Measuring the noise
A short in Spanish text at level B1. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. For years the neighbors on my street said the noise from the terrace below was unbearable, and for years nothing…
Text
- Durante años los vecinos de mi calle dijeron que el ruido de la terraza de abajo era insoportable, y durante años no pasó nada. El ayuntamiento contestaba siempre lo mismo: sin una medición, la queja no tenía fundamento y no se podía hacer nada. Entonces un vecino jubilado, que había sido técnico, propuso un método sencillo: medir a la misma hora, tres veces por semana, durante dos meses. La observación dio una regularidad clara: de jueves a sábado el ruido sobrepasaba el límite legal, y el resto de la semana no. Con esos datos la queja dejó de ser una idea vaga y se convirtió en una prueba que nadie podía refutar. El bar no cerró, pero tuvo que poner un cierre acústico y recoger la terraza una hora antes. Lo que aprendí de aquello no fue nada científico: una molestia que no se mide se discute para siempre, y una que se mide se arregla.For years the neighbors on my street said the noise from the terrace below was unbearable, and for years nothing happened. The town hall always answered the same thing: without a measurement the complaint had no grounds and nothing could be done. Then a retired neighbor, a former technician, proposed a simple method: measure at the same time, three times a week, for two months. The observation gave a clear pattern: from Thursday to Saturday the noise exceeded the legal limit, and the rest of the week it did not. With those data the complaint stopped being a vague idea and became evidence nobody could refute. The bar did not close, but it had to install a sound-proof vestibule and clear the terrace an hour earlier. What I took away from this is not scientific at all: a nuisance that is not measured is discussed forever, and one that has been measured gets fixed.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why did the town hall do nothing for years?
- What did the retired neighbor propose?
- What did the observation show?
- How did the matter end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Spanish?
B1. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.