Day 43 of 135

Day 43: Is Teddy Still the Same Teddy?

At bedtime in Tepic, Lucía (A), aged nine, asks her mother Elisa (B), who teaches philosophy at a preparatoria (high school), about her much-mended teddy bear, Mazapán.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a Spanish word to see what it means.
  3. Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Spanish, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.

Dialogue

Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.

Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning

  1. A

    Mamá, ¿Mazapán sigue siendo Mazapán? Ya le cambiaron los ojos, el relleno y la oreja que se comió el perro.

    Mom, is Mazapán still Mazapán? They've already changed his eyes, his stuffing and the ear the dog ate.

  2. B

    Uf, eso ya se lo preguntaban los griegos hace más de dos mil años. ¿Quieres el cuento del barco de Teseo?

    Oof, the Greeks were already asking that more than two thousand years ago. Do you want the story of Theseus's ship?

  3. A

    Sí, pero cortito, porque mañana tengo examen de mate y ya son las nueve.

    Yes, but a short one, because I've got a math test tomorrow and it's already nine o'clock.

  4. B

    Los atenienses guardaron durante siglos el barco de su héroe Teseo. Cada vez que una tabla se pudría, la cambiaban por una nueva.

    The Athenians kept their hero Theseus's ship for centuries. Every time a plank rotted, they replaced it with a new one.

  5. A

    ÂżY cuando ya no le quedĂł ni una sola pieza original? ÂżSeguĂ­a siendo el de Teseo?

    And when there wasn't a single original piece left? Was it still Theseus's?

  6. B

    Es ahí donde empieza el pleito: unos decían que era el mismo barco; otros, que era una copia. Y los filósofos seguimos discutiéndolo.

    That's where the argument begins: some said it was the same ship; others, that it was a copy. And we philosophers are still arguing about it.

  7. A

    Pues Mazapán sí es el mismo, porque fue la abuela quien le cosió cada parche, y la abuela no cose osos ajenos.

    Well, Mazapán is the same one, because it was Grandma who sewed on every patch, and Grandma doesn't sew other people's bears.

  8. B

    Bien argumentado. ÂżY si una costurera del mercado le cambiara todas las piezas, serĂ­a otro oso?

    Well argued. And if a seamstress at the market replaced all his pieces, would he be a different bear?

  9. A

    Ya tengo mi regla: es Mazapán siempre y cuando se llame Mazapán, duerma conmigo y huela a mi almohada.

    I've got my rule: he's Mazapán as long as he's called Mazapán, sleeps with me and smells of my pillow.

  10. B

    ¡Qué teoría tan seria! Mañana se la cito a mis alumnos de prepa, siempre que la autora me dé permiso.

    What a serious theory! Tomorrow I'll quote it to my high school students, provided the author gives me permission.

  11. A

    Te doy permiso con tal de que digas que es la regla de Lucía. Y que Mazapán es coautor.

    You have my permission, as long as you say it's Lucía's rule. And that Mazapán is co-author.

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