Day 60: The Ankle Communiqué
In the emergency department of a Warsaw hospital, on the night of the carnival ball at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Klara (A), a young diplomat, asks the orthopaedist on duty, Dr Marcin Sadowski (B), to be straight with her about her ankle.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a Polish word to see what it means.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Polish, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning
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A
Panie doktorze, proszę mówić wprost. Jestem dyplomatką, eufemizmy znam od podszewki, a w piątek lecę do Wilna.
Doctor, please give it to me straight. I'm a diplomat, I know every euphemism inside out, and I'm flying to Vilnius on Friday.
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B
Wobec tego powiem dyplomatycznie: rozmowy z pani kostką przebiegły w szczerej atmosferze, a strony pozostały przy swoich stanowiskach.
In that case, I'll put it diplomatically: talks with your ankle took place in a frank atmosphere, and both sides maintained their positions.
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A
„Szczera atmosfera” to u nas awantura, więc tłumaczę: więzadło zerwane. Jak długo potrwa odwilż?
Where I work, 'a frank atmosphere' means a row, so let me translate: the ligament's torn. How long until the thaw?
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B
Naderwane, nie zerwane. Sześć tygodni w ortezie, po czym rehabilitacja. A Wilno proponuję załatwić wideokonferencją.
Partly torn, not torn. Six weeks in a brace, followed by physio. And I'd suggest doing Vilnius by video link.
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A
Wykluczone. W piątek podpisujemy trójstronne memorandum, a w delegacji tylko ja mówię zarówno po litewsku, jak i po łotewsku.
Out of the question. On Friday we're signing a trilateral memorandum, and I'm the only one in the delegation who speaks both Lithuanian and Latvian.
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B
Mimo to bez szarżowania: orteza, kule, zero szpilek. A ten pan na korytarzu co chwilę dopytuje, czy to jego wina.
Even so, no heroics: a brace, crutches and no stilettos. And the gentleman in the corridor keeps asking whether it's his fault.
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A
To mój dyrektor. Prowadził poloneza na balu w ministerstwie i, obróciwszy się za szybko, zwalił mnie ze szpilek.
That's my director. He was leading the polonaise at the ministry ball and, turning too sharply, knocked me clean off my heels.
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B
Czyli mamy incydent dyplomatyczny. Co mam mu przekazać: prawdę czy wersję do komunikatu?
So we have a diplomatic incident. What shall I tell him: the truth, or the version for the communiqué?
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A
Wersję do komunikatu: „Strony wyrażają wolę dalszej współpracy”. Czyli w piątek dyrektor niesie mi walizkę.
The communiqué version: 'Both sides express their willingness to continue cooperation.' Meaning on Friday the director carries my suitcase.
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B
Zatem zalecam ortezę, kule i walizkę w rękach strony winnej. I żadnego poloneza, ani z dyrektorem, ani z ministrem.
Then my recommendation is a brace, crutches and the suitcase in the hands of the guilty party. And no polonaise, not with the director and not with the minister either.
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