Reading Latin American history in Swedish
What the lesson covers
"Latinamerikas historia" is the Swedish translation of John Charles Chasteen's "Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America," rendered into Swedish by Ulf Gyllenhak. This comprehensive work offers a chronological overview of Latin America's history, spanning from the Spanish conquest in the late 15th century to contemporary political and economic developments. Chasteen, a professor of history, delves into themes such as conquest and colonization, racial mixing and class formation, revolutions, the emergence of republics, and the ongoing struggles for economic growth and social equality. The narrative introduces readers to notable figures like Hernán Cortés, Montezuma, Simón Bolívar, Miguel Hidalgo, Juan and Eva Perón, and Che Guevara, providing insights into their roles in shaping Latin American history.
How the lesson starts
The opening of the lesson transcript. The rest is in the course, synced to the video.
Latinamerikas historia. Now, this is a book, it's actually a translation, a Swedish translation of an English book which has the title Born in Blood and Fire, which talks about the history of Latin America. And so here I'm looking at the Swedish translation. The English that is given is not necessarily from the original book, but it's actually a translation, sort of a direct translation of the Swedish one.
So let's begin with the introduction. Here he writes: Latinamerika föddes ur blod och eld, ur erövring och slaveri. Så det är där en kort inledning till Latinamerikas historia måste ta sin början, mitt i hjärtpunkten.
Och det är inte på sin plats att skräda orden.
So, here he's saying, Latin America was born in blood and fire, in conquest and slavery.
The video plays beside a transcript that follows it line by line. Swedish words are underlined; tap one and the video pauses, the meaning appears, and the word goes into your library. At the end there is a five-question quiz written from this exact lesson, and every word can be practised out loud.