Day 118: The Trial of the Broken Lamp
At home in Mexicali, Juan Carlos (A) holds a mock trial over the broken living-room lamp, playing the judge, while his eight-year-old daughter Gemma (B), a fan of courtroom shows, defends herself.
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
Se abre la sesión. Gemma, se te acusa de romper la lámpara de la sala, y este juez no se chupa el dedo.
Court is now in session. Gemma, you are charged with breaking the living-room lamp, and this judge wasn't born yesterday.
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B
Su señoría, me represento a mí misma y me declaro inocente. Exijo que se respete mi presunción de inocencia, como en las series.
Your Honor, I'm representing myself and I plead not guilty. I demand that my presumption of innocence be respected, like on the TV shows.
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A
Se respeta, a menos que haya pruebas, y aquí el juez también es fiscal. Prueba número uno: esta pelota, hallada junto a los pedazos.
It is, unless there's evidence, and here the judge is also the prosecutor. Exhibit number one: this ball, found next to the pieces.
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B
¡Protesto, su señoría! Esa pelota no es mía: está firmada por los Águilas y vive en la repisa más alta de tu librero.
Objection, Your Honor! That ball isn't mine: it's signed by the Águilas baseball team and lives on the top shelf of your bookcase.
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A
No ha lugar. Alguien la bajó de ahí, y a menos que la pelota haya aprendido a volar, la principal sospechosa eres tú.
Overruled. Somebody took it down from there, and unless the ball has learned to fly, the prime suspect is you.
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B
¿Yo? Ni con el banquito llego a esa repisa. Aquí no hay nadie que la alcance sin brincar, salvo cierto juez de uno noventa.
Me? I can't reach that shelf even with the stool. There's nobody here who can reach it without jumping, apart from a certain six-foot-three judge.
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A
Cuidado, abogada, que culpar al juez es desacato. Además, anoche yo estaba viendo el partido tranquilamente en el sillón.
Careful, counsel: blaming the judge is contempt of court. Besides, last night I was quietly watching the game on the sofa.
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B
¿Tranquilamente? Cuando pegaron el jonrón en la novena entrada, aventaste la pelota al aire y gritaste tan fuerte que el perro se escondió.
Quietly? When they hit the home run in the ninth inning, you threw the ball in the air and yelled so loud that the dog hid.
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A
Pura especulación: no hay testigo que lo confirme. Una semana sin tableta, a menos que tengas algo más que tu palabra.
Pure speculation: there's no witness to confirm it. A week without your tablet, unless you've got something more than your word.
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B
Tengo algo mejor: el video que te grabé anoche para el abuelo. Minuto dos: jonrón, pelotazo a la lámpara y tú festejando como si nada.
I've got something better: the video I filmed of you last night for Grandpa. Minute two: home run, ball straight into the lamp and you celebrating as if nothing had happened.
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A
Ejem... El juez se declara culpable y propone un acuerdo reparatorio, con tal de que el video no llegue a tu mamá.
Ahem... The judge pleads guilty and proposes a settlement, provided the video doesn't reach your mom.
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B
La defensa acepta, siempre y cuando el culpable invite la comida china del domingo en La Chinesca. No hay más preguntas, su señoría.
The defense accepts, as long as the guilty party treats us to Chinese food on Sunday in La Chinesca, Mexicali's Chinatown. No further questions, Your Honor.
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