Day 122: The Midwife Who Delivered Her
In her house in Naic, Cavite, Lola Lucing (B), who was the town's midwife for fifty years, is interviewed by Kayla (A), a young reporter writing a feature about her.
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
Lola Lucing, ilang taon po kayo noong una kayong nagpaanak?
Lola Lucing, how old were you when you delivered your first baby?
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B
Dalawampu, iha. Bago pa ang lisensiya ko, at nanginginig pa ang kamay ko.
Twenty, dear. My license was brand new, and my hands still shook.
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A
Ilang sanggol na po kaya ang sinalo ng mga kamay na iyon?
How many babies do you think those hands have caught?
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B
Mahigit apat na libo, ayon sa talaan ko. Bawat kalye rito, may dumaan sa akin.
Over four thousand, according to my records. Every street in this town has someone who passed through my hands.
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A
Pasensiya na po sa itatanong ko. May mga pagkakataon po bang hindi pinalad ang ina o sanggol?
Forgive me for asking this. Were there times when a mother or a baby didn't make it?
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B
Mayroon. Tatlong ina ang pumanaw sa mga kamay ko, at ipinagdarasal ko pa rin sila.
There were. Three mothers passed away in my hands, and I still pray for them.
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A
Salamat po sa katapatan ninyo. Huling tanong: may sanggol po bang hinding-hindi ninyo malilimutan?
Thank you for being so honest. One last question: is there a baby you'll never forget?
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B
Ikaw. Noong nagdadalang-tao ang nanay mong si Marites, ako ang tumitingin sa kaniya, at suhi kang lumabas.
You. When your mother, Marites, was expecting, I was the one looking after her, and you came out feet first.
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A
Ako po? Kaya po pala sa akin nagpapahimas ng leeg ang mga natitinik sa amin!
Me? So that's why everyone at home who gets a fishbone stuck comes to me to have their throat rubbed!
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