A Mother's Vote: Teaching Democracy Through Tantrums

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: A Mother's Vote: Teaching Democracy Through Tantrums
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
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Story Transcript:

Ca: El matí era fresc i ple de colors tardorals.
En: The morning was cool and filled with the colors of autumn.

Ca: Escombraries de fulles vermelles i grogues flotaven amb el vent suau al voltant de la petita vila catalana.
En: Drifts of red and yellow leaves floated on the gentle breeze around the small Catalan village.

Ca: Aina, una mare dedicada i professora, somreia mentre subjectava la mà del seu fill, Marcel.
En: Aina, a dedicated mother and teacher, smiled as she held the hand of her son, Marcel.

Ca: Avui era un dia important; era dia d'eleccions i estava decidida a fer sentir la seva veu.
En: Today was an important day; it was election day, and she was determined to make her voice heard.

Ca: En Jordi, el seu marit, estava de viatge per feina.
En: Jordi, her husband, was on a business trip.

Ca: Això significava que Aina havia de portar en Marcel al col·legi electoral.
En: This meant that Aina had to bring Marcel to the polling station.

Ca: Es trobaven davant de la sala de la vila, un edifici antic amb parets de pedra i grans finestres.
En: They stood in front of the town hall, an old building with stone walls and large windows.

Ca: El sol del matí il·luminava lleument l'interior.
En: The morning sun gently illuminated the interior.

Ca: "Mira, Marcel," va dir Aina mentre entraven. "Aquí és on la gent vota per escollir el futur del poble."
En: "Look, Marcel," said Aina as they entered. "This is where people vote to choose the future of the town."

Ca: En Marcel, només de quatre anys, mirava tot amb ulls inquiets.
En: Marcel, only four years old, looked around with curious eyes.

Ca: Les taules, les urnes, les cares inconnexes, tot era fascinant per a ell.
En: The tables, the ballot boxes, the unfamiliar faces, everything was fascinating to him.

Ca: "Votar és important?" va preguntar amb la seva veueta curiosa.
En: "Is voting important?" he asked in his little curious voice.

Ca: "Sí, molt important," va respondre Aina. "Ens ajuda a decidir qui ens ajudarà a fer que el poble sigui millor."
En: "Yes, very important," Aina replied. "It helps us decide who will help make the town better."

Ca: La fila per votar era curta, però el temps es feia llarg amb en Marcel impacient.
En: The line for voting was short, but time dragged on with Marcel becoming impatient.

Ca: Començava a jugar amb els seus cordons i a córrer amunt i avall.
En: He began playing with his shoelaces and running up and down.

Ca: Aina, una mica preocupada, el va agafar de les espatlles.
En: Aina, a bit worried, took him by the shoulders.

Ca: "Carinyo, m'ajudaràs a posar la papereta a l'urna?"
En: "Sweetheart, will you help me put the ballot in the box?"

Ca: En Marcel va assentir amb entusiasme.
En: Marcel nodded enthusiastically.

Ca: Però just en el moment en què Aina es preparava per passar per la cortina de la cabina de vot, Marcel va fer una rabieta.
En: But just as Aina was getting ready to go through the curtain of the voting booth, Marcel threw a tantrum.

Ca: Va començar a plorar i remugar, cridant l'atenció de les persones al voltant.
En: He started crying and fussing, attracting the attention of the people around them.

Ca: Aina va respirar profundament.
En: Aina took a deep breath.

Ca: Sabia que havia de calmar-lo per...