Day 11: Only Saw the Film Version
At a book club evening in a flat in Bremen, Julia (A) and Jonas (B) argue about the open ending of a translated Norwegian novel, and their friend Lea (C) joins in.
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
Tut mir leid, aber das Ende dieses gefeierten Romans ist für mich schlicht nicht nachvollziehbar.
Sorry, but I simply can't make sense of the ending of this celebrated novel.
-
B
Genau das macht doch den Reiz aus! Ein sauber aufgelöstes Ende wäre reiner Kitsch gewesen.
But that's exactly what makes it so compelling! A neatly tied-up ending would have been pure kitsch.
-
C
Wieso, der Schluss ist doch eindeutig: Er steht mit seiner Tochter am Anleger und lächelt.
What do you mean? The ending's perfectly clear: he's standing on the jetty with his daughter, smiling.
-
A
Mit seiner Tochter? Die kommt nach dem dritten Kapitel gar nicht mehr vor.
With his daughter? She doesn't appear at all after chapter three.
-
B
Und von einem Lächeln steht da nichts. Es heißt nur, sein Gesicht sei nicht zu deuten.
And there's nothing about a smile either. All it says is that his face is impossible to read.
-
C
Okay, erwischt: Ich kenne nur die Verfilmung. Der Wälzer war in zwei Wochen nicht zu schaffen.
OK, you've caught me: I only know the film. There was no way to get through that doorstop in two weeks.
-
A
Dann nehme ich alles zurück: Ein aufgesetztes Happy End ist noch schwerer zu ertragen.
Then I take it all back: a tacked-on happy ending is even harder to bear.
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 12: Reading the Cataract Letter
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.