Fluent Fiction - Danish: From Fear to Triumph: Niels' Journey to the Top of København
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/da/episode/2025-10-24-07-38-20-da

Story Transcript:

Da: Niels stod i den glitrende elevator.
En: Niels stood in the glistening elevator.

Da: Han kiggede på sit spejlbillede i glasset.
En: He looked at his reflection in the glass.

Da: Hjertet hamrede i hans bryst.
En: His heart pounded in his chest.

Da: Hvorfor havde han sagt ja til dette møde på toppen af København?
En: Why had he said yes to this meeting at the top of København?

Da: Han var arkitekt, ikke eventyrer.
En: He was an architect, not an adventurer.

Da: De andre, Astrid og Johan, var allerede deroppe.
En: The others, Astrid and Johan, were already up there.

Da: De ventede på ham.
En: They were waiting for him.

Da: Det var efterår, og vinden hylede udenfor.
En: It was autumn, and the wind howled outside.

Da: Byen nedenfor var oplyst af tusindvis af lys, nu dækket af et tæppe af truende mørke skyer.
En: The city below was lit by thousands of lights, now covered by a blanket of threatening dark clouds.

Da: Pludselig blinkede lyset, og så blev alt helt sort.
En: Suddenly, the light flickered, and then everything went completely black.

Da: Elevatoren stoppede.
En: The elevator stopped.

Da: Niels kunne mærke panikken krybe op ad ryggen.
En: Niels could feel panic creeping up his spine.

Da: Hvordan kunne det ske?
En: How could this happen?

Da: I en moderne bygning som denne?
En: In a modern building like this?

Da: Han stod stille, omgivet af glas, som om han svævede i luften over København.
En: He stood still, surrounded by glass, as if he were floating in the air above København.

Da: Niels kunne se regnen piske mod ruderne.
En: Niels could see the rain lashing against the windows.

Da: Han trak vejret dybt.
En: He took a deep breath.

Da: Han måtte bevare roen.
En: He had to stay calm.

Da: Men tanken om at skulle sidde fast her, halvt oppe og halvt nede, var næsten ubærlig.
En: But the thought of being stuck here, halfway up and halfway down, was almost unbearable.

Da: "Hvad skal jeg gøre?"
En: "What should I do?"

Da: tænkte han.
En: he thought.

Da: Han kunne ringe til Johan, bygningens manager, og indrømme sin frygt.
En: He could call Johan, the building manager, and admit his fear.

Da: Det var ydmygende, men måske var det den eneste mulighed.
En: It was humiliating, but maybe it was the only option.

Da: Han satte en hånd i lommen og tog sin telefon frem.
En: He put a hand in his pocket and took out his phone.

Da: Hans fingre rystede, da han fandt Johans nummer.
En: His fingers trembled as he found Johan's number.

Da: "Hej, Niels?"
En: "Hello, Niels?"

Da: Johans stemme var venlig, men Niels kunne næsten ikke få ordene frem.
En: Johan's voice was friendly, but Niels could barely get the words out.

Da: "Vi har mistet strømmen.
En: "We've lost power.

Da: Er du okay?"
En: Are you okay?"

Da: "Johan, jeg...
En: "Johan, I...

Da: Jeg er i elevatoren.
En: I'm in the elevator.

Da: Jeg er...
En: I'm...

Da: Jeg er bange for højder."
En: I'm afraid of heights."

Da: Niels stemme var lav og skælvende.
En: Niels' voice was low and trembling.

Da: Han ventede på, hvad Johan ville sige.
En: He waited to hear what Johan would say.

Da: "Det er okay, Niels.
En: "It's okay, Niels.

Da: Du er ikke alene.
En: You're not alone.

Da: Vi skal nok få dig ned eller op.
En: We'll get you down or up.

Da: Vi arbejder på at få strømmen tilbage."
En: We're working on getting the power back."

Da: Lindringen i Niels' krop var næsten øjeblikkelig.
En: The relief in Niels' body was almost immediate.

Da: Det var godt at vide, at nogen vidste, hvor han var, og at han ikke skulle kæmpe alene.
En: It was good to know that someone knew where he was and that he didn't have to struggle alone.

Da: Uden at skamme sig mere indså Niels, at ved at indrømme sin frygt tillod han andre at hjælpe ham.
En: Without shame, Niels realized that by admitting his fear, he allowed others to help him.

Da: Uden varsel startede elevatoren igen.
En: Without warning, the elevator started again.

Da: Lysene tændtes, og langsomt begyndte den at køre.
En: The lights came on, and slowly it began to move.

Da: Niels lukkede øjnene et øjeblik, før han åbnet dem for at se byens lys komme tættere og tættere på ham.
En: Niels closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to see the city's lights coming closer and closer to him.

Da: Da han nåede toppen, ventede Astrid og Johan med smil.
En: When he reached the top, Astrid and Johan were waiting with smiles.

Da: "Velkommen til toppen," sagde Astrid.
En: "Welcome to the top," said Astrid.

Da: Niels trådte ud af elevatoren.
En: Niels stepped out of the elevator.

Da: Han følte sig stærkere, mere selvsikker.
En: He felt stronger, more confident.

Da: Det var ikke hans frygt, der definerede ham, men hans mod til at konfrontere den.
En: It was not his fear that defined him, but his courage to confront it.

Da: Han kunne mærke vinden på tagterrassen, men nu føltes den som en ven.
En: He could feel the wind on the rooftop terrace, but now it felt like a friend.

Da: Niels havde nået toppen – både af bygningen og af sin egen styrke.
En: Niels had reached the top – both of the building and of his own strength.


Vocabulary Words:

• glistening: glitrende
• reflection: spejlbillede
• pounded: hamrede
• adventurer: eventyrer
• howled: hylede
• blanket: tæppe
• threatening: truende
• flickered: blinkede
• panic: panik
• creeping: krybe
• spine: ryggen
• unbearable: ubærlig
• admit: indrømme
• humiliating: ydmygende
• trembled: rystede
• lost: mistet
• power: strømmen
• relief: lindring
• struggle: kæmpe
• without shame: uden at skamme sig
• warn: varsel
• confident: selvsikker
• defined: definerede
• courage: mod
• confront: konfrontere
• terrace: tagterrassen
• admit: indrømme
• lashed: piske
• rooftop: tagterrase
• shame: skam