Day 14: Philosophy Under a Leaking Roof
In Orizaba, the Veracruz city so rainy it is nicknamed Pluviosilla, Claudia (A), a philosophy professor, goes to see her landlord Alfonso Rosas (B), a retired engineer, about the roof of the house she rents from him.
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
Ingeniero Rosas, ha de saber que ya gotea el techo de mi recámara, y los aguaceros de Pluviosilla ni han empezado.
Mr. Rosas, I should let you know that my bedroom ceiling is already leaking, and Pluviosilla's downpours haven't even started.
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B
¿Y quién es dueño de algo en esta vida, maestra? Yo solo cuido la casa, sea quien fuere su verdadero dueño.
And who really owns anything in this life? I only look after the house, whoever its true owner may be.
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A
Qué curioso: el día primero, cuando cobra la renta, no le entran tantas dudas metafísicas.
How curious: on the first of the month, when you collect the rent, you're not troubled by so many metaphysical doubts.
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B
La renta es mi única certeza, he de admitirlo. Ya lo decía Heráclito: nadie se moja dos veces con la misma gotera.
The rent is my one certainty, I must admit. As Heraclitus said: no one gets wet twice from the same leak.
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A
Pues yo prefiero a Locke: según él, uno se vuelve dueño de lo que trabaja con sus propias manos.
Well, I prefer Locke: according to him, you become the owner of whatever you work with your own hands.
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B
Uy, ¿y adónde quiere llegar con Locke, maestra?
Ooh, and where are you going with Locke?
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A
A que si yo impermeabilizo la azotea y le descuento el material, la casa empieza a ser un poquito mía.
To this: if I waterproof the roof myself and take the materials off the rent, the house starts to be a little bit mine.
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B
Me ganó con mis propias armas, lo reconozco. El sábado subo yo, con impermeabilizante de primera.
You've beaten me with my own weapons, I admit it. I'll go up there myself on Saturday, with top-quality waterproofing.
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A
Y mientras tanto présteme una cubeta, ingeniero, que esa gotera, filosofía aparte, sigue siendo toda suya.
And in the meantime lend me a bucket, Mr. Rosas, because that leak, philosophy aside, is still all yours.
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