Fluent Fiction - Croatian: Magic of Plitvička Jezera: Beyond the Engine's Last Breath
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/hr/episode/2025-09-29-22-34-01-hr

Story Transcript:

Hr: Između zelenih brežuljaka i dubokih jezera, Plitvička jezera postaju čarobno mjesto, osobito u jesen.
En: Between the green hills and deep lakes, Plitvička jezera become a magical place, especially in the fall.

Hr: Luka, Nina i Ana sjedili su u starom autu, koji je hripao na zadnjem dahu prema nacionalnom parku.
En: Luka, Nina, and Ana were sitting in an old car, which was wheezing in its final breaths towards the national park.

Hr: Putovali su već satima, dolazeći iz užurbanog Zagreba.
En: They had been traveling for hours, coming from bustling Zagreb.

Hr: Luka je sjedio na stražnjem sjedalu i gledao kroz prozor, oduševljen narančastim i zlatnim bojama jeseni.
En: Luka sat in the back seat, looking out the window, delighted by the orange and golden colors of autumn.

Hr: Dok su skrenuli na usku šumsku cestu, motor auta naglo je zastao.
En: As they turned onto a narrow forest road, the car's engine suddenly stopped.

Hr: "Ne, ne sada!
En: "No, not now!"

Hr: " uzviknula je Nina, koja je vozila.
En: exclaimed Nina, who was driving.

Hr: Svjetlo je počelo nestajati, a Luka je osjetio kako mu srce brže kuca od brige.
En: The light began to fade, and Luka felt his heart beat faster with worry.

Hr: Bio je to trenutak koji je dugo čekao – da vidi slapove Plitvičkih jezera, da pronađe mir u prirodi.
En: It was a moment he had long awaited – to see the waterfalls of Plitvička jezera, to find peace in nature.

Hr: Ana je rekla: "Nemojmo se zabrinuti.
En: Ana said, "Let's not worry.

Hr: Možemo prošetati i još uvijek stići vidjeti slapove prije mraka.
En: We can walk and still manage to see the waterfalls before dark."

Hr: " Luka se složio, odlučan da iskoristi našu malu priliku.
En: Luka agreed, determined to make the most of their small opportunity.

Hr: Poveo je prijatelje prema stazi, osjećajući smrznut zrak kako mu osvježava um.
En: He led his friends towards the trail, feeling the crisp air refresh his mind.

Hr: Kako su hodali, šuštanje lišća činilo je ritam njihovih stopala.
En: As they walked, the rustling leaves created a rhythm beneath their feet.

Hr: Svježina i mir očarali su trenutke.
En: The freshness and tranquility enchanted the moments.

Hr: Luka je osjetio kako ga napetost polako napušta.
En: Luka felt the tension slowly leaving him.

Hr: Konačno, stigli su do velike vodene zavjese, gdje je voda padala kao bljesak svjetla među zlatnim lišćem.
En: Finally, they reached the great water curtain, where water fell like flashes of light among the golden leaves.

Hr: "Predivno je," rekao je Luka, udisajući duboko, dok se sunce spuštalo iza brežuljaka, dajući sve toplije nijanse krajoliku.
En: "It's beautiful," said Luka, taking a deep breath, as the sun set behind the hills, casting warmer shades on the landscape.

Hr: Stajali su tamo, u tišini, osjećajući harmoniju s prirodom i međusobno.
En: They stood there in silence, feeling in harmony with nature and each other.

Hr: Kada su se vraćali prema autu, sada s optimizmom, mjesto koje ih je tako obuzelo ostalo je mirno iza njih.
En: When they returned to the car, now with optimism, the place that had so captivated them remained peacefully behind them.

Hr: "Nije sve u destinaciji," rekao je Luka tiho, "važno je putovanje i prijateljstvo koje imamo.
En: "It's not all about the destination," Luka said quietly, "it's about the journey and the friendship we have."

Hr: "U autu, ispunjeni dojmovima i emocijama, znali su da su sretni.
En: In the car, filled with impressions and emotions, they knew they were happy.

Hr: Luka je shvatio da se njegov mir ne nalazi samo u ljepoti prirode nego i u dragim ljudima oko njega.
En: Luka realized that his peace lay not only in the beauty of nature but also in the dear people around him.

Hr: Bila je to lekcija o jednostavnosti i prisutnosti u danom trenutku – ono što je najvažnije.
En: It was a lesson in simplicity and being present in the given moment – what matters most.


Vocabulary Words:

• magical: čarobno
• wheezing: hripao
• bustling: užurbanog
• autumn: jeseni
• narrow: usku
• exclaimed: uzviknula
• faded: nestajati
• trail: stazi
• crisp: smrznut
• rustling: šuštanje
• tranquillity: mir
• enchanted: očarali
• tension: napetost
• curtain: zavjese
• flashes: bljesak
• harmony: harmoniju
• optimism: optimizmom
• impressions: dojmovima
• simplicity: jednostavnosti
• presence: prisutnosti
• moment: trenutku
• destination: destinaciji
• journey: putovanje
• dear: dragim
• golden: zlatnim
• opportunity: priliku
• decided: odlučan
• beneath: njihovih
• landscape: krajoliku
• captivated: obuzelo