The Market on the Square · Episode 2 of 10

The Rules

DuoText original

"You let me talk," I said on the stairs.

about 2,300 words · 5–20 min to read.

Part of a series best read in order.

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

How it begins

EnglishGerman

"You let me talk," I said on the stairs.

„Du hast mich reden lassen", sagte ich auf der Treppe.

We were on the second floor of a grey council building near the station, climbing to the licensing office on the third, and I was carrying my father's folder. It was a plastic bag from his own shop with every paper about the market inside it, in no order at all, including the form he had signed on Friday night, which I meant to make as harmless as a piece of paper can be.

Wir waren im zweiten Stock eines grauen Verwaltungsgebäudes der Stadt in der Nähe des Bahnhofs und stiegen zum Amt für Genehmigungen im dritten hinauf. Ich trug die Mappe meines Vaters. Es war eine Plastiktüte aus seinem eigenen Laden, in der alle Papiere zum Markt lagen, ohne jede Ordnung, auch das Formular, das er am Freitagabend unterschrieben hatte und das ich so harmlos machen wollte, wie ein Stück Papier nur sein kann.

"You always talk," he said. "Since you were two."

„Du redest immer", sagte er. „Seit du zwei bist."

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

Languages

All 16 editions: titles, levels and lengths

The Rules · English (original)B2 Intermediate · 2,314 words · ~15 min · Audio
Die Regeln · GermanB2 Intermediate · 2,258 words · ~15 min · Audio
Οι κανόνες · GreekB2 Intermediate · 2,137 words · ~15 min
Las normas · SpanishB2 Intermediate · 2,158 words · ~15 min · Audio
Les règles · FrenchB2 Intermediate · 2,552 words · ~15 min · Audio
नियम · HindiB2 Intermediate · 2,511 words · ~15 min
Aturan-aturan itu · IndonesianB2 Intermediate · 2,058 words · ~15 min
Le regole · ItalianB2 Intermediate · 2,186 words · ~15 min
規則 · JapaneseB2 Intermediate
규칙 · KoreanB2 Intermediate · 1,611 words · ~10 min
De regels · DutchB2 Intermediate · 2,358 words · ~15 min
Zasady · PolishB2 Intermediate · 2,018 words · ~15 min
As Regras · PortugueseB2 Intermediate · 2,337 words · ~15 min
Kurallar · TurkishB2 Intermediate · 1,599 words · ~10 min
Những quy tắc · VietnameseB2 Intermediate · 2,638 words · ~20 min
规则 · ChineseB2 Intermediate

Open it in the reader: all 240 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 Rules in?

English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, 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 B2 Intermediate. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are B2 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 2,314 words: around 5–20 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.