Day 106: An Inn Without a Successor
Over lunch at a village inn in the Vulkaneifel, Adrian (A) and his girlfriend Svea (B), a trained cook, chat with the owner, Mr Thelen (C).
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 Thelen, der Rehbraten war ein Gedicht. Stimmt es, dass Sie Ende des Jahres zumachen?
Mr Thelen, the roast venison was a dream. Is it true that you're closing at the end of the year?
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B
Das wäre wirklich schade. Findet sich denn niemand, der den Gasthof übernimmt?
That would be a real shame. Is there really nobody who'll take the inn over?
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C
Bisher nicht. Seit drei Jahren suche ich vergeblich einen Nachfolger, die Jungen zieht es alle nach Köln oder Trier.
Not so far. I've spent three years looking for a successor, with no luck: the young ones all head off to Cologne or Trier.
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B
Mal ganz unverbindlich gefragt: Was würde denn die Pacht kosten? Ich bin nämlich gelernte Köchin.
Just out of curiosity, what would the lease cost? I'm a trained cook, you see.
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C
Wenn Sie das ernst meinen: 1.000 Euro im Monat, die Wohnung oben inklusive, und die Küche ist leicht zu modernisieren.
If you're serious: 1,000 euros a month, including the flat upstairs, and the kitchen is easy to modernise.
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A
Svea, das Dorf hat keine 400 Einwohner. Wer soll denn hier unter der Woche essen gehen, außer dem Stammtisch?
Svea, the village hasn't even got 400 people. Who's going to eat out here during the week, apart from the regulars' table?
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C
Die Wanderer vom Eifelsteig, von denen lässt sich im Sommer gut leben. Aller Anfang ist schwer, das gebe ich zu.
The hikers on the Eifelsteig trail: you can make a good living from them in summer. The first step's always the hardest, I'll grant you.
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B
Jetzt guck nicht so entsetzt, Adrian. Seit acht Jahren koche ich nach fremden Rezepten, hier wäre die Karte endlich meine eigene.
Don't look so horrified, Adrian. For eight years I've been cooking other people's recipes; here the menu would finally be my own.
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C
Im ersten Jahr helfe ich Ihnen noch in der Küche. Wer rastet, der rostet, und meine Frau will mich sowieso nicht den ganzen Tag zu Hause haben.
I'd still help you out in the kitchen for the first year. Use it or lose it, and my wife doesn't want me under her feet all day anyway.
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