Fluent Fiction - Catalan: A Mother's Vote: Teaching Democracy Through Tantrums
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
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Story Transcript:

Ca: El matí era fresc i ple de colors tardorals.
En: The morning was cool and filled with the colors of autumn.

Ca: Escombraries de fulles vermelles i grogues flotaven amb el vent suau al voltant de la petita vila catalana.
En: Drifts of red and yellow leaves floated on the gentle breeze around the small Catalan village.

Ca: Aina, una mare dedicada i professora, somreia mentre subjectava la mà del seu fill, Marcel.
En: Aina, a dedicated mother and teacher, smiled as she held the hand of her son, Marcel.

Ca: Avui era un dia important; era dia d'eleccions i estava decidida a fer sentir la seva veu.
En: Today was an important day; it was election day, and she was determined to make her voice heard.

Ca: En Jordi, el seu marit, estava de viatge per feina.
En: Jordi, her husband, was on a business trip.

Ca: Això significava que Aina havia de portar en Marcel al col·legi electoral.
En: This meant that Aina had to bring Marcel to the polling station.

Ca: Es trobaven davant de la sala de la vila, un edifici antic amb parets de pedra i grans finestres.
En: They stood in front of the town hall, an old building with stone walls and large windows.

Ca: El sol del matí il·luminava lleument l'interior.
En: The morning sun gently illuminated the interior.

Ca: "Mira, Marcel," va dir Aina mentre entraven. "Aquí és on la gent vota per escollir el futur del poble."
En: "Look, Marcel," said Aina as they entered. "This is where people vote to choose the future of the town."

Ca: En Marcel, només de quatre anys, mirava tot amb ulls inquiets.
En: Marcel, only four years old, looked around with curious eyes.

Ca: Les taules, les urnes, les cares inconnexes, tot era fascinant per a ell.
En: The tables, the ballot boxes, the unfamiliar faces, everything was fascinating to him.

Ca: "Votar és important?" va preguntar amb la seva veueta curiosa.
En: "Is voting important?" he asked in his little curious voice.

Ca: "Sí, molt important," va respondre Aina. "Ens ajuda a decidir qui ens ajudarà a fer que el poble sigui millor."
En: "Yes, very important," Aina replied. "It helps us decide who will help make the town better."

Ca: La fila per votar era curta, però el temps es feia llarg amb en Marcel impacient.
En: The line for voting was short, but time dragged on with Marcel becoming impatient.

Ca: Començava a jugar amb els seus cordons i a córrer amunt i avall.
En: He began playing with his shoelaces and running up and down.

Ca: Aina, una mica preocupada, el va agafar de les espatlles.
En: Aina, a bit worried, took him by the shoulders.

Ca: "Carinyo, m'ajudaràs a posar la papereta a l'urna?"
En: "Sweetheart, will you help me put the ballot in the box?"

Ca: En Marcel va assentir amb entusiasme.
En: Marcel nodded enthusiastically.

Ca: Però just en el moment en què Aina es preparava per passar per la cortina de la cabina de vot, Marcel va fer una rabieta.
En: But just as Aina was getting ready to go through the curtain of the voting booth, Marcel threw a tantrum.

Ca: Va començar a plorar i remugar, cridant l'atenció de les persones al voltant.
En: He started crying and fussing, attracting the attention of the people around them.

Ca: Aina va respirar profundament.
En: Aina took a deep breath.

Ca: Sabia que havia de calmar-lo per poder votar.
En: She knew she had to calm him to be able to vote.

Ca: Va ajupir-se al seu nivell i li va parlar amb suavitat.
En: She crouched down to his level and spoke softly.

Ca: "Marcel, saps per què estem aquí? Perquè la mare vol que el nostre poble sigui un lloc bonic on tu puguis créixer i jugar."
En: "Marcel, do you know why we're here? Because mommy wants our town to be a beautiful place where you can grow up and play."

Ca: En Marcel va parar un moment i va mirar la seva mare amb una certa comprensió.
En: Marcel paused for a moment and looked at his mother with some understanding.

Ca: Aina va aprofitar aquesta pausa per mostrar-li la papereta.
En: Aina seized this moment to show him the ballot.

Ca: "Vols ajudar-me a posar-la a la caixa?" va preguntar.
En: "Do you want to help me put it in the box?" she asked.

Ca: Amb el plor esvaït, en Marcel va assentir i va somriure.
En: With his crying faded away, Marcel nodded and smiled.

Ca: Aina va sentir una onada d'alleujament.
En: Aina felt a wave of relief.

Ca: Van posar conjuntament la papereta dins l'urna.
En: They placed the ballot in the box together.

Ca: En aquell instant, Aina va sentir una barreja de satisfacció i orgull.
En: At that moment, Aina felt a mix of satisfaction and pride.

Ca: Havia aconseguit ensenyar al seu fill la importància del vot i alhora complir amb la seva responsabilitat com a ciutadana.
En: She had managed to teach her son the importance of voting while fulfilling her responsibility as a citizen.

Ca: Sortint de la sala, sota un cel blau tacat de núvols de cotó, Aina se sentia més confiada que mai en la seva capacitat per manejar les desafiaments familiars mentre participava activament en la vida del seu poble.
En: Leaving the hall, under a blue sky dotted with cotton clouds, Aina felt more confident than ever in her ability to handle family challenges while actively participating in her village's life.

Ca: "Gràcies per ajudar-me a votar, Marcel," va dir, acariciant els seus cabells embullats.
En: "Thank you for helping me vote, Marcel," she said, ruffling his tangled hair.

Ca: En Marcel va riallar, feliç de ser part d'una cosa tan important.
En: Marcel giggled, happy to be part of something so important.

Ca: Aina va continuar caminant amb la seva mà petita a la seva, mirant com el vent feia ballar les fulles sota els seus peus.
En: Aina continued walking with his small hand in hers, watching as the wind made the leaves dance beneath their feet.


Vocabulary Words:

• the morning: el matí
• cool: fresc
• the colors: els colors
• to float: flotar
• the breeze: el vent
• the village: la vila
• dedicated: dedicada
• the election: les eleccions
• the polling station: el col·legi electoral
• the town hall: la sala de la vila
• the building: l'edifici
• to vote: votar
• to choose: escollir
• important: important
• to decide: decidir
• the line: la fila
• impatient: impacient
• the shoulders: les espatlles
• the ballot: la papereta
• the box: la caixa
• to cry: plorar
• to calm: calmar
• to crouch: ajupir-se
• to seize: aprofitar
• to fade away: esvair-se
• the relief: l'alleujament
• the pride: l'orgull
• to fulfill: complir
• the responsibility: la responsabilitat
• the challenge: el repte