Klassiker leicht erzählt A2 · Easy Classics A2 · Geschichte 8
Ein Skandal in Böhmen
Arthur Conan Doyle
In each language: A Scandal in Bohemia · Ein Skandal in Böhmen
The famous Sherlock Holmes short story, retold in full in easy English. One night a tall man in a black mask comes to Baker Street. He is a king, and he is afraid. Years ago he was in a photograph together with a singer, Irene Adler, and now he is going to marry a princess. Holmes must find the photograph in three days. But this time the detective meets a woman who is as clever as he is.
In English and German · 3 chapters · about 7,500 words · 1 h 30 min to read.
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How it begins
Der Mann mit der Maske
The Man in the Mask
Für Sherlock Holmes ist Irene Adler immer die Frau. Er sagt fast nie ihren richtigen Namen. Für ihn ist sie besser als jede andere Frau auf der Welt.
To Sherlock Holmes, Irene Adler is always the woman. He almost never uses her real name. For him, she is better than every other woman in the world.
Aber Holmes hat sie nicht geliebt. Er hat Gefühle überhaupt nicht gemocht, und die Liebe am wenigsten. Sein Kopf war kalt und genau, wie eine perfekte Maschine zum Sehen und Denken. Aber in seinem eigenen Leben war ein starkes Gefühl wie Sand in einer feinen Uhr. Und trotzdem war da eine Frau für ihn, und das war Irene Adler.
But Holmes did not love her. He did not like feelings at all, and love least of all. His mind was cold and exact, like a perfect machine for seeing and thinking. But in his own life, a strong feeling was like sand in a fine clock. And still there was one woman for him, and she was Irene Adler.
Languages
- A Scandal in Bohemia · English (original)A2 Easy · 7,518 words · ~1 h 30 min
- Ein Skandal in Böhmen · GermanA2 Easy · 7,631 words · ~1 h 30 min
Open in the reader: German with English · English with German
More stories at this level
Easy stories in German with English beside it (all of them: Easy German stories).
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- Ein Feuer machenJack London · A2 · 6,315 words
- Das verräterische HerzEdgar Allan Poe · A2 · 1,910 words
- Das Zeichen der VierArthur Conan Doyle · A2 · 35,776 words
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 A Scandal in Bohemia in?
- English and German. 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 is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 7,518 words in 3 chapters: around 1 h 30 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.