Day 57: A Hundred-Year-Old Ex-Voto
At an antique store in Guanajuato, Jacobo (A), a young man, asks the owner, José Luis (B), about a small picture painted on tin.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- 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.
- 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
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A
Buenas tardes. ¿Qué me puede decir de esta pinturita en lámina?
Good afternoon. What can you tell me about this little painting on tin?
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B
Es un exvoto, joven. Por lo oxidado de la lámina, tendrá unos cien años.
It's an ex-voto. Judging by how rusty the tin is, it must be about a hundred years old.
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A
¿Y de quién será? No trae firma por ningún lado.
And who could it be by? There's no signature anywhere.
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B
Será de algún pintor de pueblo. Lo curioso es lo que dice abajo.
It must be by some village painter. The curious thing is what it says at the bottom.
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A
“Doy gracias al Señor de Villaseca porque apareció mi burro, 1926”. ¿Por un burro?
“I give thanks to the Lord of Villaseca because my donkey turned up, 1926.” For a donkey?
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B
En aquel tiempo, un burro valía oro. Y un milagro tan humilde no lo inventa nadie.
In those days, a donkey was worth its weight in gold. And nobody makes up a miracle as humble as that.
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A
Pues me convenció. ¿Cuánto pide por el milagro del burro?
Well, you've convinced me. How much are you asking for the donkey miracle?
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