Day 177: Always Compared to His Cousin
At a corner store in Torreón, Lauro (A), the store owner, who knows the boy's family, chats with Milo (B), a young boy choosing a birthday card for his mother; children often call a store owner don with his first name, as a mark of respect.
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
Llevas un buen rato viendo tarjetas, Milo. ¿Es para el cumpleaños de tu mamá?
You've been looking at cards for a good while, Milo. Is it for your mom's birthday?
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B
Sí, don Lauro. Quiero una bien elegante, porque mi primo siempre le lleva algo mejor.
Yes, Don Lauro. I want a really fancy one, because my cousin always brings her something better.
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A
¿Octavio? Tu abuela ya me presumió tres veces que volvió a ganar el concurso de oratoria.
Octavio? Your grandma's already boasted to me three times that he's won the public-speaking contest again.
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B
Y en cada comida me comparan con él. Según mi tía, me falta echarle ganas.
And at every family meal they compare me with him. According to my aunt, I need to put more effort in.
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A
Deja de compararte, que tú tienes lo tuyo. ¿Quién me hizo ese dibujo de mi perro?
Stop comparing yourself: you've got your own talents. Who made me that drawing of my dog?
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B
Fui yo, pero eso no cuenta. ¿O a poco me va a dar un trofeo?
It was me, but that doesn't count. What, are you going to give me a trophy?
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A
Hazle tú la tarjeta, y el sobre te lo regalo. No le hagas caso a tu tía: sigue dibujando.
Make her the card yourself, and the envelope's on me. Don't listen to your aunt: keep drawing.
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