Classic
Die Zwischenrufer
Saki
In each language: The Interlopers · Die Zwischenrufer · Los intrusos · Les Intrus · Gli intrusi
On a stormy winter night in the Carpathians, Ulrich von Gradwitz prowls the forest with his rifle, looking for Georg Znaeym, heir to a feud over a strip of woodland that has divided their families for three generations. When the two enemies meet, a falling beech traps them side by side.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 2,100 words · 10–15 min to read.
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How it begins
In einem Wald mit gemischtem Bewuchs irgendwo an den östlichen Ausläufern der Karpaten stand eines Winternachts ein Mann, der beobachtete und lauschte, als ob er darauf wartete, dass irgendein Tier des Waldes in den Bereich seines Blickfeldes und später seines Gewehrs käme.
In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of the Karpathians, a man stood one winter night watching and listening, as though he waited for some beast of the woods to come within the range of his vision, and, later, of his rifle.
Aber das Wild, auf dessen Erscheinen er so scharf achtete, war keines, das im Kalender des Jägers als rechtmäßig und angemessen für die Jagd aufgeführt war; Ulrich von Gradwitz patrouillierte durch den dunklen Wald auf der Suche nach einem menschlichen Feind.
But the game for whose presence he kept so keen an outlook was none that figured in the sportsman’s calendar as lawful and proper for the chase; Ulrich von Gradwitz patrolled the dark forest in quest of a human enemy.
Die Waldgebiete von Gradwitz waren von weitem Umfang und gut mit Wild bestückt; der schmale Streifen steilen Waldlandes, der an seinem Rand lag, war nicht bemerkenswert für das Wild, das er beherbergte, oder das Schießen, das er bot, aber er war der am eifersüchtigsten bewachte aller territorialen Besitztümer seines Eigentümers.
The forest lands of Gradwitz were of wide extent and well stocked with game; the narrow strip of precipitous woodland that lay on its outskirt was not remarkable for the game it harboured or the shooting it afforded, but it was the most jealously guarded of all its owner’s territorial possessions.
Languages
- The Interlopers · English (original)2,141 words · ~10 min
- Die Zwischenrufer · GermanB2 Intermediate · 2,115 words · ~15 min
- Los intrusos · SpanishB2 Intermediate · 2,158 words · ~15 min
- Les Intrus · FrenchB2 Intermediate · 2,276 words · ~15 min
- Gli intrusi · ItalianB2 Intermediate · 2,091 words · ~15 min
Open in the reader: German with English · Spanish with English · French with English · Italian with English
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Reading it as a parallel text
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Questions
- Which languages can I read The Interlopers in?
- English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. 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?
- In translation, German, Spanish, French and Italian are B2 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 2,141 words: around 10–15 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 e-reader files (EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account; the PDF doesn't.
- 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.