The shortcut through the park
A short in Serbian text at level B1. 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 thought I would get there faster by cutting through the park, and I turned off the main street. The path led…
Text
- Мислио сам да ћу пречицом кроз парк стићи брже, па сам скренуо са главне улице. Стаза је водила надоле, поред језера, а онда се нагло попела нагоре. Негде у дубини парка изгубио сам се: сви путељци су изгледали исто, а оријентира није било. Прошао сам поред исте клупе трипут пре него што сам схватио да се вртим у круг. На крају сам изашао на другој страни насеља, тик уз ћорсокак, и до куће стигао двоструко касније него да сам ишао улицом.Mislio sam da ću prečicom kroz park stići brže, pa sam skrenuo sa glavne ulice. Staza je vodila nadole, pored jezera, a onda se naglo popela nagore. Negde u dubini parka izgubio sam se: svi puteljci su izgledali isto, a orijentira nije bilo. Prošao sam pored iste klupe triput pre nego što sam shvatio da se vrtim u krug. Na kraju sam izašao na drugoj strani naselja, tik uz ćorsokak, i do kuće stigao dvostruko kasnije nego da sam išao ulicom.I thought I would get there faster by cutting through the park, and I turned off the main street. The path led downhill, past a lake, and then went sharply uphill. Somewhere deep in the park I got lost: all the paths looked alike, and there was no landmark. I passed the same bench three times before I realized I was walking in circles. In the end I came out on the other side of the settlement, right by a dead end, and got home twice as late as if I had taken the street.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why did the narrator turn off the main street?
- Why did he get lost?
- How did he realize he was walking in circles?
- How much later did he get home?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Serbian?
B1. 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.