Day 51: The Ambassador's Memoirs, Unedited

Dialogue

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1. 1
   A

   Ya van doce “apenas hubo firmado”, Agustín. Le pongo “apenas firmó” y listo.

   That's twelve “scarcely had he signed” already, Agustín. I'll put “as soon as he signed” and be done with it.

   Line 1
2. 2
   B

   Ni se te ocurra: ese “hubo firmado” es la voz del embajador Villalpando. Así hablaba, así escribía y así negociaba.

   Don't you dare: that “had signed” is Ambassador Villalpando's voice. That's how he spoke, how he wrote and how he negotiated.

   Line 2
3. 3
   A

   Pues esa voz va a espantar lectores. El director quiere un libro para el Metro, no un fósil empastado.

   Well, that voice is going to scare readers off. The director wants a book for the Metro, not a fossil in hard covers.

   Line 3
4. 4
   B

   Quítale el “hubo firmado” y le quitas el bastón y el sombrero. Ese señor caminaba en pretérito anterior.

   Take away his “had signed” and you take away his cane and his hat. That man walked in the past anterior.

   Line 4
5. 5
   A

   Pues que camine más rápido. Oye: “Apenas hubo concluido la cena, el canciller me llevó aparte”. ¿Qué pierde con “después de la cena”?

   Then he can walk a bit faster. Listen: “Scarcely had dinner ended when the foreign minister took me aside.” What does he lose with “after dinner”?

   Line 5
6. 6
   B

   Pierde al canciller levantándose con la servilleta en la mano. Pero sigue, que ahí viene lo del tratado.

   He loses the minister getting up with his napkin in his hand. But go on, the treaty part is coming up.

   Line 6
7. 7
   A

   “Cuando el joven secretario hubo terminado de modernizar la cláusula, ‘los Estados que hubieren ratificado’ decía ‘los que ratificaron’, y tres países quedaban fuera”.

   “When the young secretary had finished modernizing the clause, ‘the States that shall have ratified’ read ‘those that ratified’, and three countries were left out.”

   Line 7
8. 8
   B

   ¿Ya ves? Un tiempo “moderno”, y casi se viene abajo el tratado. ¿Y quién era el genio?

   See? One “modern” tense, and the treaty nearly collapsed. And who was the genius?

   Line 8
9. 9
   A

   “Apenas lo hube corregido, el joven Olvera me juró no volver a tocar un verbo ajeno”. ¿Olvera? ¿Nuestro director?

   “Scarcely had I corrected it when young Olvera swore never again to touch another man's verb.” Olvera? Our director?

   Line 9
10. 10
    B

    ¡El mismo del libro para el Metro! Y cumplió su juramento: no tocó ningún verbo ajeno, nos lo encargó a nosotros.

    The very man behind the book for the Metro! And he kept his word: he didn't touch anyone else's verbs, he handed the job to us.

    Line 10
11. 11
    A

    Tú ganas: se quedan los doce. Eso sí, la nota al pie lleva el nombre del secretario, sea cual fuere su cargo.

    You win: all twelve stay. But the footnote gets the secretary's name, whatever his post may be.

    Line 11