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Illustration for “You sound like a lawyer”

Spanish dialogue with translation · B2 · 13 lines

Pareces una abogada You sound like a lawyer

Comic · 13 panels

Panel 1 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “How's the new apartment? Do you have the measurements of everything yet?”
  1. 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?

Panel 2 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “Yes, but the boiler won't start and it's unbearably cold inside. I nearly froze, girl.”
  1. 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.

Panel 3 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “What a drag! And what does the landlord say?”
  1. Lucía

    ¡Qué rollo! ¿Y qué dice el casero?

    What a drag! And what does the landlord say?

Panel 4 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “At first he wanted to wait "until next week, or the week after." He's so calm that it makes me nervous (woman speaking).”
  1. 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).

Panel 5 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “Typical. My old landlord took so long to replace the hot water tank that I spent a month showering at the gym.”
  1. 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.

Panel 6 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “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)”
  1. 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)

Panel 7 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “"At the earliest opportunity"? Girl, you sound like a lawyer. I'd put: "Since I'm moving soon, call the technician now." (formal)”
  1. 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)

Panel 8 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “That's what you write to a friend. Not to the owner: I want him to see that I mean it.”
  1. 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.

Panel 9 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “OK, you're right: it's so serious that even I would call the technician.”
  1. 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.

Panel 10 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “That's the idea. I hope the problem is nothing big.”
  1. Ana

    Esa es la idea. Ojalá la avería sea poca cosa.

    That's the idea. I hope the problem is nothing big.

Panel 11 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “I'm sure. With my parents' boiler, the technician replaced a pipe, adjusted the pressure and ten minutes later it was working.”
  1. 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.

Panel 12 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “And if not? I can just see myself heating water in a pot so I can shower.”
  1. 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.

Panel 13 of 13 for “You sound like a lawyer”: “Then you come and shower at our place. Our water heater is so old that it makes a horrible noise, but it works.”
  1. 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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