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Sunday, 26 September 2010

The end of Arley´s letter / El final de la carta de Arley



Salty Boogerbeard / Saladito Barbamocos

Arr, Arrr, Arrrree!
I love to live by the sea!
For a pirate and a kaphre am I!
My self esteem reflects my might!
I make my way kicking left and right!
I take what I want and you don´t want what I give!
Arr, Arrr, Arrrreee! By the sea I love to live!
For a pirate and kaphre am I!
A kaphre with a coffer is a happy man!
And my chest has more treasures than a beach grains of sand!
Arr, Arrr, Arrrr! A pirate and kaphre I am!
I needn´t rise early, I can sleep until late,
But I have three sharks on my breakfast plate!
There´s killer whales to be had for lunch,
And when it´s five and time for tea,
I´ll tear your guts right out of ye,
And eat them flambéed in rum!
For a pirate and a kaphre I am!


"Arr! Arrr! Arrrr!
¡Qué bien se vive en la mar,
Pues pirata y kafre soy!
¡Mi autoestima es feroz!
¡Me abro el paso con una coz!
¡Cojo lo que quiero,
Y tú no quieres lo que doy,
Pues pirata y kafre soy!
¡Un kafre con un cofre es un hombre feliz!
¡Y llevo brillantes hasta en la nariz!
¡Arr! ¡Arrr! ¡Arrrr!
¡Qué bien se vive en la mar!
No tengo porque madrugar,
Pero hay tiburones para desayunar,
Y orcas asesinas para almorzar,
Y cuando llegue la hora de merendar,
¡Te voy a destripar!
¡Pues pirata y kafre soy!

"Well, yes. The kaphre that crawled out of the banyan tree was unsafe to have dealings with and while he sang his sinister little song he took us all prisoner. Yes, all. When he came out of the tree shaking the earth he managed to make Mr. Finn lose his balance and unfortunately the poor man fell from the branches and hit his head against a huge stone and was knocked out before the first round. The pirate Kaphre then grabbed hold of one of Alpin´s legs with one hand and of one of his unconscious bodyguard's with the other. Michael and I could have fled, but we didn't. Michael later told me that he knows perfectly well when to be and when not to be among those present but that he tried to reason with the Kaphre because one thing is not to be able to teach a difficult pupil a thing and another totally different to let the Kaphres take him. He refused to admit that he had also stayed to help his cousin and insisted that Alpin deserved what he had got. I don't know why I didn´t run. Perhaps so I could have a story to tell, or because I was fascinated seeing what was happening, somewhat like a monkey before a snake. Well, in any case, it is at moments like this that one can tell who one really is, especially if you are a Kaphre.

"Pues sí. El kafre que salió del baniano resultó no ser de fiar y mientras cantaba su oscura cancioncilla nos apresó a todos. Sí, a todos. Al salir del árbol sacudiendo la tierra logró desestabilizar al Sr. Finn que desgraciadamente cayó de las ramas y se dio con una gran piedra en la cabeza y quedó k.o. antes del primer asalto. El kafre pirata entonces agarró a Alpin de un pie y a su guardaespaldas en coma de otro. Michael y yo pudimos haber huido, pero no lo hicimos. Michael luego me explicó que él sabe perfectamente cuando hay que estar y cuando no hay que estar entre los presentes, pero que intentó dialogar con el kafre porque una cosa es no poder enseñarle nada a un alumno difícil y otra muy distinta dejar que se lo lleven los kafres. No quiso admitir que también se había quedado para ayudar a su primo, porque insistía en que éste se lo tenía merecido. Yo no sé porque no huí. Tal vez para tener algo que contar, pues me quedé fascinado viendo aquello, algo así como un mono ante una serpiente. En fin, que en momentos como este se ve quién es cada uno, sobre todo si eres un kafre.

"There is nothing worse for a fairy person than to be kidnapped. Since we are immortal, we aren´t scared of death but we do fear being kidnapped. And the Kaphre turned out to be a much more disagreeable kidnapper than Mr. Finn had once been. To begin with he promised that he would eat us, which meant that we would end up prisoners in his brains, which is where fairy people go when they are ingested. For the moment he was satisfied to have us hanging from the roots of his home, all save Mr. Finn, whom he took outside again and tied to his tree, ordering him to observe the horizon and give warning should anyone approach the island. Salty Boogerbeard, for such was the Kaphre´s name, was an assiduous reader of the Fairy People´s Guinness Book of Records and had even been mentioned in the said book more than once, the last time for being the spirit to have strangled the most octopuses with their own tentacles. This is why he recognized Mr. Finn, who was a celebrity in his own way and wished to give him employment. As for the rest of us, well, Salty had quite a time laughing at us, especially at Alpin, who tortured us with his screams demanding food. Salty was not at all bothered by Alpin´s shouts. He said they sounded better than celestial music and reminded him of the hell he had lived in when he was a kid. He even got sentimental.

"No hay cosa peor para un hada que el secuestro. Como somos inmortales, no tememos la muerte pero sí el secuestro. Y el kafre resultó ser un secuestrador mucho más desagradable que el Sr. Finn otrora lo fue. Para empezar, nos prometió que un día nos comería, lo cual significaba que quedaríamos presos dentro de su cerebro, que es donde van las hadas cuando alguien las ingiere. De momento se conformaba con tenernos colgados de las raíces de su vivienda, a todos salvo al Sr. Finn, al que sacó fuera y ató al tronco del árbol, ordenándole que vigilase el horizonte y avisase si se acercaba alguien a la isla. Saladito Barbamocos, pues así se llamaba el Kafre, era un asiduo lector del libro Guinness de las hadas, en el que había figurado más de una vez, la última por ser el espíritu que más pulpos gigantes había estrangulado con sus propios tentáculos. Por eso reconoció al Sr. Finn, que a su modo era una celebridad, y quiso darle empleo. En cuanto a los demás, pues Saladito se divertía burlándose de nosotros, sobre todo de Alpin, que nos torturaba con sus gritos pidiendo comida. A Saladito no le molestaban estos gritos. Decía que eran mejor que música celestial y le recordaban el infierno en el que había vivido de niño. Hasta se puso algo sentimental.

"We not only had to put up with jail and shouting. Fairy people don´t need to eat much to live, save punctual cases such as Alpin´s, but we do need to drink at least a few drops of dew with a certain frequency if we don´t want to have a hard time. Soon our thirst was unbearable, but Salty, instead of being merciful, had a diabolical idea. He put five kegs in front of Mr. Finn. The first was labelled "Rum," the second "Port," the third "Water," the fourth "Coke" and the fifth "Sherry."

"No sólo tuvimos que aguantar cárcel y gritos. Las hadas no necesitamos comer mucho para vivir, salvo casos puntuales como el de Alpin, pero sí necesitamos beber al menos unas gotas de rocío con cierta frecuencia para no pasarlo mal. Pronto nuestra sed se hizo insoportable, pero Saladito en vez de piedad, tuvo una idea diabólica. Puso cinco barriles delante del Sr. Finn. El primero llevaba escrito “Ron,” el segundo “Oporto, ” el tercero “Agua,” el cuarto “Coca-cola” y el quinto “Jerez.”



Salty Boogerbeard / Saladito Barbamocos

I´ll only let you blokes drink if the dummy can identify the barrel that contains water. Ha, ha, harrrr!

Sólo os daré de beber si el analfabeto acierta cual es el barril que contiene agua. ¡Ja, ja, jarrrr!




"Poor Mr. Finn must have felt awful, but always gallant, he rallied, decided to try. It took him a while. Or an eternity. Or perhaps only the time needed to glance at the five "doodles" on the barrels.

"El pobre Sr. Finn debía sentirse fatal pero siempre galante, se animó a intentarlo. Tardo un rato. O una eternidad. O quizás sólo el tiempo que necesitó para mirar los cinco “garabatos” que había en los barriles.



Curmudgeon Finn / Cascarrabias Finn

The one in the center!

¡El del centro!


"Once we had all drank, Mr. Finn explained what had happened.

"Después de que hubiésemos bebido, el Sr. Finn me explicó lo sucedido.


Mr. Curmudgeon Finn / Sr. Cascarrabias Finn

I realized that I had seen one of those doodles a thousand times in the film. And I remembered that it appeared when the blind girl played with water. I bet on that one.

Me di cuenta de que había visto miles de veces uno de esos garabatos en la película. Y recordé que aparecía cuando la niña ciega jugaba con agua. Aposté por ese.



Arley

You watched the film with subtitles?

¿Vio usted la película con subtítulos?





Mr. Finn / Sr. Finn

Yes. And now I know how to read.

Sí. Y ahora sé leer.

"Well, I think it is about time that I tell you that Salty has changed his mind and says he would rather not eat cultured people because we might affect him when we become lodged in his brain. What he wants is for you to pay a slightly peculiar ransom. But he is a little tired of how long I am taking to write this letter and demands that one of you come here at once to negotiate with him, should you be interested in having us released. Faifthfully yours, your loving son, Arley.

"Bueno, creo que va siendo hora de que os diga que Saladito ha cambiado de parecer y dice que le da cosa comerse a gente culta, no sea que le trastornemos cuando nos meta en su cerebro. Lo que quiere es que paguéis un rescate un poco particular. Pero está harto de lo que estoy tardando en escribir esta carta y exige que acabe de una vez y que venga aquí alguno de vosotros cuanto antes para negociar con él, si es que os interesa que nos suelte. Os quiere, vuestro hijo Arley."


And for the comparative... / Y para el comparativo...

Anything you can do, I can do better!
Cualquier cosa que puedas hacer, ¡yo la puedo hacer mejor!

Coming up next... / Proxímamente...

On the Toora Chronicles... / En las Crónicas Toora...

The Pirate and Kaphre... / El pirata y kafre...

Salty Boogerbeard!

¡Saladito Barbamocos!

The Future and an Oldie / El futuro y un clásico

This song from the Alfred Hitchcock film "The Man Who Knew Too Much," is often used in English to teach the future tense.

Esta canción de la película de Alfred Hitchcock "El hombre que sabía demasiado," con frecuencia se utiliza para enseñar el futuro en inglés. 





Lyrics / Letra

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother
What will I be?
Will I be pretty?
Will I be rich?
Here's what she said to me:
Que sera, sera.
Whatever will be, will be.
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera.
What will be, will be.
When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my sweetheart
What lies ahead?
Will we have rainbows
Day after day?
Here's what my sweetheart said:
Que sera, sera.
Whatever will be, will be.
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera.
What will be, will be.
Now I have children of my own.
They ask their mother,
What will I be?
Will I be handsome?
Will I be rich?
I tell them tenderly:
Que sera, sera.
Whatever will be, will be.
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera.
What will be, will be.
Que sera, sera.

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Banyan by Day / Baniano de día




"...when the sun first rose in the horizon and its first warm rays woke us gently, Michael rubbed his eyes and looked about him. Suddenly his gaze froze, fixed on the tree that had sheltered us.

"...cuando el sol despuntó en el horizonte y sus primeros y cálidos rayos nos despertaron suavemente, Michael se frotó los ojos y miró a su alrededor. De pronto su mirada se paralizó, quedando fija en el árbol que nos había dado cobijo..



Michael

Let´s get out of here! Right now and without making a noise!

Vámonos de aquí! Sin meter un ruido y ya!



Alpin
But what have you seen? I´ve seen figs and I´m not leaving until I´ve eaten them all up!

¿Pero qué has visto? Yo he visto higos y no me voy hasta que me los haya comido todos!




Michael

They´re not edible. This is a false, strangler figtree. And we are leaving right now. They are hollow on the inside and are often the refuge of evil spirits. If you stay, it´s likely you will be breakfast, so it´s up to you. But we are going to move slowly, dragging ourselves until we reach the bushes and then, under their cover, we will run to the beach.

No son comestibles. Esta es una falsa higuera estranguladora. Y nos tenemos que ir de aquí ya. Son huecas por dentro y suelen albergar espíritus malignos. Si te quedas, el desayuno probablemente vas a ser tú, así que allá tú. Yo me voy. Pero nos vamos a ir despacito, arrastrándonos hasta los arbustos, y luego, cuando estos nos cubran, iremos corriendo a la playa.




Alpin

I´m going to eat those figs fall who may, because I´m really hungry and I have a bodyguard.

Yo me como estos higos caiga quien caiga, que tengo mucha hambre y un guardaespaldas.




Michael

You fool, this is a banyan tree!

¡So tonto, que esto es un baniano!




Arley

I know what you mean. My mum told me not to go near banyans for any reason at all. She says they are the refuge of kaphres, spirits that are not like us, creatures who don´t know how or don´t want to live in society and that it is dangerous to have dealings with them because you can´t tell what they will do or how they are going to react.

Se lo que quieres decir. Mi mamá me ha dicho que no me acerque para nada a los banianos. Dice que en ellos se refugian con frecuencia kafres, espíritus que no son como nosotros, criaturas que no saben o no quieren convivir con los demás y que es peligroso relacionarse con ellos porque no sabes por dónde van a salir ni cómo van a reaccionar.




Michael

I know how this one is going to react. Besides being a kaphre, which is what we call the inhabitants of banyan trees, this fellow is a pirate. Look at his flag.

Yo sé cómo va a reaccionar éste. Además de ser un kafre, que es como llamamos a los habitantes de los banianos, este individuo es un pirata. Mirad su bandera.




Alpin

You´re paranoid! That´s not the Jolly Roger! That´s probably a rag to dust the tree with. It hasn´t got a skull or bones. And besides, it´s not black. It´s red.

¡Estás paranoico!¡Esa no es la Jolly Roger! Será un trapo para sacudir el polvo del árbol. No tiene calavera ni huesos. Y además no es negra. Es roja.




Michael

This is the authentic Jolly Roger, which isn´t named after a merry bloke called Roger but has a French nickname, la jolie rougier, the pretty red flag. It is the flag real pirates fly when they are done talking and mean to attack giving no quarter. And this guy even takes the trouble to wash it.

Esa es la auténtica Jolly Roger, que no se llama así por un individuo alegre de nombre Rogelio, sino por su mote francés , la jolie rougier, la bella bandera roja. Es la bandera que los piratas auténticos izan cuando no admiten más dialogo, y van a tirar a matar. Y este individuo hasta se toma la molestia de lavarla.




Alpin

Well, I mean to eat the inedible fruit of this fiendish tree even if its owner is a devil from the deep blue sea because that is why I have a bodyguard ready to die for me. C´mon, Curmudgeon. You´re climbing up that tree to fetch me my breakfast.

Pues me pienso comer la fruta incomestible del árbol endemoniado éste aunque su dueño resulte ser un energúmeno salido de las profundidades del mar azul  porque para eso tengo un guardaespaldas dispuesto a morir por mí. Ale, Cascarrabias. Ya te estás subiendo al árbol a por mi desayuno.



"And the ever intrepid Mr. Finn bounced up to the top of the sinister relative of the figtree. But his fingers had hardly grazed the first piece of fruit when the earth round the tree began to tremble and a far from distant voice was heard singing…"

"Y el siempre intrépido Sr. Finn saltó a la copa del siniestro pariente de la higuera. Pero sus dedos no hicieron más que rozar la primera pieza de fruta cuando la tierra alrededor del árbol comenzó a temblar y se oyó una voz nada distante cantar..."


The Firefly Tree / El árbol de las luciérnagas



Thistle

Mum, is that your costume for the show?

Mamá, ¿ese es tu disfraz para la función?




Heather

Why are you wearing that headdress instead of the mask of an ant?

¿Por qué llevas ese tocado en lugar de la máscara de una hormiga?


Titania

Listen, girls, and learn. If anyone throws vegetables at me, I´ll make myself a bouquet to match my hat. It will look like they gave me flowers. And I´m wearing a black dress so the stains won´t show if a tomato bursts.

Escuchad, niñas, y aprended. Si me tiran verduras, haré con ellas un ramo a juego con mi sombrero. Parecerá que me han regalado flores. Y vestido negro para que no se noten las manchas si estalla algún tomate.



Oberon

Well, I´m going to have a barbecue on stage and with whatever they throw at me I´m going to invite everyone to roasted vegetables.  

Pues yo voy a colocar una barbacoa en el escenario, y con lo que me tiren convidaré a todos a verduras a la parrilla.


Puck

And all this is to come out of my orchard?

¿Y todo esto ha de salir de mi huerto?




Mungo Binky

It won't be that terrible. Only those who refuse to move to their lovely homes in Avalon and insist on dwelling in the woods and meadows the humans are taking over are angry with us. And it´s high season in the woods right now. They are busy there gathering nuts and acorns for the winter. I don't think they will bother to come here to throw food away.

No será para tanto. Sólo los que se niegan a mudarse a sus preciosas casas de Avalon e insisten en seguir habitando los bosques y prados de los que se están apoderando los humanos están descontentos con nosotros. Y es temporada alta en los bosques ahora mismo. Todos están ocupados recolectando nueces y bellotas para el invierno. No creo que se molesten en venir hasta aquí para tirar comida.




Thistle

Well, I would be fighting mad if someone kicked me out of my home and sent me to a reservation. By the way, Mr. Binky, what did my brother Arley want?

Pues yo estaría rabiosísima si me echasen de mi casa y me mandasen a una reserva. Por cierto, Sr. Binky, ¿que quería mi hermano Arley?


Mungo Binky

I have no idea. He has written an endless letter and I´m a very busy man. I still haven´t had time to finish reading it.

No tengo ni idea. Ha escrito una carta eterna y yo soy un hombre muy ocupado. Todavía no he tenido tiempo de terminar de leerla.




Heather

If you give us the letter, we´ll read it for you and then tell you what it´s about, Mr. Binky.

Si nos da usted la carta, la leeremos por usted y luego le diremos de que va, Sr. Binky.




Thistle

I´ll take it from where Mr. Binky broke off.

Comenzaré por donde el Sr. Binky la dejó.




"Ah, dear parents! The little ship had a hole. It was tiny, but we had no choice but to spend the whole while throwing water back into the sea until we spied another island, very similar to that of the Bumps. We decided it would be best to sail to it and spend the night there. We had barely landed when we saw lights. It seemed like a good idea to find out who the inhabitants of the island were as soon as possible, so we moved cautiously towards the lights.We discovered that they came from hundreds of fireflies gathered together on a huge tree, lighting it up as if were Christmas. And since we were really tired, we fell asleep under the glowing tree, each spending the peaceful night with his own dreams. But..."

"¡Ah, queridos padres! El barquito tenía un agujero. Era minúsculo, pero no nos quedó otra que andar achicando agua hasta que divisamos otra isla, muy parecida a la de los Chichones. Decidimos que lo mejor sería llegar hasta ella y pasar la noche allí. Al pisar tierra vimos luces. Parecía prudente enterarnos cuanto antes de quienes eran los habitantes de la isla, así que nos acercamos sigilosamente a la luces. Descubrimos que provenían de centenares de lucíernagas reunidas en un inmenso árbol, iluminándolo como si fuese navidad. Y como estabamos cansadísimos, bajo ese árbol resplandeciente caímos rendidos, pasando ahí la noche apacible cada uno con sus sueños. Pero..." 
 

Monday, 20 September 2010

List of Tenses / Lista de tiempos verbales


Sancho

I'm reviewing my little list of tenses to see if there is something wrong with it. Is there?

Estoy revisando mi pequeña lista de tiempos verbales por si tiene algún error. ¿Lo tiene?


Present Simple   
Habit, routine. She plays tennis every day.
General truth, scientific fact. It rains here in Autumn.
Stative verbs. This rose smells sweet.

Present Continuous
Action happening now. I am having a shower right now.
Temporary action. We are learning to fish at camp.
Definite plan for the future. I´m having dinner with Bill tonight.

Past Simple
Action completed in the past. Sam cleaned his room yesterday.

Past Continuous
Incomplete action in progress at a specific time in the past. At midnight, I was sleeping.
Incomplete action interrupted by another action. I was washing my hair when the phone rang.
Two incomplete actions happening at the same time in the past. He was washing while she was ironing.

Present Perfect Simple
Action that began in the past and continues in the present. Beth has lived in Madrid since 1999.
Action that took place at an undetermined time in the past but is important in the present.
You needn´t cook. I have just had breakfast.

Past Perfect Simple
Completed action that took place before another action in the past.
The plane had already left when I got to the airport.

Future Simple
Predictions. You´re too tired to drive. You will have an accident.
Timetables. The football game will begin at six o´clock.
Spontaneous decisions. There is no coffee left. I will drink tea.

Be going to
Plan for the future. I am going to visit Alice this weekend.
Action about to happen. Stop! You are going to fall!

Present Continuous as Future
Actions planned to happen in the near future. We are moving to Liverpool next month.

Future Perfect
Action  that will be completed at a certain future time. John will have finished his book by November.

Future Continuous
Action in progress at a certain time in the future. At this time tomorrow, I will be taking a test.

Present Perfect Continuous
Action that began in the past but still continues in the present. She has been dieting for three months.
Action that happened in the past but has results that are still important or evident. I have been working in the garden and I´m covered with mud. I need  to have a shower.
Past Perfect Continuous
Action that continued until something else happened and put a stop to it.
Sybil had been running when she had the heart attack.

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