Day 43 of 135

Day 43: The Tawilis Don't Read Calendars

On the shore of Taal Lake in San Nicolas, Batangas, Niel (A), a young fisheries technician, explains the closed fishing season for tawilis to Mang Mando (B), who has fished the lake for fifty years.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense.
  3. Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Tagalog. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.

Dialogue

Audio for this lesson is coming soon. For now, read the dialogue and its translation.

Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day

  1. A

    Magandang umaga po, Mang Mando. Paalala lang po: bawal manghuli ng tawilis sa Marso at Abril.

    Good morning, Mang Mando. Just a reminder: no catching tawilis in March and April.

  2. B

    Marso at Abril lamang ga nangingitlog ang tawilis? Mali ang libro mo, iho.

    So the tawilis only spawn in March and April, do they? Your book is wrong, my boy.

  3. A

    Hindi po libro 'yon. Tatlong taon po naming sinuri ang huli sa buong lawa.

    It's not a book. For three years we studied the catch from all over the lake.

  4. B

    Sa buong lawa ga? Hindi ako nagdududa sa bilang mo, iho, sa lugar ako nagdududa.

    All over the lake, was it? It's not your numbers I doubt, my boy, it's where you counted.

  5. A

    Labindalawang istasyon po, mula Talisay hanggang dito. Kayo po, saan kayo pumapalaot?

    Twelve stations, from Talisay all the way here. And you, where do you go out?

  6. B

    Sa malalim, sa tapat ng Bulkan, kung saan malamig ang tubig. Doon, Mayo pa bago ko makita ang itlog.

    Out in the deep, off the Volcano, where the water is cold. Out there, it's May before I see any eggs.

  7. A

    Ay, oo nga po, wala kaming istasyon sa malalim. Baka po talagang mas huli silang mangitlog doon.

    Oh, you're right, we don't have a station in the deep. Maybe they really do spawn later out there.

  8. B

    At tama ka rin sa pampang, maaga ngani sila roon. Hindi iisang lawa ang lawang ire.

    And you're right about the shallows too. They do spawn early there. This lake isn't just one lake.

  9. A

    Kaya po sumama kayo sa amin sa Mayo, kukuha tayo ng sample doon. Baka po kailangang pahabain ang bawal.

    So come out with us in May, and we'll take samples out there. The ban may need to be longer.

  10. B

    Aba'y limampung taon akong nangingisda, ngayon ako pa ang magpapahaba ng bawal.

    Well, fifty years I've been fishing, and now I'm the one making the ban longer.

  11. A

    Para po sa mga apo ninyo, Mang Mando. At kayo po ang may pinakamahabang data sa lawang ito.

    It's for your grandchildren, Mang Mando. And you've got the longest-running data on this lake.

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