Antes de cambiarlo

Before changing it

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Una solución antigua puede parecer absurda hasta que conocemos el problema que intentaba resolver. Eso no significa que haya que conservarla para siempre. Significa que, antes de cambiarla, conviene preguntar: «¿Qué cubre esta parte?». Una respuesta concreta vale más que discutir quién tiene más experiencia.

An old solution can seem absurd until we learn what problem it addressed. That does not mean keeping it forever. It means asking before changing it: “What case does this part cover?” A concrete answer is worth more than arguing about who has more experience.

Después podemos nombrar el actual: «Entiendo que antes necesitabais esto. Lo que me preocupa es que ahora hacemos el mismo en dos sitios». La frase reconoce el contexto sin renunciar al problema.

Then name the current risk: “I understand you needed this before. What worries me is that we now do the same calculation in two places.” The sentence acknowledges the context without dropping the problem.

El siguiente puede ser pequeño: «Propongo que probemos los dos casos antes de tocar el resto». Todavía no hay una solución completa, pero ya hay una compartida.

The next step can be small: “I suggest we test both cases before touching the rest.” There is no complete solution yet, but there is a shared test.

Imagina que fueras tú quien escribió esa excepción hace tiempo. ¿Cómo te sentirías si alguien la borrara sin preguntar? Si te hicieran la pregunta «¿qué caso cubre?», probablemente explicarías el problema con gusto. Y si descubrieras que ya no es necesario, tú mismo propondrías quitarla.

Imagine you were the one who wrote that exception a long time ago. How would you feel if someone deleted it without asking? If they asked you “what case does it cover?”, you would probably explain the problem gladly. And if you discovered it was no longer needed, you would suggest removing it yourself.

Words from the text

Grammar in the text
  • Lo que me preocupa es que… — Focus on the specific problem rather than judging the person.
  • Propongo que probemos… — A proposal with que + subjunctive; building on week 6.
For your diary

Una solución antigua te molesta. Pregunta qué protege, explica un riesgo actual y propone una prueba pequeña.

An old solution bothers you. Ask what it protects, explain a current risk and propose a small test.