Fluent Fiction - Croatian: The Upside-Down Folk Trio!
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/the-upside-down-folk-trio

Story Transcript:

Hr: Jednog sunčanog jutra u starom gradu Dubrovniku, Marija, Ivan i Davor šetali su uskim uličicama prema omiljenom mjestu okupljanja - malom kafiću ispod visokih zidina.
En: One sunny morning in the old city of Dubrovnik, Marija, Ivan, and Davor strolled through the narrow streets toward their favorite gathering spot - a small café beneath the high walls.

Hr: Bili su najbolji prijatelji od djetinjstva, a njihova zajednička strast bila je pjevanje tradicionalnih hrvatskih narodnih pjesama.
En: They had been best friends since childhood, and their shared passion was singing traditional Croatian folk songs.

Hr: Danas je bio poseban dan, jer su se Marija, Ivan i Davor odlučili prikazati svoje vokalne sposobnosti pred okupljenima u kafiću.
En: Today was a special day because Marija, Ivan, and Davor had decided to showcase their vocal abilities in front of the crowd at the café.

Hr: Pripremali su se tjednima, uvježbavajući stari dalmatinski napjev koji su planirali izvesti.
En: They had been preparing for weeks, rehearsing an old Dalmatian chant that they planned to perform.

Hr: Nije to bila samo pjesma, već dio njihovog identiteta i kulture koju su željeli podijeliti.
En: It wasn't just a song; it was a part of their identity and culture that they wanted to share.

Hr: Dok su ulazili u kafić, osmijeh na Marijinom licu je signalizirao euforiju i malu dozu treme koja ju je obuzimala.
En: As they entered the café, a smile on Marija's face signaled the excitement and a hint of nervousness that overcame her.

Hr: Ivan je podesio svoju gitaru, dok je Davor uvježbavao zadnje note u svom glasu.
En: Ivan tuned his guitar, while Davor practiced the final notes in his voice.

Hr: Svjetla su se smirila, a svi pogledi su bili uprti u tri junaka naše priče.
En: The lights dimmed, and all eyes were on the three heroes of our story.

Hr: Sada je bio trenutak istine.
En: Now was the moment of truth.

Hr: Marija je otvorila usta, a melodija je počela teći.
En: Marija opened her mouth, and the melody began to flow.

Hr: No, nakon prvih nekoliko riječi, zbunjeni šaput postao je glasan smijeh.
En: However, after the first few words, confused whispers turned into loud laughter.

Hr: Marija je ispustila čudan pogled, a i Ivan s Davorom su izgledali zbunjeni.
En: Marija looked puzzled, and Ivan and Davor also appeared bewildered.

Hr: Brzo su shvatili svoju pogrešku: učili su riječi pjesme, ali nažalost, unatrag!
En: They quickly realized their mistake: they had learned the lyrics of the song, but unfortunately, backward!

Hr: Mještani i turisti u kafiću nisu mogli sadržavati svoje oduševljenje dok su naši prijatelji s ljubavlju pjevali, ali na sasvim nerazumljiv način.
En: The locals and tourists in the café couldn't contain their delight as our friends lovingly sang in a completely incomprehensible way.

Hr: Umjesto da budu razočarani, Marija, Ivan i Davor su se nasmijali sa svima ostalima.
En: Instead of being disappointed, Marija, Ivan, and Davor laughed along with everyone else.

Hr: Njihov duh nije bio slomljen.
En: Their spirits were not shattered.

Hr: Dignuli su se, pozdravili publiku, a zatim su se nasmijali i rekli: "Hvala vam, prijatelji!
En: They stood up, thanked the audience, and then laughed and said, "Thank you, friends!

Hr: Večeras smo svi zajedno naučili nešto novo.
En: Tonight, we all learned something new together.

Hr: Ljubav prema glazbi nema granica, čak ni kad je pjevamo unatrag!
En: Love for music knows no bounds, not even when we sing it backward!"

Hr: "Ljudi su pljeskali s još većim entuzijazmom, dok su Marija, Ivan i Davor postali poznati kao trio koji je zabavio grad ne samo svojim talentom, nego i svojom sposobnošću da se nasmiju na vlastiti račun i podijele radost glazbe na neobičan način.
En: People applauded with even greater enthusiasm as Marija, Ivan, and Davor became known as the trio who entertained the city not only with their talent but also with their ability to laugh at themselves and share the joy of music in an unusual way.

Hr: Nakon tog događaja, postali su glavna atrakcija kafića svaki put kada su nastupali - ispravno ili naopako, uvijek s osmijehom i radošću koju su dijelili sa svima.
En: After that event, they became the main attraction of the café every time they performed - correctly or not, always with a smile and the joy they shared with everyone.


Vocabulary Words:

• favorite: omiljen
• gathering: okupljanje
• rehearsing: uvježbavajući
• chant: napjev
• bewildered: zbunjeni
• whispers: šaput
• shattered: slomljen
• delight: oduševljenje
• applauded: pljeskali
• attraction: atrakcija
• identical: identičan
• hint: naznaka
• euphoria: euforija
• beneath: ispod
• contained: sadržavali
• excitement: euforija
• dignified: dignuti
• enthusiasm: entuzijazam
• gatherings: okupljanja
• misunderstanding: poznavanje
• restored: povratak
• overcame: pretekao
• tourists: turisti
• sheltered: zasutavilo
• signalized: signalizirao
• completely: sa potpunom
• unexpected: neočekivano
• gratitude: zahvalnost
• celebrated: obilježen