{"id":15525,"date":"2022-03-30T12:11:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T16:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/?p=15525"},"modified":"2022-03-30T12:29:33","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T16:29:33","slug":"spanish-grammar-part-2-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/spanish-grammar-part-2-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Song: El Ni\u00e1gara En Bicicleta (+ Vocabulary)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today&#8217;s blog post is a listening practice. Sing along this song written and performed by the Dominican <em>cantautor<\/em> (singer-songwriter) Juan Lu\u00eds Guerra. If you read <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/rhythms-of-latin-america-merengue\/\">my post<\/a> on the of rhythms Latin America, you will recognize that this song belongs in the music genre <em>merengue<\/em>. This <em>canci\u00f3n<\/em> (song) is very popular in the Spanish-Speaking world since the late 90&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Juan Luis Guerra - El niagara en bicicleta\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b4i7tbqKWp4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Letra<\/strong> (lyrics)<\/p>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Me dio una sirimba un domingo en la ma\u00f1ana<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>cuando menos lo pensaba<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ll-0-1\" style=\"text-align: center\">I fainted one Sunday morning<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-0-2\" style=\"text-align: center\">when I was least expecting it<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-0-4\" style=\"text-align: center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Ca\u00ed redondo, como una guan\u00e1bana, sobre la alcantarilla<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">I fell in a heap, like a soursop fruit, over the sewer grate<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Ser\u00e1 la presi\u00f3n o me ha subido la bilirrubina<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">Maybe it&#8217;s my blood pressure, or maybe my bilirubin went up<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y me entr\u00f3 la calentura<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ll-1-1\" style=\"text-align: center\">And I got a fever<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y me fui poniendo blanco como bola de naftalina<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">And I started turning white, like a mothball<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Me llevaron a un hospital de gente (supuestamente)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">They took me to a hospital for people (supposedly)<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>En la emergencia, el recepcionista escuchaba la loter\u00eda<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>(&#8220;\u00a130 000 pesos!&#8221;)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ll-1-4\" style=\"text-align: center\">In the emergency room, the receptionist was listening to the lottery numbers<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-1-5\" style=\"text-align: center\">(&#8220;thirty thousand pesos!&#8221;)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>&#8220;\u00a1Alguien se apiade de mi!&#8221;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Grit\u00e9 perdiendo el sentido<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"par\">\n<div class=\"ll-2-1\">&#8220;Someone have mercy of me!&#8221;<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-2-2\">I shouted losing consciousness<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"par\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y una enfermera se acerc\u00f3 a mi oreja y me dijo:<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>&#8220;Tranquilo, Bobby, tranquilo&#8221;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"ll-2-3\">And a nurse came up and whispered in my ear:<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-2-4\">\u201cCalm down, Bobby, calm down\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Me acarici\u00f3 con sus manos de Ben Gay y me dijo:<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>&#8220;\u00bfQu\u00e9 le pasa, atleta?&#8221;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"ll-3-1\">She stroked me with her hands like Ben Gay and said:<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-3-2\">&#8220;What happens to you, athlete?&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y le cont\u00e9 con lujo de detalles lo que me hab\u00eda sucedido<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">and I told her, with a wealth of detail, what had happened to me.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>&#8220;Hay que chequearte la presi\u00f3n,<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>pero la sala est\u00e1 ocupada y, mi querido,<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>en este hospital no hay luz para un electrocardiograma&#8221;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"ll-4-1\">&#8220;We need to check your blood pressure,<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-4-2\">but the room is occupied, and, my dear,<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-4-3\">in this hospital there&#8217;s no power for an electrocardiogram&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Abr\u00ed los ojos como luna llena y me agarr\u00e9 la cabeza\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">I opened my eyes like a full moon and I grabbed my head<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Porque es muy duro<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>pasar el Ni\u00e1gara en bicicleta<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ll-5-2\" style=\"text-align: center\">Because it&#8217;s very hard<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-5-3\" style=\"text-align: center\">to cross the Niagara on a bicycle<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que los m\u00e9dicos se fueron (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"par\">\n<div class=\"ll-6-1\" style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me the doctors left<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-6-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que no tienen anestesia (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me they don&#8217;t have anesthesia<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que el alcohol se lo bebieron (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me they drank the rubbing alcohol<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y que el hilo de coser<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>fue bordado en un mantel<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"ll-6-4\">And that the thread for stitches<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-6-5\">was embroidered into a tablecloth<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que las pinzas se perdieron (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me they lost the forceps<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Que el estetoscopio est\u00e1 de fiesta (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">That the stethoscope is out partying<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Que los rayos X se fundieron (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">That the X-rays melted<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y que el suero ya se us\u00f3<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>para endulzar el caf\u00e9<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ll-7-4\" style=\"text-align: center\">That the serum was already used<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-7-5\" style=\"text-align: center\">to sweeten the coffee<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Me apoy\u00e9 de sus hombros como un cojo a su muleta<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>y le dije: &#8220;\u00bfqu\u00e9 hago, princesa?&#8221;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"par\">\n<div class=\"ll-8-1\">I leaned on her shoulders like a lame man leans on his crutch<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-8-2\">and I said: &#8220;What do I do, princess?&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y en un papel de receta me escribi\u00f3 muy dulcemente:<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>&#8220;Lo siento, atleta&#8221;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"ll-8-3\">And on a prescription she wrote very sweetly:<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-8-4\">&#8220;I&#8217;m sorry, athlete&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Me acarici\u00f3 con sus manos de Ben Gay y sigui\u00f3 su destino<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">She stroked me with her hands like Ben Gay and then went on her way<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y o\u00ed claramente cuando dijo a otro paciente:<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>&#8220;Tranquilo, Bobby, tranquilo&#8221;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ll-9-2\" style=\"text-align: center\">And I clearly heard her say to another patient:<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-9-3\" style=\"text-align: center\">\u201cCalm down, Bobby, calm down\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Baj\u00e9 los ojos a media asta y me agarr\u00e9 la cabeza<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">I dropped my eyes to half-mast and I grabbed my head<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Porque es muy duro<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>pasar el Ni\u00e1gara en bicicleta<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ll-5-2\" style=\"text-align: center\">Because it&#8217;s very hard<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-5-3\" style=\"text-align: center\">to cross the Niagara on a bicycle<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que los m\u00e9dicos se fueron (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"par\">\n<div class=\"ll-6-1\" style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me the doctors left<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-6-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que no tienen anestesia (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me they don&#8217;t have anesthesia<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que el alcohol se lo bebieron (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me they drank the rubbing alcohol<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y que el hilo de coser<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>fue bordado en un mantel<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"ll-6-4\">And that the thread for stitches<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-6-5\">was embroidered into a tablecloth<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que las pinzas se perdieron (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me they lost the forceps<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Que el estetoscopio est\u00e1 de fiesta (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">That the stethoscope is out partying<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Que los rayos X se fundieron (oh-oh-oh)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">That the X-rays melted<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Y que el suero ya se us\u00f3<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>para endulzar el caf\u00e9<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"ll-7-4\" style=\"text-align: center\">That the serum was already used<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-7-5\" style=\"text-align: center\">to sweeten the coffee<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>(El Ni\u00e1gara en bicicleta)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>(En bicicleta, oh no)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">The Niagara on a bicycle<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">on a bicycle<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que me va cayendo<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>de tanto dolor<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"par\">\n<div class=\"ll-14-1\">Don&#8217;t tell me I&#8217;m falling down<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-14-2\">from so much pain<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que las aspirinas<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>cambian de color<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"ll-14-3\">Don&#8217;t tell me the aspirins<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-14-4\">change color<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb WRZytc\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que me van pariendo,<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>que le falta amor<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div class=\"ll-15-1\">Don&#8217;t tell me that they&#8217;re trying hard,<\/div>\n<div class=\"ll-15-2\">that they&#8217;re missing love<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ujudUb WRZytc\" style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>No me digan que le est\u00e1 latiendo<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Oh no<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">Don&#8217;t tell me that it&#8217;s throbbing, oh no&#8230;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Vocabulary<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong><em>Pasar el Ni\u00e1gara en bicicleta<\/em><\/strong> (to cross the Niagara Falls on a bicycle) is an idiom used in the Dominican Republic to make reference to a difficult task or something very difficult that seems impossible to accomplish.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><em><strong>Atleta<\/strong><\/em> (athlete) in this context is used as a dear name.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><em><strong>Sirimba<\/strong><\/em>: To feel dizziness, faintness, lightheadedness. This term if often used in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong><em>Caer redondo como una guan\u00e1bana<\/em><\/strong>: To fall down abruptly.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"350\" height=\"192\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/ontario-5190601_960_720-350x192.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/ontario-5190601_960_720-350x192.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/ontario-5190601_960_720-768x422.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/ontario-5190601_960_720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p>Today&#8217;s blog post is a listening practice. Sing along this song written and performed by the Dominican cantautor (singer-songwriter) Juan Lu\u00eds Guerra. If you read my post on the of rhythms Latin America, you will recognize that this song belongs in the music genre merengue. This canci\u00f3n (song) is very popular in the Spanish-Speaking world&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/spanish-grammar-part-2-4\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":15553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[528721,3],"tags":[547408,399230],"class_list":["post-15525","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","category-culture","tag-spanish-listening-practice","tag-spanish-music"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/157"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15525"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15539,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15525\/revisions\/15539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}