November 16, 2025

Marek's Leafy Leap: A Botanical Breakthrough in Bratislava

16 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Slovak: Marek's Leafy Leap: A Botanical Breakthrough in Bratislava
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/sk/episode/2025-11-16-08-38-20-sk

Story Transcript:

Sk: V Bratislave sa jeseň obliekala do zlatých a ohnivých odtieňov.
En: In Bratislava, autumn was dressing itself in golden and fiery shades.

Sk: Listy šušteli pod nohami, keď Marek a jeho spolužiaci kráčali smerom k botanickej záhrade.
En: Leaves rustled underfoot as Marek and his classmates walked towards the botanical garden.

Sk: Marek, tichý a premýšľavý gymnazista, cítil, ako ho obklopuje šum rozhovorov Jolaniných a Lukasových.
En: Marek, a quiet and thoughtful high school student, felt surrounded by the hum of Jolana and Lukas's conversations.

Sk: Oni dvaja boli vždy stredobodom pozornosti.
En: The two of them were always the center of attention.

Sk: Marek sa často cítil, akoby stál bokom, ale dnes mal plán.
En: Marek often felt like he was standing aside, but today he had a plan.

Sk: Marek mal tajný sen.
En: Marek had a secret dream.

Sk: Chcel objaviť vzácnu rastlinu.
En: He wanted to discover a rare plant.

Sk: Niečo, čo by mu prinieslo uznanie jeho učiteľov a spolužiakov.
En: Something that would earn him the recognition of his teachers and classmates.

Sk: Rozhodol sa, že tento školský výlet je ideálna príležitosť.
En: He decided that this school trip was the perfect opportunity.

Sk: Botanická záhrada bola plná krásnych, farebných rastlín, a Marek tušil, že niekde medzi nimi sa skrýva aj jeho tajný objav.
En: The botanical garden was full of beautiful, colorful plants, and Marek suspected that somewhere among them was his secret discovery.

Sk: Hneď na začiatku sa skupina rozdelila.
En: Right from the start, the group split up.

Sk: Jolana a Lukas sa smiali a behali medzi stromami.
En: Jolana and Lukas were laughing and running between the trees.

Sk: Marek však zostával vzadu.
En: However, Marek stayed at the back.

Sk: Myslel na všetky tie momenty, keď sa ho snažili prinútiť odpovedať pred triedou a ako sa každé slovo zdalo byť ťažké ako kameň.
En: He thought about all those moments when they tried to make him answer in front of the class, and how every word felt as heavy as a stone.

Sk: Ale dnes to malo byť iné.
En: But today was going to be different.

Sk: Dnes bol odhodlaný ukázať, že aj on má hodnotu.
En: Today he was determined to show that he too had value.

Sk: Keď prechádzali exotickými časťami záhrady, Marek si všimol malý zelený ukazovateľ, ktorý ho odviedol k vzdialenejšej časti záhrady.
En: As they passed through the exotic parts of the garden, Marek noticed a small green sign that led him to a more distant part of the garden.

Sk: Potichu sa odpojil od skupiny.
En: Quietly, he detached from the group.

Sk: Srdce mu búšilo, ale vedel, že nemôže zmeškať svoju šancu.
En: His heart was pounding, but he knew he couldn't miss his chance.

Sk: Marek prešiel okolo jazierka a pár javorových stromov.
En: Marek walked past a pond and a few maple trees.

Sk: Pod jedným z nich spoznal rastlinu, o ktorej čítal v knihách.
En: Under one of them, he recognized a plant he had read about in books.

Sk: Snáď to bola tá vzácna, ktorú hľadal.
En: Perhaps it was the rare one he was looking for.

Sk: Potreboval však potvrdenie.
En: However, he needed confirmation.

Sk: Keď videl Jolaninu blížiacu sa postavu, rozhodol sa riskovať.
En: Seeing Jolana's approaching figure, he decided to take the risk.

Sk: „Jolana!
En: "Jolana!"

Sk: “ zvolal trochu neistým hlasom.
En: he called out, his voice a bit uncertain.

Sk: Jolana sa zastavila a zvážne sa naňho pozrela.
En: Jolana stopped and looked at him seriously.

Sk: „Čo sa deje, Marek?
En: "What's up, Marek?"

Sk: "„Potrebujem tvoju pomoc s knižkou.
En: "I need your help with a book.

Sk: Myslím, že som našiel tú rastlinu,“ povedal a snažil sa znieť sebaisto.
En: I think I've found that plant," he said, trying to sound confident.

Sk: Jolana s úsmevom prikývla a obaja sa sklonili nad knihou.
En: Jolana nodded with a smile, and they both bent over the book.

Sk: Strávili niekoľko minút porovnávaním listov a kvetov, až Jolana nadšene zvolala: „Máš pravdu, Marek!
En: They spent a few minutes comparing leaves and flowers until Jolana excitedly exclaimed, "You're right, Marek!

Sk: To je ona!
En: That's it!"

Sk: “V tej chvíli sa nadýchol a rozhodol sa, že inokedy sa nebude báť pôsobiť v popredí.
En: At that moment, he took a deep breath and decided that next time he wouldn't be afraid to act at the forefront.

Sk: Podišiel s Jolanou k ostatným a ukázal učiteľke i spolužiakom svoj objav.
En: He walked with Jolana to the others and showed his discovery to the teacher and classmates.

Sk: „To je úžasné, Marek!
En: "That's amazing, Marek!

Sk: Skvelá práca,“ povedala učiteľka a potľapkala ho po pleci.
En: Great job," said the teacher, patting him on the shoulder.

Sk: Všetci naňho hľadeli s uznaním a Marek cítil, že prvýkrát pochopili jeho nadšenie.
En: Everyone looked at him with admiration, and Marek felt that, for the first time, they understood his enthusiasm.

Sk: Od toho dňa sa Marek nebál prihlásiť do diskusií a podeľovať sa o svoje vedomosti.
En: From that day on, Marek was not afraid to join discussions and share his knowledge.

Sk: Jolana a Lukas ho čím ďalej viac zapájali do svojich rozhovorov, a Marek si uvedomil, že nie je tak na okraji, ako si myslel.
En: Jolana and Lukas involved him more and more in their conversations, and Marek realized he wasn't as on the fringe as he thought.

Sk: Bola to jeseň plná zmien a nových začiatkov - ako pre botanickú záhradu, tak aj pre neho.
En: It was an autumn full of changes and new beginnings—both for the botanical garden and for him.

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