Day 2: Saturday Morning Drill Diplomacy
At nine on a Saturday morning in a Moscow high-rise, a retired engineer goes up one floor to ask the young man renovating his flat to stop drilling.
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
Доброе утро, я ваш сосед снизу, Геннадий Павлович. Не могли бы вы хоть в субботу обойтись без перфоратора?
Good morning, I'm your downstairs neighbour, Gennady Pavlovich. Could you possibly manage without the hammer drill, on a Saturday at least?
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B
Здравствуйте, я Денис. Так ведь в субботу ремонт разрешён с девяти, а сейчас уже пять минут десятого.
Hello, I'm Denis. But on Saturdays renovation is allowed from nine, and it's already five past nine.
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A
Сейчас да. А начали вы, если память мне не изменяет, в восемь, ни свет ни заря.
Now, yes. But you started, if memory serves, at eight, at the crack of dawn.
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B
В восемь я только раствор миксером мешал, это же так, лёгкое жужжание.
At eight I was only mixing mortar with a mixer, that's just a bit of light buzzing.
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A
Это жужжание, уж поверьте, прекрасно действует на нервы через перекрытие. Войдите в положение: мы с женой люди немолодые.
That buzzing, believe me, gets on one's nerves perfectly well through the floor. Put yourself in our position: my wife and I aren't young.
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B
Да я и сам не рад. Третий день долблю стену, а она ни в какую, хоть тресни.
I'm not enjoying it either. I've been hammering at this wall for three days, and it won't give, no matter what I do.
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A
Так вы в арматуру упираетесь. А какую стену сверлите, ту, что к лифту?
Well, you're hitting the rebar. And which wall are you drilling, the one by the lift?
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B
Её самую. Хочу телевизор повесить, а она будто из чугуна отлита.
That very one. I want to hang a TV, and it's like solid cast iron.
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A
Это же несущая, долбите хоть до понедельника. Я эти дома сам проектировал: пустите, покажу, где можно сверлить.
But that's a load-bearing wall, you could hammer at it till Monday and get nowhere. I designed these buildings myself: let me in, I'll show you where you can drill.
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B
Вот это я понимаю, сосед! Проходите, Геннадий Павлович, с меня кофе, а перфоратор пусть отдохнёт.
Now that's what I call a neighbour! Come in, Gennady Pavlovich, the coffee's on me, and the drill can have a rest.
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