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Overcoming Setbacks: A Young Innovator's Rising Star

Fluent Fiction - Catalan·Mar 18, 2026·17:51

About this Episode

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: Overcoming Setbacks: A Young Innovator's Rising Star
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2026-03-18-07-38-20-ca

Story Transcript:

Ca: El sol de primavera brillava sobre la base naval de Barcelona.
En: The spring sun shone over the Barcelona naval base.

Ca: Les famílies s'aplegaven per celebrar el Dia de Sant Josep, entre música i petards de les Falles.
En: Families gathered to celebrate Saint Joseph's Day, amidst music and firecrackers from Las Fallas.

Ca: Les onades xocaven suaument contra els vaixells atracats.
En: The waves gently lapped against the docked ships.

Ca: Era el dia de la competició de la classe de ciències i l'aire estava ple d'expectació.
En: It was the day of the science class competition, and the air was full of expectation.

Ca: Entre els alumnes, Marc se sentia una barreja d'emoció i nervis.
En: Among the students, Marc felt a mix of excitement and nerves.

Ca: Ell portava setmanes treballant en el seu projecte sobre els corrents oceànics.
En: He had been working for weeks on his project about ocean currents.

Ca: El seu objectiu era guanyar la competició, obtenir el reconeixement dels seus companys i, sobretot, del seu pare, qui treballava a la base naval.
En: His goal was to win the competition, gain recognition from his peers and, above all, from his father, who worked at the naval base.

Ca: Però la pressió era intensa.
En: But the pressure was intense.

Ca: La seva companya Laia havia creat un projecte sobre els esculls de corall que semblava perfecte.
En: His classmate Laia had created a project about coral reefs that seemed perfect.

Ca: Marc tenia les seves maquetes i gràfics preparats, però sabia que el seu projecte depenia de la tecnologia, i aquesta li havia fallat durant les proves.
En: Marc had his models and graphics ready, but he knew his project relied on technology, which had failed him during tests.

Ca: Ara, davant del públic i dels jutges, havia de prendre una decisió: simplificar la demostració per garantir que funcionés o mantenir la complexitat del projecte original.
En: Now, in front of the audience and judges, he had to make a decision: simplify the demonstration to ensure it worked or maintain the complexity of the original project.

Ca: Quan va arribar el moment, Marc va començar la seva presentació.
En: When the moment came, Marc began his presentation.

Ca: Els estudis sobre els corrents oceànics eren fascinants, però, tal com temia, l'equip no va funcionar.
En: The studies on ocean currents were fascinating, but, as he feared, the equipment didn't work.

Ca: La màquina que havia preparat per simular els corrents es va aturar.
En: The machine he had prepared to simulate the currents stopped.

Ca: Marc va sentir una suor freda baixar-li per l'esquena.
En: Marc felt a cold sweat run down his back.

Ca: En aquell moment, va mirar al seu voltant.
En: In that moment, he looked around.

Ca: Els vaixells de guerra, amb les seves banderes onejant al vent i el blau profund del Mediterrani darrere d'ells, li van donar una idea.
En: The warships, with their flags waving in the wind and the deep blue of the Mediterranean behind them, gave him an idea.

Ca: Amb una ràpida improvisació, va parlar amb entusiasme sobre com els corrents influïen en la navegació i la biodiversitat marina, assenyalant el mar com a prova viva dels seus estudis.
En: With a quick improvisation, he spoke enthusiastically about how the currents influenced navigation and marine biodiversity, pointing to the sea as living proof of his studies.

Ca: Els jutges van quedar capturats per l'enginy de Marc.
En: The judges were captivated by Marc's ingenuity.

Ca: Tot i no guanyar el primer lloc, va rebre una menció especial per la seva creativitat i capacitat d'adaptació.
En: Though he didn't win first place, he received a special mention for his creativity and adaptability.

Ca: Els seus companys el van felicitar i el seu pare, somrient, li va donar una abraçada calorosa.
En: His classmates congratulated him, and his father, smiling, gave him a warm hug.

Ca: Marc va marxar aquell dia sentint que havia guanyat més del que esperava.
En: Marc left that day feeling he had gained more than he expected.

Ca: Havia après que les seves capacitats eren més grans del que havia cregut, i que l'adaptabilitat era una virtut tan valuosa com el coneixement.
En: He had learned that his abilities were greater than he had believed, and that adaptability was a virtue as valuable as knowledge.

Ca: I mentre les falles brillaven al cel de la nit, Marc sabia que havia fet un pas endavant en el seu somni de convertir-se en científic marí.
En: And while the Fallas lit up the night sky, Marc knew he had taken a step forward in his dream of becoming a marine scientist.

Vocabulary Words:

the spring: la primavera
the naval base: la base naval
the firecrackers: els petards
to dock: atraquen
the expectation: l'expectació
the ocean currents: els corrents oceànics
the pressure: la pressió
the coral reefs: els esculls de corall
the technology: la tecnologia
the graphics: els gràfics
to rely on: depèn de
to simplify: simplificar
the demonstration: la demostració
the complexity: la complexitat
the equipment: l'equip
to simulate: simular
the cold sweat: la suor freda
the warships: els vaixells de guerra
the flags: les banderes
the deep blue: el blau profund
the biodiversity: la biodiversitat
the judges: els jutges
the ingenuity: l'enginy
the creativity: la creativitat
the adaptability: la capacitat d'adaptació
the hug: l'abraçada
the abilities: les capacitats
the virtue: la virtut
the knowledge: el coneixement
the marine scientist: el científic marí

Hosts & Guests

FluentFiction.org

Host

Transcript

Fluent Fiction, Fluent Fiction, Fluent Fiction, Fluent Fiction.

Welcome to Fluent Fiction Catalan,

the podcast where we bring you bilingual stories

to supercharge your listening comprehension.

In each episode, we'll present a short story

in both English and Catalan,

with the aim of helping you to improve your listening comprehension.

In this episode, we'll dive into a young scientist's journey

as he navigates the tides of competition, creativity,

and self-discovery amidst the vibrant celebrations

of St. Joseph's Day in Barcelona.

Right after this commercial break,

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Together, we can keep the world's stories flowing.

This episode is brought to you by Spreaker,

the platform responsible for a rapidly spreading condition

known as podcast brain.

Symptoms include buying microphones you don't need,

explaining RSS feeds to confused relatives,

and saying things like, sorry, I can't talk right now,

I'm editing audio.

If this sounds familiar, you're probably already a podcaster.

The good news is Spreaker makes the whole process simple.

You record your show, upload it once,

and Spreaker distributes it everywhere people listen.

Apple podcasts, Spotify,

and about a dozen apps your cousins swears are the next big thing.

Even better, Spreaker helps you monetize your show with ads,

meaning your podcast might someday pay for

more microphones.

Start your show today at spreaker.com.

Spreaker.

Because if you're going to talk to yourself for an hour,

you might as well publish it.

The first sunny day of Avriljava

on the naval base of Barcelona.

The families were playing Parcelabral,

in San Josep, between music and footpaths.

The families were playing their own game

against the attackers.

It was the day of the competition of science class

and Laira was full of expectations.

Among the students, Marx felt a barrage of emotion and nervousness.

He spent weeks working on his project

about the oceanic currents.

His goal was to win the competition,

to obtain the recognition of his companions,

especially of his father,

who worked at the naval base.

But the pressure was intense.

Laira had created a project

about the corals that seemed perfect.

Marx had his own projects and graphics prepared,

but knew that his project depended on technology

and this had failed during the tests.

Now, in front of the audience and judges,

there was a decision,

to simplify the demonstration

by guaranteeing that it works

and maintaining the complexity of the original project.

When Marx arrived at the moment,

Marx began his presentation.

The studies on oceanic currents were fascinating,

but, as I said before,

the team did not work.

The machine that had been prepared

to simulate the currents goes away.

Marx will feel a cold sweat

for the skin.

At that moment, he will look at his return.

The wars' vessels,

in their windows,

a window and the deep blue of the Mediterranean

and the red of them,

lead to an idea.

In a quick improvisation,

he will talk about enthusiasm

about how the influences

and the diversity of the marine,

to teach Marx how he lives in his studies.

Judges will be captured by the engine of Marx.

Everyone who does not win the first place

will have a special dimension

for his creativity and adaptation capacity.

His companions will be happy

and his father, Somrien,

will give him a warm hug.

Marx will walk that day

feeling that he had won more than he expected.

There was then that his capacities

were more great than he had believed,

and that the adaptability was

such a valuable virtue as knowledge.

And while the waves brilliantly

in the sky of the night,

Marx knew that he had made a peace

in front of his Somni

to become a scientific Mary.

Let's take another listen.

Listen closely to any parts

you may have missed.

The sun of spring brilliantly

on the naval base of Barcelona.

The spring sun shown

over the Barcelona naval base.

The families were playing

on the day of Saint Joseph,

entre música y petards de las fallas.

Families gathered to celebrate

Saint Joseph's day

amidst music and firecrackers

from Los Falas.

The waves gently

lapped against the docked ships.

It was the day of the competition

of science class

and the air was full of expectation.

Entre los alumnas,

Marx sentía una barreja

de emoción inervis.

Among the students,

Marx felt a mix of excitement

and nerves.

He portaba semanas

treballando en el seu proyecto

sobre los correntes oceanics.

He had been working for weeks

on his project about Ocean Currents.

El seu objetivo

era guanyar la competición

obtenía el reconocimiento

del seu companjo

sobre todo del seu para

que trabalhaba a la base naval.

His goal was to win the competition,

gain recognition from his peers

and, above all,

from his father,

who worked at the naval base.

Pero la presión era intensa.

But the pressure was intense.

La seva compañia laia

había creado un proyecto

sobre los esculs de corall

que semblaba perfecta.

His classmate Leia

had created a project

about coral reefs

that seemed perfect.

Mark tenía

las sebas maquetas

y gráfics preparados

pero sabía

que el seu proyecto

de panía

de la tecnología

y a que esta

liabía fallad

durante las pruebas.

Mark had his models

and graphics ready,

but he knew his project

relied on technology.

Which had failed him

during tests.

Ahora,

de banda el public

y de los luches,

había de pendre

una decisión.

Simplificar la demostración

para garantir

que funcionés

o mantenir la complexidad

del proyecto original.

Now, in front of the audience

and judges,

he had to make a decision.

Simplify the demonstration

to ensure it worked

or maintain the complexity

of the original project.

When the moment came,

Mark began his presentation.

The studies on ocean currents

were fascinating,

but as he feared,

the equipment didn't work.

The machine he had

prepared to simulate

the currents stopped.

Mark felt a cold sweat

run down his back.

In that moment,

he looked around.

In that moment, he looked around.

The warships

with their flags waving

in the wind

and the deep blue

of the Mediterranean

behind them

an idea.

With a quick improvisation,

he spoke enthusiastically

about how the currents,

influence navigation

and marine biodiversity,

pointing to the sea

as living proof of his studies.

The judges were captivated

by Mark's ingenuity.

Though he didn't win first place,

he received a special mention

for his creativity

and adaptability.

His classmates congratulated him

and his father, Smiling,

gave him a warm hug.

Mark left that day feeling

he had gained more than he expected.

He had learned that his abilities

were greater than he had believed,

and that adaptability

was a virtue as valuable as knowledge.

Mark knew that he had made

a step forward

and that his dream

was to convert

into a scientific universe.

And while the phallus lit up the night sky,

Mark knew he had taken a step forward

in his dream of becoming a marine scientist.

Today's vocabulary words

are coming up right after this commercial break.

This episode is brought to you by Spreaker,

the platform responsible

for a rapidly spreading condition

known as podcast brain.

Symptoms include buying microphones

you don't need,

explaining RSS feeds

to confused relatives,

and saying things like,

sorry, I can't talk right now,

I'm editing audio.

If this sounds familiar,

you're probably already a podcaster.

The good news is,

Spreaker makes the whole process simple.

You record your show,

upload it once,

and Spreaker distributes it

everywhere people listen.

Apple podcasts,

Spotify,

and about a dozen apps

your cousins swears

are the next big thing.

Even better,

Spreaker helps you monetize your show

with ads,

meaning your podcast

might someday pay for

well more microphones.

Start your show today

at spreaker.com.

Spreaker,

because if you're going to talk to yourself

for an hour,

you might as well publish it.

Here are today's vocabulary words,

first in Catalan,

then in English.

The spring.

The naval base.

The firecrackers.

Attractor.

To talk.

The expectation.

The ocean currents.

The pressure.

The coral reefs.

The technology.

The graphics.

The pen.

To rely on.

Simplifica.

To simplify.

La demostracio.

The demonstration.

La complexity.

The complexity.

La quip.

The equipment.

Simula.

To simulate.

The cold sweat.

The warships.

The benderes.

The flags.

El blau profund.

The deep blue.

La biodiversitat.

The biodiversity.

El judges.

The judges.

Langin.

The ingenuity.

La creativitat.

The creativity.

La capacitat d'adaptació.

The adaptability.

La brassada.

Pahog.

Les capacitats.

The abilities.

La virtut.

The virtue.

Al coneixement.

The knowledge.

Alcientific Marie.

The marine scientist.

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Overcoming Setbacks: A Young Innovator's Rising Star

About this Episode

Hosts & Guests

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