Day 90: Blackout Before the Party
In Düsseldorf, on the evening before the twelfth-birthday party of their daughter Lilly (C), the power goes out in the whole street, and her mother Janina (A) and father Oliver (B) take stock.
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
Okay, alle Ruhe bewahren, ich übernehme die Koordination. Priorität eins ist die heute beim Konditor abgeholte Torte im nicht mehr kühlenden Kühlschrank.
OK, everyone stay calm, I'm coordinating this. Priority one is the cake we collected from the patisserie today, sitting in a fridge that's stopped cooling.
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B
Keine Panik, notfalls machen wir morgen eben eine Candlelight-Disco. Die Musikbox läuft mit Akku, und ich mache den DJ.
Don't panic, if need be we'll just have a candlelight disco tomorrow. The speaker runs on its battery, and I'll be the DJ.
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C
Alter, die ganze Straße ist dunkel, sogar die Ampel an der Ecke! Das ist alles so lost, ich sag die Party ab.
Oh my God, the whole street's dark, even the traffic lights on the corner! It's all a lost cause, I'm calling the party off.
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A
Abgesagt wird erst nach der Lagebewertung. Laut Stadtwerken ist ein bei Bauarbeiten beschädigtes Kabel schuld, Reparatur voraussichtlich bis morgen zwanzig Uhr, Partybeginn siebzehn Uhr.
Nothing gets called off until the situation has been assessed. According to the power company, a cable damaged during building work is to blame, repair expected by eight tomorrow evening, party start five p.m.
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C
Drei Stunden im Dunkeln, mit Papa als DJ? Das ist so cringe, da wandere ich lieber aus.
Three hours in the dark, with Dad as DJ? That's so cringe, I'd rather emigrate.
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A
Maßnahmenplan: Die Torte wird auf den Balkon evakuiert, draußen sind vier Grad. Oliver, du zählst die im Keller gelagerten Teelichter, ich informiere die Elterngruppe.
Action plan: the cake is being evacuated to the balcony, it's four degrees outside. Oliver, you count the tea lights stored in the cellar, and I'll inform the parents' group.
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C
Mama, bitte nicht wieder mit Tagesordnung und Spiegelstrichen! Die anderen Mütter zeigen das rum, und dann heiße ich nur noch „die vom Krisenstab“.
Mum, please, not with an agenda and bullet points again! The other mums show it round, and then I'll just be known as 'the crisis-team girl'.
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B
Stell dir vor, Lilly: Knicklichter für alle, Dresscode Neon, Limbo unter dem Taschenlampenstrahl. Eine Stromausfall-Party hatte in deiner Klasse garantiert noch keiner.
Picture it, Lilly: glow sticks for everyone, a neon dress code, limbo under a torch beam. I bet nobody in your class has ever had a power-cut party.
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C
Moment, Neon im Dunkeln? Okay, das ist eigentlich voll krass, davon redet am Montag die ganze Schule.
Wait, neon in the dark? OK, that's actually totally sick, the whole school will be talking about it on Monday.
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A
Dann halte ich fest: Die Party findet statt, Motto „Blackout“, und die Torte überwintert auf dem Balkon.
Then I'll put it on record: the party goes ahead, theme 'Blackout', and the cake winters on the balcony.
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C
Und Papa, du legst nur auf, wenn du versprichst, nicht zu tanzen. Dann bist du sogar ein Ehrenmann.
And Dad, you only get to DJ if you promise not to dance. Then you're even a legend.
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