Day 93 of 150

Day 93: The House Next to the Well

In a village in the Pskov region, a man from Moscow who has just bought an old house introduces himself to his elderly neighbour.

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

    Здравствуйте! Я Дмитрий, купил дом у колодца. Не подскажете, как тут у вас всё устроено?

    Hello! I'm Dmitry, I've bought the house by the well. Could you tell me how things work around here?

  2. B

    Здорово, сосед. Дом-то добрый, только колодец не запускай: воду бери каждый день, а то застоится.

    Hello there, neighbour. It's a sound house, just don't neglect the well: draw water every day, or it'll go stale.

  3. A

    Понял. А вот печки я, признаться, побаиваюсь: говорят, ей лет сто.

    Got it. But I must admit I'm a bit scared of the stove: they say it's about a hundred years old.

  4. B

    Врут: ей восемьдесят пять годков, отцом моим сложена. Топи берёзой, а заслонку раньше времени не закрывай, не то угоришь.

    Nonsense: it's eighty-five years old, my father built it. Burn birch, and don't close the damper too early, or the fumes will get you.

  5. A

    Вашим отцом? Так вы, выходит, в этом доме выросли?

    Your father? So you grew up in this house, then?

  6. B

    И родился тут, вон в том углу, где теперь холодильник. А женившись, рядом свою избу поставил.

    I was born here too, over in that corner, where the fridge is now. And when I married, I built my own cottage next door.

  7. A

    Вот это да... Мне даже неловко: я тут всё переделывать собрался.

    Well, I never... I feel quite awkward now: I was planning to redo everything here.

  8. B

    Переделывай, дело хозяйское. Дом без хозяина, милок, быстрей человека помирает, так что ты его, считай, спас.

    Go ahead and redo it, it's your house. A house without an owner, lad, dies faster than a man does, so you've pretty much saved it.

  9. A

    Тогда заходите вечером на чай, первым гостем будете. Расскажете, как тут было при вашем отце.

    Then come round for tea this evening, you'll be my first guest. You can tell me what it was like here in your father's day.

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