Fluent Fiction - Afrikaans: Unlikely Allies: Scientist & Gamekeeper's Quest to Save Knysna
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Story Transcript:

Af: Die Knysna-woud was 'n plek van wonder en misterie.
En: The Knysna forest was a place of wonder and mystery.

Af: Die ou bome wieg in die winterwind, hul blare suising soos sagte fluisteringe.
En: The old trees swayed in the winter wind, their leaves whispering softly.

Af: Dit was in hierdie woud waar Leandra, 'n ywerige omgewingswetenskaplike, en Pieter, 'n ervare wildbewaarder, mekaar ontmoet het.
En: It was in this forest where Leandra, an enthusiastic environmental scientist, and Pieter, an experienced gamekeeper, met each other.

Af: Leandra het net voor dagbreek aangekom.
En: Leandra arrived just before dawn.

Af: Die lug was skerp en koud, en sy het haar serp stywer om haar nek getrek.
En: The air was sharp and cold, and she pulled her scarf tighter around her neck.

Af: Vandag was Vrouedag, en sy was vasbeslote om haarself te bewys in hierdie mans-gedomineerde veld.
En: Today was Women's Day, and she was determined to prove herself in this male-dominated field.

Af: Sy het haar wetenskaplike toerusting styf vasgehou en diep asemgehaal.
En: She held her scientific equipment tightly and took a deep breath.

Af: Pieter het haar van 'n afstand waargeneem.
En: Pieter observed her from a distance.

Af: Hy het sy arms voor sy bors gevou en gefrons.
En: He folded his arms across his chest and frowned.

Af: Hierdie wetenskaplikes het selde begrip vir die fyn balans van die woud.
En: These scientists seldom understood the delicate balance of the forest.

Af: Maar vandag, moes hy hierdie jong vrou vergesel.
En: But today, he had to accompany this young woman.

Af: Hy het 'n pligsbesef gehad, maar sy skeptisisme was duidelik.
En: He felt a sense of duty, but his skepticism was clear.

Af: "Hou jy van die woud?
En: "Do you like the forest?"

Af: " vra Pieter met 'n skeptiese toon.
En: Pieter asked with a skeptical tone.

Af: "Baie," antwoord Leandra.
En: "Very much," Leandra replied.

Af: "Dis hoekom ek hier is.
En: "That's why I'm here.

Af: Ek wil data insamel vir 'n subsidie voorstel.
En: I want to collect data for a grant proposal.

Af: Dit kan help om die woud te bewaar.
En: It can help preserve the forest."

Af: "Pieter het gemompel en hulle het die pad verder ingeslaan.
En: Pieter mumbled, and they continued down the path.

Af: Die grond was klam en glad.
En: The ground was damp and slippery.

Af: Hier en daar kon jy die roep van 'n loerie hoor, en die reuk van nat mos was sterk in die lug.
En: Here and there you could hear the call of a turaco, and the smell of wet moss was strong in the air.

Af: Leandra het stadig beweeg, elke plant en insek opgeteken.
En: Leandra moved slowly, recording every plant and insect.

Af: Pieter het op haar gewag, ongeduldig.
En: Pieter waited for her, impatient.

Af: Hy wou nie hê hierdie wetenskaplike pogings moes die woud skade berokken nie.
En: He did not want these scientific efforts to harm the forest.

Af: "Jy beweeg te stadig," sê hy.
En: "You're moving too slowly," he said.

Af: "Ons sal nooit voor skemer klaar maak nie.
En: "We’ll never finish before dusk."

Af: ""Elke detail is belangrik," sê sy met 'n glimlag.
En: "Every detail is important," she said with a smile.

Af: "As ons hierdie subsidie kry, kan ons die hele woud beskerm.
En: "If we get this grant, we can protect the entire forest."

Af: "Hulle het aangegaan, en deur die dag het Leandra probeer om met Pieter te praat.
En: They continued, and throughout the day Leandra tried to talk to Pieter.

Af: Sy het vrae gevra oor die woud, die diere, en sy ervarings as 'n wildbewaarder.
En: She asked questions about the forest, the animals, and his experiences as a gamekeeper.

Af: Stuk vir stuk het sy sy vertroue begin wen.
En: Bit by bit, she began to earn his trust.

Af: Skielik hoor hulle 'n sagte kerm.
En: Suddenly, they heard a soft whimper.

Af: Hulle stop en luister.
En: They stopped and listened.

Af: Pieter het vinnig gereageer en hulle na die klank gelui.
En: Pieter quickly reacted and led them to the sound.

Af: Daar, onder 'n groot boom, was 'n beseerde Knysna-dwergspookdiertjie.
En: There, under a large tree, was an injured Knysna dwarf chameleon.

Af: Die klein diertjie het pyn gehad.
En: The little creature was in pain.

Af: Leandra het haar mediese toerusting uit haar rugsak gehaal.
En: Leandra took her medical kit out of her backpack.

Af: "Ons moet hom help," sê sy, vasberade.
En: "We need to help him," she said, determined.

Af: Pieter het gekniel en sy hande liggies oor die diertjie beweeg.
En: Pieter knelt and gently moved his hands over the creature.

Af: Hy het sy skeptisisme eenkant geskuif.
En: He set aside his skepticism.

Af: Nou het hulle saamgewerk.
En: Now they worked together.

Af: Met geduld en vaardigheid het hulle die diertjie behandel.
En: With patience and skill, they treated the creature.

Af: Leandra se kennis en Pieter se ervaring het 'n kragtige span gevorm.
En: Leandra’s knowledge and Pieter’s experience formed a powerful team.

Af: Hulle het gesukkel, maar uiteindelik het die dwergspookdiertjie weer begin beweeg.
En: They struggled, but eventually, the dwarf chameleon began to move again.

Af: Pieter het na Leandra gekyk, sy oë vol nuwe waardering.
En: Pieter looked at Leandra, his eyes full of new appreciation.

Af: "Jy het goeie werk gedoen," erken hy.
En: "You did a good job," he acknowledged.

Af: "Jy gee werklik om vir die woud.
En: "You truly care about the forest."

Af: ""Ek kon dit nie sonder jou gedoen het nie," glimlag Leandra.
En: "I couldn’t have done it without you," Leandra smiled.

Af: In daardie oomblik het die skeptisisme verdamp.
En: In that moment, the skepticism evaporated.

Af: Hulle het die res van die survey voltooi, en Pieter het Leandra gehelp soos 'n vertroude vennoot.
En: They completed the rest of the survey, and Pieter helped Leandra like a trusted partner.

Af: Hulle het meer as genoeg data ingesamel.
En: They collected more than enough data.

Af: Aan die einde van die dag, terwyl die son ondergegaan het, het Pieter na Leandra gekyk.
En: At the end of the day, as the sun set, Pieter looked at Leandra.

Af: "Ek dink ons kan goed saamwerk.
En: "I think we can work well together.

Af: Miskien moet ons nog projekte saam aanpak.
En: Maybe we should tackle more projects together."

Af: "Leandra het geantwoord, "Dit sal 'n eer wees.
En: Leandra replied, "It would be an honor.

Af: Dankie, Pieter.
En: Thank you, Pieter."

Af: "En so het 'n nuwe vennootskap begin.
En: And so a new partnership began.

Af: Leandra het die waarde van plaaslike kennis en wysheid geleer, en Pieter het die deur vir wetenskaplike samewerking oopgemaak, beide met die woud se beste belange in gedagte.
En: Leandra learned the value of local knowledge and wisdom, and Pieter opened the door for scientific collaboration, both with the forest’s best interests at heart.


Vocabulary Words:

• wonder: wonder
• mystery: misterie
• swayed: wieg
• whispering: fluisteringe
• enthusiastic: ywerige
• environmental: omgewings
• gamekeeper: wildbewaarder
• dawn: dagbreek
• scar: serp
• determined: vasbeslote
• male-dominated: mans-gedomineerde
• sharp: skerp
• seldom: selde
• delicate: fyn
• balance: balans
• seldom: mompel
• damp: klam
• slippery: glad
• turaco: loerie
• moss: mos
• recording: opgeteken
• impatient: ongeduldig
• grant: subsidie
• proposal: voorstel
• survey: survey
• hesitation: skeptisisme
• injured: beseerde
• determined: vasberade
• appreciation: waardering
• honor: eer