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La carpeta vieja
The Old Folder
While cleaning a closet, Ana finds her school reports and discovers that her quiet father kept them all.
Three short parts. Read each part in Spanish first; tap “Show English” under a paragraph when you need the translation.
Part 1
Un sábado, Ana ayuda a su padre a limpiar un armario. Su padre es un hombre tranquilo y habla poco. Mientras mueve unas cajas, Ana encuentra una carpeta grande y vieja.
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One Saturday, Ana helps her father clean a closet. Her father is a quiet man and does not talk much. While moving some boxes, Ana finds a big, old folder.
—¿Qué es esto? —pregunta.
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“What is this?” she asks.
Su padre mira la carpeta y sonríe un poco.
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Her father looks at the folder and smiles a little.
Ana la abre. Dentro están todos los boletines de notas que llevó a casa durante sus años de escuela: los de primero, segundo y tercer curso. También están algunos dibujos y una nota de su profesora.
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Ana opens it. Inside are all the report cards she brought home during her school years: from first, second, and third grade. There are also some drawings and a note from her teacher.
—¿Guardaste todo esto? —pregunta Ana, sorprendida.
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“You kept all this?” Ana asks, surprised.
—Sí —responde él—. Siempre me gustaba leerlos.
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“Yes,” he replies. “I always liked reading them.”
Ana mira a su padre. Durante muchos años, cree que él nunca muestra sus sentimientos. Pero ahora ve que todos los papeles están limpios y bien guardados.
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Ana looks at her father. For many years, she thinks he never shows his feelings. But now she sees that all the papers are clean and carefully kept.
—Papá, ¿por qué nunca me dijiste que los tenías?
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“Dad, why didn’t you ever tell me you had them?”
Él baja la mirada y saca otro sobre de la caja.
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He looks down and takes another envelope out of the box.
—Hay algo más —dice.
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“There’s something else,” he says.
Ana toma el sobre y empieza a abrirlo.
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Ana takes the envelope and starts to open it.
Part 2La carta en el sobre(The Letter in the Envelope)
Dentro del sobre hay una foto pequeña. Ana aparece con seis años, con una mochila grande y una sonrisa tímida. También hay una hoja doblada.
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Inside the envelope is a small photo. Ana is in it at six years old, with a big backpack and a shy smile. There is also a folded sheet of paper.
Ana la abre y lee:
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Ana opens it and reads:
«Ana, estoy muy orgulloso de ti. No importa si tus notas son buenas o malas. Me gusta verte aprender y crecer. Te quiero, papá».
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“Ana, I am very proud of you. It doesn’t matter if your grades are good or bad. I like watching you learn and grow. I love you, Dad.”
Ana levanta la vista. Su padre está junto a la ventana, en silencio.
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Ana looks up. Her father is standing by the window, quietly.
—¿Escribiste esto hace muchos años? —pregunta.
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“Did you write this many years ago?” she asks.
—Sí. Pero nunca encontré el momento para dártelo —responde él.
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“Yes. But I never found the right time to give it to you,” he replies.
Ana se acerca y le da un abrazo. Su padre tarda un poco, pero después también la abraza.
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Ana walks over and gives him a hug. Her father takes a little while, but then he hugs her too.
Luego, Ana vuelve a mirar la carpeta. Cuenta los boletines y frunce el ceño.
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Then Ana looks at the folder again. She counts the report cards and frowns.
—Papá, falta uno. No está el de sexto curso.
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“Dad, one is missing. The sixth-grade one isn’t here.”
Él mira las cajas y piensa un momento.
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He looks at the boxes and thinks for a moment.
—Es verdad. Tal vez está en el viejo escritorio.
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“That’s true. Maybe it’s in the old desk.”
Ana sonríe y abre el cajón. Allí encuentra otro papel, doblado muchas veces.
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Ana smiles and opens the drawer. There she finds another paper, folded many times.
Part 3La carpeta especial(The Special Folder)
Ana lo desdobla con cuidado. Es el boletín de sexto curso. El papel está un poco viejo, pero se puede leer bien. Las notas son buenas y la profesora escribió: «Ana trabaja mucho y ayuda a sus compañeros».
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Ana carefully unfolds it. It is the sixth-grade report card. The paper is a little old, but it is easy to read. The grades are good, and the teacher wrote: “Ana works hard and helps her classmates.”
Debajo hay unas palabras de su padre: «Estoy muy orgulloso de ti. Hoy terminas la escuela, pero siempre puedes seguir aprendiendo».
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Below it are some words from her father: “I am very proud of you. Today you finish school, but you can always keep learning.”
Ana lee la nota en voz alta. Su padre la escucha y sonríe.
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Ana reads the note aloud. Her father listens and smiles.
—No sabía que pensabas todo eso de mí —dice Ana.
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“I didn’t know you thought all that about me,” Ana says.
—No soy bueno con las palabras —responde él—, pero siempre lo he pensado.
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“I’m not good with words,” he replies, “but I have always thought that.”
Ana le toma la mano.
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Ana takes his hand.
—Ahora sí lo sé. Gracias, papá.
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“Now I know. Thank you, Dad.”
Juntos ponen el último boletín en la carpeta. Después, Ana guarda también la foto y la carta. Cierra la carpeta y la coloca en un lugar especial, sobre el escritorio.
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Together they put the last report card in the folder. Then Ana puts the photo and the letter in it too. She closes the folder and puts it in a special place, on the desk.
El armario ya está limpio. Ana y su padre se sientan junto a la ventana, tranquilos. Esta vez, el silencio está lleno de cariño.
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The closet is clean now. Ana and her father sit by the window, feeling peaceful. This time, the silence is full of love.
Practise this Spanish story
Vocabulary in context
Important words and phrases
carpeta
nounfolder
Tengo una carpeta azul.
I have a blue folder.
armario
nouncloset
La ropa está en el armario.
The clothes are in the closet.
cajas
nounboxes
Hay cajas en el armario.
There are boxes in the closet.
sobre
nounenvelope
Hay una carta dentro de un sobre.
There is a letter inside an envelope.
foto
nounphoto
Tengo una foto de mi familia.
I have a photo of my family.
escritorio
noundesk
Mi cuaderno está sobre el escritorio.
My notebook is on the desk.
cajón
noundrawer
La llave está en el cajón.
The key is in the drawer.
boletines de notas
noun phrasereport cards
Guardo los boletines de notas en una carpeta.
I keep the report cards in a folder.
orgulloso
adjectiveproud
Mi madre está orgullosa de mí.
My mother is proud of me.
abrazo
nounhug
Le doy un abrazo a mi padre.
I give my father a hug.
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 importa si...
Use this phrase to say that one condition does not change the main idea. It is often followed by si + two possibilities. In the story, the father says: 'No importa si tus notas son buenas o malas.' You can reuse it in everyday speech: 'No importa si llueve, vamos al parque.'
No importa si llueve, vamos al parque.
It doesn't matter if it rains; we are going to the park.
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