Day 116: A Petition for Longer Recess
At an elementary school in Tonalá, Jalisco, Lía (A), the class president of 5B, reads her teacher, Maritza (B), a petition written in the legal phrases she has picked up at her mother's notary's office.
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
Maestra, ¿me da permiso? Traigo una petición del grupo, y mi mamá dice que los documentos importantes se leen de pie.
Ms. Maritza, may I? I've brought a petition from the class, and my mom says important documents are read standing up.
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B
Adelante, jefa de grupo. Aunque me llama la atención que te pierdas el recreo para venir a pedirme más recreo.
Go ahead, class president. Though I can't help noticing that you're missing recess to come and ask me for more recess.
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A
Es un sacrificio por el grupo. “Por este conducto, la suscrita, jefa de quinto B, solicita que el recreo dure una hora”.
It's a sacrifice for the class. “The undersigned, class president of 5B, hereby requests that recess last one hour.”
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B
¿Una hora? Eso ya no es petición, es pliego petitorio. A ver, licenciada, ¿con qué fundamento?
One hour? That's not a petition anymore, it's a list of union demands. OK, counselor, on what grounds?
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A
“Conforme a estudios científicos, cuanto más jugamos, mejor trabajamos”. El estudio lo hicimos nosotros: el día del torneo de fut, nadie reprobó el dictado.
“According to scientific studies, the more we play, the better we work.” We did the study ourselves: on the day of the soccer tournament, nobody failed the dictation.
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B
Fue el dictado más fácil del año. Y según mis datos, cuanto más largo el recreo, más tardan en regresar del bebedero.
It was the easiest dictation of the year. And according to my data, the longer recess is, the longer you all take to come back from the water fountain.
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A
“Se anexan las firmas de la totalidad del grupo”. Treinta y una firmas y una huella, porque a uno se le perdió el lápiz.
“Attached are the signatures of the entire class.” Thirty-one signatures and a fingerprint, because somebody lost his pencil.
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B
Muy notarial, pero el recreo no lo decido yo: lo fija la dirección para toda la escuela, y la directora lee hasta la letra chiquita.
Very notarial, but I don't decide recess: the principal's office sets it for the whole school, and the principal reads even the small print.
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A
Entonces le bajamos a cuarenta y cinco minutos, y que surta efecto nomás en quinto B. En la notaría nadie acepta la primera oferta.
Then we'll come down to forty-five minutes, and it can take effect in 5B only. At the notary's office nobody accepts the first offer.
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B
¿Y que quinto A los vea jugar desde la ventana? Así empiezan las revoluciones. Contraoferta: los viernes, la última clase es en el patio, siempre y cuando entreguen la tarea.
And have 5A watch you all playing from the window? That's how revolutions start. Counter-offer: on Fridays, the last class is on the playground, as long as you all hand in your homework.
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A
¿Todos los viernes? Acepto, pero por escrito, porque dice mi mamá que las palabras se las lleva el viento.
Every Friday? I accept, but in writing, because my mom says spoken words just blow away.
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B
Por este conducto, la suscrita se obliga a dar cumplimiento a lo pactado a partir de este viernes. Sin otro particular, vete a jugar, que te quedan cinco minutos.
The undersigned hereby undertakes to comply with the agreement from this Friday on. Without further ado, off you go and play, you've got five minutes left.
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