The Keys

DuoText original

Ana, 24, answers an advert and comes alone to Hollin Bridge, a small market town in the north of England: night baker wanted, no experience needed, room upstairs.

about 1,600 words · 5–15 min to read.

Part of a series best read in order.

Start with episode 1

Read it

Start reading

Also in: German · Greek · Spanish · French · Hindi · Indonesian · Italian · Japanese · Korean · Dutch · Polish · Portuguese · Romanian · Turkish · Vietnamese · Chinese

Free account, no payment, no card. Then download this book for your Kindle, Kobo or as a PDF.

EPUB · PDF · Kindle (AZW3, MOBI) · Kobo

Already have an account? Log in

How it begins

EnglishGerman

When Ana came back across the road, Walter was sitting at the kitchen table. In front of him was a cup of tea that had gone cold. Crumb was asleep under his chair. The radio was off, which was unusual. Ana took off her jacket slowly and sat down opposite him.

Als Ana über die Straße zurückkam, saß Walter am Küchentisch vor einer Tasse Tee, die kalt geworden war. Crumb schlief unter seinem Stuhl. Das Radio war aus, was ungewöhnlich war. Ana zog langsam ihre Jacke aus und setzte sich ihm gegenüber.

“Priya says you had a visitor yesterday,” she said. “A woman in a big black car.”

„Priya sagt, du hattest gestern Besuch“, sagte sie. „Eine Frau in einem großen schwarzen Auto.“

Walter didn’t look up. “Priya has very good eyes and a very long tongue.” He turned his cup round on the table with his left hand. “It was a customer.”

Walter schaute nicht auf. „Priya hat sehr gute Augen und eine sehr lange Zunge.“ Er drehte seine Tasse mit der linken Hand auf dem Tisch. „Es war eine Kundin.“

The opening paragraphs, as the reader shows them. Read on

Languages

All 17 editions: titles, levels and lengths

The Keys · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 1,645 words · ~15 min
Die Schlüssel · GermanB1 Intermediate · 1,565 words · ~15 min
Τα κλειδιά · GreekB1 Intermediate · 1,568 words · ~15 min
Las llaves · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 1,613 words · ~15 min
Les Clés · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 1,801 words · ~15 min
चाबियाँ · HindiB1 Intermediate · 1,834 words · ~15 min
Kunci-Kunci Itu · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 1,443 words · ~10 min
Le chiavi · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 1,634 words · ~15 min
かぎ · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
열쇠 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 1,170 words · ~10 min
De sleutels · DutchB1 Intermediate · 1,644 words · ~15 min
Klucze · PolishB1 Intermediate · 1,335 words · ~10 min
As Chaves · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 1,665 words · ~15 min
Cheile · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 1,577 words · ~15 min
Anahtarlar · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 1,157 words · ~10 min
Những chiếc chìa khóa · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 1,950 words · ~15 min
钥匙 · ChineseB1 Intermediate

Open it in the reader: all 272 language pairs

Reading it as a parallel text

A parallel text puts a story next to its translation, paragraph by paragraph. Read in the language you are working on and glance across only when a sentence stops you: the story keeps moving, and the words you look up stay in context. More in how to read with a parallel text.

Questions

Which languages can I read The Keys in?

English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, 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 English is B1 Intermediate. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.

How long is it?

About 1,645 words: around 5–15 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?

Yes. Read it online with no account. The downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.

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.