe), «peinarse» (comb one's hair).
Blushing to the temples, I turned my head away so as not to look at her and so that she would not discover my shame.
GrammarPurpose clause + subjunctive After the purpose «para» the sentence shifts subjects, so it switches to a «(para) que» clause with the subjunctive: «que no descubriera mi vergüenza» = 'so that she would not discover my shame'. «descubriera» is imperfect subjunctive, matching the past main verb «volví».
Then I took off my collar, my jacket, and my boots, and slipped under the sheets with my trousers still on.
Word«saco» = jacket In River Plate Spanish «saco» is a man's suit jacket, not a 'sack'. «botines» are ankle boots or laced boots. Note «me quité» (reflexive «quitarse» = to take off one's own clothing) versus plain «quitar» = to take away from someone.
On the pillow, among her black curls, she turned her face and said, smiling with a strange laugh:
18
—Aren't you afraid they'll get wrinkled?
Grammar«Voseo»: «tenés» for «tienes» Buenos Aires uses «vos» instead of «tú», with its own present-tense endings: «vos tenés» where Peninsular Spanish says «tú tienes». The stress moves to the final syllable and the stem does not diphthongize. «Voseo» is the hallmark of porteño speech throughout Arlt's dialogue.
Take them off, you silly thing.
Word«zoncito» — affectionate 'silly' «zonzo/sonso» means 'silly, foolish' in River Plate slang; the «-ito» diminutive «zoncito» turns it tender, like 'you little goose'. «Sácatelos» stacks two pronouns on a command — «saca» + «te» (reflexive) + «los» ('them', the trousers): 'take them off (yourself)'.
19
Later, a mysterious distance separated Elsa from Erdosain.
GrammarDoubled object again As in the opening sentence, the human object is doubled: the pronoun «la» plus «a Elsa». «la separó a Elsa de Erdosain» = 'it separated Elsa from Erdosain'. The clitic «la» anticipates the named object — standard in Buenos Aires speech and prose.
She would give herself to him, but with revulsion, let down who knows in what.
GrammarImperfect for a habit «se entregaba» is imperfect — a repeated, habitual past: 'she would give herself / used to give herself'. The imperfect is Spanish's tense for customary or recurring past behaviour, distinct from a one-time act in the preterite.
And he would kneel at the head of her bed and beg her to give herself to him for a moment, but the woman, with a voice dull with impatience, would answer him almost shouting:
Grammar«suplicar que» + subjunctive Verbs of asking and begging like «suplicar» take a «que» clause in the subjunctive: «le suplicaba que se le diera» = 'he begged her to give herself to him'. «diera» is imperfect subjunctive because «suplicaba» is past. Note also literary «mas» (no accent) = 'but', a higher-register «pero».
20
—Leave me alone!
GrammarAffirmative command + attached pronoun «déjame» is the «tú»-command «deja» with «me» attached: 'leave me'. «tranquila» is a feminine adjective agreeing with the female speaker — 'leave me (in) peace / alone'. In affirmative commands the pronoun attaches to the end and an accent is added to keep the stress («déjame»).
Can't you see you disgust me?
Word«dar asco» = to disgust «dar asco» literally 'to give disgust/nausea' is the idiom for 'to disgust / be revolting': «me das asco» = 'you disgust me'. It works like «dar miedo» (to frighten) — the thing that causes the feeling is the subject, and the person who feels it is the indirect object «me».
21
Reining in a terror of catastrophe, Erdosain would sink back into his bed.
GrammarGerund as backdrop The «-ndo» gerund «refrenando» ('reining in') opens the sentence to describe a simultaneous action: 'while reining in a terror of catastrophe, he sank…'. Spanish often fronts a gerund to set the manner or circumstance of the main verb.
22
—I would not lie down, but rather stayed sitting up, my back almost propped against the pillow, staring into the darkness.
GrammarFronted absolute participle «casi apoyada la espalda en la almohada» is an absolute construction — participle before its noun — meaning 'my back almost propped against the pillow'. The participle «apoyada» agrees in gender and number with «la espalda». It paints the posture without a separate finite verb.
I knew there was no point in lying there staring into the darkness, but I imagined that she, moved to pity at seeing me like that, abandoned in the dark, would end up taking pity and saying to me: "All right, come if you want".
Grammar«terminar por» + infinitive «terminar por» + infinitive means 'to end up (doing)': «terminaría por apiadarse» = 'she would end up taking pity'. «terminaría» is the conditional, reporting an imagined future from a past viewpoint. «vení» is the «vos» command of «venir», and «queras» is his rendering of «quieras» ('you want').
But never, never did she say those words to me, until one night I shouted at her, desperate:
GrammarDouble negation and emphasis When a negative word like «nunca» comes before the verb, Spanish needs no extra «no»: «nunca me dijo» = 'she never said to me'. Repeating «nunca, nunca» piles on emphasis — 'never, never'. The preterite «dijo» marks it as a settled fact across the whole marriage.
23
—But you, what do you think… that I'm going to be masturbating forever?
Grammar«Voseo» + reflexive «pensarse» «vos te pensás» is the porteño «vos» form of «pensarse» ('to think / suppose'), stressed on the last syllable: «pensás» rather than «piensas». The reflexive «te» adds a colloquial, indignant edge — roughly 'what on earth do you imagine?'.
24
And then she, serenely, answered me:
25
—It's no use: I should never have married you.
Grammar«deber» + perfect infinitive = regret «debía haberme casado» pairs «deber» ('ought / should') with a perfect infinitive «haber casado» to voice regret about the past: 'I should have married'. Negated, «no debía haberme casado con vos» = 'I should not have married you'. «vos» is again the porteño 'you'.

The particulars

The text: Los siete locos, Roberto Arlt. Part Two.
Reading aloud: Digital narration, directed by 1732 Studios.
Words: Every word of the text, by letter.
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