Day 102: A Retired Metro Driver's Tip
On Line 2 of the Mexico City Metro, Ivonne (B), a young reporter who is photographing the leaks in its stations, is approached by Don Doroteo (A), an older man who drove its trains for thirty years.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a Spanish word to see what it means.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Spanish, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning
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A
Disculpe, señorita, lleva tres estaciones fotografiando goteras. ¿Es usted del Metro o de la prensa?
Excuse me, miss, you've been photographing leaks for three stations. Are you from the Metro or from the press?
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B
De la prensa. Hago un reportaje sobre las filtraciones, pero no hay nadie en el Metro que quiera hablar conmigo.
The press. I'm doing a piece on the leaks, but there's nobody at the Metro who'll talk to me.
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A
¿Filtraciones de agua o de información? Manejé treinta años en esta línea, y no hay nadie que conozca estos túneles como yo.
Leaks of water or of information? I drove on this line for thirty years, and there's nobody who knows these tunnels like I do.
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B
Entonces deme el pitazo. Le garantizo el anonimato, siempre y cuando sea algo que yo pueda verificar.
Then give me the tip. I'll guarantee you anonymity, as long as it's something I can verify.
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A
¿Anónimo, como soplón? Treinta años nadie me vio. Hablo con tal de que ponga mi nombre: Doroteo Salgado Ruiz.
Anonymous, like a snitch? For thirty years nobody saw me. I'll talk provided you print my name: Doroteo Salgado Ruiz.
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B
A menos que tenga pruebas, su nombre solo va a servir para que lo demanden. ¿Qué sabe usted que no sepa el Metro?
Unless you've got proof, your name will only get you sued. What do you know that the Metro doesn't?
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A
El Metro lo sabe todo, pero no tiene memoria. Yo sí: de 1994 a mi jubilación apunté en una libreta cada gotera que reporté.
The Metro knows everything, but it has no memory. I have: from 1994 until I retired, I wrote down every leak I reported in a notebook.
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B
¿Treinta años de reportes? Si coinciden con las goteras de hoy, nadie en la dirección podrá desmentirlo. ¿Dónde está esa libreta?
Thirty years of reports? If they match today's leaks, nobody in management will be able to deny it. Where's this notebook?
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A
En mi casa, en Portales. Segunda condición: la foto me la toma usted, a condición de que no se me vea la papada.
At my place, in Portales. Second condition: you take my photo yourself, on condition that my double chin doesn't show.
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B
¿Y la tercera? Ya me puso más condiciones que respuestas me ha dado el Metro, don Doroteo.
And the third? You've already set me more conditions than the Metro has given me answers, Don Doroteo.
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A
La tercera: que me invite un café. Y saque su libreta, que de aquí a Portales le dicto cada gotera de memoria.
The third: you buy me a coffee. And get your notebook out, because from here to Portales I'll dictate every leak to you from memory.
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