A Thunderous Whisper (28 page)

Eskerrik asko
to Ana Teresa Núñez Monasterio of the Gernika Peace Museum and to José Angel “Txato” Etxaniz Ortuñez of the Historical Society of Guernica (Gernikazarra), who walked the streets of Guernica with me (even in the rain) and helped me understand what it was like to live there during the Spanish Civil War. I look forward to my next visit.

Finally, I am extremely fortunate to work once again with my amazing editor, Nancy Siscoe, and the fantastic team at Random House/Knopf, which includes (but is not limited to) Katherine Harrison, Adrienne Waintraub, Dominique Cimina, and Melissa Greenberg. Thank you, thank you, thank you to my fabulous agent, Jen Rofé, for making it all happen!

GLOSSARY

Most glossary entries are Spanish,
but some Basque (*) terms are included.

abierto
(ah-bee-EHR-toh): open

abuela
(ah-BWEH-lah): grandmother

abuelo
(ah-BWEH-loh): grandfather

adiós
(ah-dee-OHS): goodbye

*
agur
(ah-GOOR): goodbye

ahora
(ah-OH-rah): now

Alemania
(ah-lay-MAH-nee-ah): the Spanish word for Germany

alguien mas
(AHL-gee-en mahs): someone else

*
ama
(AH-mah): mother

¡Apúrate!
(ah-POO-rah-teh): Hurry!

aquí
(ah-KEE): here

*
arratsalde on
(ah-RAHT-sahl-deh un): good evening

ay, Dios mío
(ai, DEE-ohs MEE-oh): oh my God

ayúdanos
(ai-YOO-dah-nohs): help us

¡Basta!
(BAH-stah): Enough!

¡Bien!
(bee-EN): Good!

búscame
(BOO-skah-meh): look for me

¿Caballito otra vez?
(kah-bah-YEE-toh OH-trah vehs): Horsey again?

cálmate
(KAHL-mah-tay): calm down

carga
(KAR-gah): carry

claro
(KLAH-roh): of course

cojo
(KOH-hoh): lame; crippled

colorín, colorado, este cuento se ha acabado
(koh-loh-REEN, koh-loh-RAH-doh, ES-teh KWEN-toh seh ah ah-kah-BAH-doh): this story has finished

come basura
(KOH-meh bah-SOO-rah): trash eater

(derogatory term)

con todo nuestro corazón
(kohn TOH-doh NWEH-stroh koh-rah-SOHN): with all our heart

de verás
(deh vehr-AHS): really

¡Despiértate!
(deh-spee-EHR-tah-teh): Wake up!

dichoso
(dee-CHOH-soh): lucky

¿Dormistes bien, niña?
(dor-MEE-stehs bee-EN, NEE-nyah): Did you sleep well, girl?

dulce
(DOOL-seh): a sweet

el cine
(el SEE-neh): the movie theater

¿Él es tu tío?
(el ehs too TEE-oh): Is he your uncle?

enfermería
(en-fehr-meh-REE-ah): infirmary

¿Entiendes?
(en-tee-EN-dehs): Understand?

entra
(EN-trah): come in

eres
(EHR-ehs): you are

espérate
(eh-SPEHR-ah-tay): wait

está
(eh-STAH): it is

¡Está despierta!
(eh-STAH deh-spee-EHR-tah): She’s awake!

está inconsciente
(eh-STAH een-kohn-see-EN-tay): she’s unconscious

estoy
(eh-STOY): I am

estúpida
(eh-STOO-pee-dah): stupid

*
ez nazazu utzi
(ehz nah-ZAH-zoo oot-ZEE): don’t leave me

gracias
(GRAH-see-ahs): thank you

¿Haciendo qué?
(ah-see-EN-doh kay): Doing what?

hija
(EE-hah): daughter

hola
(OH-lah): hello

*
izena duen guztiak izatea ere badauke
(EE-zehn-ah dwehn gooz-TEE-ack eez-AH-teh-ah eh-reh bah-DOW-keh): everything with a name exists

*
jai alai
(hie AH-lie): a court game that uses a ball and a long wicker basket strapped to the wrist: a variety of pelota vasca

*
jentillak
(hehn-TEE-lack): mythological race of Basque giants

*
kaixo
(KAI-show): hello

La Fuga de Tarzan
(lah FOO-gah deh TAR-zahn):
Tarzan Escapes

*
lagundu iezadazu
(lah-GOON-doo ee-eh-sah-DAH-zoo): help me

¿Lo puedo ayudar?
(loh PWEH-doh ai-yoo-DAHR): Can I help you?

*
makila
(mah-KEE-lah): a Basque walking stick

maldita guerra
(mahl-DEE-tah GWEH-rah): evil war

*
marmitako
(mahr-MEE-tah-koh): a Basque fish stew

me lo imagine
(meh loh ee-mah-HEE-neh): I imagined that

¿Me veo bien?
(meh VAY-oh bee-EN): Do I look fine?

menos mal
(MEH-nohs mahl): an expression meaning “thank goodness”

mentirosa
(mehn-tee-ROH-sah): liar

mija
(MEE-hah): shortened from
mi hija
, which means “my daughter”

mira
(MEE-rah): look

muchas bombas
(MOO-chahs BOHM-bahs): many bombs

nada
(NAH-dah): nothing

*
neska
(NEH-skah): girl

niña
(NEE-nyah): girl

niñita
(nee-NYEE-tah): little girl

niños
(NEE-nyohs): children

no hables así
(noh AH-blehs ah-SEE): don’t speak like that

no importa
(noh eem-POR-tah): doesn’t matter

no me esperes
(noh meh ehs-PEHR-ehs): don’t wait for me

no seas tonta
(noh SEH-ahs TOHN-tah): don’t be stupid

no te preocupes
(noh teh preh-oh-COO-pehs): don’t worry

no, todavía
(noh, toh-dah-VEE-ah): no, not yet

¡Nos tenemos que ir!
(nohs teh-NEHM-ohs keh eer): We have to leave!

otro
(OH-troh): another

oye
(OY-eh): hey

*
patxaran
(pah-CHAH-rahn): a liqueur made from sloe berries

pelota vasca
(peh-LOH-tah VAH-skah): a variety of court sports

played by hitting a ball with one’s hand, a racket, a wooden bat, or a basket against a wall

perdóneme
(pehr-DOH-neh-meh): pardon me

perdonen la interrupción
(pehr-DOH-nehn lah een-tehr-oop-see-OHN): pardon the interruption

permiso
(pehr-MEE-soh): excuse me

peseta
(peh-SEH-tah): money

por favor
(por fah-VOR): please

¿Por qué?
(por-KEH): Why?

pórtate bien
(POR-tah-teh bee-EN): behave well

preciosa
(preh-see-OH-sah): precious

¿Qué?
(keh): What?

¡Que bueno!
(keh BWAY-noh): How good / wonderful!

¡Qué cosa!
(keh KOH-sah): What a thing! / Unbelievable!

qué Díos te bendiga
(keh DEE-ohs teh ben-DEE-gah): may God bless you

¿Qué pasó?
(keh pah-SOH): What happened?

¿Qué tú haces?
(keh too AH-sehs): What are you doing?

¡Sardina fresca!
(sahr-DEE-nah FREHS-kah): Fresh sardine!

*
¡Sardina frescue!
(sahr-DEE-nah FREHS-kweh): Fresh sardine!

sardinas
(sahr-DEE-nahs): sardines

sardinera
(sahr-dee-NEHR-ah): woman who sells sardines

seguro
(seh-GOO-roh): sure

señor
(seh-NYOR): sir

señora
(seh-NYOR-ah): madam or ma’am

sí
(see): yes

sombrero de copa
(sohm-BREHR-oh deh KOH-pah): top hat

son bien dichosos
(sohn bee-EN dee-CHOH-sohs): you are very lucky

Te quiero mucho
(teh kee-EHR-oh MOO-choh): I love you very much

¿Todo bien?
(TOH-doh bee-EN): Is everything good?

Todos creen que se van hacer de dinero
(TOH-dohs CRAY-en keh seh vahn ah-SEHR deh dee-NEHR-oh): You all think you are going to make money

tranquila
(trahn-KEE-lah): relax

¿Tu. Ver. Bombas?
(too vehr BOHM-bas): You. See. Bombs?

¡Un besote!
(oon beh-SOH-teh): A big kiss!

un idiota
(oon ee-dee-OH-tah): an idiot

un malcriado
(oon mahl-cree-AH-doh): a spoiled brat

un placer
(oon plah-SEHR): a pleasure

¿Una bellota?
(OO-nah bay-OH-tah): An acorn?

una carta
(OO-nah CAR-tah): a letter

vale
(VAH-leh): okay

vamos/vámonos
(VAH-mohs/VAH-moh-nohs): let’s go

ven
(vehn): come

verdad
(vehr-DAHD): truth

viejos
(vee-EH-hohs): old men

¿Y tus padres?
(ee toos PAH-drehs): And your parents?

ya
(yah): enough

Yo soy él que va a salir de aquí
(yoh soy el keh vah ah sah-LEER deh ah-KEE): I am the one that is going to get out of here