Day 13: Her Brother Plays the Judge
In the family apartment in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Berenice (A), a law student, rehearses her closing argument for a moot court case about a tenant's eviction, with her older brother Bruno (B), an accountant, playing the judge.
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
Su Señoría, ha quedado demostrado que el inquilino, cuyo contrato vence hasta diciembre, no paga la renta desde marzo.
Your Honor, it has been shown that the tenant, whose lease doesn't expire until December, hasn't paid his rent since March.
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B
¡Objeción! Llevas diez minutos con tu “ha quedado demostrado”, y este juez ya tiene hambre.
Objection! You've been going on with your “it has been shown” for ten minutes, and this judge is getting hungry.
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A
Los jueces no objetan, Bruno, eso es de series gringas. Déjame terminar, que el concurso es el lunes.
Judges don't object, Bruno, that's from American TV shows. Let me finish, the competition's on Monday.
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B
Se admite la corrección. A ver, licenciada, ¿qué dice ese contrato que tanto presumes?
Correction accepted. OK, counselor: what does this contract you keep showing off actually say?
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A
Cláusula novena: “El arrendatario que incumpliere el pago de dos mensualidades consecutivas deberá desocupar el inmueble”. Y debe cuatro.
Clause nine: “Any tenant who fails to pay two consecutive months' rent shall vacate the property.” And he owes four.
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B
¿Y cómo pruebas que debe cuatro? Hasta ahora solo oigo a una abogada muy aventada.
And how do you prove he owes four? So far all I can hear is a lawyer with plenty of nerve.
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A
Con el anexo tres: los estados de cuenta de mi clienta, sin un solo depósito desde marzo, lo cual es contundente.
With exhibit three: my client's bank statements, without a single deposit since March, which is conclusive.
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B
Ahora en serio: en tu anexo hay una transferencia del 3 de abril con el concepto “renta marzo”.
Seriously now: in your exhibit there's a transfer on April 3 with the reference “rent March.”
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A
A ver... No manches, debe tres, y la contraparte me iba a destrozar con mi propia prueba.
Let's see... No way, he owes three, and the other side was going to tear me apart with my own evidence.
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B
Se suspende la audiencia. Y que conste en actas, para los efectos a que hubiere lugar, que el error lo encontró un contador.
The hearing is adjourned. And let the record show, for such purposes as may be appropriate, that the mistake was found by an accountant.
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