Svetlana Flemming - Colloquial Russian - The Next Step in Language Learning

new independent republics.

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Migration

Dialogue 1

A conversation between a journalist and a sociologist

@URNALIŚT

20 ma´q 1991 go´da Rossi´q prinqlaźakoń o svobo´dnom

v#eźde i vyézde. Mno´gie boqĺis;, hto nahne¨tsq

maśsovaq \migraćiq iz SSSR. Opravdaĺis; li \´ti

prognoźy?

SOCIOĹOG

Tepeŕ;, kogda´ prowlo´ 10 let, mo´'no skaza´t;, hto net.

Boĺee ser;e¨znoj proble´moj staĺa ne \migraćiq, a

immigraćiq. Ved; prie´xat; v Rossi´[ o´hen; prośto.

@URNALIŚT

Za´pad bespokoítsq, hto rossi´jskie granićy o´hen;

legko´ perejti´. Onióxranq´[tsq plo´xo.

SOCIOĹOG

Rossi´q poka´ tranzi´tnaq zońa dlq immigrańtov. No q

ne du´ma[, hto tak bu´det doĺgo prodol'a´t;sq. Granićy

bu´dut ukreplq´t;sq, i v Rossií bu´det ostava´t;sq vse¨

boĺ;we immigrańtov.

@URNALIŚT

A ne lu´hwe li zakry´t; granićy?

SOCIOĹOG

Net, \´togo deĺat; nel;zq´! Rost hislaímmigrańtov –

\´to bla´go dlq Rossií. Hisloŕossiqń umen;waétsq, i

eśli my zakroém granićy, to k seredińe ve´ka

naseleńie Rossií reźko sokrati´tsq. Kto bu´det rabo´tat; u nas? Odnańade´'da na immigraći[.

@URNALIŚT

Po-moému, boĺ;we vsegoímmigrańtov v Rossi´[ bu´det

priez'a´t; iz Kita´q. U'eśejhaś kita´jcev v Rossií

pohti´ millioń. |kspeŕty shita´[t, hto k seredińe

ve´ka kita´jcy bu´dut vtory´m naro´dom pośle ruśskix.

Ne ka´'etsq li Vam \´to opaśnym?

SOCIOĹOG

Immigraćiq iz Kita´q – na´we bu´du]ee. Po\´tomu na´do

du´mat; o tom, kak sotru´dnihat; s immigrańtami, kak

inkorporiŕovat; ix v na´we o´b]estvo.

Po materiaĺam 'urnaĺa 2001

Vocabulary ♦

bespokoít;sq

to be worried

bla´go

good

boq´t;sq (+ gen)

to be afraid

Migraciq

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granića

border

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kitaéc, Kita´j

Chinese, China

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nade´'da

hope

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naseleńie

population

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o´b]estvo

society

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opaśnyj

dangerous

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opravda´t;sq

to be justified

ostava´t;sq

to remain, stay

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oxranq´t;sq

to be guarded

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prinq´t; zakoń

to pass a law

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seredińa ve´ka

the middle of the century

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sokrati´t;sq

to decrease, reduce, be reduced

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sotru´dnihat; s (+ inst)

to cooperate with

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ukreplq´t;sq

to become stronger

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umen;wa´t;sq

to decrease

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hislo´

number

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N.B. zakoń o svobo´dnom v#eźde i vyézde – law on free passage 8

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Exercise 1

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Answer the following questions in English.

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1 What law was passed on 20th May 1991?

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2 What did people fear might be the consequences of that law?

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3 Why does Russia need immigration?

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4 Which immigrant group will predominate in the future?

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Language points ♦

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Use of li

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Note the use of the particle li to frame questions in the dialogue: 3

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Opravdaĺis; li \´ti prognoźy?

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Have these forecasts proved to be correct?

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The key word, usually the verb, is moved to the beginning of the 7

sentence, followed by li. Contrast the affirmative statement: |ti 8

prognoźy opravdaĺis;. Frequently such questions are asked in the 9

negative:

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Ne ka´'etsq li vam \´to opaśnym?

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Doesn’t that seem dangerous to you?

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Migration

Contrast:

|to ka´'etsq opaśnym.

That seems dangerous.

The key word in a sentence is not always a verb:

Ne lu´hwe li zakry