Grupo Básico Español – lección treinta y tres
Buenos días señores y señoras. Bienvenidos a la lección treinta y tres de
la clase de español.
¿Qué tenemos esta semana?
1.
Nuestra historia, Artrosis de
Alonso Obarrola
2.
Un video de Maria Dolores
3.
Por o para - una guía
4.
Sueños - el capítulo once continúa
¡Empecemos!
Our story was somewhat different this week. Did you enjoy it?
Relato corto
de Alonso Ibarrola: Artrosis
Lo achacaba
a la postura adoptada en su mesa de trabajo y a su vida sedentaria…
It was blamed on the posture adopted at
his work desk and on his sedentary lifestyle.
El hecho es
que siempre le dolía el cuello, la espalda y las cervicales.
The fact is that his neck, back and spine
always hurt.
Esto último
lo sabía hoy el doctor que le atendió fugazmente en la consulta de la Seguridad
Social. La cosa, al parecer, no tenía remedio ni solución.
Today, the doctor that attended to him
briefly in the Social Security consultation knew this. The thing, it seems, has no cure or remedy.
Solamente podría encontrar alivio practicando la natación,
relajándose, caminando al aire libre… y con los masajes. iAh, los famosos
masajes de los que siempre estaban hablando sus compañeros de oficina a todas
horas, entre bromas y risas! Él nunca les prestó atención. Pero ahora su salud le preocupaba.
Podría is the conditional form of the
verb poder. You might ask a stranger: “podría ayudarme por favor”. Rather than
“puede ayudarme”. It’s a softer request, more polite. “Would you be able to
help me”? rather than “can you help me?”
He would only be able to find relief by
swimming, relaxation, walking in the open air … and with massages. Ah! The
famous massages that his office colleagues were always taking about between
jokes and laughter. He never paid attention. But now his health worried him.
Salud significa health.
They say “salud” is Spain instead of “cheers” when you clink glasses. We also say this when someone sneezes or coughs
Se interesó
por los masajes, y un compañero, solícito y sonriente, le mostró un periódico
con decenas de masajistas ofreciendo sus servicios. Jamás hubiera supuesto que
existieran tantos afectados por la artrosis. De otra manera, se decía, no se
justificaría tanta oferta de masajistas.
He was interested in the massages and a
colleague, secretive and smiling, showed him a newspaper with dozens of
masseuses offering their services. He would never have supposed there was so
many people affected by arthritis. Otherwise, it must be said, there was no
other reason for there being so many masseuses.
Probó con
uno de los teléfonos reseñados en la sección de anuncios y una solícita voz femenina le
informó del horario: de cuatro de la tarde a dos de la madrugada. Le pareció
una exageración el horario nocturno. Quiso saber el importe de antemano, pero
la voz femenina le dijo: “Eso lo aclararemos aquí, cariño”.
Solícita can
mean solicitous, but also careful or nice. I’ve translated it as pleasant
He tried one of the numbers listed in the
announcements section and a pleasant female voice informed him of the schedule:
from four in the afternoon to two in the morning. The night time seemed a
little extreme. He wanted to know the amount in advance, but the female voice
told him: "That we will clarify here, honey."
Le molestó
un poco la confianza que se tomaba aquella voz anónima, pero no le dio mayor
importancia. Tomó nota de la dirección y al día siguiente se presentó. La
enfermera que abrió la puerta de la consulta era muy atractiva. Él le explicó
el motivo de la visita, el lugar exacto de las molestias y ella no pareció
inmutarse.
He was annoyed a little by the over-familiarity
that that anonymous voice took, but he did not give it much importance. He took
note of the address and the next day he showed up. The nurse who opened the
door of the consultation was very attractive. He explained the reason for the
visit, the exact place of the trouble and she did not flinch.
Le condujo a
una salita, blanca, como un quirófano, con su mesa camilla donde le hizo
tenderse, boca abajo, tras aconsejarle que se desnudara de cintura para arriba.
Se quitó la chaqueta, la camisa y la camiseta, esta última prenda con cierto
embarazo. La señorita le preguntó: “¿Servicio normal?”.
Embarazo is translated as pregnancy. I
think it maybe should have been embarazoso (embarrassment). It is also
embarassment.
She led him to a small, white room, like
an operating theatre, with a stretcher table where she made him lie down, on
his stomach, after advising him to undress from the waist up. He took off his
jacket, shirt and vest, this last one with a certain embarrassment. The young lady asked him: "Normal
service?"
“Normal”,
respondió él. Y durante media hora aquella experta mujer hizo maravillas con
los músculos de su cuello, con su espalda. No parecía fatigarse ni abrió la
boca. Entregada por
completo a su labor, concentrada, afanosa, hierática, profesional ciento por
ciento.
"Normal," he replied. And for
half an hour that expert woman did wonders with the muscles of his neck and
with his back. She did not seem fatigued and did not speak. Devoted (can also mean
delivered) completely to her work, concentrated, eager, priest-like, and 100 per
cent professional.
Al finalizar
la sesión, el paciente se sintió tremendamente aliviado, relajado, satisfecho,
feliz. Y la cantidad que la experta masajista le pidió tampoco le pareció
ninguna exageración. Le prometió volver otro día. Ella le acompañó hasta la
puerta amable y solícita. “Hasta cuando usted quiera”, le dijo como
despedida.
At the end of the session, the patient
felt tremendously relieved, relaxed, satisfied, happy. And the amount that the
expert masseuse asked him did not seem any exaggeration either. He promised to
return another day. She accompanied him to the door, friendly and charming.
"See you whenever you want," she said as a farewell.
Y cuando el
paciente comenzó a descender las escaleras, la masajista tuvo un impulso
irresistible y asomándose a la barandilla de la planta, acertó a decir al
cliente que se iba contento y feliz: “Oiga, señor, perdone la curiosidad pero
me gustaría saber una cosa: ¿es usted policía?”.
And when the patient began to descend the
stairs, the masseuse had an irresistible impulse and peeking through the
handrail of the floor below, she could guess that the client was going content
and happy: "Hey, sir, excuse the curiosity but I would like to know one
thing: are you a cop?"
Respondió
con un no rotundo con la mano, casi sin pararse en su descenso. En el portal,
se detuvo a solas con sus pensamientos y se preguntó: ¿Los policías tendrían
descuento? Pero no le pareció oportuno dar más vueltas a la cuestión.
He answered a resounding no with the
hand, almost without stopping his descent. On the porch, he stopped alone with
his thoughts and wondered: Would police officers have a discount? But he did
not think it right to return to the matter.
Video
Last week the Gipsy Kings mentioned
Maria Dolores in Baila Me. But who was she? María Dolores Fernández
Pradera was born in 1924 and died on 28 May this year, aged 93. She was
one of the best-loved singers in Spain and Latin America, being known as La Gran Señora de la Canción.
She started her career as an
actress and, during the 1950s, she began singing professionally, eventually
abandoning her acting career in the 1960s. She recorded more than 35 albums. As
a singer, she specialised in traditional Spanish and Latin American music. I
love the female voice and especially a fine contralto like Maria.
Wikipedia says she sings with
a pure Castilian accent, while her music is pure Latin American. Her repertoire
encompassed some of the most memorable melodies from Mexico, Peru, Venezuela
and Chile. She typically sang accompanied by guitars, requintos, and
drums. A requinto is a smaller, higher-pitched version of an instrument (in
this case a guitar).
She sang for close to 30
years with the same group, Los Gemelos, formed by twin brothers, Santiago and
Julián López Hernández, until the death of Santiago in the early 1990s.
I have chosen her song
Habaneras de Cádiz. She is in Havana, a city she loves, thinking of Cadiz,
another city she loves. Habanera, as opera lovers will know is the alternative
title of L’amor, the opening song by Carmen in Bizet’s opera.
It is also a style of
music with a particular rhythm. The habanera is the Spanish/Latin American version
of contradanse, a popular style of
music and dance in 18th century Europe, started in England (would you believe) and
adopted at the court of France. Contradanza was
brought to America by the Spanish.
In 19th
century Cuba, it took on African influences and
grew into an important genre. The mambo and cha cha cha dances evolved from Cuban contradanza and
gained international popularity.
Outside
Cuba, the contradanza became known as the habanera –
the dance of Havana – and that
name was later adopted in Cuba. So the habanera in Habanera de Cadiz refers to
the style of music.
Has anybody been to Cadiz? It
is reckoned to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, founded by
the Phoenicians in the bronze age and the home port of the Spanish navy. They sailed from Cadiz to battle Nelson at
Trafalgar and it was the starting point for many ships sailing to the new
world.
La Caleta is a beach in Cadiz
El Malecón is a long stretch
of coast in Havana.
Las
Puertas de Tierra originated in
the 16th century. Once consisting of several layers of walls, only one of these
remain today. By the 20th century it was necessary to remodel the entrance to
the Old City to accommodate modern traffic. Today, the two side-by-side arches
cut into the wall serve as one of the primary entrances to the city.
La Viña a barrio in
Cadiz
El
Mentidero another área of old Cadiz
You’ll also see that there’s no political
correctness. She says Havana is Cadiz with more blacks and Cadiz is Havana with
more whites.
"Piriñaca" is
a salad accompaniment used in the city of Cadiz, for grilled fish, especially
mackerel. Each province has a different preparation and composition.
Typically, it is made with
peeled tomatoes, oil, green pepper and garlic.
Chirigota a type of Spanish folk song from Cadiz
Enough talking, let’s listen
to Maria Dolores
VIDEO
"Por" vs. "Para"
Learning
the differences between por and para is
challenging. In Spanish, you can use both por and para to say:
For
By
On
Through
Because of
In exchange for
In order to
…
and several other prepositions and phrases.
Knowing
which once to use is like choosing between estar and ser. There are rules, but
native speakers like Lucy just know which one to use and find it hard to
explain the rules if they had to.
Let’s
see how good your intuition is. What the right word in these sentences. Write
down the number of the question and your answer.
1. We spoke by phone. Hablamos ………… teléfono.
2.
She dresses to impress. Ella se viste ………… impresionar.
3.
I want
a room for next weekend. Quiero una habitación ………… el próximo fin de semana
4.
I paid
$20 for lunch yesterday. Pagué $20 ………… el almuerzo ayer
5.
I
bought these flowers for Maria. Compré estas flores …………
María.
6.
Is
this train for Madrid? ¿Es este tren …………
Madrid?
7.
You
stayed at the bar for six hours. Te quedaste en el bar ………… seis horas.
8.
I work
here for the money. Yo trabajo aquí ………… el dinero.
I am not going to give you the answers just yet.
Por suerte (luckily),
there are rules and you have Eric’s guide to this tricky pair You can also find
a complete guide online in Spanish Dictionary.
So
what are the differences between por and para?
Por is used to talk about movement,
modes and means of travel and communication, exchanges, duration, and
motivation, among other things. Let's take a closer look at some examples of
these common uses of por.
1. Travel and Communication
Por can be used to talk about the
way you travel or communicate. This can refer to mode of travel (car, train,
etc.) or communication (email, phone, etc.) or even the route you take.
|
La contacté por correo.
I contacted her by mail.
|
|
Viajé por Francia y
España.
I travelled through France and
Spain.
|
|
¿Quieres pasar por el parque?
Do you want to go through the
park?
|
2. Exchanges
Por is used to talk about exchanges
and trades.
|
Te cambio mi manzana por tu
sandwich.
I'll trade you my apple for
your sandwich.
|
|
Te doy sesenta pesos por la mochila.
I'll give you sixty pesos for
that backpack.
|
3. Duration
Por is used to talk about the
length of time an activity went on for.
|
Tengo que trabajar por ocho horas
hoy.
I need to work for eight hours
today.
|
|
¿Dormiste por 12 horas?
¡Qué vida la tuya!
You slept for 12 hours? What a
life you have!
|
4. Motivation
Por is used to talk about
motivations or reasons for doing something.
|
Por su amor a los niños, quiere ser pediatra.
Because of her love for
children, she wants to be a pediatrician.
|
|
Trabajo por ti, porque
te quiero cuidar.
I work for you, because I want
to take care of you.
|
Para
Para is used to talk about
destinations, recipients, deadlines, and goals.
1. Destinations
Para is used to talk about physical
destinations, especially the end point of a trip.
|
Salgo para Chile mañana.
I leave for Chile tomorrow.
|
|
¿Para dónde vas
con tanta prisa?
Where are you going in such a
hurry?
|
2. Recipients
Para is used to indicate the
intended recipient of something, such as a gift.
|
Este regalo es para Adela.
This gift is for Adela.
|
|
No, Bruno. Estos
chocolates no son para los perros.
No, Bruno. These chocolates
aren't for dogs.
|
3. Deadlines
Para is used to talk about
deadlines, including dates and times.
|
Necesito la
presentación para el viernes.
I need the presentation by
Friday.
|
|
Tengo que terminar esto para las ocho.
I need to finish this by eight
o'clock.
|
4. Goals
Para is used to talk about goals and
purposes. It's especially common to see para used with an infinitive to talk
about why something is done.
|
Trabaja mucho para ganar más
dinero.
He works a lot in order to earn
more money.
|
|
Corro para mantenerme
en forma.
I run to stay in shape.
|
Let’s try our test again.
Have you changed your mind?
1. We spoke by phone. Hablamos ……… teléfono.
2.
She dresses to impress. Ella se viste ……… impresionar.
3.
I want
a room for next weekend. Quiero una habitación ……… el próximo fin de semana
4.
I paid
$20 for lunch yesterday. Pagué $20 ……… el almuerzo ayer
5.
I
bought these flowers for Maria. Compré estas flores ……… María.
6.
Is
this train for Madrid? ¿Es este tren ……… Madrid?
7.
You
stayed at the bar for six hours. Te quedaste en el bar …….. seis horas.
8.
I work
here for the money. Yo trabajo aquí ……… el dinero.
1. We spoke by phone. Hablamos por teléfono.
2.
She dresses to impress. Ella se viste para impresionar.
3. I want a room for next weekend. Quiero una
habitación PARA el próximo fin de semana. Sueños got it slightly wrong in chapter
11. You can say: quiero una habitación por tres noches and also por el fin de
semana but not for a specific date like THIS weekend. If it's this weekend you
should say PARA
4.
I paid
$20 for lunch yesterday. Pagué $20 por el almuerzo ayer
5.
I
bought these flowers for Maria. Compré estas flores para María.
6.
Is
this train for Madrid? ¿Es este tren para Madrid?
7.
You
stayed at the bar for six hours. Te quedaste en el bar por seis horas.
8.
I work
here for the money. Yo trabajo aquí por el dinero.
There
are also many expressions that are used with por and para. Some very common examples are shown
in the table below.
|
por ejemplo
|
for example
|
para siempre
|
Forever
|
|
por favor
|
Please
|
para variar
|
just for a change
|
|
por supuesto
|
of course
|
para que
|
so that/in order that
|
|
por ciento
|
Percent
|
para qué
|
for what reason
|
|
por qué
|
Why
|
para dónde
|
where to
|
|
por fin
|
finally
|
para ti
|
for you
|
Sueños,
capítulo once - checking into the hotel …
Tell the receptionist you
would like a double room with a double bed and en suite bathroom for two
nights.
Quisiera una habitación doble, con cama doble y un baño privado por dos
noches.
Ask how much the room costs
and whether breakfast is included.
¿Cuál es el precio de la habitación? ¿Está incluido el desayuno?
Ask if the room has
air-conditioning and if there is a restaurant in the hotel.
¿Hay aire acondicionado en la habitación? ¿Hay
un restaurante en el hotel?
Let’s assume you have made a
reservation and you arrive at your hotel. It’s time to check in
...
Buenos días
¿Tiene usted una reserva?
¿A nombre de quién?
Sí Snr, aquí está.
Snr, me pone aquí su dirección, número de pasaporte, su firma aquí y aquí,
y su tarjeta de crédito por favor.
Snr, su habitación es la dos mil y noventa siete. Está subiendo las escaleras,
a mano derecha y bienvenida.
Let’s look in more detail at
the questions you are likely to be asked:
What name:
¿Cuál
es su apellido, por favor? – what is your surname.
¿Cuál es su nombre? – what is
your name
¿Come se llama, por favor? –
what is your name
The details:
Por
favor, me da el número de su pasaporte
Su dirección permanente
How long will you stay?
¿Por cuántos días va a permanecer aquí en el hotel?
¿Por cuántos días va a quedarse aquí en el hotel?
¿Cuántos días se quedará en el hotel? Me quedaré
por tres noches
Finally, the bill:
¿En qué forma nos cancelaría su cuenta?
¿Cómo le gustaría pagar?
Making complaints … tengo una
queja (a hacer)
Something is missing – No hay
...
Something is not working – No
funciona ...
Something is dirty - ........ está/estan
sucio/s
There are no towels in the
bathroom
No hay toallas en el baño - Lo siento, la camarera las traerá ahora
The towels in the bathroom
are dirty
Las toallas en el baño están sucias - Lo siento, las cambiaremos ahora
The television is not working
La televisión no funciona – vale, alguien la revisará
The room is dirty
El cuarto está sucio
La habitación está sucia – no, se limpió esta mañana
The air-conditioning is not
working
El aire acondicionado no funciona – ¡Ha! No hace calor hoy
The bathroom is dirty
El baño está sucio - No tenemos limpiadores. Lo haremos más tarde.
There is no soap in the
bathroom
No hay jabón en el baño - Usted tiene que comprar su propio jabón
The bed is dirty
La cama está sucia - Lo siento mucho, señora. La camarera le atenderá de
inmediato
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