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El ramo de la novia
The Bride’s Bouquet
At her friend’s wedding, Ana catches the bouquet and faces an awkward moment with her boyfriend.
Three short parts. Read each part in Spanish first; tap “Show English” under a paragraph when you need the translation.
Part 1
Ana va a la boda de su amiga Marta. Lleva un vestido azul y está muy contenta, pero no quiere casarse. Por eso, cuando Marta coge el ramo de flores, Ana se esconde detrás de una mesa.
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Ana goes to her friend Marta’s wedding. She is wearing a blue dress and is very happy, but she does not want to get married. So when Marta picks up the bouquet, Ana hides behind a table.
—¡No, por favor! —dice Ana en voz baja.
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“No, please!” Ana says quietly.
Marta lanza el ramo hacia las invitadas. Las flores pasan por encima de varias cabezas, golpean una lámpara y caen directamente en las manos de Ana.
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Marta throws the bouquet toward the guests. The flowers fly over several heads, hit a lamp, and fall right into Ana’s hands.
Todos empiezan a aplaudir y a reír.
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Everyone starts clapping and laughing.
—¡Ana es la próxima novia! —grita alguien.
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“Ana is the next bride!” someone shouts.
Ana mira el ramo con sorpresa. Después mira a su novio, Pablo. Él sonríe y se acerca.
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Ana looks at the bouquet in surprise. Then she looks at her boyfriend, Pablo. He smiles and comes closer.
—¿Quieres casarte conmigo? —pregunta.
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“Do you want to marry me?” he asks.
La música continúa y todos esperan su respuesta. Ana siente que tiene la cara muy roja. Mira otra vez las flores y respira profundamente.
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The music continues, and everyone waits for her answer. Ana feels that her face is very red. She looks at the flowers again and takes a deep breath.
—Pablo, yo… —empieza a decir mientras levanta una mano para detenerlo.
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“Pablo, I…” she begins to say as she raises a hand to stop him.
Part 2La boda de Marta(Marta’s Wedding)
—Pablo, yo te quiero mucho, pero no quiero casarme —dice Ana—. Y no quiero hablar de esto delante de todos.
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“Pablo, I love you very much, but I don’t want to get married,” Ana says. “And I don’t want to talk about this in front of everyone.”
La música baja y los invitados dejan de aplaudir. Pablo mira el ramo y luego mira a Ana.
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The music gets quieter, and the guests stop clapping. Pablo looks at the bouquet and then at Ana.
—Perdón —dice—. Solo era una pregunta. No quiero hacerte sentir mal.
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“I’m sorry,” he says. “It was just a question. I don’t want to make you feel bad.”
Ana sonríe un poco. Le da la mano y los dos se alejan de la mesa. Algunas invitadas hablan en voz baja, pero Marta se acerca rápidamente.
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Ana smiles a little. She takes his hand, and they both move away from the table. Some of the guests talk quietly, but Marta quickly comes over.
—No pasa nada —dice Marta—. Ana, ven a hacerte una foto conmigo y con Luis. ¡Tienes el ramo!
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“It’s okay,” Marta says. “Ana, come and take a photo with me and Luis. You have the bouquet!”
—¿Con el ramo? —pregunta Ana.
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“With the bouquet?” Ana asks.
—Claro. Es una tradición de la boda.
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“Of course. It’s a wedding tradition.”
Ana mira las flores. Ya no quiere tenerlas en las manos, pero tampoco quiere estar triste en la boda de su amiga. Pablo le aprieta la mano.
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Ana looks at the flowers. She does not want to hold them anymore, but she also does not want to be sad at her friend’s wedding. Pablo squeezes her hand.
—Puedes decir que no —le susurra.
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“You can say no,” he whispers to her.
Marta ya está junto a la mesa, sonriendo para la cámara. Ana respira hondo y camina hacia ella con el ramo. Entonces el fotógrafo dice:
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Marta is already standing by the table, smiling for the camera. Ana takes a deep breath and walks toward her with the bouquet. Then the photographer says:
—¡Ahora, una foto de Ana y Pablo juntos!
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“Now, a photo of Ana and Pablo together!”
Part 3El ramo y la tradición(The Bouquet and the Tradition)
Ana se pone al lado de Pablo. Los dos sonríen para la foto, pero no se abrazan.
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Ana stands next to Pablo. They both smile for the photo, but they do not hug.
—¡Muy bien! —dice el fotógrafo—. ¡Ahora, otra foto con el ramo!
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“Very good!” the photographer says. “Now, another photo with the bouquet!”
Ana mira las flores y después mira a Marta.
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Ana looks at the flowers and then at Marta.
—Marta, ¿puedo darte el ramo? Yo no quiero ser la próxima novia.
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“Marta, can I give you the bouquet? I don’t want to be the next bride.”
Marta se ríe y abre los brazos.
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Marta laughs and opens her arms.
—Claro. Para mí, el ramo es solo un recuerdo bonito de este día.
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“Of course. To me, the bouquet is just a nice memory of this day.”
Ana le entrega las flores. Marta le da un abrazo y Pablo también sonríe.
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Ana gives her the flowers. Marta gives her a hug, and Pablo smiles too.
—Gracias por entenderme —dice Ana.
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“Thank you for understanding me,” Ana says.
—No tienes que casarte por haber cogido un ramo —responde Marta—. Es solo una tradición.
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“You don’t have to get married because you caught a bouquet,” Marta replies. “It’s just a tradition.”
Ana vuelve a la mesa con Pablo. Allí toma un vaso de limonada y respira tranquila.
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Ana goes back to the table with Pablo. There, she takes a glass of lemonade and breathes easily.
—¿Estás bien? —pregunta Pablo.
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“Are you okay?” Pablo asks.
—Sí. Y gracias por escucharme. Te quiero, pero quiero que sigamos a nuestro ritmo.
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“Yes. And thank you for listening to me. I love you, but I want us to go at our own pace.”
—A nuestro ritmo —dice él.
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“At our own pace,” he says.
Después, los dos bailan con los invitados. Ana ya no piensa en el ramo. Está feliz por Marta y también por su propia vida.
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After that, they both dance with the guests. Ana no longer thinks about the bouquet. She is happy for Marta and for her own life too.
Practise this Spanish story
Vocabulary in context
Important words and phrases
boda
nounwedding
Vamos a la boda de mi prima.
We are going to my cousin's wedding.
vestido azul
noun phraseblue dress
Lleva un vestido azul.
She is wearing a blue dress.
ramo de flores
noun phrasebouquet of flowers
El ramo de flores es bonito.
The bouquet of flowers is beautiful.
se esconde
verb phrasehides
El niño se esconde detrás de la puerta.
The child hides behind the door.
mesa
nountable
La llave está sobre la mesa.
The key is on the table.
invitados
nounguests
Los invitados llegan pronto.
The guests arrive soon.
sonríe
verbsmiles
Ella sonríe cuando ve a su amiga.
She smiles when she sees her friend.
tradición
nountradition
Es una tradición en mi familia.
It is a tradition in my family.
entenderme
verb phraseto understand me
Gracias por entenderme.
Thank you for understanding me.
a nuestro ritmo
phraseat our own pace
Queremos ir a nuestro ritmo.
We want to go at our own pace.
Check your understanding
Comprehension questions
Choose an answer, check it, then move to the next question.
Question 1 of 3
- Question 1: current not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
Notice the language
Language notes
No quiero + infinitivo
Use no quiero + infinitive to say that you do not want to do something. It is a very common and reusable pattern: no quiero hablar, no quiero ir, no quiero casarme. It helps you express a clear refusal or preference.
No quiero hablar de esto delante de todos.
I do not want to talk about this in front of everyone.
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