Which languages can I read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in?

English and German. 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.

The original English is A2 Easy. In translation, German is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.

About 50,310 words in 46 chapters: around 9 h 45 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

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.

Easy Classics A2 · Story 16

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Retold in easy English (A2) from the novel by Jules Verne

In each language: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea · 20.000 Meilen unter dem Meer

Jules Verne's great sea adventure, retold in full in easy English. In 1866 ships all over the world meet a strange monster in the ocean. Professor Aronnax, his faithful servant Conseil and the harpooner Ned Land go to hunt it, but the monster is a submarine, the Nautilus, and its master is the mysterious Captain Nemo. The three men are taken aboard and cannot leave. Pearls, sunken cities, giant squid, the South Pole: what does Nemo want?

In English and German · 46 chapters · about 50,300 words · 9 h 45 min to read.

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

The Monster

Das Ungeheuer

The year 1866 was a strange year for the sea. Ships in every ocean saw something very big in the water. It was long, it moved fast, and at night it sometimes shone with a pale light. Nobody could say what it was.

Das Jahr 1866 war ein seltsames Jahr für das Meer. Schiffe in allen Ozeanen haben etwas sehr Großes im Wasser gesehen. Es war lang, es hat sich schnell bewegt, und nachts hat es manchmal mit einem blassen Licht geleuchtet. Niemand konnte sagen, was es war.

On the 20th of July, the steamer Governor Higginson met it near Australia. Captain Baker saw a long grey shape and thought, “That is a sandbank.” He wanted to know its exact place. Then two high columns of water shot up from the shape, with a loud hiss. Now the captain knew the truth. A sandbank does not do that. It was an animal.

Am 20. Juli ist der Dampfer Governor Higginson ihm in der Nähe von Australien begegnet. Kapitän Baker hat eine lange graue Form gesehen und hat gedacht: „Das ist eine Sandbank.“ Er wollte wissen, wo sie genau war. Dann sind zwei hohe Wassersäulen mit einem lauten Zischen aus der Form geschossen. Jetzt hat der Kapitän die Wahrheit gewusst. Eine Sandbank macht das nicht. Es war ein Tier.

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

Languages

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea · English (original)A2 Easy · 50,310 words · ~9 h 15 min
20.000 Meilen unter dem Meer · GermanA2 Easy · 52,089 words · ~9 h 45 min

Open in the reader: German with English · English with German

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 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in?: English and German. 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 A2 Easy. In translation, German is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
How long is it?: About 50,310 words in 46 chapters: around 9 h 45 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.