January 20, 2025

Carnival Revelry: Transforming Work Retreats with Spontaneity

17 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Croatian: Carnival Revelry: Transforming Work Retreats with Spontaneity
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/hr/episode/2025-01-20-23-34-02-hr

Story Transcript:

Hr: Kroz jutarnju maglu koja se lagano dizala nad Jadranskom obalom, Ivan i Luka stajali su na verandi elegantne vile.
En: Through the morning mist that was slowly rising over the Jadransk coast, Ivan and Luka stood on the veranda of an elegant villa.

Hr: Njihove kolege upravo su stigle na zimski radni odmor, ili kako Ivan to voli nazvati, "radni povlačenje".
En: Their colleagues had just arrived for the winter work retreat, or as Ivan liked to call it, a "work retreat."

Hr: Ivan je pažljivo proučavao tablicu s planovima.
En: Ivan was carefully studying the table with plans.

Hr: Luka, s druge strane, bio je naslonjen na ogradu, uživajući u svježem morskom zraku.
En: Luka, on the other hand, was leaning on the railing, enjoying the fresh sea air.

Hr: "Ivane, vidi", rekao je Luka, pokazujući prema šarenim zastavicama koje su vijorile kroz ulice obližnjega mjesta.
En: "Ivane, look," said Luka, pointing to the colorful flags fluttering through the streets of the nearby town.

Hr: "Karneval je!
En: "It's a carnival!

Hr: Mogli bismo svi otići tamo!
En: We could all go there!"

Hr: "Ivanu se u želucu stvorio mali čvor.
En: A small knot formed in Ivan's stomach.

Hr: Znao je da raspored za taj dan ne uključuje izlazak na karneval.
En: He knew the schedule for that day didn't include a carnival outing.

Hr: "To bi poremetilo naš plan za današnju radionicu", odgovorio je kratko.
En: "That would disrupt our plan for today's workshop," he replied shortly.

Hr: Ali Luka je već zamišljao maskirane povorke i zvuke tamburica.
En: But Luka was already imagining the masked parades and the sounds of tamburicas.

Hr: "Samo zamisli", rekao je s osmijehom, "koliko bi to zabavilo ekipu.
En: "Just imagine," he said with a smile, "how much fun it would be for the team.

Hr: Svima bi dobro došao predah.
En: A break would do everyone good."

Hr: "Radna povlačenja na obali imala su svojih čari.
En: Work retreats on the coast had their charms.

Hr: I Ivan je to znao.
En: And Ivan knew that too.

Hr: Između planiranih formalnih sastanaka, iskusili bi harmoniju valova i spokojne plaže.
En: Between the scheduled formal meetings, they experienced the harmony of the waves and the serene beach.

Hr: No, topli južnjački vjetar uvijek je donosio neočekivane ideje.
En: But the warm southern wind always brought unexpected ideas.

Hr: Kako je dan napredovao, Ivan je pratio kako kolege sve više zadrijemaju tijekom radionice o učinkovitosti.
En: As the day progressed, Ivan observed how his colleagues were increasingly dozing off during the workshop on efficiency.

Hr: Njihove oči gledale su prema prozorima, gdje su svjetla iz karnevala postajala sve vidljivija.
En: Their eyes looked toward the windows, where the lights from the carnival were becoming more visible.

Hr: Misli su mu bile teške.
En: His thoughts were heavy.

Hr: Smijelo bi se reći, možda bi i njima nešto drugačije koristilo.
En: One might say, perhaps something different would benefit them too.

Hr: Kad je stiglo vrijeme za timsku vježbu, Luka je stao ispred skupine i predložio alternativu.
En: When it was time for the team exercise, Luka stood in front of the group and proposed an alternative.

Hr: "Idemo na karneval!
En: "Let's go to the carnival!"

Hr: ", dočekao je prijedlog s oduševljenjem.
En: he greeted the suggestion with enthusiasm.

Hr: Ivanu je srce brže zakucalo.
En: Ivan's heart started beating faster.

Hr: Moglo se to protumačiti kao riskantan potez, ali pogledi njegovih kolega bili su radosni kao djeca pred blagovanjem.
En: It could be interpreted as a risky move, but his colleagues' looks were as joyful as children before a feast.

Hr: Duboko je udahnuo.
En: He took a deep breath.

Hr: "Možemo onda", reče s malim osmijehom.
En: "We can then," he said with a small smile.

Hr: Bio je to trenutak odluke.
En: It was a moment of decision.

Hr: Susreo se s Lukinim pogledom koji je govorio samo jedno: "Vidjet ćeš, bit će to pravo iskustvo.
En: He met Luka's gaze, which said only one thing: "You'll see, it will be a real experience."

Hr: "Karneval je bio užareni izvor boja i zvukova.
En: The carnival was a blazing source of colors and sounds.

Hr: Smijeh je ispunio zrak.
En: Laughter filled the air.

Hr: Kolege su zaboravile na tabele i zadatke.
En: Colleagues forgot about tables and tasks.

Hr: Skakutali su u ritmu bubnjeva, dijelili fritule i uživali u plesu.
En: They hopped to the rhythm of drums, shared fritters, and enjoyed dancing.

Hr: Ivan je, promatrajući svoje kolege, osjetio neočekivano zadovoljstvo.
En: Watching his colleagues, Ivan felt unexpected satisfaction.

Hr: Bio je to trenutak koji nije mogao ukalkulirati u dnevni raspored.
En: It was a moment he couldn't calculate into the daily schedule.

Hr: Kad se sunce počelo povlačiti iza horizonta, vratio se s grupom prema vili.
En: When the sun began to set behind the horizon, he returned with the group to the villa.

Hr: Svi su bili umorni, ali zadovoljni, bliži nego što su ikada bili.
En: Everyone was tired but content, closer than they had ever been.

Hr: Luka je veselo lupkao Ivana po leđima.
En: Luka cheerfully patted Ivan on the back.

Hr: "Imaš li sad to na svojim tablicama?
En: "Do you have that on your charts now?"

Hr: ", našalio se.
En: he joked.

Hr: Smijuljeći se, Ivan je shvatio važnu lekciju.
En: Smiling, Ivan realized an important lesson.

Hr: Ponekad, fleksibilnost može učiniti planove još boljima nego što je to mogao zamisliti.
En: Sometimes, flexibility can make plans even better than he could imagine.

Hr: Pomiren s novim uvidom, pogledao je prema Luki.
En: Reconciled with the new insight, he looked at Luka.

Hr: "Morao si biti u pravu", priznao je.
En: "You had to be right," he admitted.

Hr: Toga jutra, kad su se vraćali kući, valovi su nestajali u daljini, noseći sa sobom jedan uspješni radni odmor gdje su struktura i spontanost našli svoju savršenu ravnotežu.
En: That morning, as they were heading home, the waves disappeared into the distance, carrying with them a successful work retreat where structure and spontaneity found their perfect balance.

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