Day 114: A Retired Head Nurse's Fonda

Dialogue

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1. 1
   A

   Don Reynaldo, en enero empezamos el internado en el General. Usted, que estuvo ahí treinta años, ¿cómo es de verdad el pase de visita?

   Don Reynaldo, we start our internship at the General in January. You were there for thirty years: what are rounds really like?

   Line 1
2. 2
   B

   Porque en la facultad nos lo pintan muy bonito: el adscrito pregunta, el interno contesta y todos aprenden.

   Because at medical school they paint a very pretty picture: the attending asks, the intern answers and everyone learns.

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3. 3
   C

   Siéntense. No hay libro que lo diga, pero el pase empieza antes del pase.

   Sit down. You won't find it in any book, but rounds start before rounds.

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4. 4
   A

   ¿Antes? ¿Pues a qué hora hace uno el censo?

   Before? Then what time are you supposed to do the patient list?

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5. 5
   C

   A las cinco y media. Una vez, apenas hubo entrado el jefe de Medicina Interna, un interno le recitó los laboratorios de la cama ocho.

   At five thirty. Once, the moment the head of Internal Medicine had walked in, an intern reeled off the lab results for bed eight.

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6. 6
   B

   ¿Y eso qué tiene de malo? Si tú te supieras así los laboratorios, amor, tu adscrito te haría un altar.

   And what's wrong with that? If you knew your lab results like that, babe, your attending would build you a shrine.

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7. 7
   C

   Nada, salvo que el de la ocho había pedido su alta voluntaria a las cuatro. No bien hubo terminado el muchacho, el jefe le preguntó cómo seguía la almohada.

   Nothing, except that the man in bed eight had discharged himself at four. No sooner had the kid finished than the boss asked him how the pillow was doing.

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8. 8
   A

   Primero la cama, entendido. ¿Y las enfermeras? Dicen que al interno que les cae mal le hacen la vida imposible.

   Bed first, understood. And the nurses? They say they make life impossible for any intern they don't like.

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9. 9
   C

   Al revés: no hay enfermera que no le haya salvado la guardia a algún interno. Pero al mandón que llega sin saludar le toca canalizar solito.

   Quite the opposite: there isn't a nurse who hasn't saved some intern's night on call. But the bossy one who shows up without saying hello ends up putting in every IV himself.

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10. 10
    B

    A nosotros nos tocaron guardias en días distintos. ¿Algún consejo para una pareja que casi no se va a ver, don Reynaldo?

    We've been given nights on call on different days. Any advice for a couple who'll hardly see each other, Don Reynaldo?

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11. 11
    C

    Fácil: el que salga de guardia desayuna aquí, para no malpasarse, y le deja al otro un recado. Así aguantamos mi señora y yo veinte años de turnos cruzados.

    Easy: whoever comes off call has breakfast here, so as not to skip meals, and leaves the other one a note. That's how my wife and I got through twenty years of opposite shifts.

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12. 12
    A

    Hecho, y apúntenos dos comidas corridas. Algo me dice que usted les va a pasar visita a nuestros recados antes que nadie.

    Done, and put us down for two lunch specials. Something tells me you'll be making rounds on our notes before anyone else.

    Line 12