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PROPOSITOS 2014. ¿Ya decidiste los tuyos? Audiotexto acerca de las resoluciones que muchos de nosotros intentamos llevar a cabo durante un nuevo año. Para tu comodidad, hemos intercalado un vocabulario bilingüe a lo largo del texto. Descarga el audio a tu reproductor portátil y practica inglés mientras viajas.
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From VOA Learning
English, welcome to "As It Is". I’m Steve Ember. |
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as it is: de hecho, tal como están las cosas; |
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Today, New
Year’s
Resolutions: Making ones
you can keep
takes… well, we’ll
talk about that, and even
share some of ours. |
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New Year Resolution: objetivos a cumplir en un nuevo año; even share: incluso compartiremos; some of ours: algunos de los nuestros (objetivos); |
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Now,
depending on where in the
world you are and
when you’re joining us,
the start of the
New Year is just
hours, or maybe
minutes, or even seconds
away. |
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depending on: dependiendo de; where in: en que parte de; joining us: leyéndonos, escuchándonos; just hours ... away: apenas a unas horas ... de distancia; |
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As
far back in
history as we can tell,
people have
celebrated the start of a
new year. The
people of ancient Egypt
began their
new year in summer.
That is when the Nile
River flooded its
banks,
bringing water and fertility
to the land. |
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as far back: hasta cuando podemos remontarnos; ancient Egypt: antiguo Egipto; began: comenzaban (begin/began/begun/beginning); flooded its banks: desbordaba (banks: orillas de un río); bringing: acarreando, trayendo; fertility: fertilidad; |
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Today, most
people celebrate
New Year’s Day on
January first. People
observe the
New Year’s holiday in
many different
ways, usually starting
with
New Year’s Eve. |
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most people: la mayoría de la gente; observe: respeta; holiday: día feriado; ways: maneras; New Year's Eve: víspera de año nuevo, noche de fin de año; |
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The ancient
Babylonians celebrated the New
Year by forcing
their king to
give up his
crown and royal
clothing. They made
him get down
on his knees
and admit
all the mistakes he had made
during the past
year. |
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Babylonians: babilonios; by forcing: obligando; to give up his crown: dejar su corona; royal clothing: vestidura real; they made him: lo hacían; get down on his knees: ponerse de rodillas; admit: admitir, aceptar; mistakes: faltas, errores; he had made: que había cometido; the past year: el año anterior; |
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But that idea of
admitting mistakes and
finishing the business of the
old year is
found in
many cultures at New
Year’s. So is the
idea of making New
Year’s resolutions. A
resolution is a promise to
change or
do something different in
the coming year. |
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the business: los asuntos; is found: se la encuentra; a promise to change: una promesa para cambiar; the coming year: el año venidero; |
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Making New
Year’s resolutions is a
common American
tradition. Breaking
them is,
too! |
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common: corriente, habitual; breaking them is, too: incumplirlas también lo es; |
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Today,
popular resolutions might
include the promise to
lose weight, stop
smoking, or be
more productive at
work. |
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to lose weight: bajar de peso, hacer dieta; stop smoking: dejar de fumar; be more productive at work: ser más fecundo en el trabajo; |
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Some
members of our Learning
English group have
offered New Year’s
resolutions of
their own, and
told me I could
share them. So
here goes. |
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members: miembros, suscriptores; of their own: propias; told me I could: me dijeron que yo podía; share them: compartirlas; so here goes: así que aquí van; |
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One of our
people promised to
stop telling stories
about others. That
practice is known as gossip.
Another staff
member promised to spend
more time with
his family.
Our boss resolved
to be “the best Dad
ever.” |
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our people: nuestros colaboradores; telling stories about others: comentar historias de otras personas; gossip: chismorreo, cotilleo; staff member: empleado; our boss: nuestro jefe; resolved: decidió; the best Dad ever: el mejor papá; |
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And one
said about resolutions, “Oh,
I gave that up
years ago”. Here’s one
we’ve all at least
thought about:
“I resolve to
win the lottery.” Another
colleague wants to
stop smoking. Every
year, she says, she
makes that resolution…and
every year it hasn’t
happened. Well,
maybe in 2014. Another one
of our group is
resolving to lose some
weight. Those
resolutions usually
have to wait until
after the holiday
season. Lots of festive
meals, you
know. |
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I gave that up years ago: yo abandoné eso hace años; we've all at least thought about: sobre lo que todos hemos al menos imaginado; I resolve to win the lottery: tengo la firme decisión de ganar la lotería; colleague: colega; it hasn't happened: no se ha hecho realidad; maybe: quizás; to lose some weight: perder algunos kilos; until after: hasta después de; lots of festive meals: muchas comidas festivas; you know: como ya saben; |
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And here’s one
I like: My
resolution is to stop making
resolutions, because I
never keep
them. For example, this
colleague told me,
I have not given
up eating
too many sweets,
resolved on many a
January first. She says,
she will still
work for chocolates! That’s
good to know. |
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one I like: una que me gusta; to stop making resolutions: dejar de hacer propósitos; I never keep them: nunca los cumplo; I have not given up eating: no dejé de comer; too many: demasiados; on many a January first: decididios en más de un primero de enero; |
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One person
– that would be me –
decided to get a
new cat to replace a
much loved one
that had recently died. Now,
that resolution was made at the
end of 2002. It took
me almost two
years to keep it, but in
October of 2004, at an animal
shelter in Virginia, I was “adopted”
by a very handsome, and
very talkative,
gray and white cat.
Mewer and I have been
together ever
since. He even helped
me out on a recent "As It Is",
all about cats.
Perhaps you heard
him? He’s the one that
purrs like a
diesel locomotive. |
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that would be me: ése sería yo mismo; to replace: para reemplazar; a much loved one: uno muy querido; that had recently died: que había muerto hace poco; now: ahora bien; it took me almost: me llevó casi; animal shelter: centro de acogida de animales; I was "adopted": fui "adoptado"; handsome: hermoso; talkative: charlatán; gray and white: gris y blanco; Mewer: Maullador (el apodo del gato); ever since: desde entonces; on a recent: en una reciente (emisión de); perhaps you heard him?: ¿quizás lo escucharon?; the one that purrs: el que ronronea; like a diesel locomotive: como una locomotora diesel; |
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Other
people use New
Year’s resolutions to
make changes in
how they live
their lives. One
such resolution
might be to “stop and smell
the roses”. That’s always a
pleasant thing to
do, but what the expression
means to take time
to enjoy life’s
simple pleasures… instead of always
being too busy and in a
hurry. |
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in how: en la forma en que; to stop and smell the roses: bajar las revoluciones (literal = detenerse a oler las rosas); to take time: tomarse el tiempo; to enjoy life's simple pleasures: para disfrutar los pequeños placeres de la vida; instead of always being: en lugar de estar siempre; too busy and in a hurry: demasiado ocupado y acelerado; |
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Another
resolution might be “don’t sweat
the small stuff”. This
means not to worry or
get angry about
unimportant things.
Another resolution
might be to be happy now
and to forget about
bad things that
happened in the past. Or, to be
thankful for the most important
things in life,
like family and friends. |
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might be: podría ser; don't sweat the small stuff: no te preocupes por cosas sin importancia (literal = no transpires por tonterías); get angry about: enojarse por; to be thankful for: estar agradecido por; like family and friends: como la familia y los amigos; |
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Here’s a
little musical resolution I
made – to wrap up
today’s program
with a musical
question. |
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to wrap up: para concluir; today's program: el programa de hoy; |
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Maybe it’s
much too early
in the game
Ah, but I
thought I’d ask you
just the same:
What’re you
doing New Year’s
Eve?
Quizás sea demasiado pronto en esta partida
Pero me pareció que podría preguntártelo:
¿Qué piensas hacer para Fin de Año? |
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That’s Margaret Whiting’s
classic recording of the
Frank Loesser tune
“What Are
You Doing New
Year’s Eve?”. |
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Margaret Whiting (1924-2011): cantante estadounidense de big band y de pop tradicional; recording: grabación; tune: canción; Pulsa aquí si quieres escuchar esta canción completa por el conjunto norteamericano The Orioles. |
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"As It Is" is a production of
VOA Learning English.
Steve Ember
here, and our resolution is to wish
you a happy,
healthy and productive New
Year 2014. |
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no matter what: no importa qué; healthy: saludable; productive: fecundo; |
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Maybe I’m
crazy to suppose
I’d ever be the
one you chose
Out of a thousand
invitations you’ll
receive...
Quizás esté loca para imaginar
Que yo sería la única elegida
De las miles de invitaciones que recibirás... |
