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B1-07 / CEFR B1 / EPISODE 07

Visa Application

Asking about an application timeline

SceneTina is at a government office submitting her visa application. The "place of birth" box still feels strange when home is beyond the stars.

Tina and an official reviewing application documents.
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STORY English with optional Japanese translations

Narrator

Tina is at a government office submitting her visa application. The "place of birth" box still feels strange when home is beyond the stars.

ティナはビザ申請を提出するため役所に来ている。故郷が星のかなたにあると、「出生地」の欄は今でも妙な感じがする。

Tina01

Quick question first — my friend Mei applied two weeks before me.

まず一つ質問です。友達のメイは私の2週間前に申請したんです。

Officer02

I can't discuss anyone else's file. Not even a friend's.

他の方の書類についてはお話しできません。お友達のでもです。

Tina03

Right, of course. I was just hoping for a rough timeline.

ええ、もちろんです。ただ、おおよその期間が知りたくて。

Officer04

Cases are reviewed one at a time, usually in the order they arrive.

申請は通常、届いた順に1件ずつ審査されます。

Tina05

So I should hear back about two weeks after she does?

じゃあ、友達に連絡が来たら、その2週間後くらいに私にも来るってこと？

Officer06

Not necessarily. Each application can take a different amount of time.

必ずしもそうではありません。申請ごとにかかる時間は違いますから。

Tina07

How long do applicants usually wait?

申請者は普通どれくらい待つんですか？

Officer08

About six weeks. Though the system's gotten faster lately.

約6週間です。もっとも、最近は速くなってきていますが。

Tina09

The lawyer I hired told me it'd be much quicker. "Faster than light," he said.

雇った弁護士は、もっと早いと言ってたんです。「光より速い」って。

Officer10

He may have meant priority cases only. Lawyers always promise the moon and the stars.

それは優先案件だけのことでしょう。弁護士ってのは、月も星も約束してみせますからね。

Tina11

Trust me, the stars aren't that far. And if a document's missing?

ふふ、星ってそんなに遠くないんですよ。それで、もし書類が一つ足りなかったら？

Officer12

Nothing's missing. Your file is complete.

足りないものはありません。あなたの書類はそろっています。

Tina13

Complete. First time anyone's said that about me and a form.

そろってる。書類のことで、誰かにそう言われたのは初めてだわ。

WORDS & CONTEXT

Words & context

“So I should hear back about two weeks after she does?”

Hear back means to receive a reply or a decision after an inquiry or application. Hear back from someone identifies the source. Tina checks whether her reply should arrive about two weeks after her friend's.

“promise the moon and the stars”

Promise the moon and the stars means to make extravagant promises unlikely to be fulfilled; promise the moon is a shorter version. The official mocks a lawyer's promises, but alien Tina takes the image literally and says the stars are not so far away.

“Complete. First time anyone's said that about me and a form.”

For documents, complete means all required information is present. Tina makes a self-deprecating joke that someone has finally used this word about her and a form. First time anyone's said that shortens It's the first time anyone has said that.

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