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Illustration for “Four days or five?”

Spanish dialogue with translation · B2 · 18 lines

¿Cuatro días o cinco? Four days or five?

Comic · 18 panels

Panel 1 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Guys, today we're having a debate with rules: everyone makes their case when it's their turn, and at the end we count the votes. The topic: a four-day workweek, yes or no?”
  1. Lucía

    Chicos, hoy hacemos un debate con reglas: cada uno argumenta cuando le toca y al final contamos los votos. El tema: ¿semana laboral de cuatro días, sí o no?

    Guys, today we're having a debate with rules: everyone makes their case when it's their turn, and at the end we count the votes. The topic: a four-day workweek, yes or no?

Panel 2 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “I'm in favor, whatever the bosses say. First of all, with three days off people really rest and come back to work with high morale (man speaking).”
  1. Pablo

    Yo soy partidario, digan lo que digan los jefes. En primer lugar, con tres días libres la gente descansa de verdad y vuelve al trabajo con la moral alta.

    I'm in favor, whatever the bosses say. First of all, with three days off people really rest and come back to work with high morale (man speaking).

Panel 3 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Frankly, I don't see it: if we work fewer hours, we do less work. What's more, a lot of small companies couldn't afford it.”
  1. Sergio

    Francamente, yo no lo veo: si trabajamos menos horas, hacemos menos trabajo. Es más, muchas empresas pequeñas no podrían pagarlo.

    Frankly, I don't see it: if we work fewer hours, we do less work. What's more, a lot of small companies couldn't afford it.

Panel 4 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Sergio, don't interrupt, it's not your turn. Pablo, do you have any specific data?”
  1. Lucía

    Sergio, no interrumpas, que no es tu turno. Pablo, ¿tienes algún dato concreto?

    Sergio, don't interrupt, it's not your turn. Pablo, do you have any specific data?

Panel 5 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Yes: an experiment was done here in Valencia a few years ago, a whole month of four-day weeks. According to the survey they did afterward, people were less tired and had less…
  1. Pablo

    Sí: aquí en Valencia se hizo un experimento hace unos años, un mes entero con semanas de cuatro días. Según la encuesta que hicieron después, la gente estaba menos cansada y tenía menos estrés.

    Yes: an experiment was done here in Valencia a few years ago, a whole month of four-day weeks. According to the survey they did afterward, people were less tired and had less stress.

Panel 6 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “It's not that I question the survey, it's that a month seems like very little time to me. Productivity statistics take years.”
  1. Sergio

    No es que cuestione la encuesta, sino que un mes me parece muy poco. Las estadísticas de productividad necesitan años.

    It's not that I question the survey, it's that a month seems like very little time to me. Productivity statistics take years.

Panel 7 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “On the one hand, Sergio is right: a month isn't much. On the other, we work well not because we spend a lot of hours at the office, but because we're rested.”
  1. Ana

    Por un lado, Sergio tiene razón: un mes es poco. Por otro, no trabajamos bien porque pasemos muchas horas en la oficina, sino porque estamos descansados.

    On the one hand, Sergio is right: a month isn't much. On the other, we work well not because we spend a lot of hours at the office, but because we're rested.

Panel 8 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “That basically applies to those of you who work on a computer. What about a bar? What about a hospital? Technology still doesn't serve coffee.”
  1. Sergio

    Eso vale básicamente para los que trabajáis con un ordenador. ¿Y un bar? ¿Y un hospital? La tecnología todavía no sirve cafés.

    That basically applies to those of you who work on a computer. What about a bar? What about a hospital? Technology still doesn't serve coffee.

Panel 9 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Exactly: in a bar you'd have to hire more people, and that's creating jobs.”
  1. Pablo

    Precisamente: en un bar habría que contratar a más gente, y eso es crear empleo.

    Exactly: in a bar you'd have to hire more people, and that's creating jobs.

Panel 10 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “I don't consider it a question of productivity, but of work-life balance. In fact, the women I work with who have kids are the ones who ask for it most.”
  1. Ana

    Yo no lo considero una cuestión de productividad, sino de conciliación. De hecho, mis compañeras con hijos son las que más lo piden.

    I don't consider it a question of productivity, but of work-life balance. In fact, the women I work with who have kids are the ones who ask for it most.

Panel 11 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Listen, it's not that I'm against well-being. It's just that nobody explains to me who pays for it.”
  1. Sergio

    Oye, no es que yo esté en contra del bienestar. Es que nadie me explica quién lo paga.

    Listen, it's not that I'm against well-being. It's just that nobody explains to me who pays for it.

Panel 12 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Now I'll speak. For me, it's a question of generation: our parents lived to work, and we want to work to live.”
  1. Lucía

    Ahora hablo yo. Para mí es una cuestión de generación: nuestros padres vivían para trabajar y nosotros queremos trabajar para vivir.

    Now I'll speak. For me, it's a question of generation: our parents lived to work, and we want to work to live.

Panel 13 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Very nice, but it's a worldwide debate, and so far nobody has found the solution.”
  1. Sergio

    Muy bonito, pero es un debate mundial y de momento nadie ha encontrado la solución.

    Very nice, but it's a worldwide debate, and so far nobody has found the solution.

Panel 14 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Time's up. To sum up: Pablo and Ana, in favor; Sergio, against.”
  1. Lucía

    Se acabó el tiempo. En resumen: Pablo y Ana, a favor; Sergio, en contra.

    Time's up. To sum up: Pablo and Ana, in favor; Sergio, against.

Panel 15 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Not against. In favor, as long as somebody explains to me who pays for it.”
  1. Sergio

    En contra, no. A favor, siempre que alguien me explique quién lo paga.

    Not against. In favor, as long as somebody explains to me who pays for it.

Panel 16 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Well then, three and a half votes in favor. The four-day week wins.”
  1. Lucía

    Pues entonces, tres votos y medio a favor. Gana la semana de cuatro días.

    Well then, three and a half votes in favor. The four-day week wins.

Panel 17 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “And what would we do with Friday off?”
  1. Pablo

    ¿Y qué haríamos con el viernes libre?

    And what would we do with Friday off?

Panel 18 of 18 for “Four days or five?”: “Same as always: meet up here and argue, but without rules.”
  1. Ana

    Lo de siempre: quedar aquí y discutir, pero sin reglas.

    Same as always: meet up here and argue, but without rules.

Grammar for this text

No es que…, sino que… — no es que cuestione la encuesta, sino que un mes me parece muy poco: "it's not that I question the survey, it's that a month seems like very little time to me". What Sergio rejects is in the subjunctive (cuestione); what he claims is in the normal form (parece). In conversation the second half starts with es que: no es que yo esté en contra del bienestar. Es que nadie me explica quién lo paga.

Not because…, but because… No trabajamos bien porque pasemos muchas horas en la oficina, sino porque estamos descansados. The no goes with the reason: we do work well, just not because of the hours at the office. That's why pasemos is in the subjunctive, and the real reason, estamos, is in the normal form.

Connectors for an argument. En primer lugar — "first of all". Sergio adds a stronger point: es más, muchas empresas pequeñas no podrían pagarlo — "what's more…". Ana weighs both sides with por un lado and por otro, and then backs up her point with a fact: de hecho, mis compañeras con hijos son las que más lo piden — "in fact…". Lucía sums up: en resumen. En un bar habría que contratar a más gente — "in a bar you'd have to hire more people": habría que is hay que in the conditional.

Los que trabajáis con un ordenador — "those of you who work on a computer": the verb is in the vosotros form because Sergio is talking about his friends themselves.

Digan lo que digan los jefes — "whatever the bosses say": a set phrase; the rule comes later.

Words and grammar of the unit: Make your case in a debate.

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