Fluent Fiction - Catalan: Snails in Barcelona: From Mistake to Culinary Delight
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/snails-in-barcelona-from-mistake-to-culinary-delight

Story Transcript:

Ca: Al cor de la vibrant Barcelona, Marta, una jove alegre, caminava alegrement entre les estretes rambles i carrerons del casc antic de la ciutat. Tenia una ovalada caixa de cartró a la mà. Era, o així pensava, una preuada caixa de finíssimes xocolates belgues que acabava de comprar a la Xocolateria "El Cargol".
En: In the heart of vibrant Barcelona, Marta, a cheerful young woman, walked happily through the narrow streets and alleys of the city's old town. She had an oval cardboard box in her hand. It was, or so she thought, a precious box of exquisite Belgian chocolates that she had just bought at the "El Cargol" Chocolate Shop.

Ca: La dissipada Marta no era molt coneguda per la seva atenció als detalls. Aquesta vegada, en llegir el nom de l'establiment, havia imaginat una d'aquelles peculiars xocolateries europees que ofereixen pralinés en formes peculiars, com ara cargols. Per això, sense fer-ne gaire cas, va demanar una caixa de "cargols".
En: Absent-minded Marta was not known for her attention to detail. This time, upon reading the name of the establishment, she had imagined one of those peculiar European chocolatiers that offer pralines in peculiar shapes, such as snails. Therefore, without paying much attention, she asked for a box of "snails".

Ca: Retornant a casa, ansiosa de gaudir de les seves suposades xocolates, va obrir la caixa amb ànsia, només per a trobar-se cara a cara amb... cargols reals! El seu rostre es va tornar blanc com la cal. Què faria ara amb tots aquests cargols viscosos?
En: Returning home, eager to enjoy her supposed chocolates, she opened the box eagerly, only to find herself face to face with... real snails! Her face turned as white as a sheet. What was she going to do now with all these slimy snails?

Ca: Després d'un moment de pànic, Marta es va tranquil˙litzar. Això era Barcelona, una ciutat coneguda per la seva diversificació culinària. Segurament, amb una mica d'ajuda, podria convertir aquests cargols en una delícia.
En: After a moment of panic, Marta calmed down. This was Barcelona, a city known for its culinary diversification. Surely, with a little help, she could turn these snails into a delicacy.

Ca: Es va dirigir al mercat de La Boqueria, conegut per la venda de productes frescos i locals. Va comprar tomàquets, all, vi i pà. De tornada a casa, va buscar una recepta a internet i es va disposar a cuinar els cargols.
En: She headed to La Boqueria market, known for selling fresh and local products. She bought tomatoes, garlic, wine, and bread. Back at home, she looked up a recipe online and set out to cook the snails.

Ca: A mesura que menjava, Marta es va sorprendre de la seva pròpia cuina. Els cargols, lluny de ser viscosos, eren una delícia arómatica recoberta d'un espès guisat de tomàquet. Tot i l'error inicial, aquella experiencia la feia riure.
En: As she ate, Marta was surprised by her own cooking. The snails, far from being slimy, were an aromatic delight covered in a thick tomato stew. Despite the initial mistake, that experience made her laugh.

Ca: Aquella nit, Marta va aprendre que encara que les coses no anessin com ella esperava, podia convertir les tal situació en una experiència positiva. Tot i que no feia festa de la seva tendència per la distracció, va aprendre a apreciar la seva capacitat per adaptar-se.
En: That night, Marta learned that even when things didn't go as she expected, she could turn such a situation into a positive experience. Although she didn't celebrate her tendency for distraction, she learned to appreciate her ability to adapt.

Ca: Així, l'error de Marta es va convertir en una aventura culinària. I mentre els humans som erronis per naturalesa, en el cor d'aquests errors sovint es troben perles de saviesa. Marta va trobar la seva aquella nit a Barcelona, a la seva cuina, amb una caixa de cargols que erròniament pensava que eren xocolates. Ara riuria sempre que recordés aquesta història. Així, en el final, Marta no només satisfà la seva gana, sinó que també va resoldre el conflicte interior que aquell error havia generat dins seu.
En: Thus, Marta's mistake turned into a culinary adventure. And while humans are prone to errors by nature, within these mistakes often lie pearls of wisdom. Marta found hers that night in Barcelona, in her kitchen, with a box of snails that she mistakenly thought were chocolates. She would always laugh whenever she remembered this story. So, in the end, Marta not only satisfied her hunger but also resolved the inner conflict that error had generated within her.


Vocabulary Words:

• Barcelona: Barcelona
• Marta: Marta
• chocolates: xocolates
• box: caixa
• snails: cargols
• streets: carrerons
• alleys: rambles
• old town: casc antic
• establishment: establiment
• pralines: pralinés
• shapes: formes
• imagin: imaginar
• attention: atenció
• detail: detall
• real: reals
• slimy: viscosos
• panic: pànic
• culinary: culinària
• diversification: diversificació
• market: mercat
• fresh: frescos
• local: locals
• products: productes
• recipe: recepta
• cook: cuinar
• experience: experiència
• error: error
• pearls: perles
• wisdom: saviesa
• conflict: conflicte