Interlingua/Curso de conversation/Capitulo 4, Scenas 5 e 6 (anglese)

SCENE 5: Paris, at Peter's hotel: In this scene Peter has some problems with the hotel desk clerk, who is less than cooperative in verifying his reservation and in making him feel welcome. Finally, after filling out a form, Peter has to pay cash in advance for his room.

Petro: Good evening.

The clerk: Yes, sir?

Petro: I'd like a room.

The clerk: Yes, sir?

Petro: I have reserved a room at this hotel ...

The clerk: Oh, yes?

Petro: ... in the name of Minell, Petro Minelli.

The clerk: Hmm.

Petro: My plane came in late because of the bad weather.

The clerk: A single or a double?

Petro: A single.

The clerk: With a bath?

Petro: Shower.

The clerk: Fill out this form, please, name nationality, all that. Is this for a single night only?

Petro: No, three nights.

The clerk: Three nights?

Petro: I've made a reservation. From Geneva. I was in Geneva and I reserved a room with one bed for three nights from this evening. But my plane arrived late because of the bad weather. My name is Minelli, em, I, en, ee, double el, i. My company is Marex Mundial. You should have all this information written in your office. We sent a telex to confirm.

The clerk: That will be three hundred euros, please.

Petro: Three hundred euros?

The clerk: In advance.

Petro: Listen, I have reserved this room. You have a confirmation. A telex. Can you look for it in your office?

The clerk: The office is closed.

Petro: Is there someone responsible for customer service working this evening?

The clerk: After midnight, you have to pay in advance.

Petro: But this is completely incomprehensible!

The clerk: Three hundred euros, please.

Petro: Okay, fine.

The clerk: Room forty-nine.

EXERCISE 5: Reserving a hotel room.

Guide: Fine. At least Petro has a room to sleep in. I would like to study the words used to reserve a hotel room.

A man: I would like to reserve a room, please.

A woman: The customer is going to say for how long he will be using the room.

A man: I would like a room for three nights, please.

A woman: He also is going to say if he needs a room with one or two beds ...

A man: A room with one bed, please.

A woman: ... and if he wants a room with a bath or a shower.

A man: A room with a bed and a bath, please.

A woman: He's now going to say all that in one sequence.

A man: I would like a room with a bed and bath for three nights, please.

A woman: He also wants to know the price.

A man: What is the price?

A woman: Let's say that it is one hundred ninety euros per night. He now wants to know what he will buy with this one hundred ninety euros.

A man: Does that include the room and breakfast or only the room?

A woman: The room and breakfast both.

A man: And what is the breakfast price?

A woman: Twenty euros, but it is included in the room price.

A man: Fine. I'll take the room.

A woman: Here's the key. The number of the room is seventy-two.

A man: Where is room seventy-two?

A woman: On the seventh floor.

A man: Can you wake me up at seven hours tomorrow morning?

A woman: With great pleasure.

A man: Thank you. Good night.

A woman: Good night.

Guide: Fine. For him, finding a room was less difficult than for Petro. And I hope he has slept well.

SCENE 6: Paris, a conference center: Petro is now in the conference center and is getting to know Gerardo Florette. Gerardo asks Petro if his plane trip to Paris was comfortable and if he likes his hotel. Petro says that his plane arrived late and that he had some trouble with the desk clerk at the hotel before he got the key to his room.

Gerardo also asks Petro how Catherina is and afterwards tells Petro that the conference doesn't have any new products or systems to offer its participants. Petro then sees Mr. Melville, the employee of a competitor company, and it seems there is going to be a verbal fight between them.

A woman: Good morning.

Petro: Good morning.

The woman: You are ...

Petro: Petro Minelli, of Marex Mundial.

The woman: Ah, yes, Mr. Minelli. Here's you identification card. Ah, there's a man waiting for you.

Petro: Ah, good.

The woman: He's over there, next to the window.

Petro: Thank you. Excuse me.

Gerardo: Petro Minelli?

Petro: Yes, that's me. You must be Gerardo Florette.

Gerardo: Exactly. Has your trip from Geneva to Paris been a good one?

Petro: The plane I took arrived late.

Gerardo: Because of the bad weather?

Petro: Yes. And I also had some difficulties with the desk clerk at the hotel because I arrived late.

Gerardo: Really?

Petro: But it wasn't too bad. I was able to take care of everything without any trouble.

Gerardo: I hate hotels. How are things at Geneva? And how is Catherina?

Petro: Catherina is fine. There is nothing out of the ordinary in Geneva. We are only beginning our operations, and we don't have much work.

Gerardo: Ah, don't complain.

Petro: And here? How is the presentation?

Gerardo: Oh, okay. Nothing special. Always the same old things.

Petro: What? But they are always talking about completely integrated control systems.

Gerardo: Yeah, but it's always the same thing.

Petro: I thought that this time they would have something new to show us.

Gerardo: Good God, no.

Petro: Then why are you here?

Gerardo: It's better than always being in the office.

Petro: But what a waste of time!

Gerardo: Possibly. But it more agreeable than drinking tea in a de luxe hotel.

Petro: Uh, who is that there?

Gerardo: Who are you talking about?

Petro: That guy in that brown suit?

Gerardo: I think I know him.

Petro: Me too, I met him in on plane trip recently.

Gerardo: Oh yeah?

Petro: I want to speak to him. So, Mr. Melville, I have some words to say to you.

Guide: I am curious to know what Petro is going to say to Mr. Melville. To discover this, let's listen to the next scene.