Classic
Der Postmeister
Rabindranath Tagore
In each language: The Postmaster · Der Postmeister · El jefe de correos · Le maître de poste · Il maestro di posta
A postmaster from Calcutta is sent to the remote village of Ulapur, where he has little company and little to do. His only companion is Ratan, an orphan girl who does odd jobs for him, and out of loneliness he teaches her to read. When he falls ill in the rains and asks for a transfer, their small friendship proves weightier than he expected.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 2,100 words · 10–20 min to read.
Read it
Tu lis en allemand, à gauche. À droite, tu as le texte en anglais pour t’aider ; pendant la lecture, le bouton en forme d’œil le floute ou le masque.
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Comment ça commence
Der Postmeister trat seinen Dienst zuerst im Dorf Ulapur an. Obwohl das Dorf klein war, gab es in der Nähe eine Indigofabrik, und der Besitzer, ein Engländer, hatte es geschafft, ein Postamt einrichten zu lassen.
The postmaster first took up his duties in the village of Ulapur. Though the village was a small one, there was an indigo factory near by, and the proprietor, an Englishman, had managed to get a post office established.
Unser Postmeister stammte aus Kalkutta. In diesem abgelegenen Dorf fühlte er sich wie ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen. Sein Büro und Wohnraum befanden sich in einem dunklen, strohgedeckten Schuppen, nicht weit von einem grünen, schleimigen Teich entfernt, der von allen Seiten von dichtem Gestrüpp umgeben war.
Our postmaster belonged to Calcutta. He felt like a fish out of water in this remote village. His office and living-room were in a dark thatched shed, not far from a green, slimy pond, surrounded on all sides by a dense growth.
Die Männer, die in der Indigofabrik arbeiteten, hatten keine Freizeit; zudem waren sie kaum wünschenswerte Gefährten für anständige Leute. Auch ist ein Junge aus Kalkutta nicht gerade ein Meister in der Kunst, mit anderen umzugehen. Unter Fremden wirkt er entweder stolz oder unbeholfen.
The men employed in the indigo factory had no leisure; moreover, they were hardly desirable companions for decent folk. Nor is a Calcutta boy an adept in the art of associating with others. Among strangers he appears either proud or ill at ease.
Languages
- The Postmaster · English (original)2,118 words · ~10 min
- Der Postmeister · GermanB1 Intermediate · 2,017 words · ~15 min
- El jefe de correos · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 2,112 words · ~20 min
- Le maître de poste · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 2,292 words · ~20 min
- Il maestro di posta · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 2,036 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
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 Postmaster 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 B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 2,118 words: around 10–20 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.