Day 32: The Swallows over the Door
On a June morning in a village near Pskov, a young man is about to knock down the swallows' nest over his porch when his elderly neighbour comes by.
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, дядь Вить! Вот, решил гнездо сбить: ласточки всё крыльцо загадили.
Morning, Uncle Vitya! I've decided to knock that nest down: the swallows have messed up the whole porch.
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B
Не трогай! Ласточка к счастью гнездо вьёт, а ты его палкой?
Don't you touch it! When a swallow builds a nest, it's for luck, and you're going at it with a stick?
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A
Да не верю я в приметы. А ступеньки каждое утро отмывать мне надоело.
Oh, I don't believe in omens. And I'm sick of scrubbing the steps every morning.
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B
Подожди, погляди сперва: там же птенцы, пять жёлтых ртов торчат.
Wait, take a look first: there are chicks in there, five little yellow mouths sticking out.
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A
Ой, и правда... А я ведь крыльцо только в мае покрасил.
Oh, so there are... And I only painted the porch in May.
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B
Прибей под гнездом дощечку, всё на неё и будет падать. Мой дед всегда так делал.
Nail a little board under the nest, and it'll all land on that. My grandfather always did it that way.
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A
Ладно, убедили. Несу доску, а вы лестницу подержите, раз уж вы тут главный по счастью.
All right, you've convinced me. I'll get a board, and you hold the ladder, since you're the one in charge of luck around here.
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