English/Spanish blog from somewhere in La Mancha / Blog en inglés y español de un lugar de La Mancha

Welcome / Bienvenidos

Thanks for visiting us.
Gracias por visitarnos.
Powered By Blogger

Blog Archive

Saturday 14 December 2013

On Eggs and Christmas Plans / Sobre huevos y planes navideños


 Alpin

My mummy and daddy, the baby and I
Had an egg for dinner, 
We left over half.
And absolutely no one got to touch the top.

Mi padre, mi madre, mi hermanito y yo
Comimos un huevo,
La mitad sobró. 
Y la coronilla, nadie la toco. 

Either that is the silliest song ever, or that there was a gigantic egg and  therefore I want one of those. Or two dozen. Or three million. Maybe it was a dinosaur egg. Do you know where I can find a couple hundred dinosaur eggs, Blake? It is my sudden intention to cook the biggest omelette ever with them, right here on my amazing food blog. Now that I think of it, perhaps the Guinness Book of Records people might know where I can find the biggest egg there is. I deserve that egg. I´m a very good eater. I would do it justice. 

O esta es la canción más tonta que he escuchado jamás o ese huevo era gigantesco y por lo tanto yo quiero uno así. O dos docenas de ellos. O tres millones. Tal vez era un huevo de dinosaurio. ¿Sabe usted dónde puedo encontrar un par de cientos de huevos de dinosaurio, Blake? Es mi repentina intención cocinar la tortilla más grande nunca vista con esos huevos aquí mismo en este blog gastronómico. De pronto se me está ocurriendo que tal vez los del libro Guinness sepan dónde puedo encontrar el huevo más grande que existe. Yo me merezco ese huevo. Yo como muy bien. Le haría justicia.  

Mr. Blake

I'm the one who must be about to break a record asking you over and over what happened to the people on this blog. And it might not be all I break.   

Yo soy el que debe estar a punto de romper un record con tanto preguntar que ha pasado con la gente de este blog. Puede que no sea lo único que rompa.  

Alpin

Soft-boiled. I would eat the biggest egg ever soft-boiled. Do you know how to eat soft-boiled eggs properly, Blakey? Not everyone does. You have to cut off the top with a special kind of scissors. Do you know which end of an egg is the top? It´s the pointy end. Do you think there are egg-cutting scissors big enough to cut the biggest egg in the world's top off or has nobody thought to make them? Where can I have them made? Maybe I should ask for a pair for Christmas. That way I won´t have to trouble about finding someone to make them for me. I know exactly how I want them. Just like those in the picture  below. I found it on Images from the Internet.

Pasado por agua. Así me comería yo el huevo más grande del mundo. ¿Sabes cómo comer huevos pasados por agua correctamente, Blakey? No todo el mundo sabe. Hay que cortar la coronilla con unas tijeras especiales. ¿Sabes que punta del huevo es la coronilla? Es la más puntiaguda.  ¿Existirán  tijeras lo suficientemente grandes en el mundo para cortar la coronilla del huevo más grande del mundo o será que a nadie se le ha ocurrido fabricarlas? ¿Dónde puedo encargar que me hagan unas? Tal vez debería pedir un par por Reyes. Así no tendré que ocuparme personalmente de encontrar un fabricante. Sé exactamente cómo las quiero. Como las de la imagen de abajo. La encontré en Imágenes de Internet. 




Mr. Blake

What makes you think you are getting gifts for Christmas? There is no one left on this blog to give you any.

¿Qué te hace pensar que recibirás regalos de Reyes? No queda nadie en este blog para dártelos. 


Alpin

Oh, you are so wrong! Nobody need give me anything. The gifts all these people were going to receive are sure to be already ordered. And if they are not here to take them, why shouldn´t I get to keep them? There´s only me left to enjoy everything Santa and the Wise Men fork out. Likewise, several of these people had ordered their Christmas dinners before they disappeared. When the caterers show up, I mean to see to it that food is consumed. I don't believe in wasting food. Do you? 

¡Ay, que equivocado estás! Nadie tiene que darme nada. Los regalos que toda esa gente iba a recibir ya tienen que haber sido encargados. Y si todas esas personas no están aquí para recibirlos, ¿por qué no he de quedármelos yo? Sólo quedo yo para disfrutar de lo que dejen Papá Noel y los Reyes Magos. Además, mucha de esta gente también habrá encargado con antelación su cena de Navidad. Cuando los del catering aparezcan, me ocuparé con gusto de que esa comida no se desperdicie. No me parece bien tirar comida. ¿Y a ti? 

Mr. Blake 
    
At least he has revealed his intentions. I should have imagined what they would be.

Al menos ha revelado sus intenciones. Debí haberme imaginado esto. 


Saturday 7 December 2013

Shakespearean Cats Contest / Concurso Gatos Shakesperianos


The Shakespeare Cats Calendar Contest: This contest is based on pictures from a calendar by Susan Herbert we bought for our classroom. To participate, translate the texts we wrote about them and answer the questions below each text. We'll publish the best translations on Booknosey/Fisgalibros. Good luck!

El concurso del calendario de los gatos de Shakespeare: Este concurso está basado en ilustraciones de un calendario de Susan Herbert que compramos para nuestra aula. Para participar, traduce los textos que elaboramos sobre ellas y contesta a las preguntas que vienen debajo de cada uno. Publicaremos las mejores traducciones en Booknosey / Fisgalibros. ¡Buena suerte! 
   
“Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” is visited by the ghost of his father. The late king of Denmark tells his son he has been murdered by his brother, who has usurped the throne and married his widow. He asks Hamlet to avenge him. Hamlet does not take immediate action. He cannot make up his mind whether he should act against his uncle and his mother or not until the end of the play. By then, everyone thinks he is crazy and his girlfriend Ophelia has drowned while suffering a terrible depression. And our questions are: Who did the skull Hamlet is holding in the picture once belong to? What was Ophelia doing when she drowned?

“The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” Valentine and Proteus, are good friends who fall out when they both fall in love with the same woman. But eventually they become friends again. And our question is: What is the name of the woman the friends fight over?

“The Tempest,” is a play about a man named Prospero who has to flee to an island with his daughter to escape his political enemies. The only inhabitants of the island are a good spirit named Ariel and Caliban, the stupid son of an evil witch. Prospero finds the dead witch´s books and magic instruments and becomes an expert magician. With Ariel´s help he brings his enemies to the island and is able to defeat them there. And our question is: What is Prospero´s daughter´s name?

“The Taming of the Shrew,” is about a man who has two marriageable daughters. The youngest, Bianca, is very sweet and docile, but the eldest, Kate, is fierce and formidable. A man named Petrucchio who is in need of money and who wants to do a friend a favor decides to marry Kate, confident that he can turn her into a submissive wife.

“The Merchant of Venice,” is about a poor man who wants to marry a beautiful, rich and intelligent woman named Portia. To court her, he asks his friend Antonio, a rich merchant, for a loan. At that moment Antonio has no cash at hand. He is waiting for his ships to return from a trip loaded with riches.  But because he wants to help his friend, he runs a risk and asks for a loan himself from a man named Shylock. Shylock is a Jew who has suffered a lot from racism and this has made him bitter. He puts a cruel and unusual clause in the contract Antonio signs and when Antonio is unable to return the loan on time, Portia dresses like a man so she can defend Antonio in court. She proves to be a brilliant lawyer.  And the question is: In what strange way does Portia choose a husband?

“As You Like It,” is about a lot of people who have had to hide from their powerful enemies in the forest of Ardennes. Young Rosalind and her cousin Celia are among those who find refuge there, disguised as a young shepherd and shepherdess. The handsome Orlando, who is also there, hiding from his cruel older brother, finds he is fascinated by Rosalind although he thinks she is a young man. And the question is: When did we publish in Michael Toora´s blog a song from this play and what is the song about?

“Othello, the Moor of Venice,” is a play about envy and jealousy. Othello is a very jealous black man married to a white woman who is very much in love with him. But a very envious man named Iago decides to destroy Othello making him think his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. And the question is: What happens to Othello and Desdemona?

“Antony and Cleopatra,” is about the most famous of Egyptian queens and her Roman lover, who was at that time one of the two possibly most powerful men in the world. Our question is: Who was the other powerful man?  Hint: he sometimes appears in this blog.

“Macbeth,” is a play about ruthless ambition. Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis, which means he is an important Scottish lord. Three witches appear before him and tell him he has just been named Thane of Cawdor, an even more important position than the one he holds, and they prophesy that one day he will even get to be King of Scotland. Instead of waiting for this to happen, Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, decide to make it happen by murdering the present King of Scotland when he spends a night at their castle. After the murder, Macbeth does get to be king, but he only lives to regret this. And the question is: What does Macbeth use to kill the sleeping king and how is he himself tortured by this object?  

“Henry V,” is a historical play. It is part of a tetralogy about Prince Harry, who was very wild when he was young but became a serious king. One of the famous things about this play is a very patriotic speech Henry gives before a famous battle in which the English beat the French despite being much outnumbered. Our question is: What is the name of this battle and when was it fought?

“Richard III,” is about the last of the Plantagenet kings of England. He was succeeded by his enemies, 
the Tudors. And because Shakespeare lived when the Tudors reigned in England, he made Richard appear as mean and cruel and ugly as he could, although this involved lying. Among the terrible things Richard is said to have done is murder his nephews, two boys who were as much a threat to him as to the Tudors, who could have done the murder themselves. And the question is: Where were the young princes when they were murdered?

We found the picture of the Shakespeare Cat Ophelia in Images from the Internet. To see the pictures  from our calendar, visit the Word Corner near the Library.

Encontramos el retrato de la gata shakesperiana Ofelia en Imágenes de Internet. Para ver los retratos de nuestro calendario, visitad el Rincón de las Palabras Inglesas junto a la Biblioteca.  


Alpin

Hey! This isn´t about food. Who dared to publish this?

¡Eh! Esto no va de comida. ¿Quién se ha atrevido a publicar esto?


 Mr. Blake

Will you tell me once and for all what happened to your people? 

¿Me vas a decir de una vez que le ha pasado a tu gente? 

Sunday 1 December 2013

On Food and Health / Sobre comida y salud

Gatocatcha

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But nowadays you've got to wash it well first  before you eat it. 

Una manzana al día ahuyenta al médico. Pero hoy en día tienes que lavarla muy bien antes de comerla. 


Cato / Catón

If your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, don't eat it.

Si tu bisabuela no lo reconocería como comida, no te lo comas.


MacMor 

When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is right, medicine is of no need. That is Ayurvedic advice. I know this because I travel. 

Cuando la dieta es mala, la medicina no sirve de nada. Cuando la dieta es buena, la medicina no es necesaria. Eso es un consejo ayurvédico. Lo sé porque viajo.  

Catullus / Catulo

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like and do what you’d rather not. This means that to be fit, you have to suffer.

La única manera de mantener la salud es comer lo que no quieres, beber lo que no te gusta y hacer lo que no te apetece. En fin, para estar en forma hay que sufrir.

Woof MacTecla

One should eat to live, not live to eat. I wish we dogs could do that. We're so anxious about food. But then we never know for sure when or if we´re going to find food or be fed next.   

Uno debe comer para vivir, no vivir para comer. Me gustaría que los perros pudiésemos hacer eso. Somos tan ansiosos cuando se trata de comida. Pero es que nunca sabemos con seguridad si vamos a encontrar comida o ser alimentados.

Pilar

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. In the forest, you have to eat fast. The raccoons often steal my food. 

Un mendrugo que has podido comer en paz sienta mejor que un banquete ingerido con ansiedad. En el bosque, hay que comer rápido. Con frecuencia me roban la comida los mapaches.

Alpin

They say one should breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper. I prefer to eat always like an emperor. If possible, Roman.

Dicen que hay que desayuna como un rey, almorzar como un príncipe y cenar como un mendigo. Pero yo prefiero comer siempre como un emperador, a ser posible romano.



Augustus Caesar / Augusto Cesar

Modus omnibus in rebus.

Be moderate in everything. 

En todo hay que ser comedido.

Saturday 30 November 2013

Mushrooms in what looks like mucus / Setas en lo que parece ser moco

 Alpin

Hi, devotees of strange and wonderful fairy food. Your favorite food authority has something here to show you.

Hola, devotos de la extraña y maravillosa comida mágica. Vuestra autoridad gastronómica favorita tiene algo aquí para enseñaros.



Today I have explored the cupboard of the teacher-witch Sabática and found jars full of mushrooms  floating in an eeky syrup that looks like mucus, although very clear, very pure and utterly uninfected. Anyone who can put up with the revolting syrup might enjoy the mushrooms. They taste quite good. And they are all edible, apt both for fairies and mortals. I know because a few years ago I ate some undocumented mushrooms without thinking twice because I didn´t know any better and had a serious problem. After that my father saw to it that I get a professional mushroom picker's permit and take an advanced course offered by the Elfin Mycological Society. That's the most prestigious club of mushroom fans to be found in any known world. The truth is I wasn´t much impressed by them. They´re rather mean people who only gather a gallon of mushrooms per day and per person when they are out picking in forests.

 Hoy he explorado la alacena de la bruja maestra Sabática y he encontrado tarros de cristal llenos de setas que flotan conservadas en una especie de sirope que echa atrás porque parece moco, aunque  muy claro, puro y en absoluto infecto. Cualquiera que pueda soportar el repugnante sirope podrá disfrutar de las setas, porque saben bastante bien. Y son todas comestibles, aptas para hadas y mortales. Yo lo sé porque hace unos años comí unas setas indocumentadas sin pensarlo dos veces y tuve un problema serio. Después de eso, mi padre se ocupó de que yo obtuviese el carné  de micólogo profesional y de que hiciese un curso que da la Sociedad Micológica Élfica, que es el club de forofos de las setas más prestigioso de cualquier mundo conocido. La verdad es que no me impresionaron mucho. Son unos cutres que sólo recogen un galón de setas por día y persona cuando van a recolectar a los bosques.         

Mr. Blake

Child, tell me once and for all what has become of your people. That's enough nonsense now, you´re ruining my eternal repose.

Niño, dime de una vez qué ha sido de tu gente. Ya está bien de tonterías, que me estás fastidiando el reposo eterno. 

Alpin

Food is a very serious matter. I can't believe you aren't aware of this. I don't see how anyone can be interested in anything but eating. I am convinced the day will come when nobody will think or speak of anything else, not even football. By the way, are you attracted or repelled by this syrup?   

La comida es algo muy serio.  Parece mentira que usted no lo sepa. Yo no entiendo como puede haber alguien que se interese por otra cosa. Estoy convencido de que ha de llegar el día en que nadie piense en o hable de otra cosa, ni siquiera de fútbol. Por cierto, ¿a usted le apetece o le da asco este sirope? 




Mr. Blake

This isn´t going to be easy. 

Esto no va a ser fácil. 

Mr. Blake's Cake / La tarta del Sr. Blake



Alpin

The above is a photo I took of Mr. Blake´s birthday cake half a second before eating it. It took me another half second to do that, because it was a ridiculously small cake, being only for about eight people. Still, it was chocolate cake under the neon icing and tasted like chocolate so it was ok, I guess. That´s my food review for today. It´s not all I ate, but it was the most interesting thing I had yesterday because of whom it belonged to. 

Lo de arriba es una foto que tomé de la tarta de cumpleaños del Sr. Blake. Me llevó medio segundo hacer la foto y otro medio segundo zamparme la tarta porque era una tarta ridículamente pequeña, siendo sólo para unas ocho personas. Pero era de chocolate por debajo del merengue de colores neón y sí que sabía a chocolate así que supongo que no estaba mal del todo. Esa es mi crítica culinaria para hoy. No es todo lo que comí ayer, por supuesto, pero sí lo más interesante, por ser de quien era.


Jamie /Santichu

Listen, Alpin, stop flooding my cell phone with calls and messages. I already told you I haven't got time to turn this blog into the best food blog in the fairy world. I´m too busy with the Isle of Bumps spa. And where on earth is your sister Fiona? I won´t be able to do without her help much longer.  

Escucha, Alpin, deja de llamarme al movil y mandarme mensajitos, que ya te he dicho que no tengo tiempo de convertir este blog en el mejor blog culinario del mundo de las hadas. Estoy demasiado ocupado con el spa de Isla Chichones. ¿Y donde está tu hermana Fiona? No podré pasar sin su ayuda mucho más tiempo.  

Mr. Blake

Come, lad. Tell us once and for all what happened to your people. 

Venga, niño. Dinos de una vez que ha pasado con tu gente. 

Thursday 28 November 2013

Mr. Blake's birthday 2013 / Cumpleaños del Sr. Blake 2013

 Alpin

I believe it is your birthday, Mr. Blake. So where´s the cake?

Creo que es su cumpleaños Sr. Blake. ¿Dónde está la tarta?

William Blake

Where are the people of this blog? You´re not alone here, are you?

¿Dónde está la gente de este blog? ¿No estarás solo aquí?

Alpin

Almost. Now this is all mine. It's because  of something that happened at Michael's Halloween Party. But only I am left to tell. And I only mean to publish things about food. Why don't you show me your cake? I'd like to publish a photo of it.

Casi. Ahora todo esto es sólo mío. Es por algo que pasó en la fiesta de Halloween de Michael. Pero sólo quedo yo para contarlo. Y sólo pienso publicar, si es que publico, cosas de comida. ¿Por qué no me enseña su tarta? Me gustaría publicar una foto de esa tartita.  


Sunday 24 November 2013

Food for the Wise / Comida para sabios


Cato

One man's meat is another man's poison. That means not everyone likes to eat rats, although some of us love to.

Lo que es comida para un hombre es veneno para otro. Eso quiere decir que comer ratas es algo que no le va a todo el mundo, aunque a algunos de nosotros nos encanta.

Augustus Caesar

Fabas indulcet fames.

Hunger sweetens beans. Rats too, I´m sure.

El hambre endulza las habas.Estoy seguro que a las ratas también.

Pilar

If you are looking for a fly in your food, it means you are full.

Si buscas una mosca en tu comida, significa que estás lleno.

Catullus

The way to a man´s heart is through his stomach.

Se llega al corazón de un hombre por su estómago.

But …the most dangerous food to eat is wedding cake.

Pero…la comida más peligrosa es la tarta nupcial.

Woof MacTecla

Give me bread and call me a dog. A dog with a bone in his mouth can't bite.

Dame pan y llámame perro. Un perro con un hueso en la boca no puede morder.

Gatocatcha

Half for you and half for me, between us goodwill there shall be.

Para ti la mitad y para mí la otra mitad, y entre nosotros habrá buena voluntad. 

But when one halves a loaf, the other must be first to choose a half.

Pero uno que parta y el otro que escoja.  

MacMor

They say that if you give a man a fish you have fed him for a day but if you teach him how to fish you have fed him for a lifetime. For obvious reasons, I'd rather people were taught how to plant fruits and cereals.   

Dicen que si le das a un hombre un pez le has alimentado por un día, pero si le enseñas a pescar, le habrás alimentado toda la vida. Por razones obvias, yo preferiría que enseñasen a la gente a plantar frutas y cereales.

Jamie / Santichu

Too many cooks spoil the broth,

Demasiados cocineros estropean el caldo.

Alpin

Did I hear broth? What´s cooking here? Is this about food? I know a lot about food. Don´t take what you won´t eat. That´s my favorite proverb. I always eat everything I take. So don´t take what you won´t eat. Leave it for me.

¿He oído caldo? ¿Qué se cuece aquí?¿Esto va de comida? Yo sé mucho sobre comida. No cojas lo que no has de comer. Ese es mi proverbio favorito. Yo siempre como toda la comida que cojo. Así que no cojáis lo que no vais a comer. Dejadlo para mí.

  

Wednesday 13 November 2013

One Tough Job / Un trabajo bien duro


Something went wrong with the video that accompanied the lyrics of the song below and we had to remove it.  Pity.

Algo pasó con el video que acompañaba la letra de la canción que tenemos más abajo y hemos tenido que eliminarlo. Lástima. 

Now that we are studying about jobs, trades and professions, here is a traditional Filipino folksong about how tough a job can be. Remember farmers are the people who produce the food on our tables.

Ahora que estamos estudiando sobre trabajos, oficios y profesiones, he aquí una canción tradicional filipina sobre lo duro que puede ser un trabajo. Recordad que los agricultores son los que producen la comida que hay en nuestras mesas. 


Planting Rice is never fun  (Plantar arroz no es nada divertido)
Bent from morn till set of sun  (Agachado desde el alba hasta el atardecer)
Cannot stand and cannot sit (No puedes estar ni de pie ni sentado)
Cannot rest for a little bit (No puedes descansar ni un ratito)
Oh, my back is like to break (Oh, mi espalda puede que se rompa)
Oh, my bones from dampness ache (Oh, mis huesos duelen por la humedad)
And my legs are numb are set (Y mis piernas están tiesas e insensibles)
From their soaking in the wet ( Por lo mucho que se han empapado en el agua)
It is hard to be so poor (Es muy duro ser tan pobre)
And such sorrow and pain endure (Y soportar tal tristeza y dolor)
You must move your arms about (Has de mover los brazos bien)
Or you´ll find you´ll be without ( O verás como tendrás que pasar sin nada)
Oh, come friends, and let us homeward make our way (Oh, venid, amigos y marchemos camino a casa)
Now we rest until the dawn again is grey (Ahora descansamos hasta que el sol vuelva a estar gris)
Sleep, welcome sleep, we need to keep us strong (El sueño, sueño bienvenido, necesitamos para mantenernos fuertes)
Morn brings another workday long (La mañana traerá otro largo día de trabajo)

Thursday 7 November 2013

Possessive pronouns and adjectives / Pronombres y adjetivos posesivos

Alpin


What is mine is mine and what is yours is mine too.

Lo que es mío es mío y lo que es tuyo es mío también. 

Pronombres posesivos: Son: mine - mío/ mia / mios / mias,  yours - tuyo/a, tuyos/ tuyas,  his, hers, its - suyo/a, suyos /suyas,  ours - nuestro/a, nuestros /nuestras  yours - vuestro/a, vuestros/vuestras, theirs - suyo/a, suyos/suyas.
Van solos, no llevan un sustantivo que modifican detrás. Sustituyen a la cosa poseída además de indicar quién es el propietario de la misma.
Eje. That is mine. / Eso es mío. This book is theirs. / Ese libro es suyo.
En el segundo ejemplo, la cosa poseída va delante y con un verbo entremedias, pero es sustituida porque no se repite dos veces la palabra libro. No se dice "Ese  libro es suyo libro."
Toma nota de que el pronombre posesivo "its" no se usa casi. Se buscan otras maneras de decir lo mismo. No se dice del plato de un perro: "That plate is its." Se usan formas alternativas: Por ejemplo, "That is the dog's plate."
Fíjate en que todos estos pronombres excepto "mine" llevan "s" al final.

Adjetivos posesivos: Son: my - mi/mis, your - tu/tus, his, her, its - su/sus, our - nuestro/nuestros / nuestra/ nuestras, your - vuestro/vuestros, vuestra / vuestras,   their - su /sus.
No van solos, llevan un sustantivo detrás que puede ser singular o plural. Indican de quién es ese sustantivo.
That is my house. / Esa es mi casa. Give them their toys. / Dales sus juguetes.
Como adjetivo posesivo, "its" sí se usa mucho. Eje. That is the dog´s plate. It is its plate.
No confundas este "its" con "it's," que es la forma contraida de "it is." No son lo mismo, ni se escriben igual.
Fíjate en que sólo "his"  e "its" llevan una s al final. Esots dos son  tanto adjetivo como pronombre posesivo- El "its" que es adjetivo posesivo sí se usa mucho.

Quiz
1. That isn´t _________. Don´t touch it.
2. That dress is __________. She bought it yesterday.
3. The dog probably doesn´t feel well. It doesn´t want to eat __________ food.
4. She gave all _________ money to an NGO.
5. She lost a ring yesterday. That could be it. It´s probably _____________.
6. Tom will invite all ___________ friends to the party he will give on his birthday.
7. Sam and I went to the bank for money. On the way back home, a thief followed us and tried to steal _________money.
8. Are those magazines ________? If they are, don´t leave them on the sofa.
9. He doesn´t remember where he parked _________ car so he can´t go home.
10. _________ parents are waiting outside. They want to take you home from school early today.
11. I know that dog´s name is Fido because it is __________.
12. She can plant anything she likes in the garden because it is ____________.
13. _________ car is older than yours. I bought it in 2001.
14. That dress is lovely. __________ colours are really beautiful.
15. Don´t eat those fruits. __________ taste is horrible.
16. After twenty years, Peter finally married _________ eternal girlfriend, Paula.
17. Is that girl _________ sister? She looks a lot like you.


Thursday 31 October 2013

Halloween Greetings 2013 / Saludos por Halloween 2013





Michael 

The above is a picture of a Jack-o-lantern made for the Halloween party I give every year. It insists on telling you something.

Lo de arriba es una foto de un Juanito Farol preparado para la fiesta que siempre doy en Halloween. Se empeña en deciros algo.  

Jack-o- lantern / Juanito Farol

I´m burning to wish you a Happy Halloween!

Ardo en deseos de desearos un ¡Feliz Halloween!



(Photos by B.A. Pabón / Fotos de B.A. Pabón)

Saturday 26 October 2013

First Romantic Halloween: Tam Lin / Primer Halloween Romántico: Tomás Lino



Once upon a time there was a Halloween tale about an elf that needed to find a brave woman. It took place near the Scottish border, where...

Erase una vez un cuento de la víspera de Todos los Santos sobre un elfo que necesitaba encontrar  una mujer valiente. Sucedió en la frontera escocesa, donde...

Janet lived in a huge castle, but although she was surrounded by people she felt lonely. One day she looked out of a window and saw that in the woods of Carterhaugh, the red roses were in bloom on the green rosetrees.

Juanita vivía en un gran castillo, pero a pesar de estar rodeada de gente se sentía sola. Un día miró por uno de los ventanales y vio que en el bosque de Carterhaugh florecían las rosas rojas en los verdes rosales.

“Maidens,” said Janet´s father, to the girls that lived in the castle, "don't even think of going to the woods of Carterhaugh, for young Tam Lin is wandering there. If he runs into a young girl he doesn't let her go until she has given him a gift, be it a ring or the cloak on her shoulders or her maidenhead.”

“Muchachas,” dijo el padre de Juanita a las jóvenes que vivían en el castillo, “ni se os ocurra ir por el bosque de Carterhaugh, que el joven Tomás Lino anda merodeando por ahí. Si una joven se encuentra con él, no deja que se vaya  sin antes entregarle una prenda. Han de darle una sortija, o la capa que llevan puesta o su virginidad.”

Janet let the mantle she was embroidering with silver silk thread drop and ran to saddle her horse. And she galloped off to Carterhaugh as fast as she could go.  

Juanita dejó caer el manto que estaba bordando en seda de plata y salió corriendo a ensillar su caballo. Y se fue galopando a Carterhaugh tan deprisa como pudo.

She entered the woods and she had barely pulled at a rose to pluck it when Young Tam Lin pulled at the sleeve of her silk dress and asked her: “What makes you pull the blooming rose? What makes you harm the tree? What makes you come to Carterhaugh without the leave of me?”

Se adentró en el bosque y no había hecho más que tirar de una rosa cuando el joven Tomás Lino le tiro de la manga de su vestido de seda y le preguntó, “¿Qué te hace tirar de la rosa en flor? ¿Qué te hace dañar el árbol? ¿Qué te hace venir a Carterhaugh sin mi permiso?”

“Listen, you," answered Janet, “these woods are not your own, and roses here there are many. I'll come and go from Carterhaugh and not ask leave of any.”  

“Oye, tú,” respondió Juanita, “que este bosque no es tuyo y en él hay muchas rosas. Entraré y saldré de Carterhaugh cuando me dé la gana y sin pedir permiso a nadie.”

“No," replied Tam Lin. "You won´t leave Carterhaugh until you give me the gold ring on your finger, or the green velvet cloak on your back, or your precious maidenhead."

 “De aquí no sales sin darme el anillo de oro que hay en tu dedo o la  capa de terciopelo verde que cuelga de tus hombros o tu preciosa virginidad,” dijo Tomás Lino.

“Is that so?” answered Janet. “Well, choose for yourself, if you dare.”

“¿Ah, sí?”” contestó Juanita. “Pues escoge tú mismo, si te atreves.”

Without another word, Tam took her by the arm and laid her among the roses red and green. And Janet didn't say a word either.

Sin decir otra palabra, Tomás la cogió del brazo y la tumbó entre los rosales rojos y verdes. Y Juanita tampoco dijo palabra alguna.

After a time, Janet´s father noticed that all the maidens that lived in the castle were merry and rosy, except for Janet, who was sad and the color of greenish glass. Very mildly, he asked his daughter if she was with child.”Tell me whom you wish to marry and don´t worry about this anymore for I will see to it that man gives your child his name.”

Al cabo de un tiempo, el padre de Juanita se fijó en que todas las doncellas que vivían en el castillo estaban alegres y sonrosadas excepto Juanita, que estaba triste y verduzca como un cristal. Con mucha delicadeza, preguntó a su hija si estaba preñada. “Dime con quién quieres casarte y no te preocupes de nada que yo me encargaré de que ese hombre le dé su nombre a tu hijo.”

“I'm afraid I have only myself to blame for this,” said Janet, “and I will have to solve this problem on my own.” And she saddled her horse and rode very slowly to Caterhaugh.

“Me temo que yo misma tendré que ocuparme de esto,” dijo Juanita, “porque sólo yo tengo la culpa de lo que ha ocurrido.”  Y ensilló su caballo y se fue muy despacio a Carterhaugh.

When she got to the woods, Janet began to look here and there. What she found was a certain herb, and when she saw it, she  pulled at it. She had barely pulled at the herb when Tam Lin appeared and asked: “What makes you pull that poison herb, what makes you break that plant? What makes you want to harm the babe that I have given thee?”

Cuando llegó al bosque, Juanita se puso a mirar por aquí y por allí y lo que encontró fue cierta hierba, y al verla, tiró de ella. No había hecho más que tirar cuando apareció Tomás Lino y le preguntó, “¿Qué te hace tirar de esa hierba venenosa? ¿Qué te hace romper esa planta? ¿Qué te hace querer dañar al niño que yo te di?”

“If you were a gentleman,” answered Janet, “and not a wild shade, I would rock this child in my arms all the winter nights and all the summer days.”

“Si tú fueses un caballero,” contestó Juanita, “y no una sombra salvaje, yo mecería en mis brazos a este niño todas las noches de invierno y todos los días de verano.” 

“I am as human as you are,” answered Tam. “When I was a child I fell off my horse when I was out hunting with my grandfather. The Queen of the Fairies caught me before I touched the ground and took me off to live with her in her kingdom. I have been very happy there and would remain there forever and take you there with me, but there is a reason why I cannot do this.”

 “Soy tan humano como tú,” contestó Tomás. “De niño me caí de mi caballo cuando salí a cazar con mi abuelo. La reina de las hadas me cogió antes de que tocase el suelo y me llevó a vivir con ella en su mundo. He sido muy feliz allí, y me quedaría para siempre y te llevaría allí conmigo, pero hay una razón por la que no puedo hacer eso."

“The Fairy Queen lives in great dread of the devil, and every seven years, on Halloween, she lets him take one of her subjects as long as he leaves her and the rest of her people alone. The last time the devil made his choice he looked a lot at me and although he did not chose to take me then, I fear he might do it now. It´s not that I am imagining things. The Fairy Queen herself has told me that she is very worried because she fears this is likely to happen. I don't want to be one of the devil's henchmen. If you want me to follow you to your world, I will be very pleased to do so, but first you will have to rescue me.
  
“La reina de las hadas teme mucho al demonio y cada siete años por estas fechas permite que él se lleve a uno de sus súbditos con tal de que deje a todos los demás en paz. La última vez que el demonio hizo su elección, me miró mucho a mí, y aunque entonces no me eligió, temo que esta vez lo haga. No son figuraciones mías. La misma reina me ha advertido de que está muy apenada porque esto tiene todas las de pasar. Yo no quiero ser un esbirro del demonio. Si quieres que me vaya contigo a tu mundo, estaré encantado de hacerlo, pero primero tendrás que rescatarme.

“On All Hallows´Eve, you must hide behind the trees that are next to the bridge you cross when you come to Carterhaugh. At midnight you will see a train of fairies on their way to Hell to give the devil his victim. First a black knight on a black horse will cross the bridge. Next, a brown knight on a brown horse will cross it too. And then I will cross it on a milk white horse. I will ride very slowly and you must pull at me. I will fall off the horse into your arms, but you will have to hold me fast with all your might happen what may.”  

“En la víspera de Todos los Santos, escóndete entre los árboles que hay junto al puente que cruzas al venir aquí. A la medianoche verás desfilar por el puente una cabalgata de hadas que van camino del infierno a entregar su víctima al demonio. Primero pasará un caballero montado en un caballo negro y luego otro en un caballo marrón. Luego pasaré yo en un caballo blanco como la leche. Iré muy despacio y tú habrás de tirar de mí. Yo me dejaré caer en tus brazos, pero tú tendrás que abrazarme con todas tus fuerzas y no deberás soltarme pase lo que pase.

“And what will happen is that they will change me first into a a huge stag, and if you are not afraid and don´t let go of me, they will change me next into a fierce wolf. And if you keep holding on to me, I will be turned into a savage bear. But you must never let go of me, because I will do you no harm, for I am the father of your child. Then  they will change me into a blazing coal, but I will not harm you because I love you. You must cast the coal in the water and finally, I will turn into a man and step out of the water and you will be able to take me home with you. Will you be brave enough to do all this?”

“Y lo que va a pasar es que me convertirán primero en un ciervo enorme, y si no me sueltas, luego en un lobo feroz, y si sigues sujetándome me convertirán en un oso salvaje. Pero tú no dejes de abrazarme, que yo en todo momento seré el padre de tu hijo y no te haré ningún daño. Después me convertirán en un pedazo de carbón ardiente pero no te quemaré porque te amo. Tendrás que lanzar el carbón al agua y finalmente saldré del agua convertido en un hombre y podrás llevarme a casa contigo. ¿Tendrás valor para hacer todo esto?"

On All Hallows’ Eve, Janet put on a cloak as dark as night and left the castle in silence. When she got to the bridge she hid among the trees and when she heard bells announce midnight she saw a train of fairies about to cross the bridge.

La víspera de Todos los Santos, Juanita se puso una capa negra como la noche y salió en silencio del castillo. Cuando llegó al puente, se escondió entre los árboles, y cuando se oyeron campanadas que anunciaban la medianoche, vio que una comitiva de hadas estaba a punto de cruzar el puente. 

She let  a black knight on a black horse pass her by. And she let a brown knight on a brown horse go by too. But she lunged at a white knight on a white horse and pulled at him and they both fell to the ground. 

Dejó pasar al caballero negro del caballo negro, y dejó pasar al caballero marrón que iba montado en el caballo marrón, pero se abalanzó sobre el caballero blanco del caballo blanco y tiró de él y ambos cayeron al suelo.

Janet was holding him fast when he turned into an enormous stag, but she did not let go of him because he was the man she loved. 

Juanita le tenía bien sujeto cuando se transformó en un ciervo enorme, pero no le soltó, porque era el hombre que amaba.

Then the stag turned into a fierce wolf, but Janet held the wolf fast because he was the father of her child. 

Entonces el ciervo se transformó en un lobo feroz, pero Juanita no le soltó porque era el padre de su hijo.

And next the wolf turned into a savage bear, but Janet did not let go of the bear because he was her promised one. 

El lobo se convirtió en un oso salvaje al que Juanita tampoco soltó porque era su prometido.

Then the bear turned into a blazing coal and Janet cast it quickly into the water.

Entonces el oso se convirtió en un pedazo de carbón ardiente y Juanita lo lanzó rapidamente al agua. 

And last the coal turned into a man, who stepped out of the water, and Janet took him home because he was going to be her husband.

Y por fin el pedazo de carbón se transformó en un hombre que salió del agua y Juanita se lo llevó a casa porque iba a ser su marido. 

When Janet was leaving the bridge with Tam Lin, the Fairy Queen shouted after them, “You may have him because you won him fair and square, but I don´t know if I wouldn´t have liked it better if the devil had taken him. What I do know is that I would have pulled out the eyes he looked upon you with and given him a wooden pair if I had known this would happen.”  

Cuando Juanita se alejaba del puente con Tomás Lino, la reina de las hadas gritó tras ellos, “Te lo puedes llevar porque te lo has ganado limpiamente, pero no sé si hubiese preferido o no que se lo llevase el demonio. Lo que sí sé es que le hubiese arrancado esos ojos con los que se fijó en ti y le hubiese puesto unos de madera de haber sabido que esto sucedería.”

The Tam Lin Test / El test de Tomás Lino                                                                         
1. What and where is Carterhaugh? / ¿Qué es Carterhaugh?
2. Was Janet happy at home? / ¿Era feliz Juanita en su hogar?
3. Why do you think Tam Lin was haunting Carterhaugh? / ¿Qué crees que estaba haciendo Tomás Lino merodeando por Carterhaugh?
4.What kind of a person was Janet? / ¿Qué clase de persona era Juanita?  
5. Is there color in this story? Explain your answer. / ¿Hay color en este cuento? Explica tu respuesta.
6. How did the men in this story react to Janet´s pregnancy? ¿Cómo reaccionaron los hombres de este cuento ante el embarazo de Juanita?
7. Why did the fairies change Tam Lin's shape so many times? / ¿Por qué cambiaron de forma las hadas a Tomás Lino de forma tantas veces?
8. Why didn´t Janet let go of the stag or the bear or the wolf? / ¿Por qué no soltó Juanita ni al ciervo, ni al lobo, ni al oso?
9. What happened when Janet cast the coal into the water? / ¿Qué sucedió cuando Juanita tiró el trozo de carbón al agua?
10. How did the Fairy Queen feel about what happened that night? Why? / ¿Cómo se sentía la reina de las hadas por lo que había ocurrido esa noche? ¿Por qué?


Labels

Advent Calendar/Calendario de adviento (25) Animal rights / Derechos de los Animales (6) Art / Arte (14) Astronomy / Astronomía (8) Australia /Australia (2) Authors (20) Birthdays / Cumpleaños (30) Carnival / Carnaval (4) Christmas / Navidad (36) Compositions / Redacciones (14) Condolences / Condolencias (5) Constitutionalism / Constitucionalismo (4) Contests / Concursos (2) Coronations/Coronaciones (1) Ecology / Ecología (3) Extracurricular Activities / Actividades Extraescolares (8) Feng Shui (8) Field Trips (1) Films / Películas (7) Geography / Geografía (3) Ghosts / Fantasmas (11) Grammar to Get by / Gramática para apañarse (66) Halloween / Noche de Ánimas (27) Health / Salud (2) History / Historia (30) Human Rights / Derechos Humanos (13) Inventions / Inventos (1) Ireland / Irlanda (8) Laws / Leyes (5) Legends / Leyendas (41) Listening / Escuchar (19) London / Londres (5) Maths / Matemáticas (4) Memes/Memes (2) Messages / Mensajes (4) Mini Calendar / Mini Calendario (10) Mini Mythology / Mini Mitología (77) Mini Zodiac / Mini Zodiaco (12) Mr. Eddy / El Señorito Eddy (5) Music (2) Music / Música (100) Needn´t Be Lost Causes / Causas No Necesariamente Perdidas (4) News / Noticias (25) Novels (6) Nursery Rhymes / Rimas para niños (16) Obituaries / Obituarios (6) Other Animals / Otros Animales (7) People/Gente (44) Plants / Plantas (11) Poems / Poesías (83) Poems / Recommended Reading / Lecturas Recomendadas (10) Poets/ Poetas (39) Precious and the Air / Preciosa y el Aire (4) Recipes / Recetas (19) Recommended Reading / Lecturas Recomendadas (22) Saints / Santos (22) Sayings and Saws and Proverbs and Quotes and Maxims / Dichos y refranes y proverbios y citas y máximas (9) Science / Ciencias (5) Scotland / Escocia (12) Shopping and gifts / Compras y regalos (7) Short Texts to Read / Breves textos que leer (24) Songs / Canciones (116) Speaking / Hablar (14) Special Days / Días Especiales (107) Sports / Deportes (9) Story report / ficha de un cuento (25) Tales of a Minced Forest/Cuentos del Bosque Triturado (117) Toora Chronicles / Crónicas Toora (245) Trailers (11) Valentine´s Day / Día de San Valentín (11) Vocabulary / Vocabulario (36) Wales / Gales (7) Winter /Invierno (1) Writing / Escribir (12)

Blogroll