Capitulo 4, Scenas 3 e 4, Curso de conversation

(Languages of this post: Interlingua, English)

SCENA 3: In iste scena Petro e Catherina mangia in un café presso lor officio. Petro pensa que Catherina pare multo juvene pro occupar un position in le compania con tante responsibilitates, e ille la demanda unes informationes assatis indiscrete: qual esseva su etate e si illa unquam voleva maritar se.

Catherina responde de un maniera multo candide e postea parla a Petro sur su interview con Francesca Cardano, le candidata pro position de secretaria. Petro crede que illa esserea un secretaria ideal. Catherina solmente vole assecurar que illa pote comenciar su travalio ante multe tempore proque illes ha besonio de alicuno immediatemente durante que illes face preparationes pro aperir lor officio in Geneva.

Petro: Io trova iste loco multo agradabile pro prandiar.

Catherina: Si, anque io. E le precios non es multo car.

Petro: Catherina?

Catherina: Si?

Petro: Vos me pare assatis juvene pro esser responsibile pro un projecto como isto.

Catherina: Vos crede?

Petro: Si. Io spera que isto non vos irrita.

Catherina: No, de nulle maniera.

Petro: Il non ha multe feminas in vostre profession.

Catherina: Si. Vos ha ration. Il ha multe pauches.

Petro: E il me surprende trovar un femina de vostre qualificationes a vostre etate.

Catherina: Vos lo trova exceptional?

Petro: Si. Illo es completemente exceptional, multo rar.

Catherina: Forsan io ha habite multe sorte.

Petro: E, como io diceva, vos pare ben juvene pro illo. Esque io pote demandar vostre etate?

Catherina: Petro, vos sape, on nunquam debe demandar al feminas lor etate.

Petro: Ma vos non es un femina. Vos es un collega.

Catherina: Ah, multe gratias.

Petro: Io non voleva dar a vos ulle typo de mal impression.

Catherina: Io sape. De tote manieras, il non es un secreto. Io ha trenta e tres annos.

Petro: Trenta e tres annos. E vos nunquam ha volite maritar vos?

Catherina: Vermente io esseva maritate, durante duo annos.

Petro: In Belgia?

Catherina: Si.

Petro: E que passava?

Catherina: Il habeva multe differentias inter nos que io gradualmente discoperiva durante le prime anno de nostre maritage.

Petro: Vostre marito anque travaliava in le transportes?

Catherina: No, ille esseva un professor de biologia.

Petro: Io comprende. E como esseva le discussiones in le centro informatic iste matino?

Catherina: Omne vadeva ben. Io crede que nos habera lo que nos vole. E le interview que vos habeva iste matino, como esseva?

Petro: Oh, io crede que illa es un bon candidato.

Catherina: Ah, bon. Qual es su nomine?

Petro: Francesca. Io ha oblidate su surnomine, ma io ha isto in le notas sur mi interview con illa in le officio.

Catherina: Tunc vos crede que illa pote facer le travalio?

Petro: Si, io crede. Illa es sympathic e ha un bon cognoscentia de linguas: anglese, germano, e espaniol. Su experientia es assatis bon. Ma illa ha travaliate solmente in grande companias, e iste position essera un pauco differente pro illa. Illa a vices debera gerer le affaires del officio completemente sol. Ma illa es melior que omne le alteres. Esque vos vole parlar con illa ante que nos face un decision final?

Catherina: No, no. Io ha confidentia in vos.

Petro: Bon. Quanto a me, io crede que illa es le persona que nos debe contractar.

Catherina: Multo ben. E quando potera illa comenciar?

Petro: Io diceva a illa que nos iva a contactar la iste septimana.

Catherina: Ben. Io crede que nos debe contactar la tosto. Nos vole activar le officio le plus tosto possible.

Petro: Io sape, io sape.

EXERCITIO 3: Ascoltar e comprender.

Guida: Que nos resta in le café ubi Petro e Catherina mangia e ascolta le conversation de altere personas qui mangia ibi. De que parla illes?

Prime femina: Il es probabile que tu jam lo ha gustate.

Secunde femina: Io non lo crede. Io non ha ulle memoria de illo.

Prime femina: Vamos. Essaya lo.

Secunde femina: Que es illo?

Prime femina: Vodka e succo de orange con sucre. Differente ingredientes.

Secunde femina: Esque il es multo forte?

Prime femina: No, no. Ma naturalmente, si tu bibe sex o septe, ...

Secunde femina: Oh, io nunquam facerea illo.

Prime femina: Io vole facer un cocktail party, ma un ver cocktail party, con diverse cocktails differente.

Secunde femina: Si. Illo esserea un idea excellente. Sur le thema del annos 1920 (dece nove centos vinti). Tu poterea haber musica de ille epocha, specialmente le jazz. E omnes portarea vestimentos de ille annos.

Prime femina: Bon. Tu vole biber un vodka con succo de orange como un essayo?

Secunde femina: Io non sape.

Prime femina: Vamos. Essaya lo. Illo non vos occidera.

Secunde femina: Si, proque non? Io non travalia iste postmeridie.

Prime femina: Io va a essayar a appellar le garson.

Guida: Si. Io jam comprende. Tunc Catherine e Petro nunc ha retornate a lor officios. Vamos vider lo que passa inter illes.

SCENA 4: Petro e Catherina parla sur lor nove secretaria. Petro tunc monstra a Catherina un annuncio pro le position de un ingeniero in Mexico. Ille volerea facer un solicitude pro le position proque ille non ha assatis a facer in Geneva, e ille deveni enoiate. Ille demanda a Catherina si illa le darea un referentia si ille contactava le compania que offere iste position, e illa dice que illa esserea felice de facer lo.

Petro: Le plus tosto possibile. Lunedi? Illo esserea perfecte. Si Si. Io comprende. Multo ben. Tunc nos vos videra le proxime lunedi. Al revider.

Catherina: Petro, io volerea ...

Petro: Nos ha un secretaria.

Catherina: Oh, multo ben.

Petro: Io justo nunc parlava a illa in le telephono, vos sape, a Francesca Cardano.

Catherina: Ben. Quando pote illa comenciar?

Petro: Le lunedi proxime.

Catherina: Multo ben.

Petro: Si. Io pensa que illa nos servira ben. Un altere cosa: Io mesme non essera hic in le officio le lunedi proxime. Esque vos potera orientar la.

Catherina: Si, io pote facer illo. Io la presentara a omne le alteres, e io explicara a illa un pauco sur le travalio que nos face.

Petro: Multo ben, gratias.

Catherina: Ben. Intertanto, reguarda isto. Il justo lo ha recipite.

Petro: Que es illo?

Catherina: Jovedi, Paris, Hotel d'Albion.

Petro: Ah, si, Infomat.

Catherina: Si. Illo es lor nove systma de controlo integrate.

Petro: Illo poterea esser interessante.

Catherina: Illo ha un aspecto un pauco technic. Illo es alique plus in vostre area de expertise que in le mie.

Petro: Un systema de controlo completemente integrate. Illo ha possibilitates multo interessante.

Catherina: Illo es un presentation. Un presentation e un conferentia.

Petro: Quatro horas, jovedi, in le postmeridie. Illo es troppo tarde pro le prandio, ma non assatis tarde pro dinar. Illes vole simplemente offerer nos unes tasses de the e unes biscuits. Illo non suffice. Ma Infomat face productos multo bon. E si iste es un producto nove, ...

Catherina: Vos essera a Paris in ille momento?

Petro: Si. Io essera illac desde mercuridi.

Catherina: Ben. Vos vole que io les notifica que vos va a vader illac?

Petro: Si, gratias.

Catherina: Gerardo anque essera la, Gerardo Florette. Il sempre va a omne iste conferentias. Io va a demandar que ille vos monstra omne lo que es importante in ille conferentia de Infomat.

Petro: Gratias. (Usante le telephono) Hello? Io volerea reservar un sede in un volo pro Paris mercuridi in le postmeridie. Si, exactemente. Si, illo es multo ben. Io vole retornar jovedi in le tarde. Mi nomine es Minelli: em, i, en, e, duple el, i. em como Mama. Multo ben. E io anque volerea reservar un camera de hotel pro le tempore que io essera illac. Esque io pote facer isto per vostre agente?

EXERCITIO 4: Le nomines del litteras:

Guida: Quando le curso comenciava, io ha apprendite con vos a dicer le litteras in interlingua, e io volerea practicar los un pauco a iste puncto. Que nos nunc ascolta le orthographia de unes nomines.

Un homine: Francesco:

Un femina: Ef, er, a, en, tse, e, es, tse, o.

Un homine: Melville:

Un femina: Em, e, el, ve, i, duple el, e.

Un homine: Switza:

Un femina: Es, duple v, i, te, zeta, a.

Un homine: Paris:

Un femina: Pe, a, er, i, es.

Un homine: London:

Un femina: El, o, en, de, o, en.

Un homine: Geneva:

Un femina: Ge, e, en, e, ve, a.

Guida: Ben. Il nunc es mercuridi in le vespere. Petro es in Paris. Ille arriva a su hotel.

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SCENE 3: In this scene Petro and Catherina are eating in a cafe near their office. Petro thinks that Catherine seems very young to have a position in the company with so many responsibilities, and he asks her some rather indiscreet questions: what her age is and whether she ever wanted to get married.

Catherina answers very candidly and afterwards speaks to Petro about his interview with the Francesca Cardano, the candidate for the secretary's job. Petro thinks that she would be an ideal secretary. Catherina only wants to be assured that she can start her work before too long because they need someone immediately as they prepare to open their offices in Geneva.

Petro: I find this place very nice for having lunch.

Catherina: Yeah. I do too. And the prices aren't all that high.

Petro: Catherina?

Catherina: Yes?

Petro: You seem to rather young to be responsible for a project like this one.

Catherina: You think so?

Petro: Yes. I hope that this doesn't irritate you.

Catherina: No, not at all.

Petro: There are not many women in your profession.

Catherina: Yes, you're right. There are very few.

Petro: And it surprises me to find a woman of your qualifications at your age.

Catherina: You find it exceptional?

Petro: Yes. It is completely exceptional, very rare.

Catherina: Perhaps I have had a lot of luck.

Petro: And, as I said, you seem quite young for it. Can I ask you your age?

Catherina: Petro, you know that you should never ask women their age.

Petro: But you are not a woman. You are a colleague.

Catherina: Ah, thanks a lot.

Petro: I did not want to give you that kind of bad impression.

Catherina: I know. In any event, it's not a secret. I'm thirty-three years old.

Petro: Thirty-three years old. And you never wanted to get married?

Catherina: To tell the truth, I was married once, for three years.

Petro: In Belgium?

Catherina: Yes.

Petro: And what happened?

Catherina: There were many differences between us that I gradually discovered during the first year of our marriage.

Petro: Your husband also worked in transportation?

Catherina: No, he was a professor of biology.

Petro: I understand. And how were the discussions at the computer center this morning?

Catherina: Everything went well. I believe that we will have what we want. And the interview that you had this morning, how was it?

Petro: Oh, I believe that she is a good candidate.

Catherina: Oh, good. What is her name?

Petro: Francesca. I have forgotten her last name, but I have this in the notes about my interview with her in the office.

Catherina: So you think she could do the work?

Petro: Yes, I think so. She is nice and has a good knowledge of languages: English, German, and Spanish. Her experience is rather good. But she has worked only in big companies, and this position would be a little different for her. At times she will have to manage things in the office all by herself. But she is better than all the others. Do you want to talk with her before we make a final decision?

Catherina: No, no. I have confidence in you.

Petro: Fine. As far as I am concerned, I think she is the person we should hire.

Catherina: Fine. And when will she be able to start?

Petro: I told her that we would contact her this week.

Catherina: Fine. I think we should contact her soon. We want to activate the office as soon as possible.

Petro: I know, I know.

EXERCISE 3: Listening and understanding.

Guide: Let's stay in the cafe where Petro and Catherina are eating and listen to the conversation of others who are eating there. What are they talking about?

First woman: Probably you've already tried it out.

Second woman: I don't think so. I can't remember it at all.

First woman: Come on. Try it out.

Second woman: What is it?

First woman: Vodka and orange juice with sugar. Different ingredients.

Second woman: Is it very strong?

First woman: No, no. But naturally, if you drink six or seven, ...

Second woman: Oh, I would never do that.

First woman: I want to have a cocktail party, but a real cocktail party, with all sorts of different cocktails.

Second woman: Yes. That would be an excellent idea--based on the nineteen twenties. You could have some music from that time, especially jazz. And everyone would wear clothing from those years.

First woman: Fine: Do you want to have a vodka with orange juice just to try it out?

Second woman: I don't know.

First woman: Come on. Try it out. It won't kill you.

Second woman: Okay, why not? I'm not working this afternoon.

First woman: I'm gonna try to call the waiter.

Guide: Okay. I now understand. So Catherina and Petro have now returned to their offices. Let's see what is happening between them.

SCENA 4: Petro e Catherina talk about their new secretary. Petro then shows Catherina an ad for an engineering job in Mexico. He wants to apply for the position because he doesn't have enough to do in Geneva, and he's getting bored. He asks Catherina if she would give him a reference if he contacted the company offering this position, and she says that she would be happy to do so.

Petro: As soon as possible. Monday? That would be perfect. Yes, yes. I understand. Very good. So we'll see you next Monday. Very good. See you then.

Catherina: Peter, I'd like to ...

Petro We have a secretary.

Catherina: Oh, very good.

Petro: I was just now talking to her on the phone, you know, to Francesca Cardano.

Catherina: Fine. When can she start out?

Petro: Next Monday.

Catherina: Very good.

Petro: Yes. I think that she will work out very well. One other thing: I myself won't be here in the office Monday. Will you be able to orient her?

Catherina: Yes, I can do that. I'll introduce her to all the others, and I'll explain to her a little about the kind of work we do here.

Petro: Very good. Thanks.

Catherina: Fine. In the meantime, look at this. I just got it.

Petro: What is it?

Catherina: Thursday, Paris, Hotel d'Albion.

Petro: Ah, yes. Infomat.

Catherina: Yes. It is their new system of integrated control.

Petro: It could be interesting.

Catherina: It's a bit technical. It's more in your area of expertise than in mine.

Petro: A completely integrated system of control. It has some very interesting possibilities.

Catherina: It is a presentation. A presentation and a conference.

Petro: Four hours, Thursday, in the afternoon. It's too late for lunch but not too late for dinner. They simply want to give us some tea and biscuits. That is not enough. But Informat makes very good products. And if this is a new project, ...

Catherina: Will you be in Paris then?

Petro: Yes. I will be there starting Wednesday.

Catherina: Fine. Do you want me to notify them that you are gonna go there?

Petro: Yes, please.

Catherina: Gerardo will also be there, Gerardo Florette. He always goes to all those conferences. I'm gonna ask him to show you everything that's important at that Informat conference.

Petro: Thanks. (On the phone) Hello? I would like to reserve a seat on a flight to Paris Wednesday afternoon. Yes, exactly. Yes, that's fine. I want to return Thursday afternoon. My name is Minelli: em, I, en, ee, double el, I. Em as in Mama. Fine. And I would also like to reserve a hotel room for the time I will be there. Can I do this through your agent?

EXERCISE 4: The names of the letters:

Guide: When the course started out, I learned with you to say the letters in Interlingua, and I would like to practice them a little at this point. Let's listen to the spelling of some names:

A man: Francesco:

A woman: Ef, are, ay, en, see, ee, es, see, oh.

A man: Melville:

A woman: Em, ee, el, vee, I, double el, ee.

A man: Switzerland:

A woman: Es, double you, I, tea, zee, ee, are, el, ay, en, dee.

A man: Paris:

A woman: Pea, ay, are, I, es.

A man: London:

A woman: El, oh, en, dee, oh, en.

A man: Geneva:

A woman: Jee, ee, en, ee, vee, ay.

Guide: Fine. It now is Wednesday afternoon. Petro is in Paris. He is arriving at his hotel.