Fluent Fiction - Afrikaans: Bridging History: Cape Town's Quest for Understanding
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/bridging-history-cape-towns-quest-for-understanding-2

Story Transcript:

Af: Die wind waai koud deur die strate van Kaapstad, en digte wolke maak die lug grys.
En: The wind blows cold through the streets of Cape Town, and thick clouds make the sky gray.

Af: Binne die Iziko Suid-Afrikaanse Museum is dit egter warm en stil.
En: Inside the Iziko South African Museum, however, it is warm and quiet.

Af: Pieter stap deur die groot sale, sy skoene klik-klak teen die houtvloere.
En: Pieter walks through the large halls, his shoes click-clacking on the wooden floors.

Af: Hy is trots op die museum, trots op die geskiedenis wat dit vertoon.
En: He is proud of the museum, proud of the history it displays.

Af: Maar vandag voel hy 'n onrus binne hom.
En: But today, he feels a restlessness within him.

Af: Aan die ander kant van die stad, sit Marietjie in 'n koffiewinkel.
En: On the other side of the city, Marietjie sits in a coffee shop.

Af: Haar vingers tik vinnig op haar rekenaar.
En: Her fingers type rapidly on her computer.

Af: Sy is opgewonde en vasberade.
En: She is excited and determined.

Af: Die artefak wat Pieter beskerm, is 'n simbool van 'n seer verlede.
En: The artifact that Pieter protects is a symbol of a painful past.

Af: Sy glo dit behoort nie in die museum te staan nie.
En: She believes it should not remain in the museum.

Af: Toe die museum die artefak tentoongestel het, het dit 'n storm van kritiek ontketen.
En: When the museum exhibited the artifact, it sparked a storm of criticism.

Af: Mense het in die strate betoog, en plakkate is orals gesien.
En: People protested in the streets, and posters were seen everywhere.

Af: Pieter het probeer om die publiek se woede te verstaan, maar hy kon dit nie heeltemal begryp nie.
En: Pieter tried to understand the public's anger, but he couldn't fully grasp it.

Af: Vir hom was die artefak 'n deel van die geskiedenis, iets om te leer en te verstaan.
En: To him, the artifact was a part of history, something to learn from and understand.

Af: Pieter het besluit om 'n publieke forum te reël.
En: Pieter decided to organize a public forum.

Af: Hy het gedink hulle kan daaroor praat, misverstande oplos.
En: He thought they could talk about it, resolve misunderstandings.

Af: Marietjie het dit as 'n kans gesien om haar stem te laat hoor.
En: Marietjie saw it as an opportunity to have her voice heard.

Af: Sy het lank hierop gewag, en sy was gereed om haar bes te doen.
En: She had waited long for this, and she was ready to do her best.

Af: Die saal was vol mense.
En: The hall was full of people.

Af: Pieter het na al die gesigte gekyk.
En: Pieter looked at all the faces.

Af: Hy was senuweeagtig, maar hy het sy stem helder gemaak.
En: He was nervous, but he steadied his voice.

Af: "Dankie dat julle hier is," het hy begin.
En: "Thank you for being here," he began.

Af: "Hierdie artefak het 'n storie. Kom ons luister daarna."
En: "This artifact has a story. Let's listen to it."

Af: Marietjie het opgestaan.
En: Marietjie stood up.

Af: "Hierdie storie doen seer," het sy gesê.
En: "This story causes pain," she said.

Af: "Ons moet dink oor wat dit beteken vir die mense van vandag."
En: "We need to think about what it means for the people of today."

Af: Die gesprek was lank en intens.
En: The conversation was long and intense.

Af: Mense het gepraat, vrese en gevoelens gedeel.
En: People spoke, sharing fears and feelings.

Af: Pieter het geluister, en hy het begin verstaan.
En: Pieter listened, and he began to understand.

Af: Die artefak het meer beteken as hy eers besef het.
En: The artifact meant more than he had initially realized.

Af: Dit was nie net geskiedenis nie; dit was 'n sleutel tot genesing, 'n manier om ou wonde te erken en te respekt.
En: It was not just history; it was a key to healing, a way to acknowledge and respect old wounds.

Af: Na 'n paar uur het Pieter en Marietjie saam met ander 'n besluit geneem.
En: After a few hours, Pieter and Marietjie, along with others, made a decision.

Af: Hulle sou 'n plaket langs die artefak plaas.
En: They would place a plaque next to the artifact.

Af: Dit sou beide die geskiedenis en die pyn daarvan verduidelik.
En: It would explain both the history and the pain associated with it.

Af: So kon mense leer en verstaan.
En: This way, people could learn and understand.

Af: Toe die vergadering eindig, het Pieter na Marietjie gekyk.
En: When the meeting ended, Pieter looked at Marietjie.

Af: "Dankie," het hy sag gesê.
En: "Thank you," he said softly.

Af: Sy het terug geglimlag.
En: She smiled back.

Af: "Dit is net die begin," het sy geantwoord.
En: "This is just the beginning," she replied.

Af: Buite het die koue wind nog gewaai, maar binne het Pieter 'n warmte gevoel.
En: Outside, the cold wind was still blowing, but inside, Pieter felt a warmth.

Af: Hy het iets belangriks geleer.
En: He had learned something important.

Af: Geskiedenis kon nie net bewaard word nie; dit moes ook verstaan en gerespekteer word.
En: History could not simply be preserved; it also had to be understood and respected.

Af: Dit was 'n les wat hy nooit sou vergeet nie.
En: It was a lesson he would never forget.


Vocabulary Words:

• blows: waai
• thick: dikte
• exhibited: tentoongestel
• criticism: kritiek
• protests: betoog
• posters: plakkate
• grasps: begryp
• restlessness: onrus
• artifact: artefak
• determined: vasberade
• symbol: simbool
• painful: seer
• resolve: oplos
• intense: intens
• acknowledge: erken
• respect: respekt
• steady: helder
• floor: houtsvloere
• misunderstanding: misverstande
• opportunity: kans
• plaque: plaket
• fears: vrese
• wounds: wonde
• shared: gedeel
• decided: besluit
• explained: verduidelik
• ending: eindig
• cold: koue
• inside: binne
• understand: verstaan