Classic
Der schwarze Kater
Edgar Allan Poe
In each language: The Black Cat · Der schwarze Kater · El gato negro · Le Chat noir · Il gatto nero
A man who has loved animals since childhood sinks into heavy drinking and turns cruel, above all toward his black cat Pluto, whom he once adored. As his temper spirals out of control, a second cat comes into his home, oddly marked and impossible to shake off.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 3,900 words · 20 min to read.
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Comment ça commence
Für die überaus wilde und doch so häusliche Erzählung, die ich niederschreiben will, erwarte oder erbittere ich keinen Glauben. Wahnsinnig wäre ich in der Tat, dies zu erwarten, in einem Fall, in dem meine eigenen Sinne ihre eigene Zeugenschaft ablehnen. Doch wahnsinnig bin ich nicht – und ganz gewiss träume ich nicht.
For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief. Mad indeed would I be to expect it, in a case where my very senses reject their own evidence. Yet, mad am I not—and very surely do I not dream.
Aber morgen sterbe ich, und heute möchte ich meine Seele erleichtern. Mein unmittelbares Ziel ist es, der Welt schlicht, kurz und ohne Kommentar eine Reihe bloßer häuslicher Ereignisse darzulegen.
But to-morrow I die, and to-day I would unburthen my soul. My immediate purpose is to place before the world, plainly, succinctly, and without comment, a series of mere household events.
In ihren Folgen haben mich diese Ereignisse in Schrecken versetzt – gefoltert – zerstört. Doch ich werde nicht versuchen, sie zu erklären. Für mich stellten sie wenig mehr als Entsetzen dar – für viele werden sie weniger schrecklich als bizarr erscheinen.
In their consequences, these events have terrified—have tortured—have destroyed me. Yet I will not attempt to expound them. To me, they have presented little but horror—to many they will seem less terrible than barroques.
Languages
- The Black Cat · English (original)3,850 words · ~20 min
- Der schwarze Kater · GermanC1 Advanced · 3,843 words · ~20 min
- El gato negro · SpanishC1 Advanced · 3,823 words · ~20 min
- Le Chat noir · FrenchC1 Advanced · 4,018 words · ~20 min
- Il gatto nero · ItalianC1 Advanced · 3,666 words · ~20 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
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 Black Cat 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 C1 Advanced. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 3,850 words: around 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 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.