Vier Töne um halb elf
Four Notes at Half Past Ten
Every night at half past ten someone in Lisbon plays four notes on a trumpet, and Inês has to get up at half past four. The complaint is already signed. Then she sees where the man is playing to.
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How it begins
1
1
Inês Rocha zog Anfang Oktober in den Beco do Relógio, eine kleine Gasse im Lissabonner Viertel Graça. Die Wohnung war billig, hell und nur zehn Minuten von der Straßenbahn entfernt. Sie hatte nur ein Problem: Inês arbeitete am Flughafen und musste um halb fünf aufstehen. Deshalb ging sie jeden Abend um halb zehn ins Bett.
Inês Rocha moved into the Beco do Relógio at the beginning of October, a small lane in the Graça district of Lisbon. The flat was cheap, bright and only ten minutes from the tram. It had just one problem: Inês worked at the airport and had to get up at half past four. So every evening she went to bed at half past nine.
In der ersten Woche schlief sie nach dem Umzug so tief, dass sie nichts hörte. In der zweiten hörte sie es. Um halb elf, Nacht für Nacht, spielte jemand auf einer Trompete vier Töne: zwei tiefe, einen hohen und einen noch höheren. Dann war es still. Es klang nicht schön. Es klang, als würde ein müder Mann ein Wort sagen, das er fast vergessen hatte.
In the first week she slept so deeply after the move that she heard nothing. In the second week she heard it. At half past ten, night after night, someone played four notes on a trumpet: two low ones, a high one and an even higher one. Then it was quiet. It did not sound beautiful. It sounded like a tired man saying a word he had almost forgotten.
Languages
- Vier Töne um halb elf · German (original)B1 Intermediate · 1,668 words · ~15 min
- Τέσσερις νότες στις δέκα και μισή · GreekB1 Intermediate · 1,705 words · ~15 min
- Four Notes at Half Past Ten · EnglishB1 Intermediate · 1,790 words · ~15 min
- Cuatro notas a las diez y media · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 1,775 words · ~15 min
- Quatre notes à dix heures et demie · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 2,069 words · ~15 min
- साढ़े दस बजे चार सुर · HindiB1 Intermediate · 1,944 words · ~15 min
- Empat Nada pada Pukul Setengah Sebelas · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 1,616 words · ~15 min
- Quattro note alle dieci e mezza · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 1,728 words · ~15 min
- 十時半の四つの音 · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
- 10시 반의 네 음 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 1,241 words · ~10 min
- Vier tonen om half elf · DutchB1 Intermediate · 1,774 words · ~15 min
- Cztery dźwięki o wpół do jedenastej · PolishB1 Intermediate · 1,495 words · ~10 min
- Quatro notas às dez e meia · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 1,737 words · ~15 min
- Patru note la zece și jumătate · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 1,700 words · ~15 min
- Saat On Buçukta Dört Nota · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 1,289 words · ~10 min
- Bốn nốt nhạc lúc mười giờ rưỡi · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 2,055 words · ~15 min
- 四个音，十点半 · ChineseB1 Intermediate
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German with Turkish · German with Vietnamese · German with Chinese · Greek with German · Greek with Spanish · Greek with French · Greek with Hindi · Greek with Indonesian · Greek with Italian · Greek with Japanese · Greek with Korean · Greek with Dutch · Greek with Polish · Greek with Portuguese · Greek with Romanian · Greek with Turkish · Greek with Vietnamese · Greek with Chinese · Spanish with German · Spanish with Greek · Spanish with French · Spanish with Hindi · Spanish with Indonesian · Spanish with Italian · Spanish with Japanese · Spanish with Korean · Spanish with Dutch · Spanish with Polish · Spanish with Portuguese · Spanish with Romanian · Spanish with Turkish · Spanish with Vietnamese · Spanish with Chinese · French with German · French with Greek · French with Spanish · French with Hindi · French with Indonesian · French with Italian · French with Japanese · French with Korean · French with Dutch · French with Polish · French with Portuguese · French with Romanian · French with Turkish · French with Vietnamese · French with Chinese · Hindi with German · Hindi with Greek · Hindi with Spanish · Hindi with French · Hindi with Indonesian · Hindi with Italian · Hindi with Japanese · Hindi with Korean · Hindi with Dutch · Hindi with Polish · Hindi with Portuguese · Hindi with Romanian · Hindi with Turkish · Hindi with Vietnamese · Hindi with Chinese · Indonesian with German · Indonesian with Greek · Indonesian with Spanish · Indonesian with French · Indonesian with Hindi · Indonesian with Italian · Indonesian with Japanese · Indonesian with Korean · Indonesian with Dutch · Indonesian with Polish · Indonesian with Portuguese · Indonesian with Romanian · Indonesian with Turkish · Indonesian with Vietnamese · Indonesian with Chinese · Italian with German · Italian with Greek · Italian with Spanish · Italian with French · Italian with Hindi · Italian with Indonesian · Italian with Japanese · Italian with Korean · Italian with Dutch · Italian with Polish · Italian with Portuguese · Italian with Romanian · Italian with Turkish · Italian with Vietnamese · Italian with Chinese · Japanese with German · Japanese with Greek · Japanese with Spanish · Japanese with French · Japanese with Hindi · Japanese with Indonesian · Japanese with Italian · Japanese with Korean · Japanese with Dutch · Japanese with Polish · Japanese with Portuguese · Japanese with Romanian · Japanese with Turkish · Japanese with Vietnamese · Japanese with Chinese · Korean with German · Korean with Greek · Korean with Spanish · Korean with French · Korean with Hindi · Korean with Indonesian · Korean with Italian · Korean with Japanese · Korean with Dutch · Korean with Polish · Korean with Portuguese · Korean with Romanian · Korean with Turkish · Korean with Vietnamese · Korean with Chinese · Dutch with German · Dutch with Greek · Dutch with Spanish · Dutch with French · Dutch with Hindi · Dutch with Indonesian · Dutch with Italian · Dutch with Japanese · Dutch with Korean · Dutch with Polish · Dutch with Portuguese · Dutch with Romanian · Dutch with Turkish · Dutch with Vietnamese · Dutch with Chinese · Polish with German · Polish with Greek · Polish with Spanish · Polish with French · Polish with Hindi · Polish with Indonesian · Polish with Italian · Polish with Japanese · Polish with Korean · Polish with Dutch · Polish with Portuguese · Polish with Romanian · Polish with Turkish · Polish with Vietnamese · Polish with Chinese · Portuguese with German · Portuguese with Greek · Portuguese with Spanish · Portuguese with French · Portuguese with Hindi · Portuguese with Indonesian · Portuguese with Italian · Portuguese with Japanese · Portuguese with Korean · Portuguese with Dutch · Portuguese with Polish · Portuguese with Romanian · Portuguese with Turkish · Portuguese with Vietnamese · Portuguese with Chinese · Romanian with German · Romanian with Greek · Romanian with Spanish · Romanian with French · Romanian with Hindi · Romanian with Indonesian · Romanian with Italian · Romanian with Japanese · Romanian with Korean · Romanian with Dutch · Romanian with Polish · Romanian with Portuguese · Romanian with Turkish · Romanian with Vietnamese · Romanian with Chinese · Turkish with German · Turkish with Greek · Turkish with Spanish · Turkish with French · Turkish with Hindi · Turkish with Indonesian · Turkish with Italian · Turkish with Japanese · Turkish with Korean · Turkish with Dutch · Turkish with Polish · Turkish with Portuguese · Turkish with Romanian · Turkish with Vietnamese · Turkish with Chinese · Vietnamese with German · Vietnamese with Greek · Vietnamese with Spanish · Vietnamese with French · Vietnamese with Hindi · Vietnamese with Indonesian · Vietnamese with Italian · Vietnamese with Japanese · Vietnamese with Korean · Vietnamese with Dutch · Vietnamese with Polish · Vietnamese with Portuguese · Vietnamese with Romanian · Vietnamese with Turkish · Vietnamese with Chinese · Chinese with German · Chinese with Greek · Chinese with Spanish · Chinese with French · Chinese with Hindi · Chinese with Indonesian · Chinese with Italian · Chinese with Japanese · Chinese with Korean · Chinese with Dutch · Chinese with Polish · Chinese with Portuguese · Chinese with Romanian · Chinese with Turkish · Chinese with Vietnamese
Questions
Which languages can I read Vier Töne um halb elf in?
German, Greek, English, 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 German is B1 Intermediate. In translation, Greek, English, 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 Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.
How long is it?
About 1,668 words in 7 chapters: 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?
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.