Lesson 12: Learn Spanish with AI

 Here's a more challenging paragraph with some idiomatic expressions:

La cocina peruana es un tesoro nacional que va más allá de ser simplemente deliciosa. En cada plato hay una historia que contar, un secreto familiar pasado de generación en generación. Los cocineros dicen que el secreto está en cocinar con cariño, pero también en la frescura de los ingredientes que caen como anillo al dedo para cada receta. No es de extrañar que la gastronomía peruana esté dando la vuelta al mundo y dejando huella en el paladar internacional.

This one includes some Spanish idioms like "caer como anillo al dedo" (to fit perfectly) and "dar la vuelta al mundo" (to go around the world/become globally known). Give it a try!

The Peruvian cuisine is a national treasure that is well known for its delicious simplicity. Behind every dish there is a history, a family secret passed down generation after generation. The chefs say that the secret to cook with love, but also the fresh ingredients that fit perfectly with the recipe. No wonder the Peruvian gastronomy is globally known and has left a mark in the international palate.

That's a very good translation, especially with the idioms! Let me suggest a few refinements:

Your version: "that is well known for its delicious simplicity" Improved: "that goes beyond being simply delicious" (this is closer to "va más allá de ser simplemente deliciosa")

Your version: "the secret to cook with love" Improved: "the secret is cooking with love" (better grammar structure)

Here's the polished version:

"Peruvian cuisine is a national treasure that goes beyond being simply delicious. Behind every dish there is a history, a family secret passed down from generation to generation. The chefs say that the secret is cooking with love, but also using fresh ingredients that fit perfectly with each recipe. No wonder Peruvian gastronomy is going global and leaving its mark on international palates."

lesson 11: learn Spanish with ai

 Here's another Spanish paragraph for you to translate:

Los fines de semana, la Plaza Mayor de Barcelona cobra vida con músicos callejeros y artistas locales. Los visitantes pueden sentarse en las terrazas de los cafés, disfrutando de una taza de chocolate caliente con churros mientras observan el ir y venir de la gente. El aire está lleno del aroma de pan recién horneado de las panaderías cercanas, y los niños juegan con palomas mientras sus padres charlan con los vecinos.

On weekends, the main plaza of Barcelona comes live with street musicians and local artists. The visitors would sit in the cafe terraces, enjoying their hot chocolate with churros while observing the people come and go. The air is filled with the aroma of bread from the bakers baking nearby, and the children playing with pigeons while their parents chat with their neighbours.

That's another good translation! Let me suggest a few refinements to make it sound even more natural:

Your version: "comes live" Improved: "comes to life" (this is the more common English expression)

Your version: "would sit" Improved: "can sit" (using "can" better translates "pueden" and sounds more immediate)

Your version: "bread from the bakers baking nearby" Improved: "freshly baked bread from nearby bakeries" (more natural word order)

Here's the polished version:

"On weekends, the Plaza Mayor of Barcelona comes to life with street musicians and local artists. Visitors can sit in the café terraces, enjoying their hot chocolate with churros while observing people coming and going. The air is filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread from nearby bakeries, and children play with pigeons while their parents chat with neighbors."

Harmonic method for learning spanish - Lesson 1
El libro esta sobre la mesa. ?Donde esta el libro?- El libro esta sobre la mesa. - ?Que esta sobre la mesa?-El libro. Eso es un libro. Que es eso?- Eso es un libro.

Where? Donde?
Que? what?

Eso no es un libro; eso es una mesa. Es eso un libro? no, senor, eso no es un libro;eso es una mesa-Esto es un lapiz.
Yo veo el libro sobre la mesa? ve usted el libro sobre la mesa?Si, senor, yo veo el libro sobre la mesa. Bravo! muy bien! usted comienza a hablar espanol. Yo comprendo. Comprende usted? Yo comprendo. Comprendo yo? Oh, si senor, usted comprende. Usted ve el paper debajo de la silla. ?veo yo el paper? usted lo ve.

dos y dos son quatro. Cuantos son dos y dos? Dos y dos son cuatro.
El tintero esta sobre el paper, entre la pluma y el lapiz. Donde esta el tintero? El tintero esta sobre el paper entre la pluma y el lapiz- la cuchilla esta en el bolsillo. Ve usted la cuchilla? No vveo la cuchilla. La veo you? Usted no la ve.
El sillion del maestro esta delante de la pizarra, y la pizarra detras del sillon. Delante es lo contrario de detras.
Donde estan el yeso y el cepillo? Estan en el izarron You vooy al pizarron.

Lesson 10 - Learn Spanish with AI

 Here's a paragraph in Spanish for you to translate:

Madrid es una ciudad vibrante y llena de historia que cautiva a todos sus visitantes. En sus calles estrechas y plazas históricas, los turistas pueden descubrir una mezcla única de arquitectura antigua y moderna. Los madrileños son conocidos por su estilo de vida relajado, sus largas cenas y su amor por el arte y la cultura. El Museo del Prado, uno de los museos más importantes del mundo, alberga obras maestras que atraen a millones de personas cada año.

Madrid is a vibrant city and is full of history that captivates all visitors. In its narrow streets and historical squares, the tourists see a mix of both old and modern architectures. The people of Madrid is known for its relaxed life and large dinners and their love for the art and culture. The Prado museum is one of the most important museums in the world, that houses old masterpieces that attract millions of people every year.

That's a very good translation! Let me suggest a few small adjustments to make it even more natural in English:

Your version: "The people of Madrid is known" Improved: "The people of Madrid are known" (since "people" is plural)

Your version: "large dinners" Improved: "long dinners" (this better captures "largas cenas" - referring to the duration rather than size)

Your version: "a mix of both old and modern architectures" Improved: "a unique mix of old and modern architecture" (architecture as a non-count noun)

Here's the complete polished translation:

"Madrid is a vibrant city full of history that captivates all visitors. In its narrow streets and historical squares, tourists can discover a unique mix of old and modern architecture. The people of Madrid are known for their relaxed lifestyle, long dinners, and their love for art and culture. The Prado Museum, one of the most important museums in the world, houses masterpieces that attract millions of people every year."

Lesson 9 - learn Spanish with Ai

Here's another Spanish paragraph for you to translate:

Durante mis vacaciones de verano, descubrí un pequeño pueblo costero que me dejó maravillado. Las calles estaban adornadas con flores de todos los colores, y los pescadores locales traían pescado fresco cada mañana al mercado. Me hospedé en una casita con vista al mar, donde podía escuchar las olas mientras tomaba mi café matutino. Los habitantes del pueblo eran increíblemente amables y me enseñaron algunas de sus costumbres tradicionales.

Would you like to try translating this paragraph?

During my summer vacation, we discovered a small coastal town that left me amazed. The streets were adorned with colourful flowers and the local fisheries had fresh fish market every morning. I was hosted in a place with the sea view, where I could listen to the sounds while I had my morning coffee. The habitants of the town were incredibly friendly and taught me about some of the their traditional costumes

Let me help you improve your translation. You did well overall, but there are a few details we can refine:

Your translation: "we discovered" Better: "I discovered" (the Spanish "descubrí" is in first person singular)

Your translation: "local fisheries had fresh fish market" Better: "local fishermen brought fresh fish to the market" ("pescadores locales traían" refers to fishermen bringing)

Your translation: "I was hosted in a place" Better: "I stayed in a small house" ("casita" specifically means "small house")

Your translation: "sounds" Better: "waves" ("olas" specifically means "waves")

Your translation: "habitants" Better: "inhabitants" (correct English term)

Your translation: "costumes" Better: "customs" ("costumbres" means traditions/customs, not clothing)

Here's the complete corrected translation:

"During my summer vacation, I discovered a small coastal town that left me amazed. The streets were adorned with flowers of all colors, and the local fishermen brought fresh fish to the market every morning. I stayed in a small house with a view of the sea, where I could hear the waves while having my morning coffee. The inhabitants of the town were incredibly friendly and taught me some of their traditional customs."

Lesson 8 - Learn Spanish with AI

translate:

El fin de semana pasado, mi familia y yo fuimos a un pequeño restaurante en el centro de la ciudad. No habíamos estado allí antes, pero un amigo nos lo recomendó. El lugar tenía un ambiente acogedor, con paredes de ladrillo y fotografías antiguas. Pedimos varios platos típicos de la región, y quedamos gratamente sorprendidos por los sabores y la presentación. El chef incluso salió a saludarnos y nos explicó la historia detrás de algunas de las recetas tradicionales.

The last weekend, my family and I went to a small restaurant in the city centre. We hadn’t been there before, but a friend recommended us. The place had a cozy atmosphere, with colourful walls with old photographs. They had various types of dishes of the region, and we were greatly surprised by the flavors and the presentation. The chef came to welcome us and explained us the history behind some of the traditional recipes.

 Let me help you check your translation. You did quite well, but there are a few small details we can improve:

Your translation: "The last weekend"

Better: "Last weekend" (This is the more natural way to say it in English)

Your translation: "recommended us"

Better: "recommended it to us" (needs the object "it" and preposition "to")

Your translation: "with colourful walls with old photographs"

Better: "with brick walls and old photographs" ("paredes de ladrillo" means brick walls, not colorful walls)

Your translation: "They had various types of dishes"

Better: "We ordered several typical dishes" ("Pedimos" means "we ordered")

Here's the complete corrected translation:

"Last weekend, my family and I went to a small restaurant in the city center. We hadn't been there before, but a friend recommended it to us. The place had a cozy atmosphere, with brick walls and old photographs. We ordered several typical dishes from the region, and we were pleasantly surprised by the flavors and presentation. The chef even came out to greet us and explained the history behind some of the traditional recipes."

Lesson 7 - Learn Spanish with AI

 La lluvia caía incesantemente sobre la ciudad, creando un ambiente gris y sombrío. Las calles estaban casi desiertas, solo algunos transeúntes apresurados se aventuraban bajo los paraguas, buscando refugio en los escasos locales abiertos. El viento, frío y húmedo, azotaba las ventanas de las casas, mientras que el ruido constante de la lluvia hacía eco en las aceras vacías."

My translation mostly a guess

The rain poured incessantly over the city, creating a gray and gloomy atmosphere. The streets are deserted everywhere, but some people were walking under the umbrella, looking for a refuge in the local open covered spaces. The wind cold and humid, pouring on the house windows, afraid that the constant rain will make the nearby places wet.

Ruido - noise

Hacia - made

Eco - echoed 

Aceras vacias - sidewalk

Your translation is a good start, but here's a more accurate and natural-sounding version:

"The rain fell incessantly over the city, creating a gray and gloomy atmosphere. The streets were almost deserted, only a few hurried passersby ventured out under umbrellas, seeking refuge in the few open establishments. The wind, cold and humid, lashed against the windows of the houses, while the constant noise of the rain echoed on the empty sidewalks."

Here's a breakdown of the changes:

• "The streets are deserted everywhere": This sounds a bit awkward. "The streets were almost deserted" is more natural.
• "some people were walking under the umbrella": This should be "some hurried passersby ventured out under umbrellas".
• "looking for a refuge in the local open covered spaces": This is a bit convoluted. "seeking refuge in the few open establishments" is simpler and more concise.
• "The wind cold and humid, pouring on the house windows": This should be "The wind, cold and humid, lashed against the windows of the houses". "Lashed" better conveys the forceful nature of the wind.
• "afraid that the constant rain will make the nearby places wet": This doesn't quite make sense in the context of the original paragraph. "while the constant noise of the rain echoed on the empty sidewalks" better captures the overall atmosphere.

Lesson 6 -learn Spanish with AI

 Original Spanish: "El mundo de la música clásica contemporánea está experimentando una revolución silenciosa. Compositores de diversas partes del mundo están desafiando las fronteras tradicionales, mezclando elementos de música folklórica, jazz y sonidos electrónicos. Esta nueva generación de músicos busca crear experiencias sonoras que reflejen la complejidad de la identidad cultural en un mundo globalizado. Sus composiciones no solo rompen esquemas musicales, sino que también narran historias de migración, mestizaje cultural y transformación social."

Your Translation: "The world of contemporary classical music is experiencing a silent revolution. Composers from diverse parts of the world are fighting the traditional frontiers, mixing the elements of folk music, jazz and electronic sounds. This new musical generation is long to create sound experiences that reflect the complexity of the cultural identity of the global world. These compositions are not just breaking the structure of musicals, but hey are also narrating the story of migration, cultural complexity and social transformation"

Corrections/Observations:

• "fighting the traditional frontiers" → should be "challenging the traditional boundaries"
• "is long to create" → doesn't make sense; should be "seeks to create"
• "cultural identity of the global world" → awkward; better "cultural identity in a globalized world"
• "breaking the structure of musicals" → should be "breaking musical structures"
• Typo: "hey are" → should be "they are"
• Lost some nuance in the original text about cultural mixing (mestizaje)

A more precise translation would be: "The world of contemporary classical music is experiencing a silent revolution. Composers from diverse parts of the world are challenging traditional boundaries, mixing elements of folk music, jazz, and electronic sounds. This new generation of musicians seeks to create sound experiences that reflect the complexity of cultural identity in a globalized world. Their compositions not only break musical structures but also narrate stories of migration, cultural mixing, and social transformation."

Lesson 5 - learn Spanish with ai

 Let me help you compare the translation with the original Spanish text:

Original Spanish:

"La educación ambiental es fundamental para crear conciencia sobre los desafíos ecológicos actuales. Los jóvenes son agentes de cambio poderosos que pueden inspirar transformaciones significativas en sus comunidades. Mediante programas escolares, proyectos de reciclaje y campañas de conservación, los estudiantes aprenden a valorar los ecosistemas y desarrollan habilidades para proteger el medio ambiente. Su compromiso puede marcar la diferencia en la lucha contra el cambio climático y la preservación de la biodiversidad global."

Your Translation:

"The environmental education is fundamental to create understanding of the actual ecological challenges. The youth are the change agents who would be able to make significant transformations in their communities. Through school programmes, recycling projects and forest conservation, the students learn a lot about the ecosystems and develop habits to protect the environment. They comprehend to understand the difference in the struggle of climate change and the preservation of the global biodiversity."

Corrections/Observations:

- "environmental education" → should be "environmental education is"

- "create understanding" → more accurately "create awareness"

- "who would be able" → simplified to "who can"

- "forest conservation" → original says just "conservation campaigns"

- "learn a lot about" → more precisely "learn to value"

- "develop habits" → more accurately "develop skills"

- "They comprehend to understand" → redundant

- Slight deviation from original meaning in the last sentence

A more precise translation would be:

"Environmental education is fundamental to create awareness about current ecological challenges. Young people are powerful change agents who can inspire significant transformations in their communities. Through school programs, recycling projects, and conservation campaigns, students learn to value ecosystems and develop skills to protect the environment. Their commitment can make a difference in the fight against climate change and the preservation of global biodiversity."

Lesson 4 - Learn Spanish with AI

 Original Spanish: "El arte de la cocina tradicional mexicana es mucho más que preparar alimentos. Es una expresión cultural profunda que combina ingredientes locales, técnicas antiguas y rituales familiares. Cada platillo cuenta una historia de tradición, memoria y conexión con la tierra. Los mercados bulliciosos, llenos de colores y aromas, reflejan esta rica herencia culinaria que ha sido reconocida por la UNESCO como patrimonio cultural inmaterial de la humanidad."

Your Translation: "The art of cooking traditional Mexican is much more than preparing food. It is a profound cultural expression that combines local ingredients, old techniques and familiar rituals. Every plate tells a traditional story, memories and connections with the land. The loud markets, with numerous colours and aromas, reflect the rich cultural heritage that has been recognised by UNESCO that intangible cultural heritage of the humanity."

Corrections/Observations:

• "art of cooking traditional Mexican" → should be "art of traditional Mexican cooking"
• "Every plate" → more accurately "Each dish" (platillo)
• "a traditional story" → unnecessary addition
• "that has been recognised by UNESCO that intangible cultural heritage of the humanity" → awkward phrasing
  • Correct version: "recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity"

A more precise translation would be: "The art of traditional Mexican cooking is much more than preparing food. It is a profound cultural expression that combines local ingredients, ancient techniques, and family rituals. Each dish tells a story of tradition, memory, and connection to the land. The bustling markets, full of colors and aromas, reflect this rich culinary heritage that has been recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity."

Lesson 3 - Learn Spanish with AI

 La tecnología ha transformado radicalmente la forma en que nos comunicamos. Hace solo veinte años, las llamadas internacionales eran costosas y complicadas. Ahora, con internet y aplicaciones de mensajería, podemos hablar instantáneamente con personas al otro lado del mundo sin gastar casi nada."

Your Translation: "Technology has radically transformed the way we communicate. Twenty year ago, if you had to make international calls it as costly and complicated. Now, with Internet and messenger applications, we can talk instantly with persons on the other side of the world without even leaving the house at all"

Corrections/Observations:

• "Twenty year ago" → should be "Twenty years ago"
• "it as costly" → should be "it was costly"
• Added "without even leaving the house at all" - not in original text
• "persons" → should be "people"

A more precise translation would be: "Technology has radically transformed the way we communicate. Just twenty years ago, international calls were costly and complicated. Now, with internet and messaging applications, we can talk instantly with people on the other side of the world without spending almost anything."

Lesson 2 - Learn Spanish with AI

 "El cambio climático es un desafío global que requiere acción inmediata. Los científicos advierten que si no reducimos las emisiones de carbono, enfrentaremos consecuencias devastadoras. Cada persona puede contribuir mediante pequeños cambios en su vida diaria, como usar transporte público o reciclar."

Your Translation: "The climate change is a global problem the requires immediate attention. The scientists say that if we don't reduce the carbon emissions we face devastating consequences. Every person should start making small changes in their daily lives, like use public transport or use bicycles."

Corrections/Observations:

• "The climate change" → should be "Climate change" (no "the")
• "the requires" → should be "that requires"
• "say" → more precisely "warn" (from "advierten")
• Added "use bicycles" which isn't in the original text
• "should start" → original implies "can contribute" (a bit softer)

A more precise translation would be: "Climate change is a global challenge that requires immediate action. Scientists warn that if we do not reduce carbon emissions, we will face devastating consequences. Every person can contribute through small changes in their daily lives, such as using public transport or recycling."

Learn Spanish again the AI

 After a hiatus of many years, I want to relearn Spanish. But not sure how much I know. So going to give AI a trial to give me exercises to translate and see how it goes.

This was a paragraph given by Claude sonnet

Mi mejor amiga acaba de regresar de un viaje por Sudamérica. Visitó Argentina, Chile y Perú durante tres meses. Dice que la comida era increíble y que conoció a personas muy amables en cada país. Sus fotografías muestran paisajes impresionantes de las montañas y ciudades antiguas.

And this is my translation.

Your Spanish translation is quite good! Let me provide a few minor corrections and compare your translation with the original:

Original Spanish: "Mi mejor amiga acaba de regresar de un viaje por Sudamérica. Visitó Argentina, Chile y Perú durante tres meses. Dice que la comida era increíble y que conoció a personas muy amables en cada país. Sus fotografías muestran paisajes impresionantes de las montañas y ciudades antiguas."

Your translation: "My best friend is back after a journey to South America. She has visited Argentina, Chile and Peru during the three months. She says that the food there is incredible and that she got to know many good people in every country. Her photographs of these mountains and old cities are impressive."

Corrections/Observations:

• "has visited" → should be "visited" (simple past tense)
• "the food there" → small unnecessary addition not in original
• "got to know" is good, matches "conoció"

LAS MONEDAS DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS

LAS MONEDAS DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS

Las monedas americanas son de oro, de plata, de níquel y de cobre. El oro es un metal. El oro es un metal de mucho valor. La plata es también un metal. La plata no es del mismo valor que el oro, pero es de mucho valor. El níquel y el cobre son metales muy útiles.

¿De qué color son estos metales? El níquel es plomizo, la plata es blanca, el cobre es cobrizo y el oro es amarillo.

La moneda americana de cobre es el centavo. La moneda americana de níquel es la pieza de cinco centavos. Las monedas de plata son las piezas de diez centavos, de veinticinco centavos, de cincuenta centavos o el medio dólar, y el dólar. Las piezas de oro son: la moneda de cinco dólares, la de diez dólares y la de veinte dólares.

Hay también billetes de banco. Los billetes de banco son de papel. Los billetes americanos son de uno, de dos, de cinco, de diez, de veinte, de cincuenta, de cien, de quinientos y de mil dólares.

The currencies of United States

The American currencies are of gold, silver, nickel and copper. Gold is a metal. Gold is a metal with much value. Silver is also a metal. Silver is not as valuable as gold, but has much value. Nickel and copper are metals are much used.

What color are these metals? Nickel is grey, silver is white, copper is coppery and gold is yellow.

The American copper currency is the cent. American Nickel currency is a piece of five cents. The silver currencies are pieces of 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents or half a dollar and the dollar. The pieces of gold are: 5 dollar currency, 10 dollar and 20 dollars.

There are also bank notes. The bank notes are of paper. The American notes are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 dollars.

LOS RECREOS

LOS RECREOS

Ninguno trabaja todo el tiempo. Después del trabajo la gente se recrea con diferentes diversiones. Algunos van a paseo por los parques y por los jardines cuando hace buen tiempo. Otros se pasean a lo largo del río o del lago. La gente rica va en coche o automóvil. Algunos montan a caballo o en bicicleta. Durante el verano los ricos van al campo o al balneario.

Otros van a la playa para refrescarse algunas semanas o meses. En el campo la gente juega al tenis y al golfo. Otros reman, navegan, pescan y nadan. El aire en el campo y en la playa es muy fresco y puro y vigoriza a la gente cansada y fatigada.

Algunos ricos hacen un viaje todos los veranos y todas las primaveras a Italia, España, Francia, Alemania, Inglaterra o la Suiza.

Nobody works all the time. After work, people recreate with different activities. Some go to the park and some to the gardens when the weather is good. Some go to the park and gardens in great weather. Others stroll along the river or the lake. Rich people go in cars and buses. Others do mountain climbing  go horse riding or cycling. During Summer, the rich people go camping or go to a health resort.

Others go to the beach to relax in some weeks or months. In the country side, people play tennis and golf. Others go rowing, sailing, fishing or swimming. The air in the country side and in the beaches is much fresh, pure and invigorating to the tired and sad people.

Other rich people make a trip during summer and all of spring to Italy, Spain, France, Germany, England and or to Switzerland.

  

EL ULTIMO DIA DEL CURSO

Por fin llega el ultimo dia del curso. En este dia, los ninos estan muy contentos, porque acaban sus estudios y dan principio a la larga vacacion del verano.
Por la tarde, despues de comer, celebraran el acto de la graduacion. Nuestros amigos tomaran parte en la fiesta.
Los estudiantes de ultimo ano recibiran el diploma de manos del superintendente. Estos estudiantes son los graduados y son los mayorcitos.
Por fin llega la hora del acto academico. Todo el mundo esta en su puesto: los alumnos y sus familias. Aquellos ocupan los bancos de preferencia; estas, los ultimos.
Aun los alumnos estan divididos en secciones. Esta seccion es la de los graduados. Las ninas estan separadas de los ninos. Estos estan sentados a la izquierda y aquellas a la derecha. Las ninas van vestidas de blanco, los ninos, con sus trajes nuevos. Esa seccion, es decir, la de nuestros amiguitos, ocupa los bancos inmediatos a los de los graduados. Y por fin, aquella seccion, la de los parvulos, ocupa los bancos mas cercanos a los de los padres y las madres.

Finally arrives the last day of course. In this day, the children are very happy, because there are no studies and they have a large summer vacation.
In the evening, after eating, they celebrate the graduation day. Our friends take part in a party.
The students last day they receive their diplomas from their superintendent. They students are graduates and also majors.
Then arrives the final hour of academic life. Everyone take their positions : the students and their families. They occupy their preferred positions: other, the remaining.
And the students are divided into sections. This section is the one of the graduates. Then boys and girls are separated into sections. The boys are to the left and the girls are to the right. The girls are wearing white blouse, the boys, with their new costumes.  This section, namely, of our friends, they occupy the seats immediately behind the graduates. And finally, this section, of the nursery, occupy the seats near to their parents.

Some riddles in Spanish

ADIVINANZAS. (I) - Some riddles

1. ¿En qué se parece un esqueleto a una comida de viernes? En que le falta la carne.

2. ¿Qué es lo que va de Madrid a Toledo sin moverse? El camino.

3. ¿En qué se parece un gallo a un monte? En la cresta.

4. ¿Por qué en invierno sale tarde el sol? Porque, como hace frío, no le da la gana de madrugar.

5. ¿Por qué es más frío el aire en el invierno que en el verano? Porque en el invierno le cierran las puertas de las casas, y tiene que estarse en la calle.

6. ¿Qué es lo que se nos aparece una vez en un minuto, dos veces en un momento, y nunca en un siglo? La letra M.

7. ¿En qué estado se coge un cordero para matarlo? Vivo.

EL BRASIL

 EL BRASIL

El Brasil tiene cuatro veces la extensión de Méjico. Es casi tan grande como los Estados Unidos de América, pero tiene solamente una quinta parte de su población. La mayor parte del Brasil no está poblada, porque está cubierta de densas selvas. La vegetación tropical abunda en estas selvas. La mayor parte de la población se halla en la costa sudeste. En las selvas del Brasil se encuentran casi todas las plantas tropicales y los animales de la América del Sur. Hay más de 300 variedades de palmas. Hay también abundancia de maderas de ebanistería y se encuentra allá el árbol de la goma elástica.

En la parte meridional del Brasil se extraen el hierro y el carbón. En la región más al norte, cerca de la costa se encuentran la caña de azúcar, el algodón, el tabaco y el arroz. Los cafetos se encuentran en muchas partes, pero la mayor producción y la mejor calidad de café se obtiene en los campos cerca de Río de Janeiro. El Brasil produce más café que todo el resto del mundo junto.

En el sur del país se cosecha el maíz y el trigo. En el extremo meridional hay extensos criaderos de ganado, y se exporta mucho cuero, sebo, cuernos y huesos de animales. Hay muy pocas fábricas de artículos para la exportación, pero esta industria va en aumento.

El Brasil tiene un comercio más extenso que ningún otro país de la América del Sur. Sus ciudades y puertos principales son el centro de 13,000 kilómetros de ferrocarriles.

La ciudad de Río de Janeiro, situada en un magnífico puerto, es la capital del Brasil y una de las mayores ciudades de la América del Sur. Tiene algunas fábricas y un comercio extenso, especialmente en café.

Some Spanish proverbs with English equivalents.

Some Spanish proverbs

1. No hay rosa sin espinas. - No rose without thorns. 

2. No es oro todo lo que reluce. - All that glitters is not gold.

3. Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando. - A bird in a hand is better than hundred flying.

4. Más vale tarde que nunca. -  Better late than never

5. La caridad empieza por nosotros mismos. -  Charity begins at home.

6. Todas las aves con sus pares. Birds of a feather flock together

7. Tal padre, tal hijo. - Like father, like son.

8. El hombre propone y Dios dispone. - Man proposes God disposes

9. Sobre gusto no hay nada escrito. - There is no accounting for taste.

So revised half of the book Madrigal's Spanish in two days. Well, had once used the book to learn Spanish but it took a backseat in the recent days and wondered if I remember what I learnt. I feel refreshed with what I have learnt and seemed to have learnt more than what I had learnt before. But as usual, I should try little translation exercises from English to Spanish. But that is a way too long from now. Atleast I must continue with the exercises that I did in the past..

1. LA ESCUELA

Voy a la escuela. Voy a la escuela el lunes, el martes, el miércoles, el jueves y el viernes. El sábado y el domingo no voy a la escuela. El sábado y el domingo estoy en casa. Soy un discípulo y estoy en la escuela. El discípulo aprende. Aprendo la aritmética, a leer y a escribir. Vd. aprende el español. Todos nosotros aprendemos diligentemente. Algunos discípulos no son diligentes. Algunos son perezosos. El maestro elogia a los discípulos diligentes y a los discípulos obedientes. Él no elogia a los alumnos perezosos.

El maestro enseña. Mi maestro enseña el español. Este maestro enseña las matemáticas y aquel maestro el inglés. El señor Blanco enseña la biología y la química. La señorita Herrera enseña la geografía y la historia. ¿Qué aprende Vd. en la escuela? Aprendo el español, el francés, el álgebra, la biología y la estenografía.

I'm going to school. I'm going to school on Monday, Tuesday, wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday I don't go to school. I am in my house on Saturday and Sunday. I am a student and I am in the school. A student learns. Learns Maths, to write and rewad. You learn Spanish. All of us learn diligently. Some students are not diligent. Some are lazy. The praises the diligent students and obedient ones. He does not praise the lazy ones.

The master teaches. My master teaches Spanish. This master teaches maths and that master teaches English. Mr. White teaches biology and chemistry. Ms. Herrera teaches geography and history. What did you learn in the school?  You learn Spanish, French, Algebra, Biology and Stenography.

  

2. EL DISCÍPULO

En nuestra escuela hay muchos discípulos. Carlos, Enrique y Pablo son discípulos. Ana, María y Elvira son discípulas. Juan es diligente. Carlos no es muy diligente. Algunas veces está muy perezoso. Elvira es más diligente que Juan. ¿Quién es más diligente, el discípulo o la discípula? Juan está atento y es obediente. Carlos está desatento y es desobediente. No escucha atentamente. Cuando el maestro habla y explica Carlos no escucha. Él no aprende nada. En muchas escuelas hay discípulos y discípulas. En algunas escuelas hay sólo discípulos y en otras escuelas hay sólo discípulas.

The Student

In our school are many students. Charles, Henry and Paul are students. Anna, Mary and Elvira are students. John is diligent. Charles is not very diligent. Some times he is lazy. Envira is very diligent than John. ?Who is more diligent, the boys or girls? John is attentive and obedient. Charles is unattentive and disobedient. He does not listen with attentively. When the master speaks and explains, Charles does not listen. He learns nothing. In many schools there are boys and girls students. In some schools there are just boys and in other schools there are just girls.

3. LA SALA DE CLASE (I)

La escuela es grande y bonita y tiene muchas salas de clase. La sala de clase es grande y clara y tiene cuatro paredes. Las paredes son blancas o amarillas o verdes. El techo está arriba de nosotros. El techo es siempre blanco. El suelo está debajo de nosotros. El suelo es de madera. La pizarra está en la pared delante de la clase. La pizarra es negra y debajo de ella están la tiza y los cepillos. La tiza es generalmente blanca pero algunas veces es verde, o azul o roja.

Limpiamos la pizarra con el cepillo. En las paredes hay bonitos cuadros. Los cuadros representan vistas de España. En nuestra sala de clase hay también un cuadro del rey Alfonso, uno de Calderón y uno de Cervantes. En la pared detrás del maestro hay un mapa de España y de Portugal.

The school is big and nice and has many classrooms. The classroom is big and bright and has four walls. The walls are white or yellow or green. The roof is above us. The roof is always white. The floor is below us. The floor is of wood. The board is on the wall facing the class. The board is black and near it are the chalk and duster. The chalk is generally black but sometimes it is green, blue or red.

We clean the board with the duster. On the walls are beautiful pictures. The picture represent views of Spain. In our classroom there is also a picture of King Alphonse, one of Calderon and one of Cervantes. On the wall, to the back of the Master is a map of Spain and that of Portugal.