September 2000
Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to the September edition of Spanish Monthly,
the Internet newsletter from Transparent Language. In
this issue, we focus on a topic of universal interest:
entertainment and entertainers. Across the globe,
people look for new ways to enjoy free time with
family and friends, and discussing the glamorous
lives of film stars, musicians, and celebrities often
becomes entertainment itself. Examining the habits of
the people of Spain and Latin America in the arena of
entertainment offers fascinating insights into the
culture and its people. I think you'll find this
month's article about Penélope Cruz fun, as well as
effective in building your language skills.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
En español:
Española incursiona en Hollywood.
¡Prepárate Hollywood! La joven Penélope Cruz actriz
española de veintiséis años viene acechando la
pantalla estadounidense. Conocida por varios
largometrajes en España, Cruz inicio su carrera en
filmes de habla inglesa muy recientemente.
Debutó en "El Laberinto Griego" en 1991 pero no fue
hasta su actuación en "Jamón, Jamón," en 1992, que se
dio a conocer. Posteriormente protagonizó "Belle
Epoque," filme dirigido por Fernando Trueba, ganador
de un Oscar para la categoría foránea en 1993. A raíz
del cual fue considerada para por lo menos una docena
más de apariciones cinematográficas. Fue galardonada
con el Goya a Mejor Actriz (la versión española del
Oscar) en 1999 por su labor en "The Girl of your
Dreams," otra obra del director Fernando Trueba.
Su papel más reciente lo interpretó en "Todo sobre mi
madre" de Pedro Almodóvar (otra ganadora del Oscar en
la categoría foránea en 1999). En este filme, ella
representa a una monja embarazada con el hijo de un
travesti y es la ex-esposa de éste quien la ampara. Su
más reciente papel de habla inglesa fue en "All the
Pretty Horses" dirigida por Billy Bob Thorton.
Interpreta a la hija de un granjero mexicano de mucho
dinero junto a Matt Damon, quien por su parte
interpreta a un americano vagabundo.
Su próximo papel de importancia en inglés llegará a
las carteleras este otoño. "Woman on Top" es una
comedia de Fina Torres, directora reconocida por sus
argumentos de temas femeninos y cambiantes emociones.
En esta ocasión, Cruz interpreta a una brasileña,
Isabella, recientemente mudada a San Francisco después
de descubrir que su esposo le era infiel. En San
Francisco ella cumple con su deseo de ser anfitriona
de un programa televisivo de cocina. Es sexy e
irresistible y consecuentemente impresiona a su
público de una manera muy inusual.
Fuentes:
http://www.spe.sony.com/classics
http://www.eonline/features
In English:
Spanish Actress Moves in on Hollywood
Watch out Hollywood! Young Spanish actress, twenty-six
year-old Penélope Cruz, has been working her way onto
the screen in the United States. Famous for several
Spanish films, Cruz has recently launched her career
in English-speaking films.
Cruz's debuted in 1991 in the Spanish film, "El
laberinto griego" ("The Greek Labrynth"). Her first big
break was in the 1992 film "Jamón, Jamón" ("Ham, Ham").
She went on to star in "Belle Époque," directed by
Fernando Trueba, which won an Oscar for Best Foreign
Language Film in 1993. Since then, she has acted in
about a dozen films. She was awarded the Best Actress
Goya Award (the Spanish equivalent of the Oscar) in
1999 for her performance in "The Girl of Your Dreams,"
also directed by Fernando Trueba.
Her most recent Spanish-speaking role was in Pedro
Almodóvar's "All About My Mother" (winner of the Oscar
for Best Foreign Language Film in 1999). In this film
she plays a nun who gets pregnant by a drag-queen and
ends up being rescued from the convent by the drag-
queen's ex-wife. Her most recent English-speaking role
was in "All the Pretty Horses," directed by Billy Bob
Thornton. She plays a wealthy Mexican rancher's
daughter opposite Matt Damon, who plays an American
drifter.
Her next big English-speaking role is coming this
fall. Due to be released at the end of September,
"Woman on Top" is a comedy directed by Fina Torres, a
director famous for her films about women and their
fluctuating emotions. Cruz plays a Brazilian woman,
Isabella, who moves to San Francisco after discovering
her husband's infidelity. In San Francisco, she
fulfills her dream of being a cooking show host on
television. Isabella is sexy and irresistible and
consequently has a strange effect on her viewing
audience!
– Written by Jennifer Beattie
– Translated by Ilán Greenfield
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