Tourists making life difficult for locals

Barcelona struggles with rising tide of tourists


Tourists are vital to Barcelona's economy, but the 27 million people who visit each year have become a headache for the new mayor as she battles to save the iconic Spanish Mediterranean port from becoming a bland theme park.

"Tourists go home" is frequently found painted on the walls of buildings in the centre of Spain's second-largest city, which is struggling to cope with a surge in tourism that started when it hosted the Olympics in 1992.


Vocabulary:

to struggle -

to rise -

a tide -

a mayor -

a theme park -

to cope (with stg) -

a surge -

to host (v,n) -

according to -

to highlight -

a (snaking) queue -

to jam -

narrow (adj) -

room (unc n) -

to lay down -

to be at a crossroad -

such as -

tree-lined -

to heave with (people) -

to throng (a place) -

to found (a business) -

huge (adj) -

a banner -

a vendor -

to complain -

gawking -

groceries (n) -

to ban -

peak (times) -

a client -

a shopping cart -

a fishmonger -

to half (halved) -

grassroots -

seaside  (n, adj)

a neighbourhood -

short-term -

to flood stg with ... -

rowdy (adj) -

a boom -

to work on stg -

to swear in (swore, sworn) -

daily (adj) -

a measure -

to announce stg -

to issue stg -

to turn stg into ... -

-shaped -

a skyscraper -

to spark (a warning, a war...) -

a licence -

when it comes to -

elsewhere -




Have you been to Barcelona? Do you agree with the article?


 

Comments

Roberto said…
TO STRUGGLE: LUCHAR
TO RISE: SUBIR,CRECER
A TIDE: MAREA
A MAYOR: ALCALDE
A THEME PARK: PARQUE TEMÁTICO
TO COPE: HACER FRENTE
A SURGE: UN AUMENTO
TO HOST: ACOGER
ACCORDING TO: SEGÚN EL,DE ACUERDO CON
TO HIGHLIGHT: DESTACAR,RESALTAR
A QUEUE: UNA COLA (SERPENTEANTE)
TO JAM: ATASCARSE
NARROW: ESTRECHO
ROOM: (IN THIS CASE) ESPACIO
TO LAY DOWN: TUMBARSE
TO BE AT A CROSSROAD: ESTAR EN UNA ENCRUCIJADA
SUCH AS: TAN
TREE-LINED: ARBOLADO
TO HAVE WITH: DESACERSE DE ALGUIEN (?)
TO THRONG: LLENAR,ATESTAR
TO FOUND: FUNDAR,CREAR
HUGE: ENORME
A BANNER: CARTEL,PANCARTA
A VENDOR: VENDEDOR,PROVEEDOR
TO COMPLAIN: QUEJARSE
GAWKING: MIRAR EMBOBADO
GROCERIES: TIENDAS DE COMIDA
TO BAN: PROHIBIR
PEAK: PICO,CIMA
A CLIENT: CLIENTE
A SHOPPING CART: CARRITO DE LA COMPRA
A FISHMONGER: PESCADERO
TO HALF: REDUCIR A LA MITAD
GRASSROOTS: BASES
SEASIDE: COSTA,COSTERO
A NEIGHBOURHOOD: VECINDARIO,BARRIO
SHORT TERM: CORTO PLAZO
TO FLOOD WITH: INUNDAR CON
ROWDY: RUIDOSO
A BOOM: UN AUGE
TO WORK ON STG.: TRABAJAR EN ALGO
TO SWEAR IN: JURAR
DAILY: DIARIO
A MESURE: MEDIDA
TO ANNOUNCE: ANUNCIAR
TO ISSUE: EMITIR,DIFUNDIR
TO TURN STG. INTO: CONVERTIR
SHAPED: FORMADO,PERFILADO
A SKYSCRAPER: RASCACIELOS
TO SPARK: PROVOCAR
A LICENCE: LICENCIA,PERMISO
WHEN IT COMES TO: CUANDO VIENE
ELSEWHERE: EN OTRA PARTE

UFFF!. I´M SWEATING...


Graham said…
Hi Roberto,

If I were you, I wouldn't simply write translations.

First read the article without looking at the word list. (If the story is in the Spanish press, read about it to familiarise yourself with the vocabulary)

Then go through the article again - try to imagine what the word means before checking in a dictionary.

You don't have to take a note of every single word - just the ones that you feel may be useful (I put what I think are the more common words in larger type)

Don't simply write the translation. Remember that one word can have many different meanings depending on the context.

Most dictionaries (I like Cambridge) have example sentences. Take a note of them occasionally.

OK. I'll have a look through your list later. I'm being told to take the dog out for a walk...


Graham said…
Hi Roberto,

I think there are a few ways of translating "cope" (poder con, arreglárselas) :

I don't know how she copes - a single mother with 4 kids to bring up.
He is finding difficult to cope with such a stressful job.

We use "such as" to give examples of something (tal como).

If a place is heaving, then it is absolutely full.

A grocer's is the store where you buy your groceries (provisiones).

Do you know the difference between a customer and a client? http://madteachergraham2.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/customer-v-client.html

I think the rest of it is ok.


Impossible to sweat here.:-)
José said…
Hi Graham,

Do you mean that all tourists come in Barcelona by the iconic Spanish Mediterranean port, that is, from the sea? I can’t believe that only a few tourists arrive by road. I’m afraid that Spanish people don’t want to go to abroad. “Tourists go home” and “Spanish people go home” are expressions very progressive, cultured and respectful. LOL. In my opinion the Spanish Government made a big mistake to give them the Olympic Games of 1992. It would rather the Spanish Government had given the Olympic Games to Extremadura, for instance. The Spanish people from Extremadura are more grateful and they are needier.

What does “making life” mean, please?

See you.
Graham said…
Hi José,

I think Barcelona is a wonderful city but it does risk being destroyed by mass tourism. I try to avoid places with hordes of dumb tourists.

Do you mean that all tourists come to Barcelona by the iconic Spanish Mediterranean port, that is, from the sea? I can’t believe that only a few tourists arrive by road. (when the article refers to the "iconic port", it is referring to the city of Barcelona).

... It would have been better if the Spanish Government had given the Olympic Games to Extremadura, for instance. ...


Have you ever been to Barcelona yourself? I was first there in 1992 when the Olympics were taking place. :-)


Graham said…
Ah, I almost forgot.

"Tourists are making life difficult for locals" = tourists create difficulties for locals.

make + noun + adjective = cause to happen

The ex-King's comments about bullfighting make me sick. (I feel sick because of his comments)

That class makes my job bearable. (My job is bearable because of that class)

Get it???

Montse said…
Hi, all again!!

I'm planning to go to Barcelona in the early October...I hope most tourists have vanished by that time :-)
I can't stand the long snaking queues and the places jam-packed with tourists, either, and much less that kind of tourist that thinks Spain is only "fiesta" and drinks as it's happening in Magaluf (Mallorca) where they think everithing is allowed...
In my opinion, this situation is principally our fault since we always have trouble setting limits.
I've already seen some ads offering "tourist aparments" in the centre of Madrid...

I hope see you soon!!!
Graham said…
Hi Montse,

I made it back to Madrid, eventually! Now I have another horrendous journey to add to my long list haha

I suppose that you have been to all the main sights in Barcelona. If I were you, I'd avoid Las Ramblas, La Sagrada Familia and such like. It's not worth the stress. If you really must go to a touristy area, get up early before the crowds get there.


I'm planning to go to Barcelona (in) early / at the start of October...I hope most tourists have vanished by then :-)
... much less that kind of tourist that thinks Spain is only "fiesta" and drinks, as is happening in Magaluf (Mallorca) where they think everything is allowed...

I hope to see you soon!!!


Let's try to meet sometime in September.

Montse said…
Hi, all!!!
José, Graham..set a date before you start the classes and then I'll ask in the whatssap group if someone else wants to meet. What do you think, Roberto?
Graham said…
No José, no party!

I'll be seeing him today. I'll let you know what the main man says. :-)
José said…
Hi everybody,

I have ever been to Barcelona a lot of time, by business, for tourism and in representation of the Ministry. It’s interesting, but I prefer Segovia because it’s nice, small and friendly town. When I have been to Segovia I feel as I would be my home. Everybody fits in Segovia. I don’t know if to come to Barcelona I would need the passport, but I don’t care because it’s in force yet.

Have you ever been to the North side of the Iberian Mountain Range? Have you ever been to Rascafría, La Granja, La Boca del Asno, Riaza and so on? They are a very beautiful places. Have you ever been to El Valle del Pas (Cantabria), La Sierra de Cazorla, Santander, Galicia, Los Picos de Urbión (Soria), Salamanca, Toledo, La Alhambra (Granada), Sabiñánigo, Sallent de Gállego y El Valle de Tena (Huesca), Asturias and so on? You don’t need the passport. Anyone of them is nicer than another place which is a cliché.

See you.
Graham said…
Hi José,

There are many places (which are) worth visiting in Spain.

Most of the places you mention ring a bell but as I have such a poor memory, I'm not entirely sure if I've been to some of them.

I've heard of Rascafría but I've never been there. I might have been to Riaza. I've definitely been to Santander, Granada (though not the Alambra), Salamanca, Toledo and La Granja. I've also been to the Cantabrian side of the Picos de Europa.

I've never been to Asturias though I've been to the Basque Country a few times (I note that it wasn't on your list - tut tut!)



Let's see if I can make sense of your cryptic message...

I have been to Barcelona a lot of times / quite a lot, on business, as a tourist and representing the Ministry. It’s interesting but I prefer Segovia because it’s a nice, small and friendly town. When I was in Segovia, I felt as if I was at home. Everybody enjoys themselves in Segovia. I don’t know if one day I'll need a passport to go to Barcelona, but I don’t care because it’s not in force yet.

... They are very beautiful places. ... You don’t need a passport.

I'm not sure about the last idiomatic expression but it might be something like The grass is always greener on the other side.


See you in a bit.