There are several verbs in English with the meaning of 'coger, agarrar' in Spanish, but they have distinctive semantic features. Here are the main ones:
to grab [ + suddenly,
hastily; eagerly; with a bad/selfish purpose] (agarrar,
coger, apresuradamente o con malas intenciones)
to clutch (at) [ + tightly, desperately, eager to keep or retain] [agarrar(se),
sujetar(se) fuertemente, desesperadamente, aferrarse a]
to cling (on) to [ + tightly, because you do not feel safe]
[agarrar(se), sujetar(se) fuertemente, sin soltar, aferrarse a]
to seize [ +
suddenly/hastily; violently, eagerly; forcibly; legally] (agarrar, asir;
apoderarse de; embargar)
to snatch [ + suddenly/hastily, eagerly, rudely, roughly, violently; unexpectedly,
without permission, as opportunity allows] [arrebatar, coger de un tirón,
arrancar; aprovechar (oportunidad)]
to snatch at sth [ + try
to take hold of sth; to take (an oportunity) eagerly] [tratar de agarrar algo;
aprovechar (oportunidad)]
to grip [ + firmly, tightly] [agarrar(se) firmemente, con
fuerza, asir, coger(se), agarrarse (un coche) a la carretera]
to grasp [ +
eagerly, firmly, greedily; to understand] [agarrar, asir; empuñar (arma);
apretar (mano); entender]
to clasp [ +
firmly, tightly, closely, encircling] (tener cogido, apretar, estrechar)
to snap up [ + quickly, eagerly, avidly;
accept (offer, bargain) quickly or eagerly] [ agarrar, coger, comprar con
avidez, aprovechar (buena oferta), llevarse (ganga)]
Consequently, they also have different lexical collocations:
to seize: to seize sth/sb (agarrar
algo/a alguien); to seize sb by the arm/the throat (agarrar a alguien por el brazo/la garganta); the opportunity (aprovechar
la oportunidad); the throne/a country/territory
(apoderarse del trono/de un país/de un territorio); smuggled things (incautarse
de, decomisar, embargar artículos robados, de contrabando, etc.): the police have seized ten thousand pounds worth of stolen goods (la
policía se ha incautado de objetos robados por un valor de diez mil libras); to be seized by panic/emotion (ser presa del
pánico/embargar la emoción)
to grab: to grab sth suddenly (agarrar/coger algo apresuradamente), to grab at sth/sb (tratar
de agarrar algo/a alguien), to grab sb by the arm/the
hair/the coat (agarrar/coger a alguien del brazo/de los pelos/de
la chaqueta), to grab a seat (coger
sitio), a sandwich (coger un
sandwich), to grab a couple of hours’ sleep (conseguir
dormir un par de horas)
to grasp: to grasp sth (agarrar,
asir algo), tightly/firmly/ (fuerte/firmemente), to grasp sb tightly by the wrist/the collar (agarrar
fuertemente de la muñeca/del cuello), to grasp at straws (agarrarse
a un clavo ardiendo), to grasp at sb’s shirt (agarrar
a alguien de la camisa), to grasp (at) an opportunity (aprovechar
una oportunidad), grasp all, lose all (quien
mucho abarca, poco aprieta)
to grip: to grip firmly/ hard/ tightly [agarrar(se),
asir(se), coger(se) firmemente/fuerte/con fuerza]: he gripped hard
at the arms of his chair (se agarró con fuerza a los brazos de la
silla); to be gripped by fear/panic (ser
presa del miedo/del pánico); the car didn’t grip the road
very well (el coche no se agarraba/adhería bien a la
carretera)
to clutch: to clutch at sth (agarrarse/sujetarse
a algo), firmly/tightly/desperately (firmemente/fuerte/desesperadamente), to clutch sth/sb to one’s
chest (apretar algo/a alguien contra el pecho), to clutch sth in one’s hand (tener cogido algo
en la mano), to clutch at straws (agarrarse
a un clavo ardiendo); to clutch at one’s
beliefs/ideas (aferrarse a sus creencias/ideas)
to cling: to cling (on) to (agarrarse
a algo/alguien, sin soltar): she clung (on) to his arm (se
agarró a su brazo); the survivors clung to the
floating wreckage (los supervivientes se agarraron a los restos
flotantes del naufragio); she clung on to her baby (se
agarraba a su bebé sin soltarlo); they clung together shivering
with cold (se agarraron unos a otros temblando de frío); (aferrarse a
ideas/creencias/costumbres/esperanza/la vida): they clung to the
hope that they might see their son again one day (se agarraban a la
esperanza de volver a ver a su hijo algún día); he clings to his
old habits (se aferra a sus viejos hábitos); (pegarse la ropa al cuerpo): the wet shirt clung to his chest (la camisa húmeda
se le pegaba al pecho); (quedarse pegado
un olor): the smell of smoke still clung to his clothes (el
olor a humo seguía pegado a su ropa)
to snatch: to snatch sth from sb’s hand (arrebatar
algo a alguien), he snatched her bag (le
quitó el bolso de un tirón), to snatch at sth (tratar
de agarrar algo)
to clasp: to clasp sb’s hand (apretar
firmemente la mano de alguien), to clasp hands (cogerse
de las manos), to clasp sth tightly (agarrar/sujetar
con fuerza), to clasp sb to one’s chest (abrazar/estrechar
a alguien contra el pecho)
As you can see, in some cases there is a certain overlapping. Thus, for example, you can seize/grab/snatch/grasp an opportunity; manage to snatch/grab an hour's sleep on the train; clutch/grip/grasp a bottle of champagne, etc.
EXERCISE
Fill in the blanks
with the right form of one of the following: to grab, to seize, to grasp, to clutch, to clasp, to grip, to snatch
a.- He............the edge of the
seat as the plane took off.
b.- The judge ordered his properties
to be ............
c.- That man .....my handbag at the
High Street.
d.- I don’t think you just ....how
serious the situation is.
e.- He managed to .....a ham
sandwich from the plate.
f.- He .....his hat to stop the wind
blowing it away.
g.- Agatha Christie's novels ......... you from start to finish.
h.- She stood with her hands ........ tightly together around her knees.
KEY
a.- gripped; b- seized;
c- snatched; d- grasp; e- grab; f- clutched; g.- grip; h.- clasped
0 comentarios :
Publicar un comentario