Taxi Talks

Taxi City

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Taxi Talks are language lessons designed to help a speaker of any language learn any other language.

If a language you know is not listed in big type on the Taxi Talks Home Page please fill in this page.

Entry Page For Your Language.

Learn to speak any language of the world. This is an opportunity for you and for all other speakers of your language to learn the basics of any language. I have tried to make the talks easy and interesting. After you are finished, please print-out a copy for your personal records and read your translation into an audio recorder. Please send me a copy of the print-out and of the audio recording. Send it on the Internet or send your text and audio recording by regular mail.
I speak the language known as ---

My language is spoken in the country of and local area of .

The location where my language is spoken this way is at longitude degrees and latitude degrees.

( If you do not know your longitude and latitude please point to and click on your location on this World Map and copy the geographical coordinates into the spaces above.

If you do speak English skip this next sentence. If you do not speak English: (1) Print-out a paper copy of Taxi Talks in a language you do speak. (2) Translate each sentence line by line into your language onto that page. (3) Then put your translations of it into the appropriate boxes on this English web page. (4) Or, Mail your copy and a tape recording of it to: Taxi Talks, Box 962, Berkeley, CA, 94701, USA.

Taxi Talks are intended to be practical, easy to use, efficient, brief, elegant, minimal and fun.

The Taxi Talks Language Lesson.

Insert a translation in your language after each of the following sentences.

Each section begins with a strange sound to help keep the listener synchronized with the speaker.
Sound of car horn beep beep.

Driver --- Taxi. . . Taxi here. Do you speak English? [Replace English with your language name.] _____
Self --- Yes. Do you speak English? [Insert your language name or its alternate name] _____
Driver --- Yes, I speak a little English? _____
Self --- I want to go to the main bus station. _____
Driver --- It costs five dollars. _____
Self --- OK. Go quickly, please. _____
Driver --- I can not go. _____
Self --- Why not? _____
Driver --- Red light, Sir. . . I must wait. _____
Self --- Zero,... one, two, three, four, five, . . . . _____
Driver --- Relax, Sir. I will get you there quickly. _____
Self --- I can not, . . I will lose my ticket. _____
Driver --- That is a problem. _____
Self --- six, seven, eight, nine, ten...Green light! _____
Driver --- Here we go. What ticket, Sir? _____
Self --- My plane ticket to New York. _____
Driver --- Oh. That is bad. _____
Self --- No ticket. No trip. No job. No money. _____
Driver --- Oh, I understand. _____
Self --- Yes. Please hurry. _____
Driver --- OK. . Yikes! Who is that man? _____
Self --- I don't see anyone. _____
Driver --- Someone is yelling at me. _____
Self --- Everyone is in a hurry to catch a taxi. _____
Driver --- Yes, but there are always more Taxis.
Self --- and everyone wants more things for less money. _____
Self --- Yes, I am one of those people. _____
Driver --- Yes. Me too. _____
Self --- Where did you learn to speak English? [Insert your language name again]? _____
Driver --- I learned it on the internet at www.TaxiTalks.com. _____
Self --- Do you have a computer? _____
Driver --- Yes. My web site is www.members.home.net/proba.
Self --- Congratulations. _____
Driver --- Thank You. _____
Self --- You meet a lot people when driving a taxi. _____
Driver --- Yes. I try to speak their language. _____
Self --- How many languages do you know? _____
Driver --- I speak about ten languages a little. _____
Self --- Very good! You have a good job for learning languages. _____
Driver --- I sit all day watching for customers and listening to Taxi Talks. _____
Self --- You listen to tape recordings? _____
Driver --- Yes, my eyes are busy working, but my ears are free to listen. _____
Self --- I see you have many tape recordings. _____
Driver --- When I see a person I try and guess their language. _____
Self --- What do you do with your tapes? _____
Driver --- I put their language tape in the player and listen to their language. _____
Self --- You can't listen for very long. _____
Driver --- True. But it helps my pronunciation for the first few words. _____
Self --- That is a very good reminder. _____
Driver --- If they don't come over, I just listen for a while. _____
Self --- You speak my language quite well. _____
Driver --- Thank You. But I know my talk is very limited. _____
Self --- What can you talk about? _____
Driver --- Basic things like hotels, streets, numbers, distance, time and money. _____
Self --- You are doing very well with those. _____
Driver --- Thank You. Here we are. That will be five dollars. Please. _____
Self --- Hear it is. Thank you very much and keep the change. _____
Driver --- Thank You. Have a good day. _____

Screech and hiss of a bus

Self --- Are you waiting for a bus? _____
Pedestrian --- Yes. _____
Self --- Would you give me some help please? _____
Pedestrian --- How can I help you? _____
Self --- I am looking for someone. _____
Pedestrian --- Who are you looking for? _____
Self --- My son. _____
Pedestrian --- What does he look like? _____
Self --- He looks like me. _____
Pedestrian --- Why is he bald? _____
Self --- No,no, he is not bald. He is sixteen years old. _____
Pedestrian --- I understand. _____
Self --- He has long black hair and a white cap... _____
Pedestrian --- and a yellow shirt? _____
Self --- Yes, and blue Levis. _____
Pedestrian --- I saw him. _____
Self --- Where is he? _____
Pedestrian --- I think he got on a bus. _____
Self --- Which one? _____
Pedestrian --- It was going south. _____
Self --- When? _____
Pedestrian --- About ten minutes ago. _____
Self --- Did he say anything. _____
Pedestrian --- No. He was in a hurry. _____
Self --- Thank You very much. _____

Sound of vendor bells.

Self --- I am hungry. _____
Vender --- Fish, Chicken, Meat, Vegetables. Sir. _____
Self --- How much does it cost? _____
Vender --- Ninety nine cents for each item and very good quality. Sir. _____
Self --- Give me a bowl of vegetables with fish. Please. _____
Vender --- Yes sir. With some rice or noodles? _____
Self --- Give me some rice. And something to drink. _____
Vender --- I have, coffee, tea, milk, soda, bottled water and beer. _____
Self --- Give me a cup of milk. _____
Vender --- What do you want for desert? _____
Self --- Those strange looking things look good. _____
Vender --- They are to look at sir. I do not think you would like to eat them. _____
Self --- I like pretty things. _____
Vender --- OK. Sir. That will be five dollars for everything. _____
Self --- Here it is. _____
Vender --- You can sit over there. _____
Self --- No, Thank You, I am in a hurry. _____

Sound of running footsteps.

Vender --- Sir! Sir! You forgot your change. _____
Self --- Thank You. Thank you very much! _____
Vender --- You are welcome. _____
Self --- It is only five pennys. _____
Vender --- Yes sir. It is five pennys. _____
Self --- Why did you run so far to give me five pennys. _____
Vender --- To be good to you, Sir. _____
Self --- Buy why for so little? _____
Vender --- Because, if I am good to you I am good to myself. _____
Self --- I do not understand. _____
Vender --- When I am good to myself, then I am happy. _____
Self --- I understand that. _____
Vender --- So I give you your five pennys and I am happy all day. _____
Self --- OK. Have an nice day. _____
Vender --- Thank You Sir, and Goodbye! _____
Self --- Hum. That guy seems happy. _____

Sound of pharmacy.

Pharmacist --- May I help you? _____
Self --- Yes. My stomach is upset. _____
Pharmacist --- Did you eat some bad food? _____
Self --- No. The food tasted very good. _____
Pharmacist --- Yes, but sometimes strange food doesn't sit well. _____
Self --- These pretty little things don't taste very good. _____
Pharmacist --- Humm. They are party decorations! Sir. _____
Self --- Oh no! What is it made of? _____
Pharmacist --- Probably old newspapers and glue. _____
Self --- What should I do? _____
Pharmacist --- Take some of this medicine. _____
Self --- What will it do? _____
Pharmacist --- It will clean out your stomach. _____
Self --- Will it make me vomit? _____
Pharmacist --- Oh, Yes. And much more! _____
Self --- I understand. _____
Pharmacist --- You will need a toilet. _____
Self --- Where can I find a toilet? _____
Pharmacist --- Next door at the bar. _____
Self --- How much do I owe you? _____
Pharmacist --- That will be five dollars. _____
Self --- Well, thank you, I guess. _____
Pharmacist --- Goodbye. _____
Self --- _____
Pharmacist --- _____

Clink of glasses in a bar.

Self --- May I use the bathroom? _____
Bar Tender --- It is for customer use only. Sir. _____
Self --- You mean I have to buy something? _____
Bar Tender --- Yes sir. It is the owners rules. _____
Self --- I only want to use the bathroom. _____
Bar Tender --- It is my job to enforce the rules. Sir _____
Self --- OK. Give me something. Give me a beer. _____
Bar Tender --- What kind of beer? Sir. _____
Self --- I don't care. _____
Bar Tender --- We have very good local beer. _____
Self --- OK. And the key to the bathroom. _____
Bar Tender --- That will be one dollar. _____
Self --- OK. Here is five dollars. _____
Bar Tender --- The bathroom isn't very clean. _____
Self --- OK. I understand. _____
Bar Tender --- Here is your beer and the key. _____
Self --- And my change? Thank You. _____
Bar Tender --- Be careful. _____
Self --- _____
Bar Tender --- _____
Self --- _____
Bar Tender --- _____
Self --- _____
Bar Tender --- _____
Self --- _____
Bar Tender --- _____
Self --- _____
Bar Tender --- _____
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Thank You for taking the time to fill in this form. It will be of great value to people who speak your language. Now they will be able to talk, in a basic way, with anyone in the world.
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