Day 27: One Screw Too Many
In his son's new flat in Krasnodar, a retired builder helps his son put together a flat-pack wardrobe and refuses to open the instructions.
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
Пап, ну глянь хоть одним глазом в инструкцию. Там сорок шагов, и все с картинками.
Dad, at least take a quick look at the instructions. There are forty steps, and all with pictures.
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B
Я тридцать лет дома строил, а ты мне шкаф по картинкам собирать предлагаешь? Держи лучше боковину.
I built houses for thirty years, and you want me to put a wardrobe together from pictures? Just hold the side panel.
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A
Держу. Вот послушай: «Вставить деталь Б в отверстие для счастливой сборки». Через переводчик, видимо, гнали.
I'm holding it. Listen to this: 'Insert part B into the hole for happy assembly.' They must have run it through a translator.
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B
Вот поэтому я их и не читаю. Не закручивай до конца, сначала соберём наживую.
That's exactly why I don't read them. Don't screw it all the way in, first we'll put it together loosely.
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A
А тут наоборот: «Затянуть крепко, но нежно». Пап, это как вообще?
And here it's the other way round: 'Tighten firmly, but gently.' Dad, how does that even work?
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B
Семь раз отмерь, один раз отрежь, вот и вся инструкция. Бери шуруповёрт, прикрути петли, только смотри не перетяни.
Measure twice, cut once: that's all the instructions you need. Take the drill and screw on the hinges, just mind you don't overtighten them.
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A
Прикрутил, и двери висят ровно, как по линейке. Признаю, ты был прав... только откуда лишний шуруп?
Done, and the doors hang dead straight. I admit it, you were right... only where's this extra screw from?
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B
Лишний шуруп, сынок, не ошибка, а запас прочности. На заводе их всегда с запасом кладут.
An extra screw, son, isn't a mistake, it's a safety margin. At the factory they always put in a few spare.
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A
Ага, с запасом. Только в пакете их было ровно тридцать два, как в инструкции.
Oh sure, spare. Only there were exactly thirty-two in the bag, just like the instructions say.
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B
Ну, значит, это тот самый, для счастливой сборки. Положи в карман и матери ни слова.
Well then, that's the one for happy assembly. Put it in your pocket, and not a word to your mother.
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