Day 129: Cochineal Red in Teotitlán
At a rug workshop in Teotitlán del Valle, a Zapotec weaving village near Oaxaca City, Juan José (A), a young customer, asks Magdalena (B), a weaver's wife who sells the family's rugs, about the price of a red rug.
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
-
A
Disculpe, señora, ¿por qué este tapete rojo cuesta el triple que uno casi igual que compré ayer en el mercado?
Excuse me, ma'am, why does this red rug cost three times as much as an almost identical one I bought at the market yesterday?
-
B
Porque casi igual no es igual, joven: este rojo es de cochinilla, un insecto del nopal, y el suyo, de anilina.
Because almost identical isn't identical, young man: this red comes from cochineal, an insect that lives on the prickly pear, and yours from aniline dye.
-
A
¿Un insecto? ¿Y cuántos hacen falta para teñir la lana de un tapete de este tamaño?
An insect? And how many does it take to dye the wool for a rug this size?
-
B
Miles y miles de cochinillas, secadas al sol y molidas a mano. Y cuanto más cochinilla lleva el tinte, más intenso sale el rojo.
Thousands upon thousands of cochineal bugs, dried in the sun and ground by hand. And the more cochineal goes into the dye, the deeper the red comes out.
-
A
Perdone, pero a simple vista no noto la diferencia. ¿Cómo sé que no me vende lo mismo más caro?
Forgive me, but I can't see the difference with the naked eye. How do I know you're not selling me the same thing at a higher price?
-
B
Deme la mano. Le aplasto una cochinilla en la palma, le echo unas gotitas de limón y mire: el carmín se vuelve naranja.
Give me your hand. I crush a cochineal bug on your palm, add a few drops of lime juice and look: the crimson turns orange.
-
A
¡Órale, parece clase de química! ¿Y el que compré ayer se va a desteñir, entonces?
Wow, it's like a chemistry class! So is the one I bought yesterday going to fade, then?
-
B
Seguro en un par de años el sol se lo deja rosita. Este lo tejió mi esposo en el telar y lo heredarán sus nietos.
In a couple of years the sun will most likely have turned yours pinkish. My husband wove this one on the loom, and your grandchildren will inherit it.
-
A
Si hubiera sabido esto ayer, no habría tirado mi dinero en el otro. ¿Tiene uno más chico con este rojo?
If I'd known this yesterday, I wouldn't have thrown my money away on the other one. Do you have a smaller one in this same red?
Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 130: Unwritten Rules of the Shoe Factory
If this free course has helped you in your Spanish journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.