Sunday, March 7, 2010

Sunday Bilingual News


Dear Friends:

Hello! Welcome to the weekly communication from the Spanish-English Club! This is the first Sunday Bilingual News of March 2010, till now with snow and cold weather across a large geography of the country, but hot temperatures in the political arena.

¡Hola! Bienvenidos a la comunicación semanal del Spanish-English Club! Este es el primer Sunday Bilingual News de marzo del 2010, hasta ahora con nieve y tiempo frío a través de una gran geografía del país, pero con calientes temperaturas en la arena política.

March began with a new very intense political week. Members of both parties are thinking about the elections in November. Health care, unemployment, economy are some of the issues in debate.

Marzo comenzó con una nueva muy intensa semana política. Miembros de ambos partidos están pensando acerca de las elecciones en noviembre. Salud, desempleo, economía son algunos de los asuntos en debate.

On the international side, the earthquake of Chile produced new concerns about deaths and damages in another country very different from Haiti, and a long experience in seismic movements.

Del lado internacional, el terremoto de Chile produjo nuevas preocupaciones acerca de muertos y daños en otro país muy diferente que Haití, y con una larga experiencia en movimientos sísmicos.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton visited some Latin American countries stopping in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Mientras tanto, la Secretaria de Estado de los Estados Unidos, Hillary Clinton visitó algunos países latinoamericanos parando en Brasil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica y Guatemala.

Ms Clinton’s trip gave several signals of a new America’s approach to its brothers of the south, but it also showed countries like Brazil and Argentina who have independent ways of thinking about international issues that maybe could be in conflict with the foreign politics of the United States.

El viaje de la Señora Clinton dio algunas señales de un nuevo acercamiento de los Estados Unidos hacia sus hermanos del sur, pero también mostró que países como Brasil y Argentina que tienen formas independientes de pensar sobre asuntos internacionales, quizás podrían estar en conflicto con la política exterior de los Estados Unidos.

In the context of Ms Clinton visit, Brazilian President confirmed his country has its own dialogue with Iran about nuclear developments that could collide with the common view of France, UK, Germany, and the United States.

En el contexto de la visita de la Señora Clinton, el Presidente Brasileño confirmó que su país tiene su propio diálogo con Irán acerca de desarrollos nucleares que podría chocar con el punto de vista común de Francia, Reino Unido, Alemania, y los Estados Unidos.

Health care returned to the top of the news. President Obama pushed for Congress to complete health care reform legislation in the next few weeks. A new tactic came to the table: the reconciliation process that has been law since 1974.

El asunto de la salud retornó al tope de las noticias. El Presidente Obama empujó al Congreso para completar la legislación de la reforma de la salud en las próximas semanas. Una nueva táctica se lanzó sobre la mesa: el proceso de reconciliación que ha sido ley desde 1974.

The week ended with a new unemployment report from the US Labor Department. The national rate held steady at 9.7 percent in February, but jobless rates for black and Latinos remained high.

La semana finalizó con un nuevo informe de desempleo del Departamento de Trabajo de los Estados Unidos. El índice nacional se mantuvo firme en 9,70% en febrero, pero las índices de desempleos de negros y latinos permanecieron altos.

On Friday, Wall Street markets closed in positive territory helped by the job report of February. The Dow Jones Industrials Average gained 122.06 points, or 1.17%, closing at 10,566.20. In the same session, Nasdaq Composite grew 34.94 points, or 1.48%, closing the day at 2,326.35. Also, S&P 500 went up 1.65%, and NYSE Composite climbed 1.65%. Google shares recovered ground from previous falls gaining $9.62, or 1.73%, to close at $564.21.

El viernes, los mercados de Wall Street cerraron en territorio positivo ayudados por el informe de trabajo de febrero. El índice Dow Jones Industrials Average ganó 122,06 puntos, o sea 1,17%, cerrando en 10.566,20. En la misma sesión, Nasdaq Composite creció 34,94 puntos, o sea 1,48%, cerrando el día en 2.326,35. También, S&P 500 fue hacia arriba 1,65%, y NYSE Composite trepó 1,65%. Las acciones de Google recuperaron terreno en relación con previas caídas ganando $9,62, o sea 1,73%, para cerrar en $564,21.

Please, what is your opinion about the comeback of health care issue? Is it an important subject for the bilingual practice of this Sunday Bilingual News?

Por favor, ¿cuál es vuestra opinión acerca del retorno del asunto de salud? ¿Es un importante tema para la práctica bilingüe de este Sunday Bilingual News?

Health Care: Frustrations and Hopes
Salud: Frustraciones y esperanzas

During the week, President Obama called to the members of the Congress to pass the health care bill with these words: “I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health care reform.”

Durante la semana, el Presidente Obama llamó a los miembros del Congreso a pasar el proyecto de ley de salud con estas palabras: “Yo creo que el Congreso de los Estados Unidos le debe al pueblo americano un voto final por la reforma de la salud.”

From both sides, politicians are feeling the pressure of the White House, while the population lives in total frustration for all the actions without an end.

Desde ambos lados, los políticos están sintiendo la presión de la Casa Blanca, mientras que la población vive en total frustración por todas las acciones sin in final.

In the meantime, a huge apparatus is moving to take action when the health care reform will come. A lot of technology companies like IBM, HP, Dell, Microsoft and others, plus hospitals and medical insurance organizations are redefining the way they process the patient personal data and improving the health information systems. The big question: Will they help us or they will be a new way the medical organizations could make more money from every aspirin or drop they dispense to the patients?

Mientras tanto, un aparato gigante se está moviendo para entrar en acción cuando la reforma de la salud llegue. Muchas compañías de tecnología tales como IBM, HP, Dell, Microsoft y otros, más hospitales y organizaciones de seguro médico están redefiniendo la forma en que ellos procesan los datos personales de los pacientes y mejorando los sistemas de información de la salud. Una gran pregunta surge: ¿Ayudarán ellos a nosotros o serán nueva forma para que de las organizaciones médicas puedan hacer más dinero desde cada aspirina, o gota que ellos le dan a los pacientes?

It is time to extend the scope of what we define as health care. Not every time we find the magic formula to feel better in the hand of the medical doctors.

Es tiempo de extender el alcance de lo que nosotros definimos como cuidado de la salud. No siempre encontramos la fórmula mágica para sentirnos mejor en la mano de los doctores médicos.

The visit to emergency rooms is another source of frustration for the patients without good medical insurance. This happens not only in the United States. Everywhere in the world, some cheap medicines produce other sicknesses.

La visita a las salas de emergencias es otra fuente de frustración para los pacientes sin un buen seguro médico. Esto sucede no sólo en los Estados Unidos. En todas partes del mundo, algunos servicios baratos de medicina producen otras enfermedades.

During the long discussion of the American new health care reform, everybody who has good medical insurance don’t want to lose his/her benefits if more people invade the medical services with similar priorities.

Durante la larga discusión de la nueva reforma del sistema de salud americano, todos los que tienen buenos seguros médicos no quieren perder sus beneficios si más gente invade los servicios médicos con similares prioridades.

The best way is to bring in the doctors only when we really need them. To avoid the frequently painful lines to ask for new medical formulas, we have other alternatives that a lot of people have never explored till now.

Lo mejor es acercarse a los doctores solamente cuando uno realmente los necesita. Para evitar las frecuentemente penosas colas para pedir nuevas fórmulas médicas, nosotros tenemos otras alternativas que mucha gente nunca exploró hasta ahora.

For example, good food, the natural vitamins of fruit, and a healthy mode of living we could increase our hopes for a better life without tables, capsules, or drops.

Por ejemplo, a través de una buena comida, de las vitaminas naturales de las frutas, y de un modo saludable de vivir, nosotros podemos incrementar nuestras esperanzas de una vida mejor sin tabletas, cápsulas, o gotas.

The list of alternative resources that everybody has in his/her own hands include gym sessions, yoga, bicycle tours, walking, and of course, the practice of a sport like swimming.

La lista de recursos alternativos que cada uno tiene en sus propias manos incluye sesiones de gimnasia, yoga, paseos en bicicleta, caminatas, y por su puesto la práctica de deportes como la natación.

The first time, you try to swim one or two lanes in the swimming pool looks like an impossible feat. But there are a lot of people with physical disabilities who don’t care if outside it is snowing or all is frozen, when they enjoy hours of swimming in an indoor swimming pool.

La primera vez que ustedes tratan de nadar uno o dos largos en una piscina (o alberca, o pileta) parece como una hazaña imposible. Pero hay mucha gente con incapacidades físicas quienes no se preocupan si afuera está nevando o está todo congelado, cuando ellos disfrutan horas de natación en una piscina cubierta.

The good food, continuous physical exercise, and a life with discipline are ways to improve our hopes of better health without the dependence of the health care systems that always were tied to political decisions without control from our side.

La buena comida, el ejercicio físico continuo, y una vida con disciplina son maneras de mejorar nuestras esperanzas de una salud mejor sin la dependencia de los sistemas médicos de la salud que siempre han estado atados (o extrechamente dependientes) a decisiones políticas fuera de nuestro control.

The history of health care reforms is long in this country. Across the time, some government initiatives were good, and others no. Frequently, every time the members of Congress discuss this kind of issue, their discussiones transcend the nature of health care to other subjects like how to manage a reconciliation process or how to appeal to tactics that produce the frustration of the citizen. For this reason, everybody have to balance their health care with the possibilities the law offers plus their own initiatives to maintain body and soul healthy despite external negative conditions.

La historia de las reformas de la salud es larga en este país. A través del tiempo, algunas iniciativas del gobierno fueron buenas, y otras no. Frecuentemente, cada vez que los miembros del Congreso discuten esta clase de asunto, sus discusiones trascienden la naturaleza del tema salud a otros asuntos tales como manejar un proceso de reconciliación o como apelar a tácticas que producen la frustración de los ciudadanos. Por esta razón, todos tienen que balancear su cuidado de la salud con las posibilidades que la ley ofrece más sus propias iniciativas para mantener cuerpo y alma saludable, a pesar de condiciones externas negativas.

Have a nice week!

Domingo

Dr. Domingo A. Trassens
My virtual doors always are opened for you at my e-mail:
trassens-domingo.alberto@att.net
And through the virtual address of the Club
http://spaengclub.blogspot.com

Questions - Preguntas:

1. From your point of view: What was the worst subject for the last week?
1. Desde vuestro punto de vista, ¿cuál fue la peor noticia de la última semana?

2. And what was the best news from the last week?
2. ¿Y cuál fue la mejor noticia de la última semana?

Vocabulary - Vocabulario:

- approach = acercamiento
- earthquake = terremoto
- feat = hazaña
- health = salud
- health care = salud, cuidado de la salud, asistencia médica
- hypocritical = hipócrita
- insurance = seguro
- reconciliation = reconciliación
- signals = señales
- seismic = sísmico
- tactics = tácticas
- trip = viaje
- unemployment = desempleo
- vitamins = vitaminas

- America = Estados Unidos, Estados Unidos de América, Estados Unidos de Norteamérica
- American = americanos, norteamericanos
- Argentina = Argentina
- Brazil = Brasil (change “z” for “s”)
- Chile =
Chile
- Costa Rica = Costa Rica
- Guatemala = Guatemala
- Haiti = Haití ( In Spanish, always the "h" is silent)
- Latinos =
latinos, latinoamericanos
- Latin America = América Latina
- Latin American =latinoamericano, latinoamericana, latinoamericanos, latinoamericanas
- Uruguay = Uruguay

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MEMBERS AND LIBRARY CORNER

Thanks Anne, Bob, Bev, Carl, Donna, Erika, Frank, George, Jenny, Joseph, Judy, Marcelo, Paul,, Stephen, Sue, and Suzanne for your comments and interaction.


LANGUAGE TEST / PRUEBA DE LENGUAJE



TEST: Today, we are designing a new TEST for all of you. We think health care is not only about medical treatments, doctors, and hospitals. The test presents three different pictures to match them with all you think is concerning with the health of the people.
PRUEBA: Hoy, hemos diseñado un nueva PRUEBA para todos ustedes. Nosotros pensamos que el cuidado de la salud no es sólo acerca de tratamientos médicos, doctores, y hospitales. El presenta tres diferentes imágenes para comparar a ellas con todo lo que ustedes piensan es relativo a la salud de la gente.

Remember, you can always write your own comments and opinions in the COMMENTS’ section of the Sunday Bilingual News online.
Recuerden, ustedes siempre pueden escribir sus comentarios y opiniones en la Sección COMMENTS del Sunday Bilingual News en línea.

20 comments:

Suzanne said...

I run. I have fears for the water. Independent of all, I agree the physical activities are very important of the health. Yo corro. Tengo miedo al agua. Independente de todo, estoy de acuerdo que las actividades fisicas son importantes para la salud. Suzanne

Judy said...

I think the economy today doesn't help to implement expensive health care systems. Judy

Erika said...

About health care, I would like to have the freedom to decide the medical insurance from myself. Erika

Marc said...

The social medicine is not easy to implement in countries with big population across of very different regions, and with a strong concept of freedom in the personal decisions. It is not the best model for the United States. Marc

Stephen said...

I think everybody have responsibilities about their health care. For this reason, your advices are important: good food, balanced life, vitamins, gym and sport. Thank you. Stephen

Arthur said...

When we talk about health care in general, we have to include Medicare that is a reasonable option for elders who don't have another medical insurance. Arthur

Jim said...

Test: For me, vitamins in tables or capsules, fruit and the practice of a sport are three components of the same formula: preventive health care. Jim

Patty said...

About your test, I recognize the gym sessions are important, but I am lazy. I prefer to eat two apples and a grapefruit every morning. Patty

Pierre said...

In my case, I visit the pharmacy periodically because I need medicine for my health, but I also eat an apple every morning, and one time per week I go to the swimming pool. Pierre

Rich said...

I am not a swimmer. Yo no soy nadador. But every Sunday morning, I run in the beach. Pero cada domingo por la manana, yo corro en la playa. Rich

Lora said...

I like to swim but I don't like the humidity of the indoor swimming pools, sometimes I prefer run in the beach. Me gusta nadar pero no me gusta la humedad de las piscinas cerradas, a veces prefiero correr en la playa. Lora

Joseph said...

Answer to "B" from the previous Sunday Bilingual News. Your explanation about the meaning of the "fire" is interesting. I never thought in this way. But the "ice" also kills people. Joseph

Fred said...

I don't like apples, but I eat other fruits every day. I only visit the pharmacy for vitamins and minerals in tables. I don't swim. My sport is the tennis. The problem is in the tennis I need a couple. My wife swim and my friends are lazy to go with me to the club... Frequently, I run when my wife is swimming. Fred

John said...

Every day, my breakfast is a big dish with different fruits: apricots, cranberries, grapes, apples, pears, plus a glass of orange juice and a yoghurt. After that, I walk to my work that is at six blocks from my home. During the weekend, I play golf with my friends. I expend my vacations surfing in the ocean. I am over the 50s. John

Jonathan said...

I am 54 years old, but I don't play golf. I play soccer with my children, and I take the bus to go to my work. But I care a lot about the food: fruits, vitamins, and all that I need to maintain my body and brains in the best level. Jonathan

George said...

For me, the most important is good food and physical exercises. I don't believe in the special vitamin formulas that the pharmacies sell to the persons who want to be healthy. George

Marcelo said...

Test: I eat healthy food, play soccer and I only take some aspirins when I have a cold. Yo como buena y saludable comida, juego futbol y solo tomo algunas aspirinas cuando tengo un resfrio. Marcelo

Stephanie said...

I think the point is not what kind of fruit we eat or what sport we practice. We have to live a balanced life with the best food we can eat and with the best physical activities we can manage according to our age and possibilities. Stephanie

Jonathan said...

Changing the subject: In the last issue you commented the differences among Brazil, Argentina and United States. I am curious about the relationships between U.S. and the Latin American countries. Why frequently we have a lot of problems among brothers? Jonathan

Don said...

Test: I agree physical activities and good food are important for the health of the people, but we need a lot of discipline in our life too. Some persons eat very good food but more they need and this is bad. Don