Fluent Fiction - Croatian: Chasing Butterflies: A Journey of Faith and Friendship
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/chasing-butterflies-a-journey-of-faith-and-friendship

Story Transcript:

Hr: Pod lišćem u jesenjim bojama, Plitvička jezera blistala su kao svjetlucavi dragulji.
En: Under the leaves in autumn colors, the Plitvice Lakes shimmered like sparkling jewels.

Hr: Mateo je hodao stazom, oči su mu neprekidno tražile znakove rijetkih leptira.
En: Mateo walked along the path, his eyes constantly searching for signs of rare butterflies.

Hr: Njegov projekt iz biologije zahtijevao je nešto posebno, a misao o stipendiji činila se kao svjetlo na kraju tunela njegovih sumnji.
En: His biology project required something special, and the thought of a scholarship seemed like a light at the end of the tunnel of his doubts.

Hr: "Ovdje smo zbog tebe," rekla je Petra, prijateljski ga potapšavši po ramenu.
En: "We're here because of you," Petra said, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Hr: Ona je bila srce družine, uvijek spremna pomoći Mateu da vidi ljepotu u prirodi, ali i u sebi.
En: She was the heart of the group, always ready to help Mateo see the beauty in nature, but also in himself.

Hr: Njihovi koraci odjekivali su tišinom parka.
En: Their footsteps echoed in the park's silence.

Hr: Voda je lagano šumjela, slapovi su padali u ritmu koji je smirivao dušu.
En: The water gently murmured, and the waterfalls fell in a rhythm that soothed the soul.

Hr: Mateo se osvrnuo; njegove oči uhvatile su oblak sivog neba, nagovještavajući kišu.
En: Mateo glanced back; his eyes caught the cloud of gray sky, hinting at rain.

Hr: "Mateo, vrijeme je savršeno za leptire prije kiše," rekla je Petra, vidjevši mu tjeskobu na licu.
En: "Mateo, the weather is perfect for butterflies before the rain," Petra said, noticing the anxiety on his face.

Hr: Mateo je znao da mora biti brz.
En: Mateo knew he had to be quick.

Hr: Morali su dalje u šumu, gdje su rijetki leptiri često viđeni.
En: They needed to go deeper into the forest, where the rare butterflies were often seen.

Hr: No, sumnja je puzala kroz misli.
En: Yet, doubt crept through his thoughts.

Hr: Što ako ne uspije? Što ako kiša uništi njegove snove?
En: What if he didn't succeed? What if the rain washed away his dreams?

Hr: Petra je stala ispred njega.
En: Petra stood in front of him.

Hr: "Vjerujem u tebe, a ti moraš vjerovati u sebe," rekla je, gledajući ga izravno u oči.
En: "I believe in you, and you must believe in yourself," she said, looking him directly in the eyes.

Hr: Pod njenim pogledom, Mateo je osjetio kako mu se srce polako smiruje.
En: Under her gaze, Mateo felt his heart slowly calm down.

Hr: Odlučio je.
En: He made a decision.

Hr: Prkosit će kiši.
En: He would defy the rain.

Hr: Krenuli su dublje u šumu, gdje je zrak bio svjež, a boje jeseni još intenzivnije.
En: They ventured deeper into the forest, where the air was fresh and the colors of autumn even more intense.

Hr: I tada, usred lišća, Mateo je ugledao leptira.
En: And then, amid the leaves, Mateo saw a butterfly.

Hr: Njegove krila bile su blještave, poput komadića neba uhvaćenih u pokretu.
En: Its wings were dazzling, like pieces of the sky caught in motion.

Hr: "Petra, tamo!" uzviknuo je uzbuđeno.
En: "Petra, there!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Hr: Brzo, izvukli su fotoaparate baš kad su prve kapi kiše počele padati.
En: Quickly, they pulled out their cameras just as the first drops of rain began to fall.

Hr: Kapljice su se sjajile na leptirovim krilima dok je Mateo kliknuo.
En: The droplets sparkled on the butterfly's wings as Mateo clicked.

Hr: Osjećao je nevjerojatnu radost i olakšanje — uspio je!
En: He felt incredible joy and relief — he had succeeded!

Hr: Kiša je ubrzo pretvorila blagi zvuk u gromoglasno bubnjanje, ali Mateo je u sebi osjećao sunce.
En: The rain soon turned the gentle sound into thunderous drumming, but Mateo felt sunshine within.

Hr: Petra je podigla kapuljaču, smiješeći se.
En: Petra pulled up her hood, smiling.

Hr: "Znala sam da možeš," rekla je, smijući se zajedno s kišom.
En: "I knew you could do it," she said, laughing along with the rain.

Hr: Dok su se vraćali kroz šumu, Mateo je pogledao prema Petri.
En: As they made their way back through the forest, Mateo looked at Petra.

Hr: U tom trenutku shvatio je da su prijatelji najveća podrška.
En: In that moment, he realized that friends are the greatest support.

Hr: On je taj koji može nadvladati svoje sumnje uz malo vjere i mnogo truda.
En: He was the one who could overcome his doubts with a little faith and a lot of effort.

Hr: Kiša se nastavila, ali Mateo je osjećao kako je njegov svijet postao malo svjetliji i šareniji.
En: The rain continued, but Mateo felt his world had become a little brighter and more colorful.

Hr: Stipendija više nije bila samo san, već korak bliže stvarnosti, njegovoj budućnosti koja je, sada je znao, pred njim otvarala beskrajne mogućnosti.
En: The scholarship was no longer just a dream, but a step closer to reality, his future that, he now knew, opened endless possibilities before him.


Vocabulary Words:

• shimmered: blistala
• jewels: dragulji
• butterflies: leptiri
• project: projekt
• scholarship: stipendija
• doubts: sumnji
• gazed: gledajući
• hinting: nagovještavajući
• anxiety: tjeskobu
• creepy: puzala
• overcome: nadvladati
• ventured: krenuli
• flutter: pokretu
• drumming: bubnjanje
• defy: prkosit
• relief: olakšanje
• gnawing: glodanjem
• endless: beskrajne
• support: podrška
• amid: usred
• quickly: brzo
• dazzling: blještave
• captured: uhvaćenih
• murmured: šumjela
• rhythm: ritmu
• succeed: uspije
• fresh: svjež
• intense: intenzivnije
• possibilities: mogućnosti
• thunderous: gromoglasno