Day 88: Restore the Old Spelling?
On a scaffold in the session hall of an old city hall in Manila, Mayumi (A), a young art historian, and Gerry (B), the mural restorer she works for, reach the painted banner of a 1930s mural, lettered in the Tagalog spelling of its day.
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.
- 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
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A
Sir Gerry, heto na po ang banner: "Ang Pagcacaisa ang Lacas nang Bayan." "C" po, hindi "k."
Sir Gerry, here's the banner: "Ang Pagcacaisa ang Lacas nang Bayan," Unity Is the Strength of the Nation. With a "c," not a "k."
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B
Ganiyan pa rin sumulat ang matatandang pintor bago ang Abakada. Natutuklap na ang kalahati, kaya pipinturahan na natin.
That's how the older painters still wrote before the Abakada. Half of it is flaking off, so we're repainting it.
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A
Ibabalik po natin nang eksakto, 'di po ba? Gaya po ng isinulat ng pintor.
We'll restore it exactly, won't we? Just as the painter wrote it.
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B
Iyan sana. Pero gusto ng opisina ng mayor, "k" na raw, para hindi isiping typo.
That was the plan. But the mayor's office wants a "k" now, so nobody thinks it's a typo.
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A
Typo po? Kapag itinama natin iyan, para na rin po nating binura ang dekada trenta.
A typo? If we correct it, we might as well erase the thirties.
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B
Iha, magse-selfie riyan ang mga bata at magpo-post: "Typo sa City Hall." Sino ang magpapaliwanag?
Iha, kids will take selfies in front of it and post: "Typo at City Hall." Who's going to explain?
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A
Basahin po ninyo ang nasa ibaba: "Handog nang mga anac-pawis na nagtayo nitong bulwagan." Itatama rin po ba natin ang pawis nila?
Read what's written underneath: "Offered by the anak-pawis, the laborers who built this hall." Are we going to correct their sweat too?
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B
Anak-pawis... Ang lolo ko, karpintero rito noong itinayo ito. Baka siya pa ang nagbuhat ng plantsa ng pintor.
Anak-pawis... My grandfather was a carpenter here when it was built. He may even have carried the painter's scaffold.
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A
Lalo na po pala. Ibalik natin ang "c" at "nang," at maglagay po tayo ng plake na may makabagong baybay.
All the more reason, then. Let's bring back the "c" and the "nang," and put up a plaque with the modern spelling.
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B
Plake? Walang nagbabasa ng plake, iha. Pero kung QR code, baka basahin pa ng mga nagse-selfie.
A plaque? Nobody reads plaques, iha. But a QR code, the selfie crowd might actually read.
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A
Sige po, QR code. Kayo na po ang magpaliwanag kay Mayor, kayo ang may lolong anak-pawis.
Okay, a QR code. And you can explain it to the mayor, you're the one with an anak-pawis grandfather.
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B
Payag ako. Iabot mo ang pinakamaliit na brotsa; ako ang magpipinta ng unang "c," para kay Lolo.
Deal. Hand me the smallest brush; I'll paint the first "c" myself, for Lolo.
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