Fluent Fiction - Serbian: Guardian of Kalemegdan: A Twist in Time
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Story Transcript:

Sr: Bilo je jedno toplo prolećno popodne kada je Jovana odlučila da poseti Kalemegdansku tvrđavu.
En: It was a warm spring afternoon when Jovana decided to visit the Kalemegdan Fortress.

Sr: Sunce je lagano zalazilo i davao je taj poseban sjaj kamenju starog zdanja.
En: The sun was gently setting, giving a special glow to the old building's stones.

Sr: Ona je volela istoriju i priče o prošlim vremenima, te se radovala svakoj prilici da prošeta između zidina koje su šaptale tajne drevnih dana.
En: She loved history and tales of bygone eras, so she eagerly looked forward to any opportunity to walk among the walls that whispered the secrets of ancient days.

Sr: Dok je šetala, oblak tišine je obavijao staze i zidine, a u daljini se moglo čuti šuštanje lišća i pesmu ptica.
En: As she strolled, a cloud of silence enveloped the paths and walls, and in the distance, the rustling of leaves and the birds' song could be heard.

Sr: Međutim, dok je prolazila pored jednog ugla tvrđave, ugledala je statuu koja joj je privukla pažnju.
En: However, as she passed by a corner of the fortress, she spotted a statue that caught her attention.

Sr: Statua je bila tako živopisna da je u prvi mah pomislila kako vidi pravog čoveka.
En: The statue was so vivid that she initially thought she was seeing a real person.

Sr: Statua, u stvari Nikola, obučen u kostim iz istorijskog doba, bio je ulični umetnik koji je svojim izgledom oživljavao istoriju tvrđave.
En: The statue, actually Nikola, dressed in a costume from a historical era, was a street artist who brought history to life with his appearance.

Sr: Stajao je nepomično, sa kapom starinskog vojnika na glavi, a lice mu je bilo ispunjeno spokojem.
En: He stood motionless, wearing the helmet of an old soldier, with a face filled with tranquility.

Sr: Jovana je prišla bliže, zadivljena detaljima koje je 'statua' imala.
En: Jovana approached, marveling at the details the "statue" had.

Sr: Govorila je naglas, misleći da niko osim nje ne može čuti njene reči: "O kako bih volela da mogu razgovarati s tobom, da čujem tvoje priče o bitkama koje si vodio i vremenu koje si proživeo."
En: She spoke aloud, thinking no one but her could hear her words: "Oh, how I would love to converse with you, to hear your tales of the battles you fought and the times you lived through."

Sr: U tom momentu se 'statua' osmehnula i uputio joj znak da uđe u igru; malim pokretom glave.
En: At that moment, the "statue" smiled and signaled her to join in with a small nod of his head.

Sr: Jovana je trgnula unazad iznenađena. "Ti... ti si živ?" procikuta iznenađeno.
En: Surprised, Jovana recoiled. "You... you're alive?" she blurted out in astonishment.

Sr: Nikola nije mogao da zadrži osmeh. "Da, ja sam samo umetnik koji donosi malo magije u ova stara zdanja," našalio se.
En: Nikola couldn't contain his smile. "Yes, just an artist bringing a little magic to these old buildings," he joked.

Sr: Njen izraz lica se promenio od iznenađenja do oduševljenja. "Opa, pa ti si pravi čuvar prošlosti," reče ona.
En: Her expression changed from surprise to delight. "Wow, you're a true guardian of the past," she exclaimed.

Sr: Tako su započeli razgovor,
En: And so, they began conversing.

Sr: Između starina Kalemegdana pričali su o životima koji su nekad bili ovde.
En: Between the old walls of Kalemegdan, they spoke about the lives that once existed there.

Sr: Nikola je pričao o istoriji tvrđave, o legendama i bitkama koje su ovde vodjene.
En: Nikola shared stories of the fortress's history, its legends, and the battles fought there.

Sr: Jovana se nasmejala i dopunjavala ga sa zanimljivostima koje je znala.
En: Jovana laughed and added interesting facts she knew.

Sr: Dok je sunce polako nestajalo iza drveća, osećaj kao da su na trenutak bili deo one starih vremena ih je obuzeo.
En: As the sun slowly disappeared behind the trees, they felt as if they had briefly become a part of those ancient times.

Sr: Kad se spustilo veče, rastali su se uz osmeh i obećanje da će se ponovo sresti na istom mestu gde su povijest i sadašnjost na kratko satkali priču dvoje mladih.
En: When evening came, they parted with a smile and a promise to meet again at the same place where the past and the present briefly intertwined the stories of two young individuals.

Sr: Jovana je otišla sa Kalemegdana srećna jer je, pored novih saznanja o prošlim vremenima, stekla i novog prijatelja koji je, baš kao i ona, voleo i živeo priče koje su vezane za to staro zdanje nadomak reke.
En: Jovana left the Kalemegdan feeling happy because, in addition to learning about the past, she gained a new friend who, just like her, loved and lived the stories associated with that old building near the river.

Sr: A Nikola, svakoga dana, nastavio je da stoji na svom mestu, u kostimu koji budi stara vremena, čekajući nove prolaznike da poveruje u čaroliju koja živi među zidinama Kalemegdana.
En: And Nikola continued to stand at his spot every day, wearing a costume that revived old times, waiting for new passersby to believe in the magic that lives within the walls of Kalemegdan.


Vocabulary Words:

• sun: sunce
• whispered: šaptala
• triumphs: pobede
• spot: ugao
• enveloped: obavijao
• astonishment: iznenađenje
• revived: oživio
• motionless: nepomično
• intermingled: satkali
• tranquility: spokoj
• conversed: razgovarati
• guardian: čuvar
• departed: rastali
• marveling: zadivljena
• battles: bitke
• recoiled: trgnula
• briefly: na trenutak
• joked: našalio se
• rustling: šuštanje
• delight: oduševljenje
• reside: živeo
• strolled: šetala
• awaiting: čekajući
• obtained: stekla
• expression: izraz
• magic: čarolija
• promised: obećanje
• continued: nastavio
• existence: postojanje