"El Primero"

Aquí va un trozo de diálogo de una serie que me gustó mucho: Earth Girl Arjuna. Es del episodio 6, "El Primero". O sea, hay spoilers (bueno, en realidad no se adelanta nada de la historia, pero igual le pongo spoilers por si acaso). Cuidado!

Ah, unas cosas antes, por si . Sakurai es el profesor de la joven Juna y de su novio Tokio. Los padres de Juna se separaron. Y hay algunas palabras (dos o tres) que no pude escuchar con claridad, por más que retrocedí el capítulo. Sin embargo, escribí lo que lógicamente debería ir en su lugar, lo más parecido a lo que escuché, o un sinónimo. La cosa es que al menos todo tiene sentido. Ah, salté una parte en que Tokio habla por teléfono mientras va a comprar. Quizás algún día traduzca esto al español.

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Sakurai: Juna.

Juna: Yes?

Sakurai: Do you know exactly why factories are set up to function with assembly lines?

Juna: Uh.. What do you mean?

Sakurai: Tell me why.

Juna: Eh... W-Well, let's see... I guess, because, instead of having one person make the whole product by himself, ...I can't think when you've got that grumpy look on your face... Instead of having one person making the whole product by himself, and learning everything, a company can be more efficient if they have each person specialize in only one area of production...Hey, didn't we study the Industrial Revolution in school?

Tokio: Well...Uh... Ah...

Juna: You're good at memorizing things. Why is it necessary to become more efficient?

Juna: You ask tricky questions... To try and make as many things as possible in the shortest amount of time?

Sakurai: Why?

Juna: To make more money? And, it's good for people who buy stuff 'cause they don't wait as long for what they want.

Sakurai: Allow me to change the question. Why is it chickens stuck in a little cage and fed the same food day and a day out?

Juna: What? Chickens, now... ?

Tokio: Eh...

Juna: Let's see... I don't know, you?

Tokio: Anyone for ice cream? I'm making a run.

Juna: Hey, no!

(...)

Sakurai: If you look in the grocery stores, they only have perfectly straight cucumbers and perfectly red tomatoes and vegetables that are all the same size. Why is that?

Juna: Because it's easier to transport.

Sakurai: Supermarkets throw away tons of expired prepackaged food and vental boxes. Why is that?

Juna: Because it's easier to check inventory... ?

Sakurai: A child is doing his best to do up a button on his shirt by himself, but the parent gets impatient and tells him to put on a T-shirt instead. Why is that?

Juna: Because it's easier for the parent.

Sakurai: You can buy classic novels in a used books store for a few bucks, but people use the Internet. Why?

Juna: Because it's easier to find the answers.

Sakurai: Even if a student can't keep up the class, the teacher has to barrel trough the material according to the quicker learner. Why?

Juna: Because it's easier on the teacher.

Sakurai: Even now, every customer who walks into a fast-food restaurant is different, staff will do with the customer according to the manual. Why is that?

Juna: Uh... because then you know what to expect, and it's easier.

Sakurai: A student chooses not to think by himself, but always asks the teacher to give the answers.Why?

Juna: Eh.. Because then it's easier for the student.

Sakurai: When you could arrange to meet and speak directly to someone, you still choose to use your cellphone instead. Why?

Juna: Because it's easier not to meet in person.

Sakurai: People rely on mass-media propaganda machines to inform them about the world. Why is that?

Juna: Because it's easier to read the paper than to do your own investigating.

Sakurai: Most schools shove children into same age groups and cram the same lessons into their brains, over and over. Why?

Juna: Because it's easier on the teacher that way.

Sakurai: You answered all the questions I asked with the same response. Why is that?

Juna: Because it's easier to answer them that way...

-Recuerdo de Juna-

Juna: So, has life gotten any easier for you, dad?

Padre de Juna: I realized, too late, that making life easier and making life happy were two different things...

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