Which languages can I read The Sign of the Four in?

English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish 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.

About 35,165 words in 12 chapters: around 10 min – 7 h 15 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.

Klassiker leicht erzählt A2 · Easy Classics A2 · Geschichte 2

Das Zeichen der Vier

Retold in easy English (A2) from the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle

In each language: The Sign of the Four · Das Zeichen der Vier · El signo de los cuatro · Le Signe des Quatre · Il segno dei quattro · 四人の署名 · 네 사람의 서명 · O Signo dos Quatro · Semnul celor patru · Dörtlerin İmzası · 四签名

The whole of Sherlock Holmes's second great case, retold in easy English. Every year, a young governess, Mary Morstan, gets a beautiful pearl from an unknown sender. Ten years ago her father disappeared in London. Now a letter asks her to come to a theatre at night. Holmes and Dr Watson go with her, and the trail leads to a locked room, a lost Indian treasure, a man with a wooden leg and a wild chase on the river Thames.

In English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish and Chinese · 12 chapters · about 35,200 words · 10 min – 7 h 15 min to read.

Read it

Sinistra · leggiDestra · di aiuto

Leggi in tedesco a sinistra. inglese è a destra per aiutarti e, mentre leggi, il pulsante a forma di occhio la sfoca o la nasconde.

Inizia a leggere

Ogni paragrafo seguito dalla sua versione in inglese, per il tuo e-reader o tablet, oppure un PDF affiancato da stampare. Quale file mi serve?

Il PDF non richiede un account; i file per e-reader ne richiedono uno gratuito. Nessun pagamento, niente da installare.

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Come comincia

GermanEnglish

Die Wissenschaft der Schlussfolgerung

The Science of Deduction

Sherlock Holmes hat eine kleine Flasche aus dem Regal über dem Kamin genommen. Dann hat er eine Nadel aus ihrem ordentlichen Lederetui geholt. Seine langen, weißen Finger haben die Nadel vorbereitet, und er hat seinen linken Ärmel zurückgeschoben.

Sherlock Holmes took a small bottle from the shelf above the fire. Then he took a needle out of its neat leather case. His long, white fingers got the needle ready, and he pushed back his left sleeve.

Einen Moment hat er seinen dünnen, starken Arm angesehen. Auf dem Arm waren viele kleine Spuren von alten Nadeln. Dann hat er die Nadel in seinen Arm gestochen. Er hat sich in seinem weichen Sessel zurückgelehnt und lange und glücklich ausgeatmet.

For a moment he looked at his thin, strong arm. There were many small marks of old needles on it. Then he pushed the needle into his arm. He sat back in his soft armchair and let out a long, happy breath.

I paragrafi iniziali, come li mostra il lettore. Continua a leggere

Languages

The Sign of the Four · English (original)A2 Easy · 35,165 words · ~6 h 30 min
Das Zeichen der Vier · GermanA2 Easy · 35,776 words · ~6 h 45 min
El signo de los cuatro · SpanishA2 Easy · 33,274 words · ~6 h 15 min
Le Signe des Quatre · FrenchA2 Easy · 39,074 words · ~7 h 15 min
Il segno dei quattro · ItalianA2 Easy · 33,822 words · ~6 h 15 min
四人の署名 · JapaneseA2 Easy · 976 words · ~10 min
네 사람의 서명 · KoreanA2 Easy · 24,560 words · ~4 h 30 min
O Signo dos Quatro · PortugueseA2 Easy · 33,655 words · ~6 h 15 min
Semnul celor patru · RomanianA2 Easy · 33,949 words · ~6 h 15 min
Dörtlerin İmzası · TurkishA2 Easy · 24,438 words · ~4 h 30 min
四签名 · ChineseA2 Easy · 975 words · ~10 min

Open in the reader: German with English · English with German · Spanish with English · French with English · Italian with English · Japanese with English · Korean with English · Portuguese with English · Romanian with English · Turkish with English · Chinese with English

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 Sign of the Four in?: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish 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 A2 Easy. In translation, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish and Chinese are A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
How long is it?: About 35,165 words in 12 chapters: around 10 min – 7 h 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?: 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.