Day 50: Why the Lido Closed
In Schwerin, Emil (C), a teenager writing a piece for the school paper about why the town's old open-air pool closed ten years ago, is asking his mother Simone (B) about it when his grandmother Irmgard (A), who was a lifeguard there, joins them.
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
-
A
Emil, du schreibst über unser Freibad und fragst zuerst deine Mutter? Ich war da achtundzwanzig Sommer lang Rettungsschwimmerin!
Emil, you're writing about our lido and you ask your mother first? I was a lifeguard there for twenty-eight summers!
-
B
Er wollte nur die offiziellen Gründe, Mama: marode Becken, vier Millionen für die Sanierung und kein Geld.
He only wanted the official reasons, Mum: crumbling pools, four million for the renovation and no money.
-
C
Der Zeitungsartikel ist meine Hauptquelle, zumal das Protokoll der Stadtvertretung dasselbe sagt, wohingegen die Rentner im Viertel bloß Gerüchte verbreiten.
The newspaper article is my main source, especially since the town council minutes say the same, whereas the pensioners in the neighbourhood are just spreading rumours.
-
A
Gerüchte, soso. Dann empföhle ich dir einen Blick in meinen Karton, bevor du uns Rentner abschreibst.
Rumours, is it? Then I'd recommend a look in my box before you write us pensioners off.
-
B
Oh nein, der Karton. Emil, wenn du heute noch fertig werden willst, lass dir nur das Wichtigste zeigen.
Oh no, the box. Emil, if you want to finish today, only let her show you the important bits.
-
A
Das Wichtigste: drei Stellenanzeigen für Rettungsschwimmer, auf die sich keiner beworben hat. Und ein Brief von der Oberbürgermeisterin, ob ich nicht noch eine Saison dranhängen wolle.
The important bits: three job adverts for lifeguards that nobody applied for. And a letter from the mayor asking whether I wouldn't stay on for one more season.
-
C
Der Brief ist vom Februar 2016, also vor dem Beschluss! Sofern er echt ist, fehlte es gar nicht an Geld, sondern an Personal.
The letter's from February 2016, so before the decision! If it's genuine, it wasn't money they were short of at all, it was staff.
-
B
Mama, heißt das etwa, das Bad hat wegen dir zugemacht? Du hast immer erzählt, die Stadt hätte dich in Rente geschickt!
Mum, does that mean the pool closed because of you? You always said the town had sent you into retirement!
-
A
Ich war vierundsechzig und wollte endlich selbst baden gehen. Aber stünde das Bad noch, stünde ich morgen früh wieder am Beckenrand, mit vierundsiebzig.
I was sixty-four and finally wanted to go swimming myself. But if the pool were still there, I'd be back at the edge of it tomorrow morning, at seventy-four.
-
C
Oma, das ist mein Aufmacher, wenngleich er der Stadtverwaltung kaum gefallen dürfte. Die Überschrift hab ich schon: „Wie unser Freibad baden ging“.
Grandma, that's my lead story, even if the town hall is hardly going to like it. I've already got the headline: 'How Our Lido Went Down the Drain'.
Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 51: A Love Poem in Officialese
If this free course has helped you in your German journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.