Day 132: Our Apartment, Now a Vacation Rental
In their rented apartment in Jalatlaco, an old neighborhood of Oaxaca City, roommates Mariana (A) and Regina (B) are waiting for their landlord, Don Enrique (C; don is a respectful title), after a message from him.
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
Regina, mira lo que mandó don Enrique: “Les informo que su contrato no será renovado”. ¿Así, después de cuatro años?
Regina, look what Don Enrique sent: “I wish to inform you that your contract will not be renewed.” Just like that, after four years?
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B
¿Por mensaje? Ahorita sube a cobrar la renta, y de aquí no se va sin darnos una explicación.
By text? He's coming up to collect the rent any minute, and he's not leaving here without giving us an explanation.
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C
Buenas tardes, muchachas. Les avisé por mensaje, lo cual no fue muy elegante, lo reconozco.
Good afternoon, girls. I told you by text, which wasn't very gracious of me, I admit.
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A
La vecina de abajo dice que va a anunciar el departamento en una plataforma para turistas. ¿Es cierto?
The neighbor downstairs says you're going to advertise the apartment on a vacation rental platform. Is that true?
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C
Sí. Con diez noches de huéspedes saco lo que ustedes me pagan en un mes.
Yes. With ten nights of guests I make what you pay me in a month.
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B
¿Y el barrio, don Enrique? Cada departamento para turistas encarece las rentas de Jalatlaco, cuyas familias de toda la vida ya se están yendo.
And what about the neighborhood, Don Enrique? Every apartment for tourists pushes up rents in Jalatlaco, whose long-standing families are already moving out.
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C
Lo sé, y no me da gusto. Pero esta casa la construyó mi papá, y ahora con ella pago la enfermera de mi mamá.
I know, and I'm not happy about it. But my dad built this house, and now it's how I pay for my mom's nurse.
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A
Eso no lo sabíamos, lo sentimos. ¿Y si le pagamos un poco más y nos renueva un año?
We didn't know that, we're sorry. What if we pay you a bit more and you renew it for a year?
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C
Háganme una propuesta por escrito y la pienso. Eso sí, qué chismosa la vecina de abajo: se entera de mis planes antes que yo.
Put a proposal in writing and I'll think about it. But boy, what a gossip that neighbor downstairs is: she finds out about my plans before I do.
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