Day 12 of 135

Day 12: The Pharmacist Reads Her IMSS Letter

At a pharmacy in the port of Veracruz, Doña Dominga (A), a retired seamstress, asks Elián (B), the young pharmacist, to read her a letter from the IMSS, Mexico's social security health service.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. A

    Mi rey, Âżme lee esta carta del Seguro? SegĂşn entendĂ­, ya no me van a dar la insulina.

    Honey, would you read me this letter from the IMSS? The way I understood it, they're not going to give me my insulin anymore.

  2. B

    “Por medio de la presente se hace de su conocimiento...” Uy, señora, esto lo escribieron para que nadie lo entendiera.

    “We hereby inform you...” Ooh, ma'am, they wrote this so that nobody would understand it.

  3. A

    Por eso se la traigo. Cuarenta años cosí vestidos de novia y nunca vi un encaje tan enredado.

    That's why I've brought it to you. I sewed wedding dresses for forty years and never saw lace so tangled.

  4. B

    Aquí viene lo bueno: “Se suspenderá el surtimiento del medicamento, a menos que el derechohabiente renueve su receta resurtible”.

    Here's the important bit: “Dispensing of the medication shall be suspended unless the beneficiary renews their refillable prescription.”

  5. A

    ¿Ya ve? Me la quitaron, y desde entonces ando de farmacia en farmacia buscándola más barata.

    See? They've taken it away, and ever since I've been going from pharmacy to pharmacy looking for it cheaper.

  6. B

    Todavía no le quitan nada, señora: se la van a seguir dando siempre y cuando renueve la receta.

    They haven't taken anything away yet, ma'am: they'll keep giving it to you as long as you renew the prescription.

  7. A

    ¿Y cuánto tiempo tengo? Porque la vengo pagando como si fuera perfume francés.

    And how long have I got? Because I've been paying for it as if it were French perfume.

  8. B

    “Dentro de los treinta días naturales siguientes a la recepción de la presente”. ¿Cuándo le llegó?

    “Within thirty calendar days of receipt of this letter.” When did it arrive?

  9. A

    Hace veintiocho días, en el cumpleaños de mi nieta. ¡Ay, Dios, me quedan dos!

    Twenty-eight days ago, on my granddaughter's birthday. Oh Lord, I've only got two left!

  10. B

    Mañana a primera hora, a su clínica. Y que no se entere mi jefe de que le ahorré el perfume francés.

    First thing tomorrow, off to your clinic. And my boss had better not find out I saved you the French perfume.

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