Russian · Intermediate
Adapted from The Nightingale
An emperor discovers the song of a living nightingale, then learns its value after replacing it with a machine.
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Scene 1 · Intermediate
В Китае и сам император, и все люди при его дворе были китайцами. История эта случилась очень давно. Послушаем её сейчас, пока она совсем не забылась.
In China, the emperor himself and everyone at his court were Chinese. This story happened a very long time ago. Let us listen to it now, before it is completely forgotten.
Императорский дворец считался самым прекрасным в мире. Его целиком построили из дорогого фарфора — красивого, но очень хрупкого материала. Поэтому всякий, кто прикасался к стенам, должен был быть осторожен. В саду росли необыкновенные цветы с маленькими серебряными колокольчиками. Звон привлекал внимание прохожих, так что мимо цветов никто не проходил, не заметив их. Всё в этом саду было удивительным.
The emperor’s palace was considered the most beautiful in the world. It was built entirely of expensive porcelain, a beautiful but very fragile material. So anyone who touched the walls had to be careful. In the garden grew extraordinary flowers with little silver bells. Their ringing caught the attention of passersby, so no one walked past the flowers without noticing them. Everything in this garden was astonishing.
Он простирался так далеко, что даже садовник не знал, где его граница.
It stretched so far that even the gardener did not know where it ended.
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