Fluent Fiction - Afrikaans: Love Aloft: Lodewyk's Cable Car Misadventure on Table Mountain
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/af/episode/2024-11-15-23-34-02-af

Story Transcript:

Af: Die kabelkar begin stadig beweeg.
En: The cable car begins to move slowly.

Af: Lodewyk, altyd die vriendelike maar lomp toerleier, stap selfversekerd in die rigting van die deur terwyl hy vir die groep toeriste laggend vertel oor die geskiedenis van Tafelberg.
En: Lodewyk, always the friendly but clumsy tour guide, walks confidently toward the door while laughingly telling the group of tourists about the history of Table Mountain.

Af: Sy hart klop effens vinniger vandag, want langs hom staan Marietjie, die slim en aantreklike mede-toerleier.
En: His heart beats slightly faster today because standing next to him is Marietjie, the intelligent and attractive co-guide.

Af: Hy hoop om haar vandag te beïndruk met sy kennis en sjarmante maniere.
En: He hopes to impress her today with his knowledge and charming manners.

Af: Buite is dit lente.
En: Outside, it is spring.

Af: Die blomme besaai die berg soos 'n reënboog kombers.
En: The flowers cover the mountain like a rainbow blanket.

Af: Toeriste skiet foto's van die asemrowende uitsig oor Kaapstad en die oseaan wat in die verte blink.
En: Tourists take pictures of the breathtaking view over Cape Town and the ocean glistening in the distance.

Af: Lodewyk het dit al duisend keer gesien, maar dit vat nooit sy asem weg nie.
En: Lodewyk has seen it a thousand times, but it never ceases to amaze him.

Af: Ongelukkig, soos dit met Lodewyk gaan, loop dinge nie altyd soos beplan nie.
En: Unfortunately, as it often goes with Lodewyk, things don't always go as planned.

Af: Toe die kabelkar begin skuif, voel hy onverwags 'n ruk aan sy voet.
En: When the cable car starts to shift, he unexpectedly feels a tug on his foot.

Af: Sy veters! Sy veters is vasgevang in die deur.
En: His shoelaces! His shoelaces are caught in the door.

Af: Paniek begin in sy bors opstyg, maar hy probeer kalm bly.
En: Panic begins to rise in his chest, but he tries to remain calm.

Af: Hy dink, sal hy hulp roep of self probeer loskom?
En: He wonders whether he should call for help or try to free himself.

Af: Lodewyk besluit om eers self te probeer.
En: Lodewyk decides to try on his own first.

Af: Hy buk en trek aan die knoop, sy vingers sweet en sy voorkop begin blink.
En: He bends down and pulls at the knot, his fingers sweating, and his forehead starting to shine.

Af: Die kabelkar begin vinniger beweeg, en die mense in die kar is besig met selfies en loer deur hulle kameras.
En: The cable car begins to move faster, and the people in the car are busy with selfies and peering through their cameras.

Af: Niemand sien sy gesukkel nie, tot sy vrees en ergernis.
En: Nobody notices his struggle, to his fear and frustration.

Af: "Wat maak jy daar onder, Lodewyk?" vra Marietjie skielik, half geamuseerd.
En: "What are you doing down there, Lodewyk?" asks Marietjie suddenly, half amused.

Af: Die kleur trek hom na die gesig.
En: The color rises in his face.

Af: Hy sug diep en gee op die idee van self-heroïes wees.
En: He sighs deeply and gives up the idea of being self-heroic.

Af: Met 'n klein bietjie verleentheid, maar ook 'n knipoog, roep hy: "Ek dink ek kort bietjie hulp hier!"
En: With a little bit of embarrassment, but also a wink, he calls out, "I think I need a little help here!"

Af: Jaco, 'n bekwame werknemer van die kabelmaatskappy, kom dadelik nader.
En: Jaco, a capable employee of the cable company, comes over immediately.

Af: Hy hou die ritmiese bewegings van die kar sowel as die toeriste in gedagte.
En: He keeps the rhythmic movements of the car as well as the tourists in mind.

Af: Met vaardige vingers begin hy Lodewyk se vasgeknopte probleem oplos.
En: With skilled fingers, he begins to solve Lodewyk's entangled problem.

Af: "Vandag is jy 'n held, Jaco," sê Lodewyk dankbaar, terwyl hy sy voet vry kry.
En: "You're a hero today, Jaco," says Lodewyk gratefully, as he frees his foot.

Af: Die hele kabelkar bars uit in lag, selfs Marietjie laat 'n laggie ontsnap.
En: The entire cable car bursts into laughter, even Marietjie lets out a giggle.

Af: Die hoop wat in sy hart was, kry weer lewe.
En: The hope that was in his heart comes to life again.

Af: Met sy vryheid herwin, staan Lodewyk regop.
En: Having regained his freedom, Lodewyk stands up.

Af: Hy skud sy kop en vertel aan die toeriste storie.
En: He shakes his head and tells the tourists the story.

Af: Hy draai sy verleentheid in 'n snaakse verslag, en die mense lag nog harder.
En: He turns his embarrassment into a funny tale, and the people laugh even harder.

Af: Selfs Marietjie glimlag breed en haar oë blink.
En: Even Marietjie smiles broadly, and her eyes sparkle.

Af: Lodewyk leer vandag iets belangrik.
En: Lodewyk learns something important today.

Af: Sy klumsigheid is nie sy vyand nie, maar sy unieke manier van interaksie met mense.
En: His clumsiness is not his enemy, but his unique way of interacting with people.

Af: Marietjie loop na hom toe en sê: "Eerlikheid is altyd beter as perfek wees, Lodewyk."
En: Marietjie walks over to him and says, "Honesty is always better than being perfect, Lodewyk."

Af: Haar woorde bly by hom soos 'n kosbare les.
En: Her words stay with him as a precious lesson.

Af: Namate die kabelkar die einde van sy rit nader, weet Lodewyk dat hy meer as net 'n dag oorleef het; hy het 'n vriendskap versterk en 'n storie gevind.
En: As the cable car approaches the end of its ride, Lodewyk knows he has survived more than just a day; he has strengthened a friendship and found a story.

Af: En dalk, net dalk, 'n kans om sinvol by iemand se harte indruk te maak, ook Marietjie s'n.
En: And perhaps, just perhaps, a chance to make a meaningful impression on someone's heart, including Marietjie's.


Vocabulary Words:

• cable car: kabelkar
• clumsy: lomp
• confidently: selfversekerd
• impress: beïndruk
• glistening: blink
• amazes: vat weg
• unexpectedly: onverwags
• tug: ruk
• shoelaces: veters
• panic: paniek
• fingers: vingers
• sweating: sweet
• self-heroic: self-heroïes
• embarrassment: verleentheid
• wink: knipoog
• capable: bekwame
• entangled: vasgeknopte
• gratefully: dankbaar
• giggle: laggie
• broadly: breed
• sparkle: blink
• clumsiness: klumsigheid
• enemy: vyand
• honesty: eerlikheid
• precious: kosbare
• approaches: nader
• strengthened: versterk
• meaningful: sinvol
• impression: indruk
• foresight: verafsig