The man who keeps his word
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. In these parts decency is valued above all, and resourcefulness and knowledge only after it. Our neighbor Jovan is…
Text
- У нашем крају највише се цени поштење, а тек онда сналажљивост и знање. Комшија Јован је повучен и ретко кад прича о себи, али откад знам за себе није изневерио никога. Кад је прошле године изгубио посао, нико од њега није чуо ни реч жалбе; није тражио сажаљење, него помоћ у тражењу новог. Његов син се хвали и понекад оговара, али отац га је због тога само једном прекорио, тихо и без сведока. Мислим да је то права мера: човек који држи реч не мора да буде директан према свима, довољно је да буде поштен према себи.U našem kraju najviše se ceni poštenje, a tek onda snalažljivost i znanje. Komšija Jovan je povučen i retko kad priča o sebi, ali otkad znam za sebe nije izneverio nikoga. Kad je prošle godine izgubio posao, niko od njega nije čuo ni reč žalbe; nije tražio sažaljenje, nego pomoć u traženju novog. Njegov sin se hvali i ponekad ogovara, ali otac ga je zbog toga samo jednom prekorio, tiho i bez svedoka. Mislim da je to prava mera: čovek koji drži reč ne mora da bude direktan prema svima, dovoljno je da bude pošten prema sebi.In these parts decency is valued above all, and resourcefulness and knowledge only after it. Our neighbor Jovan is reserved and rarely speaks about himself, but in my memory he has never let anyone down. When he lost his job last year, nobody heard a word of complaint from him; he asked not for pity but for help in finding a new one. His son brags and sometimes gossips, but his father reproached him for it only once, quietly and without witnesses. I think that is the right measure: a man who keeps his word need not be blunt with everyone; it's enough to be honest with himself.
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 is valued most in those parts?
- What kind of person is the neighbor Jovan?
- What did he ask for when he lost his job?
- How did the father react to his son's behavior?
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.