Fluent Fiction - Croatian: Scoops of Connection: A Tale of Dubrovnik
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Story Transcript:

Hr: Sunce je sijalo nad gradom Dubrovnikom, a njegove zidine kao da su se smješkale svakom prolazniku.
En: The sun was shining over the city of Dubrovnik, and its walls seemed to be grinning at every passerby.

Hr: U srcu tog prekrasnog grada, na poznatoj Stradun ulici, nalazila se mala kavana koja je mirisala na svježe kave i domaće kolače.
En: In the heart of this beautiful city, on the famous Stradun street, there was a small café that smelled of fresh coffee and homemade cakes.

Hr: Bila je to subota, i Ivana je hodala Stradunom prvi put.
En: It was Saturday, and Ivana was walking down Stradun for the first time.

Hr: Sve oko nje bilo je novo i uzbudljivo, stare kamenice, ulični svirači i trgovine suvenira; sve je zračilo historijom i kulturom.
En: Everything around her was new and exciting, from the old stones, street performers, and souvenir shops; it all radiated history and culture.

Hr: Kako se šetala, osjetila je kako joj toplina ljeta lagano miluje obraze, a sladoled u izlogu jedne kavane kao da joj je šapnuo pozivnicu.
En: As she walked, she felt the warmth of the summer gently caressing her cheeks, and the ice cream in the window of a café seemed to beckon to her.

Hr: Ivana je stala, promatrala razne okuse i boje sladoleda, ali ubrzo shvatila da ne zna kako ga naručiti na hrvatskome jeziku.
En: Ivana stopped, observing the various flavors and colors of the ice cream, but soon realized she didn't know how to order it in Croatian.

Hr: Nazubljene kornete s kuglicama koje su izgledale kao male šarene planete mamele su je da se usudi i pokuša.
En: The toothed cones with scoops that looked like little colorful planets tempted her to dare and try.

Hr: Prišla je pultu kavane, a iza šanka stajao je ljubazni prodavač sladoleda s osmijehom.
En: She approached the café counter, where a kind ice cream seller stood with a smile.

Hr: Ivana je pokazala prstom na sladoled od čokolade, a zatim na onaj od vanilije, ali nije znala kako reći “molim”.
En: Ivana pointed at the chocolate ice cream and then at the vanilla one, but she didn't know how to say "please" in Croatian.

Hr: Prodavač, primijetivši njezine nespretnosti, nasmješio se i rekao, “Izvolite, gospođice, koji okus biste htjeli?”
En: Noticing her awkwardness, the seller smiled and said, "Izvolite, miss, which flavor would you like?"

Hr: Ivana je zahvalno uzvratila osmijeh i rekla, “Chocolate and vanilla, please.”
En: Ivana gratefully returned the smile and said, "Chocolate and vanilla, please."

Hr: Prodavač je klimnuo, još uvijek nasmiješen, i strpljivo joj je spremio kuglice sladoleda znajući da se ne moramo uvijek sporazumijeti riječima.
En: The seller nodded, still smiling, and patiently prepared the ice cream scoops, knowing that we don't always need words to communicate.

Hr: Ivana je uzela svoj sladoled i sela na klupu sa pogledom na crkvu svetog Vlaha, osjećajući se malo sramežljivo zbog svojeg pokušaja komunikacije.
En: Ivana took her ice cream and sat on a bench overlooking the Church of St. Blaise, feeling a bit shy about her attempt at communication.

Hr: Ali, kao da joj je sama stara jezgra Dubrovnika šapnula tajnu: u ovoj ljepoti i stoljetnoj tišini, riječi nisu bile važne.
En: But as if the old core of Dubrovnik itself whispered to her a secret: in this beauty and centuries-old silence, words were not important.

Hr: Ono što je bilo važno jest povezanost koje je osjetila s gradom i njegovim ljudima.
En: What mattered was the connection she felt with the city and its people.

Hr: Dok je uživala u svojim kuglicama sladoleda, bravura lokalne glazbe je bila poput meda za njene uši.
En: As she enjoyed her scoops of ice cream, the sounds of local music were like honey to her ears.

Hr: Ivana je osjećala da je na neki način i sama postala dio te priče, prica o gradu koji prihvaća i one koji dolaze bez riječi svog jezika.
En: Ivana felt that in a way, she had become a part of that story, a story of a city that welcomes those who come without the words of their language.

Hr: Nakon što je pojela sladoled, stajala je, okrenula se prodavaču i s osmijehom rekla, “Hvala!”
En: After finishing her ice cream, she stood, turned to the seller, and with a smile, said, "Hvala!"

Hr: Bila je to jedna od onih jednostavnih riječi koje je pokupila čitajući vodič prije dolaska.
En: It was one of those simple words she had picked up from reading a guide before she came.

Hr: Prodavač je uzvratio osmijeh, a njegove oči kao da su joj rekle, “Nema na čemu, dođite opet.”
En: The seller returned the smile, and his eyes seemed to say to her, "You're welcome, come again."

Hr: Osjećala se ponosna što je uspjela komunicirati, makar i na tako malen način, te se s osmjehom zaputila dalje istraživati ljepote Dubrovnika.
En: She felt proud to have managed to communicate, even in such a small way, and with a smile on her face, she continued to explore the beauties of Dubrovnik.

Hr: Iako se jezik može činiti barijerom, Ivana je naučila da srdačnost i osmijeh mogu izgraditi mostove između ljudi, bilo gdje u svijetu.
En: Although language may seem like a barrier, Ivana learned that warmth and a smile can build bridges between people anywhere in the world.


Vocabulary Words:

• sun: Sunce
• shining: sijalo
• walls: zidine
• grinning: smješkale
• passerby: prolaznik
• beautiful: prekrasan
• café: kavana
• homemade: domaći
• exciting: uzbudljivo
• performers: svirači
• beckon: šapnuti
• flavors: okusi
• observe: promatrala
• toothed: nazubljene
• scoops: kuglice
• counter: pult
• awkwardness: nespretnosti
• kind: ljubazni
• gratefully: zahvalno
• communicate: sporazumijeti
• whispered: šapnula
• centuries-old: stoljetnoj
• honey: med
• bridges: mostove
• proud: ponosna
• attempt: pokušaj
• guide: vodič
• finished: završila
• although: iako