Story 1
Gerald Humphries had directed the Millbrook Amateur Dramatic Society (Gerald Humphries leitete den Laientheaterverein von Millbrook /Mühlbach/: „die Millbrook-Amateur-Schauspiel-Gesellschaft“; to direct — leiten, Regie führen) for eleven years (seit elf Jahren). In that time (in dieser Zeit), he had staged fourteen productions (er hatte vierzehn Produktionen auf die Bühne gebracht; to stage — inszenieren, auf die Bühne bringen), had three arguments with the village hall caretaker (hatte sich dreimal mit dem Hausmeister des Gemeindesaals gestritten: „drei Auseinandersetzungen gehabt“; argument — Streit, Auseinandersetzung; village hall — Gemeindesaal, Dorfgemeinschaftshaus: „Dorfhalle“), and developed a nervous twitch in his left eye (und ein nervöses Zucken im linken Auge entwickelt) that appeared every October (das jedes Jahr im Oktober auftrat: „jeden Oktober erschien“).
The Christmas Panto
The Auditions
Gerald Humphries had directed the Millbrook Amateur Dramatic Society for eleven years. In that time, he had staged fourteen productions, had three arguments with the village hall caretaker, and developed a nervous twitch in his left eye that appeared every October.
It was October now (jetzt war es Oktober). The twitch had started (das Zucken hatte eingesetzt).
'This year (dieses Jahr),' Gerald announced to the empty village hall (verkündete Gerald dem leeren Gemeindesaal), 'will be different (wird anders).'
He had said this every year (das hatte er jedes Jahr gesagt). It had never been true (es hatte nie gestimmt: „es war nie wahr gewesen“).
It was October now. The twitch had started.
'This year,' Gerald announced to the empty village hall, 'will be different.'
He had said this every year. It had never been true.
The auditions for Cinderella were on a Tuesday evening (das Vorsprechen für Cinderella /Aschenputtel/ fand an einem Dienstagabend statt: „waren an einem Dienstagabend“). Gerald had placed adverts (Gerald hatte Anzeigen ausgehängt; to place — platzieren, anbringen) in the post office (in der Post), the library (der Bücherei), and the Co-op (und dem Co-op /Supermarkt der britischen Genossenschaftskette/). He had printed thirty copies of the audition notice (er hatte dreißig Exemplare des Aushangs zum Vorsprechen gedruckt; notice — Bekanntmachung, Aushang). He had set out forty chairs (er hatte vierzig Stühle aufgestellt; to set something out — etw. aufstellen, bereitstellen).
Seven people came (es kamen sieben Leute).
Gerald looked at the seven people (Gerald sah die sieben Leute an; to look at someone — jdn. ansehen). The seven people looked at Gerald (die sieben Leute sahen Gerald an).
The auditions for Cinderella were on a Tuesday evening. Gerald had placed adverts in the post office, the library, and the Co-op. He had printed thirty copies of the audition notice. He had set out forty chairs.
Seven people came.
Gerald looked at the seven people. The seven people looked at Gerald.
'Right (also gut; right — richtig; /hier:/ also, gut),' Gerald said (sagte Gerald). 'Welcome, everyone (willkommen, alle zusammen). Thank you for coming (danke fürs Kommen; to come — kommen). As you know (wie ihr wisst), we'll be performing Cinderella this Christmas (wir führen dieses Jahr zu Weihnachten Cinderella auf). It's a wonderful story (es ist eine wunderbare Geschichte) with many exciting roles (mit vielen spannenden Rollen; exciting — aufregend, spannend).'
'How many roles (wie viele Rollen)?' asked Brenda Marsh (fragte Brenda Marsh), who had been in every Millbrook production since 1998 (die seit 1998 in jeder Produktion in Millbrook mitgespielt hatte: „in jeder Millbrook-Produktion gewesen war“).
'Twelve (zwölf),' Gerald said (sagte Gerald).
Everyone counted the actors in the room (alle zählten die Schauspieler im Raum). Everyone arrived at seven (alle kamen auf sieben; to arrive at something — bei etw. ankommen; /hier:/ auf etw. kommen).
'Right,' Gerald said. 'Welcome, everyone. Thank you for coming. As you know, we'll be performing Cinderella this Christmas. It's a wonderful story with many exciting roles.'
'How many roles?' asked Brenda Marsh, who had been in every Millbrook production since 1998.
'Twelve,' Gerald said.
Everyone counted the actors in the room. Everyone arrived at seven.
'We'll double up (wir übernehmen Doppelrollen; to double up — sich etw. teilen, sich zusammentun; /hier:/ mehrere Rollen spielen),' Gerald said brightly (sagte Gerald munter; brightly — hell, strahlend; /hier:/ munter, fröhlich). 'Some of you will play two parts (einige von euch spielen zwei Rollen; part — Teil, Rolle). Perhaps three (vielleicht drei).'
'I'm not playing a mouse (ich spiele keine Maus),' said Dave Wilkins (sagte Dave Wilkins). Dave was six foot four (Dave maß sechs Fuß vier /Zoll/ /etwa 1,93 m/: „war sechs Fuß vier“) and worked at the building site (und arbeitete auf der Baustelle; building site — Baustelle). He had come (er war gekommen) because his wife had told him to (weil seine Frau es von ihm verlangt hatte: „ihm gesagt hatte zu“; to tell someone to + Inf. — jdm. sagen, er solle etw. tun; /das to steht hier für to come/).
'We'll double up,' Gerald said brightly. 'Some of you will play two parts. Perhaps three.'
'I'm not playing a mouse,' said Dave Wilkins. Dave was six foot four and worked at the building site. He had come because his wife had told him to.
'Nobody is playing a mouse, Dave (niemand spielt eine Maus, Dave). There are no mice in our version (in unserer Fassung gibt es keine Mäuse; mouse).'
'There are mice in Cinderella (in Cinderella gibt es Mäuse),' Brenda said (sagte Brenda). 'They pull the coach (sie ziehen die Kutsche; coach — Kutsche, Karosse).'
'Not in our version (nicht in unserer Fassung).'
'What pulls the coach (was zieht die Kutsche)?'
'We don't have a coach (wir haben keine Kutsche).'
'What kind of Cinderella doesn't have a coach (was ist das für eine Cinderella, die keine Kutsche hat: „welche Art von Cinderella hat keine Kutsche“)?'
Gerald's left eye twitched (Geralds linkes Auge zuckte). 'The kind that has seven actors, Brenda (eine, die sieben Schauspieler hat, Brenda: „die Art, die“).'
'Nobody is playing a mouse, Dave. There are no mice in our version.'
'There are mice in Cinderella,' Brenda said. 'They pull the coach.'
'Not in our version.'
'What pulls the coach?'
'We don't have a coach.'
'What kind of Cinderella doesn't have a coach?'
Gerald's left eye twitched. 'The kind that has seven actors, Brenda.'
The casting took two hours (die Rollenbesetzung dauerte zwei Stunden; to take + Zeitraum — dauern). Gerald had prepared a careful plan (Gerald hatte einen sorgfältigen Plan ausgearbeitet: „vorbereitet“). The plan lasted eight minutes (der Plan hielt acht Minuten; to last — dauern, halten) before collapsing entirely (bevor /er/ völlig zusammenbrach; to collapse — zusammenbrechen). Brenda wanted to play the Fairy Godmother (Brenda wollte die gute Fee spielen: „die Feen-Patin“). Dave's wife Karen wanted to play Cinderella (Daves Frau Karen wollte Cinderella spielen). Dave did not want to play anything (Dave wollte nichts spielen; not … anything — nichts), but Gerald needed him (aber Gerald brauchte ihn) because he was the only person tall enough (weil er als Einziger groß genug war: „die einzige Person, groß genug“) to be the back end of the pantomime horse (um das Hinterteil des Pferdekostüms /für zwei Darsteller, einer vorn, einer hinten/ zu spielen: „das hintere Ende des Pantomime-Pferds zu sein“; pantomime — Weihnachtsmärchen /auf der Bühne/).
'I'm not being the back end of a horse (ich spiele nicht das Hinterteil eines Pferdes: „ich bin nicht das hintere Ende eines Pferdes“),' Dave said (sagte Dave).
'It's a very important role (das ist eine sehr wichtige Rolle),' Gerald said (sagte Gerald).
'It's a backside (das ist ein Hintern).'
'It's a theatrical backside (das ist ein theatralischer Hintern).'
The casting took two hours. Gerald had prepared a careful plan. The plan lasted eight minutes before collapsing entirely. Brenda wanted to play the Fairy Godmother. Dave's wife Karen wanted to play Cinderella. Dave did not want to play anything, but Gerald needed him because he was the only person tall enough to be the back end of the pantomime horse.
'I'm not being the back end of a horse,' Dave said.
'It's a very important role,' Gerald said.
'It's a backside.'
'It's a theatrical backside.'
The biggest surprise was Malcolm Price (die größte Überraschung war Malcolm Price). Malcolm was sixty-three (Malcolm war dreiundsechzig), retired (im Ruhestand; to retire — sich zurückziehen, in Rente gehen), and had never acted in anything (und hatte noch nie Theater gespielt: „hatte nie in irgendetwas geschauspielert“; to act — handeln, schauspielern). He walked in during the second hour (er kam in der zweiten Stunde herein; to walk in — hereinkommen; during — während), sat down quietly (setzte sich still hin; to sit down — sich hinsetzen), and said (und sagte): 'I'd like to play the Dame (ich würde gern die Dame /im Weihnachtsmärchen die komische Rolle einer älteren Frau, traditionell von einem Mann gespielt/ spielen).'
The biggest surprise was Malcolm Price. Malcolm was sixty-three, retired, and had never acted in anything. He walked in during the second hour, sat down quietly, and said: 'I'd like to play the Dame.'
Everyone turned to look at him (alle drehten sich nach ihm um: „drehten sich, um ihn anzusehen“). Malcolm was a tall, thin man (Malcolm war ein großer, dünner Mann) with grey hair and reading glasses (mit grauen Haaren und Lesebrille; glasses — Brille: „Gläser“). He looked like an accountant (er sah aus wie ein Buchhalter; to look like — aussehen wie; account — Konto, Rechnung). He had, in fact, been an accountant (er war tatsächlich Buchhalter gewesen; in fact — in der Tat, tatsächlich).
'The Dame (die Dame)?' Gerald said (sagte Gerald). 'You mean the Ugly Stepmother (du meinst die hässliche Stiefmutter)?'
'The Wicked Stepmother, yes (die böse Stiefmutter, ja; wicked — böse, boshaft). In the dress and the wig (im Kleid und mit Perücke: „in dem Kleid und der Perücke“). I've always wanted to try it (das wollte ich schon immer einmal ausprobieren).'
Everyone turned to look at him. Malcolm was a tall, thin man with grey hair and reading glasses. He looked like an accountant. He had, in fact, been an accountant.
'The Dame?' Gerald said. 'You mean the Ugly Stepmother?'
'The Wicked Stepmother, yes. In the dress and the wig. I've always wanted to try it.'
Gerald stared at him (Gerald starrte ihn an). Malcolm stared back (Malcolm starrte zurück), perfectly calm (vollkommen ruhig).
'Have you ever acted before, Malcolm (hast du schon einmal Theater gespielt, Malcolm: „jemals vorher geschauspielert“)?'
'No (nein). But I've attended forty-seven pantomimes (aber ich habe siebenundvierzig Weihnachtsmärchen gesehen: „besucht“; to attend — besuchen, teilnehmen an). I know exactly how it should be done (ich weiß genau, wie man es machen muss: „wie es getan werden sollte“).'
Gerald looked at Malcolm (Gerald sah Malcolm an). He looked at his list of seven actors and twelve roles (er sah auf seine Liste mit sieben Schauspielern und zwölf Rollen). He looked at his twitching eye in the reflection of his clipboard (er sah sein zuckendes Auge in der Spiegelung seines Klemmbretts an; to twitch — zucken).
'Welcome to the company, Malcolm (willkommen im Ensemble, Malcolm; company — Gesellschaft, Truppe),' he said (sagte er).
Gerald stared at him. Malcolm stared back, perfectly calm.
'Have you ever acted before, Malcolm?'
'No. But I've attended forty-seven pantomimes. I know exactly how it should be done.'
Gerald looked at Malcolm. He looked at his list of seven actors and twelve roles. He looked at his twitching eye in the reflection of his clipboard.
'Welcome to the company, Malcolm,' he said.