Day 2: Shouting at the Sunday Talk Show
In their living room in Osnabrück, Helmut (A) and Waltraud (B), a retired couple, are watching the Sunday-night political talk show, where a state minister is being asked about the town's hospitals.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a German word to see what it means.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native German, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning
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A
Da, schon wieder! Die Moderatorin fragt klipp und klar nach der Fusion unserer Krankenhäuser, und der Herr Minister weicht aus.
There, he's done it again! The presenter asks him straight out about merging our hospitals, and the minister dodges the question.
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B
Helmut, das ist eine Talkshow, kein Bürgerdialog. Der Mann kann dich nicht hören, die Nachbarn leider schon.
Helmut, it's a talk show, not a public meeting. The man can't hear you, but sadly the neighbours can.
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A
Dann sag ich's ihm eben in seiner Sprache: Angesichts der angespannten Haushaltslage prüfen wir hinsichtlich der Standorte ergebnisoffen sämtliche Optionen.
Then I'll say it to him in his own language: in view of the strained budget, we are examining all options regarding the sites with an open mind.
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B
Fürwahr, mein teurer Gemahl, du klingst schon selbst wie ein Staatssekretär. Hat der Mann denn nun geantwortet oder nicht?
Verily, my beloved spouse, you're starting to sound like a junior minister yourself. So did the man answer or not?
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A
Natürlich nicht! Infolge der Krankenhausreform, sagt er, werde man zwecks Planungssicherheit erst nach der Landtagswahl entscheiden.
Of course not! As a consequence of the hospital reform, he says, they'll decide only after the state election, for the sake of planning certainty.
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B
Dereinst also, wenn wir zwei längst im Pflegeheim sitzen und sich die Frage von selbst erledigt hat.
Some fine day, then, when the two of us are long since in a care home and the question has settled itself.
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A
Und das Publikum klatscht auch noch! Einmal möchte ich da in der ersten Reihe sitzen und ihn selbst fragen.
And the audience is even clapping! Just once I'd like to sit there in the front row and ask him myself.
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B
Dein Wunsch ward erhört. Anlässlich deines Geburtstags habe ich uns zwei Plätze im Studiopublikum besorgt, für die Sendung Ende Oktober.
Thy wish is granted. For your birthday, I've got us two seats in the studio audience, for the show at the end of October.
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A
Waltraud, du bist ein Schatz! Dem sage ich vor laufender Kamera bezüglich unserer Krankenhäuser mal gründlich die Meinung.
Waltraud, you're a treasure! I'll give him a good piece of my mind about our hospitals, with the cameras rolling.
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B
Mitnichten, mein Lieber. Das Studiopublikum klatscht und schweigt, das hat man mir am Telefon eingeschärft, also klatschst du schön brav mit.
By no means, my dear. The studio audience claps and keeps quiet, they drummed that into me on the phone, so you'll be a good boy and clap along.
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