Day 78: Shaken, Not Fallen
In the orchard behind his house near Sandomierz, Grandpa Zenon (A) rehearses his speech for next week's court case against his neighbour on his grandson Olek (B), a fourth-year law student.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a Polish word to see what it means.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Polish, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning
-
A
„Wysoki Sądzie! Pozwany, zebrawszy gruszki z mojej gruszy, zrobił z nich konfitury, po czym sprzedał je na kiermaszu”. Brzmi groźnie?
'Your Honour! The defendant, having gathered the pears from my pear tree, made them into preserves and then sold them at the fair.' Does that sound menacing?
-
B
Groźnie. Pytanie kontrolne: zebrał je z gałęzi czy z trawy po swojej stronie płotu?
It does. Quick check: did he pick them off the branches or off the grass on his side of the fence?
-
A
Z trawy, bo gałęzie wiszą nad jego działką. Ale gruszę to ja sadziłem, z twoim ojcem, jak miał pięć lat!
Off the grass, because the branches hang over his plot. But I planted that tree myself, with your father, when he was five!
-
B
No to przegrasz. Artykuł sto czterdzieści osiem Kodeksu cywilnego: owoce, które opadły na grunt sąsiedni, stanowią pożytki tego gruntu.
Then you'll lose. Article 148 of the Civil Code: fruit that has fallen onto a neighbour's land counts as the produce of that land.
-
A
Czyli prawo stoi po stronie złodzieja? Pięćdziesiąt lat płacę podatki, a grusza rodzi dla Wieśka!
So the law's on the thief's side? Fifty years I've been paying my taxes, and my tree bears fruit for Wiesiek!
-
B
Po stronie grawitacji, dziadku. Z nią nie wygrasz ani w sądzie rejonowym, ani w okręgowym.
On gravity's side, Grandpa. You won't beat it, not in the district court and not on appeal either.
-
A
Tylko że same nie opadły! Mam nagranie z fotopułapki: Wiesiek, rozejrzawszy się ukradkiem, trzęsie moją gruszą, aż lecą jak grad.
Only they didn't fall on their own! I've got a video from my camera trap: Wiesiek takes a furtive look round, then shakes my pear tree till they come down like hail.
-
B
To zmienia postać rzeczy: strząśnięte to nie opadłe. Pokaż no. Zaraz, przecież latarką świeci mu babcia!
That changes things: shaken down isn't fallen. Show me, then. Hang on, it's Grandma holding the torch for him!
-
A
Zośka?! Mówiła, że ma bezsenność i liczy gwiazdy. Czyli zarówno sąsiad, jak i własna żona spiskują za moimi plecami?
Zośka?! She told me she had insomnia and was counting the stars. So both my neighbour and my own wife are plotting behind my back?
-
B
Nie spiskują, tylko robią konfitury na kiermasz parafialny. A gruszki to wasz majątek wspólny, więc babcia może nimi rozporządzać sama.
They're not plotting, they're making preserves for the church fair. And the pears are your joint marital property, so Grandma can dispose of them on her own.
-
A
Czyli mam pozwać własną żonę? Cofam pozew. Ale sąd sądem, a sad sadem: od jutra zbieram gruszki o czwartej rano.
So I'm supposed to sue my own wife? I withdraw the claim. But the court's one thing and the orchard's another: from tomorrow I pick the pears at four in the morning.
Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 79: A Buffer Zone Aged Ninety-One
If this free course has helped you in your Polish journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.