Fluent Fiction - Croatian: Finding Balance Beneath Plitviča's Autumn Leaves
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/hr/episode/2025-09-27-07-38-20-hr

Story Transcript:

Hr: Vjetar je blago šuštao kroz krošnje drveća, a jesenje lišće svjetlucalo je pod blagim zrakama sunca u Nacionalnom parku Plitvička jezera.
En: The wind gently rustled through the tree canopies, and the autumn leaves glistened under the gentle rays of the sun in the Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera.

Hr: Kao i svake godine, obitelj je planirala kampiranje.
En: As every year, the family had planned a camping trip.

Hr: Nikola, Ivana i Petar nisu mogli dočekati trenutak kada će stići do omiljenog mjesta kraj jezera.
En: Nikola, Ivana, and Petar couldn't wait for the moment they would arrive at their favorite spot by the lake.

Hr: Svake jeseni obitelj postavlja šator uz predivne slapove i čiste jezerce, uživajući u miru koji nudi ovaj komadić raja.
En: Every autumn, the family pitches their tent by the beautiful waterfalls and clear lakelets, enjoying the peace that this slice of paradise offers.

Hr: Nikola, najstariji brat, bio je pod stresom zbog završetka fakulteta.
En: Nikola, the eldest brother, was stressed about finishing college.

Hr: Pritisak da pronađe posao pritiskao mu je srce.
En: The pressure to find a job weighed heavily on his heart.

Hr: Ivana, srednja sestra, sa sobom je ponijela fotoaparat.
En: Ivana, the middle sister, brought along her camera.

Hr: Zaljubila se u fotografiju i željela je naučiti snimati prirodne ljepote.
En: She had fallen in love with photography and wanted to learn to capture the natural beauty.

Hr: Petar, najmlađi, uvijek je bio u sjeni starijih.
En: Petar, the youngest, was always in the shadow of the older ones.

Hr: Ovaj put odlučio je da će se dokazati kao ravnopravan suputnik.
En: This time, he decided he would prove himself as an equal companion.

Hr: Dok su zajedno hodali stazom kroz park, Ivana je rado fotografirala slapove.
En: As they walked together along the park trail, Ivana eagerly photographed the waterfalls.

Hr: Zlatne boje drveta odražavale su se na vodi.
En: The golden hues of the trees reflected on the water.

Hr: Petar je trčao ispred njih, skupljajući prelijepo lišće.
En: Petar ran ahead of them, collecting beautiful leaves.

Hr: Nikola je hodao polako, razmišljajući o pričama rigujućih e-poruka koje je trebao pročitati.
En: Nikola walked slowly, contemplating the stories of demanding emails he needed to read.

Hr: Za večeru obitelj je zapalila vatru.
En: For dinner, the family lit a fire.

Hr: Petar je skupljao grančice, ponosan što može pomoći.
En: Petar gathered twigs, proud to be able to help.

Hr: Dok su plamenovi plesali, Nikola je važno posegnuo za mobitel.
En: As the flames danced, Nikola importantly reached for his phone.

Hr: Ekran je zasvijetlio, a srce mu je ubrzano kucalo kada je primijetio propušteni poziv.
En: The screen lit up, and his heart raced when he noticed a missed call.

Hr: Bio je to potencijalni poslodavac.
En: It was a potential employer.

Hr: Osjetio je kako mu se srce steže od razočaranja, ali istovremeno i olakšanja.
En: He felt his heart tighten with disappointment, but simultaneously a sense of relief.

Hr: Prestao je brinuti kako će se uhvatiti ukoštac s predstojećim izazovima.
En: He stopped worrying about how he would tackle the upcoming challenges.

Hr: Umjesto toga, utonuo je u trenutak s obitelji.
En: Instead, he immersed himself in the moment with his family.

Hr: Čvor u želucu se razriješio dok je gledao oko sebe.
En: The knot in his stomach loosened as he looked around.

Hr: Ivana ga je nasmiješila, pokazivajući mu skupinu uspjelih fotografija.
En: Ivana smiled at him, showing him a collection of successful photographs.

Hr: U njima je bilo uhvaćeno ono čemu svi teže - savršena jednostavnost.
En: They captured what everyone strives for - perfect simplicity.

Hr: Dok su se svi smijali i pričali priče oko vatre, Nikola je otvoreno podijelio svoje strahove.
En: As they all laughed and told stories around the fire, Nikola openly shared his fears.

Hr: Obitelj ga je podržala i ohrabrila.
En: His family supported and encouraged him.

Hr: Večer je nastavila teći u harmoniji, Nikola je shvatio kako može pomiriti odgovornost s radošću.
En: The evening continued in harmony, and Nikola realized how he could balance responsibility with joy.

Hr: U toplini plamena i sjaju mjeseca koji se odražavao na jezeru, obitelj je pronašla novi početak.
En: In the warmth of the flames and the moonlight reflecting on the lake, the family found a new beginning.

Hr: Nikola je zaključio da će naći svoj put, balansirajući između obveza i trenutaka radosti.
En: Nikola concluded that he would find his way, balancing between obligations and moments of joy.

Hr: Park je u tišini čuvao njihove tajne, a jesenje noći bile su svjedok njihove povezanosti.
En: The park silently kept their secrets, and the autumn nights bore witness to their connection.


Vocabulary Words:

• glistened: svjetlucalo
• canopies: krošnje
• pitch: postavlja
• lakelets: jezerce
• slice: komadić
• eldest: najstariji
• pressure: pritisak
• weighed: pritiskao
• captured: uhvaćeno
• contemplating: razmišljajući
• twigs: grančice
• danced: plesali
• raced: ubrzano kucalo
• strives: teže
• prove: dokazati
• harmonious: harmoniji
• shadow: sjeni
• balancing: balansirajući
• reflecting: odražavao
• obligations: obveza
• employer: poslodavac
• loosened: razriješio
• hues: boje
• equal: ravnopravan
• stained: obojale
• upcoming: predstojećim
• pondering: proučavajući
• captured: uhvaćeno
• noticing: primijetio
• tighten: steže