October/November 1999
Dear Language Enthusiast,
We invite you to the exciting new edition of our Spanish newsletter. For those of you
unfamiliar with our newsletter, we hope that it helps to polish your Spanish skills by
combining useful information and cultural insight.
As the cold weather begins here in New Hampshire, we are brought together for warm family
gatherings. One New England tradition is a Sunday dinner at the grandparents' house,
complete with pumpkin pie and hot cider, after a long day of apple picking or admiring the
colored leaves of the forest. However, different countries have different traditions that
bring them together. Therefore, our newsletter will focus on family roots and traditions.
We feel it is necessary to understand the traditions of family and community in Spain and
Latin America, in order to better understand the way language reflects cultural values.
Also included are tips for SpanishNow! users.
The first half is in Spanish followed by the English translation.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
En español:
Cada cultura tiene un "fantasma," y aunque parezca que estos cuentos y mitos son
sólo una parte de las leyendas locales, en realidad se han convertido en una parte de la
familia, de la comunidad y de la vida de cada individuo. Además es importante el hecho de
que se transmiten de generación a generación como un legado verbal.
Los niños por todo el mundo escuchan estos cuentos durante su niñez. Sus padres y sus
hermanos mayores los usan para aprovecharse de la situación y recordarles a los niños
que deben portarse bien, o si no... o tan sólo para asustar a los chicos pasando la noche
en un cuarto oscuro.
En Panamá, la leyenda de la Tulivieja se ha hecho parte de la niñez de todos los
panameños. Me han dicho que los hermanos mayores, especialmente, les cuentan esta
historia a sus hermanitos en la oscuridad de la noche. En este boletín Ud. leerá el
cuento de la Tulivieja y aprenderá cómo se ha hecho parte de la vida cotidiana
panameña.
Hace mucho tiempo, cuando los espíritus vivían entre los mortales y se aparecían a
ellos, uno de estos espíritus se convirtió en una muchacha bellísima. Toda su ciudad se
enorgullecía de ella. Un joven se enamoró de ella y tuvieron un bebé. Sin embargo, la
muchacha bellísima, quien en realidad era un espíritu, ahogó al bebé para esconder su
verdadera identidad. Se dice que Dios la castigó por su pecado convirtiéndola en la
Tulivieja.
De una muchacha bellísima, el espíritu se convirtió en un monstruo horrible. Tiene el
rostro lleno de agujeros, el cabello largo y rasposo, garras en lugar de manos, el cuerpo
de gato y los pies de caballo. Pero el cambio corporal no fue lo peor de su castigo. Está
condenada a buscar a su hijo ahogado por toda la eternidad. Ella lo busca por las
márgenes de los ríos sin parar y llama a su hijo con una voz que se parece a los
chillidos de los pájaros.
Cuando la luna está llena en medio del cielo, ella se transforma en la misma joven de
antes, y se baña en los ríos. No obstante, al escuchar el menor ruido, rápidamente se
convierte de nuevo en el monstruo.
Se dice que si un niño se porta mal o está desprevenido, la Tulivieja vendrá por la
noche y se lo llevará directamente de su cama. Recuerde que ella está buscando a un
chico ahogado y es posible que se equivoque. O, para vengarse, puede raptarle un niño a
una madre desprevenida.
In English:
Every culture has a "boogie man," and although it may seem that these stories
and myths are only a part of local legend, they really do become a part of the family, the
community, and each individual's life. More importantly, they are carried on from
generation to generation as a verbal legacy. Children around the world hear these stories
throughout their childhood. Parents and older siblings use this to their advantage by
reminding the children to behave, or else... or just to scare the little ones late at
night, in a dark room.
In Panama, the legend of the Tulivieja has become part of every Panamanian's childhood. I
am told that older siblings, especially, tell this story to the younger ones late at night
in the dark. In this newsletter, you will read the story of the Tulivieja and learn how it
has become a part of everyday life in Panama.
A long time ago, when the spirits lived among the mortals and were visible to them, one of
the spirits incarnated itself into a beautiful girl. She became the pride of her town. A
young boy fell in love with her and they produced a child. However, the beautiful girl,
who was really a spirit, drowned the child to hide her true identity. It is said that God
punished her for her sin by turning her into the Tulivieja.
From a beautiful girl, the spirit was turned into a horrible monster. She has a face full
of holes, long and bristly hair, claws instead of hands, the body of a cat and the feet of
a horse. But the corporal change was not the brunt of her punishment. She was condemned to
look for her drowned child forever. She continues to search along the riverbanks endlessly
and call for her child in a voice that sounds like screeching birds. When the moon in full
in the middle of the sky, she transforms into her once beautiful self, and bathes in the
rivers. However, at the slightest sound, she quickly becomes the monster again.
It is said that if you behave badly or are caught off guard, the Tulivieja will come at
night and steal you right out of your bed. Remember that she is looking for a drowned
child, and she just might make a mistake! Or, in revenge, she may steal a child away from
an unsuspecting mother.
Tips for SpanishNow!
Are you bored with the screen colors in LanguageNow!? Choose View / Preferences / Color
and change the screen to fit your mood!
When you start getting comfortable with a language, challenge yourself! Test your
vocabulary comprehension by hiding the Word Meaning window and reading the Title, or by
hiding the Segment window and typing your own Segment translations in the Notes tab. To
hide the information in any Reference window, click the bar above the window. Click it
again to restore the information and check your understanding.
