Day 42 of 135

Day 42: Sargassum on Live Television

At a university in Cancún, Lizbeth (A), a biology student invited onto a TV debate about the sargassum seaweed covering Caribbean beaches, rehearses with her professor, Dr. Fabiola Canché (B), a marine biologist.

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

    Doctora Canché, el jueves debato en la tele con el vocero de los hoteleros. ¿Me ayuda a ensayar?

    Dr. Canché, on Thursday I'm debating the hoteliers' spokesman on TV. Will you help me rehearse?

  2. B

    Con gusto. Desde este momento soy el vocero: imagíneme de guayabera, con sonrisa de folleto y cero paciencia.

    With pleasure. From this moment on I'm the spokesman: picture me in a guayabera, with a brochure smile and zero patience.

  3. A

    Según los satélites, 2025 fue el peor año de sargazo del que hay registro, lo cual confirma una tendencia que viene desde 2011.

    According to the satellites, 2025 was the worst year for sargassum on record, which confirms a trend going back to 2011.

  4. B

    ¿Satélites? Yo recorro la playa cada mañana y está limpiecita. El problema son ciertos científicos alarmistas cuyas fotos espantan al turismo en plena temporada.

    Satellites? I walk the beach every morning and it's spotless. The problem is certain alarmist scientists whose photos scare tourists away at the height of the season.

  5. A

    ¡Claro que está limpiecita, si sus cuadrillas la barren de madrugada! ¿O nos cree tontos?

    Of course it's spotless, your crews sweep it before dawn! Or do you take us for fools?

  6. B

    Alto, Lizbeth. Si le preguntasen eso en vivo y contestase así, el titular sería su enojo, no el sargazo.

    Stop, Lizbeth. If they asked you that live and you answered like that, the headline would be your temper, not the sargassum.

  7. A

    Perdón, me hirvió la sangre. Es que lo dice como si fuese culpa nuestra que el mar esté café.

    Sorry, my blood boiled. It's just that you say it as if it were our fault the sea is brown.

  8. B

    Justo eso busca. Respire, concédale lo cierto y vuelva a sus datos. Otra vez: ¿no será que exagera, señorita?

    That's exactly what he's after. Breathe, grant him what's true and go back to your data. Again: aren't you exaggerating, young lady?

  9. A

    Sus cuadrillas hacen un trabajo admirable, se lo reconozco. Pero cada temporada sacan más toneladas, lo cual también es un dato.

    Your crews do an admirable job, I grant you. But every season they clear more tons, which is data too.

  10. B

    ¡Eso! Así, sin alzar la voz. Si el jueves contesta igual, al que van a barrer es al vocero.

    That's it! Like that, without raising your voice. If you answer the same way on Thursday, the one who'll get swept away is the spokesman.

  11. A

    Pues que se ponga su guayabera más fresca, porque con este calor y estos datos va a sudar.

    Then he'd better wear his coolest guayabera, because with this heat and this data he's going to sweat.

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