Was It a Reasonable No?

Dialogue script

Each entry shows the English sentence first, with the translation on the line below it. To practise speaking, cover the translation and repeat after the audio.

1. Tom 0:00

   I still think about the fellowship I didn't apply for last spring.

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2. Emma 0:04

   Do you regret the decision itself, or only the outcome now that the winners look impressive?

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3. Tom 0:10

   Maybe both, because I said I was too busy while also fearing I might look unqualified.

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4. Emma 0:15

   Then the reasoning had two layers, one practical and one tied to confidence.

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5. Tom 0:22

   Yes, and I keep wondering whether the fear made the workload feel bigger than it really was.

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6. Emma 0:27

   What did the application actually require, because that can separate real limits from imagined ones?

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7. Tom 0:34

   It needed a proposal, two references, and a video, so it was heavy but not impossible in three weeks.

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8. Emma 0:41

   So your judgment wasn't irrational, though it may have leaned too hard toward avoiding discomfort.

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9. Tom 0:47

   That's the part I need to own, because I hid the ego risk inside a reasonable timing excuse.

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10. Emma 0:53

    Still, if your workload had collapsed other commitments, a rushed application might also have hurt you.

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11. Tom 1:00

    True, but maybe the better question is whether I created any alternative path after saying no.

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12. Emma 1:06

    Exactly, because regret often grows more from passivity than from one missed opportunity.

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13. Tom 1:13

    I didn't create one, so next time I'll pair any refusal with a smaller concrete substitute.

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14. Emma 1:18

    Something like a smaller program or building part of the proposal would already change the story.

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15. Tom 1:25

    Exactly, because not now should mean a strategic delay instead of a quiet retreat.

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16. Emma 1:30

    That's a fair revision, since you can respect the old conditions while improving the method next time.

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Native audio, line-by-line recording and pronunciation scoring for this dialogue are in the EngTalk app.

Key vocabulary

Content words from this dialogue, ranked by the CEFR level at which they appear across the whole 500-dialogue library. Function words and proper nouns are excluded.

• fellowship /ˈfɛloʊˌʃɪp/ noun

  friendly companionship or a funded academic position

• spring /sprɪŋ/ noun; verb

  the season after winter; a coil; to jump suddenly

• winners /ˈwɪnɚz/ noun plural

  people or things that win

• fearing /ˈfɪrɪŋ/ verb

  being afraid of or worried about

• unqualified /ʌnˈkwɑləˌfaɪd/ adjective

  not having the needed skills or permission

• reasoning /ˈrizənɪŋ/ noun

  logical thinking or explanation

• layers /ˈleɪərz/ noun

  levels or sheets of material placed over or under others

• references /ˈrɛfərənsɪz/ noun; verb

  sources or mentions; cites or mentions

• leaned /lind/ verb

  bent or rested against something

• discomfort /dɪsˈkʌmfɚt/ noun

  slight pain or uneasiness

• hid /hɪd/ verb

  past tense of hide

• ego /ˈiɡoʊ/ noun

  a person's sense of self-importance

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