Capitulo 2, Scenas 1 e 2, Curso de conversation

(Languages of this post: Interlingua, English)

SCENA 1: Strasbourg: Catherina e Petro es in le appartamento de Petro. Illes discute lor planes pro lor viage a Geneva. In le presentia de Catherina, Petro ascolta le messages in le registrator automatic de su telephono.

Nos ascolta un message registrate per Alicia, su secretaria, qui le revela que illa autorisava que on portava via le cosas in su officio a causa de su obligation de vader a Geneva pro su travalio. Illa informa a Petro que illa vadera directamente a Geneva pro travaliar con ille al fin de su periodo feriate.

Petro non pare multo enthusiastic sur su transferimento a Geneva. Ille invita Catherina (qui trova le situation amusante) a dinar con ille, ma illa non accepta le invitation proque illa ha multo a facer.

Petro: Nos arriva tosto. Ecce mi appartmento. Vamos. Entra.

Catherina: Gratias.

Petro: Seque me, per favor.

Catherina: Iste es un camera multo belle.

Petro: Si. Illo non es mal. Esque vos vole beber alique?

Catherina: No. Io sta ben, gratias. Io debera partir ante pauc tempore. Io ha multo a facer.

Petro: E vos vade a Geneva deman.

Catherina: Si.

Petro: E io, io vade domenica, e nos nos videra le postmeridie de dominica o le matino de lunedi.

Catherina: Si, exactemente. Io poterea telephonar vos post que vos arriva in vostre officio.

Petro: Illo esserea un pauco tosto, ma .... Illo non vos molestarea de ulle maniera?.

Catherina: No, de nulle maniera. Que es isto?

Petro: Un registrator automatic de messages de telephono.

Catherina: Un tal cosa poterea esser multo utile.

Petro: Si. Io non es in mi apartamento multo sovente.

(Petro prime un button sur le machina pro audir su messages.)

Alicia: Es io, Alicia. Ubi esseva vos heri durante le postmeridie? Io telephonava tres vices.

Catherina: Qui es illa?

Petro: Alicia, mi secretaria.

Catherina: Illa non es hic in iste momento?

Petro: No, illa es in su dies feriate.

Alicia: Finalmente, vos ha retornate a vostre apartamento. Io ha unes novas pro vos. Vos va a partir pro Geneva multo tosto. Un littera arrivava ex Paris ante un septimana. Illes voleva saper si vos voleva le position in Geneva. Io diceva a illes que le position vos interessava e scribeva a illes un littera de confirmation pro vos.

Petro: Multe gratias!

Alicia: Vos va a haber besonio de un secretaria in Geneva. Non vos preoccupa. Io non va a abandonar vos. Io vadera illac pro travaliar con vos multo tosto, post mi dies feriate.

Petro: Illa pensa vermente a toto!

Alicia: Vostre superior in Geneva essera un femina, Catherina De Sanctis. Illa es juvene ... e multe attractive, il me pare.

Caterina: Io trova vostre secretaria multo sympathetic!

Petro: Vermente?

Alicia: Il ha un altere cosa: Marc Revel ha besonio de vostre officio. Deman illes venira a portar via omne vostre cosas. Il essera necesse que vos trova un altere officio usque le fin del septimana. Io diceva que omne stava ben proque tosto vos vaderea a Geneva.

Petro: Ille femina essaya a planificar mi vita como si illa esseva mi matre!

Alicia: Isto es toto. Io va a sortir pro prender le sol. Vos va a mancar me, io sape, ma nos nos videra in multo pauc tempore. Io va inviar a vos un carta postal.

Catherina: Bon. Illa ha explicate toto lo que io voleva dicer a vos.

Petro: Si.

Catherina: Toto nunc se ha explicate.

Petro: Completemente. Omne es sur mi registrator de messages.

Catherina: Ben. Io nunc va a vader via. Nos non ha ullo a discuter in iste momento, il me pare.

Petro: Si. Vos ha ration. Ascolta. Ubi va vos a mangiar? Vole vos dinar con me?

Catherina: No, gratias. Io non crede que io vole facer illo. Io ha multe cosas a facer.

Petro: Ben. Tunc nos nos videra le septimana proxime

Catherina: Si. Assi es le cosas. Usque le septimana proxime!

Petro: Io vos accompania ex le edificio.

Catherina: No. Non face illo. Alicia forsan va a telephonar vos. E vos non esseva hic le ultime vice que illa vos telephonava.

EXERCITIO 1: Ascoltar un message.

Guida: Bon. Petro nunc sape ubi ille va e proque. Su secretaria, iste Alicia, pare assatis authoritari. Que nos nunc ascolta un altere message ex un registrator telephonic.

Un femina: Illo es un registrator telephonic.

Martina: Petro, io es Martina. Martina Barrate. Ascolta, mi automobile es stropiate. Illo es in le garage. Io non cognosce le causa del problema, ma io non potera recuperar lo hodie. Tunc, esque tu poterea portar me al officio in tu automobile le matino deman? Io non pote usar le automobile de Eric proque ille ha besonio de illo. Esque io pote partir con te? Io essera hic omne le vespere, si tu vole telephonar me.

Un femina: Ubi vole illa vader?

Un homine: Al officio, pro travaliar.

Un femina: Quando? A que hora?

Un homine: Deman per le matino.

Un femina: Esque illa usara su proprie automobile pro vader al officio?

Un homine: No. Su automobile es in le garage. Illa vole que Petro la porta illac.

Guida: Io comprende. Finalmente, io suppone que omne illo va devenir plus facile, con le tempore.

SCENA 2: Strasbourg, in le officios de Marex Mundial: In iste scena Petro parla a su chef de servicio. Ille le dice que tosto ille va a Geneva. Il pare que Bernardo, le Chef, jam sapeva isto, e ille deveni irritate a causa del attitude apparentemente casual de Petro sur su partita e le problemas que illo va a causar a omnes in le departamento.

Ille deveni specialmente irritate quando Petro demanda su adjuta in su cerca pro su cafetiera preciose. Ille expressa su irritation asstis fortemente, e Petro rapidemente vade via, exprimente que ille comprende proque le chef es assatis irritate.

Petro: Bernardo?

Bernardo: Si?

Petro: Esque io pote vider vos un momento?

Bernardo: Si.

Petro: Io va comenicar a travaliar tosto sur un nove projecto. Io sape que io non ha potite dar a vos mi notification antea, ma ...

Bernardo: Io sape. Vos vade a Geneva.

Petro: Ah, vos jam lo sapeva?

Bernardo: Si. Vos parti multo tosto, nonne?

Petro: Si, multo tosto.

Bernardo: Al fin del septimana?

Petro: Exactemente. Io vola ibi deman.

Bernardo: Isto me pare un pauco troppo precipitate.

Petro: Si, si, io sape, e anque pro me.

Bernardo: Henrique va a esser sol.

Petro: Si.

Bernardo: Ille va a deber facer omne le travalio completemente sol.

Petro: Oh, io es confidente que ille potera facer lo assatis facilemente.

Bernardo: Vos vermente crede isto?

Petro: Si. Felicemente, il non ha multe travalio in iste momento. Toto es multo calme.

Bernardo: Felicemente pro nos!

Petro: Si. Io sape que isto es vermente difficile pro vos.

Bernardo: Si, ma ...

Petro: Bernardo, io volerea vos demandar un favor.

Bernardo: Si?

Petro: Heri on ha portate via omne le cosas in mi officio, e io ha perdite alique. Illo es alique que es mie personalmente.

Bernardo: Ah, si? Que?

Petro: Un cafetiera. Alicuno sin dubito credeva que illo esseva le proprietate del compania, ma illo es mie. Le problema es que io non pote trovar lo, e ...

Bernardo: Un cafetiera?

Petro: Si. Un cafetiera marron. Electric. Io lo ha comprate solmente ante un mense.

Bernardo: Ascolta, Petro. Io regretta isto, ma io trova que vos exaggera le imporantia de omne isto un pauco. Vos me dice que vos va a Geneva in quatro dies. Vostre partita causa multe inconvenientias pro Henrique e le servicio. Isto anque me causa grande problemas. E nostre clientes? Que va illes pensar de omne isto? Vermente, Petro, io non crede que isto es multo importante. E io lo regretta, ma io non ha ulle tempore a perder pro un cafetiera, mesmo si illo es nove.

Petro: Certemente. Io comprende. A revider. (A se) Le Chef non es multo sympathetic hodie.

EXERCITIO 2: Le datas e le tempore.

Guida: Si io comprende ben, le chef de Petro es assatis irritate a causa de su viage a Geneva. Il ha parlate de un demora troppo curte, il me pare.

Prime homine: Demanda quando va a comenciar illo?

Un femina: Quando va illo a comenciar?

Secunde homine: Illo comencia lunedi. Demanda a ille que lunedi.

Un femina: Que lunedi?

Prime homine: Le proxime lunedi. Demanda a ille quanto dies illo face.

Un femina: Quanto dies face illo?

Secunde homine: Illo face sex dies solmente. Hodie es martedi.

Un femina: Illo es un demora assatis curte.

Guida: Ah!

Un homine: Io sape. Illo es un demora multo curte.

Un femina: Io ha besonio de plus tempore.

Un homine: Illo comencia lunedi. Nos ha solmente un septimana.

Un femina: Que die es hodie? Que esseva le die de heri? Heri il esseva lunedi. Tunc hodie es ...

Un homine: Martedi.

Un femina: Illo vole dicer que deman le die essera ...

Un homine: Mercuridi.

Un femina: E le die post deman essera ...

Un homine: Venerdi.

Un femina: In quatro dies le die essera ...

Un homine: Dominica.

Un femina: Illo significa tunc que in sex dies le die essera

Un homine: Lunedi de novo.

Un femina: Io ha besonio de plus tempore.

Un homine: Nos non ha le tempore.

Un femina: E il va a continuar le septimana proxime.

Guida: Bon. Catherina debeva vader in avion a Switza hodie. Io me demanda si illa jam ha arrivate a Geneva.

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SCENE 1: Strasbourg: Catherina and Petro are in Petro's apartment. They are discussing his plans for his trip to Geneva. In Catherina's presence, Petro listens to the messages on his telephone answering machine.

We hear a message recorded by Alicia, his secretary, who reveals to him that she authorized that everything be taken from his office because of his obligation to go to Geneva for his work. She informs Petro that she will go directly to Geneva to work with him at the end of her vacation.

Petro does not seem very enthusiastic about his transfer to Geneva. He invites Catherina (who finds the situation a bit funny) to have dinner with him, but she does not accept the invitation because she has a lot to do.

Petro: We'll be arriving soon. There is my apartment, over there. Let's go. Come on in.

Catherina: Thanks.

Petro: Follow me, please.

Catherina: This is a very nice room.

Petro: Yes. It isn't bad. Would you like something to drink?

Catherina: No. I'm fine, thanks. I will be having to leave before long. I've got a lot to do.

Petro: And you're going to Geneva tomorrow.

Catherina: Yes.

Petro: And me, I'm going Sunday, and we will see each other Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.

Catherina: Yes, exactly. I could telephone you shortly after you get to your office.

Petro: That would be a little early, but .... That wouldn't bother you in any way?

Catherina: Not at all. What is this?

Petro: A telephone answering machine.

Catherina: Something like that can be very useful.

Petro: Yes. I'm not in my apartment all that often.

(Peter presses a button on the machine to hear his messages.)

Alicia: It's me, Alicia. Where were you yesterday afternoon? I called you up three times.

Catherina: Who's that?

Petro: Alicia, my secretary.

Catherina: She isn't here right now?

Petro: No, she is on vacation.

Alicia: Finally, you've returned to your apartment. I've got some news for you. You're gonna leave for Geneva very soon. A letter arrived here from Paris a week ago. They wanted to know if you would be interested in the position in Geneva. I told them that you were interested in the job and wrote them a confirmation letter for you.

Petro: Thanks a lot!

Alicia: You're gonna need a secretary in Geneva. Don't worry. I'm not gonna abandon you. I will be going there to work for you very soon, after my vacation.

Petro: She really thinks of everything!

Alicia: Your boss in Geneva will be a woman, Catherina De Sanctis. She's young ... and very attractive, it seems to me.

Catherina: I think your secrtary's very nice!

Petro: Really?

Alicia: There's something else: Marc Reval needs your office. Tomorrow they're gonna move out all your things. It will be necessary for you to find another office until the end of the week. I said that everything was okay because soon you would be going to Geneva.

Petro: That woman's trying to plan my life as if she were my mother!

Alicia: That's everything. I'm gonna go out to take in the sun. You're gonna need me, I know, but we will be seeing each other very shortly. I'm gonna send you a post card.

Catherina: Good. She's explained to you everything I wanted to say to you.

Petro: Yes.

Catherina: Everything has now been explained.

Petro: Completely. Everything is on my answering machine.

Catherina: Fine. I'm now gonna go away. We don't have anything to discuss right now, it seems to me.

Petro: Yes. You're right. Listen. Where are you going to eat? Do you want to go out to eat with me?

Catherina: No, thanks. I don't believe I want to do that. I've got many things to do.

Petro: Fine. Then we will see each other next week.

Catherina: Yes. That's the way things are. See you next week.

Petro: I'll walk with you out of the building.

Catherina: No. Don't do that. Alicia perhaps is gonna call you up. And you weren't here the last time she called you.

EXERCISE 2: Listening to a message.

Guide: Good. Petro now knows where he is going and why. His secretary, this Alicia, seems rather authoritarian. Let's listen to another answering-machine message.

Martina: Petro, this is Martina. Martina Barrate. Listen, my car has broken down. It is in the garage. I don't know the cause of the problem, but I won't be able to get it back today. So could you give me a lift to the office in your car tomorrow morning? I can't use Eric's car because he needs it. Could I go with you? I will be here all evening if you want to call me up.

A woman: Where does she want to go?

A man: To the office, to work.

A woman: When? At what time?

A man: Tomorrow in the morning.

A woman: Will she use her own car to go to the office?

A man: No. Her automobile is in the garage. She wants Peter to give her a lift there.

Guide: I understand. Finally, I suppose that all this will become easier, with time.

SCENE 2: Strasbourg, in the offices of Marex Mundial: In this scene Petro is talking to the service chief. He tells him that soon he will be going to Geneva. It seems that Bernardo, the chief, already knew this, and he becomes irritated because of Petro's apparently casual attitude about his departure and the problems it will cause everyone in the department.

He becomes especially irritated when Petro asks his help in his search for his precious coffee maker. He expresses his irritation rather strongly, and Petro rapidly goes away, expressing that he understands why the chief is a bit irritated.

Petro: Bernardo?

Bernardo: Yes?

Petro: Can I see you a moment?

Bernardo: Yes.

Petro: I'm going to start soon on a new project. I know that I have not been able to give you my notification before, but ...

Bernardo: I know. You're going to Geneva.

Petro: Ah, you already knew that?

Bernardo: Yes. You are leaving very soon, aren't you?

Petro: Yes, very soon.

Bernardo: At the end of the week?

Petro: Exactly. I'm flying there tomorrow.

Bernardo: This seems a little sudden to me.

Petro: Yes, yes, I know, and also for me.

Bernardo: Henrique is gonna be alone.

Petro: Yes.

Bernardo: He's gonna have to do all the work completely alone.

Petro: Oh, I'm confident that he will be able to do it rather easily.

Bernardo: You really think so?

Petro: Yes. Fortunately, he does not have much work right now. Everything is very calm.

Bernardo: Happily for us!

Petro: Yes. I know that this is really difficult for you.

Bernardo: Yes, but ...

Petro: Bernardo, I would like to ask a favor of you.

Bernardo: Yes?

Petro: Yesterday someone took away all the things in my office, and I have lost something. It is something that is mine personally.

Bernardo: Oh yes? What?

Petro: A coffee maker. Someone no doubt thought it was company property, but it is mine. The problem is that I can't find it, and ...

Bernardo: A coffee maker?

Petro: Yes. A brown coffee maker. Electric. I bought it only a month ago.

Bernardo: Look, Petro. I'm sorry about this, but I find that you are exaggerating the importance of all this a little bit. You tell me that you are going to Geneva in four days. Your departure is causing a lot of inconvenience for Henrique and the service. This is also causing me big problems. And our clients? What are they going to think about all this? Really, Petro, I don't think that this is very important. And I'm sorry, but I don't have any time to lose for a coffee maker, even if it is new.

Petro: Certainly. I understand. See you later. (To himself) The chief isn't in a very good mood today.

EXERCISE 2: Dates and the time of day.

Guide: If I understand correctly, Peter's boss is rather irritated because of his trip to Geneva. He has talked about too short a delay, it seems to me.

First man: Ask him when it is gonna start.

A woman: When is it gonna start?

Second man: It starts Monday. Ask him which Monday.

A woman: Which Monday?

First man: Next Monday. Ask him how many days that is?

A woman: How many days is that?

Second man: That is only six days. Today is Tuesday.

A woman: That is a rather short delay.

Guida: Ah!

A man: I know. That is a very short delay.

A woman: I need more time.

A man: It starts Monday. We have only a week.

A woman: What day is today? What was the day yesterday? Yesterday it was Monday. So today is ...

A man: Tuesday.

A woman: That means that tomorrow the day will be ...

A man: Wednesday.

A woman: And the day after tomorrow will be ...

A man: Friday.

A woman: In four days the day will be ...

A man: Sunday.

A woman: That means then that in six days the day will be ...

A man: Monday once again.

A woman: I need more time.

A man: We don't have the time.

A woman: I need another week.

A man: The congress is gonna start next week.

A woman: And it is going to continue next week.

Guide: Good. Catherina had to go by plane to Switzerland today. I'm wondering if she has already arrived in Geneva.