Day 53: The Humming Heat Pump
In a housing estate in Osnabrück, Eberhard Brinkmann (A), a retired man, complains to his neighbour Anette Wolters (B) about the heat pump she has just had installed.
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
Frau Wolters, Ihre neue Wärmepumpe brummt die ganze Nacht, direkt unter meinem Schlafzimmerfenster.
Mrs Wolters, your new heat pump hums all night long, right under my bedroom window.
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B
Tut mir leid, Herr Brinkmann, aber die Anlage hält alle Vorschriften ein, auch den Abstand zur Grundstücksgrenze.
I'm sorry, Mr Brinkmann, but the system meets all the regulations, including the distance from the boundary.
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A
Es kommt aber nicht darauf an, was in den Vorschriften steht, sondern darauf, ob ich schlafen kann.
But what matters isn't what the regulations say, it's whether I can sleep.
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B
Der Installateur hat vor Ihrem Fenster gemessen: Nachts sind es unter 35 Dezibel, erlaubt wären 40.
The installer took measurements outside your window: at night it's under 35 decibels, and 40 would be allowed.
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A
Da war es ja auch mild! Je kälter es wird, desto lauter brummt das Ding, und bei Frost ist es eine Zumutung.
It was mild then, of course! The colder it gets, the louder the thing hums, and when there's a frost it's unbearable.
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B
Bevor wir uns mit Gutachten bekriegen, lasse ich lieber eine Schallschutzhaube anbringen, je früher, desto besser.
Before we start a war of expert reports, I'd rather have a soundproof cover fitted, the sooner the better.
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A
Das ist ein Wort. Und verraten Sie mir bei Gelegenheit den Preis: Meine Ölheizung pfeift nämlich aus dem letzten Loch.
Now you're talking. And some time you must tell me what it cost: my oil boiler is on its last legs, you see.
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