The city that changed
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 two decades the city changed more than in the whole previous century. Where fields had lain from time immemorial…
Text
- За две деценије град се променио више него за цео претходни век. Тамо где су се од памтивека простирале њиве, данас стоје савремене зграде и широке улице. Стари људи се тога сећају као да сад виде: тих година се ретко кад ишло даље од пијаце. Неки су се брзо прилагодили, други се никада нису саживели са тим да је све другачије. Гледано уназад, прекретница је била отварање фабрике: од тог тренутка ништа више није ишло по старом.Za dve decenije grad se promenio više nego za ceo prethodni vek. Tamo gde su se od pamtiveka prostirale njive, danas stoje savremene zgrade i široke ulice. Stari ljudi se toga sećaju kao da sad vide: tih godina se retko kad išlo dalje od pijace. Neki su se brzo prilagodili, drugi se nikada nisu saživeli sa tim da je sve drugačije. Gledano unazad, prekretnica je bila otvaranje fabrike: od tog trenutka ništa više nije išlo po starom.In two decades the city changed more than in the whole previous century. Where fields had lain from time immemorial, modern buildings and wide streets stand today. The old people remember it like yesterday: in those years one rarely went farther than the market. Some adjusted quickly; others never came to terms with everything being different. In hindsight the turning point was the opening of the factory: from that moment nothing went as before.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- In what span did the city change the most?
- What was there where the buildings now stand?
- How did the old people take the changes?
- What is named as the turning point?
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.