text:
Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 3, Scenas 1 e 2 (anglese)

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: Description del officio.

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 everywhere 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.


text:
Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 3, Scenas 3 e 4 (interlingua)

SCENA 3: Petro vade al officio de Alan Tanner. Ille dice que ille debe trovar un receptionista/secretaria, e ille volerea saper si Alan poterea adjuvar le con le problema. Alan suggere manieras differente pro initiar un cerca. Quanto a cercar un nove appartamento, il pare que un certe persona mysteriose jam ha resolvite iste problema pro Petro.

Petro: Senior Tanner? Alan?

Tanner: Oh, bon die, Petro. Entra.

Petro: Gratias. Ascolta, io ha besonio de vostre adjuta.

Tanner: Multo ben. Que pote io facer pro vos?

Petro: Il ha duo cosas, pro dicer le veritate.

Tanner: Si?

Petro: Primo, nos ha besonio de un secretaria/receptionista.

Tanner: Ah, un persona qui pote responder al telephono e scriber unes litteras, etc.

Petro: Si, exactemente.

Tanner: Un secretaria bilingue? Trilingue?

Petro: Ben, le anglese es le plus importante, postea le francese. Naturalmente a vices le germano poterea esser utile.

Tanner: Si. Vos vole un homine? Un femina?

Petro: Illo non ha ulle importantia, ma probabilemente illo essera un femina. Lo que nos vole es un bon secretaria con bon qualificationes.

Tanner: Multo ben. Primo io va consultar nostre servicio de personal. Il ha etiam un agentia. E, naturalmente, on anque pote publicar un annuncio parve in le jornales. Ma esque vos vole alicuno rapidemente?

Petro: Si, le plus tosto possibile.

Tanner: Multo ben. Qual esseva le secunde cosa?

Petro: Le altere cosa es un appartamento pro me.

Tanner: Ma io credeva que vos jam habeva un appartamento.

Petro: No. Io vive nunc in un hotel. Io vole trovar un appartamento, e Catherina me ha dicite que vos poterea adjuvar me con iste problema.

Tanner: Si. Nos ha un officio de allogiamento, ma io crede que io videva alique indicante que vos jam ha un appartamento. Lassa me telephonar a Chambon. Un momento. (Usante le telephono) Senior Chambon, per favor. Si? Ille non es illac. Ben. Io es le senior Tanner. Io es con le senior Minelli. Il ha besonio de un appartamento et ... si? Ah, si, io anque credeva illo. Gratias. Chambon non es in su officio, ma le femina que con le qual io parlava diceva que illa es confidente que il ha un appartamento pro vos. Duo appartamentos, in le mesme etage. Alicuno in Strasbourg ha arrangiate toto.

Petro: Alicuno in Strasbourg?

Tanner: Si.

Petro: Duo appartamentos?

Tanner: Si. Vostre associate ...

Petro: Oh, que peste!

Tanner: Pardono?

Petro: Excusa me. Esque io pote vider le senior Chambon?

Tanner: Si. Il va retornar a su officio in dece minutas. Ille es in le officio quatro centos dece un.

Petro: Io va vader illac pro vider le.

Tanner: Multo ben. Tosto io comenciara trovar pro vos un secretaria.

Petro: Gratias mille vices.

Tanner: Il es un placer.

EXERCITIO 3: Questiones cortese:

Guida: Que nos ascolta iste conversation amical.

Un homine: Como vade toto?

Un femina: Multo ben, gratias. E vos, como sta?

Un homine: Multo ben, gratias. Omne vade ben?

Un femina: Si, gratias. Omne vade ben. Como va le affaires?

Un homine: Oh, non mal. Omne va como sempre. Troppo travalio, nunquam assatis moneta, como sempre. Ma como va le affaires pro vos?

Un femina: Assatis ben. Nos non ha multo a facer durante iste periodo del anno. Como sta vostre familia?

Un femina: Omne va ben con illes. E como sta vostre chef?

Un homine: Oh, ille va ben. Ille es multo preoccupate in iste momento.

Guida: Isto me pare assatis facile. Petro voleva clarificar le historia de su appartamento. Que nos vide le proxime cosa que le confronta:

SCENA 4: Geneva, le officios del holding: Petro parla con le senior Chambon, qui ha le responsabilitate pro cercar appartamentos pro le personal de su compania. Le secretario de Petro, Alicia, il pare, telephonava ex Strasbourg e reservava duo appartamentos pro ille e illa, le un juxta le altere. Petro dice que ille non vole viver apud su secretaria e que ille vole un parve appartamento in un altere edificio a un certe distantia de illa.

Petro: Bon die, senioretta.

Le secretaria: Bon die, senior.

Petro: Esque io pote parlar al senior Chambon, per favor? Io es Petro Minelli. Le senior Tanner me ha inviate hic.

Le secretaria: Io lo regretta, ma le senior Chambon non es in su officio in iste momento. Ma il probabilemente revenira multo tosto.

Petro: Multo ben. Esque io pote attender le?

Le secretaria: Certemente. Vos pote seder vos illac si vos vole. ... Ah, le senior Chambon ha revenite. Io va dicer a ille que vos le attende.

Petro: Multe gratias.

Le secretaria: Illo es un placer.

Chambon: Vos es le senior Minelli sin dubita.

Petro: Si, io es ille.

Chambon: Entra. Excusa me pro non esser hic quando vos arrivava.

Petro: Illo non ha ulle importantia. Io non debeva attender vos multe tempore.

Chambon: Ben. Io suppone que vos vole vider me a causa de vostre appartamento.

Petro: Exactemente.

Chambon: Ben. Io crede que io ha duo appartamentos convenibile a vos. Illos es un pauco car, ma vos diceva que illo non ha ulle importantia.

Petro: Como?

Chambon: Si. Le precio de location es octo mille duo centos septanta francos suisse. Illos es duo appartamentos juxta se, e nos non ha besonio de illos immediatemente.

Petro: Quanto es illo in Euros?

Chambon: Eh ben ... que nos vide ... Illo es octo mille cinque cento euros.

Petro: Octo mille cinque cento euros ... Ascolta, io crede que il ha un error.

Chambon: Ah, si?

Petro: Vos ha recipite un demanda de Strasbourg?

Chambon: Exactemente.

Petro: Esque vos recipeva un littera de ...

Chambon: No. Nos recipeva un telex. Illo esseva signate per ... attende. Io debe haber lo in iste classificator. Si, A. Martini. Alicia Martini.

Petro: Alicia Martini. Si, io crede que il ha un error.

Chambon: Ah bon?

Petro: Si. Il pare que mi secretaria non comprendeva exactemente lo que io voleva. Io ha besonio solmente de un loco assatis parve que non es troppo car.

Chambon: Parve?

Petro: Si, multo parve e multo economic. Un studio assatis parve me suffice.

Chambon: Ah, illo va esser multo plus difficile a trovar. Appartamentos pro personas non maritate es plus difficile a trovar hic in Geneva, specialmente appartamentos economic.

Petro: Ma esque vos pote essayar trovar me un?

Chambon: Io va facer omne lo que io pote facer.

Petro: Multe gratias.

Chambon: Vos es confidente que vos non vole iste duo appartamentos plus grande?

Petro: Si, completemente.

Chambon: Multo ben. Io va essayar adjuvar vos.

Petro: Multissime gratias.

Chambon: Non vos preoccupa. Illo es un placer.

EXERCITIO 4: Rectificationes.

Guida: Il pare que le secretaria de Petro causa problemas irritante pro ille. Io ha le impression que illa volerea esser plus que un secretaria. Ma lo que me interessa es le maniera que Petro ha usate pro parlar de iste error. Que dice on quando post facer errores quando on parla?

Un homine: Il ha un error.

Un femina: Pardono?

Un homine: Il ha un error.

Un femina: Un error?

Un homine: Si. Illo non es le precio ver. Illo es tres mille euros.

Un femina: Tres mille euros? Ma vos me ha dicite duo mille.

Un homine: Si, ma il ha un error. Io crede que io faceva un error.

Un femina: Illo non es duo mille euros?

Un homine: Infelicemente no. Io regretta isto.

Un femina: Ma in vostre littera vos diceva duo mille euros.

Un homine: Si, io lo sape. Le littera diceva duo mille euros. Ma il habeva un manco de communication. Io lo regretta multissimo.

Guida: Io crede que io nunc comprende.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 3, Scenas 3 e 4 (anglese)

SCENE 3: Peter is going to Alan Tanner's office. He says he has to find a receptionist/secretary, and he would like to know if Alan could help him with the problem. As for looking for a new apartment, it seems that a certain mysterious person has already solved this problem for Petro.

Petro: Mr. Tanner? Alan?

Tanner: Oh, hello, Petro. Come on in.

Petro: Thanks. Listen, I need your help.

Tanner: Fine. What can I do for you?

Petro: There are two things, to tell the truth.

Tanner: Yes?

Petro: First, we need a secretary/receptionist.

Tanner: Ah, a person who can answer the telephone and write some letters, etc.

Petro: Yes, exactly.

Tanner: A bilingual secretary? A trilingual one?

Petro: Okay, English is the most important. After that comes French. Naturally at times German could be useful.

Tanner: Yes. Do you want a man? A woman?

Petro: That's not at all important, but probably it will be a woman. What we want is a good secretary with good qualifications.

Tanner: Very well. First I'm gonna consult with our personnel service. There's also an agency. And naturally you could also publish a small classified ad in the papers. But do you want somebody right now?

Petro: Yes, as soon as possible.

Tanner: Very well. What was the second thing?

Petro: The other thing is an apartment for me.

Tanner: But I thought you already had an apartment.

Petro: No. I'm living now in a hotel. I want to find an apartment, and Catherina told me that you could help me with this problem.

Tanner: Yes. We have a housing office, but I believe I saw something indicating that you already have an apartment. Let me call up Chambon. Just a minute. (On the phone) Mr. Chambon, please. Yes? He's not there? Fine. I'm Mr. Tanner. I'm with Mr. Minelli. He needs an apartment and ... yes? Ah, yes, I also thought so. Thanks. Chambon is not in his office, but the woman I talked with said that she's sure that there's an apartment for you. Two apartments, on the same floor. Someone in Strasbourg has arranged for them.

Petro: Someone in Strasbourg?

Tanner: Yeah.

Petro: Two apartments?

Tanner: Yeah. Your associate ...

Petro: Oh, God!

Tanner: Pardon?

Petro: Excuse me. Can I see Mr. Chambon?

Tanner: Yeah. He's gonna return to his office in ten minutes. He's in office four hundred eleven.

Petro: I'm gonna go there to see him.

Tanner: Fine. Soon I'm gonna find a secretary for you.

Petro: Thank you so very much.

Tanner: It's a pleasure.

EXERCISE 3: Polite Questions.

Guide: Let's listen to this friendly conversation.

A man: How's everything?

A woman: Just fine, thanks. And you, how're you doing?

A man: Oh, just fine, thanks. Everything's going okay?

A woman: Yes, thank you. Everything's going fine. How's business?

A man: Oh, not bad. Everything's going the way it usually does. Too much work, never enough money, as always. But how's business for you?

A woman: Oh, okay, I guess. We've got a lot to do at this time of the year. How's your family?

A man: Things are going fine with them. And how's your boss?

A woman: Oh, he's doing okay. He's very worried right now.

Guide: This seems rather easy to me. Petro wanted to clear up the story about his apartment. Let's take a look at the next thing he runs into.

SCENE 4: Geneva, the offices of the holding company: Petro is talking to Mr. Chambon, who has the responsibility for looking for apartments for the personnel of his company. Petro's secretary, Alicia, it seems, made a phone call from Strasbourg and reserved two apartments for him and her, one next to the other. Petro says he that he doesn't want to live next to his secretary and that he wants a small apartment in another building at a certain distance from her.

Petro: Good mornng, Miss.

The secretary: Good morning, sir.

Petro: Can I speak to Mr. Chambon, please? I'm Petro Minelli. Mr. Tanner sent me here.

The secretary: I'm sorry, but Mr. Chambon is not in his office right now. But he probabily will be back very soon.

Petro: Very well. Can I wait for him?

The secretary: Certainly. You can sit down over there if you want. ... Ah, Mr. Chambon has come back. I'm gonna tell him that you are waiting for him.

Petro: Thanks a lot.

The secretary: It's a plesure.

Chambon: You are Mr. Minelli, no doubt.

Petro: Yes, I am.

Chambon: Come (on) in. Excuse me for not being here when you arrived.

Petro: Don't worry about that. I didn't have to wait very long for you.

Chambon: Fine. I suppose that you want to see me about your apartment.

Petro: Exactly.

Chambon: Fine. I believe that I have two suitable apartments for you. There're a little expensive, but you said that that wasn't at all important.

Petro: What?

Chambon: Yes. The rent is eight thousand two hundred seventy Swiss francs. They are two apartments next to each other, and we don't have any immediate need for them.

Petro: How much is that in Euros?

Chambon: Okay ... let's see ... It's eight thousand five hundred euros.

Petro: Eight thousand five hundred euros ... Listen, I think there's a mistake.

Chambon: Oh really?

Petro: You received an order from Strasbourg?

Chambon: Exactly.

Petro: Did you receive a letter from ...

Chambon: No. We received a telex. It was signed by ... wait. I should have it here in this folder. Yes, A. Martini. Alicia Martini.

Petro: Alicia Martini. Yes, I believe that there is a mistake.

Chambon: Oh, really?

Petro: Yes. It seems that my secretary did not understand exactly what I wanted. I need only a rather small place that is not too expensive.

Chambon: Small?

Petro: Yes, very small and very cheap. A rather small studio would be enough for me.

Chambon: Ah, that's gonna be much more difficult to find. Apartments for unmarried people are harder to find here in Geneva, especially cheap apartments.

Petro: But can you try to find me one?

Chambon: I'll do everything that I can do.

Petro: Thanks a lot.

Chambon: You're sure you don't want these two larger apartments?

Petro: Yes, completely.

Chambon: Very well. I'm gonna try to help you out.

Petro: Thank you so much.

Chambon: Don't worry. It's a pleasure.

EXERCISE 4: Corrections.

Guide: It seems that Petro's secretary is causing some irritating problems for him. I have the impression that she would like to be more than a secretary. But what interests me is the method Peter used to correct this mistake. What do people say after making mistakes when they speak?

A man: There's a mistake.

A woman: Excuse me?

A man: There's a mistake.

A woman: A mistake?

A man: Yes. That's not the right price. It's three thousand euros.

A woman: Three thousand euros? But you told me two thousand.

A man: Yes, but there's a mistake. I believe I made a mistake.

A woman: It isn't two thousand euros?

A man: Unfortunately no. I'm sorry about this.

A woman: But in your letter you said two thousand euros.

A man: Yes, I know. The letter said two thousand euros. But there was a lack of communication. I'm very sorry about it.

Guide: I think I now understand.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Mudblood

Overview
An offensive and insulting term for Muggle-born witches or wizards.

Extended Description
This term, which is bad enough that it rather shocks Hagrid when he first hears that it has been used, is a dreadful insult. Wizards who pride themselves on being "pure-blooded" use the term to suggest that Muggle parents or grandparents somehow pollute the person's blood.

Analysis
While the term is first used by Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and is there seen as being a horrible insult, it is instructive to note that as the series continues, it is used more frequently; and with the increase in usage it loses its power.

Draco Malfoy uses "mudblood" to describe Hermione Granger, who is born of Muggle parents. Ron Weasley and Harry Potter see this as clear evidence that Draco is ruled by prejudice, and believe that this makes him likely to join Voldemort's organization. The reader perforce accepts Harry's point of view in this.

Ron tells Hermione that the term is used to refer to one with "dirty blood, common blood." While the term is not used in the book to refer to wizards with one Muggle parent, it seems that a wizard obsessed with "Blood purity" could consider such a person to have "polluted their blood", and so could use this term against Half-blood witches and wizards as well. It is interesting to look at the roster of characters in the series and see who could be equally tarred by this epithet. Of course, Harry's mother springs from Muggle roots, but interestingly Severus Snape had a Muggle father, and for that matter so did Voldemort himself.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Muggle-born

Overview
A Muggle-born is a witch or wizard of non-magical (Muggle) parentage. Muggle-born witches and wizards are looked down upon by some Pure-Blood wizards, who think that purebloods are superior and Muggle-borns are unworthy of magic.

Extended Description
Famous examples of Muggle-born witches are Lily Evans and Hermione Granger. We are told that Justin Finch-Fletchley is Muggle-born as well.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets we are introduced to another name for those witches and wizards born of Muggle parentage - "Mudbloods". This is an insult used only by purebloods who feel that Half-blood and Muggle-born witches and wizards are somehow inferior to purebloods.

Analysis
Apparently it is not necessary to have magical ancestry to be able to do magic oneself; it seems that magical ability can spontaneously appear without known magical ancestry, and sometimes in only one child of a given union. Lily Evans' sister Petunia showed no sign of magical talent, though her son Dudley may have shown a hint of ability.

Through a process possibly akin to hybrid vigor, it seems that many of the most powerful wizards have some Muggle in their recent background. Interestingly, it seems that powerful wizards and witches can spring directly from Muggle roots as well: Lily Evans and Hermione Granger are noted to be highly gifted Muggle-born witches.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Parselmouth

Overview
A parselmouth is a wizard or witch with the ability to understand and talk to snakes (using Parseltongue).

Extended Description
Perhaps the best known Parselmouth was Salazar Slytherin. His heir, Tom Riddle, possesses this ability as well, and presumably passed it on to Harry Potter via his attempt to kill him with the Killing Curse. Parselmouths are often assumed to be evil, partially because of their association with Voldemort.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, three more Parselmouths are introduced: Marvolo, Morfin and Merope Gaunt. We learn at the same time that Professor Dumbledore understands Parseltongue, and presumably can speak it, though he never does so in Harry's hearing.

Greater Picture
It is initially uncertain whether Voldemort is aware that Harry is a parselmouth, though likely rumours have reached him. The incarnation of Voldemort that is aware of Harry's ability was destroyed at the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Professor Dumbledore suggested in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that Voldemort was likely unaware of its destruction at the time. He may have since learned of its fate from Lucius Malfoy, but will not have learned any fine detail from that source, since we discover in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that Voldemort is unable to sense the destruction of the diary, or anything else about it. It is also unknown whether Snape would have mentioned Harry's being a Parselmouth to Voldemort, given his complex loyalties. So having an opponent who can unexpectedly understand and countermand his orders to a part of his army might prove a problem for Voldemort.

As it turns out, however, the final battle does not involve any significant number of snakes, apart from Nagini; so while the fact that Harry is a Parselmouth is important to the story in the seventh book, it is not a factor in the final battle. By Christmas of Harry's seventh year, however, it is certain that Voldemort does know that Harry is a parselmouth; the trap that Voldemort sets for Harry in Godric's Hollow will not work on anyone who does not speak Parseltongue.


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Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Squib

Overview
The opposite of a Muggle-born witch or wizard, a Squib is the child of wizarding parents with no magic powers of his or her own.

Extended Description
Squibs live a most uncomfortable life. Raised in Wizarding families, they are perforce aware of magic, and see it used all around them all the time, and yet they cannot take part in it. While the Ministry of Magic shields Muggles from this awareness of the magical world, nothing can be done for Squibs without depriving them of their parents; they would have to forget the entire time they were growing up, when magic would have been pervasive in the family home. It is quite likely that this deprivation of magic leaves most squibs embittered.

On the Hogwarts Express in his first year, Ron Weasley mentions that he has a relative who has no magical abilities; he believes she is an accountant, but says that they don't talk about her much.

During Harry's second year he discovers that Filch is a Squib. We also learn that there are mail-in courses that are supposed to teach magic to squibs; the effectiveness of these courses is unknown, but the author has stated, in a later interview, that the home-study course does not work on Filch.

Before the start of Harry's fifth year, Arabella Figg reveals to Harry that she is also a Squib.

Neville Longbottom is initially so unsure of his magical abilities that he is afraid that he is "almost a Squib".

There are rumours that Professor Dumbledore's late sister Ariana was hidden away from Wizarding society because she was a Squib and an embarrassment, rumours that are fanned by Rita Skeeter in her "tell-all" book about Dumbledore, which was published shortly after his death. It is worth noting that squibs not only had a hard life, as mentioned above, but were embarrassments to their parents.

Analysis
Early on, we learn that not all wizards are equally powerful. Quite apart from the obvious specializations – Madam Pomfrey Healing, Madam Hooch with flying and refereeing, and Professor Snape with his Potions, to give a few examples – we gather that there are wizards who overall have stronger or weaker magical abilities. This is explicitly mentioned several times in the case of Neville Longbottom, who repeatedly bemoans his magical weakness. We also learn that it is possible for wizards to spring from Muggle families, and we are presented with Hermione Granger, who has done exactly that. Combining these two, it is clearly possible that a Wizarding family may, on occasion, contain an individual with limited or no magical powers. While Ron touches on the concept briefly, and Neville more strongly, we don't hear the name for the condition until Harry's second year.

Despite their lack of magical ability, Squibs are now regarded as part of the Wizarding world. This is a very uncomfortable place for them, as they are perforce aware of the world of magic but cannot join it. All the same, it is better than the past century, when they were apparently often hidden away as being unfit for either Wizarding or Muggle company.

It is perhaps worth mention that while "Squib" is a term for non-magical people born of magical parents, there is no analogous term for magical children born of Muggle parents (like Hermione, whose parents are both Muggle dentists). The closest term available is "Muggle-born", which seems to be used only as a term of derision, a milder form of "Mudblood".


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Talk:Algorithms/Divide and Conquer

Shouldn't a binary search be introduced before a merge sort, since a merge sort is basically a binary search used for sorting.

I also think that heap and quick sorts need to be mentioned a variants of the merge sort.

 * Heap short is covered in Computer Science:Data Structures, since that's where heaps are covered. Pedagogically, I see nothing wrong with covering merge sort first: that's a much better demonstration of the divide and conquer technique than binary search is (that's because DnC has the conquer step, e.g. the merge operation, but there is no real conquer step in binary search, so it's a weaker example; though, it is important to show such cases-- but only after the main point is already understood).

 * Quick sort is covered in the next chapter (which is on randomization). Quick sort is certainly a divide and conquer technique and it's mentioned as such, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a variant of merge sort. (Nor would I consider a heap sort a merge sort variant-- not variant in the sense of, say, the Shell sort is a variant of the bubble sort.) MShonle 16:39, 10 August 2005 (UTC)

Is the iterative code for MergeSort correct?
Im not seeing this section happen in my head

for i := 1 to n by unit*2 let a1[1..unit] := result[i..i+unit] let a2[1..unit] := result[i+unit..i+unit*2] result[i..i+unit*2] := merge(a1,a2) repeat

Shouldnt the indexes of result array be [2*i...2*i+unit] and [2*i+unit..2*i+unit*2] respectively? Or are the array overlaps intentional?

Removed personal (but probably relevant) comment
I removed a personal remark on the middle of the text, it was contributed by an anonymous editor 10:35, 1 May 2006 59.184.1.252 it could probably refer to this http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~cs251/ClosestPair/ClosestPairDQ.html page, so if anyone is interested in examining the info and reword it into the text it may be helpful. --Panic (talk) 02:10, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Use a more modern language
Please, could we update the cod to use a more modern language, or at least something that has some use today? (And this includes C) Seriously, representing the first element of an array as '1'? If we're going to be programming, let's at least use relevant code.

title: Talk:Algorithms/Divide and Conquer


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User talk:Immortalgeek

Hi I am immortalgeek!! I am a software engineer currently specializing in AMP (Apache MySQL and PHP). This is my first day to WiKi Books and hope to be able to contribute more to this community.

Dont be afraid to ask question to me!! I will try to answer as many as possible

Will write more about me as and when i will get time.

__IG__

title: User talk:Immortalgeek


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User:Mitchconquer

Mitch Conquer

I'm mainly interested in langauges and politics.

Location: Paris, France

title: User:Mitchconquer


text:
Biological Psychology/Basic Biology

= Psychology and Biology =

Biology
Biology is the study of life. It encompasses many fields ranging from Botany (the study of plants) to Zoology (the study of animals). The biological aspect concentrates on the chemical and physical mechanisms that are associated with life.

Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and is a fast-evolving and ever changing field. It is considered the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It is influenced by the positivist movements, and is also highly quantitative. This means that the logical truth of something must be based in the material world (positivism), and it uses mathematical equations to give support, or prove theories (quantitative).

A mistake is often made to dismiss something as non-quantitative because current technology or thought cannot quantify it. This has been a struggle with psychology, and only recently in the history of science has psychology been recognized as science. Some fields within psychology, most notable, psychoanalysis still do not appear to adhere to positivistic or quantitative principles. Psychoanalysis is not considered to be scientific because of its concentration on the unconscious mind. One thing that history shows is that a field considered non-quantitative may in the future have a basis in the physical world. In fact, if the underlying mechanisms of consciousness and unconsciousness can be understood and manipulated by biopsychologists, psychoanalysis may indeed have a positivistic basis.

The ever changing nature of psychology is fascinating and important to study. The emergence of a physical mechanism via the brain and electrochemical processes has further thrust psychology into the realm of science and blurs the line between psychology and biology.

How they work together
Biology and psychology tightly integrate together. This is because the brain is the location of thought or mind, and it is governed by electrochemical properties. These are the same basic principles that underlie all other functions that create life. This means that the actions of the mind are governed by the physical world and since the mind is paramount to the study of psychology, psychology is really just a subfield of biology.

= Brief History of Psychology\Biology =

Ancient Greeks
The Ancient Greeks were pioneers of biology and medicine. They were experienced enough with anatomy to hypothesize that behavior and cognition derived from biology rather than spirituality. In particular, Hippocrates proposed that a person's personality is determined by the balance of four bodily fluids, or humors: black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. Although this idea is not supported by modern evidence, the terms "choleric", "melancholic", "sanguine", and "phlegmatic", which derive from these four fluids, are still in popular use.

Foundations in Physics
It is unsettling to believe that one's behavior and one's thoughts are dictated by the laws of physics, but the mechanics behind many psychological phenomena have been demonstrated.

Phrenology
Phrenology is the idea that different parts of the brain perform different functions. It was formally proposed by Franz Gall, though others, such as Paul Broca, followed a similar ideology. Gall made the further claim that the size of the different brain regions corresponded to an individual's relative strengths and weaknesses, and that the size of brain regions could be detected by analyzing the shape of one's skull. This latter point would be taken by some of Gall's students and turned into a form of divination that led to phrenology's reputation as a parlor trick. However, the idea that the brain is segregated into functional regions remains prominent today.

Behaviorism
Behaviorism is the idea that all (or most) psychological phenomena, including a person's behavior and thoughts, are learned through classical and operant conditioning. This is in contrast to the idea that traits are innate, such as by genetics. James Watson and BF Skinner were two of the most prominent behaviorists. James Watson is perhaps most famous for his "Little Albert" demonstration, in which he conditioned an infant to fear a white rabbit by playing loud noises every time the infant approached it. Not only did the infant develop an aversion for white rabbits, but the fear generalized to other white fluffy objects (e.g. cotton balls, Santa's beard). BF Skinner conducted experiments at the University of Minnesota in which he used operant conditioning to train pigeons to perform such tasks as playing a miniature piano. The debate of "nature vs. nurture" remains strong today, but it is now clear that most of psychology derives from the interaction between these forces.

The Emergence of Biological Psychology
= Basics of Biology =

title: Biological Psychology/Basic Biology


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Rhetoric and Composition/Planning and Prewriting

= Overview =

This chapter begins with some prewriting strategies to help you generate ideas and pick a topic. In addition to learning ways to overcome writing anxiety (writers' block), you will also learn how to craft an outline to keep your ideas on course, organize your draft, and tailor it to your audience.

Before you actually begin writing, ask yourself the following questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Which?

For instance, you might ask yourself:
 * 1) Why am I writing?
 * 2) What is my subject?
 * 3) Which subject has the most potential to attract readers?
 * 4) Who is my audience?
 * 5) Where does my background information come from?
 * 6) How can I persuade my readers?

Keeping these questions in mind before, and during, the writing process will help you identify and develop ideas. If you experience difficulties, seek your instructor's advice to steer you back on course.

= How Do I Pick a Topic? = Have you ever been stressed out because you can't think of a good topic for an important writing assignment? You're not alone. As a student, you'd probably prefer it if professors would just assign topics rather than leave you to find one on your own. However, professors aren't vague because they want to punish you; they usually just don't want to constrain your creativity or discourage you from writing about topics that truly interest you. Professors also want to be surprised by their students' ingenuity, and very few teachers want to read a big stack of essays all on the same stale topic. Unfortunately, just being told to "be creative" is unlikely to calm you down when you've got a major paper due next week and still haven't found a topic to write about!

Imagine that you are in an introductory literature course. The professor has assigned a 3-5 page essay on a Shakespearean play that requires multiple sources. You try asking the professor to be more specific or offer some suggestions. The professor responds, "No, it's up to you. Surprise me." What do you do?

One smart option is to go to the library and look for scholarly journals that cover Shakespearean studies. You might also try scholarly books about Shakespeare and his plays. Browsing these sources should give you some ideas about the aspects of Shakespeare and his plays, that scholars have found worth writing about. You might find that an idea that you thought was "totally original" has already been done. However, you shouldn't let this worry you. If every essay or book had to be 100% original, we'd have precious few to read!

If you keep reading and skimming articles and books, you will find many different discussions and possibilities for writing topics. One way to do this is to write a list of binaries, a list of opposing ideas that may represent larger discussions about the topic at hand. Choosing from these opposing ideas in the text will lead you to ideas for a more specific argument. Scholars frequently engage in complex and long-lasting arguments that span across different journal articles and books. Professor X's article on climate change will be mentioned, discussed, or challenged by Professor Y in a book and Professor Z in another article. None of them are worried about saying things that have never been said before; the key is to say them differently and perhaps better.

You will always have one advantage over any other scholar you read--their articles and books cannot take advantage of all the relevant scholarship that appeared after their publication date. Don't be afraid to freshen up an old article with new supporting evidence--or challenge one whose conclusions are called into question by subsequent research.

You should also look for an issue that you can reasonably cover given the time and space (page count) you have available. After that, it's a simple matter of supporting your argument by bringing in relevant quotations from those who agree with you. You should also identify the counter-arguments and provide pertinent background information.

This technique also works well for writing theses and dissertations. Instead of writing about "things never written about before," try to make a new contribution to one of the many ongoing conversations in the field. This approach is especially handy if you hope to publish your work since some publishers tend to favor works that fit with their existing line of publications. Readers also expect you to be familiar with, and probably refer to, works of other scholars who have written on your topic. Think of your work as either extending existing work or taking it in a new direction.

If you intend to publish fiction, it's a good idea to first familiarize yourself with the work of successful fiction writers and consider what it is about their work that appeals to publishers. There is no shame in following the same roads that led to their success. This isn't the same as "copying" or "ripping off" an author; there is a difference between duplicating techniques and duplicating content.

In essence, the easiest way to find a topic to write about is to see what other writers are writing about and join their "conversation." The conversation metaphor is a very useful way to understand what scholarship is all about. Rather than thinking of essays or books as isolated units of scholarship, try envisioning them as the fruits of a massive network of scholars who converse with each other via scholarly documents, conference presentations, e-mail, phone calls, and other forms of communication. Research what is available and where you can make the most valuable contribution.

= What are Some Other Ways to Get Ideas? =

Still stuck even after pouring over all those books and journals? Don't worry. There are plenty of other ways to stimulate your brain.

In general, though, remember that good ideas may arise anytime and anywhere. You might be struck by a brilliant insight as you're running on the treadmill or even while dreaming. Always be prepared to record new ideas. Carry a small notepad with you or use your mobile phone to record a voice memo. You might even try writing the idea on a napkin and taking a picture of it. The important thing is to get it down quickly, because you're all too likely to forget all about it by the time you're ready to write.

Another good way to generate ideas is to read and listen actively. Your texts and professors will discuss relevant issues in the field, and they might make comparisons to related ideas and other thinkers. A professor might say, "There is still work to be done in this area," or "there is great controversy over this issue." Be alert to these sources for good ideas. The biggest mistake a novice writer can make is to rely solely on "inspiration." As a scholar, you are never alone--don't be afraid to listen and respond to the work of others instead of always trying to be original or profound.

Even chatting with your classmates might help you think of a good topic. You can also check with your college or university's writing center. Many of them have tutors who can help you find and hone a great topic for your paper.

Let's look now at three other techniques for getting those brain juices flowing: brainstorming, clustering, and free-writing.

What is a Brainstorm?
Brainstorming allows you to quickly generate a large number of ideas. You can brainstorm with others or you can brainstorm by yourself, which sometimes turns into free-writing. To effectively brainstorm, write down whatever ideas come to mind. Sometimes it works better to write down each idea on a separate piece of paper. It also helps to ask yourself some questions:

 * 1) What do I care about or what am I interested in?
 * 2) What do I know that I could teach others?
 * 3) What irritates me?

In order to capture more of your thoughts, you may want to brainstorm a few times until you have enough ideas to start writing.

Examples

Imagine you are in a class. Your instructor says you will have to write a paper on your favorite free-time activity, and that you must also persuade your reader to try it.

First ask yourself, What do I care about? or What am I interested in?

It is easiest to write about a topic that you are interested in. This could be anything from gardening to ice skating, or from writing poetry to playing the piano. Your list, in this example, would then read: At this stage, every idea is good since you are trying to come up with as many ideas as possible.
 * 1) gardening
 * 2) ice skating
 * 3) writing poetry
 * 4) playing the piano

Second, ask yourself, What do I know that I could teach others?

You may be able to teach someone else something that you really enjoy. Good for you! If you cannot, don't worry; you are still just brainstorming. Perhaps you teach swimming lessons or t-ball, or maybe you bake really well and are able to offer some of your insights. Your list, in this example, would then read: Anything is fine. You are still brainstorming.
 * 1) swimming lessons
 * 2) t-ball
 * 3) baking

Let's think of another example. How about the common situation in which the instructor wants you to write about "something you care about" or an "issue you have"?

Again start by asking yourself a question. Ask yourself, What irritates me?

Everyone has things that irritate them, some small and others larger. An example of something small that's irritating could be people in your dorm who leave trails of toothpaste by the sink and never clean up after themselves. A personal example can be useful as a bridge to a larger issue that will be your topic -- in this case it could be community living and personal responsibility.

In academic writing with a less personal slant, the source of irritation is often another writer/theorist with whom you disagree. Your "irritation" then would lead to an effective piece about why you have a better conception of what's really going on. A less direct version of this would be a writer/theorist who makes some good points but lacks something in his/her argument that you can add to the "conversation."

A majority of academic writing begins with brainstorming. Go ahead! Try one or many of the ideas for brainstorming either by yourself or in a group. Working together to come up with ideas means that there are more ideas coming from many different minds.

What is Clustering?
Clustering is a process in which you take your main subject idea and draw a circle around it. You then draw lines out from the circle that connect topics that relate to the main subject in the circle. Clustering helps ensure that all aspects of the main topic are covered.

Example

After using the brainstorm example, let's say you decided on gardening as your topic. Your main idea of gardening would be in the center of your page circled. Anything else that you want to say about gardening you would connect to the circle with lines. You can also add more lines to extend the ideas that relate to thoughts around the circle. When finished, your clustering might look like the following:

What is Freewriting?
Freewriting helps generate ideas and set them in motion. To begin, start writing without worrying about spelling or grammatical errors. You should write your ideas naturally and spontaneously so that you can record many ideas quickly. Do not look back at what you wrote until you are satisfied that you have written enough. An easy way to freewrite is to set a time limit and then begin writing. You can write anything at all, and in the end, you will often find some quality ideas scattered throughout your writing.

Example

 * 1) I set my kitchen timer for a specific amount of time.  Let's say 5 minutes.
 * 2) I just begin writing without worrying about what I am putting onto the page.

3. The timer went off, so I stop writing. 4. At this point, I review what I have written and decide which point(s) to elaborate on.

With these simple writing tips, you should be able to find a topic and begin the process of writing the assigned paper. Established authors use brainstorming, clustering, and freewriting, so you're in good company when you use these techniques to help you overcome writer's block or writing anxiety. After all, your indecision is only a question, and to quote the popular college text Writing Analytically "learning to write is largely a matter of learning how to frame questions." If none of these work for you, try to come up with your own strategy. What works for someone else may not work for you. After all, these prewriting strategies are just ways to put your ideas on the paper so you can develop them at a later time. Try to enjoy the process of writing instead of seeing writing only as the chore of finishing an assignment your instructor has given you. Done this way, writing might become a pleasure that can also improve your critical thinking ability.

= Starting with a Thesis Statement = Your thesis must grab the reader's attention. You must always make sure the hook is good enough so that the reader will want to continue reading your paper.

= How Do I Make an Outline?= Developing an outline, such as the examples below, can be helpful because you can keep an overview of what you want to say, decide how you want to organize your discussion, check whether you have covered everything, and find what is out-of-scope and should be excluded. The outline can grow during the writing process as new points come to mind.

Outline example I

Outline example II Alternatively, your outline need not follow the structure above. It could be a simple list or a cluster, similar to the idea-generating technique described above.

= External Links =
 * Finding a Topic

 * Prewriting Strategies


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Spanish/Simple Conditional

This tense translates to "would..." The easiest verb for English speakers to remember in this tense is "I would win", which is "Ganaría". If you pronounce it out loud, you will see why it is so easy to remember.

The conditional tense is formed exactly the same as the future tense with the exception of the endings. The endings of the conditional tense are: -ía -ías -ía -íamos -ían

This tense is frequently used in conjunction with the imperfect subjunctive, as demonstrated in the following contexts. Pay special attention to the position of the verbs in the conditional.

Si yo tuviera dineiro, compraría un coche. If I had money, I would buy a car. Yo iría a la fiesta si tú me llevaras. I would go to the party if you took me.

The irregular verbs in the conditional tense are exactly the same as those in the future tense. See the page on the future tense for more information.

title: Spanish/Simple Conditional


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User talk:Lokani24

Welcome, Lokani24!

Come introduce yourself in the general reading room or your project in the project reading room. If you have any questions, you can ask in the assistance reading room or contact me personally. Kellen T 20:41, 10 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Please also check out the Cookbook policy page and the Cookbook talk pages.

title: User talk:Lokani24


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Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 3, Scenas 5 e 6 (interlingua)

SCENA 5: Le officio de Geneva de Marex Mundial: Catherina ha reunite omne le membros de su equipa pro introducer les le un al altere. Durante que illes attende que le ultime duo personas arriva, Catherina da un littera a Petro. Illo veni de Alicia, qui passa unes dies feriate in le Costa Brava.

Illa vole communicar a Petro lo que illa ha facite pro lor transferimento a Geneva. Petro deveni mesmo plus irritate quando ille lege isto. Catherina interrumpe su murmures pro introducer le a duo collegas nove sue, qui justo ha arrivate.

Catherina: Bon die, Petro.

Petro: Bon die.

Catherina: Ascolta, omne le membros del equipa ha arrivate. Olivero e Martijn ha arrivate, ...

Petro: Ben.

Catherina: ... e io vole facer introductiones inter omne vos.

Petro: Un excellente idea.

Catherina: Oh, Petro, il ha un littera pro vos.

Petro: Un littera? Vermente?

Catherina: Si. Illo veni de Alicia.

Petro: Gratias. (legente le littera de Alicia) "Solmente unes pauc lineas del Costa Brava ubi io ha passate unes excellente dies feriate. Le tempore es multo belle, e omnes es multo sympathic." Excellente! Perfecto! Proque non resta tu illac?

Catherina: Que diceva vos?

Petro: Nullo. Io solmente legeva le littera de Alicia. "Io spera que vos non ha habite ulle problemas grande in mi absentia, e que il non habera troppo travalio pro me quando io retornara. Intertanto, io ha organisate nostre transferimento a Geneva, e io ha inviate un telex a illes con le instructiones que illes nos reserva duo appartamentos." Illa femina es intolerabile! Illa vole diriger omne mi vita como si illa esseva mi matre!

Catherina: Bon novas?

Petro: Pardono?

Catherina: Vostre littera, esque illo apporta bon novas a vos?

Petro: No, ma illo es vermente de nulle importantia.

Catherina: Illo es longe, vostre littera.

Petro: Si, assatis longe.

Catherina: Eh ben?

Petro: Eh ben, que?

Catherina: Fini le littera.

Petro: Multo ben. (legente le littera de Alicia) "Nos nos revidera multo tosto. Non vos inquieta. Toto vadera multo ben post que io arrivara a Suissa. Alicia." Io non sape como, ma io debe tosto trovar un maniera de disembarassar me de ille femina. Illa essera mi ruina!

Catherina: Petro, Petro.

Petro: Si?

Catherina: Io vole presentar a vos le alteres in le equipa. Nos es omnes hic in iste momento. Ecce Petro Minelli. Ille es nostre specialista in ingenieria. Ille pote dicer a nos si un projecto es facibile o non.

Petro: Al minus io lo spera!

Catherina: E ecce Olivero Rossi, nostre contabile. Ille veni del officios executive de Trans Infra. E ecce Martijn Ockrent. Ille es responsabile pro nostre affaires de marketing, ben que ille veni del departimento juridic de Trans Infra. Pro nostre strategia de marketing, il es importante haber qualcuno qui sape alique sur le derecto international, e Martijn ha un forte cognoscimento in le duo campos. E ecce Liliana, mi assistente. Illa se occupara de omne le detalios administrative. Ecce toto. Io spera que omne nos travaliara harmoniosemente e que nostre projecto essera un grande successo. Io non solmente spera isto, ma io es confidente que omne vadera completemente ben.

EXERCITIO 5: Presentationes.

Guida: Ben. Io volerea plus practica con le diverse formas de presentar se e de presentar un persona a un altere persona.

Un homine: Bon die. Mi nomine es Bryson, Paul Bryson. E illac, il pare que il ha alicuno del Societate Amerex de Mexico. Que nos vade illac pro parlar con ille. Io crede que su nomine es Garcia, Mario Garcia. Ille travalia in lor departimento de marketing. Bon die. Mi nomine es Bryson, Paul Bryson.

Un femina: Multo placer. Es vos Mario Garcia?

Un homine: Ah si. Io es ille. Incantate. Io es del compania Rodea, Fratres, de Milano. Io travalia in lor servicio de venditas.

Un femina: Io es Gertrude Johnson del compania American Xerox, e io travalia in lor officios in Berlin.

Un homine: Multo felice de facer vostre cognoscentia. Permitte me introducer a vos mi amico Robert Garnier de Paris.

Un femina: Bon die, Roberto.

Un homine: E ecce Hubert La Salle. Ille es un de mi collegas. Nos travalia in le mesme departimento de Rodea, Fratres.

Un femina: Incantate, Hubert.

Guida: Ben. Io comprende melio. Ma io etiam nunc ha difficultate con le pronunciation exacte del nomines in le linguas europee que io non cognosce. Que nos retorna nunc pro vider como va le cosas con Catherina e su nove equipa.

SCENA 6: Le officios a Geneva: Quando le scena comencia, Petro parla con Olivero Rossi, le contabile del compania. Ille vole le adjuta de Rossi pro arrivar al precios e expensas pro le plan de un projecto que ille ha comenciate disveloppar. Rossi insiste que le precios que ille producera essera applicabile solmente pro le projecto que Petro ha in le mano e que illos non potera applicar se a ulle altere projecto pro ulle altere citate. Ma Petro jam sape illo. Ille non ha besonio de omne le detalios.

Tunc Petro dicta duo litteras, un al senior Melville, dicente que ille tosto va inviar le le information que ille voleva. Le altere littera es a Alicia. In iste littera Petro pretende esser le functionario administrative. In illo ille dice a Alicia que infelicemente il esseva impossibile trovar duo appartamentos conjuncte e que solmente ille poteva trovar pro le senior Minelli un multe parve appartamento de un camera.

Facite isto, Petro vade a Catherina pro describer su conversation con le senior Melville e le littera que ille ha inviate. Obviemente ille spera que Catherina approbara, ma su reaction non es exactemente lo que ille attendeva.

Petro: Olivero, vos es le contabile, nonne?

Olivero: Si?

Petro: Vos controla nostre expensas.

Olivero: Si.

Petro: Io volerea producer un lista de precio e de expensas. Vos poterea adjuvar me?

Olivero: Si. Io es hic pro facer cosas simile.

Petro: Vos ha habite relationes commercial con le Arabia Saudite in Paris?

Olivero: Si.

Petro: Io ha studiate le numeros e facite un parve description de un projecto hypothetic. Ecce lo.

Olivero: Ah, si. Illo es un projecto que include omne le servicios pro un citate de un million de habitantes.

Petro: Si. Assi es.

Olivero: Ma vos non pote usar exactemente iste mesme projecto pro un altere citate.

Petro: Si. Io comprende illo. Io non ha besonio de omne le detalios. Io ha besonio de un documento pro marketing solmente.

Olivero: Multo ben, io pote dar a vos un serie de numeros. Ma vos debe comprender que illos esserea multo approximative.

Petro: Si, certemente. Io nunc debe dictar duo litteras. Car senior Melville, em, e, el, ve, i, duple el, e. Vos me ha demandate unes detalios concernente nostre activitates, virgula, nostre precios, virgula, e nostre servicios, puncto. Io vos invia con iste littera unes informationes sur lo que nos pote offerer a nostre clientes. Io es confidente que vos e vostre collegas los trovara interessante, puncto. Excusa me, per favor, pro inviar iste littera a vos un pauco retardate, puncto. Io ha debite dedicar multe effortio e tempore al inauguration de nostre officios nove in Geneva, puncto. Attendente vostre responsa, io vos invia mi optime salutes. Isto es le fin del prime littera.

Ecce le secunde littera, adressate al senioretta Alicia Martini, em, a, er, te, i, duple en, i, Marex Mundial, Strasbourg. Vos potera trovar le adresse in le directorio. Car senioretta Martini. Nos ha recipite vostre telex con le data del 13 maio nos demandante duo appartamentos pro le senior Petro Minelli, puncto. Nos regretta informar vos que nos ha potite trovar solmente un parve appartamento studio pro le senior Minelli. No. Scribe "un multo parve appartamento de un camera", puncto. Nos spera que nos potera adjuvar vos in le futuro, puncto. Sia assecurate de nostre optime salutes.

Iste littera debe portar le nomine del director administrative in Geneva. Fin del secunde littera. Multo ben, isto debe haber le effecto que io vole. Catherina?

Catherina: Bon die, Petro. Entra.

Petro: Ascolta, io volerea parlar a vos sur alicuno qui forsan pote nos adjuvar.

Catherina: Ah, bon.

Petro: Si. Io le cognosceva durante mi viage a Geneva, e io crede que ille forsan pote dar travalio a nos.

Catherina: Ah, si?

Petro: Si. Io le ha scribite un littera in la qual io da diverse specificationes, includente precios, pro monstrar le lo que nos pote facer. Ma io vole consultar con vos sur illo, naturalmente, ante inviar lo via.

Catherina: Si. Io ha vidite vostre littera, Petro. Illo es dirigite a un senior Melville, io crede.

Petro: Si, exactemente. On non nunquam sape. Ille pote offerer nos possibilitates interessante. Il esserea un bon idea comenciar con un projecto assatis importante. Io non le cognosce, ma ...

Catherina: Exactemente ubi faceva vos su cognoscentia?

Petro: In le avion. Ille pareva multo sympathic, ma io repete que io non le cognosce. Ille diceva que ille ha multe bon contactos al nivello governamental, e ille parlava multo seriosemente de illos.

Catherina: Il non me ha surprendite que vos le trovava seriose. Il anque non me surprende que ille dava a vos su adresse personal in vice de su adresse professional.

Petro: Como? Vos le cognosce?

Catherina: Ille es le director de venditas de nostre plus grande competitor.

Petro: Que?

Catherina: Si, exactemente. Ille es le director de venditas a CCG. Io es convincite que nos es melior, ma il non esserea un bon idea dar a ille ideas troppo detaliate de nostre activitates.


text:
Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 3, Scenas 5 e 6 (anglese)

SCENE 5: The Geneva office of Marex Mundial: Catherina has gotten together all the members of her team to introduce them to one another. While they are waiting for the last two people to arrive, Catherina gives a letter to Petro. It's from Alice, who is spending some vacation days at the Costa Brava.

She wants to tell Petro what she has done for their transfer to Geneva. Petro becomes even more irritated when he reads this. Catherina interrupts his grumbling to introduce him to two new colleagues of his, who have just arrived.

Catherina: Good morning, Petro.

Petro: Good morning.

Catherina: Listen, all the members of the team have arrived. Olivero e Martijn have arrived, ...

Petro: Fine.

Catherina: ... and I want to introduce all of you to one another.

Petro: An excellent idea.

Catherina: Oh, Peter, there is a letter for you.

Petro: A letter? Really?

Catherina: Yes, it's from Alicia.

Petro: Thanks. (reading Alice's letter) "Just a few lines from the Costa Brava, where I have spent some very nice vacation days. The weather is really great, and everybody's very nice." Excellent! Perfect! Why don't you stay there?

Catherina: What did you say?

Petro: Nothing. I was only reading Alice's letter. "I hope that you have not had any big problems in my absence and that there will not be too much work for me when I return. In the meantime, I have organized our transfer to Geneva, and I have sent them a telex with instructions to reserve two apartments for us." That woman is intolerable. She wants to run my life as if she were my mother!

Cathreina: Good news?

Petro: What?

Catherina: Your letter, does it have any good new for you?

Petro: No, but it's really not at all important.

Catherina: It's long, that letter of yours.

Petro: Yes, a bit long.

Catherina: Well?

Petro: Well what?

Catherina: Finish the letter.

Petro: Okay. (reading Alice's letter) "We'll be seeing each other very soon. Don't worry. Everything will be just fine after I arrive in Switzerland. Alicia." I don't know how, but I've gotta find some quick way of getting rid of that woman. She's gonna ruin me!

Catherina: Petro, Petro.

Petro: Yes?

Catherina: I want to present to you the others on the team. Everyone's here right now. This is Petro Minelli. He is our engineering specialist. He can tell us if a project is feasible or not.

Petro: At least I hope so!

Catherina: And here's Olivero Rossi, our accountant. He comes from the executive offices of Trans Infra. And here's Martijn Ockrent. He is responsible for our marketing affairs, though he comes from the legal department of Trans Infra. For our marketing strategy, it is important to have someone who knows something about international law, and Martijn has strong knowledge in both areas. And here's Liliana, my assistant. She is in charge of all administrative details. That's everything. I hope that all of us will work harmoniously together and that our project will be a great success. I don't only hope this, but I am confident that everything will work out quite well.

EXERCISE 5: Introductions.

Guide: Good. Io would like some practice with the various ways of introducing oneself and of introducing a person to another person.

A man: Good morning. My name is Bryson, Paul Bryson. And over there, it seems there is someone from the Amerex Society of Mexico. Let's go over ther to talk with him. I believe that his name is Garcia, Mario Garcia. He works in their marketing department. Good morning. My name is Bryson, Paul Bryson.

A woman: How do you do. Are you Mario Garcia?

A man: Ah, yes. That's me. My pleasure. I am from the company Rodea Brothers of Milan. I work in their sales department.

A woman: I am Gertrude Johnson from the American company Xerox, and I work in their offices in Berlin.

A man: I am very pleased to meet you. Allow me to introduce to you my friend Robert Garnier from Paris.

A woman: Hello, Roberto.

A man: And this is Hubert La Salle. He is one of my colleagues. We work in the same department of Rodea Brothers.

A woman: My pleasure, Hubert.

Guide: Good. I'm understanding a bit better. But even now I have some trouble with the exact pronunciation of the names in the European language that I don't know. Let's return now to see how things are going with Catherina and her new team.

SCENE 6: The Geneva offices: As the scene begins, Petro is talking with Olviero Rossi, the accountant of the company. He want's Rossi's help in arriving at prices and expenses for the plan of a project that he has started to develop. Rossi insists that the prices that he will produce will be applicable only for the project that Petro has on hand and that they can't be applied to any other project for any other city. But Petro already knows that. He doesn't need all the details.

Then Petro dictates two letters, one to Mr. Melville, saying that he soon will be sending him the information he wanted. The other letter is to Alicia. In this letter Petro pretends to be the administrative officer. In it he tells Alicia that unfortunately it was impossible to find two neighboring apartments and that he was only able to find for Mr. Minelli a very small one-room apartment.

After doing this Petro goes to Catherina to describe his conversation with Mr. Melville and the letter that he has sent him. Obviously he hopes that Catherina will approve, but her reaction is not exactly what he expected.

Petro: Olivero, you are the accountant, aren't you?

Olivero: Yes.

Petro: You control our costs.

Olivero: Yes.

Petro: I would like to work up a list of prices and costs. Can you help me?

Olivero: Yes. I'm here to do things like that.

Petro: Have you had commercial relations with Saudi Arabia in Paris?

Olivero: Yes.

Petro: I've studied the numbers and come up with a small description of a hypothetical project. Here it is.

Olivero: Ah, yes. It's a project that includes all services for a city of a million inhabitants.

Petro: Yes, that's right.

Olivero: But you can't use exactly this same project for another city.

Petro: Yes, I know that. I don't need all the details. I need a marketing document only.

Olivero: Very well, I can give you a series of figures. But you must understand that they are very rough.

Petro: Yes, of course. I now must dictate two letters. Dear Mr. Melville, em, ee, el, vee, I, double el, ee. You've asked me for some details concerning our activities, comma, our prices, comma, and our services, period. I am enclosing with this letter some information about what we can offer our customers. I am confident that you and your colleagues will find it interesting, period. Please excuse me for sending you this letter somewhat late, period. I have had to dedicate a lot of time and effort to the inauguration of our new offices in Geneva, period. I look forward to your response and would like to convey to you my best wishes. This is the end of the first letter.

Here's the second one, addressed to Miss. Alicia Martini, em, ay, ar, tea, I, en I, Marex Mundial, Strasbourg. You can find the address in the directory. Dear Ms. Martini. We have received your telex dated May the thirteenth asking for two apartments for Mr. Petro Minelli. period. We regret to inform you that we have been able to find only one small studio apartment for Mr. Minelli. No. Write "a very small one-room apartment," period. We hope that we will be able to help you in the future, period. Please be assured of our best wishes.

This letter should be under the name of the administrative director in Geneva. End of the second letter. Very well, this should have the effect that I want. Catherina?

Catherina: Good morning, Petro. Come on in.

Petro: Listen, I would like to talk to you about someone who can possibly help us.

Catherina: Oh, good.

Petro: Yes. I met him during my trip to Geneva, and I believe that he can perhaps refer some work to us.

Catherina: Oh yeah?

Petro: Yeah. I have written him a letter in which I furnish various specifications, including prices, to show him what we can do. But I want to consult with you about it, naturally, before sending it out.

Catherina: Yes. I have seen your letter, Petro. It is directed to a Mr. Melville, I believe.

Petro: Yes, exactly. You never know. He could offer us some interesting possibilities. It would be a good idea to start with a rather important project. I don't know him, but ...

Catherina: Exactly where did you meet him?

Petro: In the plane. He seemed very nice, but I want to say once again that I don't know him. He told me that he has many good contacts at the government level, and he spoke very seriously about them.

Catherina: It doesn't surprise me that you found him to be serious. It also doesn't surprise me that that he gave you his personal instead of his professional address.

Petro: What do you mean? Do you know him?

Catherina: He is the sales manager of our biggest competitor.

Petro: What?

Catherina: Yes, exactly. He is the sales manager of CCG. I'm convinced that we are better, but it would not be a good idea to give him any detailed ideas of our activities.


text:
Jet Propulsion/Turbines

A turbine produces mechanical work from the pressure or kinetic enrgy of a moving fluid. They differ from reciprocating motors in that the fluid flows through continuously.

Turbines like compressors can be axial or radial.

Water Turbines
The earliest water turbines were water wheels.

These extract mechanical work from water pressure.

Water turbines

Wind Turbines
Commonly known as windmill extract work from the wind.

wind turbine

Steam Turbines
These extract mechanical work from steam.

steam turbine

Axial Turbines
Used in most gas turbines and steam turbines

Radial Turbines
Used in turbochargers and small gas turbines.

title: Jet Propulsion/Turbines


text:
Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 4, Scenas 1 e 2 (interlingua)

SCENA 1: Catherina e Petro parla sur lor travalio. Petro dice que ille non la ha vidite pro multe tempore. Catherina responde que le causa de isto es que illa ha essite multo occupate. Petro tunc indica que ille non es felice proque ille non ha multe a facer.

Catherina demanda a ille qual es sur su agenda pro le septimana veniente. Petro dice que mercuridi ille va facer un viage de tres dies a Paris e que hodie ille va a interviewar un possibile secretario/receptionista. Ultra isto, ille ha nullo a facer. Petro trova isto un pauco deprimente.

Catherina essaya confortar le, dicente que le compania vermente non ha comenciate su operationes e que ante multe tempore omne le personal in le officios de Geneva essera multo occupate. Intertanto, illa invita que Petro la accompania pro vider le centro informatic, ma Petro non pote facer isto proque Catherina vade illac durante le hora de su interview. Al fin del scena, Petro es enoiate, non sapente lo que ille pote facer pro occupar se.

Catherina: Petro. Petro.

Petro: Bon die, Catherina. Como sta vos?

Catherina: Multo ben, gratias.

Petro: Io non vos ha vidite desde multe tempore.

Catherina: Io esseva multo occupate.

Petro: Plus que io?

Catherina: Que face vos?

Petro: Como vos vide, io lege le jornal. Io bibe cafe.

Catherina: Ah, bon. Io veniva hic pro parlar a vos sur vostre programma de iste septimana.

Petro: Mi programma?

Catherina: Que ha vos sur vostre agenda?

Petro: Iste septimana?

Catherina: Si, iste septimana.

Petro: Ben, io va a Paris mercuridi pro tres dies.

Catherina: Ah, si. Pro le commission de liaison?

Petro: Si.

Catherina: E post illo?

Petro: Nullo. Hodie io va interviewar un candidato pro le position de secretaria.

Catherina: E pro le resto del septimana?

Petro: Io non ha ullo planificate. Nullo sur mi agenda. Illo es un pauco deprimente.

Catherina: Como?

Petro: Il ha nullo a facer hic, nulle travalio. Restar hic attendente que le telephono sona me enoia multo.

Catherina: Ascolta. Nostre travalio in iste officio solmente comencia. Un certe quantitate de tempore es necesse pro lancear iste typo de projecto.

Petro: Si. Ma il non me place restar hic con nullo a facer.

Catherina: Ben tosto tu habera multo a facer.

Petro: Io lo spera.

Catherina: Eh, ben, si vos vole, vos pote venir con me al centro informatic.

Petro: Pro facer que?

Catherina: Illo es interessante.

Petro: Quando vade vos illac?

Catherina: Io debe vider les al mediedie, e io va partir del officio verso dece un horas e medio.

Petro: No. Io non pote vader con vos. Le candidato pro le interview essera hic un pauco post que vos parti.

Catherina: Ben. Illo non importa. Io vos videra plus tarde.

Petro: Comprendite. A revider.

Catherina: A revider.

Petro: E io justo ha finite mi lectura del jornal. Qual es le proxime cosa que io va facer?

EXERCITIO 1: Programmas:

Guida: Catherina de Petro parlava de lor programmas. Io volerea audir un altere vice possibile manieras de describer lor activitates.

A woman: Qual es vostre programma pro iste matino?

A man: Mi programma?

A woman: Si, que va vos facer iste matino?

A man: Io ha tres cosas a facer. Io debe vider le chef a dece horas.

A woman: Ah, si?

A man: E tunc io debe studiar le reportos de venditas inter dece un horas e le mediedie.

A woman: Si. E postea?

A man: Tunc io va mangiar alique.

A woman: Io comprende. Io volerea que vos me da iste information un altere vice. Que face vos a dece horas?

A man: Io va vider le chef.

A woman: Il es multo occupate. Esque vos ha facite un appunctamento?

A man: Si. Io ha un appunctamento pro dece horas.

A woman: Illo prendera quante tempore?

A man: Un hora.

A woman: Tunc illo durara un hora. E a dece un horas? Ubi essera vos a dece un horas?

A man: Io habera retornate al officio si omne va ben.

A woman: E tunc, que facera vos?

A man: Io va studiar le reportos del venditas.

A woman: Illo prendera quante tempore?

A man: Un hora, plus o minus.

A woman: E tunc va vos mangiar vostre prandio?

A man: Si. Postea io va mangiar mi prandio.

Guida: Il pare que il certemente ha differente manieras de exprimer le futuro in interlingua.

A man: Io videra Anna martedi; io vide Roseline mercuridi; io va vider Valerie jovedi. Mmmm.

Guida: Il pare que omne iste constructiones significa le mesme cosa.

A woman: Vos vadera via?

A man: No. Io va mangiar hic.

A woman: E etiam io va mangiar hic.

A man: Io mangiara hic hodie e deman.

Guida: On usa omne iste constructiones.

A woman: Ben. In ille caso io vos videra hic plus tarde, verso un hora.

A man: Multo ben. A revider.

Guida: Io comprende melio nunc. Il pare que Petro debeva haber un interview con un candidata pro le position de secretaria. Que nos vide como illo vadera.

SCENA 2: Le officios de Geneva: Petro interviewa Francesca pro le position de secretaria. Ille comencia per offerer un caffe a illa, e postea ille comencia su questiones. Primo ille vole saper lo que illa face in iste momento, como illa usa su linguas, qual es su velocitate como stenographo, qual es su velocitate in claviar, e si le claviation place a illa. Finalmente, ille la demanda si a illa place travaliar independentemente e proque illa vole un position nove. Petro tunc dice gratias a illa e la informa que illes la notificara al fin del septimana.

Francesca: Vos permitte que io entra?

Petro. Si. Entra.

Francesca: Eh, io es Francesca Cardano.

Petro: Ah si. Entra.

Francesca: Io ha un appunctamento pro un interview con le senior Petro Minelli a dece un horas trenta. Illo es pro le position de secretaria.

Petro: Si, io comprende. Io es Petro Minelli.

Francesca: Ah, si. Io veniva un pauco ante le tempore.

Petro: Un pauco, si. Ma illo non es importante. Vos pote seder vos hic, si vos vole.

Francesca: Gratias.

Petro: Io ha vostre littera hic. Si, ecce lo. Esque vos vole un tassa de caffe ante que nos comencia?

Francesca: Si, multe gratias.

Petro: Illo es vermente excellente, iste machina. Io prefere facer mi proprie caffe io mesme. Io habeva un caffetiera electric multo bon, ma io lo ha perdite. Esque vos vole un pauco de lacte? De sucro?

Francesca: No, gratias. Io lo prende nigre.

Petro: Ecce lo.

Francesca: Gratias.

Petro: Tunc nos pote comenciar. Qual es vostre situation in iste momento?

Francesca: Io es le secretaria de un director de servicio de marketing.

Petro: In vostre littera vos dice que vos parla ben le anglese e le germano un pauco e etiam le espaniol.

Francesca: Si, exactemente.

Petro: Como usa vos omne iste linguas?

Francesca: Eh ben, le compania pro le qual io travalia in iste momento ha clientes de nationalitates differente, e omne iste linguas es utile pro me.

Petro: Obviemente. Io comprende. Qual es vostre nivello como stenographo e vostre velocitate in claviar?

Francesca: In le claviation io pote facer octanta parolas per minuta. Como stenographo, io face octanta, ma io non lo usa multo. In le officio ubi io travalia nunc on usa machinas a dictar.

Petro. A vos place facer le claviation?

Francesca: Io non lo face multo sovente proque in le officio ubi io travalia nunc il ha un equipa de claviatores.

Petro: E esque vos pote travaliar sol le plus parte del tempore?

Francesca: Si. Io mesmo prefere travaliar assi si io pote. In iste momento, io face le major parte de mi travalio completemente sin supervision.

Petro: Io non vole dicer solmente travaliar de un maniera independente. Io parla de esser le sol persona presente in le officio.

Francesca: Io non sape. Io nunquam ha essayate iste typo de travalio. Io sempre ha travaliate in officios grande.

Petro: Ma pensa vos que vos poterea travaliar in un officio parve como iste sin difficultate?

Francesca: Io non crede que un tal ambiente me molesterea. Ma illo certemente esserea differente pro me.

Petro: Que sape vos sur le transporto urban?

Francesca: Pardono?

Petro: Que sape vos del sector industrial? Le sector de transporto.

Francesca: Pro dicer le veritate, io non sape multo sur illo.

Petro: E que vos attraheva verso iste typo de compania? Io volerea saper le ration que vos vole cambiar le position que vos nunc occupa a iste.

Francesca: Eh, ben. Mi chef va via. E le proxime persona qui va occupar su position jam ha su proprie secretaria. Illes poterea mover me a un altere position, ma a un nivello inferior. Il es a causa de isto que io ha decidite cercar un altere position.

Petro: Io comprende. Multo ben. Multe gratias, senioretta.

Francesca: Gratias.

Petro: Nos vole arrivar a un decision final rapidemente, e io crede que nos potera dar a vos un responsa verso le fin del septima.

Francesca: Multo ben.

Petro: Eh, ben. Nos vos contactara quando nos ha facite nostre decision.

Francesca: Multe gratias. Al revider.

Petro: Al revider.

EXERCITIO 2: Interviews:

Guida: Il me pare que iste senioretta esseva bon, non lo crede vos? Ante continuar con nostre historia, io vole audir un altere vice le typo de questiones que on facer durante un interview.

First man: Demanda a ille su nomine.

A woman: Qual es vostre nomine?

Second man: Eric Jensen.

First man: E su etate.

A woman: Qual es vostre etate?

Second man: Io ha trenta annos.

First man: E su nationalitate?

A woman: De ubi es vos? Qual es vostre nationalitate?

Second man: Io es Danese, de Copenhagen.

First man: Demanda a ille quales es su qualificationes.

A woman: Quales es vostre qualificationes? Qual diplomas o certificatos possede vos?

Second man: Io ha un certificato de studios commercial.

First man: Demanda a ille quante tempore ille ha studiate.

A woman: Durante quante tempore ha vos studiate?

Second man: Duo annos.

First man: Demanda a ille ubi ille ha studiate.

A woman: E ubi ha vos facite vostre studios?

Second man: In un instituto de technologia.

Un femina: Vostre qualificationes tunc es un certificato de studios commercial, duo annos in un instituto de technologia.

Prime homine: Demanda a ille qual es su experientia.

Un femina: Que ha vos como experientia? Quante tempore ha travaliate vos?

Secunde homine: Io ha tres annos de experientia in le affaires.

Prime homine: Demanda a ille qual es le travalio que ille nunc face.

Un femina: Qual es le travalio que vos nunc face?

Secunde homine: In iste momento, io non ha ulle travalio. Io es disempleate.

Prime homine: Demanda a ille qual esseva su previe position.

Un femina: Ben. Que typo de travalio faceva vos in vostre ultime position?

Secunde homine: Io travaliava in le assecurantia. Io esseva un empleo de officio.

Prime homine: Demanda a ille quante tempore ille ha facite iste travalio?

Un femina: Quante tempore ha facite vos iste travalio.

Secunde homine: Tres annos.

Prime homine: Demanda a ille si ille parla altere linguas.

Un femina: Esque vos parla altere linguas?

Secunde homine: Le anglese que io ha apprendite a le schola e le germano.

Un femina: Ben, gratias. Tosto io va communicar a vos nostre decision.

Guida: Il nunc es le hora del prandio. Catherina e Petro nunc mangia in un caffe in le area de lor officio.


text:
Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 4, Scenas 1 e 2 (anglese)

SCENE 1: Catherina and Petro are talking about their work. Petro says that he hasn't seen her for a long time, Catherina answers that the cause of this is that she has been very busy. Peter then indicates that he is unhappy because he doesn't have much to do.

Catherina asks him what is on his schedule for next week. Peter says that Wednesday he is going to take a three-day trip to Paris and that today he is going to interview a possible secretary/receptionist. Besides this, he doesn't have anything to do. Peter finds this a bit depressing.

Catherina tries to comfort him, saying that the company really hasn't started its operations and that before too long everyone in the Geneva office will be very busy. In the meantime, she invites Petro to go with her to see the computer center, but Petro can't do this because Catherina is going there during the hour of his interview. At the end of the scene, Peter is bored, not knowing what he can do to keep busy.

Catherina: Petro. Petro.

Petro: Good Morning, Catherina. How are you?

Catherina; Very well, thanks.

Petro: I haven't seen you for a long time.

Catherina: I've been very busy.

Petro: More than me?

Catherina: What are you doing?

Petro: As you can see, I'm reading the paper. I'm drinking coffee.

Catherina: Oh, good. I came her to talk to you about your program this week.

Petro: My program?

Catherina: What do you have on your schedule?

Petro: This week?

Catherina: Yes, this week.

Petro: Okay. I'm going to Paris on Wednesday for three days.

Catherina: Oh yeah? For the liaison commission?

Petro: Yeah.

Catherina: And afterwards?

Petro: Nothing. Today I'm gonna interview a candidate for the secretary position.

Catherina: And for the rest of the week?

Petro: I don't have anything planned. Nothing on my schedule. It's a little depressing.

Catherina: How so?

Petro: I don't have anything to do here, no work. Staying here waiting for the telephone to ring bores me a lot.

Catherina: Listen. Our work in this office is only beginning. A certain amount of time is needed to launch this kind of project.

Petro: Yes. But I don't like staying here with nothing to do.

Catherina: Before long you will have a lot to do.

Petro: I hope so.

Catherina: Say, if you want, you can come with me to the computer center.

Petro: To do what?

Catherina: It's interesting.

Petro: When are you gonna go there?

Catherina: I've got to see them at noon, and I'm gonna leave the office around eleven thirty.

Petro: No. I can't go with you. The candidate for the interview will be here shortly after you've gone.

Catherina: Okay, it isn't important. I'll see you later.

Petro: Okay, see you later.

Catherina: See you.

Petro: And I've just finished reading the paper. What am I gonna do next?

EXERCISE 1: Programs:

Guide: Catherina and Petro were talking about their programs. I would like to hear once again some other possible ways of describing their activities.

A woman: What is your progrm for this morning?

A man: My program?

A woman: Yes, what are you going to do this morning?

A man: I have three things to do. I must see the boss at ten o'clock.

A woman: Oh yeah?

A man: And then I have to study the sales reports between eleven o'clock and noon.

A woman: Okay. And then?

A man: Then I'm gonna eat something.

A woman: I see. I'd like you to give me this information once again. What are you doing at ten o'clock?

A man: I'm gonna see the boss.

A woman: He is very busy. Have you made an appointment?

A man: Yes. I have an appointment for ten o'clock.

A woman: That'll take up how much time?

A man: An hour.

A woman: Then it will last an hour. And at eleven o'clock? Where will you be at eleven o'clock?

A man: I will have returned to the office, if everything goes well.

A woman: And then what are you gonna do?

A man: I'm gonna study the sales reports.

A woman: That will take up how much time?

A man: An hour, more or less.

A woman: And then are you gonna eat lunch?

A man: Yeah. Afterward that I'm gonna eat lunch.

Guide: It seems that there certainly are different ways of expressing the future in Interlingua.

A man: I will be seeing Anna Tuesday; I'm seeing Roselie Wednesday; I'm gonna see Valerie Thursday. Mmmm.

Guide: It seems that all these constructions mean the same thing.

A woman: Are you gonna go away?

A man: No, I'm gonna eat here.

A woman: I'm also gonna eat here.

A man: I'm gonna eat here today and tomorrow.

Guide: All these constructions are used.

A woman: Fine. In that case I'll see you here later, around one.

A man: Fine. See you then.

Guide: I now understand better now. It seems that Petro had to have an interview with a candidate for the secretary's job. Let's se how it will go.

SCENE 2: The Geneva offices: Petro is interviewing Francesca for the job of secretary. He starts by offering her a coffee, and afterwards he starts his questions. First he wants to know what she is doing at this moment, how she uses her languages, what her shorthand and typing speeds are, if she likes to type. Finally, he asks her if she likes to work independently and why she wants a new position. Petro then says thanks to her and informs her that they will notify her at the end of the week.

Francesca: May I come in?

Petro: Yes, come in.

Francesca: Uh, I'm Francesca Cardano.

Petro: Ah, yes. Come in.

Francesca: I have an appointment for an interview with Mr. Petro Minelli at eleven thirty. It is for the secretary position.

Petro: Yes, I understand. I am Petro Minelli.

Francesca: Ah, yes. I came a little early.

Petro: A little, yes. But that isn't important. You can sit down here, if you want.

Francesca: Thanks.

Petro: I have your letter here. Yes, here it is. Would you like a cup of coffe before we start?

Francesca: Yes, thanks a lot.

Petro: It is really excellent, this machine. I prefer to make my own coffee myself. I had a very good electric coffee maker, but I have lost it. Would you like a little milk? Some sugar?

Francesca: No, thanks. I like it black.

Petro: Here it is.

Francesca: Thanks.

Petro: Now we can start out. What is your situation at this moment?

Francesca: I am the secretary of a marketing services director.

Petro: In your letter you say that you speak English well and German a little and also Spanish.

Francesca: Yes, exactly.

Petro: How do you use all these languages?

Francesca: All right. The company I work for at this moment has clients of different nationalities, and all these languages are useful for me.

Petro: Obviously. I understand. What is your level as a stenogrpher and your typing speed?

Francesca: As a typist I can do eighty words a minute. As a stenographer, I do eighty, but I don't use it a lot. In the office where I work we now use dictating machines.

Petro: Do you like to type?

Francesca: I don't do it very often because in the office where I work now there is a typing pool.

Petro: And can you work alone most of the time?

Francesca: Yes. I myself prefer to work like that if I can. At this moment I am doing most of my work completely without supervision.

Petro: I don't mean only working independently. I'm speaking of being the only person present in the office.

Francesca: I don't know. I never have tried this type of work. I always have worked in large offices.

Petro: But do you think that you could work in a small office like this one without any trouble?

Francesca: I don't believe that such an environment would bother me. But it would certainly be different for me.

Petro: What do you know about urban transport?

Francesca: I beg your pardon?

Petro: What do you know about the industrial sector? The transport sector?

Francesca: To tell the truth, I don't know a lot about it.

Petro: And what attracted you to this type of company? I would like to know the reason why you want to leave the position that you now have for this one.

Francesca: Well, my boss is leaving. And the next person who's gonna take his position already has his own secretary. They can move me to another position, but at a lower level. It is because of this that I have decided to look for another position.

Petro: I understand. Very well. Thanks a lot, Miss.

Francesca: Thanks.

Petro: We want to arrive at a final decision rapidly, and I believe that we will be able to give you an answer toward the end of the week.

Francesca: Fine.

Petro: Okay. We will contact you when we have made our decision.

Francesca: Thanks a lot. See you later.

Petro: See you later.

EXERCISE 2: Interviews:

Guide: It seems to me that this young lady was good, don't you agree? Before continuing with our story, I would like to hear once again the kind of questions that are made during an interview.

First man: Ask him his name.

A woman: What is your name.

Second man: Eric Jensen

First man: And his age.

A woman: What is your age?

Second man: I am thirty years old.

First man: And his nationality.

A woman: Where are you from? What is your nationality?

Second man: I am Danish, from Copenhagen.

First man: Ask him what his qualifications are.

A woman: What are your qualifications. What diplomas or certificates do you have?

Second man: I have a certificate of commercial studies.

First man: Ask him how much time he has studied.

A woman: How long have you studied?

Second man: Two years.

First man: Ask him where he has studied.

A woman: And where have you done your studies?

Second man: In a technological institute.

A woman: Your qualifications then are a certificate of commercial studies, two years in a technological institute.

First man: Ask him what his experience is.

A woman: What do you have as experience? For how long have you worked?

Second man: I have three years of business experience.

First man: Ask him what is the work he is now doing.

A woman: What kind of work are you doing now?

Second man: At this moment, I don't have any work. I'm unemployed.

First man: Ask him what his previous position was.

A woman: Fine. What kind of work did you do in your last position?

Second man: I worked for an insurance company. I was an office worker.

First man: Ask him how long he did this work.

A woman: How long did you do this work?

Second man: Three years.

First man: Ask him if he speaks other languages.

A woman: Do you speak other languages?

Second man: The English I learned in school and German.

A woman: Fine, thank you. Soon I will let you know of our decision.

Guide: It is now lunch time. Catherina and Petro are now eating in a cafe in the area near their office.