Day 34: The Notice After the Earthquake
In the lobby of their building in the Roma, Mexico City, after a moderate earthquake, Ernesto (A), an architect, and Everardo (B), the treasurer, both on the residents' committee, draft the official notice to their neighbors.
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
Escuche: “Por este conducto se informa a los condóminos que el edificio presenta grietas tras el sismo”.
Listen: “We hereby inform all unit owners that the building shows cracks following the earthquake.”
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B
¿“Presenta grietas”? Con eso, arquitecto, medio edificio sale corriendo con todo y colchón.
“Shows cracks”? With that, architect, half the building will run out mattress and all.
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A
Pues las hay: las de la escalera son puro aplanado, pero la del muro de carga no me gusta nada.
Well, there are cracks: the ones on the stairs are only the plaster, but I don't like the one in the load-bearing wall at all.
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B
Entonces pongamos algo más humano: “Queridos vecinos, tras el temblorcito del martes, el edificio sigue firme como siempre”.
Then let's put something more human: “Dear neighbors, after Tuesday's little tremor, the building stands as firm as ever.”
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A
¿“Temblorcito”? El que usted no lo haya sentido en el tianguis no lo hace más chico.
“Little tremor”? Your not feeling it at the street market doesn't make it any smaller.
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B
Pero entiéndame: si ponemos “grietas”, los inquilinos se van y nadie me vuelve a pagar el mantenimiento.
But try to understand: if we put “cracks,” the tenants will leave and nobody will pay me the maintenance fees again.
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A
Y si alguien sale lastimado, el hecho de que no hayamos avisado lo paga el comité, empezando por el tesorero.
And if someone gets hurt, the committee pays for the fact that we didn't warn anyone, starting with the treasurer.
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B
Está bien, arquitecto, usted gana. ¿Pero cómo lo redactamos sin que suene a esquela?
All right, architect, you win. But how do we word it without it sounding like a death notice?
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A
AsĂ: “A fin de dar cumplimiento a las recomendaciones de ProtecciĂłn Civil, el sábado se realizará la revisiĂłn estructural del inmueble”.
Like this: “In compliance with the recommendations of Civil Protection, a structural inspection of the property will be carried out on Saturday.”
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B
Y agregue: “El cobro de la cuota extraordinaria surtirá efecto el dĂa primero”. Eso sĂ me tranquiliza.
And add: “Collection of the special assessment will take effect on the first of the month.” Now that I do find reassuring.
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