Classic
Wanka
Anton Chekhov
In each language: Vanka · Wanka
On Christmas Eve, nine-year-old Vanka Zhukov, three months into an apprenticeship with a Moscow shoemaker, waits until his master and mistress have left for the midnight service, then secretly writes to his grandfather in the village. He tells of beatings and hunger, recalls happier winters, and begs to be taken home.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 1,700 words · 10–15 min to read.
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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.
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Come comincia
Wanka
Vanka
Wanka Schukow, ein neunjähriger Junge, der vor drei Monaten bei dem Schuster Aljachin in die Lehre gegeben worden war, blieb am Heiligen Abend auf.
Vanka Zhukov, a boy of nine, who had been for three months apprenticed to Alyahin the shoemaker, was sitting up on Christmas Eve.
Nachdem er gewartet hatte, bis sein Meister, seine Meisterin und ihre Gesellen zur Mitternachtsmesse gegangen waren, nahm er aus dem Schrank seines Meisters ein Tintenfass und eine Feder mit rostiger Spitze, breitete ein zerknittertes Blatt Papier vor sich aus und begann zu schreiben.
Waiting till his master and mistress and their workmen had gone to the midnight service, he took out of his master's cupboard a bottle of ink and a pen with a rusty nib, and, spreading out a crumpled sheet of paper in front of him, began writing.
Languages
- Vanka · English (original)1,656 words · ~10 min
- Wanka · GermanB1 Intermediate · 1,589 words · ~15 min
- Vanka · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 1,582 words · ~15 min
- Vanka · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 1,720 words · ~15 min
- Vanka · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 1,535 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 Vanka 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 1,656 words: around 10–15 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.