Day 151: Dad Feels Useless Since Retiring
At home in Cuautla, Morelos, Magdaleno (A), who has just retired after decades at the local sugar mill, talks with his son José Guadalupe (B), who has noticed how low he has been.
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
Ya barrí el patio dos veces y apenas son las diez. ¿Y ahora qué hago hasta la hora de la comida?
I've already swept the patio twice and it's only ten o'clock. So what do I do now until lunch?
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B
Papá, desde que te jubilaste del ingenio andas sin ánimo. Mi mamá dice que ya ni sales con tus compadres.
Dad, ever since you retired from the sugar mill you've been really low. Mom says you don't even go out with your friends anymore.
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A
¿Para qué, mijo? Me siento inútil, como si fuese un estorbo en mi propia casa.
What for, son? I feel useless, as if I were just in the way in my own home.
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B
No digas eso. Te ganaste el descanso; lo que te falta es una rutina, o por lo menos un pasatiempo.
Don't say that. You've earned your rest; what you're missing is a routine, or at least a hobby.
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A
Rutina tenía: en la zafra me levantaba a las cuatro, y si fallaba una caldera, me hablaban a mí primero.
I had a routine: in the harvest season I got up at four, and if a boiler broke down, I was the first one they called.
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B
Por eso te traje esto: en la Casa de la Cultura buscan a alguien que les enseñe mecánica a los chavos de secundaria.
That's why I've brought you this: the arts center is looking for someone to teach mechanics to the kids from the middle school.
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A
¿Yo, de maestro? A no ser que quieran aprender a reparar calderas viejas, no les sirvo de nada.
Me, a teacher? Unless they want to learn to repair old boilers, I'm no use to them.
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B
Son bicis y motos, y tú desarmas un motor con los ojos cerrados. En caso de que te animes, la convocatoria cierra el viernes.
It's bikes and motorcycles, and you can strip down an engine with your eyes closed. If you're up for it, applications close on Friday.
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A
A ver, pásame ese papel. Si me viese el ingeniero dando clases, se moriría de la risa.
Let's see, pass me that sheet. If my old boss at the mill saw me teaching, he'd die laughing.
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