Day 51 of 129

Day 51: A Robot Seal for Dementia

In a spa café in Wiesbaden, old friends Annegret (A) and Erika (B) talk about the care home where Erika's husband, Werner, lives.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. A

    Sag mal, Erika, stimmt es, dass Werners Pflegeheim eine Roboterrobbe für die Bewohner mit Demenz gekauft hat?

    Tell me, Erika, is it true that Werner's care home has bought a robot seal for the residents with dementia?

  2. B

    Stimmt, und seitdem liegt die für mehrere Tausend Euro angeschaffte Robbe ständig bei Werner auf dem Schoß.

    It is, and ever since, the seal, which cost several thousand euros, has hardly left Werner's lap.

  3. A

    Und das findest du gut? Da soll ein Plüschtier mit Sensoren alles ersetzen, wofür dem Personal die Zeit fehlt.

    And you think that's a good thing? A cuddly toy with sensors is supposed to replace everything the staff haven't got time for.

  4. B

    Nicht ersetzen, ergänzen. Wenn Werner abends unruhig wird, beruhigt ihn nichts so gut wie diese Robbe.

    Not replace, add to. When Werner gets restless in the evening, nothing calms him down like that seal.

  5. A

    Trotzdem, ein gestandener Mann wie Werner mit einem Kuscheltier im Arm, das kratzt doch an seiner Würde.

    Even so, a grown man like Werner cuddling a soft toy, surely that chips away at his dignity.

  6. B

    Er lacht wieder, und das ist alles, was für mich zählt. Du redest doch auch mit deinen Geranien.

    He's laughing again, and that's all that matters to me. You talk to your geraniums too, after all.

  7. A

    Nicht nur mit denen, auch jeden Tag mit meinem Sprachassistenten. Na gut, soll Werner seine Robbe haben.

    Not just to them, to my voice assistant as well, every day. All right, let Werner have his seal.

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