APRENDE CON LOS PROFESIONALES DEL INGLÉS Agosto 2010 - Issue 73 - € 4.

20

question tags
Jesús Navas: Help Desk Department

Grammar Matters

echoes of
the big bang
Humanities Article

phrasal verbs
Come across // Come to

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index
THE VAUGHAN REVIEW

is published monthly and is a Vaughan Systems

Agosto 2010
publication. All rights reserved.

Publisher:
Richard Vaughan
03 Editorial Nothing to Say
Editor in chief:
Richard Brown
Co-Editors in chief: 05 Easy Read I Don’t Give a Fig!
David Waddell
Carmen Vallejo
06 Grammar Matters Question tags
Art Editor:
Annie Casasús Olea
English Editing: 11 Cloverdale’s Characters Pierre Monet
Greg Stanford
Design Team 12 People & Places Entrevista a Jesús Navas
Ivan Morgan
Juan Ignacio Fernández Peón
Illustrator 14 Business Letter 66
Pablo Gonzalo
Contributing Editors:
Anna KatarinaVictória
16 Marketing List 29
Annie Casasús Olea
Conor McAlinden
17 Pence & R Sección Infantil
Audio Editors:
Alberto Alonso
Daniel Escudero 21 Expressions with Bird
Distribution Manager:
Rubén Palomero
22 Humanities Echoes of the Big Bang
Subscriptions team:
Enebral Luengo
Irene Alonso 24 Phrasal Verbs To come across // To come to
Jose Carlos Morales
suscripciones@vausys.com
Cover Photograph: 26 Something to Chew Over
Ignacio Fernández Peón
Newsroom/ Redacción:
Edificio Master 1
30 Mastering the Interrogative 62
Avda. General Perón, 38 - 2ª Planta in Madrid.
Telephone/Teléfono: 31 Elision Fields Innit
91 444 58 44
E-mail/Correo electrónico: 32 Sudoku Art
rbrown@vausys.com
Printed by/Imprime:
Grupo Aries 34 Translation List Nivel principiante y nivel avanzado
Depósito legal:
M-46.801-2002
35 Creepy Corner El terrible “an IMPORTANT problem”
ISSN:
1887-6137
Lugar y fecha de impresión:
Madrid, el 1 de Agosto de 2010

Edita

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2
 editorial
Nothing to Say
When it comes to
speaking a foreign When it comes to writing this monthly editorial, of a deeper form. The words just come out; ideas are
there’s nothing I like more than having nothing to say. born and flower (florecen), in a matter of
language however, There I am, sitting on the train on my daily commute microseconds. And yet, they don’t come from nowhere.
things take a (trayecto al trabajo) into Madrid, desperately trying to They are the fruit of thousands upon thousands of
come up with (dar con) something of interest to write observations and considerations we’ve been storing up
radical turn for the about - some fresh angle or other on language learning (almacenando), sometimes consciously, sometimes not,
- only to hit against an impenetrable, nebulous barrier during the course of our existence. They are also the
worse. The
of nothingness. And so the days pass, and then the result of experience. It is rare for us to say something
apparent ease we weeks until Deadline Day (fecha tope) bursts in just once. We may very well discuss any given idea or
(irrumpe) on the scene, shakes me by the shoulders, share the same anecdote any number of times with any
all feel when looks me straight in the eye and says to me, somewhat number of people. In short (en resumidas cuentas), we
expressing irate, “Where’s that editorial of yours?”. (Deadline Day practice. A lot. The same thing is true of writing. In my
has spiky hair and usually takes the form of Annie, our case, I’m constantly having ideas. This doesn’t necessarily
ourselves in our fantastic graphic designer who takes the rudimentary mean that I’m constantly making a conscious effort of
layout of the primitive Word documents we turn in registering them in my memory banks. They’re just
mother tongue (entregamos) every month and transforms them into there, floating around. And only when I come to write
evaporates. something that not only makes sense on paper but is them down on paper do they actually take shape and
also pleasing to the eye). Deadline Day is not to be become coherent or intelligible (in the best-case
messed with. scenario!). How I extract them from the apparent void
(vacío) in my mind I do not know. Just as you probably
And so, meekly (algo sumiso), I assure Deadline Day
cannot account for the last thing you said. Where did it
that the article will be finished within the hour and
come from? Why did you say it like that and not
return to my desk. At that point, I decide to take a
another way?
much closer look at that billowing (nuboso) mass of
nothingness within my head. And the harder I look, the So why am I only able to extract and give form to
more clearly I see: there truly is nothing in there, not these hazy (confusas) ideas when faced with the
one single (ni una sola) idea worth talking about. implacable gaze of Deadline Day? Simple. Because only
Amazing! But true. And so, I duly sit down at my then am I placed under pressure. Deadline Day is the
computer and start typing, and sure enough, Deadline only real pressure a writer feels powerful enough to
Day has her article within the hour and I can rest safe force him or her to utterance. For a speaker, within the
in the knowledge that she will not be knocking at my context of a conversation, the very presence of the
door for another four weeks. person we’re talking to is enough to bring us to speak.
“How can you possibly write an article every month
When it comes to speaking a foreign language
without having a clear idea of what you’re going to be
however, things take a radical turn for the worse. The
talking about?” You may well ask! “And what’s the
apparent ease we all feel when expressing ourselves in
difference between having nothing to talk about at the
our mother tongue evaporates leaving us struggling
beginning of the month and having nothing to talk
(con problemas) to string a sentence together. Why?
about at the end of the month with Deadline Day
We simply don’t have enough experience with the
staring at you in the face?”
mechanics of the language. In next month’s editorial, I’ll
Well, let’s look at the first question. Normally, the fast- look at how to acquire the necessary practice with
moving dynamic of a conversation doesn’t allow one English beyond the classroom environment. I love
much time for reflection, let-alone any soul-searching having nothing to talk about!

Richard Brown

3
 Si
difíc
t e result
il el
princ
e d i
ipal..
t
t

ículo
a
orial
.
es
easy read
a r
¡este ti!
para

I Don’t Give a Fig!

(¡Me importa un bledo!)

Did you know that a fig (higo) is not a fruit? Did you know that
when you eat a fig you are actually (en realidad) eating the flowers
of the fig tree? Did you also know that when you eat a fig, you are
probably also eating the corpses of dead wasps (avispas)?
So a fig is a flower? Well, not exactly. To be more precise, a fig is a
bunch of inward-growing flowers, protected by the hard outer
(exterior) skin. So, if the flowers grow inwards, how do insects
access the pollen to help perpetuate the pollination cycle? Well, the
answer is they don’t, with one exception: the fig wasp.
The fig wasp is a tiny little wasp about a quarter of the size of
normal wasps. If you see one flying about, you’ll know it’s a female.
Why? Because male fig wasps don’t have wings (alas). If you think
your life is dull and boring, thank your lucky stars you aren’t a fig
wasp. Let’s look at their remarkable life-cycle.
This is as exciting as it gets: the female (hembra) fig wasp is born
inside a fig, she feeds off (se alimenta de) the sweet juices found
inside, is fertilized by the male fig wasps who are born next to her
(yes, her own brothers!), and then crawls out (sale arrastrándose)
of the fig. She then flies to another fig tree, lands (se posa) on a fig
and forces her ovipositor (a long tube through which she lays her
eggs) into a natural opening in the fig in order to (con el fin de)
deposit her eggs inside. The effor t (esfuerzo) required is
considerable and she usually loses her wings and antennae in the
attempt (intento). As she inserts her ovipositor into the fig, she also
deposits pollen she picked up from the fig tree she was born in. And
so, the pollination cycle is complete. As soon as (en cuanto) the
female has laid (depositado) her eggs, she usually collapses from
exhaustion and dies. Her body is consumed by the acids contained
within the fig.
If you think the female’s life is dull (monótona) and boring, the male
crawl in order to fly off to another fig tree. As soon as the males
fig wasp’s life is even more (aun más) uninteresting.The male is born
are out of the fig, they too die of exhaustion. Some don’t even get
and feeds off the fig just like the female. As we mentioned before,
that far and die on route – right inside that juicy fig you’re looking
the male doesn’t have wings. It doesn’t have wings for the simple
forward to eating (que te resulta tan apetecible).
reason that it never gets to fly. Male wasps have two functions in life:
fertilizing the females and chewing (masticar)! Chewing? That’s right, It’s all pretty (bastante) pathetic really. And yet, the intertwined
chewing. The males basically have the task (tarea) of chewing their (vinculados) and mutually dependent life cycles of the fig tree and
way out of the fig, from the centre to the surface, thereby (de esta the fig wasp have existed for over 80 million years. So they must be
manera) creating a tunnel out of which the female fig wasp can doing something right!

Richard Brown

5
Question tags
VERBO TO BE
Las “preguntas coletillas” o “question tags” aparecen frecuentemente en las conversaciones en inglés. Son preguntas
que una misma persona añade al final de una oración afirmativa o negativa. Dicha pregunta suele ser de signo
opuesto a la frase dicha anteriormente.

No llego tarde, ¿verdad? I'm not late, am I?

Ése es el tipo que ganó la quiniela, ¿verdad? That's the guy that won the football pools, isn’t it?

Aquellos libros son de ella, ¿no? Those books are hers, aren’t they?

Ésta es la mujer que llamaste ayer, ¿no? This is the woman you called yesterday, isn’t it?

Tengo razón, ¿verdad? I'm right, aren’t I?

Fíjate en que decimos “I'm right, aren’t I?” y no, “I'm right, am not I?”.

A continuación veremos algunos ejemplos de preguntas coletillas en oraciones que empiezan con “there to be”.

No hay nada en la tele esta noche, ¿verdad? There's nothing on TV tonight, is there?

Hay un cine cerca de la estación, ¿no? There's a cinema near the station, isn’t there?

Pasa algo, ¿verdad? There’s something wrong, isn’t there?

No hubo ningún problema, ¿verdad? There weren’t any problems, were there?

Hay sillas en el piso de arriba, ¿no? There are some chairs upstairs, aren’t there?

En el primer ejemplo, la pregunta coletilla no es “isn’t there?” sino “is there?”, ya que al incluir la palabra
“nothing” la primera parte de la oración es negativa, con lo que la segunda será positiva.

6
 grammar matters

PRESENTE Y PASADO
La pregunta coletilla se construye utilizando el verbo “to do” en el presente o en el pasado seguido de un
pronombre sujeto.

Ella parece cansada, ¿verdad? She looks tired, doesn’t she?

Tu mujer tiene coche, ¿no? Your wife has a car, doesn’t she?

Tienes que llegar antes de las nueve y media, ¿no? You have to arrive before half past nine, don’t you?

Ellos no le llamaron, ¿verdad? They didn’t call him, did they?

Ella llegó tarde, ¿no? She arrived late, didn’t she?

Lo más habitual es que si la oración principal es afirmativa, la pregunta coletilla se exprese en negativa y viceversa.

OTROS TIEMPOS VERBALES

En este caso, la pregunta coletilla se forma utilizando el auxiliar de la oración principal.

Ha tenido que hacer demasiadas cosas últimamente, ¿verdad? She's had too much to do lately, hasn’t she?

Él estará allí, ¿verdad? He'll be there, won’t he?

Más vale que se tome su trabajo en serio, ¿no? He'd better take his job seriously, hadn't he?

Me lo dirías si lo supieras, ¿verdad? You would tell me if you knew, wouldn’t you?

No deberías hacer eso, ¿verdad? You shouldn't do that, should you?

Fíjate en que separamos la oración principal de la pregunta por una coma.

7
Question tags
NOBODY, ANYTHING...
Vamos a presentar algunos ejemplos de preguntas coletillas en los que hemos incluido vocablos como “nobody”,
“anything”, “nothing” y “everybody” en la oración.

Nadie llegó tarde, ¿verdad? Nobody was late, were they?

Cualquier cosa puede ir mal, ¿no? Anything could go wrong, couldn’t it?

Nada malo puede pasar, ¿verdad? Nothing bad can happen, can it?

Alguien te lo contó, ¿verdad? Somebody told you, didn’t they?

Todo el mundo estará allí, ¿no? Everybody will be there, won’t they?

Aunque en estas oraciones donde aparecen “nobody”, “everybody” y “somebody”, el verbo se expresa en
singular, la pregunta coletilla lleva el auxiliar plural y el pronombre sujeto “they”.

Veamos ahora unos ejemplos en los que hemos incluido una serie de palabras que tienen una connotación negativa
como “never” y “hardly ever”.

Nunca te llamaron, ¿verdad? They never called you, did they?

Casi nunca contestas al teléfono, ¿verdad? You hardly ever answer your phone, do you?

Él nunca ha salido en la tele, ¿verdad? He’s never appeared on TV, has he?

Ella nunca sonrió, ¿verdad? She never smiled, did she?

Él casi nunca está en casa, ¿verdad? He’s hardly ever at home, is he?

En todos los casos las preguntas coletillas llevan el auxiliar en afirmativo porque “never” y “hardly ever” le
dan a la oración un sentido negativo.

8
 grammar matters

IMPERATIVO
En el caso del imperativo, la pregunta coletilla que empleamos será distinta según queramos convertir una orden en
una petición cortés, invitación (won’t you?) o muestra de impaciencia (will you?).

Pasa a tomar una copa, ¿quieres? Come in for a drink, won’t you?

Abre la ventana, ¿quieres? Open the window, will you?

Siéntate, ¿vale? Take a seat, won't you?

No llegues tarde, ¿vale? Don’t be late, will you?

Cállate, ¿quieres? Be quiet, will you?

Si tienes alguna duda, la pregunta coletilla “will you” vale para todos los casos.

Cuando se trata de un imperativo negativo, la única pregunta coletilla posible es “will you?”.

Por último veremos las oraciones con “let’s” cuya pregunta coletilla es “shall we?”.

Preguntémosle a Susan, ¿vale? Let’s ask Susan, shall we?

Vayamos a dar un paseo, ¿vale? Let’s go for a walk, shall we?

Visitemos el Museo Arqueológico, ¿vale? Let’s visit the Archaeological Museum, shall we?

Vámonos a casa, ¿quieres? Let’s go home, shall we?

Hagamos una fiesta, ¿vale? Let’s throw a party, shall we?

9
 cloverdale’s
CHARACTERS
Pierre Monet www.vaughantienda.com

Pierre Monet had a terrible time getting up this urgently needed Pierre to translate two letters
morning. If he hadn’t had an impor tant and a 24-page contract. Pierre knew that this
translation to do at the Ministry, he would’ve would mean staying up all night, but he told the
stayed in bed until at least 10 o’clock. But he Chairman not to worry. Within five minutes,
had to get up at 6:30, his normal time to get up. Pierre received the letters and contract by e-
The problem was that he had gone to bed at mail and began translating. By 7:00 p.m., he had
4:00 a.m. He had spent ten hours doing an finished the two letters, one of which was four
urgent translation for a personal client of his pages long. At 9:00 p.m., his wife made him a
who needed the translation by 8 o’clock that sandwich and a strong coffee. By that time, he
very morning. When Pierre got home at 5:00 had already finished the first six pages of the
p.m. the day before, he began working on a contract. However, the second half of the
relatively shor t, easy translation about a contract was quite difficult to translate. It
corporate merger.The translation needed to be included a lot of legal terminology and very
done by the following Monday. At 5:30, long sentences. One sentence was so long that
however, he received a telephone call from the it took Pierre almost a minute to find the
Chairman of Peugeot, who knew Pierre subject and the verb. By 3:00 a.m., he had
personally, and used his services for the finished the contract and he spent the next
translation of impor tant documents. The hour checking it thoroughly. Shortly before 4:00
Chairman told Pierre that a meeting that was a.m., he sent it to Peugeot by e-mail. Then he
scheduled for the following week with the went to bed exhausted. His only consolation
management of Volvo in Sweden had been was that he would earn almost 1,000 euros for
moved up to tomorrow. He said that he the job. It was worth it.

1. What problem did Pierre have this morning? 11. By what day did he need to finish this translation? 26. How long was one of the letters?
2. What did he have at the Ministry this morning? 12. Who did he receive a phone call from? 27. What did his wife do at 9:00 p.m.?
3. How long would he have stayed in bed if he 13. What time did he receive the call? 28. How much had he already translated by that time?
hadn’t had an important translation at the 14. Did the Chairman of Peugeot know Pierre 29. What was the problem with the second half of
Ministry? personally? the contract?
4. What time had he gone to bed the night 15. Why did he know him? 30. What did the second half of the contract include?
before? 16. Who did the Chairman have a meeting with? 31. What problem did Pierre have with one sentence?
5. How many hours had he spent doing an 17. Where is Volvo located? 32. How far had he progressed by 3:00 a.m.?
important translation at home? 18. When was the meeting originally scheduled? 33. What did he do between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m.?
6. Did he do the translation for a personal client 19. What had happened concerning the meeting? 34. When did he send the translation to Peugeot?
or for a client of the Ministry? 20. What did the Chairman urgently need Pierre to 35. How did he send it to them?
7. When did this client need the translation? do? 36. How did he feel when he went to bed?
8. Did Pierre know about this translation when he 21. What would this mean for Pierre? 37. What was his only consolation?
got home the day before? 22. What did he tell the Chairman of Peugeot? 38. What was his feeling about the effort he had
9. Did he start doing this translation when he got 23. How soon did he receive the documents? made?
home? 24. How did he receive them?
10. What translation did he start doing? 25. How far had he progressed by 7:00 p.m.?

11
 Our flavour of the month this time
round is Jesús Navas, IT whizzkid and
one of the wittiest people floating
around the Vaughan Office.

Q. What do you do at Vaughan?

A. I run the internal IT helpdesk. My job basically consists of
making sure everyone’s computers are fully functional, problem-
solving and trouble-shooting.
(“IT” significa “Information Technology” pero siempre empleamos las siglas.
“Un informático” como término genérico es “someone who works in IT”.)
(La expresión “trouble-shooting” significa “evitar posibles problemas
futuros” además de “solucionar los existentes”.)

Q. What made you get into IT in the first place?

A. I guess it must have something to do with the fact that my father
works in IT and so I’ve always been surrounded by computers.
(Fíjate en que no decimos “it has to see” al traducir la expresión “tiene
que ver”. En inglés decimos literalmente “tiene que hacer”.)

FACT FILE Q. What do you most like about your job and what do you least like?
A. I love helping out my colleagues when they’ve got a problem
Name Jesús Navas with their computers that prevents them from finishing something
important. I find it really rewarding to be able to make what, to
Age 32 them, seems like a big problem disappear. There’s nothing I don’t
like about my job. Obviously, like in any other job, certain tasks are
Nationality Spanish repetitive and tedious but that only helps to make the rest of it
that much more attractive.
Position Help Desk Department (Existen dos estructuras para expresar la idea de “impedir que alguien
haga algo”: “to stop someone from doing something” y “to prevent
Fact As a select group of someone from doing something”.)
(Recuerda que, en cuanto al verbo “poder”, no existe el infinitivo “to can”
Vaughan employees can en inglés. Tenemos que recurrir a la expresión “to be able to”.)
attest, Jesús is a quite
outstanding chef: our very Q. If you didn’t work in IT, what would you like to do and why?
own Ferrán Adriá! A. I admire artistically-minded people or those able to create
something with their hands. So anything from a musician to a
painter, a wood-worker or a guitar-maker...

12
 people & places
Q. At this point in your life, is there something you still particularly
want to do?
A. There are lots of things I still want to do, lots of places I want Express Questionnaire
to go to and lots of people I’d like to meet.

First thing in the morning

Q. If you could live in any part of the world other than Madrid, A cup of coffee and a shower. Otherwise, I just can’t wake up.
where would you opt for and why?
A day you’ll never forget
A. Of all the cities I’ve been to, despite having had a wonderful time
There are so many unforgettable moments. I couldn’t choose
in many of them, there’s not one I’ve ever thought I’d like to live in.
just one; the day my brothers were born, memories of places,
This is probably due to the fact I’ve never got to know any one of of people…
them in sufficient depth. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t mind giving New
York a try as I have several friends who speak very highly of it. Something to drink
(Cuando “a pesar de” va seguida de un infinitivo en español, en inglés Beer or a good wine
decimos “despite / in spite of + verbo expresado en gerundio”. No digas
Something to eat
“despite of ”, decimos “in spite of ” o “despite”.)
I like most foods. I love trying new flavours and taste-
(“Debido a” se traduce como “due to” o “because of ”, mientras que experiences from around the world.
“debido a que” se traduce como “due to the fact (that)” o “because”.)
A virtue
I’m a good friend to my friends.
Q. One thing’s for sure and that is that your English has been
transformed by working at Vaughan. When you joined the company, A fault
you had a low level and now you have no trouble at all expressing I’m quite indecisive and sometimes take ages to make my
yourself in the language. mind up. Wait, no don’t, well… anyway!

A. Being able to practise is fundamental and here I’m obviously

A pet hate
surrounded by native English-speakers, which helps tremendously. Intolerance of any sort.
What’s more, in my case, everything I’ve learnt is thanks to one
very special person. A dream trip
Japan

Q. What advice would you give to someone wanting to learn English? Your dream city
For the time being: Madrid.
A. Expose yourself to as much English as possible: whether
through music, original language films etc. All with a view to getting
A hobby
your ear used to hearing the sounds of the language. Regular study I love cooking and music. In fact, cooking whilst listening to
is important too as is losing the fear when it comes to talking. The music is what I most love doing.
more English and the less Spanish, the better.
(“Cuanto más…, más…” en inglés lo traducimos como “the more…the The beach or the mountains?
I love the mountains, but after such a long, hard winter, I
more...”. Si como en este caso, lo que tenemos en la segunda parte es un
really need the beach!
adjetivo, formamos el comparativo de éste: “the more….the better”.)
A perfect Saturday
There are hundreds of ways to get the most out of a
Q. You’re supposedly one of the most sought-after bachelors in
Saturday – take my plans for this coming Saturday: a bit of
the company. When are you going to settle down and tie the knot?
sport in the morning, a couple of beers by the pool, a short
(“Sought-after” significa codiciado o en demanda. Por ejemplo: “Tickets for siesta and then out with my friends in the evening.
the cup final are much sought-after”.)

A. Whenever you like Annie. HA!

13
business letter 66
Hola Carlos, Hi Carlos,
¿Has conocido alguna vez al marido de Paula? Creo que sí. Bueno, Have you ever met Paula’s husband? I think you have. Anyway, he
necesita tu ayuda. Está buscando a un contable que le pueda needs your help. He’s looking for an accountant who can help him
ayudar con algunos problemas que está teniendo. ¡Tiene a with some problems he’s having. He’s got the tax man after him!
Hacienda detrás de él!
He is a self-employed plumber (but don’t worry, he’s one of those
Es un fontanero autónomo (pero no te preocupes, es de esa rare breeds: he’s honest!). He has received a letter from
raza poco común: ¡es honrado!). Ha recibido una carta de Inland Revenue telling him that there were “certain
Hacienda diciéndole que había “ciertas irregularidades” irregularities” in his annual tax statement. The exact
ucir
en su declaración de la renta. El problema es que problem is that there is a considerable difference
t r a d
existe una diferencia considerable entre la cantidad ta between the amount of VAT he declared to Inland
de IVA que él declaró a Hacienda y la cantidad Inten y l u ego Revenue and the amount declared by his clients.
rta la
declarada por sus clientes. la ca la c o n
pára
They are asking him to present a detailed
c o m
Le piden que presente un desglose detallado de todas tra breakdown of his earnings and the amount of VAT
sus ganancias y la cantidad de IVA que cobró a sus nues he charged to his clients as well as presenting all his
clientes, así como presentar todos sus recibos y facturas. receipts and invoices. They’ve told him he has 10
Le han comunicado que tiene 10 días hábiles para contestar. working days to respond.
Me dice que tiene toda la documentación necesaria pero que le He tells me that he has all the necessary documents but he could
vendría bien que le echarán una mano para preparar todo de una do with a hand preparing them all in a professional way. Do you
manera profesional. ¿Le podrías ayudar? think you could help him out?

Esperamos que hayas utilizado el verbo “meet” y no “know”. Siempre se usa “meet” cuando uno se refiere a
Have you ever met
conocer a alguien por primera vez. “¿Conoces a...?” sería “Do you know...?”.

¡Vergüenza debería darte si has puesto “The Paula’s husband”! No lo has puesto, ¿verdad? Nunca ponemos el
Paula’s husband
artículo delante de los nombres de personas cuando utilizamos el genitivo sajón.

“I think so” sería correcto también pero “I think you have” es mucho mejor ya que demuestra que está relacionado
I think you have.
con el tiempo verbal anterior.

En esta carta hay mucho vocabulario financiero. No esperamos que lo sepas todo pero no viene mal repasarlo. “Tax
tax man man” es una manera informal de referirse a (un inspector de) Hacienda. ¡Una frase que los Beatles inmortalizaron en
una famosa canción suya!

“Self-employed” significa “autónomo” o, lo que es lo mismo, “freelance”. La diferencia entre ambas palabras es que,
self-employed tanto en español como en inglés, “freelance” se limita a profesiones como “fotógrafo” o “periodista” y no para
empleos como fontaneros.

¡A que siempre has querido saber cómo se traduce tu expresión preferida en español: “la declaración de la renta”!
annual tax statement
Pues aquí la tienes, también se dice “annual tax return”.

VAT Más vocabulario financiero. En inglés “VAT” es “IVA”. Significa “Value Added Tax”.

Realmente hay muy poca diferencia entre el verbo “to help” y el phrasal verb “to help out”. “To help out” es un pelín
help him out
más informal y simpático, y a veces implica la idea de ayudar a alguien a salir de un embrollo.

14
marketing
Cons
igue
en
enda
List 29
h an Ti
Va u g cífico
a l espe Ponte a prueba. Tapa la columna derecha con un papel y
mate
r i les.
f e s iona
pro traduce al inglés las frases en español. Irás ganando en
para iend
a.com
hant
vaug vocabulario y fluidez, a medida que aumentes el número de
repeticiones.

Así que, ¿cuál de los dos enfoques es el mejor? So, which approach is the best?

Los ingenieros sugieren un cambio de diseño. The engineers are suggesting a design change.

Adaptamos la publicidad a cada país. We adapt our advertising to each country.

Nuestro éxito depende del boca a boca. Our success depends on word-of-mouth.

La mejor publicidad es la publicidad boca a boca. The best advertising is word-of-mouth advertising.

Mucha gente está cambiando a un estilo de vida más sano. A lot of people are changing to a healthier lifestyle.

Entender el comportamiento del consumidor es difícil. Understanding consumer behavior is difficult.

Vamos a realizar un sorteo para un coche nuevo. We’re going to hold a draw for a new car.

Me gusta formular preguntas para el público. I like to ask the audience questions.

Todo anuncio es una historia sobre algo o alguien. Every ad is a story about something or someone.

Los grandes anuncios involucran al oyente. Great ads involve the listener.

Cada grupo tiene uno o varios líderes de opinión. Every group has one or several opinion leaders.

Utilizamos un enfoque innovador para el marketing. We use an innovative approach to marketing.

La gente busca más comodidad a la hora de comprar. People look for more convenience when shopping.

Exigen productos de calidad más alta. They demand higher quality merchandise. (products)

Hay cada vez menos fidelidad de marca y de tienda. There’s less and less brand and store loyalty.

Me gusta la disposición en planta de tu tienda. I like your store layout.

Tenéis que mejorar vuestra información publicitaria. You have to improve your promotional literature.

Nuestro negocio es muy cíclico y estacional. Our business is very cyclical and seasonal.

Quiero una lista de mailing de propietarios de casa. I want a mailing list of homeowners.

16
Art Editor: Annie Casasœs Illustrator: Pablo Gonzalo
Nobody can touch the sky
Pence y R le dan unas vueltas al misterio escondido tras el cielo y el horizonte.

ÒNobody can touch the sky.Ó finished Sharpie as he closed ÒNadie puede tocar el cieloÓ concluy— Sharpie mientras
the book he was reading to his friends. cerraba el libro que les estaba leyendo a sus amigos.

ÒBut if you can see it, you must be able to touch itÓ said ÒPero si lo puedes ver, debes de poder tocarloÓ dijo Pence.
Pence.
ÒEstoy de acuerdoÓ, dijo R. ÒEstoy seguro de que existe
ÒI agree,Ó said R. ÒIÕm sure we can find a way to touch un modo de poder tocar el cielo. ÁVamos Pence!Ó
the sky. Come on Pence!Ó
Y de este modo, los dos amigos se marcharon por caminos
And with that, the two friends set off in separate directions diferentes para buscar un modo de tocar el cielo.
to find a way to touch the sky.
Primero Pence compr— unos muelles, los sujet— a sus
First, Pence bought some springs and attached them to his zapatos y salt— lo m‡s alto que pudo para poder tocar el
shoes and tried to jump as high as he possibly could in cielo. Pero no lo pudo alcanzar por lo que decidi— comprar
order to touch the sky. But he couldnÕt reach so he decided unos zancos aunque sigui— sin poder tocarlo.
to buy some stilts but he still couldnÕt touch the sky.
DespuŽs de intentar aquello, se subi— a la cima de la monta–a
After that, he climbed to the top of the highest mountain m‡s alta aunque sigui— sin poder tocar el cielo, por lo que
but he still couldnÕt touch the sky so he decided to buy a decidi— comprar un avi—n. Vol— lo m‡s alto que pudo para
plane. He flew as high as he possibly could in order to poder tocar el cielo. Pero segu’a sin poder alcanzarlo.
touch the sky. But he still couldnÕt reach.
R decidi— probar algo diferente. Mir— el cielo desde lo alto
R decided to try something different. He looked at the sky de una colina y vio que el cielo tocaba el horizonte. Decidi—
from the top of a hill and he saw that the sky touched the caminar hasta el punto exacto del horizonte donde el cielo
horizon. He decided to walk to the exact spot on the horizon y la tierra se encontraban. Pero cuando lleg— all’, no fue
where the sky and the earth met. But when he got there, he capaz de tocar el cielo. El problema era que segu’a viendo
wasnÕt able to touch the sky. The problem was that he could el horizonte a lo lejos, por lo que se desplaz— a donde se
still see the horizon in the distance, so he went to that one encontraba ese horizonte y lo mismo volvi— a suceder.
but the same thing happened. And so on and so on. Esto le sigui— pasando una y otra vez m‡s.

When they got back together again, Pence said to R: Cuando se volvieron a juntar, Pence le dijo a R:

ÒItÕs strange. You canÕt touch the sky but it does existÓ. ÒEs raro. No puedes tocar el cielo pero existeÓ.

ÒWhatÕs more,Ó said R Òyou can touch the horizon but ÒY lo que es m‡sÓ dijo R, Òpuedes tocar el horizonte
that doesnÕt really exist because when you get there, pero Žste no existe porque cuando llegas a Žl, te das
you realise that itÕs no longer the horizonÓ. cuenta de que ya no es el horizonteÓ.
 Mix and always
goes
match
En el juego de hoy, tienes que colocar las palabras de tal manera que expresen quiŽn hace quŽ cosa a quŽ
hora y con quŽ frecuencia Por ejemplo:

Joshua siempre va al mercado a las 9

Joshua always Goes to the market AT 9 o clock

CîMO JUGAR: Recorta los cuadrados con la ayuda de un adulto e intenta formar 6 frases siguiendo la
estructura gramatical que te indicamos en el ejemplo (si quieres, puedes hacer una fotocopia en color de la
p‡gina). Algo que te puede ayudar a hacerlo correctamente es ir uniendo las fichas por sus colores. Es decir,
el rojo al final de una palabra siempre tiene que coincidir con el rojo al principio de otra.

Tom siempre va al colegio a las 8. Samantha nunca va a casa a las 10.

Emily normalmente desayuna a las 7. Paul a menudo va a la cama a las 9.
Robert a veces come a la 1. Carol de vez en cuando cena a las 6.

at 9 o clock usually to school samantha has

breakfast emily goes at 6 o clock NORMALLY

paul at 1 o clock sometimes goes lunch

SOMETIMES dinner goes tom at 10 o clock

home has at 7 o clock never carol

robert at 8 o clock has often to bed

LO QUE NECESITAS:
ask mummy
and daddy
Scissors for help!!!
 Word search (Sea Creatures)
Encuentra las palabras que te indicamos a continuaci—n en la siguiente sopa de letras:

1. Anemone (AnŽmona) 11. Ray (Rayo) F I H s E T W H A L E S J E K

2. Barnacle (Percebe) 12. Seahorse (Caballito de mar) E R O P Q B E I N N A r U I S
3. Crab (Cangrejo) 13. Seal (Foca)
Q S Y P D U I S A Z E E T N B
4. Dolphin (Delf’n) 14. Sea Urchin (Erizo de mar)
J E L L Y F I S H C O M L T V
5. Jellyfish (Medusa) 15. Shark (Tibur—n)
6. Lobster (Langosta) 16. Squid (Calamar) t a w a p d o d u a e w o r u
7. Mollusk (Molusco) 17. Starfish (Estrella de mar) t u r n s e a h o r r e b n s
8. Octopus (Pulpo) 18. Turtle (Tortuga de mar)
d r r k w u p i d j c k s e e
9. Plankton (Plancton) 19. Walrus (Morsa)
10. Prawn (Gamba) 20. Whale (Ballena) o c o t u e r c o w z o t s a
l h c o l b a r n a c l e h l
p i t n p e w a s l r s r m q
h n o o e n n b u r f i x a u
i x p y l m o l l u s k e t y
n i u m w u i s h s k r s o d
r a s k e r o s e a h o r s e
s t a r f i s h w o v a o i e
pence

Anagrams
Unscramble the five words below:

1. SRCAB usually walk sideways.

2. When Mary went to the beach she was stung by a JEFILLYSH.

3. A IFSHSATR has five arms.

4. The BLUE AWEHL is the largest mammal on earth.

5. An PUSCOTO has eight long arms.

5. Octopus (pulpo). 4. The Blue Whale (ballena azul).

3. Starfish (estrella de mar). 2. Jellyfish (medusa). 1. Crabs (cangrejos).
RESPUESTAS:
 expressions with
It’s the early bird that catches the worm.

A quien madruga Dios le ayuda.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.

BIRD
To kill two birds with one stone.

Matar dos pájaros de un tiro.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Dios los cría y ellos se juntan.

Have you told him about the birds and the bees yet?

¿Ya le has contado de dónde vienen los niños?

They’re birds of a feather.

Son tal para cual.

A little bird told me...

Me ha dicho un pajarito...

The report gives a bird’s-eye-view of the situation.

El informe echa una mirada a vuelo de pájaro sobre la situación.

Don’t be so bird brained.

No seas tan lelo.

Now I’m as free as a bird.

Ahora soy libre como un pajarito.

21
 ECHOES OF THE BIG BANG
Analogue televisions are becoming something electrons and protons. If you try to shine light
of a rarity these days, with the mass switch- through a cloud of electrons, for example, it
Seminario over to digital transmission taking place in doesn't get very far: the light bumps into
Intensivo de Historia many countries, but those of you who still (choca con) the electrons and gets scattered
en Septiembre own one might occasionally need to retune it. (se esparce) in all directions. This means that
When you do this, between channels you'll only a tiny fraction of the original light reaches
¡PLAZAS LIMITADAS! see the fuzzy (borroso) picture of white, the other side – too little for your eyes to be
black, and grey dots we are all familiar with. able to appreciate.
For more information please visit:
www.vaughanhumanidades.com
Much of the pattern is due to the random Metals have lots of free electrons in them, so
motion of electric charges in the antenna for the same reason your mobile phone signal
itself; other contributions come from mobile disappears when you are in a lift. In glass, the
phone signals, weak TV and radio broadcasts, electrons are safely contained within the
and some household electrical appliances. But atoms in such a way that nearly all the visible
even if you could completely remove all of light that hits it is transmitted to the other
these sources you'd never get rid of all of the side; the light essentially gets a free path all the
'fuzz', because lurking (escondido) deep in all way through.
that mess is an echo of the early universe that
is still ringing to this day. A Relic from the Past
In the primordial soup, then, with all those
Radiation and stuff charged particles around, the radiation had a
In last month's article, we saw that the early hard time getting anywhere. The early
universe consisted of a hot 'primordial soup' universe would have been opaque: just like
of protons, neutrons, electrons, and radiation. when you drive in very foggy (nebuloso)
The first three of these ingredients came conditions you can only see the car in front
together to form the chemical elements - but of you, in the early universe you would only
what about the four th ingredient, the have been able to see what was nearest to
radiation? What is it, and what happened to it? you. Everything else would have been
practically invisible.
Thanks to nuclear bombs and waste from
nuclear power plants, radiation has a pretty But that all changed when the universe had
bad reputation with the general public, but to cooled enough for electrons to come
a physicist 'radiation' simply means energy together with the atomic nuclei (made of
that travels through space. Familiar examples protons and neutrons) to form neutral atoms
are visible light, mobile phone signals, radio – a moment called 'recombination'. Suddenly,
and TV waves, and heat. These are all types of radiation could travel freely across the
electromagnetic radiation, and this is the entirety of the universe. This happened about
radiation that we are interested in here. 380,000 years after the big bang, and the
By Ewan Munro radiation has continued uninterrupted to this
Lecturer in Maths and Physics As the name suggests, electromagnetic day – about 13.7 billion (Anglo-Saxon billion!)
radiation interacts with charged particles like years later.

22
 humanities
A PASSION FOR LEARNING
Every second of every day this radiation other galaxies or stars that weren't the object universe at the time of recombination – 13.7
bombards the Earth, coming from parts of of study. When they were trying to identify billion years ago - was already beginning to
the universe so far away that we are seeing and remove all these signals, they kept finding look like it does today. That might seem like a
them for literally the first time. Looking at it is a faint signal (señal débil) at microwave strange thing to say, given that at that time
like looking at a picture of the universe at the frequencies that just wouldn't go away (que galaxies and stars didn't even exist! Crucially,
time of recombination, precisely because it no paraba) – just like you'd find if you tried to however, the CMB shows tiny differences, or
has been freely propagating since then do the same with your analogue TV. 'bumpiness', in the density of matter at the
without interacting with anything. The time of recombination.
existence of this omnipresent radiation is an Penzias and Wilson had found the Cosmic
unavoidable consequence of a universe born Microwave Background (CMB) that big bang This means that there would have been more
from a big bang. If the radiation could be enthusiasts had for so many years been atoms in some areas than others. From there
on, gravity acted to pull those atoms together
into small clumps (grupos), which were then
able to attract more atoms and grow larger. In
time, stars, galaxies, and galaxy clusters formed
in exactly those places; the seeds for the
universe as we observe it today had already
been sown at the time of recombination!

In fact, using the equations of Einstein's

relativity, physicists can 'run the clock
backwards' to the time when the universe
was the size of an atomic nucleus, about
0.0001 seconds after the big bang. Since
atomic and nuclear physics are well-
understood, we know that nothing after this
time could have been responsible for creating
the density differences seen in the CMB, so it
turns out (resulta que) the seeds (semillas)
for the distribution of galaxies must have been
sown (sembradas) in the first 0.0001 seconds
of the universe's life!

DisCERNing why!
Understanding where the original bumpiness
detected and shown to have the properties longing after! Despite the fact that they had (irregularidades) in the universe came from is a
predicted by big bang theory, we could be stumbled upon it by accident, it was such an large part of modern cosmology. An integral
even more sure that the universe really did important discovery that they were awarded part of the research involves understanding
start with a gigantic explosion. the Nobel prize in 1978. high-energy particle physics interactions, which is
precisely what the Large Hadron Collider
In 1964 Arno Penzias and Bob Wilson, two (LHC) at CERN in Geneva was built for. Results
Bumpy Beginnings
American astronomers, were carrying out from experiments taking place there in the
high-precision calibration experiments for The fine detail provided by increasingly coming years should shed light on many
radio astronomy equipment. They had to set precise studies of the CMB has been of fundamental questions about the big bang and
up their gear to ignore things like human TV immense importance to astronomers and the nature of the universe. We'll take a closer
and radio broadcasts, as well as signals from cosmologists. It shows that, remarkably, the look at the LHC in next month's article.

23
 I don’t t
u ’l l n e ver guess comes
hink she
Yo s
I c a m e acros acro
well on ss
wh o
er day! TV.
the oth No creo
ién que c
o s a b e s con qu impresió ause buena
¡A qué n tré el otro día! n en la
tele.
n
me enco

I
To come across We ca
How did s? across h me
cros
come a Encontrarse con is p
on Face rofile
n causé
? Dar una impresión book.
presió
¿Qué im
Encontra
mos su
perfil en
Faceboo
k.

lly
He usua as It didn’t
o m e s across c
across li ome
c
b it o f a jer k. ke that.
a
No es é
resión sa la im
c a u s a r la imp il. que nos presión
Suele béc produjo.
n poco im
de ser u

24
 phrasal verbs
Are yo
bill is co u sure the
ideas rrec
His big come it come t? How could
u s u a lly to that
never ing.
much?
to anyth ¿Estás s
eguro
está bie de que la cuent
s no n? ¿Có a
s g ra n d es plane . ascende mo puede
Su da
e le n ll egar a na r a tanto
?
su

s to
To come to
It come total.
os in What’s
425 Eur Ascender a
wor ld c the
euros. Llegar a oming t
t o t a l s on 425 o!
En
Cuando se trata de ¡Hasta d
ó
vamos a nde
llegar!

When it
n it c o mes to to car s comes
Whe J ohn’s th
e I’m a to
e n t s , ignoram tal
investm d t o talk to. us.
n e e
guy you , Cuando
ersiones s
t a de inv n coches s e trata de
s e t ra oy un ab
Cuando n quie
el tío co r. ignorant soluto
John es ue habla
e.
tienes q

25
something
TO CHEW OVER

¡Algo para pensar!

Abajo encontrarás una serie de frases. Sólo una es correcta en cada caso, bien sea por razones gramaticales o por el contexto.
Piensa la respuesta muy bien antes de contestar y piensa el porqué de la respuesta correcta y de las incorrectas. Como
siempre, las respuestas vienen en la página 28 con sus correspondientes explicaciones.

1.b. Where’s the exit?1

1.a. Where’s the wayout?

1.c. Where’s the exist?

1
2.a. I got my ticket from a resale.

2.b. I bought my ticket in a resale.

2.c. I got my ticket from a tout.

1.d. Where’s the salid? 2.d. I buyed my ticket in a resale.

1
3.a. Seats are fetching astronomical prices.

3.b. Seats are reaching astronomic prices.

3.c. Entrances are fetching astronomic prices.

1
4.a. The ground was completely fulled.

4.b. The stade was completely filled.

4.c. The ground was completely packed.

3.d. Entrances are reaching astronomical prices. 4.d. The stadium was completely stuffed.

1
5.a. The atmosphere was electrificant.

5.b. The ambient was electric.

5.c. The ambience was electrificant.

1
6.a. The visiting aficionados were very noisy.

6.b. The visiting fanatics were very noisy.

6.c. The visiting supporters were very noisy.

5.d. The atmosphere was electric. 6.d. The visitor fans were very noisy.

1
7.a. It’s hard to see the pitch from these seats.

7.b. It’s hard to see the field from these seats.

7.c. It’s hard to see the grass from these chairs.

1
8.a. The football ground’s forum is complete.

8.b. There’s a capacity crowd.

8.c. The forum of the football ground is complete.

7.d. It’s hard to see the camp from these chairs. 8.d. The football ground’s forum is full.

26
answers
SOMETHING TO CHEW OVER
Aquí tienes las respuestas al reto que te propusimos en la página 26. La idea no es sólo acertar, sino también sacar
provecho de las respuestas erróneas que, en muchos casos, son errores típicos.

Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen
los españoles cuando quieren integrarse en la cocina con Empleamos
los españoles tantoquieren
cuando el verbo “to buy”en(¡cuyo
integrarse pasadocon
la cocina es
En primer
angloparlantes. lugar, “way
“Remover” no out” significa ni“salida”
se traduce “move”pero son dos
(cambiar de “bought” y no “buyed”!) como “to get” para
angloparlantes. “Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar de decir
1.sitio)
B ni palabras.
“remove”La(quitar).
otra forma de referirnos
A veces se dice en a lalassalida es “exit”.
recetas “removeLa 2.sitio)
C ni “comprar”. Cuando
“remove” (quitar). compramos
A veces se dice una
en lasentrada en una
recetas “remove
C ypero
the sauce” la D casi
suenan absurdas.
siempre se añade “from the heat”. En cuanto reventa decimos que la compramos de un revendedor,
the sauce” pero casi siempre se añade “from the heat”. En cuanto
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. conocidos
a “moven” como “touts”
me lo inventé para la en inglés.
ocasión.

Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen
Una entrada
los españoles cuandose dice o bien
quieren integrarse o “seat”.
“ticket” en Podemos
la cocina con los españoles cuando
Un estadio puedequieren integrarseground”
ser “a (football) en lao cocina con
“a (football)
también emplear dos verbos para decir “alcanzar
angloparlantes. “Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar de un angloparlantes. “Remover” noestadio
se traduce ni “move” (cambiar de
3.sitio)
A ni precio”: 4.sitio) stadium”. Cuando un está abarrotado empleamos
C ni “remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove
“to reach” o “to fetch”, la segunda opción siendo
“remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove la
el adjetivo “packed”, a menudo junto con el adverbio
más común. Por otra par te, “astronómico” se
the sauce” pero casi siempre se añade “from the heat”. En cuanto dice the sauce” pero casi siempre se añade “from the heat”. En cuanto
“completely”.
“astronomical”.
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión.

Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores másEmpleamos

comunes que cometen Todas las
Aquí estamos antepalabras
uno deque los proponemos como la traducción
errores más comunes de
que cometen
Primero “electrificant” no existe. el sustantivo
los españoles cuando quieren integrarse en la cocina cona “hinchas” existen en inglés pero sólo “fans”
los españoles cuando quieren integrarse en la cocina con y “supporters”
“ambience” para describir un ambiente creado a menudo
angloparlantes. valen en“Remover”
este contexto. visitor” esni“un
“A traduce visitante” pero no
D ni base
5.sitio) de efectos de luces en un sitio íntimo como de
“Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar un angloparlantes.
6.sitio)
C ni lo“remove”
no se “move” (cambiar de
“remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en laspara
recetas “removea empleamos como adjetivo cuya función desempeña
(quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove la
restaurante, un salón etc. Sin embargo, referirnos
the sauce” pero casicreados
siemprepor se añade “from the heat”. En cuanto palabra “visiting”. “Aficionado” es un aficionado
the sauce” pero casi siempre se añade “from the heat”. En cuanto que se
“ambientes” una multitud utilizamos la palabra
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. interesa
a “moven” me lomucho
inventé por
paraalgo cultural, pero nunca de forma
la ocasión.
“atmosphere”.
colectiva.

Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen
En un campo
los españoles cuandodequieren
fútbol los asientosensonla “seats”
integrarse cocina y con
no los españoles
Cuando cuando quieren
se dice que integrarse
el foro en ladecocina
de un campo con
fútbol está
“chairs”. Cuando por “campo” queremos
angloparlantes. “Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar dereferirnos al angloparlantes. “Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar de
7.sitio)
A ni césped 8.sitio) completo en inglés recurrimos a una frase hecha: “There’s
B ni “remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove
donde se juega, utilizamos la palabra “pitch”.
“remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove “A
a capacity crowd”. Las otras tres opciones suenan rarísimas
the sauce” peroescasi
camp” un siempre
“campamento”
se añade mientras queheat”.
“from the “a field” es un
En cuanto the sauce” pero casi siempre se añade “from the heat”. En cuanto
en inglés.
campo en el campo.
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión.

28
mastering
THE INTERROGATIVE 62
This month’s mastering the interrogative contains many
examples of the verbs “to say” and “to tell”.

I said (that) it was under the chair. ? Where did you say (that) is was?

He told me to do it yesterday. ? When did he tell you to do it?

My sister said (that) she wanted the red one. ? Which one did your sister say (that) she wanted?

They told her it would take a month. ? How long did they tell her it would take?

I’ll say (that) your brother told me. ? Who will you say told you?

He’ll tell me when he’s ready. ? When will he tell you?

She told him that because she felt sorry for him. ? Why did she tell him that?

I said sorry five times. ? How many times did you say sorry?

He told me to shut up twice. ? How many times did he tell you to shut up?

You told me that it was in the cupboard. ? Where did I tell you it was?

They said (that) they were hiding in the bathroom. ? Where did they say (that) they were hiding?

She said she’d spent €50. ? How much (money) did she say she’d spent?

I told you to leave at 4pm. ? What time did you tell me to leave?

The boss said (that) he’d have to fire two people. ? How many people did the boss say (that) he’d have to fire?

He’s going to tell them on Friday. ? When is he going to tell them?

No, he didn’t say anything about you. ? Did he say anything about me?

30
 elision fields
‘INNIT’ La pá
gina
te ay que
Yet another look at the way we slide one word into another creating “new words” which sound uda
com con
unintelligible to a Spaniard. For example, when we say “itsa” we are actually using three words you know
pren la
perfectly well - it + is + a. It is essential to learn these “new words” as it will help your understanding of the sión
spoken language enormously. Recognizing these contractions or, in some cases, elisions, represents the key to
reaching a better understanding of English as spoken by native speakers. It is the key to “English Paradise”.
Don’t forget that the “Elision Fields” are right before the “Elysian Fields”.
This month’s example of real spoken English is the way many natives tend to say the tag question “isn’t it?” when they
speak at a normal speed. It might not be very learned, but it sure is common!

This is yours, INNIT?

Éste es el tuyo, ¿no?
This is yours, isn’t it?

It’s time we left, INNIT?

Es hora de que nos vayamos, ¿no?
It’s time we left, isn’t it?

That’s an octopus, INNIT?

Eso es un pulpo, ¿no?
That’s an octopus, isn’t it?

That’s the one we saw yesterday, INNIT?

Ése es el que vimos ayer, ¿verdad?
That’s the one we saw yesterday, isn’t it?

This milk is off, INNIT?

Esta leche está cortada, ¿verdad?
This milk is off, isn’t it?

It’s a bit expensive, INNIT?

Es un poco caro, ¿no?
It’s a bit expensive, isn’t it?

It’s too far, INNIT?

Es demasiado lejos, ¿verdad?
It’s too far, isn’t it?

That’s all for now, INNIT?

Eso es todo por ahora, ¿verdad?
That’s all for now, isn’t it?

31
translation list
Ponte a prueba. Tapa la columna derecha con un papel y traduce al
inglés las frases en español. Comprobarás que tu nivel mejora a medida
ue tu
Consig que avanzas en la lista. Incluimos dos listas para diferentes niveles.
tion
Transla
t
Bookle

Nivel Principiante

1. No voy a decirte nada. 1. I’m not going to tell you anything.

2. ¿Qué quieres decir? 2. What do you mean?

3. Tú sabes lo que quiero decir. 3. You know what I mean.

4. ¿Por qué vas a hacer eso? 4. Why are you going to do that?

5. Porque hago lo que quiero. 5. Because I do what I want.

6. ¿Sabes lo que estás diciendo? 6. Do you know what you’re saying?

7. Simplemente estoy diciendo la verdad. 7. I’m simply telling the truth.

8. Me encuentro mal. 8. I feel bad.

9. Es porque comes demasiado. 9. It’s because you eat too much.

10. ¿Cómo sabes que como demasiado? 10. How do you know I eat too much?

Nivel Avanzado

1. No discutamos hoy. 1. Let’s not argue today.

2. Deberías añadir un poco más de sal. 2. You should add a little more salt.

3. Pero ya está salada. 3. But it’s already salty.

4. Como sal sólo con mariscos. 4. I eat salt only with shellfish.

5. El juicio no durará mucho. 5. The trial won’t last long.

6. Al juez no le gustan los juicios largos. 6. The judge doesn’t like long trials.

7. Menos mal. 7. It’s a good thing.

8. Algunos juicios parecen durar eternamente. 8. Some trials seem to last forever.

9. No los de este juez. 9. Not this judge’s.

10. Eso es un consuelo. 10. That’s a consolation.

34
 creepy corner
El TERRIBLE... “an IMPORTANT problem”
g i n a d e los En inglés, el adjetivo “importante” no siempre se traduce como “important”.
La pá
más
errores s
Muchos españoles cometen el error de decir “important problem”, “important

m u n e s y má damage”, etc. cuando lo correcto sería “serious problem”, “severe damage”, etc. Y
co
es
horribl ¿por qué es así? En inglés “important” tiene una connotación positiva de modo que
palabras como “problema”, “daños”, “enfermedad”, que llevan una connotación
negativa nunca irían acompañadas de este adjetivo.

La tormenta de ayer causó importantes Yesterday’s storm caused severe

daños en toda la ciudad. damage to the whole city.

La nube de ceniza del volcán islandés ha supuesto The Icelandic volcanic ash cloud has created
pérdidas importantes para la industria aérea. serious losses for the air travel industry.

La obesidad infantil representa una

Childhood obesity poses a serious health threat.
importante amenaza para la salud.

Mucha gente piensa que fumar es un problema A lot of people think smoking is a
importante en nuestra sociedad. serious problem in our society.

A Oliver le despidieron hace dos meses Oliver was fired two months ago
porque cometió un importante error. because he made a serious mistake.

Aunque tiene una enfermedad importante, ella Even though she has a serious illness she’s
siempre está risueña y con una sonrisa en la cara. always cheerful and has a smile on her face.

El hijo de mi vecino sufrió un accidente de coche la semana Last week, my neighbour’s son had a car
pasada pero por suerte no fue un accidente importante. crash but luckily it wasn't a serious accident.

El aumento de la delincuencia en la calle

The rise in street crime is a very serious problem.
es un problema muy importante.

Se fue a Dubái a trabajar y ganó una He moved to Dubai to work and

importante cantidad de dinero. earned a significant sum of money.

Un número importante de ciudadanos A considerable number of people

no pueden permitirse comprarse una casa. can’t afford to buy a house.

35