Grammar Lesson 20: This Just Isn't Spanish, Adapting to Handicapped

Tá Falado: Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation for Speakers of Spanish

• asset title: Grammar Lesson 20: This Just Isn't Spanish, Adapting to Handicapped
• filename: tafalado_gra_20.mp3
• track number: 46/46
• time: 11:03
• size: 7.77 MB
• bitrate: 96 kbps

Oh man, where did this word come from? After a whole series of lessons in pronunciation and grammar ... and now we learn a whole bunch of words where Spanish and Portuguese are totally different. If Tá Falado is supposed to show learners the similarities between these two languages, well, this lesson just won't do that. Today Michelle and Valdo give as words like embora, ainda, rapaz, jeito, cedo, and tomara. It is true that Spanish and Portuguese are similar in many ways. However, today we look at the words that are not similar at all.
Dialog
Portuguese
Michelle: Rapaz! Você viu aquele cara na cadeira de rodas entrando no ônibus hoje cedo?
Valdo: Vi sim. Acho interessante esse jeito que os americanos têm de lidar com as pessoas com necessidades especiais, adaptando as ruas e os ônibus.
Michelle: Pois é, aqui as poltronas se fecham e as portas dos ônibus se abaixam pra acomodar as pessoas.
Valdo: Embora no Brasil os ônibus não tenham tantas adaptações, ninguém pode reclamar porque o sistema de transporte público é bom.
Michelle: Tá, mas deixa eu fazer uma fofoca que talvez você não se lembre: no Brasil não tem ar nos ônibus, a gente tem que abrir as janelas pra ventilarse.
Valdo: Por outro lado, tem o calor humano. As pessoas podem até deitar umas em cima das outras de tão cheio que às vezes os ônibus ficam. Tá vendo... pra que melhorar?
Spanish
Michelle: Chico, ¿viste tú aquella persona en la silla de ruedas que estaba entrando en el autobús temprano esta mañana?
Valdo: Sí, lo vi. Pienso que es interesante esta manera que tienen los norteamericanos de ayudar a las personas que tienen necesidades especiales, adaptando las calles y los autobuses.
Michelle: Pues, aquí las poltronas se cierran y las puertas de los autobuses se bajan para acomodar a las personas.
Valdo: A pesar de que en el Brasil los autobuses no tengan tantas adaptaciones, nadie va a reclamar por que el sistema de transporte público es bueno.
Michelle: Sí, pero cuidado en no exagerar porque tal vez no te acuerdes pero en el Brasil no hay aire condicionado en los autobuses. Hay que abrir las ventanas para ventilar.
Valdo: Por otro lado, existe un calor humano. Las personas pueden hasta descansar unas encima de las otras porque a veces los autobuses anda muy llenos. Lo ves, ¿para qué mejorar?
English
Michelle: Man, did you see that guy in the wheel chair getting into the bus early this morning?
Valdo: I did see him. I think it's interesting the way that Americans take care of people who have special needs, changing the streets and the busses.
Michelle: I know, here the seats close up and the doors of the bus can be lowered to accommodate the people.
Valdo: Although Brazil doesn't have busses that have such adaptations, nobody complains because the public transportation system is so good.
Michelle: Right, but don't go too far with these stories because maybe you have forgotten that the buses in Brazil don't have air conditioning, you've got to open the window to get some air.
Valdo: On the other hand, you've got human warmth. People even end up lying on top of one another because the buses en up so full sometimes. You see, what is there to improve?