IN THE HOTEL ROOM
NARRATOR:
It's fairly tiring to have to experience the same thing repeatedly. Harry only wanted to spend a few days holiday with his girlfriend Julia. But since he was struck by lightning he's been stuck in a time warp. For days, Harry Walkott has been going through the same Wednesday over and over again. Every morning he wakes up in his hotel room and it's April 31st once more. And all his efforts to get out of this day have so far been failures. It looks as if Harry will have to admit that even the strongest man sometimes needs help.
WEATHER FORECASTER:
Guten Morgen, heute ist Mittwoch, der 31. April, sieben Uhr, zuerst das Wetter.
HARRY:
Hilfe!
NARRATOR:
Help? Harry, what's up? Was ist los? You're covered in a cold sweat.
HARRY:
I had a bad dream. And it was in German! Oh man!
NARRATOR:
But Harry, you're not beginning to despair, are you?
HARRY:
Beginning to? I've been stuck here for days! I've had enough. I need help.
NARRATOR:
Du brauchst Hilfe? You need help?
HARRY:
Ja, ich brauche Hilfe.
NARRATOR:
What do you plan to do now?
HARRY:
I don't know. Ich weiß nicht. I've just got to get out of this place. That's all I know.
NARRATOR:
This is beginning to get interesting.
IN THE FOYER
HARRY:
Herr Strobel.
HOTELIER:
Ah, willkommen! Guten Morgen!
HARRY:
I want to go home immediately!
NARRATOR:
Harry, please stay polite: Ich möchte fahren. I would like to leave.
HARRY:
Okay, okay. What's the word for immediately?
NARRATOR:
sofort
HARRY:
You mean like this: Herr Strobel, ich möchte fahren! Sofort!
NARRATOR:
Harry!
HOTELIER:
Oh, sind Sie nicht zufrieden?
NARRATOR:
He thinks you’re not happy.
HARRY:
Ich bin zufrieden.
HOTELIER:
Sind die Betten zu hart?
HARRY:
Die Betten?
HOTELIER:
Ja, das Bett, die Betten! Sind sie zu hart?
NARRATOR:
Are the beds too hard? The ending -en shows that this is a plural form.
HARRY:
Okay. Die Betten sind gut.
HOTELIER:
Schön. Funktioniert der Fernseher?
HARRY:
The television? Ja!
HOTELIER:
Sind die Sofas zu weich?
NARRATOR:
Another plural ending, this time with -s! das Sofa – die Sofas! Are the sofas too soft?
HARRY:
Die Sofas sind gut, nicht zu weich. Oh, this grammar is killing me!
HOTELIER:
Wir haben viele Zimmer im Hotel.
NARRATOR:
That's a good example!
HARRY:
What?
NARRATOR:
das Zimmer – die Zimmer, room – rooms. Sometimes singular and plural have the same form.
HOTELIER:
Sie können gerne ein anderes Zimmer haben.
NARRATOR:
You can have another room, can – können – is a modal verb.
HARRY:
Nein danke. Ich möchte fahren.
HOTELIER:
Ja, aber warum … aber warum möchten Sie fahren?
HARRY:
Oh I … Ich …
NARRATOR:
Come on, tell him.
HARRY:
What? Shall I tell him that I've been in a time warp for days?
NARRATOR:
Why not? Say: my day is always the same – mein Tag ist immer gleich.
HARRY:
You can't be serious. Herr Strobel, mein Tag ist immer gleich.
HOTELIER:
Ach so! Ich verstehe, Herr Walkott. Ich kann Ihnen helfen.
HARRY:
Helfen?
NARRATOR:
Hey, Harry, he can help you!
HARRY:
Great!
HOTELIER:
Unser Hotel hat ein Schwimmbad und eine Sauna.
HARRY:
What on earth is he talking about?
NARRATOR:
He is saying how good the hotel is. It has a swimming pool and a sauna.
HOTELIER:
Sie können hier auch Tennis spielen oder reiten.
NARRATOR:
You can play tennis here or go riding.
HARRY:
Oh dear! He simply doesn't understand. Herr Strobel, Pinguine!
HOTELIER:
Pinguine?
HARRY:
Herr Strobel, im Schwarzwald sind Pinguine!
HOTELIER:
Pinguine im Schwarzwald …
HARRY:
Das ist nicht normal!
NARRATOR:
Harry ...
HARRY:
How do you … how do you say 'I must'?
NARRATOR:
Ich muss. From müssen, another modal verb.
HARRY:
Just what are modal verbs?
NARRATOR:
That's a verb which needs a second verb. In German, the second verb is always at the end of the sentence, and it's in the infinitive form, the basic form. So: Ich muss fahren, or: Harry muss Deutsch sprechen – Harry must speak German.
HARRY:
I must get to town. Ich muss fahren!
HOTELIER:
Sie müssen in die Stadt fahren, Herr Walkott?
HARRY:
Ja!
HOTELIER:
Kein Problem. Meine Tochter fährt jeden Morgen in die Stadt.
NARRATOR:
His daughter drives into town every morning.
HARRY:
Every morning? Today as well?
HOTELIER:
Ja, auch heute. Aber …
HARRY:
Where is she? Wo ist sie?
HOTELIER:
Meine Tochter fährt immer um sieben Uhr. Sie ist schon weg.
NARRATOR:
She always drives in at seven o'clock; she's already gone, Harry.
HARRY:
Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe.
HOTELIER:
Kein Problem!
Tss … Pinguine im Schwarzwald, der Mann ist nicht normal. Der Mann ist verrückt.
HARRY:
Seven o'clock. That's going to be tight.
NARRATOR:
What do you mean: that's going to be tight? It's already gone.
HARRY:
Yes, today.
IN THE HOTEL ROOM
WEATHER FORECASTER:
Guten Morgen, heute ist Mittwoch, der 31. April, sieben Uhr, zuerst das Wetter.
NARRATOR:
Harry!
HARRY:
I have no time to waste.
NARRATOR:
You're in your pajamas! Im Schlafanzug!
HARRY:
I don't care.
IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL
HARRY:
Halt! Stopp! Stopp! Stopp!
NARRATOR:
Harry, you can't really believe that the lady will take you in your pajamas!