Fluent Fiction - Catalan: Unveiling Catalan Culture: The Mysterious 'Caganer' Chronicles
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/unveiling-catalan-culture-the-mysterious-caganer-chronicles

Story Transcript:

Ca: Marta era una alegre barcelonina que vivia al centre de la ciutat. Tenia el costum de passejar per la Rambla cada dia, gaudint dels colors vibrants i del bullici de la multitud. Un dia, mentre estava mirant les paradetes de souvenirs, va espiar un turista confós. Era un home gran amb una càmera al coll i un mapa obert.
En: Marta was a cheerful Barcelonian who lived in the center of the city. She had the habit of strolling down La Rambla every day, enjoying the vibrant colors and the hustle and bustle of the crowd. One day, while she was looking at the souvenir stalls, she spotted a confused tourist. He was an older man with a camera around his neck and an open map.

Ca: L'home mirava amb perplexitat un detall de la nativitat que es venia. Era un caganer, una figura popular a Catalunya durant el Nadal. Marta, veient la confusió de l'home, va decidir ajudar-lo.
En: The man was looking perplexed at a detail of the nativity scene being sold. It was a "caganer," a popular figure in Catalonia during Christmas. Seeing the man's confusion, Marta decided to help.

Ca: "caganer és una figura tradicional de les pessebres catalanes," va començar ella, "representa un camperol que està... ei, com dir-ho... fent les seves necessitats."
En: "A caganer is a traditional figure in Catalan nativity scenes," she began, "it represents a peasant who is... uh, how do I put it... doing his business."

Ca: L'home gran va riure. "Realment? A la nativitat?" va preguntar, encara riure.
En: The older man laughed. "Really? In the nativity scene?" he asked, still chuckling.

Ca: "Sí," va assentir Marta. "És com un símbol de bona sort i prosperitat. Porta fertilitat a la terra."
En: "Yes," Marta nodded. "It’s like a symbol of good luck and prosperity. It brings fertility to the land."

Ca: L'home gran, encara que semblava una mica incrèdul, va somriure. "Gràcies," va dir, "Jo mai hauria entès això sense la teva explicació."
En: The older man, though sounding a bit incredulous, smiled. "Thank you," he said, "I would have never understood this without your explanation."

Ca: Des de llavors, Marta es va convertir en una guia no oficial per a turistes confusos, sempre disposada a explicar les curiositats de la cultura catalana. A partir d’aquella tarda, Marta va comprendre l’impacte de la seva ajuda i la necessitat de preservar i compartir la riquesa de la cultura catalana amb el món. El conflicte intern que tenia entre la seva vida quotidiana i la seva passió per la cultura, es va resoldre d'aquesta manera.
En: Since then, Marta became an unofficial guide for confused tourists, always willing to explain the quirks of Catalan culture. From that afternoon on, Marta understood the impact of her help and the need to preserve and share the richness of Catalan culture with the world. The internal conflict she had between her everyday life and her passion for culture was resolved in this way.

Ca: Al final, l’home amb la càmera es va convertir en el primer d’una llarga llista de turistes amb qui Marta va compartir aquesta part tan peculiar de la història i les tradicions catalanes, fent que cada dia els seus passeigs per la rambla de Barcelona prenguessin un nou significat.
En: In the end, the man with the camera became the first of a long list of tourists with whom Marta shared this peculiar part of Catalan history and traditions, giving new meaning to her daily walks down La Rambla in Barcelona.


Vocabulary Words:

• Marta: Marta
• Barcelonian: barcelonina
• city: ciutat
• strolling: passejar
• La Rambla: La Rambla
• vibrant: vibrants
• colors: colors
• hustle: bullici
• crowd: multitud
• souvenir: souvenirs
• tourist: turista
• confused: confós
• nativity scene: nativitat
• caganer: caganer
• peasant: camperol
• business: necessitats
• good luck: bona sort
• prosperity: prosperitat
• fertility: fertilitat
• help: ajuda
• guide: guia
• culture: cultura
• everyday life: vida quotidiana
• passion: passió
• conflict: conflicte
• preserve: preservar
• share: compartir
• richness: riquesa
• history: història
• traditions: tradicions