Breakdown of Al saltar el pozo, ella tiró la espada.
ella
she
saltar
to jump
tirar
to throw
al
upon / when (+ infinitive)
Questions & Answers about Al saltar el pozo, ella tiró la espada.
How does al saltar translate to "upon jumping"?
In Spanish, combining al (the contraction of a + el) with an infinitive verb like saltar creates a time clause. It means "upon [doing something]" or "when [doing something]". So, al saltar translates to "upon jumping" or "when jumping".
Who is doing the jumping in al saltar? How do we know?
Because saltar is an infinitive, it doesn't have an ending that tells us who is doing the action. In these al + infinitive structures, the person doing the action is almost always the subject of the main clause. Since the second half of the sentence says ella tiró (she dropped), we know that she is also the one jumping.
Why use tiró for "dropped"? I thought tirar meant "to throw".
You're right that tirar usually means "to throw" or "to toss". When used for "to drop", it often implies doing it intentionally or carelessly. If she dropped the sword completely by accident, it would be much more common to use an accidental structure like se le cayó la espada (the sword fell from her) or dejó caer la espada (she let the sword fall).
Does pozo usually mean a water well? Why is it translated as "pit" here?
Pozo most commonly refers to a water well, but it is also a general word for a deep hole, shaft, or pit in the ground. Context tells us she is jumping over a pit or gap rather than a brick water well!