1.
¿Cómo la pasastes tú como mexicano en Estados Unidos?
How was your experience as a Mexican in the United States?
2.
Artista, o a lo mejor no vistes eso, un obstáculo. ¿Cómo ves... este?
Artist, or maybe you didn't see that as an obstacle. How do you see... um?
3.
Yo nunca lo vi como obstáculo ni como... tampoco como algún instrumento
I never saw it as an obstacle or as... neither as a tool
4.
o algún... ni co', ni como algo que yo pudiera usar para mi beneficio,
or some... or as, not as something that I could profit from,
5.
ni que me fuera a perjudicar.
or that was going to harm me.
6.
Yo siempre, yo siempre pienso que lo que más vale es nada más ser tú mismo y...
I always, I always think that the most important is just being yourself and...
7.
yo respeto al individuo sobre todas las cosas.
I respect the individual above everything.
8.
Yo pongo al individuo sobre todo.
I place the individual above everything.
9.
Y nunca realmente tuve ningún problema en ese aspecto.
And I never really had any problem in that regard.
10.
Me gustaría y me da mucho gusto cuando realmente veo otros mexicanos, otros latinos,
I would love it and I feel really glad when I see other Mexicans, other Latin people,
11.
en, en el ambiente, verdad, que están haciendo cosas de calidad.
in, in the scene, really, who are doing quality stuff.
12.
Sí me da mucho gusto. Pero realmente no hay mucho. No hay suficiente, definitivamente.
I do feel glad. But truly there are not many. There are not enough, definitely.
13.
Yo creo que apenas va a empezar.
I believe it's just about to start.
14.
Porque yo creo que las generaciones, este. Bueno, los primeros...
Because I believe that generations, well. Well, the first...
15.
La primera generación de inmigrantes, verdad, casi siempre están más preocupados por la sobrevivencia,
The first generation of inmigrants, yes, they are usually more concerned with survival,
16.
por sobrevivir y mejorar.
about surviving and improving.
17.
Y si uno viene con la familia, pues para proveer para la familia.
And if you come with your family, well, in order to provide for your family.
18.
Pero mis razones siempre fueron...
But my reasons were always...
19.
Yo vine aquí para poder expresarme mejor.
I came here to be able to express myself better.
20.
Y nunca he sentido obstáculos, nada que... -¿Contigo traes México? O sea...
And I have never felt obstacles, nothing that... -Do you bring Mexico with you? I mean...
21.
Sí, definitivamente. Sí, por supuesto.
Yes, definitely. Yes, of course.
22.
Entonces tienes mucha historia ahí también. Y mucha, mucha pasión atrás de eso,
So you also have a lot of history there. And a lot, a lot of passion behind that,
23.
porque pues muchas cosas pasaron en, en Tejas en, en los años anteriores, ¿no?
because, well, a lot of things happened in, in Texas in, in the former years, right?
24.
Y pues más interesante para mí también, en, de,
And, well, [it's] more interesting to me also, in, of,
25.
de que eres mexicano, estás trabajando con una banda bien grande en Estados Unidos que son Los Ramones.
that you're Mexican, you're working with a really big band in the United States which is The Ramones.
26.
Y pues de que ellos se acercaron a ti y tú a ellos. Eso es, eso fue creo que algo mágico.
And well the fact that they got close to you and you to them. I believe that is, that was something magic.
27.
¿Tú, este, tienes alguna creencia?
Do, well, do you believe [this]?
28.
La relación entre los Ramones y yo se pudo desarrollar porque, porque trabajamos bien juntos,
The relationship between the Ramones and me could develop because, because we work well together,
29.
porque yo desde un principio les demostré lo que yo podía hacer por ellos.
because from the very beginning I showed them what I could do for them.
30.
Y ellos estuvieron de acuerdo, a ellos les gustó.
And they agreed, they liked it.
31.
Porque no era cuestión nada más de, de que yo ya nada, no, nada más voy a hacer las cosas fáciles
Because it wasn't about just, that I was just, no, just of doing the easy stuff
32.
y voy a diseñar cosas para ustedes y no me voy a ensuciar las manos.
and I'm going to design things for you and I'm not going to get my hands dirty.
33.
Al contrario, yo hice absolutamente todo lo que se tenía que hacer.
The opposite, I did absolutely everything that you have to do.
34.
Yo fui la primera gente, el primer individuo en trabajar, que trabajó para ellos
I was the first person, the first guy working, who worked with them
35.
y hice absolutamente de todo. Lo que se requería en ese momento. Si yo lo podía hacer, yo lo hacía.
and I did absolutely everything. I did what was required at that moment. If I could do it, I did it.
36.
Lo primero que necesita un conjunto cuando va a tocar en un lugar equis es cargar el equipo, verdad,
The first thing that you need in a band when you're going to play at any place is to load the equipment, isn't it?
37.
es lo primerito, entonces cargaba el equipo.
it's the very first [thing], so I loaded the equipment.
38.
Y luego que vamos a po', vamos, por qué no hacemos publicidad.
And then we go to..., let's, why don't we do some publicity.
39.
Pues hay que diseñar unos 'flyers', pues yo diseñaba el 'flyer'.
So, we have to design some flyers, so I designed the flyer.
40.
Que vamos a diseñar un, un anuncio para el periódico, yo hacía eso.
We are going to design a, an add for a newspaper, I did that.
41.
Eh... la primera vez que iban a venir algunos críticos importantes a verlos a CBGB's,
Eh... the first time that some important critics were coming to see them to CBGC's,
42.
¿Qué vamos a hacer con las luces? Déjame hacer algo con las luces, yo empezaba a hacer las luces.
What are we going to do with the lights? Let me do something with the lights, I started to do something with the lights.
43.
Cuando decidimos empezar a vender camisetas, yo imprimía las camisetas y vendía las camisetas.
When we decided to start selling t-shirts, I used to print the t-shirts and sell the t-shirts.
44.
Todo lo que se requería lo iba haciendo.
Everything that was required I started doing it.
45.
Enton'... a'... incluso las, las camisetas.
So... a... even the, the t-shirts.
46.
¿Y ahora qué haces cuando ves a otra persona con tu camiseta? ¿Qué dices?
And what do you do when you see another person with your t-shirt? What do you say?
47.
Me da mucho gusto.
I feel really glad.
48.
¿Te da mucho gusto? -Me da mucho, mucho gusto.
You feel really glad? -I feel really, really glad.
49.
Es mejor que, es mejor que pintar... 'nte
It's better than, is better than painting...
50.
porque hay, no sé, cientos de miles o millones tal vez de Ramones de las camisetas,
because there are, I don't know, hundred of thousands or million perhaps of Ramones' t-shirts,
51.
y son como, como pinturas caminando, no,
and they are like, like walking paintings, right?
52.
que están mandando el mensaje.
that are sending the message.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Arturo Vega - Entrevista - Part 4
Second hand meanings
Lesson 167. Vocabulary
Arturo Vega moved from Mexico to the U.S. decades ago, so he's very well versed in all sorts of Americana. In fact, in our Spanish-language interview, he's occasionally searching for the right Spanish word, when the English one is at the tip of his tongue. For example, when Vega described a beloved belt buckle featuring an eagle that looked like it was made by "drunk Vikings," he asks his interviewer for help finding the right word. Listen in:
Yo tenía un cinturón... que lo compré en una tienda del ejército, de esas de... cómo se dice, de "surplus", de... de desperdicios, de... I had a belt... that I bought at an army store, one of those... how do you say, of "surplus," of, of leftovers, of... -De segunda.-Second-hand. -De segunda, con un águila muy grande. Era de una banda militar. -Second-hand, with a very big eagle. It was from a military band.
In the U.S., we all know about Army-Navy surplus stores, where you can find fatigues, drab-olive jackets and eagle-blazoned belts. But selling military surplus to the public for discount prices is not a common practice in many other countries, hence the struggle for words here. Vega says "surplus" in English, which is usually translated as "excedente" in Spanish. But Vega follows up with "desperdicios" which translates as "waste," "scraps" or "leftovers" -- as in, "desperdicios sólidos" ("solid wastes"). Hearing his search for words, our interviewer jumps in with "De segunda" -- which is short for "de segunda mano" ("second hand").
1.
¿Por qué un águila?
Why an eagle?
2.
Yo creo que la conexión... Bueno, yo creo que... llegué a... a este diseño
I believe that the connection... Well, I believe that... I came to... to this design
3.
por... por varias... o varias rutas... varias... varios motivos, ¿verdad? me llevaron a...
via... via several... or via several routes... several... several reasons, right? led me to...
4.
a diseñar esto. Ah.. Una de ellas es, por supuesto, tal vez la influencia pop
to design this. Uh.. One of them is, of course, maybe the pop influence
5.
de tomar una imagen ya existente, lo que le dicen "ready made," ¿verdad? Una imagen que ya existe
of taking an existing image, what they call "ready made," right? An image that already exists
6.
y que tú la incorporas, le... para cambiarla o adaptarla, y darle otro significado.
and which you take, you... to change it or adapt it, and give it another meaning.
7.
Pero el águila realmente ya existía dentro de mi iconografía, de mi mundo,
But actually the eagle already existed within my iconography, my world,
8.
por ejemplo como esta pintura.
for example like this painting.
9.
Esta pintura tiene una moneda con un águila, y esta es anterior a Los Ramones.
This painting has a coin with an eagle, and this one is prior to The Ramones.
10.
Estas fotos, esta foto, esta pintura es un...
These photos, this photo, this painting is a...
11.
Esta impresión, no es pintura, no está hecha a mano, es silkscreen.
This printing, it's not a painting, it's not handmade, it's silkscreen.
12.
Es del setenta y dos, es de mil novecientos setenta y dos.
It's from seventy-two, from nineteen seventy-two.
13.
Y la moneda es... el dólar de Eisenhower, se llama.
And the coin is... an Eisenhower dollar, it's called.
14.
Es de mil novecientos setenta y dos.
It's from nineteen seventy-two.
15.
Yo ya había usado el águila como un símbolo.
I'd already used the eagle as a symbol.
16.
Tal vez ha de haber sido...
Maybe it must have been...
17.
un intento de mi parte por...
an attempt on my part to...
18.
conceptualizar... a... la sociedad norteamericana, ¿verdad?
conceptualize... the... American society, right?
19.
Tal vez... o para, no sé si será para...
Maybe... or to, I don't know if it may be to...
20.
identificarme o para analizarla, para encontrar mi lugar dentro de...
identify myself or to analyze it, to find my place inside...
21.
Pero... o sea como símbolo...
But... I mean as a symbol...
22.
me parecía, me imagino que, pues, por eso también el águila es escogida como símbolo para,
it seemed to me, I imagine that, well, that's why the eagle is chosen as a symbol for,
23.
no nada más Estados Unidos, para muchos otros países, como un animal, ah...
not only The United States, for many other countries, like an animal, uh...
24.
noble y de mucha altura, ¿verdad?
noble and of great height, right?
25.
Y... mucho... muy... típico.
And... much... very... typical.
26.
Es que yo veía a Los Ramones como algo quintaesencialmente norteamericano.
It´s that I regarded The Ramones as something quintessentially American.
27.
Yo los veía con las cualidades de Los Ramones, las cualidades ideológicas de hacer algo,
I saw them with the qualities of The Ramones, the ideological qualities to do something,
28.
de... de tocar el tipo de música que ellos tocaban y cómo la tocaban,
to... to play the type of music that they played and how they played it,
29.
como an... como algo mucho- muy típico
like a... like something much- very typical
30.
norteamericano. Algo muy típico de la juventud.
American. Something very typical of youth.
31.
Y... Pero te digo, yo ya tenía otras, otras razones, otros antecedentes.
And... But I tell you, I already had other, other reasons, other backgrounds.
antecedente
adjective
1. preceding, previous
masculine noun
2. precedent (precedente)
3. antecedent (grammar & Mat)
antecedentes plural masculine noun
1. background (de asunto)
poner a alguien en antecedentes de -> to fill somebody in on (informar)
antecedentes penales o policiales -> criminal record
32.
No nada más el... estas pinturas.
Not just this... these paintings.
33.
Yo tenía un cinturón...
I had a belt...
34.
que lo compré en una tienda del ejército, de esas de...
that I bought at an army store, one of those...
35.
cómo se dice, de "surplus", de, de desperdicios, de...
how do you say, of surplus, of, of leftovers, of...
36.
-De segunda.
-Second-hand.
37.
De segunda, con un águila muy grande. Era de una banda militar.
Second-hand, with a very big eagle. It was from a military band.
38.
Creo que era banda de la marina y tiene un águila de plomo
I believe it was a navy band and it has a lead eagle,
39.
mucho muy mal hecha, muy mal hecha.
very badly done, very badly done.
40.
Yo bromeaba que parecía que la habían hecho vikingos borrachos,
I used to joke that it seemed to have been made by drunk Vikings,
41.
porque estaba muy mal hecha el águila, y esa águila...
because the eagle was very badly done, and that eagle...
42.
Yo tomaba muchas fotos en las maquinitas de veinticinco centavos,
I used to take many pictures in the twenty-five-cent booths,
43.
me hacía muchos autoretratos.
I would take many self-portraits.
44.
Y... una de esas fotos, una de esas series, terminó siendo la contraportada del primer disco,
And... one of those photos, one from those series, ended up as the back cover of the first record,
45.
antes de este logo. Este logo yo lo diseñé para el segundo disco.
before this logo. I designed this logo for the second record.
46.
Pero desde el principio, desde el primer disco usaba yo esta águila.
But from the beginning, since the first record I used this eagle.
47.
Y antes de eso, esto.
And before that, this.
48.
Entonces era un elemento que a mí me llamaba la atención.
So it was an element that had caught my attention.
49.
Y que... pues yo le di de... mucho uso.
And that... well I gave it of... a lot of use.
50.
Conscientemente yo lo quise incorporar a la imagen de Los Ramones porque desde el principio...
I deliberately wanted to add it to the image of The Ramones because from the beginning...
51.
Empezar, la prensa... empezó a identificar a Los Ramones
To start, the press... started to identify The Ramones
52.
como caracteres de caricaturas.
as cartoon characters.
53.
No ayudaba que Punk Magazine, ¿verdad? Los
It didn't help that Punk Magazine, right? The
54.
primeros, los pioneros en el mundo de las imágenes punk
first, the pioneers in the world of punk images
55.
hicieron muchas caricaturas de Los Ramones.
created many cartoons of The Ramones.
56.
Porque ese era el estilo del "magazine". Todo se presentaba por medio de ilustraciones de caricaturas.
Because that was the magazine´s [Spanish word for magazine is "revista"] style. Everything was shown through caricature illustrations.
57.
Y también la imagen tan rara y original. Mucha gente los veía chistosos, grotescos.
And also the image so strange and original. Many people saw them as humorous, grotesque.
58.
A mí me parecía no muy buena idea que el grupo fuera identificado con una imagen de caricatura.
It didn't seem quite a good idea to me for the group to be identified with a cartoon image.
59.
Entonces yo muy conscientemente quise crear un logo para ellos
So I very consciously wanted to create a logo for them
60.
que los pusiera del otro lado, que los hiciera fuerte,
that would place them on the other side, that would make them strong,
61.
que proyectara una imagen de fuerza y de poder,
that would project an image of strength and power,
62.
que es lo que yo veía en la música de todas maneras.
which is what I saw in their music anyway.
63.
Entonces, eh, por ese lado fue algo muy consciente, pero era algo que yo traía ya por dentro.
So, uh, that part of it was something very conscious, but it was something that I already carried inside.
64.
Que se había manifestado ya... de otras maneras.
That had already manifested itself... in other ways.
Lesson 167. Vocabulary
Arturo Vega moved from Mexico to the U.S. decades ago, so he's very well versed in all sorts of Americana. In fact, in our Spanish-language interview, he's occasionally searching for the right Spanish word, when the English one is at the tip of his tongue. For example, when Vega described a beloved belt buckle featuring an eagle that looked like it was made by "drunk Vikings," he asks his interviewer for help finding the right word. Listen in:
Yo tenía un cinturón... que lo compré en una tienda del ejército, de esas de... cómo se dice, de "surplus", de... de desperdicios, de... I had a belt... that I bought at an army store, one of those... how do you say, of "surplus," of, of leftovers, of... -De segunda.-Second-hand. -De segunda, con un águila muy grande. Era de una banda militar. -Second-hand, with a very big eagle. It was from a military band.
In the U.S., we all know about Army-Navy surplus stores, where you can find fatigues, drab-olive jackets and eagle-blazoned belts. But selling military surplus to the public for discount prices is not a common practice in many other countries, hence the struggle for words here. Vega says "surplus" in English, which is usually translated as "excedente" in Spanish. But Vega follows up with "desperdicios" which translates as "waste," "scraps" or "leftovers" -- as in, "desperdicios sólidos" ("solid wastes"). Hearing his search for words, our interviewer jumps in with "De segunda" -- which is short for "de segunda mano" ("second hand").
1.
¿Por qué un águila?
Why an eagle?
2.
Yo creo que la conexión... Bueno, yo creo que... llegué a... a este diseño
I believe that the connection... Well, I believe that... I came to... to this design
3.
por... por varias... o varias rutas... varias... varios motivos, ¿verdad? me llevaron a...
via... via several... or via several routes... several... several reasons, right? led me to...
4.
a diseñar esto. Ah.. Una de ellas es, por supuesto, tal vez la influencia pop
to design this. Uh.. One of them is, of course, maybe the pop influence
5.
de tomar una imagen ya existente, lo que le dicen "ready made," ¿verdad? Una imagen que ya existe
of taking an existing image, what they call "ready made," right? An image that already exists
6.
y que tú la incorporas, le... para cambiarla o adaptarla, y darle otro significado.
and which you take, you... to change it or adapt it, and give it another meaning.
7.
Pero el águila realmente ya existía dentro de mi iconografía, de mi mundo,
But actually the eagle already existed within my iconography, my world,
8.
por ejemplo como esta pintura.
for example like this painting.
9.
Esta pintura tiene una moneda con un águila, y esta es anterior a Los Ramones.
This painting has a coin with an eagle, and this one is prior to The Ramones.
10.
Estas fotos, esta foto, esta pintura es un...
These photos, this photo, this painting is a...
11.
Esta impresión, no es pintura, no está hecha a mano, es silkscreen.
This printing, it's not a painting, it's not handmade, it's silkscreen.
12.
Es del setenta y dos, es de mil novecientos setenta y dos.
It's from seventy-two, from nineteen seventy-two.
13.
Y la moneda es... el dólar de Eisenhower, se llama.
And the coin is... an Eisenhower dollar, it's called.
14.
Es de mil novecientos setenta y dos.
It's from nineteen seventy-two.
15.
Yo ya había usado el águila como un símbolo.
I'd already used the eagle as a symbol.
16.
Tal vez ha de haber sido...
Maybe it must have been...
17.
un intento de mi parte por...
an attempt on my part to...
18.
conceptualizar... a... la sociedad norteamericana, ¿verdad?
conceptualize... the... American society, right?
19.
Tal vez... o para, no sé si será para...
Maybe... or to, I don't know if it may be to...
20.
identificarme o para analizarla, para encontrar mi lugar dentro de...
identify myself or to analyze it, to find my place inside...
21.
Pero... o sea como símbolo...
But... I mean as a symbol...
22.
me parecía, me imagino que, pues, por eso también el águila es escogida como símbolo para,
it seemed to me, I imagine that, well, that's why the eagle is chosen as a symbol for,
23.
no nada más Estados Unidos, para muchos otros países, como un animal, ah...
not only The United States, for many other countries, like an animal, uh...
24.
noble y de mucha altura, ¿verdad?
noble and of great height, right?
25.
Y... mucho... muy... típico.
And... much... very... typical.
26.
Es que yo veía a Los Ramones como algo quintaesencialmente norteamericano.
It´s that I regarded The Ramones as something quintessentially American.
27.
Yo los veía con las cualidades de Los Ramones, las cualidades ideológicas de hacer algo,
I saw them with the qualities of The Ramones, the ideological qualities to do something,
28.
de... de tocar el tipo de música que ellos tocaban y cómo la tocaban,
to... to play the type of music that they played and how they played it,
29.
como an... como algo mucho- muy típico
like a... like something much- very typical
30.
norteamericano. Algo muy típico de la juventud.
American. Something very typical of youth.
31.
Y... Pero te digo, yo ya tenía otras, otras razones, otros antecedentes.
And... But I tell you, I already had other, other reasons, other backgrounds.
antecedente
adjective
1. preceding, previous
masculine noun
2. precedent (precedente)
3. antecedent (grammar & Mat)
antecedentes plural masculine noun
1. background (de asunto)
poner a alguien en antecedentes de -> to fill somebody in on (informar)
antecedentes penales o policiales -> criminal record
32.
No nada más el... estas pinturas.
Not just this... these paintings.
33.
Yo tenía un cinturón...
I had a belt...
34.
que lo compré en una tienda del ejército, de esas de...
that I bought at an army store, one of those...
35.
cómo se dice, de "surplus", de, de desperdicios, de...
how do you say, of surplus, of, of leftovers, of...
36.
-De segunda.
-Second-hand.
37.
De segunda, con un águila muy grande. Era de una banda militar.
Second-hand, with a very big eagle. It was from a military band.
38.
Creo que era banda de la marina y tiene un águila de plomo
I believe it was a navy band and it has a lead eagle,
39.
mucho muy mal hecha, muy mal hecha.
very badly done, very badly done.
40.
Yo bromeaba que parecía que la habían hecho vikingos borrachos,
I used to joke that it seemed to have been made by drunk Vikings,
41.
porque estaba muy mal hecha el águila, y esa águila...
because the eagle was very badly done, and that eagle...
42.
Yo tomaba muchas fotos en las maquinitas de veinticinco centavos,
I used to take many pictures in the twenty-five-cent booths,
43.
me hacía muchos autoretratos.
I would take many self-portraits.
44.
Y... una de esas fotos, una de esas series, terminó siendo la contraportada del primer disco,
And... one of those photos, one from those series, ended up as the back cover of the first record,
45.
antes de este logo. Este logo yo lo diseñé para el segundo disco.
before this logo. I designed this logo for the second record.
46.
Pero desde el principio, desde el primer disco usaba yo esta águila.
But from the beginning, since the first record I used this eagle.
47.
Y antes de eso, esto.
And before that, this.
48.
Entonces era un elemento que a mí me llamaba la atención.
So it was an element that had caught my attention.
49.
Y que... pues yo le di de... mucho uso.
And that... well I gave it of... a lot of use.
50.
Conscientemente yo lo quise incorporar a la imagen de Los Ramones porque desde el principio...
I deliberately wanted to add it to the image of The Ramones because from the beginning...
51.
Empezar, la prensa... empezó a identificar a Los Ramones
To start, the press... started to identify The Ramones
52.
como caracteres de caricaturas.
as cartoon characters.
53.
No ayudaba que Punk Magazine, ¿verdad? Los
It didn't help that Punk Magazine, right? The
54.
primeros, los pioneros en el mundo de las imágenes punk
first, the pioneers in the world of punk images
55.
hicieron muchas caricaturas de Los Ramones.
created many cartoons of The Ramones.
56.
Porque ese era el estilo del "magazine". Todo se presentaba por medio de ilustraciones de caricaturas.
Because that was the magazine´s [Spanish word for magazine is "revista"] style. Everything was shown through caricature illustrations.
57.
Y también la imagen tan rara y original. Mucha gente los veía chistosos, grotescos.
And also the image so strange and original. Many people saw them as humorous, grotesque.
58.
A mí me parecía no muy buena idea que el grupo fuera identificado con una imagen de caricatura.
It didn't seem quite a good idea to me for the group to be identified with a cartoon image.
59.
Entonces yo muy conscientemente quise crear un logo para ellos
So I very consciously wanted to create a logo for them
60.
que los pusiera del otro lado, que los hiciera fuerte,
that would place them on the other side, that would make them strong,
61.
que proyectara una imagen de fuerza y de poder,
that would project an image of strength and power,
62.
que es lo que yo veía en la música de todas maneras.
which is what I saw in their music anyway.
63.
Entonces, eh, por ese lado fue algo muy consciente, pero era algo que yo traía ya por dentro.
So, uh, that part of it was something very conscious, but it was something that I already carried inside.
64.
Que se había manifestado ya... de otras maneras.
That had already manifested itself... in other ways.
Arturo Vega - Entrevista - Part 3
Caer Bien: To like it
Lesson 135. Expressions
Going to the private party where The Ramones were performing for the first time ever ended up changing the life of painter/ artist Arturo Vega. Our featured video interview with Vega captures the story.
Entonces, yo fui porque, pues, era una fiesta, ¿verdad? Y Dee Dee me caía bien."So, I went because, well, it was a party, right?
caer: v.: fall; drop, tumble; plunge; decline; droop; sink; demise; catch on
All these definitions are true, but what about "liking someone" -- as the verb is used here? Turns out that in Spanish, to say you like someone, you basically say that someone, well, falls well for (or, to) you. That is to say, Me cae bien means "I like him/ her" or "He/she made a good impression on me."
Conversely, Me cae mal means "I don't like him/her."
You may be wondering if he might have used the verb gustar, which also can be used to indicate liking something or someone. However, when using gustar to refer to people, there can be romantic/sexual connotations. Using caer bien eliminates any potential misunderstanding, as it refers to a purely platonic attraction.In your travels through the Spanish speaking world you will undoubtedly come across other interesting uses of caer.No puedes caer así sin avisar. (slang)"You can't drop by like that without calling."Siempre es igual, le cuentas un chiste y cae media hora más tarde."It's always the same, tell him a joke and he gets it a half hour later."
1.
De Los Ramones, a ver, vamos a hablar de Los Ramones.
About The Ramones, let's see, we're going to talk about The Ramones.
2.
¿Cómo los conocistes? ¿Cómo llegastes a... a pasar...?
How did you meet them? How did you come to... to spend...?
3.
Bueno, yo vivo aquí en este lugar desde el setenta y tres, desde mil novecientos setenta y tres.
Well, I've lived here in this place since seventy-three, since nineteen seventy-three.
4.
Y Dee Dee Ramone, el bajista de Los Ramones,
And Dee Dee Ramone, the Ramones bassist,
5.
el que le puso el nombre al grupo,
the one who named the group,
6.
venía a ver a una chava, a una novia que tenía aquí arriba.
used to come to see a girl, a girlfriend he had here, upstairs.
7.
Entonces, este... yo estaba pintando en esa época y la puerta siempre estaba abierta.
So, then... I was painting at that time and the door was always open.
8.
Y Dee Dee se metía y nos poníamos a platicar.
And Dee Dee would come in and we would start talking.
9.
Y poco a poco un día resultó que me empezó a contar de que
And little by little one day it turned out that he began to tell me that
10.
él y sus amigos estaban formando un conjunto.
he and his friends were starting a band.
11.
Y yo no le veía a Dee Dee facha de que pudiera hacer nada excitante en el mundo del rock and roll.
And I didn't see Dee Dee being able to do anything exciting in the world of rock and roll.
12.
Yo me consideraba un fanático del rock n' roll
I considered myself a rock and roll fan
13.
desde muy chico,
since I was very young,
14.
Desde cuando yo vi a Elvis Presley cuando tenía ocho años en Chihuahua.
Since I saw Elvis Presley when I was eight years old in Chihuahua.
15.
Jugando con el radio de onda corta de mi papá,
Playing with an AM radio of my father's,
16.
agarré una estación, me imagino de Texas, o yo no sé de donde,
I picked up a station, I guess from Texas, or I don't know where from,
17.
y de repente me di cuenta que la música, pues no era Jesusita en Chihuahua, ¿verdad?
and suddenly I realized that the music, well it wasn't "Jesusita in Chihuahua," right?
18.
Era algo totalmente diferente.
It was something totally different.
19.
Y todos los días buscaba yo a la misma hora,
And everyday I searched at the same time,
20.
trataba de agarrar la estación, porque por alguna razón no la podía agarrar siempre.
I would try to catch the station, because for some reason I couldn't always get it.
21.
Entonces, agarré el gusanito del rock and roll desde los ocho años, te digo.
So, I ´ve got the rock and roll bug since I was eight, I tell you.
22.
Y siempre me gustó, de ahí en adelante.
And I´ve always liked it, from then on.
23.
Me acuerdo que cuando mi hermana me trajo,
I remember when my sister brought me,
24.
cuando vivíamos ya en México, en la Ciudad de México, y mi hermana fue a Los Ángeles,
when we were already living in Mexico, in Mexico City, and my sister went to Los Angeles,
25.
me trajo el primer disco de los Beatles, por ejemplo.
she brought me the first Beatles record, for example.
26.
O el disco de Elvis cuando Elvis estaba en el ejército, G.I. Blues, Café Europa.
Or Elvis' record when Elvis was in the military, G.I. Blues, Café Europa.
27.
Pues yo era un... y estuve en San Francisco en el sesenta y siete viendo a...
Well I was a... and I was in San Francisco in sixty-seven seeing...
28.
grupos como Hendrix, o Janis Joplin, por veinticinco centavos, ¿no?
groups like Hendrix, or Janis Joplin, for twenty-five cents, no?
29.
y... -Barato. -Y me fui al Festival de Monterrey,
and... -Cheap. -And I went to the Monterrey [Pop] Festival,
30.
con Mamas and the Papas, The Who, Ravi Shankar,
with the Mamas and the Papas, The Who, Ravi Shankar,
31.
todo el... Sonny and Cher... todo esto. Entonces yo tenía...
all the... Sonny and Cher... all this. So I had...
32.
estaba... me consideraba bastante educado, por decirlo así, verdad, en cuestiones de rock.
I was... I considered myself to be quite educated, to put it that way, right, in matters of rock.
33.
Y para el principio de los setentas, el rock n' roll estaba en muy mal estado,
And in the early seventies, rock n' roll was in very bad shape,
34.
en mucho, muy mal estado. No estaba sucediendo absolutamente nada
in much, in very bad shape. Absolutely nothing was happening
35.
que valiera la pena, que se comparara con lo que fue
that was worth it, that could compare with what was
36.
la primera generación, ¿no? O tal vez es la segunda generación de... de grupos.
the first generation, right? Or maybe it's the second generation of... of groups.
37.
Y... para entonces cuando Dee Dee me invita
And... by then when Dee Dee invites me
38.
a ver a Los Ramones, por primera vez van a tocar
to see The Ramones, for the first time they're going to play
39.
en una fiesta privada de amigos.
at a private party of friends.
40.
Entonces yo fui porque, pues, era una fiesta, ¿verdad? Y Dee Dee me caía bien.
So I went because, well, it was a party, right? And I liked Dee Dee.
41.
Pero yo no esperaba absolutamente nada.
But I didn't expect anything at all.
42.
Y la primera vez, cuando uno ve a Los Ramones...
And the first time, when you see The Ramones...
43.
pues realmente nu'... no sabes como tomarlo, ¿verdad?
well you really don't know how to take it, right?
44.
Definitivamente me impactaron, luego luego.
They definitely had an impact on me, right away.
45.
Y veía yo elementos de algo completamente original,
And I saw elements of something completely original,
46.
completamente nuevo, y... mucho, mucho, muy energético, cargado de energía,
completely new, and... much, much, very energetic, charged with energy,
47.
algo muy... muy potente, muy poderoso.
something very... very strong, very powerful.
48.
Me tardé yo creo que cinco o seis veces,
It took me, I believe, five or six times,
49.
después de verlos. Los vi, a Los Ramones los vi...
after seeing them. I saw them, I saw The Ramones...
50.
de los dos mil doscientos sesenta y tres shows que, que tuvieron, yo perdí nada más dos.
out of the two thousand and sixty-three shows that, that they had, I only missed two.
51.
Entonces los empecé a ver constantemente, consecutivamente.
So I started to see them constantly, consecutively.
52.
Pero como por el quinto o sexto show,
But by the fifth or sixth show,
53.
fue cuando me di cuenta que realmente había posibilidades reales de que fueran algo importante.
that was when I realized that there really were real possibilities for them to become something important.
54.
Y... y decidí involucrarme.
And... and I decided to get involved.
55.
Dije: "A lo mejor esto va a funcionar."
I said, "Maybe this will work."
56.
"A lo mejor esto..." "Si esto funciona..." Yo estaba muy consciente de...
"Maybe this..." "If this works..." I was very aware of...
57.
...de lo que puede lograr un conjunto, ¿verdad?
...of what a group can achieve, right?
58.
De las etapas por las que pasan los conjuntos en su desarrollo y a lo que pueden llegar.
Of the stages that groups go through in their development and what they can become.
59.
Yo dije: "No, pues, si esto prende, voy a tener una oportunidad ideal para viajar..." ¿Verdad?
I said, "No, well, if this catches on, I'm going to have an ideal opportunity to travel..." Right?
60.
"Si me clavo aquí con estos chavos de alguna manera u otra..."
"If I stay put here with these guys in one way or another..."
61.
Y pues así pasó realmente, dicho y hecho.
And well that's how it really happened, said and done.
Lesson 135. Expressions
Going to the private party where The Ramones were performing for the first time ever ended up changing the life of painter/ artist Arturo Vega. Our featured video interview with Vega captures the story.
Entonces, yo fui porque, pues, era una fiesta, ¿verdad? Y Dee Dee me caía bien."So, I went because, well, it was a party, right?
caer: v.: fall; drop, tumble; plunge; decline; droop; sink; demise; catch on
All these definitions are true, but what about "liking someone" -- as the verb is used here? Turns out that in Spanish, to say you like someone, you basically say that someone, well, falls well for (or, to) you. That is to say, Me cae bien means "I like him/ her" or "He/she made a good impression on me."
Conversely, Me cae mal means "I don't like him/her."
You may be wondering if he might have used the verb gustar, which also can be used to indicate liking something or someone. However, when using gustar to refer to people, there can be romantic/sexual connotations. Using caer bien eliminates any potential misunderstanding, as it refers to a purely platonic attraction.In your travels through the Spanish speaking world you will undoubtedly come across other interesting uses of caer.No puedes caer así sin avisar. (slang)"You can't drop by like that without calling."Siempre es igual, le cuentas un chiste y cae media hora más tarde."It's always the same, tell him a joke and he gets it a half hour later."
1.
De Los Ramones, a ver, vamos a hablar de Los Ramones.
About The Ramones, let's see, we're going to talk about The Ramones.
2.
¿Cómo los conocistes? ¿Cómo llegastes a... a pasar...?
How did you meet them? How did you come to... to spend...?
3.
Bueno, yo vivo aquí en este lugar desde el setenta y tres, desde mil novecientos setenta y tres.
Well, I've lived here in this place since seventy-three, since nineteen seventy-three.
4.
Y Dee Dee Ramone, el bajista de Los Ramones,
And Dee Dee Ramone, the Ramones bassist,
5.
el que le puso el nombre al grupo,
the one who named the group,
6.
venía a ver a una chava, a una novia que tenía aquí arriba.
used to come to see a girl, a girlfriend he had here, upstairs.
7.
Entonces, este... yo estaba pintando en esa época y la puerta siempre estaba abierta.
So, then... I was painting at that time and the door was always open.
8.
Y Dee Dee se metía y nos poníamos a platicar.
And Dee Dee would come in and we would start talking.
9.
Y poco a poco un día resultó que me empezó a contar de que
And little by little one day it turned out that he began to tell me that
10.
él y sus amigos estaban formando un conjunto.
he and his friends were starting a band.
11.
Y yo no le veía a Dee Dee facha de que pudiera hacer nada excitante en el mundo del rock and roll.
And I didn't see Dee Dee being able to do anything exciting in the world of rock and roll.
12.
Yo me consideraba un fanático del rock n' roll
I considered myself a rock and roll fan
13.
desde muy chico,
since I was very young,
14.
Desde cuando yo vi a Elvis Presley cuando tenía ocho años en Chihuahua.
Since I saw Elvis Presley when I was eight years old in Chihuahua.
15.
Jugando con el radio de onda corta de mi papá,
Playing with an AM radio of my father's,
16.
agarré una estación, me imagino de Texas, o yo no sé de donde,
I picked up a station, I guess from Texas, or I don't know where from,
17.
y de repente me di cuenta que la música, pues no era Jesusita en Chihuahua, ¿verdad?
and suddenly I realized that the music, well it wasn't "Jesusita in Chihuahua," right?
18.
Era algo totalmente diferente.
It was something totally different.
19.
Y todos los días buscaba yo a la misma hora,
And everyday I searched at the same time,
20.
trataba de agarrar la estación, porque por alguna razón no la podía agarrar siempre.
I would try to catch the station, because for some reason I couldn't always get it.
21.
Entonces, agarré el gusanito del rock and roll desde los ocho años, te digo.
So, I ´ve got the rock and roll bug since I was eight, I tell you.
22.
Y siempre me gustó, de ahí en adelante.
And I´ve always liked it, from then on.
23.
Me acuerdo que cuando mi hermana me trajo,
I remember when my sister brought me,
24.
cuando vivíamos ya en México, en la Ciudad de México, y mi hermana fue a Los Ángeles,
when we were already living in Mexico, in Mexico City, and my sister went to Los Angeles,
25.
me trajo el primer disco de los Beatles, por ejemplo.
she brought me the first Beatles record, for example.
26.
O el disco de Elvis cuando Elvis estaba en el ejército, G.I. Blues, Café Europa.
Or Elvis' record when Elvis was in the military, G.I. Blues, Café Europa.
27.
Pues yo era un... y estuve en San Francisco en el sesenta y siete viendo a...
Well I was a... and I was in San Francisco in sixty-seven seeing...
28.
grupos como Hendrix, o Janis Joplin, por veinticinco centavos, ¿no?
groups like Hendrix, or Janis Joplin, for twenty-five cents, no?
29.
y... -Barato. -Y me fui al Festival de Monterrey,
and... -Cheap. -And I went to the Monterrey [Pop] Festival,
30.
con Mamas and the Papas, The Who, Ravi Shankar,
with the Mamas and the Papas, The Who, Ravi Shankar,
31.
todo el... Sonny and Cher... todo esto. Entonces yo tenía...
all the... Sonny and Cher... all this. So I had...
32.
estaba... me consideraba bastante educado, por decirlo así, verdad, en cuestiones de rock.
I was... I considered myself to be quite educated, to put it that way, right, in matters of rock.
33.
Y para el principio de los setentas, el rock n' roll estaba en muy mal estado,
And in the early seventies, rock n' roll was in very bad shape,
34.
en mucho, muy mal estado. No estaba sucediendo absolutamente nada
in much, in very bad shape. Absolutely nothing was happening
35.
que valiera la pena, que se comparara con lo que fue
that was worth it, that could compare with what was
36.
la primera generación, ¿no? O tal vez es la segunda generación de... de grupos.
the first generation, right? Or maybe it's the second generation of... of groups.
37.
Y... para entonces cuando Dee Dee me invita
And... by then when Dee Dee invites me
38.
a ver a Los Ramones, por primera vez van a tocar
to see The Ramones, for the first time they're going to play
39.
en una fiesta privada de amigos.
at a private party of friends.
40.
Entonces yo fui porque, pues, era una fiesta, ¿verdad? Y Dee Dee me caía bien.
So I went because, well, it was a party, right? And I liked Dee Dee.
41.
Pero yo no esperaba absolutamente nada.
But I didn't expect anything at all.
42.
Y la primera vez, cuando uno ve a Los Ramones...
And the first time, when you see The Ramones...
43.
pues realmente nu'... no sabes como tomarlo, ¿verdad?
well you really don't know how to take it, right?
44.
Definitivamente me impactaron, luego luego.
They definitely had an impact on me, right away.
45.
Y veía yo elementos de algo completamente original,
And I saw elements of something completely original,
46.
completamente nuevo, y... mucho, mucho, muy energético, cargado de energía,
completely new, and... much, much, very energetic, charged with energy,
47.
algo muy... muy potente, muy poderoso.
something very... very strong, very powerful.
48.
Me tardé yo creo que cinco o seis veces,
It took me, I believe, five or six times,
49.
después de verlos. Los vi, a Los Ramones los vi...
after seeing them. I saw them, I saw The Ramones...
50.
de los dos mil doscientos sesenta y tres shows que, que tuvieron, yo perdí nada más dos.
out of the two thousand and sixty-three shows that, that they had, I only missed two.
51.
Entonces los empecé a ver constantemente, consecutivamente.
So I started to see them constantly, consecutively.
52.
Pero como por el quinto o sexto show,
But by the fifth or sixth show,
53.
fue cuando me di cuenta que realmente había posibilidades reales de que fueran algo importante.
that was when I realized that there really were real possibilities for them to become something important.
54.
Y... y decidí involucrarme.
And... and I decided to get involved.
55.
Dije: "A lo mejor esto va a funcionar."
I said, "Maybe this will work."
56.
"A lo mejor esto..." "Si esto funciona..." Yo estaba muy consciente de...
"Maybe this..." "If this works..." I was very aware of...
57.
...de lo que puede lograr un conjunto, ¿verdad?
...of what a group can achieve, right?
58.
De las etapas por las que pasan los conjuntos en su desarrollo y a lo que pueden llegar.
Of the stages that groups go through in their development and what they can become.
59.
Yo dije: "No, pues, si esto prende, voy a tener una oportunidad ideal para viajar..." ¿Verdad?
I said, "No, well, if this catches on, I'm going to have an ideal opportunity to travel..." Right?
60.
"Si me clavo aquí con estos chavos de alguna manera u otra..."
"If I stay put here with these guys in one way or another..."
61.
Y pues así pasó realmente, dicho y hecho.
And well that's how it really happened, said and done.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Arturo Vega - Entrevista - Part 2
Early in your Spanish careers, you probably learned that a question to your Spanish teacher was "una pregunta." Meanwhile, the related, sound-alike word, "una cuestión," is better defined as "a matter, issue or question to be debated or resolved." So, "a question" or "matter" -- as in "a question/matter of taste" -- is translated as una cuestión when it's referring to an issue at stake. Meanwhile, "a question" that takes a question mark (?) is "una pregunta."
Any other questions? ¿Hay más preguntas?
Asked about his influences in the arts, Arturo Vega gives a long, thoughtful answer that includes one particular verb phrase over and over. Here are the excerpts:
Después de la actuación... me di cuenta que... mi talento o mi vocación... era para... lo visual
"After acting... I realized that... my gift or my vocation... was for... the visual"
Me ha dado cuenta que mi manera de percibir y de valorizar...
"I have found that my way of perceiving and appreciating..."
Pero a mí... yo me di cuenta que no era nada más...
"But for me... I realized that it was not just..."
...me di cuenta que podía hacer algo...
"...I realized that I could do something..."
Y... me di cuenta del gusto...
"And...I became aware of the pleasure..."
¿Entonces tú estudiastes esto? ¿Estudiastes este arte o eso ya fue algo que tú...?
"Then did you study this? Did you study this art or was it already something that you...?"
If you've studied basic Spanish grammar, you've probably learned that the correct second-person preterite of estudiar (a regular, -ar verb) is (tú) estudiaste without a final 's.' So what was the interviewer saying -- not once but twice? Was she so tongue-tied in the presence of Vega that she can't speak her own language without adding stray s's? Or is it simply a manner of speaking that you don't come across in textbooks?
After asking around (and browsing online), we found that some Spanish speakers in many countries (Spain included) do indeed say (tú) estudiastes, even though it's considered improper. People also say things like "(tú) comistes" and "(tú) dijistes," equally frowned upon by grammarians.
1. ¿Cuáles son tus influencias? O sea, ya acerca de tu...
Which are your influences? I mean, as regards your...
2. Eres diseñador gráfico. Eres artista.
You are a graphic designer. You are an artist.
3. Entiendo que te gusta pintar mucho y...
I understand that you really like painting and...
4. Pues eso es... es algo muy bello y es algo muy apasionado que otros artistas que...
Well, that is... is something very beautiful and is something very passionate that other artists who...
5. quizás nos están viendo hoy pueden a... aprender algo más de cómo tú desarrollastes tu...
may be watching us today can be... can learn something more about how you developed your...
6. tu... tu trabajo. O sea, si nos puedes decir un poco sobre... las influencias más... más bien.
your... your work. I mean, if you can tell us a little about... let´s say your influences.
7. Después de la actuación, que no me duró mucho ese gusto realmente, me di cuenta que...
After acting, my liking didn't last long, I realized that...
8. mi talento o mi vocación o lo que realmente me gustaba
my gift or my vocation or what I really liked
9. para lo que realmente yo era mejor... era para... lo visual...
what I was really good at... was... the visual...
10. Me he dado cuenta que mi manera de percibir y de valorizar...
I have found that my way of perceiving and appreciating...
11. o de absorber el mundo siempre era a través de las imágenes visuales,
or of capturing the world was always through visual images,
12. lo que es lo que pasa a todo el mundo, ¿verdad?
that is what happens to everyone, right?
13. Pero a mí... yo me di cuenta que no era nada más...
But for me... I realized that it was not just...
14. cuestión de que yo estaba absorbiendo o que me gustaba...
[a] question of me capturing or of me liking...
15. absorber información visual sino que me di cuenta que podía hacer algo con la información visual
to capture visual information but that I realized that I could do something with visual information
16. una vez este, digerida o adaptada.
once, well, [is was] digested or adapted.
17. Y... y me da... me di cuenta del gusto...
And... and it gives me... I became aware of the pleasure...
18. de la satisfacción que yo sentía de poder hacer este tipo de cosas.
of the satisfaction that I felt to be able to do this kind of things.
19. Pero yo sabía que no podía... que no podía pintar, o sea, tradicionalmente, figurativamente. No.
But I knew I couldn't... that I couldn't paint, that is to say, traditionally, figuratively. No.
20. Yo no podía hacer un... una florecita de palitos, ¿verdad?
I couldn't make a... a little stick flower, right?
21. Pero por supuesto con el advenimiento del... del movimiento Pop en los sesentas,
But of course with the advent of... of the Pop movement in the sixties,
22. me di cuenta que no tienes que porqué saber dibujar ni pintar para...
I realized that you don't need to know how to draw or paint in order to...
23. para adentrarte a las artes visuales, ¿verdad?
in order to make an incursion into the visual arts, right?
24. El Pop nos enseña que el concepto es lo más importante...
Pop teaches us that the concept is the most important...
25. La idea detrás de la imagen.
The idea behind the image.
26. Y la imagen puede ser cualquier cosa, ¿verdad?
And the image can be anything, right?
27. Como nos enseñó Warhol con sus sopas de... con sus latas de sopa.
Like Warhol taught us with his soups of... with his soup cans.
28. Entonces el Pop, el movimiento Pop me abrió las puertas...
Therefore Pop, the Pop movement opened its doors for me...
29. para poder yo a... empezar a expresarme en ese... en ese aspecto y me di cuenta que...
so that I'd be able to... start expressing myself in that... in that sense and I realized that...
30. como yo decía "yo no pintaba mis pinturas, las hacía."
like I used to say "I didn't paint my pictures, I made them."
31. Lo que es... lo que te enseña la... el estilo Pop.
That is what... what Pop style teaches you.
32. ¿Entonces tú estudiastes esto?
Then did you study this?
33. ¿Estudiastes este arte o eso ya fue algo que tú...?
Did you study this art or was it something that you...?
34. No, para nada. -Para nada. -Para nada. -Para nada.
No, not at all. -Not at all. -Not at all. -Not at all.
35. Lo único que estudié fue actuación al principio.
The only thing I studied was acting, at the beginning.
36. ...la actuación. -Estaba en la, en la escuela de bellas artes en la Ciudad de México.
...acting. -I was at the, at the school of fine arts in Mexico City.
37. Y mi intención cuando vine a Nueva York yo primeramente era tal vez eso.
And maybe my intention when I came to New York was initially that.
38. Lo último que hice yo en México fue la rock ópera de los Who, Tommy.
The last thing I did in Mexico was the Who´s rock opera Tommy.
39. Y la hicimos una producción de la universidad, en la Universidad Nacional.
And we made it as a university production, at the National University.
40. Hicimos giras. Hicimos una gira por varias universidades del país.
We did tours. We did a tour around several universities in the country.
41. Y... y anteriormente llegué a hacer una comedia musical...
And... and previously I was able to do a musical comedy...
42. a un nivel totalmente profesional con Héctor Suárez.
at a very professional level with Héctor Suárez.
43. Verdad que sigue siendo una de las estrellas más grandes de México.
For sure he continues to be one of the greatest stars of Mexico.
44. Vilma González en el Teatro de los Insurgentes.
Vilma González at the Insurgents Theater.
45. Eso mientras yo estaba todavía en la escuela de teatro.
That while I was still at acting school.
46. Y ahí me vieron, me vio un individuo que en esa época era el representante de Paul McCartney...
And there they saw me, an individual saw me who at that time was the manager of Paul McCartney...
47. el de los Beatles.
from the Beatles.
48. Y no sé qué negocios estaba él haciendo en la Ciudad de México pero me vieron ahí.
And I don´t know what business he was doing in Mexico City but they saw me there.
49. Y después platiqué con ellos de la función y me dijeron...
And then I talked with them about the show and they told me...
50. "Si te interesa ir a Nueva York, te ayudamos a meterte a Hair".
"If you're interested in going to New York, we'll help you get into Hair."
51. "Hair" todavía estaba en Broadway. -Wow. -Aquí en Nueva York.
"Hair" was still on Broadway. -Wow. -Here in New York.
52. Pues esa era mi tirada originalmente. -¡Qué emoción! -Venir acá y meterme en el teatro.
Well that was my original plan. -How thrilling! -To come here and get into theater.
53. Pero el rock 'n' roll se me atravesó realmente.
But rock 'n' roll really got in my way.
54. Siempre había sido yo un fanático del rock 'n' roll y...
I have always been a rock 'n' roll fan and...
55. Además el mundo del teatro luego... luego me disgustó.
Besides, then... then the theater world displeased me.
56. La gente no me parecía... no me parecía el tipo de gente con el que yo me quería involucrar.
The people didn't seem to... they didn't seem to be the kind of people I wanted to get involved with.
57. No me pareció el mundo del que yo quería ser parte de.
It didn't seem to be the world I wanted to be part of.
58. Y para mí el rock 'n' roll representaba más una oportunidad de...
And to me rock 'n' roll represented more an opportunity to...
59. hacer lo que quería, divertirme como quería...
to do what I wanted, to enjoy myself like I wanted...
60. y al mismo tiempo estar con la gente con la que yo consideraba que eran más a todo dar...
and at the same time to be with the people who I considered to be cool...
61. como decimos.
as we say.
62. ¡Pues qué bien, qué bien! Está muy bien.
Well then very well, very well! It's very good
Any other questions? ¿Hay más preguntas?
Asked about his influences in the arts, Arturo Vega gives a long, thoughtful answer that includes one particular verb phrase over and over. Here are the excerpts:
Después de la actuación... me di cuenta que... mi talento o mi vocación... era para... lo visual
"After acting... I realized that... my gift or my vocation... was for... the visual"
Me ha dado cuenta que mi manera de percibir y de valorizar...
"I have found that my way of perceiving and appreciating..."
Pero a mí... yo me di cuenta que no era nada más...
"But for me... I realized that it was not just..."
...me di cuenta que podía hacer algo...
"...I realized that I could do something..."
Y... me di cuenta del gusto...
"And...I became aware of the pleasure..."
¿Entonces tú estudiastes esto? ¿Estudiastes este arte o eso ya fue algo que tú...?
"Then did you study this? Did you study this art or was it already something that you...?"
If you've studied basic Spanish grammar, you've probably learned that the correct second-person preterite of estudiar (a regular, -ar verb) is (tú) estudiaste without a final 's.' So what was the interviewer saying -- not once but twice? Was she so tongue-tied in the presence of Vega that she can't speak her own language without adding stray s's? Or is it simply a manner of speaking that you don't come across in textbooks?
After asking around (and browsing online), we found that some Spanish speakers in many countries (Spain included) do indeed say (tú) estudiastes, even though it's considered improper. People also say things like "(tú) comistes" and "(tú) dijistes," equally frowned upon by grammarians.
1. ¿Cuáles son tus influencias? O sea, ya acerca de tu...
Which are your influences? I mean, as regards your...
2. Eres diseñador gráfico. Eres artista.
You are a graphic designer. You are an artist.
3. Entiendo que te gusta pintar mucho y...
I understand that you really like painting and...
4. Pues eso es... es algo muy bello y es algo muy apasionado que otros artistas que...
Well, that is... is something very beautiful and is something very passionate that other artists who...
5. quizás nos están viendo hoy pueden a... aprender algo más de cómo tú desarrollastes tu...
may be watching us today can be... can learn something more about how you developed your...
6. tu... tu trabajo. O sea, si nos puedes decir un poco sobre... las influencias más... más bien.
your... your work. I mean, if you can tell us a little about... let´s say your influences.
7. Después de la actuación, que no me duró mucho ese gusto realmente, me di cuenta que...
After acting, my liking didn't last long, I realized that...
8. mi talento o mi vocación o lo que realmente me gustaba
my gift or my vocation or what I really liked
9. para lo que realmente yo era mejor... era para... lo visual...
what I was really good at... was... the visual...
10. Me he dado cuenta que mi manera de percibir y de valorizar...
I have found that my way of perceiving and appreciating...
11. o de absorber el mundo siempre era a través de las imágenes visuales,
or of capturing the world was always through visual images,
12. lo que es lo que pasa a todo el mundo, ¿verdad?
that is what happens to everyone, right?
13. Pero a mí... yo me di cuenta que no era nada más...
But for me... I realized that it was not just...
14. cuestión de que yo estaba absorbiendo o que me gustaba...
[a] question of me capturing or of me liking...
15. absorber información visual sino que me di cuenta que podía hacer algo con la información visual
to capture visual information but that I realized that I could do something with visual information
16. una vez este, digerida o adaptada.
once, well, [is was] digested or adapted.
17. Y... y me da... me di cuenta del gusto...
And... and it gives me... I became aware of the pleasure...
18. de la satisfacción que yo sentía de poder hacer este tipo de cosas.
of the satisfaction that I felt to be able to do this kind of things.
19. Pero yo sabía que no podía... que no podía pintar, o sea, tradicionalmente, figurativamente. No.
But I knew I couldn't... that I couldn't paint, that is to say, traditionally, figuratively. No.
20. Yo no podía hacer un... una florecita de palitos, ¿verdad?
I couldn't make a... a little stick flower, right?
21. Pero por supuesto con el advenimiento del... del movimiento Pop en los sesentas,
But of course with the advent of... of the Pop movement in the sixties,
22. me di cuenta que no tienes que porqué saber dibujar ni pintar para...
I realized that you don't need to know how to draw or paint in order to...
23. para adentrarte a las artes visuales, ¿verdad?
in order to make an incursion into the visual arts, right?
24. El Pop nos enseña que el concepto es lo más importante...
Pop teaches us that the concept is the most important...
25. La idea detrás de la imagen.
The idea behind the image.
26. Y la imagen puede ser cualquier cosa, ¿verdad?
And the image can be anything, right?
27. Como nos enseñó Warhol con sus sopas de... con sus latas de sopa.
Like Warhol taught us with his soups of... with his soup cans.
28. Entonces el Pop, el movimiento Pop me abrió las puertas...
Therefore Pop, the Pop movement opened its doors for me...
29. para poder yo a... empezar a expresarme en ese... en ese aspecto y me di cuenta que...
so that I'd be able to... start expressing myself in that... in that sense and I realized that...
30. como yo decía "yo no pintaba mis pinturas, las hacía."
like I used to say "I didn't paint my pictures, I made them."
31. Lo que es... lo que te enseña la... el estilo Pop.
That is what... what Pop style teaches you.
32. ¿Entonces tú estudiastes esto?
Then did you study this?
33. ¿Estudiastes este arte o eso ya fue algo que tú...?
Did you study this art or was it something that you...?
34. No, para nada. -Para nada. -Para nada. -Para nada.
No, not at all. -Not at all. -Not at all. -Not at all.
35. Lo único que estudié fue actuación al principio.
The only thing I studied was acting, at the beginning.
36. ...la actuación. -Estaba en la, en la escuela de bellas artes en la Ciudad de México.
...acting. -I was at the, at the school of fine arts in Mexico City.
37. Y mi intención cuando vine a Nueva York yo primeramente era tal vez eso.
And maybe my intention when I came to New York was initially that.
38. Lo último que hice yo en México fue la rock ópera de los Who, Tommy.
The last thing I did in Mexico was the Who´s rock opera Tommy.
39. Y la hicimos una producción de la universidad, en la Universidad Nacional.
And we made it as a university production, at the National University.
40. Hicimos giras. Hicimos una gira por varias universidades del país.
We did tours. We did a tour around several universities in the country.
41. Y... y anteriormente llegué a hacer una comedia musical...
And... and previously I was able to do a musical comedy...
42. a un nivel totalmente profesional con Héctor Suárez.
at a very professional level with Héctor Suárez.
43. Verdad que sigue siendo una de las estrellas más grandes de México.
For sure he continues to be one of the greatest stars of Mexico.
44. Vilma González en el Teatro de los Insurgentes.
Vilma González at the Insurgents Theater.
45. Eso mientras yo estaba todavía en la escuela de teatro.
That while I was still at acting school.
46. Y ahí me vieron, me vio un individuo que en esa época era el representante de Paul McCartney...
And there they saw me, an individual saw me who at that time was the manager of Paul McCartney...
47. el de los Beatles.
from the Beatles.
48. Y no sé qué negocios estaba él haciendo en la Ciudad de México pero me vieron ahí.
And I don´t know what business he was doing in Mexico City but they saw me there.
49. Y después platiqué con ellos de la función y me dijeron...
And then I talked with them about the show and they told me...
50. "Si te interesa ir a Nueva York, te ayudamos a meterte a Hair".
"If you're interested in going to New York, we'll help you get into Hair."
51. "Hair" todavía estaba en Broadway. -Wow. -Aquí en Nueva York.
"Hair" was still on Broadway. -Wow. -Here in New York.
52. Pues esa era mi tirada originalmente. -¡Qué emoción! -Venir acá y meterme en el teatro.
Well that was my original plan. -How thrilling! -To come here and get into theater.
53. Pero el rock 'n' roll se me atravesó realmente.
But rock 'n' roll really got in my way.
54. Siempre había sido yo un fanático del rock 'n' roll y...
I have always been a rock 'n' roll fan and...
55. Además el mundo del teatro luego... luego me disgustó.
Besides, then... then the theater world displeased me.
56. La gente no me parecía... no me parecía el tipo de gente con el que yo me quería involucrar.
The people didn't seem to... they didn't seem to be the kind of people I wanted to get involved with.
57. No me pareció el mundo del que yo quería ser parte de.
It didn't seem to be the world I wanted to be part of.
58. Y para mí el rock 'n' roll representaba más una oportunidad de...
And to me rock 'n' roll represented more an opportunity to...
59. hacer lo que quería, divertirme como quería...
to do what I wanted, to enjoy myself like I wanted...
60. y al mismo tiempo estar con la gente con la que yo consideraba que eran más a todo dar...
and at the same time to be with the people who I considered to be cool...
61. como decimos.
as we say.
62. ¡Pues qué bien, qué bien! Está muy bien.
Well then very well, very well! It's very good
Arturo Vega - Entrevista - Part 1
Qué Onda: What's Up? Waves and good vibes.
Lesson 123. Expressions
Let's continue with Arturo Vega's tentative arrival in New York:
Y vine primeramente en el sesenta y nueve para ver qué onda, a ver qué tal estaba Nueva York
"And I first came in sixty-nine to see what was going on, to see how New York was."
"¿Qué onda?" It's a common question in Mexico and elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world. It's even a common greeting. If you took it literally, the question sounds like "What wave?" -since "qué" (with an accented é) means "what" and "onda" means "wave," technically speaking. While "de onda corta" is "shortwave," as in shortwave radio, note that "onda" can also mean "vibe" informally. And so "qué onda" can mean, basically, "what's up" or "what's going on," as our translators have it. ("What vibe" sounds silly in English.)
Los Sesenta: The sixties and the grammar police
Lesson 122. Expressions
Chatting with Arturo Vega, the artistic director of the seminal New York rockers The Ramones, we learn he's from Chihuahua, Mexico (yes, the namesake of those tiny Taco Bell / Paris Hilton dogs). We also learn that he came to the U.S. in "los sesentas" ["the sixties"] -- as in, "los años sesenta." In fact, in just over six minutes of chatting in front of the camera, Vega mentions "los sesentas" four times (in captions 22, 23, 30 and 38, to be precise). But the grammar police say that Vega gets it wrong four times: In proper Spanish, the decades are supposed to be singular, so it's los sesenta (short for los años sesenta).
Well, let's give Vega the benefit of the doubt. You see, Anglicisms in Spanish are increasingly popular. By "Anglicism" here we are referring to the application of a rule of English grammar to Spanish. Besides making decades plural, as an Anglicism, you may hear some family names pluralized in Spanish as the are in English. For example: Los Ramones (as uttered by our interviewer in caption 28) is technically the incorrect way to refer to the members of the fictional Ramone family. (Granted, "los Ramone" does not echo the name of the legendary band....) Note: the band members each took the last name "Ramone" as stage names, but these neighborhood pals from Queens were not, in fact, related, nor born with this surname.
Tip: If you want to hear a more traditional translation of a famous U.S. family into Spanish, tune into Los Simpson. (Yup: it's singular: "Simpson.")
1.Arturo Vega está aquí con nosotros...
Arturo Vega is here with us...
2.y este... tengo el placer de pues... a conocerlo más porque... realmente...
and well... I have the pleasure of well... knowing him more because... really
3.No sabía de usted y ahora sí que... vamos a ver qué más vamos a aprender hoy día, ¿no?
I didn't know about you [before] and now... let's see what else we're going to learn today, no?
4.Entonces este... primero que nada queremos saber,
Well then... before we do anything we want to know,
5.para que la audiencia sepa de dónde, de dónde eres...
so the audience might know where, where you're from...
6.Soy de Chihuahua. Chihuahua, México.
I'm from Chihuahua. Chihuahua, Mexico.
7.Nací el trece de Octubre del cuarenta y siete,
I was born on October thirteenth of forty-seven,
8.el día de San Eduardo.
Saint Edward's day.
9.Siempre le pregunté a mi mamá porqué me habían puesto los nombres que me pusieron: Eduardo Arturo
I always asked my mother why they gave me the names they did: Eduardo Arturo
10.Y... según mi mamá decía "no sé, na más porque me gustaron"
And... according to what my mom said "I don't know, just because I liked them"
13.Y este... bueno y... cómo llegastes a...
And well... well and... how is it that you arrived...
14.Bueno, sabemos que eres de México entonces y...
Well, we know you're from Mexico then and...
15.llegastes a Estados Unidos hace... ¿cuántos años atrás llegastes?
you came to the United States in... you arrived how long ago?
16.Llegué... para vivir permanentemente... me vine a Nueva York el veinticuatro de diciembre del setenta y uno.
I came... to live permanently... I came to New York December twenty-fourth of seventy-one.
17.No sé, van a ser... treinta años.
I don't know, it's going to be... thirty years.
18.No... treinta y dos, treinta y tres. -Como treinta y dos. -Treinta y dos.
No... thirty-two, thirty-three. -Like thirty-two. -Thirty-two.
19.Y... pero ya había viajado anteriormente. Venía de vacaciones o nada más.
And... but I'd already traveled before. I used to come on vacations... nothing more.
21.desde que estaba más chico.
since I was a little kid.
22.En los sesentas empecé a viajar
In the sixties I started to travel
23.y por supuesto en los sesentas era más atractivo ir a lugares como San Francisco, California
and of course in the sixties it was more attractive to go to places like San Francisco, California
24.a... a experimentar lo que era el movimiento hippie... todo eso.
to... to experience what was the hippie movement.. all that.
25.Ya.
Right.
26.Entonces viajé a California primeramente.
Then first I traveled to California.
27.Muy bien. Y este... entonces llegastes a Nueva York después y... aquí fue donde...
Very good. And well... then after you came to New York and... it was here where...
28.conocistes a los Ramones o ¿cómo fue que...?
you came to know the Ramones or how was it?
29.Vine a Nueva York primero para ver tentativamente a ver si me gustaba
I came to New York first to see tentatively if I liked it
30.como para finales de los sesentas, como para el sesenta y nueve yo sabía
like at the end of the sixties, about sixty-nine I knew
31.yo ya estaba muy a disgusto en México.
I was already unhappy in Mexico.
32.Estaba yo haciendo teatro
I was doing theater
33.y estaba participando con grupos experimentales de teatro que organizábamos.
I was participating in experimental theater groups which we organized.
34.Organizábamos espectáculos más o menos de una manera muy espontánea...
We organized shows more or less in a very spontaneous way...
35.tal vez como lo que se llamaba en esa época, "happenings."
maybe just like they used to call it in those days, "happenings."
36.Pero siempre teníamos problemas con la policía.
But we always had trouble with the police.
37.En México todavía no se podían hacer cosas muy libremente en...
In Mexico you still couldn't do things very freely in...
38.en los sesentas y simple y sencillamente por tener el pelo largo
in the sixties simply and plainly because you had long hair
39.y si les caías mal al policía te... te podian levantar. La patrulla te levantaba y te cortaban el pelo sin...
and if you were disliked by the police he... he could pick you up. The patrol picked you and cut your hair without...
40.sin ninguna razón verdadera. Entonces yo ya estaba muy a disgusto.
without a good reason. Therefore I was already very annoyed.
41.Y también de no poder encontrar los medios para...
I also couldn't find the means to...
42.para hacer las cosas que queríamos hacer.
to do the things we wanted to do.
43.Nadie apoyaba el movimiento. No teníamos oportunidad de acceso a teatros o espacios
No one was supporting the movement. We didn't have the opportunity to access theaters or spaces
44.ni siquiera a teatros verdad, porque nos conformábamos con hacerlo en cualquier
not even theaters right, because we were content with doing it at any
45.espacio donde pudiéramos poner, digamos más o menos un escenario o algo así.
place where we could put, let's say more or less a stage or something like that.
46.Pero no había oportunidades y la gente no te tomaba en serio o...
But there were no opportunities and the people did not take us seriously or...
47.o era cuestión de burla o cosas por el estilo. Entonces yo...
or it was a matter of ridicule or something like that. Then I...
48.estaba estudiando actuación. No sabía yo todavía si iba...
I was studying acting. I didn't know yet if I was going to...
49.me iba a ir por el lado de la actuación, el teatro o el cine.
I was going to do acting, theater or movies.
50.o estoy para dirigir cine tal vez.
or maybe, most likely to direct a movie.
51.Entonces yo estaba pensando Paris o Nueva York.
Back then I was thinking Paris or New York.
52.Y vine primeramente en el sesenta y nueve para ver qué onda, a ver qué tal estaba Nueva York.
And I first came in sixty-nine to see what was going on, to see how New York was.
53.Y pues, realmente me gustó mucho luego, luego.
And well, I really later, later liked it very much.
54.Ya para el setenta y uno cuando estaba yo completamente listo y dispuesto
In seventy-one when I was already totally ready and willing
55.a salirme de México...
to get out of Mexico...
56.dije pues, Nueva York va a ser... donde me voy a clavar.
I said then, it's going to be New York... where I'm going to stay put.
57.En el sesenta y ocho estuvistes entonces por ahí en... en... en México en el D.F., en la capital
In sixty-eight you were there in... in... in Mexico at D.F., in the capital
58.o supiste... llegaste a oir en la capital... -En el sesenta y ocho. -Algo del, de las este... las matanzas...
or you knew... heard at the capital... -In sixty-eight. -Something about, about well... the killings...
59.Precisamente es lo que iba a mencionar. Me acuerdo muy bien del sesenta y ocho porque...
Precisely that's what I was going to mention. I remember sixty-eight pretty well because...
60.por lo de Tlatelolco, verdad...
because of Tlatelolco, right...
61.La matanza de Tlatelolco y estaba yo en...
The killings of Tlatelolco and I was in...
62.en este... San Francisco. Estaba. Me acuerdo que lo vimos por televisión.
San Francisco... I was [there]. I remember we saw it on television.
63.Me acuerdo que no lo podíamos creer.
I remember we couldn't believe it.
64.Entonces si lo pasaban. -A pesar de ya estar familiarizado con la represión
Then they did show it. -Despite being familiarized already with the repression
65.a la que el gobierno podía llegar, de lo que eran capaces.
that the government was able to carry out, what they were capable of.
66.De lo que... sabíamos, verdad porque pues, en México todo el mundo sabemos, ¿verdad?
Of what we... knew, true because well, in Mexico everyone knows, right?
67.las cosas que hacía el gobierno y... y la policía.
the things that the government did and... and the police.
68.Me parecía tan increíble. No lo podía yo creer y...
It seemed to me so incredible. I couldn't believe it and...
69.realmente también eso... yo dije: "si el movimiento estudiantil...
really that also... I said: "if the student movement...
70.tiene éxito... si realmente se vuelve una semilla para cambio...
is a success... if it really becomes a seed for change...
71.en la sociedad... si la sociedad realmente... le da importancia y se prende y las cosas cambian
in society... if society really... gives it importance and it ignites and things change
72.esto va a ser muy positivo, pero si no, va a estar más represivo que nunca."
this is going to be very positive, but if not, it's going to be more repressed than ever."
73.Y luego con lo de la matanza pues te diste cuenta como iba a... como estaba reaccionando el gobierno,
And then with the killings you became aware of how it was going to... how the government was reacting,
74.y dije, "No pues, se va a poner peor."
and I said, "No, it's going to get worse."
75.Y realmente, pues era para dar mucho coraje...
And really, well it was making me more angry...
76.mucha frustración y miedo también. Entonces eso también me impulsó un poco más a...
lots of frustration and fear also. Thus that also pushed me a little more to...
77.a decidirme a salirme de México.
to decide to get out of Mexico.
Lesson 123. Expressions
Let's continue with Arturo Vega's tentative arrival in New York:
Y vine primeramente en el sesenta y nueve para ver qué onda, a ver qué tal estaba Nueva York
"And I first came in sixty-nine to see what was going on, to see how New York was."
"¿Qué onda?" It's a common question in Mexico and elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world. It's even a common greeting. If you took it literally, the question sounds like "What wave?" -since "qué" (with an accented é) means "what" and "onda" means "wave," technically speaking. While "de onda corta" is "shortwave," as in shortwave radio, note that "onda" can also mean "vibe" informally. And so "qué onda" can mean, basically, "what's up" or "what's going on," as our translators have it. ("What vibe" sounds silly in English.)
Los Sesenta: The sixties and the grammar police
Lesson 122. Expressions
Chatting with Arturo Vega, the artistic director of the seminal New York rockers The Ramones, we learn he's from Chihuahua, Mexico (yes, the namesake of those tiny Taco Bell / Paris Hilton dogs). We also learn that he came to the U.S. in "los sesentas" ["the sixties"] -- as in, "los años sesenta." In fact, in just over six minutes of chatting in front of the camera, Vega mentions "los sesentas" four times (in captions 22, 23, 30 and 38, to be precise). But the grammar police say that Vega gets it wrong four times: In proper Spanish, the decades are supposed to be singular, so it's los sesenta (short for los años sesenta).
Well, let's give Vega the benefit of the doubt. You see, Anglicisms in Spanish are increasingly popular. By "Anglicism" here we are referring to the application of a rule of English grammar to Spanish. Besides making decades plural, as an Anglicism, you may hear some family names pluralized in Spanish as the are in English. For example: Los Ramones (as uttered by our interviewer in caption 28) is technically the incorrect way to refer to the members of the fictional Ramone family. (Granted, "los Ramone" does not echo the name of the legendary band....) Note: the band members each took the last name "Ramone" as stage names, but these neighborhood pals from Queens were not, in fact, related, nor born with this surname.
Tip: If you want to hear a more traditional translation of a famous U.S. family into Spanish, tune into Los Simpson. (Yup: it's singular: "Simpson.")
1.Arturo Vega está aquí con nosotros...
Arturo Vega is here with us...
2.y este... tengo el placer de pues... a conocerlo más porque... realmente...
and well... I have the pleasure of well... knowing him more because... really
3.No sabía de usted y ahora sí que... vamos a ver qué más vamos a aprender hoy día, ¿no?
I didn't know about you [before] and now... let's see what else we're going to learn today, no?
4.Entonces este... primero que nada queremos saber,
Well then... before we do anything we want to know,
5.para que la audiencia sepa de dónde, de dónde eres...
so the audience might know where, where you're from...
6.Soy de Chihuahua. Chihuahua, México.
I'm from Chihuahua. Chihuahua, Mexico.
7.Nací el trece de Octubre del cuarenta y siete,
I was born on October thirteenth of forty-seven,
8.el día de San Eduardo.
Saint Edward's day.
9.Siempre le pregunté a mi mamá porqué me habían puesto los nombres que me pusieron: Eduardo Arturo
I always asked my mother why they gave me the names they did: Eduardo Arturo
10.Y... según mi mamá decía "no sé, na más porque me gustaron"
And... according to what my mom said "I don't know, just because I liked them"
13.Y este... bueno y... cómo llegastes a...
And well... well and... how is it that you arrived...
14.Bueno, sabemos que eres de México entonces y...
Well, we know you're from Mexico then and...
15.llegastes a Estados Unidos hace... ¿cuántos años atrás llegastes?
you came to the United States in... you arrived how long ago?
16.Llegué... para vivir permanentemente... me vine a Nueva York el veinticuatro de diciembre del setenta y uno.
I came... to live permanently... I came to New York December twenty-fourth of seventy-one.
17.No sé, van a ser... treinta años.
I don't know, it's going to be... thirty years.
18.No... treinta y dos, treinta y tres. -Como treinta y dos. -Treinta y dos.
No... thirty-two, thirty-three. -Like thirty-two. -Thirty-two.
19.Y... pero ya había viajado anteriormente. Venía de vacaciones o nada más.
And... but I'd already traveled before. I used to come on vacations... nothing more.
21.desde que estaba más chico.
since I was a little kid.
22.En los sesentas empecé a viajar
In the sixties I started to travel
23.y por supuesto en los sesentas era más atractivo ir a lugares como San Francisco, California
and of course in the sixties it was more attractive to go to places like San Francisco, California
24.a... a experimentar lo que era el movimiento hippie... todo eso.
to... to experience what was the hippie movement.. all that.
25.Ya.
Right.
26.Entonces viajé a California primeramente.
Then first I traveled to California.
27.Muy bien. Y este... entonces llegastes a Nueva York después y... aquí fue donde...
Very good. And well... then after you came to New York and... it was here where...
28.conocistes a los Ramones o ¿cómo fue que...?
you came to know the Ramones or how was it?
29.Vine a Nueva York primero para ver tentativamente a ver si me gustaba
I came to New York first to see tentatively if I liked it
30.como para finales de los sesentas, como para el sesenta y nueve yo sabía
like at the end of the sixties, about sixty-nine I knew
31.yo ya estaba muy a disgusto en México.
I was already unhappy in Mexico.
32.Estaba yo haciendo teatro
I was doing theater
33.y estaba participando con grupos experimentales de teatro que organizábamos.
I was participating in experimental theater groups which we organized.
34.Organizábamos espectáculos más o menos de una manera muy espontánea...
We organized shows more or less in a very spontaneous way...
35.tal vez como lo que se llamaba en esa época, "happenings."
maybe just like they used to call it in those days, "happenings."
36.Pero siempre teníamos problemas con la policía.
But we always had trouble with the police.
37.En México todavía no se podían hacer cosas muy libremente en...
In Mexico you still couldn't do things very freely in...
38.en los sesentas y simple y sencillamente por tener el pelo largo
in the sixties simply and plainly because you had long hair
39.y si les caías mal al policía te... te podian levantar. La patrulla te levantaba y te cortaban el pelo sin...
and if you were disliked by the police he... he could pick you up. The patrol picked you and cut your hair without...
40.sin ninguna razón verdadera. Entonces yo ya estaba muy a disgusto.
without a good reason. Therefore I was already very annoyed.
41.Y también de no poder encontrar los medios para...
I also couldn't find the means to...
42.para hacer las cosas que queríamos hacer.
to do the things we wanted to do.
43.Nadie apoyaba el movimiento. No teníamos oportunidad de acceso a teatros o espacios
No one was supporting the movement. We didn't have the opportunity to access theaters or spaces
44.ni siquiera a teatros verdad, porque nos conformábamos con hacerlo en cualquier
not even theaters right, because we were content with doing it at any
45.espacio donde pudiéramos poner, digamos más o menos un escenario o algo así.
place where we could put, let's say more or less a stage or something like that.
46.Pero no había oportunidades y la gente no te tomaba en serio o...
But there were no opportunities and the people did not take us seriously or...
47.o era cuestión de burla o cosas por el estilo. Entonces yo...
or it was a matter of ridicule or something like that. Then I...
48.estaba estudiando actuación. No sabía yo todavía si iba...
I was studying acting. I didn't know yet if I was going to...
49.me iba a ir por el lado de la actuación, el teatro o el cine.
I was going to do acting, theater or movies.
50.o estoy para dirigir cine tal vez.
or maybe, most likely to direct a movie.
51.Entonces yo estaba pensando Paris o Nueva York.
Back then I was thinking Paris or New York.
52.Y vine primeramente en el sesenta y nueve para ver qué onda, a ver qué tal estaba Nueva York.
And I first came in sixty-nine to see what was going on, to see how New York was.
53.Y pues, realmente me gustó mucho luego, luego.
And well, I really later, later liked it very much.
54.Ya para el setenta y uno cuando estaba yo completamente listo y dispuesto
In seventy-one when I was already totally ready and willing
55.a salirme de México...
to get out of Mexico...
56.dije pues, Nueva York va a ser... donde me voy a clavar.
I said then, it's going to be New York... where I'm going to stay put.
57.En el sesenta y ocho estuvistes entonces por ahí en... en... en México en el D.F., en la capital
In sixty-eight you were there in... in... in Mexico at D.F., in the capital
58.o supiste... llegaste a oir en la capital... -En el sesenta y ocho. -Algo del, de las este... las matanzas...
or you knew... heard at the capital... -In sixty-eight. -Something about, about well... the killings...
59.Precisamente es lo que iba a mencionar. Me acuerdo muy bien del sesenta y ocho porque...
Precisely that's what I was going to mention. I remember sixty-eight pretty well because...
60.por lo de Tlatelolco, verdad...
because of Tlatelolco, right...
61.La matanza de Tlatelolco y estaba yo en...
The killings of Tlatelolco and I was in...
62.en este... San Francisco. Estaba. Me acuerdo que lo vimos por televisión.
San Francisco... I was [there]. I remember we saw it on television.
63.Me acuerdo que no lo podíamos creer.
I remember we couldn't believe it.
64.Entonces si lo pasaban. -A pesar de ya estar familiarizado con la represión
Then they did show it. -Despite being familiarized already with the repression
65.a la que el gobierno podía llegar, de lo que eran capaces.
that the government was able to carry out, what they were capable of.
66.De lo que... sabíamos, verdad porque pues, en México todo el mundo sabemos, ¿verdad?
Of what we... knew, true because well, in Mexico everyone knows, right?
67.las cosas que hacía el gobierno y... y la policía.
the things that the government did and... and the police.
68.Me parecía tan increíble. No lo podía yo creer y...
It seemed to me so incredible. I couldn't believe it and...
69.realmente también eso... yo dije: "si el movimiento estudiantil...
really that also... I said: "if the student movement...
70.tiene éxito... si realmente se vuelve una semilla para cambio...
is a success... if it really becomes a seed for change...
71.en la sociedad... si la sociedad realmente... le da importancia y se prende y las cosas cambian
in society... if society really... gives it importance and it ignites and things change
72.esto va a ser muy positivo, pero si no, va a estar más represivo que nunca."
this is going to be very positive, but if not, it's going to be more repressed than ever."
73.Y luego con lo de la matanza pues te diste cuenta como iba a... como estaba reaccionando el gobierno,
And then with the killings you became aware of how it was going to... how the government was reacting,
74.y dije, "No pues, se va a poner peor."
and I said, "No, it's going to get worse."
75.Y realmente, pues era para dar mucho coraje...
And really, well it was making me more angry...
76.mucha frustración y miedo también. Entonces eso también me impulsó un poco más a...
lots of frustration and fear also. Thus that also pushed me a little more to...
77.a decidirme a salirme de México.
to decide to get out of Mexico.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sacarse: To get a grade and other uses
You'll note that sacarse una nota is a common expression meaning "getting a grade" in school. Hence in part 3 of Disputas, La Extraña Dama, we hear Gloria's son proclaim yo me saqué un nueve, "I got a nine." A few other interesting uses of sacarse are:
Sacarse un premio.
"To win a prize."
Sacarse un peso de encima.
"To get rid of a burden."
Sacarse la garra.
"To taunt/insult, To "rag on" someone." [Mexico]
Sacarse la careta.
Literally: "To rid yourself of the mask; to stop pretending, to be yourself."
sobresaliente excellent
sobresaliente adj.
excellent; projecting; overhanging
salient, prominent, conspicuous, outstanding
sobresaliente (m) n.
substitute, distinction
Sacarse un premio.
"To win a prize."
Sacarse un peso de encima.
"To get rid of a burden."
Sacarse la garra.
"To taunt/insult, To "rag on" someone." [Mexico]
Sacarse la careta.
Literally: "To rid yourself of the mask; to stop pretending, to be yourself."
sobresaliente excellent
sobresaliente adj.
excellent; projecting; overhanging
salient, prominent, conspicuous, outstanding
sobresaliente (m) n.
substitute, distinction
Al + Infinitive
Al + Infinitive
Lesson 3. Grammar
La Gusana Ciega - Giroscopio
Length: 4:35
Difficulty:
Caption:25
nos confundimos al hablar sin escuchar
[Caption 25, La Gusana Ciega > Giroscopio]
In Giroscopio, La Gusana Ciega frontman Daniel Gutiérrez sings nos confundimos al hablar sin escuchar, which we have translated as "we confuse ourselves by speaking without listening." This brings our attention to the use of al + infinitive. Here al is not the contraction of a + el but rather an indicator of action in progress. The English equivalent is often created by using the preposition "by", "when", or "upon" + the "ing" form of the verb.
Al + infinitive can alternately be translated to English using "when + simple present". For example, in this case, we could have just as well translated al hablar as "when we speak," which would give us: "we confuse ourselves when we speak without listening."
Some other examples of (al+infinitive):
Nos equivocamos al actuar sin pensar.
"We make mistakes by acting without thinking."
Nos ensuciamos al jugar.
"We get dirty when we play."
Te lastimas al correr sin estirarte.
"You hurt yourself by running without stretching."
Se lastiman al pelear.
"They hurt themselves when they fight."
Me mojo al lavar.
"I get wet when I wash."
Se lastiman al jugar sin zapatos.
"They hurt themselves by playing without shoes."
Most native English speakers would find the phrase simpler to follow if Daniel had avoided the al + infinitive construction and instead sung Nos confundimos cuando hablamos sin escuchar or Nos confundimos hablando sin eschuchar, both more parallel to typical English construction. Each of these possibilities is grammatically correct, but they convey a slightly different meaning than that which is attained by the lyric's use of al hablar. Both hablando (speaking) and cuando hablamos (when we speak), would convey the sense that He is referring to some specific instance or instances of "talking without listening," whereas the use of al hablar makes the overall statement sound more like a truism, a principle of life, the type of thing you might read at the end of a fable or as the moral of the story.
Lesson 3. Grammar
La Gusana Ciega - Giroscopio
Length: 4:35
Difficulty:
Caption:25
nos confundimos al hablar sin escuchar
[Caption 25, La Gusana Ciega > Giroscopio]
In Giroscopio, La Gusana Ciega frontman Daniel Gutiérrez sings nos confundimos al hablar sin escuchar, which we have translated as "we confuse ourselves by speaking without listening." This brings our attention to the use of al + infinitive. Here al is not the contraction of a + el but rather an indicator of action in progress. The English equivalent is often created by using the preposition "by", "when", or "upon" + the "ing" form of the verb.
Al + infinitive can alternately be translated to English using "when + simple present". For example, in this case, we could have just as well translated al hablar as "when we speak," which would give us: "we confuse ourselves when we speak without listening."
Some other examples of (al+infinitive):
Nos equivocamos al actuar sin pensar.
"We make mistakes by acting without thinking."
Nos ensuciamos al jugar.
"We get dirty when we play."
Te lastimas al correr sin estirarte.
"You hurt yourself by running without stretching."
Se lastiman al pelear.
"They hurt themselves when they fight."
Me mojo al lavar.
"I get wet when I wash."
Se lastiman al jugar sin zapatos.
"They hurt themselves by playing without shoes."
Most native English speakers would find the phrase simpler to follow if Daniel had avoided the al + infinitive construction and instead sung Nos confundimos cuando hablamos sin escuchar or Nos confundimos hablando sin eschuchar, both more parallel to typical English construction. Each of these possibilities is grammatically correct, but they convey a slightly different meaning than that which is attained by the lyric's use of al hablar. Both hablando (speaking) and cuando hablamos (when we speak), would convey the sense that He is referring to some specific instance or instances of "talking without listening," whereas the use of al hablar makes the overall statement sound more like a truism, a principle of life, the type of thing you might read at the end of a fable or as the moral of the story.
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