Day 2 of 160

Day 2: The Printing Press Behind the Counter

In a café in the historic center of Campeche, Ana Paula (A), a history student, asks Berenice (B), the barista, about an old machine behind the counter.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. A

    Disculpe, ¿esa máquina de fierro detrás de la barra es una imprenta antigua?

    Excuse me, is that iron machine behind the counter an old printing press?

  2. B

    Así es: hace un siglo este edificio era una imprenta, y aquí trabajaba mi bisabuelo.

    That's right: a century ago this building was a print shop, and my great-grandfather worked here.

  3. A

    ¡No me diga! ¿Y cómo es que sigue aquí después de tanto tiempo?

    You don't say! And how is it still here after all this time?

  4. B

    Fíjese que el dueño nos pidió que la conserváramos; dijo que sin ella el café perdería su alma.

    Well, the owner asked us to keep it; he said that without it the café would lose its soul.

  5. A

    Estudio historia, ¿sabe? ¿En su familia todavía se acuerdan de aquella época?

    I'm studying history, you see. Does your family still remember those days?

  6. B

    Mi abuela contaba que aquí se imprimía el periódico y que su papá llegaba lleno de tinta.

    My grandmother used to tell us the newspaper was printed here and her dad came home covered in ink.

  7. A

    ¿Cree que su abuela aceptaría que la entrevistara? Su testimonio sería muy valioso para mi investigación.

    Do you think your grandmother would agree to let me interview her? Her account would be very valuable for my research.

Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 3: A Thesis About the Tuesday Tianguis 

If this free course has helped you in your Spanish journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.