Day 103: Heckling the Stadium Debate on TV
In a shared apartment near the university in Monterrey, Ian (A), a freshman, and Alejandro (B), an older student and former debate champion, watch a televised debate on whether public money should pay for a new soccer stadium.
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
¡Súbele, que ya va a hablar la del club! Le va a demostrar al economista que un estadio es inversión, no gasto.
Turn it up, the woman from the club's about to speak! She's going to show the economist that a stadium is an investment, not an expense.
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B
Primero lee el cintillo: “El participante que excediere su tiempo perderá el derecho de réplica”. Eso lo redactó un notario del Porfiriato.
Read the caption first: “Any participant who shall exceed their time shall forfeit the right of reply.” A notary from the days of Porfirio Díaz wrote that.
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A
¿Oíste? Un estadio cuya derrama llega a hoteles, restaurantes y taxis se paga solo. ¡Tómala, economista!
Did you hear? A stadium whose spending spills over into hotels, restaurants and taxis pays for itself. Take that, economist!
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B
Según el estudio que pagó el club, lo cual es como pedirle al taquero que califique sus propios tacos.
According to the study the club paid for, which is like asking the taco man to rate his own tacos.
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A
Ahora el economista: con ese dinero se construyen tres hospitales. ¡Ándale! Contra eso no hay réplica que valga.
Now the economist: that money would build three hospitals. There you go! There's no comeback to that.
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B
Hace un minuto ibas con el club, y ahora con un economista cuyo argumento es un falso dilema.
A minute ago you were backing the club, and now an economist whose argument is a false dilemma.
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A
O sea que los dos hacen trampa. ¿Con quién me quedo? Yo quería ver un debate, no una clase de lógica.
So they're both cheating. Who do I side with? I wanted to watch a debate, not a logic class.
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B
No hacen trampa, argumentan. Mira el cronómetro: la del club se pasó veinte segundos, lo cual le cuesta la réplica.
They're not cheating, they're arguing. Look at the clock: the woman from the club has gone twenty seconds over, which costs her the right of reply.
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A
¡No manches, ya la cortó el moderador! Y el economista, feliz, repitiendo lo de los hospitales. ¿Ahora quién lo desmiente?
No way, the moderator's cut her off! And the economist, delighted, repeating the hospital line. Who's going to prove him wrong now?
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B
Nadie. Así se ganan los debates: con el reloj, no con la razón. Sea cual fuere el tema, gana quien mejor administra su tiempo.
Nobody. That's how debates are won: with the clock, not by being right. Whatever the topic, whoever manages their time best wins.
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A
Qué cínico. A ver, campeón, ¿tú estás a favor o en contra de pagar el estadio con nuestros impuestos?
How cynical. Go on then, champ, are you for or against paying for the stadium with our taxes?
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B
En contra, obvio. Aunque, si lo construyen, ya me anoté para el abono: una cosa es el argumento y otra, la tribuna.
Against, obviously. Although, if they do build it, I've already signed up for a season ticket: the argument's one thing, the stands are another.
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