Michael30000
March 01, 2025, 09:43 AM
Hello everyone,
Today I decided to reread some chapters in Tinta invisible by Javier Peña and one of the chapters was about the American writer John Cheever.
"Cuando John Cheever escribía sus relatos, se levantaba por la mañana, se vestía como para ir a la oficina y bajaba en el ascensor de su edificio con todos los oficinistas que, al llegar al vestíbulo, salían disparados hacia sus empleos. Si alguien le cedía el paso, él le decía, no, gracias, yo no me bajo aquí. El otro lo miraba extrañado, ¡estaban en la planta baja! Pero era cierto: Cheever seguía descendiendo en el ascensor, bajo el suelo, hasta el sótano, hasta los infiernos. Entraba en un pequeño cubículo, doblaba su traje, se quedaba en ropa interior y se sentaba delante de la máquina de escribir a crear sus relatos. A mediodía volvía a ponerse el traje y subía en el ascensor con los oficinistas que regresaban de trabajar."
It seems a bit strange to me that "los oficinistas" came back home at noon (or around noon) after work. Usually the working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. or something like that.
Does it mean that "los oficinistas" worked in the same building where they lived and came back home at noon for lunch?
"A mediodía" is definitely correct:
https://bookreadfree.com/565725/13887724
Cheever even had an office of sorts. Almost every morning for the next five years, he'd put on his only suit and ride the elevator with other men leaving for work; Cheever, however, would proceed all the way down to a storage room in the basement, where he'd doff his suit and write in his boxers until noon, then dress again and ascend for lunch.
Although the interpretation that "los oficinistas" lived and worked in the same building makes a bit sense to me, it still seems strange to me.
The only other thing I can imagine is: maybe "los oficinistas" worked in the offices that were not very far from the building where they lived and they could come back home for lunch and then go back to work?
Thank you.
Today I decided to reread some chapters in Tinta invisible by Javier Peña and one of the chapters was about the American writer John Cheever.
"Cuando John Cheever escribía sus relatos, se levantaba por la mañana, se vestía como para ir a la oficina y bajaba en el ascensor de su edificio con todos los oficinistas que, al llegar al vestíbulo, salían disparados hacia sus empleos. Si alguien le cedía el paso, él le decía, no, gracias, yo no me bajo aquí. El otro lo miraba extrañado, ¡estaban en la planta baja! Pero era cierto: Cheever seguía descendiendo en el ascensor, bajo el suelo, hasta el sótano, hasta los infiernos. Entraba en un pequeño cubículo, doblaba su traje, se quedaba en ropa interior y se sentaba delante de la máquina de escribir a crear sus relatos. A mediodía volvía a ponerse el traje y subía en el ascensor con los oficinistas que regresaban de trabajar."
It seems a bit strange to me that "los oficinistas" came back home at noon (or around noon) after work. Usually the working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. or something like that.
Does it mean that "los oficinistas" worked in the same building where they lived and came back home at noon for lunch?
"A mediodía" is definitely correct:
https://bookreadfree.com/565725/13887724
Cheever even had an office of sorts. Almost every morning for the next five years, he'd put on his only suit and ride the elevator with other men leaving for work; Cheever, however, would proceed all the way down to a storage room in the basement, where he'd doff his suit and write in his boxers until noon, then dress again and ascend for lunch.
Although the interpretation that "los oficinistas" lived and worked in the same building makes a bit sense to me, it still seems strange to me.
The only other thing I can imagine is: maybe "los oficinistas" worked in the offices that were not very far from the building where they lived and they could come back home for lunch and then go back to work?
Thank you.