LEARN SPANISH with this VLOG (with English subtitles) | Intermediate Spanish

A radio workday: Spanish and English reading

This edited reading companion follows Lucía from the radio studio to the theatre and back home. It condenses the conversations and translates their meaning; it is not a word-for-word transcript. Songs and song lyrics are omitted. Open a timestamp to hear the original scene.

0:18 — A working day on the radio

Spanish: Lucía trabaja en la radio y hoy nos lleva con ella. Colabora en dos programas y los graba los martes.

English: Lucía works on the radio and today takes us with her. She contributes to two shows and records them on Tuesdays.

Spanish: No tiene coche, pero sí tiene carnet de conducir. Su madre le deja usar el suyo de vez en cuando, y guarda la guitarra en el maletero.

English: She does not own a car, but she does have a driving licence. Her mother lets her use hers from time to time, and she puts the guitar in the boot.

0:54 — Heading to Canal Sur

Spanish: El programa empieza a las tres y son las dos y veinte. Voy un poco justa de tiempo, pero vamos a ir tranquilitos.

English: The show starts at three and it is twenty past two. I am a little short on time, but we are going to take it calmly.

Spanish: En El Programa del Yuyu, Lucía habla de cosas interesantes y canta. En este vídeo describe Canal Sur Radio como la emisora más importante de Andalucía.

English: On El Programa del Yuyu, Lucía talks about interesting things and sings. In this video she describes Canal Sur Radio as the most important station in Andalusia.

1:54 — Live and recorded programmes

Spanish: En la época del vídeo, El Programa del Yuyu se emite en directo de tres a cuatro de la tarde. El Show del Comandante Lara se graba antes y se emite a medianoche, en la noche del domingo al lunes.

English: At the time of the video, El Programa del Yuyu airs live from three to four in the afternoon. El Show del Comandante Lara is recorded beforehand and broadcast at midnight, as Sunday night turns into Monday.

Spanish: Lucía aparca, recoge la mochila con su portátil y la guitarra, y señala el parque de atracciones Isla Mágica. Sube a la tercera planta para prepararse.

English: Lucía parks, collects her backpack with her laptop and guitar, and points out the Isla Mágica theme park. She goes up to the third floor to get ready.

3:03 — Waiting for her colleagues

Spanish: Mis compañeros aún no están. Quedan pocos minutos y no viene nadie. Cuando llegan, Lucía les pregunta en broma: «¿Qué horas son estas?».

English: My colleagues are not here yet. There are only a few minutes left and nobody is arriving. When they get there, Lucía jokingly asks, “What time do you call this?”

Spanish: Dos compañeros practican un trabalenguas sobre un cielo enladrillado y un desenladrillador. Primero se equivoca uno y luego la otra lo dice. Después salen corriendo hacia el estudio.

English: Two colleagues practise a tongue-twister about a bricked-up sky and someone who removes the bricks. First one makes a mistake and then the other says it. Afterwards they hurry towards the studio.

3:54 — Inside the studio

Spanish: Están a punto de empezar. Lucía saluda a Manolo y busca a Yuyu, el presentador, que está haciendo una llamada.

English: They are about to start. Lucía greets Manolo and looks for Yuyu, the host, who is making a phone call.

Spanish: Ya están preparados el portátil, los micrófonos, el agua y los cascos para escuchar lo que dicen. Ahora están todos concentrados.

English: The laptop, microphones, water and headphones for hearing themselves are ready. Now everyone is concentrating.

4:47 — On air, then an advertising break

Spanish: El programa empieza con humor sobre las lentillas y las gafas. Después llega una pausa de tres minutos de publicidad antes de continuar.

English: The show begins with jokes about contact lenses and glasses. Then there is a three-minute advertising break before they continue.

Spanish: Ahora toca la sección de Lucía. Charo tiene un problema con el equipo y Manolo la ayuda. Lucía lo llama «el mejor técnico del mundo».

English: Now it is time for Lucía’s segment. Charo has a problem with the equipment and Manolo helps her. Lucía calls him “the best technician in the world.”

5:38 — A fan and some music

Spanish: Charo enseña un abanico para quitar el calor. En la conversación comentan los significados que se asocian a distintos colores, y luego cantan.

English: Charo shows a hand fan to cool herself down. In the conversation they discuss meanings associated with different colours, and then they sing.

Spanish: Terminan el programa y Lucía vuelve a casa para arreglarse antes de ir al teatro a grabar el siguiente.

English: They finish the show and Lucía goes home to get ready before going to the theatre to record the next one.

6:39 — Trapped by the rain

Spanish: Está lloviendo mucho y no tienen paraguas. Lucía no quiere que se le moje el pelo porque lo tiene muy rizado. Señala también el globo de Isla Mágica.

English: It is raining heavily and they do not have umbrellas. Lucía does not want her hair to get wet because it is very curly. She also points out the balloon at Isla Mágica.

Spanish: Ya junto a su casa, sigue sin poder salir del coche sin mojarse. «¡Socorro!», bromea. La toalla también está fuera bajo la lluvia: «¡Mierda!».

English: Once she is beside her house, she still cannot get out of the car without getting wet. “Help!” she jokes. Her towel is outside in the rain too: “Shit!”

7:53 — Preparing the theatre show

Spanish: En el teatro, la banda está ensayando. Hoy también ha venido la televisión porque es el último programa de la temporada. Y han traído pasteles.

English: At the theatre, the band is rehearsing. Television has come today too because it is the last show of the season. And they have brought pastries.

Spanish: Están repasando el guion. Lucía tiene que leerlo para saber qué le toca decir. Enseña los micrófonos y las petacas de sonido para escucharse y oír a los demás.

English: They are reviewing the script. Lucía needs to read it to know what she has to say. She shows the microphones and audio bodypacks used to hear themselves and the others.

8:42 — Meeting the host and band

Spanish: El presentador es Luis Lara, el Comandante Lara. Dice que están un poco nerviosos por el último programa de la temporada, pero también muy ilusionados.

English: The host is Luis Lara, known as Comandante Lara. He says they are a little nervous about the season’s final show, but also very excited.

Spanish: Ensayan una canción. Lucía presenta al batería Alberto Moreno, al bajista Juan el Cántabro y al cantante Pablo Feria, entre bromas y cumplidos.

English: They rehearse a song. Amid jokes and compliments, Lucía introduces drummer Alberto Moreno, bassist Juan el Cántabro and singer Pablo Feria.

10:09 — Microphones and backstage jobs

Spanish: Lucía va a por su micrófono y se pone la petaca de sonido. Carlos es el guionista: escribe con dos dedos y ella dice que es un prodigio.

English: Lucía goes to get her microphone and puts on her audio bodypack. Carlos is the scriptwriter: he types with two fingers, and she calls him a marvel.

Spanish: La banda se llama Calambres. Hay una pantalla grande, muchos focos y dos sofás. Vicente Ruidos se encarga de hacer ruidos y efectos divertidos.

English: The band is called Calambres. There is a large screen, lots of spotlights and two sofas. Vicente Ruidos makes entertaining noises and sound effects.

11:13 — Marking up the script

Spanish: Tengo que leerme el guion y subrayar mis partes con el subrayador. Otro compañero ensaya su discurso, y siguen las bromas entre todos.

English: I need to read the script and highlight my parts with the highlighter. Another colleague rehearses his speech, and everyone keeps joking around.

Spanish: Un compañero dice que se encuentra mal. «Nos lo vas a pegar», le dicen: les preocupa que les contagie lo que tenga.

English: A colleague says he feels unwell. “You’re going to pass it on to us,” they tell him: they are worried about catching whatever he has.

11:53 — The audience arrives

Spanish: Está llegando la gente y se está llenando el teatro. Preparan otra conexión en directo para Canal Sur Televisión. Hay tensión y los músicos tienen que salir.

English: People are arriving and the theatre is filling up. They prepare another live link for Canal Sur Televisión. There is tension and the musicians need to go onstage.

Spanish: Lucía sigue subrayando su guion. El show acaba de empezar y el teatro está lleno.

English: Lucía continues highlighting her script. The show has just begun and the theatre is full.

12:59 — More backstage interviews

Spanish: Vicente dice que le gusta cuando Lucy Paradise canta con su voz peculiar y en otro idioma. Lucía explica que canta muchas veces en coreano.

English: Vicente says he likes it when Lucy Paradise sings with her distinctive voice and in another language. Lucía explains that she often sings in Korean.

Spanish: Luego le pregunta a Carlos qué le gusta del programa. Él juega con el sentido de la pregunta y dice que le gusta hacerlo desde dentro, entre bastidores.

English: Then she asks Carlos what he likes about the show. He plays with the meaning of the question and says he likes making it from the inside, backstage.

13:58 — Comedy, then dinner at home

Spanish: El programa incluye anuncios de broma y música como parte del espectáculo de humor.

English: The show includes spoof advertisements and music as part of the comedy performance.

Spanish: Al terminar, Lucía dice que el invitado ha sido muy gracioso y que se han reído un montón. Se queda sin batería y, ya en casa, está cansada y se prepara una hamburguesa vegetariana.

English: When it ends, Lucía says the guest was very funny and they laughed a lot. Her battery runs out and, once home, she is tired and prepares a vegetarian burger.

Useful words and expressions

• de vez en cuando: From time to time.
• maletero / portátil: Car boot (US: trunk) / laptop.
• en directo / pregrabado: Live / recorded beforehand. The schedule described belongs to this 2024 vlog.
• cascos / lentillas / abanico: Headphones / contact lenses / hand fan in these scenes.
• petaca de sonido: Audio bodypack. Here the context is personal sound monitoring; petaca can have other meanings in other settings.
• guion / guionista / subrayador: Script / scriptwriter / highlighter in the backstage scenes.
• ilusionados: Excited or looking forward to something here, rather than deluded.
• Nos lo vas a pegar: You’re going to pass it on to us: pegar refers here to transmitting an illness.
• me quedé sin batería: My battery ran out.
• ¡Mierda!: Shit! Lucía’s informal exclamation when she notices the wet towel.

Watch a short scene once without subtitles, then replay it with subtitles. Say what Lucía is doing using your own words, and copy one useful expression aloud.