The Maestranza from the riverbank
Andrés wants to show Lucía the Maestranza, Seville's round bullring, from the bank of the Guadalquivir. There is no corrida today, and they do not go in.
La Maestranza desde la orilla
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About this article
What you'll learn
Present tense, querer with an infinitive, and the contrast between unas and otras, in a riverbank scene.
Andrés takes his niece Lucía along the Guadalquivir to show her the Maestranza from outside. There is no corrida this afternoon, and they do not go in. He says the floor in the center is sand, and that a corrida has a bull, a torero, and people watching from the seats. Some people go because of tradition, and others do not want to go.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
muy antigua en España
newvery ancient in Spain
Muy antigua en España shows the tradition has deep roots in Spain.
Useful when describing the origin of cultural practices.
parte de la cultura española
newpart of Spanish culture
Parte de la cultura española stresses cultural meaning, not just entertainment.
Helps you talk about culture and identity.
ejercicio de valentía y habilidad
newexercise of courage and skill
Ejercicio de valentía y habilidad describes medieval hunting as character training.
Useful vocabulary for historical descriptions.
Con el tiempo
newover time
Con el tiempo introduces historical change from one era to another.
Typical connector for chronological narrative.
traje de luces
newsuit of lights (bullfighter costume)
Traje de luces is the bullfighter's bright ceremonial outfit.
Key term from the bullfighting elements section.
genera debate
newgenerates debate
Genera debate means the topic is controversial and divides opinions.
Useful for discussing controversial subjects.
como arte y tradición
newas art and tradition
Como arte y tradición explains why some people defend bullfighting.
Helps you argue a position in a discussion.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
The countryside
el campo
the countryside, open country
El campo is open country outside the towns, not an English camp. The first bullfights happened there.
Campo carries the main contrast of the article: campo before, plaza today.
Nobles
nobles
nobles
Nobles were aristocrats who hunted bulls on horseback in the Middle Ages.
From the historical origins section.
Bullfighters
toreros
bullfighters (toreros)
Toreros are professional fighters who face the bull in the ring.
Key word for the modern spectacle.
Arena
plaza
arena (plaza)
Plaza here means the bullring, not just a town square.
Distinguish plaza de toros from a general town square.
Cape
capa
cape (capa)
Capa is the large pink cloth used to attract the bull.
One of three key props named in the article.
Muleta
muleta
muleta
Muleta is the small red cloth used for the final passes.
Term for the closing phase of the fight.
Cloth
tela
cloth, fabric
Tela is the cloth the bullfighter works with: the capa and the muleta are both telas.
Without this word you cannot tell the capa and the muleta apart.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
Not only... but
No es solo un espectáculo, sino parte de la cultura española
it is not only a spectacle but part of culture
No es solo... sino contrasts two ideas: not X but Y.
Common pattern for refining meaning.
Imperfect: era
la corrida no era como la conocemos hoy
the bullfight was not as we know it today
Era is the imperfect of ser; it describes a state that lasted in the past.
Shows how to describe the past without a fixed date.
Preterite: empezó a
La gente empezó a verla en plazas
people started watching the bullfight in arenas
Empezó a + infinitive marks the moment a new habit started in the past.
Pattern for describing a historical shift in habits.
Ser: es
La corrida de toros es una tradición muy antigua
bullfighting is a very ancient tradition
Es + noun/adjective defines what bullfighting is.
Basic defining sentence from the opening.
The pronoun la
Algunos la defienden como arte y tradición
some defend it as art and tradition
La stands for la corrida, so the noun is not repeated: la conocemos, verla, la defienden, la critican. It goes before the verb or attached to an infinitive.
This small la appears five times in the text; miss it and the sentences lose their object.
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