Day 85 of 160

Day 85: A Herniated Disc at Twenty-Nine

In an office in Monterrey, Ismael (A), just back from the IMSS (Mexico's social security health service), tells his colleague Abraham (B) about the results of his MRI scan.

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

    ¿Qué crees? Ya me entregaron la resonancia del IMSS: hernia de disco lumbar a los veintinueve años.

    Guess what? I got my MRI back from the IMSS: a herniated disc in my lower back at twenty-nine.

  2. B

    ¡No manches! Yo pensé que nada más te habías lastimado cargando cajas en la mudanza.

    No way! I thought you'd just hurt yourself carrying boxes when you moved.

  3. A

    Eso pensaba el médico familiar, pero fue el especialista quien pidió la resonancia, y ahí salió todo.

    That's what the family doctor thought, but it was the specialist who ordered the MRI, and that's when it all came out.

  4. B

    ¿Y qué dice el diagnóstico? Yo le echaría la culpa a tu silla, que parece sacada del tianguis.

    And what does the diagnosis say? I'd blame your chair, which looks like it came from a flea market.

  5. A

    Que la hernia fue provocada por años de mala postura, y que la mudanza fue la gota que derramó el vaso.

    That the hernia was caused by years of bad posture, and the move was the last straw.

  6. B

    ¿Cuál postura? Te sientas como camarón: encorvado, con la pierna cruzada y la pantalla hasta abajo.

    What posture? You sit like a shrimp: hunched over, with your leg crossed and the screen right down low.

  7. A

    Ajá. Ahora mírate tú, sin moverte: pierna cruzada, jorobado y con la nariz pegada al monitor.

    Uh-huh. Now look at yourself, without moving: leg crossed, hunched over and with your nose stuck to the monitor.

  8. B

    Híjole, igualito. Retiro lo dicho sobre tu silla; a este paso, el próximo en hacerse la resonancia soy yo.

    Geez, exactly the same. I take back what I said about your chair; at this rate, I'll be the next one having an MRI.

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