LA WEB DE READING COMPREHENSION PREFERIDA POR LOS HISPANOHABLANTES

To get information in Spanish place the arrow of your mouse on the highlighted words without clicking.
Para obtener información en español acerca la flecha de tu ratón a las palabras o frases resaltadas.

WAKE UP, ARGENTINA

John C. Broome

John C. Broome writes
for the New York Times and
lives in Fresno, California.
In 2002, he wrote this poem about Argentina situation.
 

WAKE UP ARGENTINA !!

Look at your capital with its tree-lined cobblestone streets, its beautiful boulevards, its stately parks with such grand statuary, and mile after mile of grand buildings. It is the rival of any city in the world. Look at the vast expanse of your beautiful countryside.

Your men are handsome, friendly, and have real grace. Your women are the world's beauties and have a class all their own.

Your wines, your beef, your leather goods, your grains, are all first-rate. Your polo players, and your soccer players set the standard for all the others.

Your history and your culture should be studied by all the world's peoples, to be a benchmark for their own.

WAKE UP ARGENTINA !!

Where is your self-confidence?? Where has it gone?

Where are the throngs of tourists partaking of what you have to offer, and leaving their money to bolster your economy? They are elsewhere. Why not in Argentina?

Where are your wine and beef and leather goods in the United States and the other world markets? I find none. Chilean? Yes! Argentine? No! Why?

WAKE UP ARGENTINA !!

Sell yourself and what you have to offer. Be as prosperous as you have been in the past.

Clean up your streets. Erase your graffiti. Show your visitors and yourself what you really are. You are better than filth.

A public official who takes a bribe or absconds with public funds is a common thief. Jail him. He is killing your economy and your pride as a nation.

WAKE UP ARGENTINA !!

You are better than Banana-Republic corruption.

I have just had the privilege of an extended stay in your country. I love Argentina. I love the Argentines.

WAKE UP ARGENTINA !!

Share with the world what you are. Share what you have shared with me. You are the best kept secret on the planet!!

WAKE UP ARGENTINA !!! PLEASE !!

Source: New York Times.

GLOSSARY

wake up: become awake, stop sleeping (despiértate)
tree-lined: with lines of trees (bordeadas con árboles)
cobblestone: paved with rectangular stones with curved top (empedradas)
stately: impressive (majestuosos)
statuary: collection of statues (conjunto de esculturas)
expanse: wide surface (superficie)
handsome: pleasing in appearance (guapos)
leather goods: goods made of an animal skin (productos de cuero)
first-rate: first-class (de primera línea)
set the standard: establish the basis (marcan los estándares de calidad)
benchmark: standard (patrón, estándar)
self-confidence: assurance, belief in yourself and your abilities (autoestima)
throngs: crowds (multitudes)
 partaking: sharing (compartiendo)
 to bolster: support (para apoyar)

elsewhere: in other place (en cualquiera otra parte)
 I find none: I find nothing, not at all (no encuentro nada)
 as prosperous as: profitable (tan próspero como)
clean up: clean from rubbish (elimina la basura)
erase: remove, rub out, wipe off (borra)
graffiti: rude decoration inscribed on walls (inscripciones)
filth: unclean things (la mugre)
takes a bribe: accepts a payment in corruption (acepta una coima o soborno)
absconds: runs away (huye, se escapa)
jail him: lock him up in prison (envíalo a la cárcel)
pride: feeling of self-respect (orgullo)
 extended stay: a relatively long  period (prolongada estadía)
share: use in common, partake (comparte)
kept: maintained, preserved (mejor conservado)
 

MAS "DESTACADOS"   FORO   INICIO