Water + Fire = Wine
So recently I've noticed a lot of avid members of the forum come and go from the chat room on Spanishdict. Few have returned, I think, because of the intimidation factor of hearing natives and non-natives speak Spanish in a manner that is unintelligible for them. The chat room has helped me make leaps and bounds and I know it can help others. So I wanted to offer an inspirational passage from one of my most favorite novels that is responsible for me conquering my fear of speaking Spanish and taking part in conversations that intimidate me, even if I ended up sounding like an idiot (let's face it, we all sound like an idiot every now and again) 
The following is a slightly edited conversation between Faber (el viejo) and Guy Montag (the pupil) from Ray Bradbury's classic novel, "Fahrenheit 451: The Temperature at Which Books Burn"
"Escuche. Tranquilícese," dijo el viejo con voz suave. "Lo sé, lo sé. Teme usted cometer errores. No tema. De los errores se puede sacar provecho. ¡Si cuando yo era joven arrojaba mi ignorancia a la cara de la gente. Me golpeaban con bastones. Pero cuando cumplí los cuarenta años mi romo instrumento habia sacado una fina y aguzada punta. ¡Si esconde usted su ignorancia, nadie le atacará y nunca llegará a aprender!...." En los días subsiguientes el viejo seguiría hablando incesantemente, palabra por palabra, síliba por síliba, letra por letra. "Su mente acabaria por imponerse y ya no sería más Montag," esto era lo que le decía el viejo, se lo aseguraba, se lo prometía. "Sería Montag más Faber, fuego más agua. Y luego, un dia, cuando todo hubiese estado listo y preperado en silencio, ya no habría ni fuego ni agua, sino vino. De dos cosas distintas y opuestas, una tercera. Y, un día, volvería la cabeza para mirar al tonto y lo reconocería."
Translation:
"Listen. Easy now," said the old man gently. "I know, I know. you're afraid of making mistakes. Don't be. Mistakes can be profited by. Man, when I was younger I shoved my ignorance in people's faces. They beat me with sticks. By the time I was forty my blunt instrument had been honed to a fine cutting point for me. If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn..." In the days to follow, the old man would go on with this talking and this talking, drop by drop, stone by stone, flake by flake. "Your mind will well over and you will not be Montag anymore," this the old man told him, assured him, promised him. "You will be Montag-plus-Faber, fire plus water, and then, one day, after everything had mixed and simmered and worked away in silence, there would be neither fire nor water, but wine. Out of two separate and opposite things, a third. And one day, you will look back upon the fool and know the fool."
So meet me in he chat room and let's turn water and fire into wine!
7 Answers
I, too, say that your English is much more advanced than you give yourself credit for.
I will try the chat...thanks for the reminder.
Saludos,
Very philosophical Xerxes! I like it! You say your English is intermediate. I think you do yourself an injustice. I've been meaning to give the new voice chat a try so I might see you there. Welcome to the forum, I hope to see more of you here.
Wow. Inspirational to say the least. Xerxes, that is the most encouraging story I have read in a while. Your English is very good. I greatly appreciate what you have just done for the members of this site. If I ever encounter you on the chat, please know that I'm there because of this kind of encouragement. I wish this attitude of helpfullness and understanding existed in real life and not just on a website.
whats up xerxer?
Okay. So I was a little befuddled by all the compliments I received about my English and after a little investigation I realized (for some reason - probably my carelessness) my profile said my English level was "intermediate." Well, I'm not William Shakespeare or anything, but English is my first language!
The error has been corrected, yet nonetheless, I thank everyone for their kind words! hehe
Next time, feel free to tell me how gooood I am at Spanish
but English is my first language!
Well no wonder then, very funny, jejeje
I saw you on the chat the other day, I pop in now and again, I was just taken for a man, omg, jeje, the guy said he could not tell by my voice.
I agree, everybody join the chat, it's fun!
You can also join us on skype, we are there all the time, and I often speak with people...sometimes to oldies even in private
Xerxes,
Is the chinese guy in your profile famous or something...he looks familiar.
