Hello There! Can someone please translate this for me?

Hi, I'm reading a passage from Mario Benedetti's "Siesta" and I'm having trouble translating all the modismos, and pretty much the first 4 or so paragraphs.

Can someone please be kind enough to translate for me?

Nicolas siempre había sabido los datos verdaderos de aquel personaje singular, pero el nombre de guerra era Gabriel y así había que nombrarlo. Alguna vez (de eso hacía ya un par de años) habían hablado largamente y sus diferencias de criterio habían quedado en claro. Definitivamente, Nicolas no creía en las posibilidades de la lucha armada, y Gabriel, en cambio, había decidido jugarse la vida en ese rumbo. De todas maneras, ya desde aquella lejana ocasión, a Nicolas le había asombrado la profundidad de su análisis, la lucidez pragmática y la capacidad de comprender al prójimo, que se escondían tras la apariencia rústica, los gestos elementales y la verba apenas murmurada de aquel hombre, ya cuarentón, que le exponía sus razones sin la menor esperanza de convencerlo.

Cada dos o tres meses se encontraban en sitios inesperados (siempre propuestos por Gabriel), en apariencia los menos adecuados para alguien que andaba clandestino. Pero Gabriel fundamentaba esa actitud: jamás estarás tan oculto como en medio de la multitud. En uno de esos encuentros, se atrevió a decir: Ya sé lo que pensás y también sé que no vas a cambiar, pero sólo quiero preguntarte si estarías dispuesto a ayudarnos, haciendo algunas cositas que, por razones obvias, vos podés hacer y nosotros no. Si no te parece bien, te aseguro que nada va a cambiar entre nosotros. Amigos como siempre. Nicolas pidió veinticuatro horas para pensarlo, y luego de pedir datos adicionales, respondió afirmativamente.

En razón de su trabajo, que tenía que ver sobre todo con transacciones comerciales con el exterior, Nicolas viajaba con frecuencia a Europa, a los Estados Unidos, a países del Tercer Mundo. Lo que le pedía Gabriel era que, en algunas de esas salidas, llevara, convenientemente camuflados, mensajes documentos o pasaportes en blanco, que debía entregar a determinados o contactos, o a veces simplemente despachar en un correo específico. El riesgo estaba realmente en la salida, pero la corriente actividad de Nicolas, con sus normales y regulares salidas de Carrasco, lo situaba más allá del bien y del mal.

Para la entrega de aquellos encargos, Gabriel había diseñado otra táctica, cambiando la muchedumbre por la siesta. Sostenía que en el verano todo el país dormía su siesta, incluidos tiras y policías varios. De modo que citaba a Nicolas en cafés de barrio, que a esa hora tenían escasos parroquianos. Ellos pedían un cortado y un chop, siempre lo mismo, como si se tratara de piezas de un ritual, conversaban un rato para no lIamar la atención, pero ya no discutían de variantes o contradicciones ideológicas, sino de fútbol o cine o de mujeres. Y cuando el mozo volvía a la barra y les daba la espalda, Gabriel deslizaba el paquetito, que Nicolas metía en su portafolio. Yen medio de un comentario, por ejemplo, sobre la Capa Libertadores, Gabriel musitaba: son pañuelos o es turrón o son caramelos.

If someone can translate all of this for me (I know it's a lot) I'll appreciate it very much :)

Nicolas had always known the real information of that singular character, but the nom de guerre (pseudonym) was Gabriel and that's how he was to be called. One day ( a couple of years ago) they had spoken for a long time and it had been clear, they had different opinions. Definitely, Nicolas did not believe in the possibilities of armed struggle, and Gabriel, on the other hand, had decided to stake his life on that path. Anyhow, already from that distant occasion, Nicolas had been amazed at the depth of his analysis, the pragmatic lucidity and the aptitude to understand the neighbor which were hiding behind the rustic appearance, the elementary gestures and the scarcely murmured speech of that man, already forty-something, who expounded his reasons without the minor hope of convincing him.

Every two or three months they met in unexpected places (always proposed by Gabriel), in appearance the least adequate for someone who was in hiding (underground). But Gabriel was basing himself in this attitude: you will never be so hidden as in the middle of a crowd. In one of these meetings, he dared to say: I already know what you think and also I know that you are not going to change, but I just want to ask you if you would be willing to help us, doing some small things that, for obvious reasons, you can do and we cannot. If you do not like it, I assure you that nothing is going to change between us. Friends as always. Nicolas asked twenty-four hours to think about it, and after asking for additional information, he agreed.

Because of his work, which had to do especially with business transactions overseas, Nicolas often travelled to Europe, to the United States, and to Third World countries.What Gabriel was asking him for was that, in some of these trips, he should take, properly camouflaged, messages or documents or blank passports, which he had to deliver to determined people or contacts, or sometimes simply to deliver in a specific mail(post office?). The risk was really in the exit, but the current activity of Nicolas, with his normal and regular exits from Carrasco, placed him beyond good and evil.

For the delivery of those assignments, Gabriel had designed another tactic, exchanging the crowd for the siesta. He said that in the summer the whole country was sleeping its siesta, included TIRAS and different police officers. So he was meeting Nicolas in neighborhood cafés, which at this hour had scarce attendance. They asked for coffee with a dash of milk and a chop, always the same, as if it were pieces of a ritual, they talked a little bit to not call attention, but they didn't discuss variant or ideological contradictions anymore, but soccer or movies or women. And when the waiter was returning to the bar and was turned his back, Gabriel would slide the small package, which Nicolas put in his briefcase. And in the middle of a comment, for example, on the COPA LIBERTADORES (a soccer tournament), Gabriel would mumble: they are handkerchiefs or it is nougat or they are caramels.


Ok, Had some free time so I figured why not =)
Also, I don't know what TIRAS means in there, maybe someone could clarify that =)

Holy cow! I sometimes use these as exercises, but, for me, that would be a whole week's worth. Isn't las tiras Mexican for the cops?

Wow thank you guys! I think I understand this story a whole lot better now :) Thanks much!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gernt

Holy cow! I sometimes use these as exercises, but, for me, that would be a whole week's worth. Isn't las tiras Mexican for the cops?

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I thought it'd be a good exercise too =) I'm sure I could refine a few spots, but I figured it is good enough for him to understand it.