Five years
A short in Greek text at level A2. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. I have been living in Greece for five years, and only now have I stopped translating in my head. In the first year I…
Text
- Μένω στην Ελλάδα πέντε χρόνια και μόνο τώρα σταμάτησα να μεταφράζω στο μυαλό μου. Τον πρώτο χρόνο καταλάβαινα μία λέξη στις δέκα και ντρεπόμουν να ρωτήσω. Μετά άρχισα να ρωτάω, και όλα πήγαν πιο γρήγορα. Στο σπίτι όμως μιλάμε ακόμα ρωσικά, γιατί η γλώσσα του σπιτιού φεύγει τελευταία.méno stin Eláda pénde khrónia ke móno tóra stamátisa na metafrázo sto mialó mu. ton próto khróno katalávena mía léksi stis déka ke drepómun na rotíso. metá árkhisa na rotáo, ke óla pígan pio grígora. sto spíti ómos miláme akóma rosiká, yatí i glósa tu spitiú févyi teleftéaI have been living in Greece for five years, and only now have I stopped translating in my head. In the first year I understood one word in ten and felt shy about asking. Then I began to ask, and everything went faster. At home, though, we still speak our own language, because the home language is the last to go.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What has changed only now?
- What helped speed things up?
- What language do they speak at home?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Greek?
A2. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.