419. TRANSLATION EXERCISE

Translating is a good way to remember the verb tenses, expressions and vocabulary.
First translate the sentences without looking at the solution, and later you can compare it with my translation.
If you have any questions, ask me

And remember...it´s also good to listen to the lyrics of songs. It´s fun.

See solution below

1. Era mas fácil de lo que pensaba
2. Ojala pudiera ir contigo
3. Comimos una tarta al final de la reunión
4. Al final no fuimos en avión
5. Que hubieras hecho tu? 
6. No le hubiera dicho nada
7. Que guitarra mas bonita! Cuanto tiempo la tienes?
8. Sabes tocar? Un poco
9. Me hubiera ido con ellos, pero tenia que cuidar a mi madre unos días
10. Que te has comprado? Solamente unas cuantas cosas
11. Lo le hagas caso. No sabe lo que dice
12. No hace tanto frío
13. Lo que te hace falta es tomarte unos días libres
14. Has estado trabajando demasiado
15. No te hubiera llamado, pero tenia que decirte algo
16. Me haces un café? 
17. Aun no se que comprarte. Ni yo
18. Ya se está haciendo de noche
19. Quieres salir esta noche?
20. Pues....si. Me apetece ir al cine y después tomar algo




Listen to this great song: It´s my life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SKFwtgUJHs

Solution

1. It was easier than I thought
2. I wish I could go with you
3. We ate a cake at the end of the meeting
4. In the end we didn´t go by plane
5. What would you have done?
6. I wouldn´t have told her anything
7. What a nice guitar! How long do you have it?
8. Can you play? A little
9. I would have gone with them, but I had to look after my mom for a few days
10. What did you buy? Just a few things
11. Don´t pay attention to him. He doesn´t know what he´s saying
12. It´s not so cold
13. What you need is to take some days off
14. You´ve been working too much
15. I wouldn´t have called you, but I had to tell you something
16. Will you make me a coffee?
17. I still don´t know what to buy you. Neither do I
18. It´s already getting dark
19. Do you want to go out tonight?
20. Well...yes. I feel like going to the movies (cinema) and later have a drink

418. LISTEN TO A STORY: THE STRANGER

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Iv-Ttr_Xm8

417. LISTENING PRACTICE TESTS B1, B2, C1, C2

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1mJ2I68ElA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mglu_eps2A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxPgGYtEqRk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5PBryUTi7o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVHf7GzcTo

Curious and useful Expressions

Why on earth?  = A santo de que
Start from scratch  = Empezar desde zero
What´s bugging you?  = Que mosca te ha picado?
Don´t let me down  = No me falles
Are you out of your mind!  = Te falta un verano!
Go fly a kite  = Vete a freir asparagos

416. LISTENING PRACTICE

It´s so important to read, listen and speak in English to get the feeling of the English language.
It´s fun to learn expressions because people use them all the time.


Listening 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmOgNJGWYTo

Listening 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW7IssCKgmI

Listening 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9pFeMKZR1I

Listening 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=235MNImhIko

415. Curious News about Chocolate

I wonder who doesn´t like to eat chocolate. I love all kinds of chocolate, but dark chocolate is my favorite. People say that dark chocolate can make you feel happy.
Well, it makes me feel so good....especially when I eat very dark chocolate.

I also love drinking hot chocolate every now and then in the morning

So, do you think that chocolate is good for your health?
Well, I don´t think it´s bad if you eat a few pieces, and not the whole package.
And, it´s also a good idea to brush your teeth after eating chocolate in order not to have any cavities and have to make an appointment to see the dentist.

Anyway, the rest of this article was written by the author below the text

A number of studies show the benefits of dark chocolate.

Daily consumption of dark chocolate can reduce LDL ("bad cholesterol") levels. Chocolate can help reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 30 percent, and the risk of dying from a stroke by nearly 50 percent. Studies even show that eating chocolate at least once per week can improve cognitive functioning.

Does that make dark chocolate sound like a superfood? 

Maybe so--especially when you factor in the effect eating dark chocolate can have on how happy you feel.

Recent research from University College London studied over 13,000 people and found that individuals who reported eating any dark chocolate in two 24-hour periods were 70 percent less likely to report clinically-relevant depressive symptoms than those who ate no chocolate at all.

Or in non-research-speak, eating dark chocolate can make you feel happier.

How? Dark chocolate contains psychoactive ingredients that produce feel-good results; one is phenylethylamine, a neuromodulator that helps regulate mood. Plus, dark chocolate contains a higher concentration of antioxidants that reduce inflammation, a condition linked to the onset of depression.

But before you reach for a candy bar, keep in mind there's a catch: All participants ate half an ounce of chocolate per day.

And there's another catch: If you're watching your weight, even a small amount of chocolate has a calorie impact.

A half-ounce of dark chocolate typically contains between 70 and 80 calories, depending on the percentage of cacao solids, the paste that results from fermenting, roasting, and crushing cocoa beans. The cacao then gets mixed with other ingredients like milk and sugar to produce a wide range of chocolates.

While "dark chocolate" can contain as little as 45 to 50 percent cacao solids, research shows the greatest benefits come from dark chocolates containing at least 60 percent cacao solids.

And there's one more catch, but this time a good one. Since some dark chocolates contain as much as 85 percent cacao solids, you might be tempted to think venturing way over into the dark side will make you even happier. 

Yet the evidence suggests mood improvements only occur if you enjoy the chocolate you eat, suggesting the experience of eating the chocolate is a factor as well.

Sure, the chemical ingredients can make an impact. But so can the taste.

All of which means the relationship between dark chocolate and mood may be more correlated than causal. As the researchers say:

This study provides some evidence that consumption of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, may be associated with reduced odds of clinically relevant depressive symptoms. 

However, further research is required to clarify the direction of causation--it could be the case that depression causes people to lose their interest in eating chocolate, or there could be other factors that make people both less likely to eat dark chocolate and to be depressed.

But then again, past studies found that consuming chocolate may help improve your mood and make you feel calmer and more content, partly because dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, the chemicals in the brain that create feelings of pleasure. And dark chocolate also contains serotonin, an antidepressant that can elevate mood.

The technical article was written by Jeff Haden, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWy1w7WXeq0

Vocabulary

Every now and then  = de vez en cuando
Whole = entero
In order no to  = para no
Cavities  = caries
Make an appointment
Stroke  = infarto
Al least  = por lo menos
Keep in mind  = tener en cuenta
Catch  = trampa
Mood = estado de ánimo

414. SPAIN UNITED

The problem with Spain today and for a very long time is that Spain has never really been United as a country and people don´t seem to feel very proud of their great country.
In my opinion, Spain is one of the greatest countries in the world, and its rich history proves it.

Spaniards speak the same language. Spanish people are friendly. It´s a beautiful country and it has the best food in the world...so where´s problem?

The most important reason is because the Spanish national anthem doesn´t have any words, only music.

How can Spaniards express their feelings and their sorrows? 
They need to sing their national anthem like other countries in the world?

How can they be proud, be patriotic and feel hope of their country if they can´t sing it?

THIS IS AND HAS BEEN THE PROBLEM IN SPAIN FOR A VERY LONG TIME 

The U.S.A. National Anthem has words and Americans love to sing it before a football, baseball game, a basketball game or any other important events.

IT UNITES PEOPLE and they feel patriotic and they love their country.

It gives the people everything they need to be happy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1wLtAXDgqg

On the other hand, Cataluña also has their own National anthem aside from the the Spanish national anthem......but the difference is that the Catalan anthem HAS WORDS.

People can sing it and it makes them more patriotic, and it unites people.

This is one important reason why there has always been a barrier between Cataluña and the rest of Spain. 
People love to sing because it makes them feel better. It´s more natural to sing than talk so much.

Therefore, this makes the Catalan people feel prouder and more patriotic....which is very important.

Perhaps, this can be a very important reason why there has always been conflicts in Spain. A lot of Spaniards perhaps don´t feel so united and proud of their country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viU-i8q3Kkk

Valencia also has their own National Anthem. People also feel very proud of being Valencian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeGO2MTjZ28

So, what´s the solution to make a Spain United?

It´s obvious, put words to the Spanish National Anthem so people can sing and feel good, happy and proud of being Spanish...and it doesn´t matter what part of Spain people are from.

The beautiful country of Galicia also has their anthem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmXAB9rvFWE

And let´s not forget the Anthem of Andalucia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KUzxEy668

And of course, The Euskadi anthem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUXbEwGXDlU

The people of Spain must unite, feel proud and patriotic and be happy again.

People are not born to suffer, people are born to live a happy and rewarding life in this beautiful and prosperous country called España. 

Spain can be powerful again and make important changes in the lives of people and their way of life. 

Spain needs to hear all the silent Spanish voices sing again. 

Here´s a possible Spanish National Anthem with words:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkWC-KavCWU

Or there is this Spanish National Anthem

Perhaps there are people who don´t like it, but it has words which make sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlHKP5Iob_I

413. TRANSLATION EXERCISE

He vuelto. He estado haciendo muchas cosas y no tenia tiempo para sentarme y hacer un ejercicio para aquellos que les gustan traducir como otra manera para aprender el uso del ingles.
Este verano hacia mucho calor y no tenia ganas de hacer muchas cosas.

En este momento estoy desayunando mientras estoy haciendo este ejercicio.
Hace mucho viento hoy, pero no tanto como ayer. Por lo menos hace sol.
Madre mia. Ya estamos en Noviembre...y dentro de nada....Navidades.
Como pasa el tiempo!

Espero que la Navidad traiga la Paz y el amor a todo el mundo.
El problema es que siempre hay tantas guerras y muertes casi todos los dias.
También parece que siempre hay tantos conflictos entre personas.
Porqué las personas no pueden simplemente ser feliz y disfrutar de la vida?

Como vivo en España, veo que hay muchos problemas serios en Cataluña también. 
La mitad de la gente quieren ser independientes de España y la otra mitad no quieren.
Al final, no tengo ni idea que va a pasar. 
Solo se que lo que vi en la tele hace unas semanas, Barcelona parecía que estaba en guerra.

También parece que los Británicos tampoco saben lo que quieren hacer con sus vidas.
De todas formas, creo que jamás se han sentido muy Europeos.  

Desde luego, la razón de tantos conflictos en el mundo,......son los políticos.

Y que hay sobre el Calentamiento Global?
Aveces me pregunto si la gente se darían cuenta de que la Tierra tiene un problema muy serio y que algún día será demasiado tarde para hacer algo. 

En lugar de conflictos absurdos entre personas en España y en el resto del mundo, deberíamos aprender de vivir en paz y salvar nuestro planeta juntos y unidos

Bueno, ya son las once menos cuarto y voy a traducir el texto al inglés.
Como veis uso expresiones y los diferentes tiempos verbales. Puede que sea un poco difícil, pero así se aprende mas.
Hacer lo que podáis y divertiros.

También es muy importante saber usar correctamente el uso de MAKE y DO. Está en mi blog en algún sitio.
Si tenéis alguna duda...pues preguntarme

Una gran cancion: Imagine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yhsxnY0moU

TRANSLATION

I´m back. I´ve been doing a lot of things and I didn´t have time to sit down and make an exercise for those who like to translate as another way to learn the use of English
It was very hot this summer and I didn´t feel like doing many things.

At the moment, I´m having breakfast while I´m doing this exercise.
It´s very windy today, but not as much as yesterday. At least it´s sunny.
Oh my God! It´s already November, and in no time time at all....Christmas.
How time flies!

I hope Christmas brings love and peace to all the world.
The problem is that there are always wars and deaths almost everyday.
It also seems that there are always conflicts among people.
Why can´t people simply just be happy and enjoy life? 

As I live in Spain, I see that there a lot of serious problems in Cataluña as well.
Half the people want to be independent from Spain and the other half don´t want to.
In the end, I have no idea what´s going to happen.
All I know is that what I saw on television a few weeks ago, it seemed that Barcelona was in war.
It also seems that the British people don´t know what to do with their lives either.
Anyway, I don´t think they´ve ever felt very European. 

Of course, the big reason for so many conflicts in the world,........are politicians.

How about Global warming? I sometimes ask myself if people would realize that Earth has a very serious problem, and one day it will be too late to do anything. 

Instead of so many absurd conflicts among people in Spain and the rest of the world, we should learn to live in peace and save our planet together and united.
.

Well, it´s already a quarter to eleven and I´m going to translate the text into English.
As you can see, I use expressions and the different verb tenses.It might be a little difficult, but that´s the way to learn more.   
Do what you can and have fun.