Day 54 of 150

Day 54: Sugar in the Borscht?

Before the cooking contest at a village festival near Ryazan, two old neighbours are making one big pot of borscht together.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title.
  2. Read the dialogue and its translation. The audio for this lesson is coming soon.
  3. 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

  1. A

    Петрович, ты что делаешь? Кто ж в борщ сахар сыплет, это тебе не компот!

    Petrovich, what are you doing? Who puts sugar in borscht, it's not stewed fruit!

  2. B

    Не шуми. Сахар с уксусом, секрет фирмы: свёкла тогда красная, а не бурая.

    Don't make a fuss. Sugar with vinegar, a trade secret: that way the beetroot stays red, not brown.

  3. A

    Уксус?! Моя мать отродясь уксуса в борщ не лила, лимонным соком обходилась.

    Vinegar?! My mother never in her life poured vinegar into borscht, she made do with lemon juice.

  4. B

    А свёклу твоя мать когда клала? Ты-то свою с самого начала в кастрюлю кинул, я видел.

    And when did your mother put the beetroot in? You tossed yours into the pot right at the start, I saw you.

  5. A

    Ну и кинул, пусть проварится как следует, зато навар будет.

    So I did, let it cook through properly, the broth will be all the richer.

  6. B

    Вот! Свёклу, дорогой мой, тушат отдельно и кладут в конце, а то вся краска вываривается.

    There you go! Beetroot, my dear fellow, is stewed separately and goes in at the end, otherwise all the colour boils out.

  7. A

    На вкус и цвет... Давай по-честному: две миски, в одну сыпь сахар, пробуя после каждой ложки.

    Everyone to his own taste... Let's be fair about it: two bowls, and you put sugar in one, tasting after every spoonful.

  8. B

    Ну что, Николаич, молчишь? А ложкой-то всё в мою миску лезешь.

    Well, Nikolaich, gone quiet? And yet your spoon keeps going into my bowl.

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