Fluent Fiction - Croatian: The Kitten That Sparked An Unlikely Friendship
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Story Transcript:

Hr: Zrinjevac je svjetlucao pod ljetnim suncem dok se mirisi cvijeća šire uz lagani vjetrić.
En: Zrinjevac shimmered under the summer sun as the scents of flowers spread with the gentle breeze.

Hr: Ljudi su bili posvuda, a melodije festivala Velike Gospe ispunile su zrak.
En: People were everywhere, and the melodies of the Assumption Day festival filled the air.

Hr: Ispod jednog starog stabla smokve, mali sivi mačić mišući repom zaglavio je među granama.
En: Beneath an old fig tree, a small gray kitten, wagging its tail, was stuck among the branches.

Hr: Ivan, mladić s naočalama i knjigom u ruci, šetao je parkom.
En: Ivan, a young man with glasses and a book in hand, was strolling through the park.

Hr: Volio je dolaziti ovdje nakon posla iz knjižnice, uživati u tišini i listanju knjiga.
En: He loved coming here after work at the library, enjoying the silence and leafing through books.

Hr: No, danas mu nešto drugo privuče pozornost – tihi mjauk.
En: But today, something else caught his attention—a soft meowing.

Hr: Nedaleko, Marija je prolazila s torbom punom letaka za sklonište.
En: Not far away, Marija walked by with a bag full of flyers for the shelter.

Hr: Njezin osmijeh bio je zarazan, iako je bila malo umorna od posla u skloništu.
En: Her smile was contagious, even though she was a little tired from working at the shelter.

Hr: Kada je ugledala mačića, zadrži dah.
En: When she saw the kitten, she held her breath.

Hr: „Siromah mali,“ reče tiho, prilazeći stablu.
En: "Poor little thing," she said quietly, approaching the tree.

Hr: Tada Ivan i Marija ugledaše jedno drugo.
En: Then Ivan and Marija noticed each other.

Hr: Osjećali su blagu nelagodu, ali ljubav prema životinjama bila je snažnija.
En: They felt a slight awkwardness, but their love for animals was stronger.

Hr: Ivan stidljivo reče: „Mogu li pomoći?“ Marija klimne glavom, zahvativši mu pogled pun zahvalnosti.
En: Ivan shyly said, "Can I help?" Marija nodded, catching his grateful gaze.

Hr: On se popne na nisku granu i pažljivo dohvati mačića.
En: He climbed onto a low branch and carefully reached for the kitten.

Hr: „Tako si hrabar,“ reče Marija kad se Ivan sigurno spusti na tlo.
En: "You're so brave," Marija said when Ivan safely got down.

Hr: „Bio je prestrašen,“ reče Ivan, pružajući mačića Mariji, „Hvala ti što si se već pobrinula za njega.“
En: “He was scared,” Ivan said, handing the kitten to Marija, “Thank you for already taking care of him.”

Hr: Nakon što je mačić bio siguran, Marija se osmjehne i reče: „Želiš li možda kasnije popiti kavu sa mnom?
En: After the kitten was safe, Marija smiled and said, "Would you like to have coffee with me later?

Hr: Kao zahvalnost.“ Ivan je iznenađeno podigao obrve, ali srce mu ubrza od pomisli da izađe iz svoje sigurne zone.
En: As a thank you." Ivan raised his eyebrows in surprise, but his heart raced at the thought of stepping out of his comfort zone.

Hr: U obližnjem kafiću, s mirisom svježe kave u zraku, razgovarali su neprestano.
En: In a nearby café, with the aroma of fresh coffee in the air, they talked non-stop.

Hr: Ivan je otkrio da Marija voli knjige, a ona je saznala da Ivan već dugo želi volontirati sa životinjama.
En: Ivan discovered that Marija loved books, and she found out that Ivan had long wanted to volunteer with animals.

Hr: Njihovo prijateljstvo započe neočekivano, ali čvrsto.
En: Their friendship began unexpectedly but firmly.

Hr: „Mislim da bi mogli biti dobri prijatelji,“ reče Marija sa smiješkom dok su završavali kavu.
En: “I think we could be good friends,” Marija said with a smile as they finished their coffee.

Hr: „I ja tako mislim,“ Ivan odgovori veselo.
En: “I think so, too,” Ivan replied cheerfully.

Hr: Dogovaraše se vidjeti sljedeći tjedan, a ovaj put, Ivan predloži da zajedno posjete knjižnicu.
En: They arranged to meet the following week, and this time, Ivan suggested they visit the library together.

Hr: Ljeto je nastavilo obasjavati park, ali Ivan i Marija su nosili svoje malo sunce u srcima, zahvaljujući malom mačiću koji ih je okupio.
En: Summer continued to light up the park, but Ivan and Marija carried their own little sunshine in their hearts, thanks to the small kitten that brought them together.

Hr: Njihovi životi postadoše bogatiji, prijateljstvo postade njihov novi početak.
En: Their lives became richer, their friendship a new beginning.


Vocabulary Words:

• shimmered: svjetlucao
• scent: miris
• breeze: vjetrić
• festival: festival
• melodies: melodije
• beneath: ispod
• meowing: mjauk
• strolling: šetao
• leafing: listanju
• silent: tišina
• awkwardness: nelagoda
• grateful: zahvalnosti
• contagious: zarazan
• volunteer: volontirati
• discovered: otkrio
• unexpectedly: neočekivano
• firmly: čvrsto
• friendship: prijateljstvo
• shelter: sklonište
• caught: uhvaćen
• tail: rep
• grasped: završio
• carefully: pažljivo
• brave: hrabar
• comfort zone: sigurna zona
• aroma: miris
• suggested: predložio
• surprise: iznenađenje
• enjoying: uživati
• arranged: dogovoreno