Day 135: Defending the Old Letter Formulas

Dialogue

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1. 1
   A

   Doctora Valenzuela, le traigo el borrador de mi solicitud de cambio de título. Le quité las fórmulas viejas: quedó en cuatro renglones.

   Dr. Valenzuela, I've brought you the draft of my request to change my title. I took out the old formulas: it's down to four lines.

   Line 1
2. 2
   B

   ¿Cuatro renglones y ni un “por medio de la presente”? Siéntese, que le leo cómo se redactaba antes.

   Four lines and not a single “I hereby”? Sit down and I'll read you how these were written in the old days.

   Line 2
3. 3
   A

   Adelante, pero a menos que me convenza, no regresan. Mi comité es de agrónomos: lo que no es trigo, es paja.

   Go ahead, but unless you convince me, they're not coming back. My committee is all agronomists: anything that isn't wheat is chaff.

   Line 3
4. 4
   B

   Mire este modelo de los años cincuenta: “Apenas hubo recibido el suscrito su atento oficio, procedió a darle debido cumplimiento”. Eso es prosa.

   Look at this model from the fifties: “No sooner had the undersigned received your esteemed letter than he proceeded to comply with it duly.” That's prose.

   Line 4
5. 5
   A

   Es prosa de notaría con reuma. No recibí ningún oficio ni pienso proceder a nada: solo quiero cambiar un título.

   It's notary's-office prose with rheumatism. I haven't received any letter and I have no intention of proceeding to anything: I just want to change a title.

   Line 5
6. 6
   B

   Ese “hubo recibido” se queda en el museo, se lo concedo. Pero “por medio de la presente” avisa que es un trámite, no un recado.

   That “no sooner had” stays in the museum, I'll grant you. But “I hereby” tells them it's a formal procedure, not a note.

   Line 6
7. 7
   A

   Se queda, siempre y cuando me deje quitar el “sin otro particular por el momento”. ¿Cuál particular, si nunca hubo otro?

   It stays, as long as you let me cut “with nothing further for the moment.” What further, when there was never anything else?

   Line 7
8. 8
   B

   Ese sí sobra. En cambio, la copia a su director de tesis no se toca, a menos que quiera que le regresen la solicitud.

   That one really is superfluous. The copy to your thesis advisor, on the other hand, stays, unless you want the request sent back to you.

   Line 8
9. 9
   A

   Eso sí es trigo. ¿Y el “quedo de usted como su atenta y segura servidora”? Suena a que me ofrezco a trapear la coordinación.

   Now that's wheat. And “I remain your attentive and faithful servant”? It sounds as if I'm offering to mop the department office.

   Line 9
10. 10
    B

    Pura paja, y eso que mi asesor, apenas hubo leído una solicitud mía sin esa frase, me la regresó. Bórrela, con tal de que deje el “Atentamente”.

    Pure chaff, even though my own advisor sent back a request of mine the moment he'd read it without that phrase. Delete it, provided you keep the “Sincerely.”

    Line 10
11. 11
    A

    De acuerdo: esta servidora la borra, siempre que usted no le cuente a su asesor. Tres fórmulas, seis renglones y puro trigo limpio.

    Agreed: yours truly will delete it, as long as you don't tell your advisor. Three formulas, six lines and nothing but clean wheat.

    Line 11