Day 66: Brick Gothic for Beginners
In the old town of Wismar, Yannick (B), an architecture student, shows Aaron (A), a first-year student, around the town's Brick Gothic churches.
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
Mal ehrlich: Warum fließen Millionen in Kirchen, in die sonntags kaum zwanzig Leute gehen?
Honestly, why are millions poured into churches that barely twenty people attend on a Sunday?
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B
Weil Wismar ohne sie nicht Wismar wäre. Die ab 1381 erbaute Nikolaikirche hat Stürme, Kriege und vierzig Jahre DDR überstanden.
Because Wismar wouldn't be Wismar without them. St Nicholas', built from 1381 onwards, has survived storms, wars and forty years of the GDR.
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A
Schön und gut, aber die Stadt hat doch dringendere Baustellen als bröckelnden Backstein.
All very well, but surely the town has more pressing problems than crumbling brick.
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B
Nur hängt eben vieles an diesem Backstein: Ohne die Kirchen wäre die Altstadt kaum Welterbe, folglich kämen viel weniger Touristen.
But a lot depends on that brick: without the churches the old town would hardly be a World Heritage Site, and so far fewer tourists would come.
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A
Aber die Georgenkirche lag doch bis zur Wende in Trümmern. Die hätte man auch gleich abreißen können.
But St George's lay in ruins right up until reunification. They might as well have pulled it down.
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B
Die jahrzehntelang dem Verfall überlassene Kirche lockt heute Tausende zu Konzerten an. Zudem lebt halb Wismar vom Tourismus, du übrigens auch.
That church, left to decay for decades, now draws thousands to concerts. Besides, half of Wismar lives off tourism, and so do you, by the way.
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A
Ach so, mein Job am Fischkutter! Du klingst zwar wie ein Reiseführer, aber das Argument zieht.
Oh right, my job on the fish-sandwich boat! You sound like a tour guide, but that argument works.
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