Day 16: Grandpa Argues with the Assistant
In a flat in Vologda, a schoolboy sets up a voice assistant on his grandfather's new smartphone, and the grandfather, a retired railwayman, tries it out.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title.
- Read the dialogue and its translation. The audio for this lesson is coming soon.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Russian audio, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio for this lesson is coming soon. For now, read the dialogue and its translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day
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A
Всё, дед, приложения обновил, голосовой помощник настроил: говоришь в телефон, и он сам всё находит.
Done, Grandad, I've updated the apps and set up the voice assistant: you talk into the phone and it finds everything itself.
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B
Сам, говоришь? Ну-ка, проверим: милок, где у нас в субботу кино крутят?
By itself, you say? Let's test it: sonny, where are they showing pictures on Saturday?
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A
Дед, он тебе песни группы «Кино» включил. Говори современно: «Афиша кинотеатров Вологды на субботу».
Grandad, it's put on songs by the band Kino for you. Talk the modern way: 'Vologda cinema listings for Saturday.'
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B
Это что ж, мне с этой железякой телеграммами разговаривать, без «здрасьте» и «пожалуйста»? Всю жизнь говорил «кино крутят», и все понимали.
What, am I supposed to talk to this piece of tin in telegrams, without 'hello' and 'please'? All my life I've said 'showing pictures', and everyone understood.
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A
С ним так и надо: коротко и по делу, он же программа, а не справочная. И не бубни, а то не расслышит.
That's how you talk to it: short and to the point, it's a program, not an information desk. And don't mutter, or it won't catch what you say.
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B
Это я-то бубню? Я на станции тридцать лет объявления читал, меня на третьем пути слышали!
Me, muttering? I read out the announcements at the station for thirty years, they could hear me on platform three!
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A
Верю, но он не пассажир. Смотри: «Погода, Вологда, завтра», и сразу ответил.
I believe you, but it's not a passenger. Look: 'Weather, Vologda, tomorrow', and it answered at once.
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B
Погоди, дай-ка я. Милок, будь добр, подскажи старику: давеча дождь сулили, мне завтра зонт брать?
Hold on, let me. Sonny, be so kind as to tell an old man: they were promising rain the other day, should I take an umbrella tomorrow?
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A
Ничего себе, понял и ответил: брать, после обеда ливень. Как это он тебя с первого раза?
Wow, it understood and answered: take one, a downpour after lunch. How did it get you first time?
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B
А вот так, внучок: доброе слово и кошке приятно. Вы его командами задёргали, а я с ним по-людски.
Just like that, grandson: a kind word pleases even a cat. You lot have run it ragged with commands, but I talk to it like a human being.
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