Heath's Modern Language Series: The Spanish American Reader Part 6

[2] =en estos dias=, _in these days_. VARIANTS: =Actualmente=; =en los tiempos que corren=; =en estos tiempos=; =hoy dia=.

[3] =negocios=, _business_. RELATED WORDS: =Operaciones mercantiles=; =estar= or =entrar en negocios=; =asuntos=; =cosas del comercio=.

[4] =Como todo el mundo=, _As everybody_. See I, 173.

[5] Note that in Spanish, much more strictly than in English, the agreement depends upon the grammatical construction rather than the meaning.

[6] =fortunas=, _fortunes_. RELATED WORDS: =Riqueza privada=; =riqueza publica=; =hacerse rico=, _to become wealthy_; =disfrutar de buena posicion=, _to be in good financial standing_.

[7] =levantadas.= VARIANT: =Fortunas que comerciantes ... han levantado=.

[8] =comerciantes=, _merchants_. RELATED WORDS: =Mercader=; =agente de comercio=; =agente de negocios=; =agente de cambios=, _moneychanger_; =agente de bolsa=, _stock broker_; =perito= =mercantil=, _business expert_.

[9] =por lo que se ve=, _by what we can see_. VARIANTS: =Por lo visto=; =segun puede juzga.r.s.e=.

[10] =ganancia=, _earnings_. RELATED WORDS: =Entrada=, _income_; =producido liquido=; =resultar un saldo en favor=, _to show (showing) a balance in favor_.

[11] =grandes.= =Grande= belongs to the cla.s.s of adjectives having different meanings according to whether they precede or follow the noun.

See I, 45.

[12] =tan comunes ... como=, _as common ... as_; _so ... as_. VARIANT: =Abundan los grandes almacenes en la America latina tanto como aqui?=

[13] Note that this verb requires the reflexive construction in Spanish.

[14] =toda clase de=, _every variety of_. VARIANTS: =Todo genero de=; =todas las mercancias imaginables=.

[15] =mercancia=, _merchandise_. RELATED WORDS: =Mercaderia=, _goods_; =generos=, _anything to be bought or sold_; =abastos=, _provisions_; =existencias=; =efectos=, _stock on hand_; =surtido=, _a.s.sortment_; =objetos de venta=; =articulos=.

[16] =Le dire a usted=, _I will tell you_. VARIANTS: =Dire a usted=; =ahi vera=; =ya vera=; =ahora vera usted= (or =lo sabra usted=).

[17] =cierta independencia.= See 11.

[18] =Cada casa=, _Each house_.

[19] =desde ... hasta=, _from ... to_.

[20] =vendedor=, _one who sells_, _a salesman_. RELATED WORDS: =Comisionista=; =representante=; =corredor=, _broker_; =abastecedor= or =proveedor=, _purveyor_; =viajante=, _traveling salesman_; =agente=.

[21] =que apenas es algo mas que=, _who is scarcely more than_.

VARIANTS: =Que no pasa de ser=; =que no llega a=.

[22] =un pobre buhonero.= See 11.

[23] =toda=, _every_.

[24] =gran ciudad=. See 11.

[25] =firma= (=razon social=), _firm_, _company_. RELATED WORDS: =Socios=, _members of the firm_; =consocios=, _a.s.sociates_; =socio capitalista=; =socio industrial=.

[26] =organizadas.= See 7. VARIANT: =Firmas poderosas que algunos hombres ... han organizado=.

[27] Note especially the agreement of the adjective here.

[28] =compania.= Note that the abbreviation in common use is _Cia_.

[29] =sociedades=, _firms_; _a.s.sociations_. RELATED WORDS: =Sociedad comercial=; =sociedad en compania=; =sociedad en comandita=, _silent partnership_; =sociedad anonima=; =sindicato=.

[30] =que han alcanzado.= See 7 and 26. VARIANT: =La prosperidad alcanzada por=.

[31] =a que usted se refiere.= VARIANTS: =De que usted hace mencion=; =de que se trata=.

[32] =mas de lo que.= Here the second member of the comparison refers to the whole idea expressed in the first clause. See I, 168.

[33] =figura.r.s.e=, _to seem_.

[34] =a manos de=, _into the possession of_. VARIANT: =A poder de=.

[35] =En cada ramo=, _In each line of business_. Compare with 18.

[36] =casas mayoristas=, _wholesale houses_.

[37] =al por mayor=, _by the wholesale_.

[38] =Mas de una.= Compare with _mas que una_.

[39] =Mas de una= (plural in meaning, singular in form) =importa= (and not _importan_). See 5.

[40] =dichas casas=, _said houses_. VARIANTS: =Tales casas=; =las casas a que nos referimos=. Note that here the plural construction is resumed.

[41] =Por eso=, _For that reason_. VARIANTS: =Por esa razon=; =por tal razon= (or =motivo=).

[42] =ninguna de=, _none of_. See I, 109.

[43] =Tampoco.= Note that before a verb this word means _neither_.

[44] =Al entrar=, _Upon entering_. VARIANTS: =Asi que Ud. entra=; =en cuanto Ud. entra=; =tan p.r.o.nto como usted entra=.

[45] =ventas=, _sales_. RELATED WORDS: =Vender=; =vender al por mayor=, _to sell by wholesale_; =vender al por menor=, _to sell by retail_; =vender al contado=, _to sell for cash_; =vender a plazo=, _to sell on terms_; =vender a credito=, _to credit_; =vender al menudeo=, _to retail_, _to sell at retail_; =ventas= is also used in connection with the same phrases, as follows: =ventas al por mayor= or =al por menor=, etc.; =estar en venta=, _to be on sale_.

[46] =lo primero que se ve= (or =lo que se ve primero=). Compare with 9.

Also compare _primero_ and _primer_.

[47] =nueva mercaderia.= See 11.

[48] =los altos escritorios.= See I, 177.

[49] =libros de comercio=, _set of bookkeeping books_. RELATED WORDS: =Teneduria de libros=, _bookkeeping_; =libro de cuentas=, _(any) account book_; =libro borrador=, _blank book_; _blotter_; =libro de inventario=, _inventory book_; =libro de caja=, _cash book_; =libro copiador de cartas=, _letter book_; =libro diario=, _day book_; =libro mayor=, _ledger_; =libro de doc.u.mentos a cobrar=, _records of bills collectable_; =libro de doc.u.mentos a pagar=, _record of bills payable_; =cuenta deudora=, _debit account_; =cuenta acreedora=, _credit account_; =cuenta de mercancias=, _bill of goods_; =cuenta de perdidas y ganancias=, _profit and loss account_; =cerrar una cuenta=, _to close an account_; =liquidar=, _to settle (an account)_; =saldo a favor=, _a balance in favor_; =saldo en contra=, _a balance against_; =partida=, _item_, _entry_; =pasar al mayor=, _to transfer to the ledger_; =tenedor de libros=, _bookkeeper_; =cajero=, _cashier_; =debe=, _debit_; =haber=, _credit_; =activo=, _a.s.sets_; =pasivo=, _liabilities_; =entrada=, _cash receipts_; =salida=, _expenditure_; =a cargo de=, _charged to_; =a favor de=, _credited to_; =partida doble=, _double entry_; =a prorrata=, _pro rata_.

[50] =a credito=, _on credit_.