Day 84: Was the Pirate Legend Invented?

Dialogue

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1. 1
   A

   Esa cara la conozco, Joana: la ponías de niña cuando encontrabas un cangrejo en el malecón. ¿Qué trajiste?

   I know that face, Joana: you used to make it as a little girl when you found a crab on the waterfront. What have you brought?

   Line 1
2. 2
   B

   Una crónica de 1871 del archivo municipal, la fuente más antigua de la leyenda de Lorencillo y la custodia. No le entiendo a la mitad.

   A chronicle from 1871 from the city archive, the oldest source for the legend of Lorencillo and the monstrance. I can't understand half of it.

   Line 2
3. 3
   A

   Dámela. “Díjole el pirata a la doncella que guardase la custodia, pues no había venido a robarle a Dios”. Le dijo que se la quedara: la leyenda de siempre.

   Give it here. “Quoth the pirate to the maiden that she should keep the monstrance, for he had not come to rob God.” He told her to keep it: the same old legend.

   Line 3
4. 4
   B

   Esa frase la repiten todos los guías. Lo raro está aquí abajo, en el párrafo del “empero”.

   Every tour guide repeats that line. The odd part is down here, in the paragraph with the “howbeit.”

   Line 4
5. 5
   A

   “Nadie, empero, presenció aquella plática, pues hallábanse todos encerrados en la iglesia”. Empero es “sin embargo”, mija.

   “None, howbeit, witnessed that converse, for all were shut up within the church.” Empero means “however,” sweetheart.

   Line 5
6. 6
   B

   Espérame tantito. Si no había nadie, ¿quién oyó al pirata? ¿El cronista se sacó el diálogo de la manga?

   Hang on a second. If nobody was there, who heard the pirate? Did the chronicler pull the dialogue out of thin air?

   Line 6
7. 7
   A

   Lo del encierro sí consta en los documentos de 1683; es la plática con la doncella la que no aparece en ninguno que yo conozca.

   The part about everyone being locked in is on record in the documents from 1683; it's the conversation with the maiden that isn't in any I know of.

   Line 7
8. 8
   B

   O sea que la frase famosa la inventó un señor en 1871. Mi editora me va a adorar y medio Veracruz, a odiar.

   So the famous line was made up by some man in 1871. My editor will adore me and half of Veracruz will hate me.

   Line 8
9. 9
   A

   Otrora nadie les pedía fuentes a los cronistas: si una historia sonaba bonita, “hízose verdad”, como diría este señor.

   In days of yore nobody asked chroniclers for sources: if a story sounded nice, “true it became,” as this gentleman would say.

   Line 9
10. 10
    B

    Ya tengo título: “La frase que nadie oyó”. Nomás me falta la declaración de un historiador serio.

    I've got my headline: “The Line Nobody Heard.” All I need now is a quote from a serious historian.

    Line 10
11. 11
    A

    Con gusto, pero antes revisamos los libros de la parroquia de ese año. Una sola crónica no basta.

    Gladly, but first we go through the parish registers for that year. One chronicle on its own isn't enough.

    Line 11
12. 12
    B

    Va. Pero a la abuela se lo dices tú: jura que la doncella era de la familia.

    OK. But you're the one telling Grandma: she swears the maiden was one of the family.

    Line 12