Day 113: A Fashion Brand Copies the Huipil
In Juchitán, Oaxaca, Ramsés (A) shows his older brother Noel (B), a law student, something he has found online; the huipil is the embroidered blouse of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and a vela is one of the town's big traditional fiestas.
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
Mira, Noel: una marca extranjera vende blusas con el bordado de mamá y las tías.
Look, Noel: a foreign brand is selling blouses with Mom and our aunts' embroidery.
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B
A ver, sí, son flores del Istmo. ¿Y no dice de dónde viene el diseño?
Let's see, yes, they're flowers from the Isthmus. And doesn't it say where the design comes from?
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A
Nada más esto: “Si esta colección despertase interés por Oaxaca, nos sentiríamos honrados”. Es un robo descarado.
Only this: “If this collection were to awaken an interest in Oaxaca, we would feel honored.” It's shameless theft.
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B
Yo no hablaría de robo tan rápido: si la marca les pagara bien a las bordadoras, hasta les convendría.
I wouldn't talk of theft so fast: if the brand paid the embroiderers properly, it might even be good for them.
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A
¿Convenirles? Mamá se tarda un mes en cada huipil, y ellos lo copian a máquina.
Good for them? It takes Mom a month to make each huipil, and they copy it by machine.
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B
Por eso dije “si”: si les encargaran el bordado y cada blusa llevara su nombre, sería una colaboración.
That's why I said “if”: if they commissioned the embroidery from them and every blouse carried their name, it would be a collaboration.
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A
¿El nombre de quién? Ese diseño es de toda la comunidad, y la ley ya exige su consentimiento.
Whose name? That design belongs to the whole community, and the law already requires its consent.
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B
Tienes razón. Pero hazle zoom: esa flor del tallo doblado es la firma de la tía Tomasa.
You're right. But zoom in: that flower with the bent stem is Aunt Tomasa's signature.
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A
Seguro le tomaron fotos en la vela de mayo. Ahora sí, abogado: escríbeles, y sin tantos “si”.
Someone must have photographed her at the vela in May. OK, Mr. Lawyer: write to them, and go easy on the “ifs.”
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