La Ciudad Bajo el Mar
(The City Under the Sea)
Ines Delgado era biologa marina y llevaba diez años trabajando en la costa de Cádiz.
Ines Delgado was a marine biologist and had been working on the coast of Cadiz for ten years.
Estudiaba los ecosistemas del oceano y, aunque le encantaba su trabajo, sentia que algo faltaba.
She studied ocean ecosystems and, although she loved her work, she felt that something was missing.
Un día, recibio un mensaje de la Agencia Oceanica Internacional.
One day, she received a message from the International Oceanic Agency.
Le ofrecian un puesto en Atlantica, la primera ciudad submarina permanente.
They were offering her a position in Atlantica, the first permanent underwater city.
No obstante, habia una condición: tendria que vivir bajo el agua durante un año entero sin subir a la superficie.
Nevertheless, there was one condition: she would have to live underwater for a whole year without going up to the surface.
Ines acepto sin dudarlo.
Ines accepted without hesitation.
Dos semanas después, bajo en un ascensor de cristal que descendia trescientos metros hasta el fondo del oceano.
Two weeks later, she went down in a glass lift that descended three hundred metres to the ocean floor.
La ciudad era impresionante.
The city was impressive.
Habia calles iluminadas con luces azules, edificios transparentes donde se podia ver el mar y jardines de coral que cambiaban de color segun la hora del día.
There were streets lit with blue lights, transparent buildings where you could see the sea and coral gardens that changed colour according to the time of day.
Por otra parte, todo funcionaba con energía de las corrientes marinas.
On the other hand, everything ran on energy from ocean currents.
Es como vivir dentro de un acuario gigante, penso Ines mientras caminaba por el pasillo principal.
It is like living inside a giant aquarium, thought Ines as she walked along the main corridor.
Sin embargo, la vida submarina no era fácil.
However, underwater life was not easy.
El director de la ciudad, un ingeniero que se llamaba Ramon Ibarra, le explico las reglas el primer día.
The city director, an engineer called Ramon Ibarra, explained the rules to her on the first day.
Es necesario que todos respeten los horarios de oxigeno, le dijo con seriedad.
It is necessary that everyone respects the oxygen schedules, he told her seriously.
Además, es fundamental que nadie toque las paredes exteriores.
Besides, it is essential that nobody touches the exterior walls.
Si hubiera una fisura, el agua entraria en minutos.
If there were a crack, the water would come in within minutes.
Ines asintio, aunque la advertencia le produjo un escalofrio.
Ines nodded, although the warning sent a shiver down her spine.
Los meses pasaron rápido.
The months passed quickly.
Ines descubrio especies que ningun científico habia visto antes: peces que brillaban con luz propia, medusas que cantaban frecuencias inaudibles y plantas que crecian sin luz solar.
Ines discovered species that no scientist had seen before: fish that glowed with their own light, jellyfish that sang inaudible frequencies and plants that grew without sunlight.
Cada hallazgo le parecia mas extraordinario que el anterior.
Each discovery seemed more extraordinary than the last.
De hecho, empezo a sentir que la superficie era un lugar lejano y extrano.
In fact, she began to feel that the surface was a distant and strange place.
El mar se habia convertido en su verdadero hogar.
The sea had become her true home.
Cuando termino el año, el ascensor de cristal la esperaba para llevarla de vuelta a la superficie.
When the year ended, the glass lift was waiting for her to take her back to the surface.
Ramon le pregunto: Bueno, Ines, ya puedes volver arriba.
Ramon asked her: Well, Ines, you can go back up now.
Imagino que estaras deseando ver el sol de nuevo.
I imagine you must be looking forward to seeing the sun again.
Ines miro por la ventana hacia el oceano oscuro y profundo.
Ines looked through the window towards the dark and deep ocean.
Habia medusas luminosas nadando lentamente entre los edificios.
There were luminous jellyfish swimming slowly between the buildings.
Sonrio y contesto: En realidad, preferiria quedarme.
She smiled and answered: Actually, I would prefer to stay.
Allí arriba no hay nada tan hermoso como esto.
Up there, there is nothing as beautiful as this.
Por consiguiente, Ines firmo un nuevo contrato.
Consequently, Ines signed a new contract.
Dicen que todavía vive allí, trescientos metros bajo el mar, estudiando criaturas que el resto del mundo ni siquiera sabe que existen.
They say she still lives there, three hundred metres under the sea, studying creatures that the rest of the world does not even know exist.
Key Vocabulary
la biologa marina the marine biologist (female)
submarino/a underwater, submarine
la fisura the crack, fissure
el hallazgo the finding, discovery
la medusa the jellyfish
la corriente marina the ocean current
el escalofrio the shiver, chill
ni siquiera not even