Day 121: A Presentation on 1989 in Potsdam
After a history lesson at a Gymnasium, a grammar school, in Potsdam, Theo (A) asks his teacher, Mr Kühne (B), about the slides for his presentation on German reunification.
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
Herr Kühne, haben Sie sich meine Folien für das Referat schon angeschaut?
Mr Kühne, have you had a look at my slides for the presentation yet?
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B
Hab ich. Aber alles, was du geschrieben hast, klingt wie aus dem Schulbuch abgeschrieben.
I have. But everything you've written sounds as if it's been copied out of the textbook.
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A
Na ja, ein paar Sätze vielleicht. Aber so klingt es doch professioneller.
Well, a few sentences, maybe. But it sounds more professional like that.
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B
„Nach Öffnung der Grenze kam es zur Vereinigung beider Staaten.“ Würdest du so mit deinen Freunden reden?
'Following the opening of the border, the unification of both states took place.' Would you talk like that to your friends?
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A
Natürlich nicht. Aber wie lässt sich das denn einfacher sagen?
Of course not. But how can you say it more simply, then?
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B
Die Mauer fiel, und knapp ein Jahr später war Deutschland wiedervereinigt. Frag doch mal deine Großeltern, wie sie das in der DDR erlebt haben.
The Wall came down, and not quite a year later Germany was reunited. Why not ask your grandparents what it was like for them in the GDR?
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A
Hab ich schon: Opa hat den Mauerfall glatt verschlafen. Kommt das auch auf eine Folie?
Already have: Grandad slept right through the fall of the Wall. Does that get a slide too?
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