Day 91 of 150

Day 91: A Lada with Instructions

In a garage in Syzran, a young man is buying a carefully kept 1990s Lada from its first owner, an old man who has given up driving on his doctor's advice.

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

    Иван Степанович, кузов живой, пробег для девяносто четвёртого года смешной. Беру не торгуясь.

    Ivan Stepanovich, the body's sound, and the mileage for a '94 is laughable. I'll take it, no haggling.

  2. B

    Не спешите с деньгами, молодой человек. У этой шестёрки свои причуды, сначала познакомьтесь.

    Don't rush with the money, young man. This Six has her quirks, so get acquainted first.

  3. A

    Причуды? А я думал, все «Жигули» на одно лицо.

    Quirks? And I thought all Zhigulis looked alike.

  4. B

    На одно лицо они только на конвейере. Заводя её в лютый мороз, газ не трогайте, а то свечи зальёте.

    They only look alike on the assembly line. When you start her in a hard frost, don't touch the gas, or you'll flood the plugs.

  5. A

    Понял. А этот тросик под рулём зачем, его же на заводе не ставили?

    Got it. And what's this little cable under the steering wheel for? They didn't fit that at the factory.

  6. B

    Это я его к крану печки вывел, чтобы зимой не нагибаться. Слушай, давай на ты, ты мне во внуки годишься.

    I ran it to the heater tap myself, so I wouldn't have to bend down in winter. Listen, let's drop the formalities, you're young enough to be my grandson.

  7. A

    Конечно, только я уж вас по старинке, на вы. Золотые у вас руки, Иван Степанович!

    Of course, though I'll keep speaking to you formally, the old-fashioned way. You're a real craftsman, Ivan Stepanovich!

  8. B

    Проще сказать, что я тут не трогал. Вот тетрадка: все запчасти и ремонты за тридцать лет, с датами.

    It'd be easier to say what I haven't touched. Here's the notebook: every spare part and every repair for thirty years, with dates.

  9. A

    Выходит, я покупаю не машину, а летопись. Будет ходить как часы, а летом свожу вас на ней на дачу.

    So I'm not buying a car, I'm buying a chronicle. She'll run like clockwork, and in summer I'll take you to your dacha in her.

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