LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

Spanish politics is common fare in talk shows, newspapers, and on everyone's lips these days. New scandals pop up daily, pointing the finger at government officials at all levels. Former ministers and aides are already in jail, and others are soon to follow. In case you wish to surf through this shameful state of affairs, let me jot down vocabulary that will be of help: Mordida - kickback Soborno - bribe Cloacas del estado - government plumbing, state's sewers  Fontanero - plumber Cantar - snitch, blow the whistle Tirar de la manta - blow the whistle Conseguidor - fixer, facilitator Testaferro - straw man, front man Imputado - indicted Maquillar las cuentas - cook the books Orden de registro - search and seize Orden de busca y captura - warrant for arrest Chivatazo - tip-off Chivo expiatorio - scapegoat Enchufismo - cronyism Prevaricación - official misconduct Dimitir - resign  Caja B - off-the-books fund Malversación - embezzlement Tráfico de influencias - influence peddling ...

  At a time when politicians are being unmasked and their underhanded intrigues revealed as serving private gain rather than the public good, it seems appropriate to present a few quotations in Spanish about politicians by notable thinkers. - —  “… ningún ministro se considera jamás fracasado…” Juan Antonio de Zunzunegui, Esta oscura desbandada , 1957.  -- “En el curso de los treinta y dos meses pasados en el gobierno, he conocido a ministros que no tenían nada que decir.” Jorge Semprún, Federico Sánchez se despide de ustedes , 1993.  -- “Ser ministro es la máxima aspiración de cualquier político. En el interior de los partidos las pugnas por ocupar una cartera son feroces y despiadadas.” Cristina Alberdi, El poder es cosa de hombres , 2001.  -- “Nada más llegar el Sr. González al poder se restableció la eliminada corruptela de indemnizar y compensar a ex ministros y ex altos cargos por su cese o dimisión.” Pablo Castellano, Yo sí me acuerdo , 1994.

SPANISH WORD OF THE YEAR: MY PERSONAL CHOICE As 2025 comes to an end, there is a word in Spain that seems to be on everybody’s lips. It has dominated the news—morning, afternoon, and night—throughout the year. The Real Academia Española will no doubt make its own selection, but my choice, as an eyewitness to daily usage, is CORRUPCIÓN . Corrupción —corruption, the state of being corrupt, marked by dishonest practices such as bribery, lack of integrity, and crookedness—has become part of Spain’s everyday political vocabulary. Corruption appears to be perceived as widespread within the Spanish government and, more specifically, within the governing Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). The words CORRUPCIÓN and CORRUPTO are now common currency on radio and television, in cafés, and at tertulias , both private and public. My Random House Dictionary does not mince words: “ CORRUPT applies to one, especially in public office, who acts on mercenary motives, without regard to honor, ri...

  Living in the United States, I was often mortified and abashed whenever the subject of Franco ’s dictatorship came up. I was not to blame, of course, and had done nothing to support the establishment of a military regime in my country of birth. Still, as a Spaniard, I was frequently asked about the general who died in 1975, after nearly four decades in power. His death marked the beginning of a remarkable political transition — from autocratic one-party rule to a democratic constitutional monarchy. The peaceful handover surprised the world, and for the first time, I felt proud rather than ashamed. But, lo and behold, years later — today, in fact — I find myself doubly ashamed, confounded, and taken aback by the antics of two men: Pedro Sánchez , Spain’s Prime Minister and would-be autocrat, and Donald Trump , a man whose childish arrogance and devil-may-care approach to leadership continue to disturb the democratic fabric of the United States. Live and learn. Is it true, then,...