Spanish GCSE Reading and Grammar-Constance e Imran Episode 36 (learn through a novel)
- The story episode in Spanish.
- The translation into English.
- A grammar explanation with examples from the story.
“`
Al salir del aula, Daniel sigue hablando de los Lancaster y los York.
As they leave the classroom, Daniel is still talking about the Yorks and the Lancasters.
—Al final Collins tenía razón —dice Daniel—. Muchas veces los grupos se destruyen desde dentro.
“In the end, Collins was right,” says Daniel. “Groups often destroy themselves from within.”
—Claro —interrumpe Jason, que aparece detrás de ellos—. Sobre todo cuando en esos grupos hay personas peligrosas.
“Exactly,” interrupts Jason, appearing behind them. “Especially when those groups contain dangerous people.”
El grupo se detiene. Imran sabe perfectamente que el comentario va dirigido a él.
The group stops. Imran knows perfectly well that the comment is aimed at him.
—¿Y eso qué significa exactamente? —pregunta.
“And exactly what does that mean?” he asks.
Jason sonríe.
Jason smiles.
—Significa que siempre estáis hablando de tolerancia, pero las noticias están llenas de gente como tú.
“It means that you’re always talking about tolerance, but the news is full of people like you.”
Daniel abre la boca para intervenir, pero Imran levanta una mano.
Daniel opens his mouth to intervene, but Imran raises a hand.
—No. Déjalo.
“No. Let him speak.”
Jason parece sorprendido.
Jason looks surprised.
—¿Vas a defenderte tú solo?
“You’re going to defend yourself?”
—Sí.
“Yes.”
—Entonces adelante —dice Jason—. Explícame por qué debería descartar la idea de que tu religión siempre trae problemas.
“Then go ahead,” says Jason. “Explain why I should abandon the idea that your religion always causes problems.”
Imran lo mira fijamente.
Imran stares at him.
—Antes de responder, quiero hacerte unas preguntas. Dime qué sabes del islam.
“Before I answer, I want to ask you a few questions. Tell me what you know about Islam.”
—Lo suficiente.
“Enough.”
—No es una respuesta.
“That’s not an answer.”
Jason resopla.
Jason snorts.
—Sé lo que veo.
“I know what I see.”
—¿Y qué ves? ¿Has leído el Corán? ¿Sabes qué dice?
“And what do you see? Have you read the Qur’an? Do you know what it says?”
—No.
“No.”
—¿Sabes árabe?
“Do you speak Arabic?”
—No.
“No.”
—¿Has entrado a alguna mezquita?
“Have you ever been inside a mosque?”
—No.
“No.”
—¿Te has relacionado con muchos musulmanes?
“Have you spent much time with Muslims?”
Jason no responde inmediatamente.
Jason does not answer immediately.
—No.
“No.”
—Entonces explícame por qué estás tan seguro de lo que dices, si no tienes ningún conocimiento sobre mi cultura, mi religión y mi mundo.
“Then explain why you’re so certain about what you’re saying, when you know nothing about my culture, my religion or my world.”
Maya baja la mirada para ocultar una sonrisa. Daniel observa la escena con interés. Jason intenta recuperar terreno.
Maya looks down to hide a smile. Daniel watches the scene with interest. Jason tries to regain ground.
—No necesito leer libros para saber lo que pasa en el mundo.
“I don’t need to read books to know what’s happening in the world.”
Imran asiente lentamente.
Imran nods slowly.
—Ese es precisamente tu problema.
“That is precisely your problem.”
—¿Ah, sí?
“Oh, really?”
—Sí.
“Yes.”
Hace una pausa.
He pauses.
—Hay una frase que me gusta mucho: “Cuando te mueres no sabes que estás muerto, no sufres por ello, pero es duro para el resto. Lo mismo pasa cuando eres imbécil”.
“There’s a saying I like very much: ‘When you die, you don’t know you’re dead. It’s only painful for everyone else. The same thing happens when you’re an idiot.’”
Maya estalla en una carcajada. Daniel intenta contenerse, pero fracasa. Incluso Constance sonríe. Jason se pone rojo.
Maya bursts out laughing. Daniel tries to hold it in, but fails. Even Constance smiles. Jason turns red.
—¿Me estás llamando imbécil?
“Are you calling me an idiot?”
—No para insultarte.
“Not as an insult.”
—Claro que sí.
“Yes, you are.”
—No. Te lo digo porque nunca te preguntas el porqué de las cosas, pero hablas de ellas como si supieras. Ignorar lo que se ignora es casi la definición de la imbecilidad.
“No. I’m saying it because you never ask yourself the reason why things are the way they are, yet you talk about them as if you knew. Ignoring what you ignore is almost the definition of stupidity.”
El pasillo queda en silencio.
The corridor falls silent.
Imran continúa:
Imran continues:
—Escuchas algo. Lo repites. Lo conviertes en una opinión. Y acabas confundiendo prejuicios con conocimiento.
“You hear something. You repeat it. You turn it into an opinion. And you end up confusing prejudice with knowledge.”
Jason aprieta los puños.
Jason clenches his fists.
—Tú te crees muy listo.
“You think you’re very clever.”
—No se trata de ser listo.
“It’s not about being clever.”
—Entonces, ¿de qué se trata?
“Then what is it about?”
—De aprender a pensar.
“Learning how to think.”
Jason no dice nada.
Jason says nothing.
Por primera vez desde que Constance lo conoce, parece no encontrar una respuesta inmediata.
For the first time since Constance has known him, he seems unable to find an answer.
Imran da un paso hacia él.
Imran takes a step towards him.
—La diferencia entre tú y yo no es la religión. La diferencia es que yo intento entender a las personas antes de juzgarlas.
“The difference between you and me is not religion. The difference is that I try to understand people before judging them.”
Nadie habla.
Nobody speaks.
Finalmente, Jason se encoge de hombros.
Finally, Jason shrugs.
—Lo que tú digas.
“Whatever you say.”
Pero ya no suena seguro. Se da la vuelta y se aleja por el pasillo.
But he no longer sounds confident. He turns around and walks away down the corridor.
Daniel observa cómo desaparece.
Daniel watches him disappear.
—Bueno —dice—. Eso ha sido interesante.
“Well,” he says. “That was interesting.”
—Muy interesante —añade Maya.
“Very interesting,” adds Maya.
Constance mira a Imran. No había gritado. No había insultado. No había perdido el control. Simplemente se había mantenido firme.
Constance looks at Imran. He had not shouted. He had not insulted anyone. He had not lost control. He had simply stood his ground.
Como un soldado del batallón sagrado.
Like a soldier of the Sacred Band.
“`
We started discussing this topic in episode 35, so go there before reading this. You can use this simple rule to decide when to use qué or cuál:
“`
🟦 ¿Qué? can be followed by a noun or a verb.
¿Qué camisa te gusta? Which shirt do you like?
¿Qué hiciste ayer? What did you do yesterday?
🟦 ¿Cuál? can be followed by “de” or a verb.
¿Cuál es tu libro favorito? What is your favourite book?
¿Cuál de estos libros te gusta? Which one of these books do you like?
It is not necessarily a difference in meaning. Compare these two sentences:
¿Qué ciudad te gusta más?
¿Cuál es la ciudad que te gusta más?
The meaning is exactly the same; it is only a matter of grammar.
If you use Duolingo or other learning apps developed in the United States, you may occasionally come across examples such as ¿cuál camisa te gusta? In standard Spanish, the recommended form is ¿qué camisa te gusta? The use of cuál before a noun is found in some regional varieties of Spanish, particularly in parts of the Americas, but it does not belong to the general standard that most learners are expected to master. As with all living languages, Spanish has regional variations, and not every form that native speakers use is part of the normative grammar taught in schools and international examinations.
“`
These three forms are very similar in form, but not at all the same. Take a look:
“`
🟥 ¿Por qué estás cansada? Why are you tired?
🟥 Porque he estudiado mucho. Because I have studied a lot.
Use ¿por qué? to make a question, and porque to give an answer.
We also have a Noun which means “the reason, the cause”:
🟥 Quiero saber el porqué. I want to know the reason.
This is only one word, and carries a written accent.
Here you have examples from the episode:
🟥 Explícame por qué estás tan seguro de lo que dices.
Explain why you’re so certain about what you’re saying.
🟥 Te lo digo porque nunca te preguntas el porqué de las cosas.
I’m saying it because you never ask yourself the reason why things are the way they are.
“`
Find all the episodes here: Contents – GCSE Spanish
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We post two new episodes every week — keep up with Constance and Imran’s story!
