Day 85: What the MRI Showed
In the break room of an engineering firm in Reutlingen, Yusuf (A), a software engineer, notices that his colleague Marlon (B) has been moving rather oddly all week.
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
Marlon, alles okay? Du stehst schon die ganze Woche so schief an der Kaffeemaschine.
Marlon, you all right? You've been standing all crooked at the coffee machine the whole week.
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B
Ich komme gerade vom Orthopäden, das MRT ist ausgewertet: Bandscheibenvorfall zwischen dem vierten und fünften Lendenwirbel.
I've just come from the orthopaedist, and the MRI results are in: a slipped disc between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae.
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A
Um Gottes willen, muss das operiert werden? Mein Onkel lag nach so einer OP wochenlang flach.
Oh God, do they have to operate? My uncle was laid up for weeks after an op like that.
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B
Zum Glück nicht. Der Nerv ist zwar eingeklemmt, aber solange das Bein nicht gelähmt ist, setzt man erst mal auf Physiotherapie.
Luckily not. The nerve is trapped, but as long as the leg isn't paralysed, they try physiotherapy first.
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A
Deshalb also die Verrenkungen am Schreibtisch? Die Kollegen im Großraumbüro rätseln schon, ob du heimlich Yoga machst.
So that's what all the contortions at your desk are about? People in the open-plan office are already wondering if you're secretly doing yoga.
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B
Das sind Übungen für die geschwächten Rückenmuskeln. Außerdem ist schon ein höhenverstellbarer Schreibtisch für mich bestellt, den zahlt die Firma.
They're exercises for my weakened back muscles. And a height-adjustable desk has already been ordered for me, the company's paying for it.
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A
Die Firma zahlt so was? Dann will ich auch einen, mein Nacken ist nach sechs Jahren auf meinem durchgesessenen Stuhl völlig verspannt.
The company pays for that sort of thing? Then I want one too, my neck's completely stiff after six years on my worn-out chair.
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B
Steht seit Jahren im Intranet, nur liest das keiner. Schreib gleich der Personalabteilung, bevor du neben mir auf der Matte liegst.
It's been on the intranet for years, it's just that nobody reads it. Email HR straight away, before you end up on the mat next to me.
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