IN A CAR ON THE MAIN ROAD
NARRATOR:
Harry Walkott is happy. He's sitting in a car and is traveling on the main road out of
Niederangelbach in the Black Forest, where he's been on holiday. At last he has the chance to escape from his eternal Wednesday, in which he's been stuck like a cork in a bottle. It scarcely matters to him that he's sitting in the car dressed in his pajamas, next to a strange woman.
HARRY:
I've made it. What a wonderful feeling to be driving out of here. Tschüss, Niederangelbach!
NARRATOR:
Have you begun to like Niederangelbach then? Because tschüss – bye is the informal way of saying goodbye, among friends or family. If you wanted to be more formal, you'd say: auf Wiedersehen – goodbye. It means literally: until we meet again.
HARRY:
Auf Wiedersehen? Never! I don't want to ever go back!
NARRATOR:
Aren't you even going to say thank you?
HARRY:
Say thank you?
NARRATOR:
Yes, to Rebecca Strobel. After all, she has taken you with her, even though you were only wearing pajamas.
HARRY:
That's true.
NARRATOR:
And don't forget: In Germany you say Sie and not du, when you're talking to someone you don't know well.
HARRY:
Thanks for reminding me. Frau Strobel, vielen Dank … for the drive.
NARRATOR:
für die Fahrt
HARRY:
Vielen Dank für die Fahrt!
REBECCA:
Gern geschehen! Männern im Schlafanzug kann ich einfach nicht widerstehen.
NARRATOR:
She can't resist men in pajamas.
REBECCA:
Übrigens, ich bin Rebecca. Und wie heißt du?
NARRATOR:
She's offering you the informal way of addressing her.
HARRY:
Ich bin Harry. Happy to make your acquaintance.
NARRATOR:
Freut mich, dich kennen zu lernen!
HARRY:
Freut mich, dich kennen zu lernen!
REBECCA:
Harry, warum bist du im Schlafanzug?
NARRATOR:
I thought she'd start to talk about the pajamas.
HARRY:
Dammit, what should I say now? Eine Wette!
NARRATOR:
A bet? Not a bad excuse.
REBECCA:
Und? Magst du den Schwarzwald?
HARRY:
Oh ja, der Schwarzwald ist sehr schön.
REBECCA:
Ja!
NARRATOR:
So you like the Black Forest. If only your girlfriend could hear you now.
REBECCA:
Du kannst hier herrlich wandern, spazieren gehen und Fahrrad fahren oder schwimmen im See.
NARRATOR:
Do you hear that, Harry? There are plenty of wonderful opportunities to go hiking here, to go for walks, to cycle or to swim in a lake.
REBECCA:
Ja, schwimmen im See, das ist auch toll.
HARRY:
Hmmm.
REBECCA:
Ich mag die Berge. Im Winter kann ich dann Ski fahren und snowboarden. Fährst du Ski?
HARRY:
Me? Go skiing? God forbid. Nein, ich kann nicht Ski fähren.
NARRATOR:
Not fähren – fahren! That's an irregular verb, where the vowel changes, but only in the
second and third person singular: ich fahre, du fährst, er fährt.
HARRY:
Ich kann nicht Ski fahren.
REBECCA:
Und was machst du gerne?
HARRY:
What do I enjoy doing?
NARRATOR:
Yes Harry, that's an interesting question.
HARRY:
I … Ich mache gerne ...
NARRATOR:
I can't think of anything you enjoy just off the top of my head.
HARRY:
Ich lese gern Zeitung!
NARRATOR:
How exciting! Harry liest Zeitung. To read, lesen, is also a verb where the vowel changes: ich lese, du liest, er liest.
HARRY:
Okay.
REBECCA:
Schau! Da vorne ist schon die Autobahn.
HARRY:
The freeway, at last! Then we're bound to be able to drive faster than on this road with all the curves.
NARRATOR:
Just look over there! At the side of the road.
HARRY:
What's that?
NARRATOR:
Julia's bicycle.
HARRY:
I don't believe it: Das Fahrrad von Julia. Stopp! Halt!
REBECCA:
Was ist denn los?
HARRY:
Einen Moment! Ich muss aussteigen.
ON THE MAIN ROAD
HARRY:
There's no doubt about it. This is Julia's bicycle. Oh, and it's got a flat tire.
NARRATOR:
Es ist platt? Why has she left it here on the slip road to the freeway?
HARRY:
No idea! Keine Ahnung! As soon as I get out of this crazy time warp, I'll phone Julia and find out what's going on.
REBECCA:
Harry! Harry, kommst du?
HARRY:
Ja, ich komme!
REBECCA:
Ich muss fahren!
NARRATOR:
Rebecca's in a hurry.
HARRY:
I'm on my way.
IN THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY
HARRY:
Okay.
REBECCA:
So! Endlich auf der Autobahn! Jetzt kann ich schnell fahren.
HARRY:
Fast is fine with me. The Germans don't have a speed limit, isn't that right? Ich fahre gerne schnell.
REBECCA:
Ich auch. Schau mal! 80 (achtzig), 90 (neunzig), 100 (hundert), 110 (hundertzehn), 120 (hundertzwanzig), 130 (hundertdreißig), 140 (hundertvierzig) …
HARRY:
Sehr schön, aber …
REBECCA:
… 150 (hundertfünfzig) …
HARRY:
But I think that's fast enough ...
REBECCA:
... 160 (hundertsechzig), 170 (hundertsiebzig) …
HARRY:
I've got to go to the bathroom!
REBECCA:
… 180 (hundertachtzig) …
HARRY:
Ich muss ... Ich muss …
REBECCA:
… 190 (hundertneunzig) …
HARRY:
Pipi!
REBECCA:
… 200 (zweihundert).
HARRY:
Stopp! Stopp!