I was asked for directions today, by a young man in a car and who had an electronic gadget on his ear with blue lights which made him look part cyborg. I was quite pleased that my instinctive reaction was to reply with "Weiß nicht, sorry". The "sorry" was a bit English, but the rest wasn't and I think it still works. At least, I heard "sorry" said in a German movie once. The other way I know how to say sorry, "Es tut mir Leid", could be literally translated (by me) as "It causes me sorrow" - which, under the circumstances, I think would have been overstating my feelings somewhat. I was none too bothered.
I also wasn't actually entirely sure what he had said, but since I know so little in this country, "I don't know" was almost certainly the correct answer. I merely figured out from his gestures and a few word fragments that he probably wanted to get somewhere ending in "Heim", and he wanted to get there quickly so that the girl in the passenger seat wouldn't think of him as a complete moonbeam and leave him the instant when they finally would arrive.
2 comments:
I was once asked for directions in Wroclaw by a Polish lorry-driver at 3am (or at least that's how I interpreted the situation). I was about as helpful as you were. Poor bloke must have thought anyone walking around Wroclaw at that time of night must be local.
Barney
Most impressed by your German, cuz. Not that I would know whether it's correct or not - but it looks good to me. Use of the subjunctive and everything. I think.
And as for you, Barn, it's odd, isn't it?
Since then, people are going to even greater lengths to have me tell them that I don't know where they should go. One girl actually found me in my office and came in to ask me.
Another man yesterday morning got out of his car, shouted, and then ran across the road to get me to explain I hadn't a clue - furthermore, I didn't even know what he was saying at all.
Very odd indeed.
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