
Spanish dialogue with translation · B2 · 13 lines
Pareces una abogada You sound like a lawyer
Comic · 13 panels

- Lucía
¿Qué tal el piso nuevo? ¿Ya tienes las medidas de todo?
How's the new apartment? Do you have the measurements of everything yet?

- Ana
Sí, pero la caldera no arranca y dentro hace un frío insoportable. Casi me congelo, tía.
Yes, but the boiler won't start and it's unbearably cold inside. I nearly froze, girl.

- Lucía
¡Qué rollo! ¿Y qué dice el casero?
What a drag! And what does the landlord say?

- Ana
Primero quería esperar «a la semana que viene, o a la otra». Es tan tranquilo que me pone nerviosa.
At first he wanted to wait "until next week, or the week after." He's so calm that it makes me nervous (woman speaking).

- Lucía
Típico. Mi casero de antes tardó tanto en cambiar el termo que estuve un mes duchándome en el gimnasio.
Typical. My old landlord took so long to replace the hot water tank that I spent a month showering at the gym.

- Ana
¡Qué fuerte! Yo le he escrito un correo. Escucha: «Puesto que la mudanza es a finales de enero, le ruego que envíe un técnico a la mayor brevedad».
That's crazy! I've written him an email. Listen: "Since the move is at the end of January, I kindly ask you to send a technician at the earliest opportunity." (formal)

- Lucía
¿«A la mayor brevedad»? Tía, pareces una abogada. Yo pondría: «Como me mudo pronto, llame al técnico ya».
"At the earliest opportunity"? Girl, you sound like a lawyer. I'd put: "Since I'm moving soon, call the technician now." (formal)

- Ana
Eso se le escribe a un amigo. Al dueño, no: quiero que vea que hablo en serio.
That's what you write to a friend. Not to the owner: I want him to see that I mean it.

- Lucía
Vale, tienes razón: es tan serio que hasta yo llamaría al técnico.
OK, you're right: it's so serious that even I would call the technician.

- Ana
Esa es la idea. Ojalá la avería sea poca cosa.
That's the idea. I hope the problem is nothing big.

- Lucía
Seguro. A la caldera de mis padres el técnico le cambió un tubo, le ajustó la presión y en diez minutos funcionaba.
I'm sure. With my parents' boiler, the technician replaced a pipe, adjusted the pressure and ten minutes later it was working.

- Ana
¿Y si no? Me veo calentando agua en una olla para ducharme.
And if not? I can just see myself heating water in a pot so I can shower.

- Lucía
Entonces vienes a ducharte a casa. Nuestro calentador es tan viejo que hace un ruido horrible, pero funciona.
Then you come and shower at our place. Our water heater is so old that it makes a horrible noise, but it works.
Grammar for this text
One request in two styles. In her letter to the landlord Ana writes: Puesto que la mudanza es a finales de enero, le ruego que envíe un técnico a la mayor brevedad — "since the move is at the end of January, I kindly ask you to send a technician at the earliest opportunity". Lucía would say the same thing simply: Como me mudo pronto, llame al técnico ya — "since I'm moving soon, call the technician now". The pairs are: puesto que — como, le ruego que envíe — llame, a la mayor brevedad — ya. Neither one is a mistake; what matters is who you're writing to: Eso se le escribe a un amigo — "that's what you write to a friend".
Yo pondría — "I'd write": poner here means "to write", and pondría is the "I would" form with a special stem (B1, unit 4).
tan… que and tanto… que work in both styles — people use them to complain and to joke: es tan tranquilo que me pone nerviosa, tardó tanto en cambiar el termo que… (verb + tanto), es tan serio que hasta yo llamaría (hasta yo — "even I"), es tan viejo que hace un ruido horrible.
- Casi me congelo — casi + present tense: "I nearly froze" (unit 1).
- Me veo calentando agua — casual for "I can just see myself heating water".
- Ojalá la avería sea poca cosa — ojalá + subjunctive (B1).
Words and grammar of the unit: Demand repairs from your landlord.
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