Day 86: Telling Her We're Moving to Tokyo
At home in Mérida, Olivia (A), a diplomat who has just been posted to the Mexican embassy in Tokyo, and her husband Federico (B) sit down to break some news to their eight-year-old daughter Renata (C).
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
Renata, mi amor, siéntate. Tu papá y yo tenemos algo que platicarte, y te pido que nos escuches hasta el final.
Renata, sweetheart, sit down. Your dad and I have something to talk to you about, and I'd like you to hear us out to the end.
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B
Pero antes, una marquesita de queso de bola con cajeta, como te gustan.
But first, a marquesita with Edam and cajeta, just the way you like them.
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C
¡Uay! ¿Marquesita en martes y mi mamá con voz de junta? Me quieren endulzar una mala noticia.
Uh-oh! A marquesita on a Tuesday and Mom with her meeting voice? You're trying to sugarcoat some bad news.
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A
No es mala: me adscribieron a la embajada en Tokio. El hecho de que nos vayamos no quiere decir que dejemos Mérida para siempre.
It isn't bad: I've been posted to the embassy in Tokyo. The fact that we're going doesn't mean we're leaving Mérida forever.
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C
¿A Japón? ¿Y mi abuela, y mis amigas? El que a ti te cambien de oficina no quiere decir que a mí me cambien de país.
To Japan? What about Grandma, and my friends? The fact that they're moving you to another office doesn't mean they're moving me to another country.
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B
Piénsalo así: vas a aprender japonés, vas a conocer la nieve y, como dice tu abuela, adonde fueres, haz lo que vieres.
Think of it this way: you'll learn Japanese, you'll see snow and, as your grandma says, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
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C
¿Lo que vieres? Pues vi en un video que allá los niños de mi edad van solos a la escuela en metro.
Do as they do? Well, I saw in a video that over there kids my age go to school on their own on the metro.
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A
¡Ni lo sueñes! A ver, negociemos: sea cual fuere tu contrapropuesta, la escuchamos, pero sola en el metro, no.
Don't even dream of it! All right, let's negotiate: whatever your counter-proposal may be, we'll hear it, but on your own on the metro, no.
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C
Tres condiciones: me llevo mi hamaca, cada diciembre venimos a comer cochinita con mi abuela y en la despedida el discurso lo doy yo.
Three conditions: I'm taking my hammock, every December we come back to eat cochinita with Grandma, and at the farewell party I give the speech.
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B
Hamaca, cochinita y discurso: concedido. Oye, Olivia, ¿segura que la diplomática de esta familia eres tú?
Hammock, cochinita and speech: granted. Hey, Olivia, are you sure you're the diplomat in this family?
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C
Y lo del metro no está descartado: ese punto lo negociamos en Tokio, cuando hable japonés mejor que ustedes.
And the metro isn't off the table: we'll negotiate that point in Tokyo, once I speak Japanese better than you two.
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