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Der Wein ist sauer

The Wine Is Sour

A vineyard near Mendoza, four days before a wedding: the bride's father speaks only Spanish, the groom's father only Korean, and between them sits Mirta Kang, the interpreter at whose side no table has ever broken. She turns every piece of rudeness into a compliment and every no into a maybe. After three days the two men do not trust each other an inch, and it is her politeness that is to blame.

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How it begins

GermanEnglish

Charakter

Character

„Der Wein ist sauer“, sagte Herr Yoon.

“The wine is sour,” said Mr Yoon.

Er sagte es auf Koreanisch, ohne die Stimme zu heben, so wie er alles sagte, und stellte das Glas zurück auf das weiße Tischtuch, genau auf den feuchten Ring, den es dort hinterlassen hatte. Am anderen Ende des Tisches, unter der Pergola, durch die das Licht des Mittags in Flecken fiel, hob Horacio Bianchi die Augenbrauen und sah nicht ihn an, sondern die Frau, die zwischen ihnen saß.

He said it in Korean, without raising his voice, the way he said everything, and put the glass back on the white tablecloth, exactly on the damp ring it had left there. At the other end of the table, under the pergola through which the midday light fell in patches, Horacio Bianchi raised his eyebrows and looked not at him but at the woman sitting between them.

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Languages

Der Wein ist sauer · German (original)C1 Advanced · 3,353 words · ~20 min
النبيذ حامض · ArabicC1 Advanced · 2,885 words · ~15 min
Το κρασί είναι ξινό · GreekC1 Advanced · 3,572 words · ~20 min
The Wine Is Sour · EnglishC1 Advanced · 3,638 words · ~20 min
El vino está agrio · SpanishC1 Advanced · 3,802 words · ~20 min
Le vin est acide · FrenchC1 Advanced · 4,050 words · ~25 min
वाइन खट्टी है · HindiC1 Advanced · 4,206 words · ~25 min
Anggurnya Masam · IndonesianC1 Advanced · 3,523 words · ~20 min
Il vino è aspro · ItalianC1 Advanced · 3,448 words · ~20 min
ワインは酸っぱい · JapaneseC1 Advanced
와인이 시다 · KoreanC1 Advanced · 2,983 words · ~15 min
De wijn is zuur · DutchC1 Advanced · 3,696 words · ~20 min
Wino jest kwaśne · PolishC1 Advanced · 3,167 words · ~20 min
O vinho está azedo · PortugueseC1 Advanced · 3,622 words · ~20 min
Vinul este acru · RomanianC1 Advanced · 3,450 words · ~20 min
ไวน์นี้เปรี้ยว · ThaiC1 Advanced
Şarap Ekşi · TurkishC1 Advanced · 2,798 words · ~15 min
Rượu vang chua · VietnameseC1 Advanced · 4,599 words · ~25 min
酒是酸的 · ChineseC1 Advanced

Questions

Which languages can I read Der Wein ist sauer in?

German, Arabic, Greek, English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.

What level is it?

The original German is C1 Advanced. In translation, Arabic, Greek, English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are C1 Advanced. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 3,353 words in 7 chapters: around 5–25 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

Is it free?

Only the beginning. Read it online with no account. The rest of the book, the narration and the downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) come with Reader.

Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?

Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.

Der Wein ist sauer

How it begins

Languages

Questions

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