Fluent Fiction - Catalan: Lost in the Labyrinth: Barcelona's Maze of Joans and Jordis
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/lost-in-the-labyrinth-barcelonas-maze-of-joans-and-jordis

Story Transcript:

Ca: Marta estava desorientada. Es trobava enmig d'un revolt de carrers plens de colors, sorolls de motos i persones conversant en una barreja de català i espanyol. Barcelona pot ser tant una festa per als sentits com un laberint per als forasters. I malgrat portar ja tres anys vivint a la ciutat, encara es perdia de tant en tant.
En: Marta was disoriented. She found herself in the middle of a maze of streets filled with colors, motorcycle noises, and people conversing in a mix of Catalan and Spanish. Barcelona can be both a sensory feast and a labyrinth for foreigners. And despite having lived in the city for three years already, she still got lost from time to time.

Ca: Va decidir demanar ajuda al primer passavolants que va veure. Era un home alt, magre com una regla i amb una cabellera grisenca. "Desculpa, sóc la Marta, podrías dir-me com arribar a la Plaça de Catalunya?" li va preguntar. "Sóc el Joan," va respondre l'home, i amb un somriure amigable va donar-li indicacions detallades.
En: She decided to ask for help from the first passerby she saw. He was a tall man, thin as a ruler, with graying hair. "Excuse me, I'm Marta. Can you tell me how to get to Plaça de Catalunya?" she asked him. "I'm Joan," the man replied, and with a friendly smile, he gave her detailed directions.

Ca: Amb la confiança restaurada, Marta va començar a caminar en la direcció que li havia indicat el Joan. Però després d'alguns minuts, es va adonar que tots els carrers es veien iguals. I les esglesies gòtiques i les façanes modernistes ja no li semblaven tan meravelloses.
En: With restored confidence, Marta began walking in the direction that Joan had indicated. But after a few minutes, she realized that all the streets looked the same. And the Gothic churches and modernist facades didn't seem as marvelous anymore.

Ca: Va veure un altre home assegut a la terrassa d'un cafè. "Em dic Marta, em pots ajudar a arribar a la Plaça de Catalunya?" va preguntar. "Hola, sóc el Jordi," va dir l'home, somrient. Va donar-li unes altres indicacions.
En: She saw another man sitting on the terrace of a café. "My name is Marta, can you help me get to Plaça de Catalunya?" she asked. "Hello, I'm Jordi," the man said, smiling. He gave her more directions.

Ca: I després es va repetir tot de nou. Un altre Joan i un altre Jordi, i encara un altre Joan. El laberint sembla esborrar-se i tot el que queda és una amalgama d'homes anomenats Joan i Jordi.
En: And then it repeated all over again. Another Joan and another Jordi, and yet another Joan. The labyrinth seemed to blur and all that remained was a mix of men named Joan and Jordi.

Ca: Marta es va sentir confosa. Va pensar en tornar a casa, però les indicacions que tenia només la duen a més Joans i Jordis.
En: Marta felt confused. She thought about going back home, but the directions she had only led her to more Joans and Jordis.

Ca: De sobte, mentre estava a punt de rendir-se a la desesperació, un desè home es va apropar. Però aquest no era ni un Joan ni un Jordi. Era un manel. "Hola, sóc el Manel" va dir amb una veu suau. "Crec que sé on vols anar."
En: Suddenly, as she was about to give in to despair, a tenth man approached. But this one wasn't a Joan or a Jordi. He was a Manel. "Hello, I'm Manel," he said in a soft voice. "I think I know where you want to go."

Ca: Va acompanyar a Marta a través dels carrers fins a arribar a una plaça gran i bulliciosa. Les palmeres onejaven amb una brisa suau, i la font al mig de la plaça li va donar la benvinguda amb un resplandor daurat.
En: He accompanied Marta through the streets until they reached a large and bustling square. The palm trees swayed in a gentle breeze, and the fountain in the middle of the square welcomed her with a golden glow.

Ca: "Plaça de Catalunya," va dir Manel amb orgull.
En: "Plaça de Catalunya," Manel said proudly.

Ca: Marta va somriure, agraïda. Finalment, havia arribat. Tot i la confusió dels Joans i els Jordis, havia arribat al seu destí. La seva aventura va ser estranya i confusa, però també emocionant. Va aprendre que, de vegades, perdre's pot ser divertit. Però més important encara, que a Barcelona potser hi ha massa Joans i Jordis.
En: Marta smiled, grateful. She had finally arrived. Despite the confusion of the Joans and Jordis, she had reached her destination. Her adventure had been strange and confusing, but also exciting. She learned that sometimes getting lost can be fun. But more importantly, that in Barcelona, there might be too many Joans and Jordis.


Vocabulary Words:

• Marta: Marta
• disoriented: desorientada
• maze: laberint
• streets: carrers
• colors: colors
• motorcycle: moto
• noises: sorolls
• people: persones
• conversing: conversant
• Catalan: català
• Spanish: espanyol
• Barcelona: Barcelona
• sensory: sentits
• feast: festa
• labyrinth: laberint
• foreigners: forasters
• city: ciutat
• lived: vivint
• years: anys
• lost: perdia
• time: temps
• asked: demanar
• help: ajuda
• passerby: passavolants
• tall: alt
• thin: magre
• ruler: regla
• graying: grisenca
• hair: cabellera
• excuse: disculpa