Day 46: Scale Wars at the Railway Club
At a model railway club in Kaluga, a younger member shows a veteran, a retired train driver, his new model of a 1930s steam locomotive.
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
-
A
Ну-ка, Вадим Сергеевич, покажите обнову. Су, масштаб один к восьмидесяти семи? Солидно, спору нет.
Well then, Vadim Sergeyevich, show us your new arrival. An Su, scale one to eighty-seven? Impressive, no argument there.
-
B
Полгода ждал, Анатолий Петрович. Обратите внимание: поручни, выгнутые из латунной проволоки, а на тендере даже заклёпки видны.
I waited six months for it, Anatoly Petrovich. Note the handrails, bent from brass wire, and you can even see the rivets on the tender.
-
A
Поручни хороши, а вот цвет, позвольте заметить, подкачал. Су были чёрные, я на них помощником машиниста начинал.
The handrails are fine, but the colour, if I may say so, lets it down. The Su engines were black, I started out on them as a driver's assistant.
-
B
Позволю себе не согласиться. Пассажирские паровозы красили в зелёный, с красными колёсами, это и по архивам видно.
I beg to differ. Passenger engines were painted green, with red wheels, you can see it in the archives too.
-
A
Архивы архивами, а я своими глазами видел: в нашем депо все Су ходили чёрные, закопчённые.
Archives are all very well, but I saw it with my own eyes: in our depot every Su ran black and covered in soot.
-
B
Копоть, Анатолий Петрович, не цвет, а состояние, как налёт на зубах у курильщика. Простите за профессиональную аналогию.
Soot, Anatoly Petrovich, isn't a colour, it's a condition, like plaque on a smoker's teeth. Forgive the professional analogy.
-
A
Ну, стоматолог! Ладно, у меня в альбоме есть отцовская фотография, он на Су до самой пенсии работал. Сейчас найду.
Spoken like a dentist! All right, I've got a photo of my father in my album, he worked on Su engines right up to his retirement. I'll find it now.
-
B
Чёрно-белая, конечно? Тогда цвет она нам, увы, не подскажет.
Black and white, of course? Then I'm afraid it won't tell us the colour.
-
A
Чёрно-белая... Погодите, на обороте что-то написано. Отцовской рукой: «Мой зелёный красавец, депо Калуга, шестьдесят четвёртый год».
Black and white... Wait, there's something written on the back. In my father's hand: 'My green beauty, Kaluga depot, 1964.'
-
B
Выходит, ваш собственный отец голосует за мою модель?
So your own father is voting for my model?
-
A
Выходит, так. Сдаюсь, Вадим Сергеевич: ставьте ваш Су на главный путь макета, у стрелки, пусть отец посмотрит.
So it seems. I give up, Vadim Sergeyevich: put your Su on the main line of the layout, by the points, and let my father see it.
Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 47: A Thousand Roubles Too Much
If this free course has helped you in your Russian journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.