Como notase

Question

This is a sentence from Trafalgar, followed by the corresponding sentence from the English version. Could I please get some input about why the (past) subjunctive, notase, is used here? (I would have expected "cuando notó".)

Como notase en D. Alonso iguales síntomas de recrudecimiento, se franqueó con él, y desde entonces pasaban gran parte del día y de la noche comunicándose, así las noticias recibidas como las propias sensaciones, refiriendo hechos pasados, haciendo conjeturas sobre los venideros y soñando despiertos, como dos grumetes que en íntima confidencia calculan el modo de llegar a almirantes.

Discovering in Don Alfonso similar symptoms of rejuvenescence, he confessed to him, and from that hour they spent the chief part of the day and night in discussing the news that arrived and their own feelings in the matter . . .

Answer 1

Gus, the translated sentence was from the English version of the book; the book is Trafalgar, the first of the Episodios Nacionales by Benito Pérez Gáldos. I agree with your opinion that it sounds awkward. In fact, I looked up "rejuvenescence" to see if it was in the dictionary, having heard rejuvenate but not the noun form. My question, though, wasn't really about how to translate the Spanish, but about the "Como notase" construction.

Answer 2

Yea, I think I will shorten the sentence,later on, of course it will loose its flavor.
It will be the barbarian translation.

Answer 3

Did you translated the very long sentence? I think there might be some mistakes in the translation ,for example almirantes is admiral,conjetura might mean guessing, I am not sure.I have to look for the book in the library and a better dictionary than the one I own.

I can not find the definition of rejuvenescence and recrudecimiento,

I t has been a long time since I read this type of literature.It is challenging

I wont dare to simplyified the sentence.

Answer 4

Cual libro esta leyendo? No es Cabo Trafalgar por Arturo Perez-Reverte? Me gusteria leer la historia de Trafalgar por un espanol, pero necesito el mismo libro en ingles tambien porque mi espanol no es bastante buen. Estoy leyendo ahora Nelson's Trafalgar por Adkins en ingles.

Answer 5

James, I don't know how you found that, but it was helpful. I'll assume that in Trafalgar this was not a sloppy-newspaper error, but a (possibly obsolete') literary form.

(Thanks, and for now I'll forgive you for stepping on my word in the other discussion.)

James Santiago said:

I think it's an archaic way of saying "Como había notado." See the following.

<http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php't=1102566>

Literally, "As he had noted in Don Alfonso..."

>

Answer 6

I think it's an archaic way of saying "Como había notado." See the following.

<http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php't=1102566>

Literally, "As he had noted in Don Alfonso..."