The old washing machine
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. Our washing machine is fifteen years old, and it has long made noise like an airplane when it spins. Last week it…
Text
- Веш машина нам је стара петнаест година и одавно бучи као авион кад центрифугира. Прошле недеље је почела да цури, па сам прво проверио каблове и цев иза ње, али све је било у реду. Мајстор је дошао, отворио радни налог и рекао да треба заменити део који се више не производи. Цена поправке испала је већа од половине цене нове машине, а гаранција је истекла давно. Ипак смо решили да је поправимо: стара машина пере боље од многих нових, а нову не можемо да приуштимо ове године.Veš mašina nam je stara petnaest godina i odavno buči kao avion kad centrifugira. Prošle nedelje je počela da curi, pa sam prvo proverio kablove i cev iza nje, ali sve je bilo u redu. Majstor je došao, otvorio radni nalog i rekao da treba zameniti deo koji se više ne proizvodi. Cena popravke ispala je veća od polovine cene nove mašine, a garancija je istekla davno. Ipak smo rešili da je popravimo: stara mašina pere bolje od mnogih novih, a novu ne možemo da priuštimo ove godine.Our washing machine is fifteen years old, and it has long made noise like an airplane when it spins. Last week it started leaking, and I first checked the wires and the pipe behind it, but everything was in order. The repairman came, filed a request and said a part had to be replaced that is no longer made. The repair came to more than half the price of a new machine, and the warranty had long expired. Still, we decided to fix it: the old machine washes better than many new ones, and we can't afford a new one this year.
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 does the machine do when it spins?
- What did the narrator check first of all?
- What did the repairman say?
- Why did they decide to fix it after all?
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.