LESSON NOTES

Upper Intermediate S1 #6
Es cuestin de intelecto

CONTENTS
2 Formal Spanish
3 English
5 Informal Spanish
7 English
9 Vocabulary
10 Sample Sentences
11 Grammar
12 Cultural Insight

# 6
COPYRIGHT 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 FORMAL SPANISH

1. JORGE: Luisa, cunteme cul fue el tema que expuso el profesor mexicano
en su ltima clase.

2. LUISA: A ver, djeme pensar... trat acerca de la literatura del Siglo de Oro
espaol.

3. JORGE: Siglo de Oro espaol... Maravilloso! Es un tema que me apasiona,

sobre todo la poesa de Quevedo.

4. LUISA: Eso es un asunto de gustos personales. Entre los espaoles, yo

prefiero a Antonio Machado, por lo general a los modernistas.

5. JORGE: Por qu?Qu locura! No hay nada mejor que el Siglo de Oro
espaol. Aparte de Quevedo, tienes a Lope, a Caldern, a Rojas, y
qu decir de Gngora! Qu maravilla la correspondencia del
idioma y el concepto! No sabra decirle quin me gusta ms.

6. LUISA: Bueno, Jorgito, creo que deberamos cambiar el curso - yo al suyo,

y usted al mo. Es que me cuesta, o sea, me aburro. Y tampoco es
por el profesor. Creo que soy yo la que no encaja en ese tiempo.
No s... Me pregunto qu tiene que ver conmigo un estilo tan
rimbombante en una poesa escrita en un idioma que ni siquiera
hablamos hoy?

7. JORGE: Ya, Luchita, veo que usted no est para ms.

8. LUISA: Oiga, de qu habla usted? Acaso cree que todos tenemos que
pensar como usted.... pasado de moda!

9. JORGE: No es cuestin de moda, es cuestin de intelecto.

CONT'D OVER

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 2

10. LUISA: Lo que diga, abuelo.

11. JORGE: Qu picona!

12. LUISA: No me pico, viejo, pero le voy a decir por qu prefiero a los
modernistas.

13. JORGE: Bueno, lcese. Le escucho, muequita...

14. LUISA: Para m el poeta debe escribir para el pueblo al que pertence y
hablar de sus propios temas, expresar conceptos no solo
inteligentes sino intelegibles; en fin, que sus lectores lo reconozcan
como un miembro igual a ellos, perteneciente al pueblo.

15. JORGE: Oiga, camarada, usted ha ledo demasiado Marx.

16. LUISA: Y usted, sabiondo, a qu modernista ha ledo?

17. JORGE: A todos, muchacha, a todos. Para opinar tengo que saber de qu
hablo.

18. LUISA: A ver, deme aunque sea un nombre.

19. JORGE: Qu le parece para la prxima? Tengo una cita ahorita.

20. LUISA: Jajaja.... Por supuesto. Gracias por haber descendido desde su
torre hasta el pueblo.

ENGLISH

CONT'D OVER

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 3

1. JORGE: Tell me, Luisa, what topic did the Mexican professor talk about in
his last class.

2. LUISA: Umm, let me think... it was about the Golden Age literature of Spain.

3. JORGE: The Golden Age of Spain... how wonderful! It is a topic that I'm
passionate about, above all the poetry of Quevedo.

4. LUISA: It is a matter of personal tastes. Among the Spaniards, I prefer

Antonio Machado, in general the Modernists.

5. JORGE: Why? What madness! There's nothing better than the Spanish
Golden Age. Aside from Quevedo, you have got Lope, Caldern,
Rojas, not to mention Gngora! What a wonderful correspondence
of language and concept. I would not even know what to tell you, as
to who I like the most.

6. LUISA: Well, Jorgito, I think we ought to swap courses I will take yours, and
you, mine. The thing is that it's tough for me, I mean, I get bored.
And it's not even the professor. I think that it's me who doesn't fit in
that period. I don't know... I ask myself what does such an
ostentatious style of a poetry written in a language that's not even
spoken today have to do with me?

7. JORGE: Now there, Luchita, I see that that is as far as you can go.

8. LUISA: Hey, what are you talking about? Perhaps you think that we all
need to think like you... out of style!

9. JORGE: It's not a question of style, it's a question of intellect.

10. LUISA: Whatever you say, grandfather.

CONT'D OVER

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 4

11. JORGE: How hypersensitive!

12. LUISA: I'm not hypersensitive, old man, but I am going to tell you why I
prefer the Modernists.

13. JORGE: Well, let's see what you have got. I am listening, doll...

14. LUISA: For me, the poet should write for the people to whom he or she
belongs and should speak about his or her own topics, he or she
should express concepts that are not only intelligent, but also
intelligible; in the end, his or her readers ought to be able to
recognize him or her as a member, equal to them, belonging to the
people.

15. JORGE: Hey there, comrade, you have read too much Marx.

16. LUISA: And you, know-it-all, which modernist have you read?

17. JORGE: All of them, honey, all of them. To give my opinion, I have got to
know what I'm talking about.

18. LUISA: Let's see, give even one name.

19. JORGE: How about for next time. I have got a meeting now.

20. LUISA: Hahaha.... Of course. Thank you for having descended from your
tower to the town folk.

INFORMAL SPANISH

CONT'D OVER

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 5

1. JORGE: Luisa, cuntame cul fue el tema que expuso el profesor mexicano
en su ltima clase.

2. LUISA: A ver, djame pensar... trat acerca de la literatura del Siglo de Oro
espaol.

3. JORGE: Siglo de Oro espaol... Maravilloso! Es un tema que me apasiona,

sobre todo la poesa de Quevedo.

4. LUISA: Eso es un asunto de gustos personales. Entre los espaoles, yo

prefiero a Antonio Machado, por lo general a los modernistas.

5. JORGE: Por qu?Qu locura! No hay nada mejor que el Siglo de Oro
espaol. Aparte de Quevedo, tienes a Lope, a Caldern, a Rojas, y
qu decir de Gngora! Qu maravilla la correspondencia del
idioma y el concepto! No sabra decirte quin me gusta ms.

6. LUISA: Bueno, Jorgito, creo que deberamos cambiar el curso - yo al tuyo,

y t al mo. Es que me cuesta, o sea, me aburro. Y tampoco es por
el profe. Creo que soy yo la que no encaja en ese tiempo. No s...
Me pregunto qu tiene que ver conmigo un estilo tan
rimbombante en una poesa escrita en un idioma que ni siquiera
hablamos hoy?

7. JORGE: Ya, Luchita, veo que no ests para ms.

8. LUISA: Oye, de qu hablas? Acaso crees que todos tenemos que pensar
como t... pasado de moda!

9. JORGE: No es cuestin de moda, es cuestin de intelecto.

10. LUISA: Lo que digas, abuelo.

CONT'D OVER

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 6

11. JORGE: Qu picona!

12. LUISA: No me pico, viejo, pero te voy a decir por qu prefiero a los
modernistas.

13. JORGE: Bueno, lcete. Te escucho, muequita...

14. LUISA: Para m el poeta debe escribir para el pueblo al que pertence y
hablar de sus propios temas, expresar conceptos no solo
inteligentes sino intelegibles; en fin, que sus lectores lo reconozcan
como un miembro igual a ellos, perteneciente al pueblo.

15. JORGE: Oye, camarada, has ledo demasiado Marx.

16. LUISA: Y t, sabiondo, a qu modernista has ledo?

17. JORGE: A todos, muchacha, a todos. Para opinar tengo que saber de qu
hablo.

18. LUISA: A ver, dame aunque sea un nombre.

19. JORGE: Qu te parece para la prxima? Es que tengo una cita ahora.

20. LUISA: Jajaja.... Por supuesto. Gracias por haber descendido desde tu
torre hasta el pueblo.

ENGLISH

1. JORGE: Tell me, Luisa, what topic did the Mexican professor talk about in
his last class.

CONT'D OVER

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 7

2. LUISA: Umm, let me think... it was about the Golden Age literature of Spain.

3. JORGE: The Golden Age of Spain... how wonderful! It's a topic that I'm
passionate about, above all the poetry of Quevedo.

4. LUISA: It's a matter of personal tastes. Among the Spaniards, I prefer

Antonio Machado, in general the Modernists.

5. JORGE: Why? What madness! There's nothing better than the Spanish
Golden Age. Aside from Quevedo, you've got Lope, Caldern,
Rojas, not to mention Gngora! What a wonderful correspondence
of language and concept. I wouldn't even know what to tell you, as
to who I like the most.

6. LUISA: Well, Jorgito, I think we ought to swap courses I'll take yours, and
you, mine. The thing is that it's tough for me, I mean, I get bored.
And it's not even the professor. I think that it's me who doesn't fit in
that period. I don't know... I ask myself what does such an
ostentatious style of a poetry written in a language that's not even
spoken today have to do with me?

7. JORGE: Now there, Luchita, I see that that's as far as you can go.

8. LUISA: Hey, what are you talking about? Perhaps you think that we all
need to think like you... out of style!

9. JORGE: It's not a question of style, it's a question of intellect.

10. LUISA: Whatever you say, grandpa.

11. JORGE: How hypersensitive!

CONT'D OVER

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 8

12. LUISA: I'm not hypersensitive, old man, but I'm going to tell you why I prefer
the Modernists.

13. JORGE: Well, let's see what you've got. I'm listening, doll...

14. LUISA: For me, the poet should write for the people to whom he or she
belongs and should speak about his or her own topics, he or she
should express concepts that are not only intelligent, but also
intelligible; in the end, his or her readers ought to be able to
recognize him or her as a member, equal to them, belonging to the
people.

15. JORGE: Hey there, comrade, you've read too much Marx.

16. LUISA: And you, know-it-all, which modernist have you read?

17. JORGE: All of them, honey, all of them. To give my opinion, I've got to know
what I'm talking about.

18. LUISA: Let's see, give even one name.

19. JORGE: How about for next time. I've got a meeting now.

20. LUISA: Hahaha.... Of course. Thanks for having descended from your tower
to the town folk.

VOCABULARY

S panish English C lass Ge nde r

rimbombante ostentatious, showy adjective

intelecto intellect masc. noun

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 9

 camarada comrade

sabiondo, -a know-it-all adjective

inteligible intelligible adjective

apasionar to impassion verb

encajar to fit verb

torre tower noun feminine

SAMPLE SENTENCES

La casa nueva de los vecinos tiene El intelecto es la capacidad humana

un estilo muy rimbombante. para comprender y razonar.

"The new neighbors' house has a "Intellect is a human ability to

very ostentatious style." comprehend and reason."

El es mi camarada y amigo, Carlos No me cae ese sabiondo.

Isneros.
"I don't like that know-it-all."
"He's my comrade and friend,
Carlos Isneros."

Los polticos dieron un discurso A la mayora de hombres de

inteligible. Sudamrica les apasiona el ftbol.

"The politicians gave an intelligible "Most of the South American men

discourse." are passionate about soccer."

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 10

El aire acondicionado no encaja en El rey vive en la torre de su castillo.
la ventana.
"The king lives in the tower of his
"The air conditioner doesn't fit in the castle."
window."

GRAMMAR

While the Indicative Mood is characterized by its expressions of fact and affirmation, the
Subjunctive Mood is characterized by its expression of Doubt and Desire. When the
Subjunctive is used in independent propositions, as in the example "que encuentres la
verdad" (may you find the truth), we call this form the Optative Subjunctive. It's used when 1)
the person being addressed to is the one who should fulfill the desire; 2) when we suppose
that it's the will of this person on which the desired thing depends.

While in English, we would usually translate this with the imperative (i.e. 'find the truth!', 'play
well tonight!', etc.), in Spanish the difference is noticeable in meaning and form. Moreover, the
Present Subjunctive is used very often. The modal "may" in English is often associated with
the Present Subjunctive, so even though we may not use it all that often in everyday speech, it
will be useful in our translations for the purpose of understanding the tense and mood that
we're dealing with.

The Present Subjunctive is used in the lesson conversation, not in a subordinate clause, but
to express the desire of the speaker. Note how sarcasm and irony are expressed by the two
speakers through the use of the Optative Subjunctive as they contend each others' points of
view.

Observe the excerpt from the conversation:

"Para m el poeta debe escribir para el pueblo al que pertence y hablar de sus propios temas,
expresar conceptos no solo inteligentes sino intelegibles; en fin, que sus lectores lo
reconozcan como un miembro igual a ellos, perteneciente al pueblo."

(For me, the poet should write for the people to whom he or she belongs and should speak
about his or her own topics, he or she should express concepts that are not only intelligent,
but also intelligible; in the end, his or her readers ought to be able to recognize him or her as
a member, equal to them, belonging to the people.)

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 11

We use the Optative Subjunctive all the time in spoken Spanish.
For example:
Que ella lo haga (may she do it), by which we really mean (quiero) que ella lo haga (I
want her to do it).

CULTURAL INSIGHT

El llamado "Siglo de Oro" espaol fue un movimiento literarrio que floreci en el siglo XIIV.
Es conocido su estilo ostentoso, pero tambin por la manera sensata en la que expresa el
concepto. De hecho, muchos dicen que el conceptualismo es una de las caractersticas
definitivas de dicho movimiento. Adems, los poetas barrocos tuvieron un manejo del
lenguage que hasta hora sigue siendo mayor que los poetas de hoy. No es decir que los
poetas de hoy no saben usar el lenguaje, sino que la poesa de nuestra poca suele usar la
vox populi, es decir, la voz del pueblo, mientras la poesa barroca utiliz un lenguaje florido,
artificial con el fin de expresar la belleza tanto como posible. Poetas como Gngora y Lope
impactaron tanto a sus los que vinieran despus que estos ltimos imitaron sus poemas. Ni
fue un secreto. La prctica de imitar fue visto como un halago y como un ejercicio de genio.
Adems, el estilo barroco experiment una renovacin durante los aos cincuenta, cuando
surgi el llamado "neobarroco", movimiento que pretendi tomar prestado ciertas tcnicas
literrias del barroco con el fin de desarollar una poesia nueva y a la vez antigua.

S PANI S HPOD101.COM UPPER I NT ERMEDI AT E S 1 #6 - ES CUES T I N DE I NT ELECT O 12