Fluent Fiction - Croatian: Dubrovnik Dinner: A Recipe for Laughter
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Story Transcript:

Hr: U starom gradu Dubrovniku, tamo gdje zidovi pričaju priče, živjeli su Luka i Matea.
En: In the old city of Dubrovnik, where the walls tell stories, Luka and Matea lived.

Hr: Luka je bio vedar mladić sa suncem u kosi, a Matea je bila nježna djevojka sa smiješkom širim od Straduna.
En: Luka was a cheerful young man with the sun in his hair, and Matea was a gentle girl with a smile broader than Stradun.

Hr: Jednog vrućeg ljetnog dana, odlučili su pronaći osvježenje za svoje grlo i glad u jednoj maloj konobi, poznatoj po tradicionalnim dalmatinskim jelima.
En: One hot summer day, they decided to find refreshment for their throats and hunger in a small tavern known for its traditional Dalmatian dishes.

Hr: Konoba je mirisala na ružmarin i svježe pečen kruh.
En: The tavern smelled of rosemary and freshly baked bread.

Hr: Sjedili su za drvenim stolom pod starom lozom.
En: They sat at a wooden table under an old vine.

Hr: "Naručit ću tjesteninu škampi," nasmiješila se Matea.
En: "I'll order the shrimp pasta," Matea smiled.

Hr: "I ja također," rekao je Luka.
En: "Me too," said Luka.

Hr: Konobar, čovjek sa brkovima poput mornara, prišao je zapisati njihovu narudžbu.
En: The waiter, a man with a sailor's mustache, approached to take their order.

Hr: Ali Luka, u trenutku smetenosti, pogriješi i umjesto tjestenine sa škampima, reče: "Dvije porcije hobotnice ispod peke, molim!
En: But in a moment of confusion, Luka, instead of shrimp pasta, said, "Two servings of octopus under the lid, please!"

Hr: "Matea ga zbunjeno pogleda, ali nije stigla ništa reći prije nego što je konobar odlutao do kuhinje.
En: Matea looked at him confused, but before she could say anything, the waiter wandered off to the kitchen.

Hr: Vrijeme je prolazilo, a konoba se ispunjavala veselim razgovorima.
En: Time passed, and the tavern filled with lively conversations.

Hr: Konobar se vratio noseći dva velika, dimna lonca.
En: The waiter returned carrying two large, smoky pots.

Hr: Kad je poklopac bio skinut, miris pečene hobotnice se proširio oko njih.
En: When the lid was lifted, the smell of roasted octopus spread around them.

Hr: "Mislim da je došlo do zabune," Matea je tiho rekla, a konobar ih je začuđeno pogledao.
En: "I think there's been a mistake," Matea said quietly, and the waiter looked at them puzzled.

Hr: Luka je postao crven kao rajčica.
En: Luka turned as red as a tomato.

Hr: Pokušavajući popraviti situaciju, htio je objasniti konobaru, ali je tada shvatio kako konobar ne govori engleski, a on je tek učio hrvatski.
En: Trying to fix the situation, he wanted to explain to the waiter, but then he realized that the waiter did not speak English, and he had only been learning Croatian.

Hr: Uz nespretne geste i s osmijehom, Luka je pokušavao objasniti.
En: With awkward gestures and a smile, Luka tried to explain.

Hr: Konobar, shvativši napokon što se dogodilo, srdačno se smijao.
En: Finally understanding what had happened, the waiter burst into laughter.

Hr: "Jedna hobotnica se uvijek može vratiti u more," rekao je konobar i zamijenio Mateinu porciju sa tjesteninom škampi.
En: "One octopus can always go back to the sea," the waiter said, exchanging Matea's portion with shrimp pasta.

Hr: Luka i Matea su se sada zajedno smijali, nitko nije mogao ostati ozbiljan.
En: Luka and Matea were now laughing together, unable to remain serious.

Hr: Jelo je bilo izvrsno, a njihovo druženje pod toplim dalmatinskim suncem pretvorilo se u slatku priču koju su mogli ispričati prijateljima.
En: The meal was excellent, and their gathering under the warm Dalmatian sun turned into a sweet story they could tell their friends.

Hr: Tako su jedan mali nesporazum i nekoliko hlapa dima iz lonca hobotnice učinili njihov dan u Dubrovniku nezaboravnim.
En: So, a small misunderstanding and a few puffs of octopus pot smoke made their day in Dubrovnik unforgettable.

Hr: A Luka?
En: And Luka?

Hr: On je naučio jednu važnu rečenicu na hrvatskom: "Tjestenina s škampima, molim!
En: He learned an important sentence in Croatian: "Pasta with shrimp, please!"


Vocabulary Words:

• walls: zidovi
• cheerful: vedar
• gentle: nježna
• tavern: konoba
• traditional: tradicionalni
• rosemary: ružmarin
• baked bread: pečen kruh
• wooden: drvenim
• vine: lozom
• shrimp: škampi
• waiter: konobar
• sailor's: brkovima
• mustache: brkovima
• confusion: smetenosti
• octopus: hobotnice
• smell: miris
• lid: poklopac
• roasted: pečena
• puzzled: začuđeno
• awkward: nespretne
• sentence: rečenicu
• unforgettable: nezaboravnim
• gestures: geste
• excellent: izvrsno
• gathering: druženje
• Dalmatian: dalmatinskim
• misunderstanding: nesporazum
• puffs: hlapa
• smoke: dima