Capitulo 3, Scenas 1 e 2, Curso de conversation

(Languages of this post: Interlingua, English)

SCENA 1: In iste scena, le agente que Alan Tanner presentava a Catherina monstra un officio vacue a illa. Secundo lo que ille dice, le officio es in un del districtos le plus elegante de Geneva. Catherina examina omne detaliatemente e face planos pro cambiar unes cosas. Illa vole un area de reception plus parve con plus de spatio pro le officios.

Le agente confirma que tal cambios non debe presentar ulle problemas. Postea illa verifica unes detalios sur le contracto de location, includente le precio de location e su periodo de tempore (tres annos, con le option de extender le contracto). Catherina e le agente retorna a su officio pro concluder le formalitates.

Le agente: Io es un agente de benes immobile, e io cognosce Geneva. Io pote dicer a vos que iste es un bon officio. Illo es ben situate. Vos cognosce Geneva un pauco?

Catherina: No.

Le agente: Eh ben, vos es in un de su vicinitates le plus belle.

Catherina: Ah si?

Le agente: Si, un vicinitate excellente--e anque central e practic. E le edificio es moderne. Illo es in le tertie etage. Esque vos vole usar le ascensor o le scala?

Catherina: Le scala.

Le agente: Ecce le officio.

Catherina: Quanto spatio ha illo?

Le agente: Circa sexanta metros quadrate.

Catherina: Illo debe esser sufficiente.

Le agente: Le area de reception es multo grande.

Catherina: Qual esseva le ultime organisation que occupava iste officio?

Le agente: Le ultime locatorios travaliava in le television o alique simile. Io non sape exactemente.

Catherina: Io comprende. Io solmente esseva curiose.

Le agente: Ecce un officio hic.

Catherina: Ma illo es multo parve!

Le agente: Si, vos ha ration. Illo non es multo grande. Hic se trova le cameras del WCs. Illac il ha un altere parve camera.

Catherina: Si. On pote installar illac un distributor de bebitas.

Le agente: Si, on poterea facer illo multo facilemente. Illac vos ha un sala de conferentia. Illo es un camera multo belle.

Catherina: Qual es su grandor? Trenta metros quadrate?

Le agente: Si. Su dimensiones es sex metros contra cinque, o trenta. Si. Quasi trenta metros quadrate. Forsan un pauco plus.

Catherina: Si. Illo facerea un officio multo belle.

Le agente: Illo es un camera belle, clar, con grande fenestras.

Catherina: De ubi veni le sol?

Le agente: Le sol? Attende. Ubi es le sud? Il debe esser illac. Que nos vide, le sol torna assi. Vos lo haberea hic le matino. Il ha connectiones pro telephonos e le electricitate.

Catherina: Multo ben.

Le agente: Io crede que il ha anque un altere camera parve illac.

Catherina: Si.

Le agente: Ecce lo hic.

Catherina: Pro iste camera de reception, nos poterea mitter un muro hic e remover le muro illac pro facer plus grande iste parte hic.

Le agente: Si. Reducente un pauco le area del camera de reception.

Catherina: Esque illo causarea problemas?

Le agente: No, no, nulle problema. Vos pote construer un muro hic. Si, on poterea facer illo multo facilemente.

Catherina: Esque il ha unes formalitates que nos debe finir?

Le agente: Illo depende de lo que vos vole facer. Ma in principio il non ha ulle problemas. Multe clientes nostre face parve cambios structural simile.

Catherina: E le moneta pro le location?

Le agente: Si. Tres menses de anticipation.

Catherina: E un contracto pro tres annos.

Le agente: Tres annos, si. Illo es correcte.

Caterina: E si nos vole un contracto pro plus que tres annos?

Le agente: Nos pote discuter isto plus tarde. Io crede que il non haberea ulle problemas pro extender lo.

Catherina: Ben. Illo me pare perfecto.

Le agente: Multo ben. Eh ben, que nos nunc vade a mi officio pro arrangiar le formalitates, si vos vole.

Catherina: Multo ben.

EXERCITIO 1: Description del officio:

Guida: On ha presentate a nos multe parolas technic in iste conversation, parolas sur le location, etc. Ma primo que nos audi alique sur le manieras de describer un officio:

Un homine: Un officio es componite de quatro partes. Qual es le parte in le qual on entra?

Un femina: Illo es le parte de reception. Su dimensiones generalmente es tres metros per quatro. Le spatio total de isto es ...

Un homine: Dece duo metros quadrate. E tunc il ha un grande camera pro le reuniones. Qual es su nomine?

Un femina: Un sala de conferentias. Illo es cinque metros contra sex. Qual es le spatio total in iste caso?

Un homine: Trenta metros quadrate. Tunc il ha duo cameras pro travaliar. On los nomina ...

Un femina: ... le officios. Illes generalmente es unes tres metros per tres metros. Isto es quanto in metros quadrate?

Un homine: Nove metros quadrate cata un, o sia un total de dece octo metros quadrate.

Un femina: E qual es le superficie total? Dece duo, plus trenta, plus dece octo metros quadrate combinate esserea ...

Un homine: Illo esserea un total de unes sexanta metros quadrate. Le edificio se trova presso le station ferroviari, presso le bancas, e presso le magazines. Illo es in le centro del citate. Il ha spatio pro parcar automobiles e haltos de autobuses. In altere parolas ...

Un femina: ... illo es ben situate. E como es le edificio mesme.

Un homine: Illo es un edificio moderne.

Un femina: Le officio se trova in le nivello del strata?

Un homine: No, illo es sur le tertie etage. Un magazin grande se trova sur le nivello del strata.

Un femina: Quanto debe on pagar cata mense pro le location?

Un homine: Quaranta e octo mille euros cata anno. On paga cata tertie mense.

Un femina: Tunc quanto debe io pagar cata tertie mense?

Un homine: Dece duo mille euros cata tertie mense.

Un femina: Io vole le officios pro tres annos. Esque isto es posibile?

Un homine: Si. Nos facera un contracto pro tres annos.

Guida: Ah, io comencia a comprender. In omne caso, que nos nunc vide si Petro e Catherina se ha incontrate.

SCENA 2: Le officio de Geneva: Petro finalmente trova Catherina post perder se unes minutas in le tertie etage. Catherina monstra a ille lor nove officios, e Petro los trova assatis impressionante. Ille verifica que le telephonos functiona ben, e illes parla sur le necessitate de contractar un nove receptionista/secretaria. Petro dice que ille telephonara Alan Tanner in cerca de su adjuta pro trovar un candidato convenibile. Al fin del scena nos apprende que Petro debera comenciar un altere viage.

Catherina: Ma, ubi es Petro. Nos iva a vider nos a dece horas.

Petro: Catherina? Ubi es vos?

Catherina: Io es hic.

Petro: Ah, ecce vos. Io vos ha cercate in omne partes del tertie etage.

Catherina: Io esseva hic.

Petro: Vos me diceva que io debeva vader al dextro post arrivar al tertie etage con le ascensor.

Catherina: Si. Illo es ver.

Petro: Ma io faceva un error. Io vadeva al sinistro. Il es a causa de isto que io ha arrivate retardate.

Catherina: Non vos preoccupa. Illo non es ullo grave. Que pensa vos de nostre nove officios?

Petro: Illos es bon. Omne es ben illuminate. Le ambiente es agradabile. Il ha assatis spatio pro omne nos.

Catherina: Si. Quando nos essera in plen function, il habera sex o septe de nos in iste officios.

Petro: Nos ha assatis spatio. Mesmo in iste camera il ha assatis spatio pro sex personas.

Catherina: Le ultime locatarios lo usava como un sala de conferentia.

Petro: Illo es belle. Le telephonos functiona?

Catherina: On me ha dicite que illos functiona.

Petro: Que nos vide. Hello? Excusa me. Io ha facite un error. Io voleva un altere numero. Si, illos functiona.

Catherina: Hic on pote mitter le telex.

Petro: Ben.

Catherina: E hic il ha le spatio pro un photocopiator.

Petro: Excellente!

Catherina: Ecce vostre officio.

Petro: Multo ben. Un tabula, un lampa, un sede de officio, un sede plus comfortabile, un telephono--perfecte!

Catherina: Io crede que nos debera aveller ille muro pro facer plus grande iste camera.

Petro: Si, obviemente. Illo es un idea excellente. Duo o tres dies essera necesse pro ille travalio, que essera assatis facile.

Catherina: Illes vole facer lo le fin de iste septimana.

Petro: Me place que nos pote facer illo tanto rapidemente!

Catherina: Nos habera hic un secretaria/receptionista.

Petro: Si, un altere idea excellente.

Catherina: Ben, que vole vos facer nunc?

Petro: Vos es le chef.

Catherina: Vos pote trovar un secretaria. Nos habera besonio de un persona qui sape claviar.

Petro: Naturalmente.

Catherina: Le senior Tanner de Marex Mundial pote adjuvar nos.

Petro: Le americano?

Catherina: Si, ille.

Petro: Io le cognosce.

Catherina: Ille nos ha adjuvate a resolver nostre problemas de installar nos in iste officos.

Petro: Perfecte. Io va telephonar le.

Catherina: Io es confidente que vos sapera facer un bon selection. Multo ben. Io vole installar le machinas necesse, specialmente le computator.

Petro: E io, io debe facer un altere viage a Paris le mercuridi. Esque il ha ulle altere cosa special que io pote facer pro vos?

Catherina: In iste momento, no. Vos jam cognosce nostre necessitates.

Petro: Si, un officio que functiona.

Catherina: Exactemente.

Petro: Multo ben. Io vos videra deman.

Catherina: Multo ben. A revider.

EXERCITIO 2: Le equipamento de un officio.

Guida: Io volerea verificar le nomines del cosas que illes ha in lor officios:

Un homine: Io me demanda como on nomina le loco ubi on mitte le litteras, le papiros, e le documentos. Vos mitte omne le litteras in

Un femina: ... classificatores. Il ha un classificator pro cata dossier. Ubi es le classificatores?

Un homine: Le classificatores es in le cassa de classificatores. Il ha photocopias de omne le litteras in le classificatores.

Un femina: Mantener photocopias de omne le documentos es un idea excellente. E illo, io sape, es un machina a scriber.

Un homine: Que es illo?

Un femina: Un telex.

Un homine: Vermente?

Un femina: E ille machina es un photocopiator.

Un homine: E que es iste machina con le qual on face additiones de columnas de numeros. Un machina a adder?

Un femina: Si, un machina a adder o un calculator.

Guida: Ah si. Bon. Petro ha vadite a un altere officio e demanda adjuta. Que nos vide lo que se passa:

---

SCENE 1: In this scene, the agent that Alan Tanner introduced to Catherina shows her a vacant office. From what he says, the office is in one of the most elegant districts of Geneva. Catherina examines everything in detail and makes plans to change some things. She wants a smaller reception area with more space for the offices.

The agent confirms that such changes should not present any problems. Afterward she verifies some details about the lease, including the rental rate and the term of the lease (three years with an option to renew). Catherina and the agent return to his office to conclude the formalities.

The agent: I am a real-estate agent, and I know Geneva. I can tell you that this is a good office. It is well situated. Do you know Geneva at all?

Catherina: No.

The agent: Well, you are in one of its most beautiful neighborhoods.

Catherina: Oh yeah?

The agent: Yeah, an excellent neighborhood--and also centralized and practical. And the building is modern. It is on the third floor. Do you want to use the elevator or the stairs?

Catherina: The stairs.

The agent: Here's the office.

Catherina: How much space does it have?

The agent: About sixty square meters.

Catherina: That should be enough.

The agent: The reception area is very big.

Catherina: What was the last organization that occupied this office?

The agent: The last tenants worked in television or something similar. I don't know exactly.

Catherina: I understand. I was only curious.

The agent: Here's an office over here.

Catherina: My, but it's very small.

The agent: Yes, you're right. It isn't very big. Here are the toilets. Over there is another small room.

Catherina: Yes. A drink machine can be installed there.

The agent: Yes, that could be done very easily. There you have a conference room. It's a very beautiful room.

Catherina: What is its size? Thirty square meters?

The agent: Yeah. Its dimensions are six by five meters, making thirty. Right. Almost thirty square meters. Maybe a little more.

Catherina: Yeah. It would make a very beautiful office.

The agent: It's a beautiful room, clear, with big windows.

Catherina: Where does the sun come from?

The agent: The sun? Wait. Where is the south? It should be there. Let's see. The sun turns like this. You have it here in the morning. There are connections for phones and electricity.

Catherina: Very good.

The agent: I think there is also another small room over there.

Catherina: Yeah.

The agent: Here it is.

Catherina: For this reception room, we could put a wall here and remove the wall there to make this part here bigger.

The agent: Yeah, reducing a little the area of the reception room.

Catherina: Would that cause problems?

The agent: No, no, no problems. You can put up a wall here. Yeah, this could be done very easily.

Catherina: Are there some formalities that we must finish?

The agent: That depends on what you want to do. But in principle there aren't any problems. Many of our clients make small structural changes that are similar.

Catherina: And the rent?

The agent: Yeah. Three months in advance.

Catherina: And a lease for three years.

The agent: Three years, yes. That's correct.

Catherina: And if we want a lease for more than three years?

The agent: We can discuss that later. I think that there would not be any problem in extending it.

Catherina: Fine. It seems perfect to me.

The agent: Very well. All right, let's go to my office to take care of the formalities, if you want.

Catherina: Fine.

EXERCITIO 1: Describing the office.

Guide: We have been presented with many technical words in this conversation, words about rent, etc. But first, let's hear something about the ways of describing an office.

A man: An office is made up of four parts. What is the part where a person enters?

A woman: That's the reception area. Its dimensions are generally three meters by four. The total space of this is ...

A man: Twelve square meters. And then there is a big room for meetings. What is its name?

A woman: A conference room. It is six by five meters. What is the total space for this?

A man: Thirty square meters. Then there are two rooms for working. They are called ...

A woman: ... the offices. They generally are some about three meters by three meters. This is how much in square meters?

A man: Nine square meters each one, or a total of eighteen square meters.

A woman: And what is the total surface area? Twelve, plus thirty, plus eighteen meters all together would be ...

A man: That would be a total of some sixty square meters. The office is near the train station, near the banks, near stores. It is in the downtown area of the city. There is space for parking cars and bus stops. In other words, ...

A woman: ... it is well situated. And what is the building itself like?

A man: It is a modern building.

A woman: The office is at street level?

A man: No, it is on the third floor. A store is at street level.

A woman: How much is the rent each month?

A man: Forty-eight thousand euros per year. Payments are made every three months.

A woman: Then I must pay how much in a three-month period?

A man: Twelve thousand euros every three months.

A woman: I want the offices for three years. Is this possible?

A man: Yes. We can get a lease for three years.

Guide: Ah, I'm starting to understand. In any case, let's now see if Petro and Catherina have run into each other.

SCENE 2: The Geneva office: Peter finally finds Catherina after losing himself a few minutes on the third floor. Catherine shows him their new offices, and Petro finds them rather impressive. He verifies that the phones are working, and they talk about the need to hire a new receptionist/secretary. Petro says he will call up Alan Tanner to ask his help in finding a suitable candidate. At the end of the scene we find out that Petro will have to go on another trip.

Catherina: But where is Petro? We were gonna get together at ten o'clock.

Petro: Catherina? Where are you?

Catherina: I'm here.

Petro: Ah, there you are. I have been looking for you everywhee on the third floor.

Catherina: I was here.

Petro: You told me that I should go to the right after getting off the elevator on the third floor.

Catherina: Yeah, that's true.

Petro: But I made a mistake. I went to the left. It's because of this that I got here late.

Catherina: Don't worry. That's nothing important. What do you think of our new offices?

Petro: They're nice. Everything is well illuminated. The atmosphere is nice. There's enough space for all of us.

Catherina: Yes. Once we are in complete working order, there will be six or seven of us in these offices.

Petro: We have enough space. Even in this room there is enough space for six people.

Catherina: The last tenants used it as a conference room.

Petro: It's nice. Do the phones work?

Catherina: I've been told that they do.

Petro: Let's see. Hello? Excuse me. I've made a mistake. I wanted another number. Yes, they work.

Catherina: Here we can put the telex.

Petro: Fine.

Catherina: And here there is enough space for a xerox machine.

Petro: Excellent!

Catherina: Here's your office.

Petro: Very good. A desk, a lamp, an office chair, a more comfortable chair, a telephone--perfect!

Catherina: I think we should tear down that wall to make this room bigger.

Petro: Yes, obviously. That's an excellent idea. Two or three days will be necessary for that work, which will be rather easy.

Catherina: They want to do it this weekend.

Petro: I'm glad we can do it so rapidly!

Catherina; Here we will have a secretary/receptionist.

Petro: Yes, another excellent idea.

Catherina: Fine. What do you want to do now?

Petro: You're the boss.

Catherina: You can find a secretary. We will need someone who can type.

Petro: Naturally.

Catherina: Mr. Tanner of Marex Mundial can help us.

Petro: The American?

Catherina: Yes, him.

Petro: I know him.

Catherina: He has helped to solve our problems in finding these offices.

Petro: Perfect. I'll call him up.

Catherina: I'm sure you will be able to make a good selection. Very well, I want to install the necessary machines, especially the computer.

Petro: And me, I've gotta make another trip to Paris on Wednesday. Is there something else I can do for you?

Catherina: Not right now. You already know what we need.

Petro: Yes, an office that works.

Catherina: Exactly.

Petro: Okay, I'll see you tomorrow.

Catherina: Fine. See you then.

EXERCISE 2: Office equipment.

Guide: I'd like to verify the names of the things they have in their offices:

A man: I'm wondering what people call the things where they put letters, papers, and documents. You put all the letters in ...

A woman: ... file folders. There's a file folder for each file. Where are the file folders?

A man: The file folders are in a file cabinet. There are photocopies of all the letters in the file folders.

A woman: Maintaining photocopies of all documents is an excellent idea. And that, I know, is a typewriter.

A man: What is that?

A woman: A telex.

A man: Really?

A woman: And that machine is a photocopier.

A man: And what is this machine that people use to add up columns of numbers, an adding machine?

A woman: Yes, an adding machine or a calculator.

Guide: Ah yes. Good. Petro has gone to another office and is asking for help. Let's see what's happening.