Day 68: Once Upon a Cold Coffee

Dialogue

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1. 1
   A

   Disculpe, ¿usted escribe el menú del pizarrón? Nunca había leído “otrora” y “empero” antes de las nueve.

   Excuse me, do you write the menu on the chalkboard? I'd never read “of yore” and “howbeit” before nine in the morning.

   Line 1
2. 2
   B

   La misma que viste y calza. Estudié Letras, y como nadie me publica, publico con gis. ¿Qué tal su café?

   The very same. I studied literature, and since nobody will publish me, I publish in chalk. How's your coffee?

   Line 2
3. 3
   A

   Riquísimo, no me malinterprete. Pero el hecho de que traiga hielo me hace sospechar un pequeño malentendido.

   Delicious, don't get me wrong. But the fact that it has ice in it makes me suspect a slight misunderstanding.

   Line 3
4. 4
   B

   Usted pidió el “Café de olla, otrora caliente”, o sea, con hielo. Es el favorito de los turistas.

   You ordered the “Café de Olla, Once Hot,” in other words, iced. It's the tourists' favorite.

   Line 4
5. 5
   A

   Ahí está mi error: entendí “caliente, a la antigua”. En la academia diplomática me reprobarían por no leer la letra chiquita.

   That's where I went wrong: I took it to mean “hot, the old-fashioned way.” At the diplomatic academy they'd fail me for not reading the small print.

   Line 5
6. 6
   B

   ¿Diplomática? Con razón. Pero su queja merece mejor prosa: “Érase una vez una clienta que pidió calor y recibió hielo”.

   A diplomat? That explains it. But your complaint deserves better prose: “Once upon a time there was a customer who asked for warmth and was given ice.”

   Line 6
7. 7
   A

   Sigo yo: “Y díjole la clienta que el hielo era precioso; empero, a ocho grados, sobraba”.

   My turn: “And the customer told her that the ice was exquisite; howbeit, at eight degrees Celsius, it was superfluous.”

   Line 7
8. 8
   B

   “Y la barista, que otrora se ofendía por todo, díjole que el segundo iba por cuenta de la casa”.

   “And the barista, who of yore took offense at everything, told her the second was on the house.”

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9. 9
   A

   Muy amable, aunque el que me lo regale me da cargo de conciencia: yo solo quería calor.

   That's very kind, though your giving it to me for free gives me a guilty conscience: I only wanted warmth.

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10. 10
    B

    Aquí tiene, humeando. Y ya corregí el pizarrón: “Café de olla, otrora caliente, hoy con hielo; como antaño, bajo pedido”.

    Here you are, steaming. And I've already corrected the board: “Café de Olla, Once Hot, now iced; as of old, on request.”

    Line 10
11. 11
    A

    Perfecto: claro, cortés y sin culpables. Si se aburre de la barra, en la Cancillería nos hace falta quien redacte así.

    Perfect: clear, polite and nobody to blame. If you get bored with the counter, the Foreign Ministry could use someone who writes like that.

    Line 11