Fluent Fiction - Afrikaans: Sunlight Secrets: Unearthing Heritage in a Deserted Warehouse
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/af/episode/2025-09-09-22-34-02-af

Story Transcript:

Af: Die son se lig skeur deur die gebreekte vensters van 'n verlate pakhuis.
En: The sun's light slices through the broken windows of a deserted warehouse.

Af: Dit is lente.
En: It is spring.

Af: Die lug is soet, maar die reuk van roes en oudheid vul die ruimte.
En: The air is sweet, but the smell of rust and antiquity fills the space.

Af: Pieter staan aan die ingang, sy hart klop van opwinding en 'n tikkie angs.
En: Pieter stands at the entrance, his heart beating with excitement and a touch of anxiety.

Af: Langs hom is sy vriende, Anika en Johan.
En: Next to him are his friends, Anika and Johan.

Af: Hulle het gehoor van ‘n verlore artefak wat lig kan werp op 'n ou kultuur.
En: They have heard of a lost artifact that can shed light on an ancient culture.

Af: Dit is die perfekte storie vir Erfenisdag.
En: It is the perfect story for Heritage Day.

Af: Pieter hou 'n ou kaart vas.
En: Pieter holds an old map.

Af: Hy het dit in sy oupa se solder gevind.
En: He found it in his grandfather's attic.

Af: Die kaart lei hom na hierdie plek.
En: The map leads him to this place.

Af: "Ons moet versigtig wees," sê hy, sy stem is ferm maar opgewonde.
En: "We must be careful," he says, his voice firm but excited.

Af: Hulle stap versigtig in, oor die vloer vol wrakke en vergete voorwerpe.
En: They cautiously walk in, over the floor littered with debris and forgotten objects.

Af: "Dít is 'n avontuur, dink jy nie?
En: "This is an adventure, don't you think?"

Af: " vra Anika, haar oë is groot van verwagting.
En: asks Anika, her eyes wide with anticipation.

Af: "Ja, maar ons moet versigtig wees," moed Johan aan, terwyl hy na 'n instortende balk kyk.
En: "Yes, but we must be careful," warns Johan, while looking at a collapsing beam.

Af: Die pakhuis is gevaarlik.
En: The warehouse is dangerous.

Af: Kruisbeams lê geknak, asof die plek te veel van sy eie geheime dra.
En: Crossbeams lie snapped, as if the place bears too many of its own secrets.

Af: Hulle vorder stadig, elke stap is ‘n aksie van waagmoed.
En: They progress slowly, each step is an act of bravery.

Af: Skielik hoor Pieter 'n kraak bokant hom.
En: Suddenly, Pieter hears a creak above him.

Af: Hy spring net betyds weg toe die balke bo hom in duie stort.
En: He jumps away just in time as the beams above him crumble.

Af: "Pasop!
En: "Watch out!"

Af: " roep hy, die stof dans in die lig soos fyn konfytiestukkies.
En: he shouts, the dust dancing in the light like fine pieces of confetti.

Af: Anika en Johan hardloop na hom toe.
En: Anika and Johan run to him.

Af: Nadat hulle weer asem geskep het, kyk hulle verder, gelyk verstom en vasberade.
En: After catching their breath, they look further, equally astonished and determined.

Af: Pieter volg die lyne van die kaart, wat lui dat daar ‘n geheime kompartement is.
En: Pieter follows the lines of the map, which indicates that there is a secret compartment.

Af: Met skielike hoop, gaan hulle na die noordelike hoek.
En: With sudden hope, they head to the northern corner.

Af: Pieter begin die muur aftas.
En: Pieter begins to feel along the wall.

Af: Sy vingers skuur oor 'n sinkplaat en hy luister instinktief vir 'n hol klank.
En: His fingers skim over a sheet of zinc, and he instinctively listens for a hollow sound.

Af: Met 'n druk en ‘n kraak, skuif die plaat weg.
En: With a push and a creak, the sheet slides away.

Af: Agter dit lê 'n versteekte skathuis.
En: Behind it lies a hidden treasure trove.

Af: 'n Klein, maar fyn artefak glim in die flikkerende lig van sy flitslig.
En: A small but exquisite artifact glimmers in the flickering light of his flashlight.

Af: "Ek het dit gevind!
En: "I found it!"

Af: " roep Pieter, sy hande bewe 'n bietjie toe hy die betekenis van sy ontdekking besef.
En: cries Pieter, his hands shaking slightly as he realizes the significance of his discovery.

Af: Die tyd het amper uitgeloop, die donkerte val vinnig.
En: Time is nearly up, darkness falls quickly.

Af: Maar die artefak is hier.
En: But the artifact is here.

Af: Hul missie is geslaag.
En: Their mission is accomplished.

Af: Op Erfenisdag, in die plaaslike gemeenskapsaal, staan Pieter voor die gemeenskap.
En: On Heritage Day, in the local community hall, Pieter stands before the community.

Af: Hy lig die artefak op.
En: He lifts the artifact.

Af: "Hierdie artefak is ‘n skakel," sê hy trots, "tussen ons en ons verlede.
En: "This artifact is a link," he says proudly, "between us and our past."

Af: "Die mense se oë blink, en vir 'n oomblik voel Pieter diep verbind met sy kultuur en geskiedenis.
En: The people's eyes shine, and for a moment, Pieter feels deeply connected to his culture and history.

Af: Deur die avontuur het hy selfvertroue gekry, sy intuïsie is versterk.
En: Through the adventure, he gained confidence, his intuition strengthened.

Af: Sy vriendelike passie het 'n splinternuwe ontsluit.
En: His passion, friendly and newfound, opened up.

Af: Vir Pieter, Anika en Johan was hierdie avontuur meer as net om 'n stukkie geskiedenis te vind.
En: For Pieter, Anika, and Johan, this adventure was more than just finding a piece of history.

Af: Dit was die ontdekking van die skoonheid van hul eie erfenis.
En: It was the discovery of the beauty of their own heritage.

Af: En dit, besef Pieter, is die ware skat.
En: And that, Pieter realizes, is the true treasure.


Vocabulary Words:

• deserted: verlate
• artifact: artefak
• anxiety: angs
• excavation: opgrawing
• beams: balk
• shadowy: skaduryke
• treasure trove: skathuis
• exquisite: fyn
• flickering: flikkerende
• intuition: intuïsie
• slices: skeur
• antiquity: oudheid
• collapsing: instortende
• crossbeams: kruisbeams
• debris: wrakke
• clutter: warboel
• confetti: konfytiestukkies
• astonished: verstom
• determined: vasberade
• instinctively: instinktief
• compartment: kompartement
• hollow: hol
• significance: betekenis
• link: skakel
• bravery: waagmoed
• anticipation: verwagtende
• adventure: avontuur
• conundrum: raaisel
• glallows: vloekboodskappe
• heritage: erfenis