Capitulo 6, Scenas 1 e 2, Curso de conversation

(Languages of this post: Interlingua, English)

SCENA 1: Geneva, un cafe: Catherina trova Petro sedite in un cafe in Geneva. Ille es multo nervose e preoccupate a causa de Alicia. Catherina essaya a calmar le. Finalmente illa dice a ille que Alicia telephonava ex le aeroporto de Strasbourg. Catherina tunc diceva que illa diceva a Alicia que tosto ille vaderea a Mexico pro un altere position e que pro illa il esserea inutile volar a Geneva.

Iste information calma Petro, naturalmente, e ille invita Catherina a prender un altere bibita con ille pro celebrar iste bon nova. Catherina tamen responde que illa ha multo a facer, e Petro remane in le cafe pro biber un altere bira sin illa.

Le garson: Que vole vos, senior?

Petro: Eh, un bira, per favor, e io attende un altere persona qui volera alique plus tarde.

(Catherina arriva.)

Catherina: A, ecce vos!

Petro: Perdon? Oh, il es vos.

Catherina: Proque vos cela vos in iste angulo del cafe?

Petro: Ubi es Alicia? Io spera que illa non es con vos.

Catherina: Non vos preoccupa. Calma vos.

Petro: Io essaya facer illo, ma il es difficile. Que vole vos biber?

Catherina: Eh, io vole solmente un pauco de succo de orange.

Petro: Si. Garson! Garson! Esque vos pote portar nos un bicario de succo de orange? Gratias.

Le Garson: Si, senior, immediatemente.

Petro: Gratias. Tunc, que ha passate exactemente?

Catherina: Ascolta, e calma vos. Il es inutile excitar vos.

Petro: Illo es multo facile a dicer. Ma que sentirea vos si vos esseva in mi loco?

Catherina: Illo es difficile, io sape. Ma Alicia solmente essaya adjuvar vos.

Petro: Deo mie! Como esserea le cosas si illa habeva intentiones maligne?!

Catherina: Illa non sape que vos non vole le typo de adjuta que illa vos offere. Il non es sempre facile acceptar le veritate.

Petro: Ma ubi es illa in iste momento?

Catherina: In Strasbourg.

Petro: Ubi?

Catherina: In le aeroporto. Illa ha telephonate ex le aeroporto pro dicer que illa iva a venir hic a Geneva. Io tunc diceva a illa que illa remane illac.

Le Garson: Ecce: Un bira pro le senior, e un succo de orange pro le seniora.

Petro: Gratias.

Catherina: Gratias. Mmm. Illo es deliciose, iste succo de orange.

Petro: Si, e anque mi bira. Tunc il es ver que vos ha prevenite que Alicia veni a Geneva.

Catherina: Exactemente.

Petro: Ma como lo ha facite vos?

Catherina: Io ha dicite a illa que tosto vos va a partir ex Geneva?

Petro: Que?

Catherina: Io ha dicite a illa que vos habeva le intention de vader a travaliar in Mexico e que il es inutile que illa veni a Geneva proque ante multe tempore vos essera in Mexico.

Petro: Genial. Absolutemente genial!

Catherina: Ma non tan genial. Illo es le veritate.

Petro: E que ha dicite illa?

Catherina: Illa ha dicite que in ille caso illa non venirea a Geneva.

Petro: Fantastic! Assi illa remane in Strasbourg. Que relevamento pro me!

Catherina: Vos nunc pote relaxar vos un pauco. Le periculo ha disapparite.

Petro: Catherina, vos es extraordinari. Vos me ha salvate le vita.

Catherina: Oh, vos exagera multissimo.

Petro: Io vole un altere bira pro celebrar illo. E vos, es que io pote comprar vos alique? Un altere succo de orange? O esque vos prefere alique differente?

Catherina: No, gratias. Io debe retornar al officio multo tosto.

Petro: Oh, qual es le prenomine del senior Tanner?

Catherina: Alan.

Petro: Ah, si, io nunc me rememora.

Catherina: Bon, io debe vader via nunc.

Petro: Ben.

Catherina: A revider. Usque deman!

Petro: A revider. Que vos ha un bon vespere. E gratias un altere vice!

Catherina: Oh, il esseva un placer.

EXERCITIO 1: Reportar le parolas de un altere persona.

Guida: In iste scena, Catherina reportava lo que illa habeva dicite a Alicia. Liliana repeteva a Catherina su conversation telephonic con Alan Tanner. In omne linguas, on face illo multo sovente. Io nunc volerea saper si io pote facer isto etiam in interlingua.

Un femina: Io va a studiar interlingua.

Guida: Que ha dicite illa?

Un homine: Illa ha dicite que illa va studiar interlingua.

Guida: Que diceva illa?

Un homine: Illa ha dicite que illa iva studiar interlingua.

Un femina: Io non va remaner in Geneva.

Guida: Que ha dicite illa?

Un homine: Illa ha dicite que illa non va remaner in Geneva.

Guida: Que diceva illa?

Un homine: Illa diceva que illa non iva remaner in Geneva.

Un femina: Io venira jovedi.

Guida: Que ha dicite vos?

Un femina: Io ha dicite que io venira jovedi.

Guida: Que diceva vos?

Un femina: Io diceva que io venirea jovedi.

Guida: Ah, io comprende.

Un femina: Ille essera in Anglaterra multo tosto.

Guida: Que ha dicite illa?

Un homine: Illa ha dicite que ille essera in Anglaterra multo tosto.

Guida: Que diceva illa?

Un homine: Illa diceva que ille esserea in Anglaterra multo tosto.

Un femina: Io inviara un telex.

Guida: Que ha dicite illa?

Un homine: Illa ha dicite que illa va a inviar un telex.

Guida: Que diceva illa:

Un homine: Illa diceva que illa iva a inviar un telex.

Guida: Hmm, io crede que io comprende multo melio iste typo de discurso indirecte. Que nos nunc continua con nostre historia:

SCENA 2: Le officio de Geneva: Francesca Cardano ha arrivate, e Catherina monstra a illa le officios post explicar que Petro se trova in Frankfurt. Catherina describe a Francesca le proxime reunion de ingenieros senior e explica a illa le natura de su travalio. Illa tunc la introduce a lor personal in Geneva e monstra a illa ubi se trova omne le cosas necesse pro le function del officio. Illa tunc vade via, permittente que Francesca se accostuma a su nove ambiente de travalio.

Francesca: Bon die.

Catherina: Bon die. Vos es Francesca Cardano?

Francesca: Si, io es illa.

Catherina: Benvenite a nostre officio.

Francesca: Gratias.

Catherina: Esque vos ha habite difficultates in vostre viage al officio?

Francesca: No, nulles.

Catherina: Como veniva vos?

Francesca: In autobus. Le viage durava solmente un quarto de hora.

Catherina: Oh, multo ben. Tunc vos non cognosce ulle persona in iste officio?

Francesca: Io habeva un interview con le senior Minelli.

Catherina: Ah, si. Petro. Ille non es hic hodie. Ille voleva esser hic pro reciper vos, ma ille ha debite vader a Frankfurt.

Francesca: Ah, bon.

Catherina: Si. Nos nunc forma un commission technic de ingenieros.

Francesca: Ah, si.

Catherina: Petro esseva in Paris le septimana passate pro travaliar in su organisation. In iste momento ille se trova in Frankfurt.

Francesca: Si, io comprende. Con qui es vos in contacto in Germania?

Catherina: Con un compania nominate Elektrobahn. Illes fabrica systemas de ferrovias electric.

Francesca: Io ha le impression que io va haber multe cosas a apprender.

Catherina: Non vos preoccupa. Illo venira rapidemente. Le commission de liaison se reunira regularmente, omne le menses. Un mense hic, le proxime mense in Paris, postea in London, tunc in Frankfurt. Si io me rememora ben, vos sape parlar germano.

Francesca: Si.

Catherina: E le anglese?

Francesca: Si.

Catherina: Multo ben. Vos essera incargate de assecurar que omne persona sape como vader al reunion. Omnes debera haber cameras de hotel, bon dossiers, photocopias, etc.

Francesca: Si, io comprende.

Catherina: E naturalmente vos apprendera occupar vos de omne nostre affaires de routine.

Francesca: Si, naturalmente.

Catherina: Vos sapera omne isto post unes dies de practica. Bon. Ubi comenciar? Le personal de iste officio, possibilemente. Ecce Liliana illac.

Francesca: Bon die.

Catherina: Liliana es mi assistente. E post illa il ha Petro Minelli, que vos jam cognosce. Tunc il ha Martijn Ockrente e Olivero Rossi. Olivero es nostre director de servicio e de marketing, e Martijn es es nostre contabile. E nos anque ha un contabile assistente e un informatico, qui va comenciar le septimana proxime.

Francesca: Il pare que il ha multe personas a cognoscer!

Catherina: Oh, le officio non es multo grande. Vos les cognoscera omnes ante multe tempore. Esque vos ha vidite le officios individual? Vos vole visitar los?

Francesca: Si, naturalmente.

Catherina: Ben, tunc vostre officio es illac.

Francesca: Si ...

Catherina: Le cafetiera es illac. Le W.C. es illac. Ecce un diagramma de omne le officios. Liliana vos monstrara le location del telex, del photocopiator, e de altere simile cosas.

Francesca: Eh, esque io pote demandar a vos vostre nomine?

Catherina: Ah, certemente. Io es Catherina De Sanctis..

Francesca: Tunc vos es le directrice.

Catherina: Exactemente. Bon. Ascolta. Primo io va lassar vos cognoscer omne le officios un pauco. Io revenira in un hora plus o minus, e vos potera comenciar vostre travalio.

Francesca: Multo ben, gratias.

Catherina: A revider.

EXERCITIO 2: Introducer qualcuno a un nove officio.

Guida: Io non ha comprendite omne. Le nove secretaria pare bon, e Catherina ha parlate a illa sur su travalio. Ma io volerea practicar un pauco le differente manieras de introducer qualcuno a un nove officio.

Un femina: Esque mi officio es hic? Iste es le camera ubi io travalia?

Un homine: No. Ecce vostre officio.

Un femina: E le provisiones como papiro, stilos, inveloppes, e altere cosas simile?

Un homine: Omne illo es hic, in iste armario. Il ha altere simile armarios in le altere officios.

Un femina: Ah io comprende. Que va io facer in mi travalio?

Un homine: Vos videra. Tosto vos vos familiarisara con omne isto. Inter vostre cargas essera aperir le litteras e pachettos que veni in le posta, los assortir e classificar, responder a alicunos ex illos.

Un femina: Il ha un cheque in iste littera. Que debe io facer con illo?

Un homine: Vos lo invia al assistente del contabile pro processar. Illes vos dicera ubi vos debe poner los.

Un femina: E ubi es le assistente del contabile?

Un homine: Su officio es vicin a illo del contabile mesme.

Un femina: Deo mie, io habera besonio de multe tempore pro apprender omne iste detalios.

Un homine: Ma no, vos va habituar vos omne isto multo rapidemente.

Un femina: Si, ma quando?

Un homine: Oh, isto essera un question de unes parve dies solmente. Tosto vos cognoscera vostre diverse cargas e ubi trovar nos omnes.

Un femina: Assi io spera.

Guida: Il pare que Catherina ha dicite que Petro esseva in Frankfurt. Que nos vide lo que ille face illac.

---

SCENE 1: Geneva, a cafe: Catherina finds Petro seated in a cafe in Geneva. He is very nervous and worried because of Alicia. Catherina tries to calm him down. Finally she tells him that Alicia called from the Strasbourg airport. Catherine then said that she told Alicia that he would soon be going to Mexico for another job and that it would be useless for her to fly to Geneva.

This information calms Peter down, naturally, and he invites Catherina to have another drink with him to celebrate this piece of good news. Catherina, however, says that she has a lot to do, and Petro remains in the cafe to have another drink without her.

Waiter: What would you like, sir?

Petro: Uh, a beer, please, and I am waiting for somebody else who will want something a little later.

(Catherina comes in.)

Catherina: Ah, there you are!

Petro: Oh, it's you.

Catherina: Why are you hiding in this corner of the cafe?

Petro: Where's Alicia. I hope she isn't with you.

Catherina: Don't worry. Calm down.

Petro: I'm trying to do that, but it's hard. What do you want to drink?

Catherina: Oh, I only want a little orange juice.

Petro: Okay. Waiter! Waiter! Can you bring us a glass of orange juice? Thanks.

Waiter: Yes, sir, right away.

Petro: Thanks. So what happened exactly?

Catherina: Listen, and calm down. It's useless for you to get all worked up.

Petro: That's very easy to say. But how would you feel if you were in my place?

Catherina: It's hard, I know. But Alicia only wanted to help you out.

Petro: Good God! How would things be if she had really bad intentions?!

Catherina: She doesn't know that you don't want the type of help she's offering you. It is not always easy to accept the truth.

Petro: But where is she right now?

Catherina: In Strasbourg.

Petro: Where?

Catherina: In the airport. She called up from the airport to say that she was going to come here to Geneva. I then told her to stay there.

Waiter: Here you are. A beer for the gentleman, and an orange juice for the lady.

Petro: Thanks.

Catherina: Thanks. Mmm. It is delicious, this orange juice.

Petro: Yes, and my beer is too. So it is true that you have kept Alicia from coming to Geneva?

Catherina: Exactly.

Petro: But how did you do it?

Catherina: I told her that you are soon gonna be leaving Geneva.

Petro: What?

Catherina: I told her that you have the intention of working in Mexico and that it is useless for for her to come to Geneva because before too long you will be in Mexico.

Petro: Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant!

Catherina: But not all that brilliant. It's the truth.

Petro: And what did she say?

Catherina: She said that in that case she would not be coming to Geneva.

Petro: Fantastic! So she's gonna stay in Strasbourg. What a relief for me!

Catherina: You can now relax a little. The danger has gone by.

Petro: Catherina, you are extraordinary. You have saved my life.

Catherina: Oh, you're exaggerating a great deal.

Petro: I want another beer to celebrate that. And you, can I buy you something? Another orange juice? Or would you like something different?

Catherina: No, thanks. I should go back to the office pretty soon.

Petro: Oh, what is Mr. Tanner's first name?

Catherina: Alan.

Petro: Ah, yes, yes, I now remember.

Catherina: Good. I've gotta go away now.

Petro: Okay.

Catherina: See you tomorrow.

Petro: See you. I hope you have a nice evening. And thanks again.

Catherina: Oh, it was a pleasure.

EXERCISE 1: Reporting the words of another person.

Guide: In this scene, Catherina reported what she had said to Alicia. Liliana repeated to Catherina her phone conversation with Alan Tanner. In all languages people do this a great deal. I would now like to know if I can also do this in Interlingua.

A woman: I'm gonna study Interlingua.

Guide: What did she say?

A man: She said that she's gonna study Interlingua.

Guide: What did she say?

A man: She said that she was gonna study Interlingua.

A woman: I'm not gonna stay in Geneva.

Guide: What did she say?

A man: She said that she's not gonna stay in Geneva.

Guide: What did she say?

A man: She said that she was not gonna stay in Geneva.

A woman: I'm coming Thursday.

Guide: What did you say?

A woman: I said (that) I'm coming Thursday.

Guida: What did you say?

A woman: I said (that) I was gonna come Thursday.

Guide: Ah, I understand.

A woman: He'll be in England very soon.

Guide: What did she say?

A man: She said (that) he'll be in England very soon.

Guide: What did she say?

A man: She said (that) he'd be in England very soon.

A woman: I'm gonna send a telex.

Guide: What did she say?

A man: She said (that) she's gonna send a telex.

Guide: What did she say?

A man: She said (that) she was gonna send a telex.

Gude: Hmm, I think I understand this type of indirect discourse much better. Let's continue with our story.

SCENE 2: The Geneva offices: Francesca Cardano has arrived, and Catherina shows her the offices after explaining that Petro is in Frankfurt. Catherina describes to Francesca the meeting of senior engineers and explains to her the nature of her work. She then introduces her to their personnel in Geneva and shows her where to find everything necessary for the functioning of the office. She then goes away, allowing Francesca to get used to her new work environment.

Francesca: Good morning.

Catherina: Good morning. You are Francesca Cardano?

Francesca: Yes, I am.

Catherina: Welcome to our office.

Francesca: Thank you.

Catherina: Did you have any trouble getting to our office?

Francesca: No, none.

Catherina: How did you come?

Francesca: On the bus. The trip lasted only fifteen minutes.

Catherina: Oh, very good. Then you don't know anyone at this office?

Francesca: I had an interview with Mr. Minelli.

Catherina: Ah, yes, Petro. He's not here today. He wanted to be here to receive you, but he had to go to Frankfurt.

Francesca: I see.

Catherina: Yes. We are now forming a technical commission of engineers.

Francesca: Ah, yes.

Catherina: Petro was in Paris last week to work on its organization. At this moment he is in Frankfurt.

Francesca: Yes, I understand. Who are you in contact with in Germany?

Catherina: With a company called Elektrobahn. They make electric railway systems.

Francesca: I have the impression that I'm gonna have to learn a lot of things.

Catherina: Don't worry. It will come fast. The liaison commission will meet regularly, every month. One month here, the next month in Paris, after that in London, then in Frankfurt. If I remember correctly, you know how to speak German.

Francesca: Yes.

Catherina: And English?

Francesca: Yes.

Catherina: Very good. You will be in charge of making sure that everyone knows how to get to the meeting. Everyone will need hotel rooms, updated files, photocopies, etc.

Francesca: Yes, I understand.

Catherina: And naturally you will learn how to take care of all our routine affairs.

Francesca: Yes, naturally.

Catherina: You will know all this after a few days of practice. Good. Where should we start? The people in this office, perhaps. There's Liliana over there.

Francesca: Good morning.

Catherina: Liliana is my assistant. And after her there is Minelli, who you already know. Then there is Martijn Ockrente, and Olivero Rossi. Olivero is our service and marketing director, and Martijn is our accountant. And we also have an assistant accountant and someone for the computer work, who will come next week.

Francesca: It seems that there are a lot of people to get to know!

Catherina: Oh, the office isn't very big. You will know all of them before too long. Have you seen the individual offices? Would you like to see them?

Francesca: Yes, of course.

Catherina: Good. Your office is over there.

Francesca: Okay ...

Catherina: The coffee maker is there. The bathroom is there. Here's a diagram of all the offices. Liliana will show you the location of the telex, the photocopier, and other similar things.

Francesca: Uh, can I ask you your name?

Catherina: Oh, sure. I'm Catherina De Sanctis.

Francesca: Then you are the director?

Catherina: Yes, exactly. Good. Listen. First I'm gonna let you get to know all the offices a little. I will come back in an hour more or less, and you can start your work.

Francesca: Very well. Thank you.

Catherina: See you later.

EXERCISE 2: Introducing someone to a new office.

Guide: I haven't understood everything. The new secretary seems good, and Catherina has talked to her about her work. But I would like to practice a little the different ways of introducing someone to a new office.

A woman: Is my office over here? Is this the room where I work?

A man: No. Here's your office over here.

A woman: And supplies like paper, pencils , envelopes and other similar things?

A man: All that is here, in this cabinet. There are other similar cabinets in the other offices.

A woman: Ah, I understand. What am I going to do in my work?

A man: You'll see. Soon you will familiarize yourself with all this. Among your duties will be opening letters and packages that come in the mail, sorting and classifying them, and answering some of them.

A woman: There's a check in this letter. What should I do with it?

A man: You send it to the assistant accountant for processing. They will tell you where to put them.

A woman: And where is the assistant accountant?

A man: His office is next the office of the accountant himself.

A woman: Good God, I'll need a lot to time to learn all these details.

A man: Oh no, you will get used to all this very quickly.

A woman: Yes, but when?

A man: Oh, it'll be a question of just a few days, nothing more. Soon you will know your various duties and where to find all of us.

A woman: I hope so.

Guide: It seems that Catherina has said that Petro was in Frankfurt. Let's see what he is doing there.