Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 1, Scenas 1 e 2 (anglese)

This Interlingua conversation course is very similar to a radio drama. It is principally the history of two protagonists, Catherina and Petro, who work for Marex Mundial, a company specializing in urban transport. The course is in eight parts, and each part has six scenes.

Before each scene there is a summary of its content. After most scenes there is a short exercise that explains some of the characteristics of the Interlingua used in the scenes. The course has a guide who is learning spoken Interlingua exactly like you and who explains the purpose of the exercises.

You can read this course, preferably with other people as if you were having a conversation with them. Eventually I hope that a group of Interlinguists with some of the talents of professional actors will make recordings of this course and will distribute them free on the Internet.

Conversational language is somewhat different from language destined only to be read, and I hope that after studying these conversations you will be able to hold free conversations with other people more easily in Interlingua. (Harleigh Kyson Jr.)

Part 1

Scene 1

Petro is giving a ride in his car to one of his colleagues. After navigating through some very dense traffic, Petro and his colleague arrive at the offices of Marex Mundial. Petro's colleague leaves the automobile and says thanks to him. Petro then goes away to park his car. Entering the office, Petro says hello to different people. One of his colleagues, Franco, asks Petro's advice about a translation that he wants to make. Petro recommends an agency but tells Franco that he will give him the details later. He has to do all his work without his secretary, who is on vaction.

Petro: Ah, the weather's nice today.

Petro's colleague: Yeah, but it's changing a little.

Petro: We're late.

Petro's colleague: Not too much. We've almost arrived. I like Strasbourg. What do you think of it?

Petro: I find it nice. Where do you want me to leave you?

Petro's colleague: I work right over there.

Petro: This place here, is it okay?

Petro's colleague: Yes. This is perfect. Thanks for having driven me here.

Petro: It was a pleasure.

Petro's colleague: Have a nice trip.

Petro: Thanks. You too.

Porter: Good morning, Mr. Minelli.

Voice 1: Good morning, Petro.

Petro: Good morning.

Voice 2: Hi.

Petro: Good morning, Mrs. Ducotto. Is everything okay?

Voice 3: Good morning, sir. Everything's going just fine, thanks.

Petro: Hi, Franco. How are you?

Franco: Fine, thanks. Say, (have you got a moment) / (do you have a moment)?

Petro: Right now?

Franco: Yeah. Just a moment, no longer.

Petro: Yes, certainly.

Franco: Come into my office. You look very well, really.

Petro: Ah yes. It's a nice day. The weather is good. The sun is out. That's why I'm feeling so good. What can I do for you?

Franco: Hey, take a look at this transport ad. I have to have it in English, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Petro: Is it a simple translation?

Franco: Not completely simple. It has various technical words.

Petro: From Interlingua to French, English, German, and Spanish?

Franco: And Italian.

Petro: But it's in Interlingua?

Franco: Ah, yes, it's in Interlingua.

Petro: Very well, you could give it to an agency.

Franco: Yes, but do you know of a good agency?

Petro: Generally we use the Interglossa agency.

Franco: Interglossa. How is that word written?

Petro: Capital I, en, tee, ee, are, gee, el, o, ess, ess, ay.

Franco: Do you know their telephone number?

Franco: Uh, not by memory. But I ought to have it somewhere in my office.

Franco: Can I ask Alice for the number?

Petro: She is on vacation at this moment.

Franco: Ah? Okay. You are all alone, it seems.

Petro: Yes.

Franco: Completely alone, all day long, poor Petro.

Petro: It doesn't bother me. Good, you want the phone number of Interglossa. There is also another agency.

Franco: Oh yes? I must find an agency as soon as possible because I need the translations before the end of the week.

Exercise 1: Greetings

Guide: Good morning, and welcome to this course. This series of recordings has the goal of allowing you to listen and learn. Listen to the recordings several times, and you will find spoken Interlingua progressively easier. I myself am in the same situation as you. I am also learning Interlingua. Thanks to this series of lessons, we will be able to learn it together. Now I would like to hear once again the different ways of saying "Good morning" to someone in the office in the morning.

A woman: Good morning.

A man: Good morning.

A woman: Hi.

A man: Hi.

Guide: Yes. This is easy. There are other things a person can say, aren't there?

A woman: How are you?

A man: Fine, thank you. And you?

A woman: I'm also very well, thanks.

A man: Good morning. How's everything going?

A woman: Everything is going very well, thanks.

A man: Good morning. Is everything going okay?

A woman: Very well, thank you, and you?

A man: Everything's going well, thanks.

Exercise 2: The names of letters

Guide: Petro spelled out the word "Interglossa" in the first scene. I now want to learn with you the names of the letters in Interlingua. First we are going to listen to the names of the different letters, and afterwards we are going to give the spelling of some words in Interlingua:

A man: Ay, bee, see, dee,

A woman: ee, eff, gee, aitch,

A man: I, jay, kay,

A woman: Ell, em, en,

A man: Oh, pea, cue,

A woman: Are, ess, tea,

A man: You, vee, double you,

A woman: Ecks, why, zee.

Guide: Good. This is enough for now. Let's try to pronounce the letters for the city "Strasbourg."

A woman: Capital ess, tea, are, ay, ess, bee, oh, you, are, gee.

A man: What is the spelling of "Franco"?

A woman: Capital eff, are, ay, en, see, oh.

A man: And what is the spelling of "Petro"?

A woman: Capital pea, ee, tea, are, oh.

Guide: That's easy enough. Let's now go to the second scene, where there are two people in Petro's office. I would like to know what they are saying to each other.

Scene 2

Strasbourg, in the offices of Marex Mundial: A woman is looking for Petro and is trying to find his office. As she does this, she sees a worker who is taking away everything in Room 215, apparently Petro's office. She starts a conversation with the worker to try to discover why he is taking away all the contents of the office. The worker always answers that he doesn't know anything, that he is only doing what he has been told. This is a perfect example of a very frustrating conversation and of the many ways of using language to say nothing.

Catherina: Good morning.

Worker: Good morning.

Catherina: I am looking for Petro Minelli.

Worker: Ah.

Catherina: Is this his office?

Worker: Uh, I don't know.

Catherina: Uh, this is office number two hundred fifteen.

Worker: Uh, yes. This is that office.

Catherina: Very well. I believe that this is the office of Mr. Minelli.

Worker: Ah, yes, that is possible, but I don't know.

Catherina: What are you doing?

Worker: I have been told to take away everything in this office.

Catherina: What does this mean? Mr. Minelli has changed his office?

Worker: I myself really don't know anything. All I know is that they want to empty this office.

Catherina: Can I leave a message for him?

Worker: Not here. I have to take away everything. If you want to leave a message, go to the reception area.

Catherina: But nobody is there.

Worker: I know. They are late, as always.

Catherina: Then it is obvious that Mr. Minelli has gone to another office.

Worker: I simply don't know.

Catherina: You are taking everything out of this office?

Worker: Yes, everything.

Catherina: Then he can't be working here?

Worker: Really, I don't know anything. You certainly must be right.

Catherina: But where is his new office?

Worker: As I have said, I don't have any idea. I have been given instructions to empty this office, and I am taking away everything.

Catherina: And where are you putting it?

Worker: Outside, in the hall.

Catherina: And afterward?

Worker: Afterward? I don't know where all this is going to go.

Catherina: Fine. Thank you.

Worker: It was a pleasure.

Exercise 3: Numbers

Guide: It seems that the number of Petro Minelli's office was two hundred fifteen. Let's now practice some numbers in Interlingua.

A woman: Is this office number two hundred fifteen?

A man: Yes. You are right. This is two hundred fifteen.

A woman: Is this office number three hundred twelve?

A man: Yes indeed. Three hundred twelve.

Guide: I now would like to practice all the numbers in Interlingua:

A man: One, two, three, four, five.

A woman: Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

A man: Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen.

A woman: Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty.

A man: Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five.

A woman: Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty.

A man: Seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred.

A woman: Two hundred, three hundred, four hundred.

A man: Nine hundred eighty-nine, a thousand.

Guide: Fine. Here's Petro. He's coming.