Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Kako narisati Totora

How to draw Totoro

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Ti gre risanje dobro od rok? Ali pa si med tistimi, ki le s težavo narišejo obraz, avto ali zajčka?

Are you good at drawing? Or are you among those who have a hard time drawing a face, a car, or a rabbit?

Če si med slednjimi in ti je obenem všeč japonski anime, te bo verjetno zanimalo, da si lahko ogledaš, kako narisati Totora.

If you’re among the latter and you like Japanese anime at the same time, you’ll probably be interested to see how to draw Totoro.

Ne poznaš Totora?

You don’t know Totoro?

To je gozdni duhec iz celovečerne risanke Moj sosed Totoro, ki po videzu spominja na zajca, malo pa tudi na mačko, sovo in rakuna.

This is a forest ghost from the feature-length cartoon My Neighbour Totoro, which looks like a rabbit, but also a bit like a cat, an owl and a raccoon.

Video z napotki za risanje je posnel producent filma Tošio Suzuki.

The video with drawing instructions was shot by the film’s producer, Toshio Suzuki.

V njem počasi in po korakih pojasni, kako začeti z risanjem in na kaj je treba biti posebej pozoren.

In it, slowly and step by step, he explains how to start drawing and what to pay special attention to.

Namenil ga je otrokom, ki morajo v teh koronačasih ostati doma. Če se bodo zamotili z risanjem, jim ne bo tako dolgčas.

He intended it for children who have to stay at home in these corona times. If they get distracted by drawing, they won’t be so bored.

Za japonske risane like je značilno, da imajo oči zelo narazen.

It is characteristic of Japanese cartoon characters that they have their eyes very apart.

Suzuki v videu poudari, da je to najpomembnejše navodilo tudi za risanje Totora.

Suzuki points out in the video that this is the most important instruction for drawing Totoro as well.

»Kot vidite, je med očmi veliko prostora,« pravi. »Na koncu je treba dodati samo še smrček in brčice, pa je.«

“As you can see, there’s a lot of space between the eyes,” he says. "In the end, you just need to add a snout and whiskers, and there it is."

Tak Totoro je zelo preprost, a še vedno tako simpatičen kot tisti iz risanke.

Such a Totoro is very simple, but still as likable as the one in the cartoon.

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

V iskanju cepiva za novi koronavirus in vse viruse, ki pridejo za njim

In search of a vaccine for the new coronavirus and all the viruses that come after it

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Kdaj bomo lahko spet šli v šolo, se igrali s prijatelji, obiskali dedka in babico?

When will we be able to go to school again, play with friends, visit grandparents?

To sprašujete otroci po vsem svetu. In politiki odgovarjajo: Ne vemo.

This is what children all over the world are asking. And politicians reply: We don’t know.

Veliko je odvisno od tega, kdaj bodo znanstveniki odkrili cepivo za novi koronavirus. Potem namreč ne bo več nevarnosti, da bi tisti, ki nam virus manj škodi, okužili naše stare starše, ki jih virus veliko bolj ogroža.

Much depends on when scientists discover a vaccine for the new coronavirus. Then there will be no danger that those who are less harmed by the virus will infect their grandparents, who are much more endangered by the virus.

Med znanstveniki, ki iščejo cepivo, je tudi Američan David Ho. Zaradi njegovih zaslug za razvoj koktejla cepiv za bolezen aids, ga je leta 1996 revija Time razglasila za osebnost leta.

Among the scientists looking for the vaccine is also an American, David Ho. Due to his acclaim for the development of a cocktail of AIDS vaccines, in 1996 Time magazine named him Person of the Year.

Ko je leta 2002 na Kitajskem izbruhnila epidemija sarsa, se je začel zanimati za družino koronavirusov.

When an outbreak of SARS broke out in China in 2002, he became interested in the coronavirus family.

Nekateri predstavniki družine koronavirusov povzročajo le blažji prehlad, drugi smrtonosne bolezni, na primer sars in mers.

Some members of the coronavirus family cause only a mild cold, others deadly diseases such as SARS and MERS.

Ho je koronaviruse raziskoval že ob izbruhu bolezni sars in mers. A bila sta tako kratka, da je zanimanje zanju kmalu pojenjalo in znanstveniki so opustili iskanje zdravila.

Ho has already been researching coronaviruses since the outbreaks of SARS and MERS. But these were so short that interest in them soon fell and scientists abandoned the search for a cure.

Od samega začetka Ho pozorno spremljal izbruh epidemije novega koronavirusa. Kmalu mu je prijatelj, ustanovitelj podjetja Alibaba Jack Ma, ponudil denar za razvoj cepiva proti novemu koronavirusu SARS-CoV-2.

From the very beginning, Ho closely monitored the outbreak of a new coronavirus epidemic. Soon, a friend, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, offered him money to develop a vaccine against the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

V laboratoriju na univerzi Columbia v New Yorku s sodelavci ne razmišlja le o cepivu za novi koronavirus, ampak o penicilinu za viruse: enem zdravilu (ali vsaj peščici njih) za vse bolezni.

In a lab at Columbia University in New York, he and colleagues are thinking not just about a vaccine for the new coronavirus, but about a penicillin for viruses: one drug (or at least a handful of them) for all diseases.

Strokovnjaki namreč ugotavljajo, da naše zdravje najbolj ogrožajo virusi. Za bakterije, glivice, parazite in prione smo namreč že razvili bolj ali manj učinkovita zdravila, ali pa nas manj ogrožajo.

Experts say that our health is most endangered by viruses. We have already developed more or less effective drugs for bacteria, fungi, parasites and prions, or they are less threatening to us.

Določeni virusi, predvsem virusi gripe in koronavirusi, pa lahko znova ogrozijo človeštvo. Brez trajne rešitve se bodo epidemije, kot je zdajšnja, ponovile, opozarja David Ho.

However, certain viruses, especially influenza viruses and coronaviruses, can once again endanger humanity. Without a lasting solution, epidemics like the current one will recur, David Ho warns.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Šolanje jeseni brez šole in sošolcev?

Going to school in the autumn without school and classmates?

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Šole čez dober teden odpirajo vrata, a le za nekatere učence.

Schools will open their doors in a little over a  week, but only for some students.

Najprej, 18. maja, bodo šli v šolo prvčki, drugarčki in tretjarčki, nato maturanti, teden zatem verjetno še devetošolci.

First, on May 18th, there will be first graders, second graders and third graders, then those in the last year of high school, and then a week later there will probably be ninth graders.

Mnogi otroci ste zelo žalostni, ker se jim ne boste mogli pridružiti. Šestošolka Stela Sternad pravi: »Meni se to zdi nepravično.«

Many children are very sad that they will not be able to join them. Sixth-grader Stela Sternad says, "I find this unfair."

Sedaj je ministrica Simona Kustec napovedala, da bo tudi jeseni del pouka verjetno potekal na daljavo.

Now the [Education] Minister Simona Kustec has announced that in the autumn too some lessons will probably be held at a distance.

Čeprav je naša anketa pokazala, da to ne povzroča preveč preglavic, starši in strokovnjaki niso navdušeni.

Although our survey shows that this does not cause too many headaches, parents and professionals are not impressed.

Otroci potrebujete druženje z vrstniki in kvalitetno šolanje, pravijo.

Kids need socializing with peers and quality schooling, they say.

Opozarjajo, da ponekod učitelji še vedno pošiljajo le liste z navodili, drugod pa imajo denimo vzpostavljene videoučilnice in se učitelji držijo urnika.

They point out that in some places teachers are still sending only instruction sheets, while elsewhere, for example, they have video classrooms and teachers keep to the schedule.

Sprašujejo se, kaj bo denimo z otroki s posebnimi potrebami, ki niso vključeni v posebne zavode. Ti potrebujejo usmerjanje pri šolanju oziroma varstvo, če bodo ostali doma.

They wonder what will happen to children with special needs who are not attending special institutions. They need guidance in schooling or care if they stay at home.

»Šola je in bi morala ostati kljub epidemiji mnogo več kot le prostor za varovanje,« poudarja dr. Klara Skubic Ermenc, predsednica Zveze društev pedagoških delavcev Slovenije.

"Despite the epidemic, school is and should remain much more than just a place to be safe," says Dr. Klara Skubic Ermenc, President of the Association of Teachers' Associations of Slovenia.

»Izobraževanje na daljavo ni šolanje na domu, kjer so starši otrokovi učitelji, ampak vodeno poučevanje. V šoli se otroci učijo živeti skupaj z drugimi in se oblikujejo kot družbena bitja. Učenje v osami tega ne omogoča, hkrati pa ubija učenčevo voljo do učenja. Šola tudi spodbuja razvoj širših potencialov in kreativnosti. Nujno je, da se, ko bodo epidemiološke razmere to omogočale, vsi učenci vrnejo v šole, čeprav po skrajšanem urniku, in doživijo šolo v polnem pomenu besede.«

“Distance education is not home-based education where parents are the child's teachers, but guided teaching. At school, children learn to live with others and to form themselves as social beings. Being alone doesn’t do this, and also kills the student's will to learn. School also encourages the development of broader potentials and creativity. It is imperative that when the epidemiological situation allows, all students will return to school, albeit on a shortened schedule, and experience school in the fullest sense of the word. "

Pa še to, pravi strokovnjakinja: šolski sistem naj se nemudoma začne pripravljati na jesen, da bodo šole tudi v drugačnih razmerah lahko spet opravljale svoje poslanstvo.

Moreover, says the expert: the school system should immediately begin to prepare for the autumn so that schools will be able to fulfil their mission again under different conditions.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Nazaj v šolske klopi morda že 11. Maja

Maybe back to school May 11th

Written by Romana Dobnikar Šeruga, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Pogrešaš šolo?

Do you miss school?

Ministrica za izobraževanje Simona Kustec je včeraj namignila, da bi šole in vrtce morda odprli že 11. maja.

Education Minister Simone Kustec yesterday hinted that schools and kindergartens might be open as early as May 11th.

A ne veseli se prezgodaj! To je samo »prvi možni datum«.

But don't get happy too soon! This is only the "first possible date".

Preden šole znova odprejo svoja vrata, morajo pripraviti zaščitne ukrepe. Ti bodo tako učence kot učitelje varovali pred novim koronavirusom.

Before schools open their doors again they need to put safeguards in place. These will protect both students and teachers from the new coronavirus.

Bo treba v šoli nositi zaščitne maske? Tega še ne vemo. Verjetno pa zaščitni ukrepi v šolah ne bodo dosti drugačni od tistih, ki že veljajo v trgovinah, pisarnah in drugod, kjer prihaja v stik več ljudi.

Will we have to wear protective masks at school? We don't know yet. Most likely the safeguards in schools will not be much different from those already in place in shops, offices and elsewhere where more people come into contact.

To pa so:

These are:

Stroga pravila čiščenja in razkuževanja šolskih prostorov.

Strict rules for cleaning and disinfecting school premises.

Temeljito in pravilno umivanje rok: militi si jih moraš eno minuto in jih nato sprati s toplo vodo.

Wash your hands thoroughly and properly: wash them for one minute and then rinse them with warm water.

Pravilno kašljanje: kašljamo v robček, ki ga nato zavržemo, ali pa v komolec.

Proper coughing: cough in a handkerchief, which is then discarded, or in the elbow.

Z rokami se ne dotikamo oči, da ne prenesemo morebitne okužbe.

We do not touch our eyes with our hands to avoid any possible infection.

Primerna oddaljenost od drugih ljudi – najmanj meter in pol! To pomeni, da v šoli ne boš več sedela skupaj s svojo najboljšo prijateljico, saj bo najverjetneje vsak sedel v svoji klopi in v primerni oddaljenosti od sošolca spredaj in zadaj. Tudi med odmori in v šolski jedilnici bo druženje strogo omejeno.

Keep an adequate distance from other people - at least a metre and a half! This means that you will no longer sit with your best friend at school, since everyone is likely to be sitting on their own seat and at an appropriate distance from their classmates front and back. Even during breaks and in the school cafeteria, socialising will be strictly limited.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Otroci so v šoli tudi na varnem, na toplem, niso lačni in niso žejni

Children are also safe, warm, not hungry and thirsty at school

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Da igra šola v življenju otrok zelo pomembno vlogo, nam je zdaj bolj jasno kot kdajkoli prej.

It is now more clear than ever that school plays a very important role in children's lives.

Poleg osnovne vloge, izobraževanja, ima še številne druge, pravi klinična psihologinja dr. Mateja Hudoklin iz Svetovalnega centra za otroke, mladostnike in starše.

Besides the basic role, education, there are many others, says clinical psychologist Dr. Mateja Hudoklin from the Counselling Center for Children, Adolescents and Parents.

V šoli se otroci družijo, navezujejo stike z vrstniki in odraslimi, se urijo v socialnih veščinah, učijo se uravnavati svoje vedenjske in čustvene odzive.

At school, children socialise, interact with peers and adults, learn social skills, learn to regulate their behavioural and emotional responses.

Ali je to enako pomembno za vse otroke?

Is this equally important for all children?

Marsikdaj zadovoljuje tudi tiste potrebe, ki bi jih moralo zadovoljevati ožje otrokovo okolje.

Many times it also meets the needs that should be satisfied by the child's environment.

Otroci so v šoli na varnem, na toplem, niso lačni in niso žejni. Šolsko življenje nudi strukturo, z vsemi pravili in odnosi in vse to otrokom daje občutek varnosti. Večina otrok v šoli najde prijatelje, simpatije, tudi odrasle vzornike.

Kids are safe, warm, not hungry or thirsty at school. School life offers a structure, with all the rules and attitudes, and it gives children a sense of security. Most children find friends, warmth, even adult role models at school.

Mnogi otroci vsega tega ne dobijo v družinskem okolju.

Many children do not get all this in a family setting.

Kako pa to, da ni šole, vpliva na otroke?

How does being out of school affect children?

Prve tedne je bilo ostajanje doma verjetno za večino otrok prijetno, mnogi so jih doživljali kot male počitnice.

For the first few weeks, staying home was probably enjoyable for most children, many experiencing it as a small vacation.

Sčasoma se ti občutki spreminjajo. Vedno bolj pogrešajo stike z vrstniki, aktivnosti.

Over time, these feelings change. They are increasingly missing peer contacts, activities.

Mnogi otroci težko samostojno delajo za šolo in potrebujejo pomoč staršev. To je lahko vir dodatnih napetosti doma. Mnoge tudi skrbi, kako bo z ocenami.

Many children find it difficult to work independently for school and need the help of their parents. This can be a source of additional tension at home. Many also worry about how the grades will be.

Negotovost povečuje zaskrbljenost in občutek tesnobe. Zdaj toliko bolj prihaja v ospredje, v kakšni družini in okolju živi otrok.

Uncertainty increases fear and anxiety. Now the family and environment a child lives in come to the fore.

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Sanjava hobotnica in njene barve

A dreaming octopus and its colors

Written by Urša Adamič,, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Ali si lahko predstavljaš, da bi se tvoja barva kože spreminjala, medtem ko spiš?

Can you imagine your skin colour changing while you sleep?

Znanstveniki so posneli neverjetno prelivanje barv po telesu hobotnice, medtem ko spi. Prijetno in pomirjujoče jo je opazovati v teh nenavadnih časih.

Scientists have filmed the incredible flood of colour all over an octopus' body while it sleeps. It is enjoyable and reassuring to see her in these strange times.

Ali morda sanja? Ne vemo. O tem lahko le ugibamo.

Or maybe it’s dreaming? We do not know. We can only guess about that.

Obdobje, ko ponoči sanjamo, traja uro in pol do dve uri. Med spanjem naše telo prehaja skozi različne faze in tudi sanjamo v različnih fazah.

The period when we dream at night lasts an hour and a half to two hours. During sleep, our body goes through different phases, and we also dream in different phases.

Najbolj intenzivne sanje, ki si jih tudi najbolje zapomnimo, doživimo v fazi REM. Kratica pomeni hitro premikanje oči, ki je značilno za čas, ko sanjamo.

The most intense dreams, which we also remember best, are experienced in the REM phase. This acronym means rapid eye movement, which is typical of the time when we dream.

Raziskovalci so na različne načine preverili, če živali med spanjem tudi sanjajo. Iskali so fazo REM. Izkazalo se je, da večina sesalcev in ptic sanja, fazo REM so zabeležili tudi pri nekaterih plazilcih, medtem ko velja, da dvoživke in ribe ne sanjajo.

Researchers have found in various ways that animals also dream when sleeping. They were looking for the REM phase. It turns out that most mammals and birds dream, and the REM phase has also been recorded in some reptiles, while amphibians and fish do not dream.

Kaj pa nevretenčarji, med katere uvrščamo tudi hobotnice? V eni od raziskav so znanstveniki sicer prikazali, da tudi sipe med spanjem spreminjajo barvo kože. To bi lahko pomenilo, da sanjajo.

What about invertebrates, which include octopuses? In one study, scientists found that cuttlefish also change skin colour during sleep. It could mean they are dreaming.

Kljub raziskavam še vedno ni jasno, ali živali sanjajo v slikah in zvokih, tako kot mi, ali kako drugače. Žal nam tega verjetno nikoli ne bodo mogle povedati.

Despite research, it is still unclear whether animals dream in pictures and sounds, just like us, or otherwise. Unfortunately, they will probably never be able to tell us.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Etični heker

Ethical hacker

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Etični heker svetuje, kako se zavarujemo pred zlorabami na spletu.

An ethical hacker advises how to protect against online abuse

Te dni, ko delamo in se šolamo od doma, prejemamo tudi številna obvestila, da moramo biti pozorni na spletno varnost.

These days, as we work and study from home, we are also receiving numerous announcements that we need to pay attention to online security.

Hekerji še pogosteje vdirajo v računalniška omrežja in povzročajo škodo. Kako se lahko zavarujemo, svetuje etični heker Edvin Rustemagić iz podjetja SIQ.

Hackers are even more likely to invade computer networks and cause damage. The ethical hacker Edvin Rustemagić of SIQ  advises on how to protect yourself.

A documentary on Slovenian hackers, with English subtitles

Za običajne hekerje smo že slišali, kdo so pa etični hekerji?

We've heard about ordinary hackers, but who are ethical hackers?

Etični hekerji razmišljamo, delujemo in uporabljamo ista orodja kot tipični hekerji.

Ethical hackers think, act and use the same tools as typical hackers.

Razlika je v tem, da ne škodimo podjetjem, ampak jim pomagamo pri odkrivanju ranljivosti in varnostnih pomanjkljivosti njihovih informacijskih sistemov.

The difference is that we are not harming companies, but helping them to identify the vulnerabilities and security flaws of their information systems.

Zakaj ste postali etični heker?

Why did you become an ethical hacker?

Že v osnovni šoli sem bil fasciniran nad računalništvom in hekanjem. Začelo se je s pisanjem raziskovalnih nalog na temo virusov in protivirusnih programov in s pridobivanjem znanja na takratnih družbenih omrežjih.

Back in elementary school, I was fascinated with computer science and hacking. It began with writing research papers on viruses and antivirus programs and gaining knowledge on the social networks of the time.

Ko sem v gimnaziji ugotovil, da poklic etičnega hekerja dejansko obstaja in da lahko počnem vse, kar počnejo hekerji, ter hkrati prispevam h krepitvi informacijske varnosti, se je moje življenje spremenilo.

When I found out in high school that the ethical hacker profession actually exists and that I can do whatever hackers do, and at the same time contribute to enhancing information security, my life changed.

Kakšen je vaš delovni dan?

What is your working day like?

Vsak delovni dan je drugačen. V ponedeljek recimo preverjam varnost strežnikov, v torek varnost bančne aplikacije, v sredo pa poskušam ponarejati e-poštna sporočila.

Every working day is different. On Monday, for example, I could check the security of the servers, on Tuesday the security of the banking application, and on Wednesday I could try to forge emails.

Ljudem v moji stroki ni nikoli dolgčas.

People in my field are never bored.

Na kaj morajo biti te dni pozorni otroci?

What do children need to be paying attention to these days?

Nikomur ne dajajte osebnih podatkov, imena in priimka, gesla, domačega naslova … Ne objavljajte slik brez dovoljenja staršev in ne pogovarjajte se s tujci.

Do not give anyone personal information, name, password, home address ... Do not post pictures without parental permission or speak to strangers.

Ne odpirajte sporočil od nekoga, ki ga ne poznate. Na računalnik ne nalagajte ničesar brez dovoljenja staršev.

Don't open messages from someone you don't know. Do not upload anything to your computer without parental permission.

Na neprimerna sporočila in vsebino nemudoma opozorite odraslo osebo, ki ji zaupate.

Immediately alert a trusted adult to inappropriate messages and content.

Predlagam tudi časovno omejitev za uporabo spleta, saj je zdaj idealen trenutek, da se povežemo in počnemo stvari, za katere po navadi zmanjka časa.

I also suggest a time limit for using the internet, because now is the perfect time to connect and do things that you usually don’t have time for.

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Osamljene cvetoče češnje

Lonely flowering cherries

Written Romana Dobnikar  Šeruga translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Japonsko sta ta teden pretresli dve novici: poletne olimpijske igre so prestavljene za leto dni in okoli cvetočih češenj v tokijskih parkih so postavili plastične trakove, da bi preprečili piknike pod njimi.

Japan was shaken by two news stories this week: the Summer Olympics have been postponed for a year and plastic barriers have been placed around flowering cherries in Tokyo's parks to prevent picnics underneath them.

Kaj je lepšega kot sedeti v parku in z najdražjimi uživati ob pogledu na cvetoče češnje? Na Japonskem je to pravi praznik, hanami. Izjemno je priljubljen tako med domačini kot obiskovalci iz tujine.

What is better than sitting in the park and enjoying the cherry blossoms with your loved ones? In Japan, this is a real holiday, hanami. It is extremely popular with both locals and visitors from abroad.

Japonski meteorologi vsako leto izdelajo celo napoved za sezono hanamija.

Every year, Japanese meteorologists even make a forecast for the hanami season.

Češnje so te dni že vzcvetele v Tokiu in njegovi okolici, v okolici Osake in Kjota pa jih pričakujejo naslednji teden. Bolj ko se pomikamo proti severu, kasneje cvetijo češnjeva drevesa.

In recent days cherries have already bloomed in Tokyo and its surroundings, and are expected next week in Osaka and Kyoto. The more we move north, the later the cherry trees bloom.

»Simbolika češnjevega cveta je poleg lepote tudi minljivost, kar je v teh nepredvidljivih časih, ko se svet bojuje proti koronavirusu, dobrodošlo sporočilo vsem ljudem,« pojasnjuje Maja Rome iz Genki centra, japonskega izobraževalnega in kulturnega centra, ki skrbi za širjenje japonske kulture in učenje japonščine v Sloveniji.

"In addition to beauty, the symbolism of cherry blossom is their fleeting nature, which in these unpredictable times, when the world is fighting the coronavirus, is a welcome message to all people," explains Maja Rome of Genki Center, a Japanese education and cultural centre that work to spread Japanese culture and learning Japanese in Slovenia.

»Prepoznavanje lepote življenja, kljub njegovi minljivi naravi, nam lahko daje optimizem tudi v težkih situacijah bolezni in smrti,« dodaja. 

"Recognizing the beauty of life, despite its fleeting nature, can give us optimism even in difficult situations of illness and death," she adds.

Tudi v Sloveniji se po japonskem vzoru zadnja leta družimo pod cvetočimi češnjevimi drevesi v ljubljanskem Botaničnem vrtu.

In Slovenia, too, following the Japanese model, we have been hanging out under the flowering cherry trees in the Ljubljana Botanical Garden for the past few years.

Zaradi koronavirusa to druženje letos odpade. Toda še vedno, pravi Maja Rome, lahko doma na svojem vrtu poleg češnjevih cvetov opazujemo tudi druga cvetoča pomladna drevesa, ki nam prav tako pričarajo občutek pomladne moči življenja.

Because of the coronavirus, this group activity is cancelled this year. But still, says Maja Rome, at home in her garden, besides cherry blossoms, we can see other flowering spring trees that also give us a sense of spring’s power of life.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

V Zagrebu so se stresla tla

The ground shook in Zagreb

Written by Romana Šeruga translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Si se tudi ti, tako kot jaz, v nedeljo zjutraj navsezgodaj zbudila, ker si imela občutek, da se nekaj premika pod tvojo posteljo? In si potem spala naprej, prepričana, da se ti je to samo sanjalo?

Did you, like me, wake up early Sunday morning because you felt like something was moving under your bed? And then you slept on, sure you only dreamed it?

Tudi jaz sem si brezskrbno privoščila še urico spanca. Toda ob jutranji kavi sem ugotovila, da se mi ni sanjalo.

I also indulged in an hour of sleep without worry. But with morning coffee, I realized I had no dream.

»Danes ob 6.24 je potres z magnitudo 5,3 stresel Zagreb, čutili pa smo ga tudi v Sloveniji,« so poročali spletni portali.

"Today at 6:24, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 shook Zagreb, and we also felt it in Slovenia," websites reported.

V hrvaškem glavnem mestu je močen potresni sunek poškodoval najmanj 17 ljudi, petnajstletna deklica je bila hudo ranjena.

In the Croatian capital, a powerful earthquake hurt at least 17 people and a 15-year-old girl was seriously injured.

Epicenter potresa je bil sedem kilometrov severno od Zagreba.

The epicenter of the quake was seven kilometres north of Zagreb.

Prebivalci so v strahu zbežali na ulice, med njimi tudi mamice z novorojenčki iz porodnišnice.

Residents fled the streets in fear, including midwives with newborns from the maternity ward.

Poškodovanih je veliko stavb, med njimi tudi bolnišnice, odlomil se je del zvonika zagrebške katedrale. V mestu je za nekaj časa zmanjkalo elektrike in vode.

Many buildings, including hospitals, were damaged and part of the bell tower of Zagreb Cathedral was broken. The city lacked electricity and water for a while.

»Ljudje stojijo na travnikih, številni sedijo v avtomobilih, saj nihče ne ve, kaj bo,« je prve vtise strnila Delova novinarka Zorana Baković.

"People are standing in the lawns, many are sitting in cars because nobody knows what will happen," were the first impressions of Delo journalist Zorana Baković.

V hladnem jutru so Zagrebčani dočakali še dva šibkejša popotresna sunka.

On a cold morning, the people of Zagreb experienced two weaker aftershocks.

Kljub naravni nesreči, ki jih je prizadela, niso smeli pozabiti na nevarnost širjenja novega koronavirusa in na pomen primerne varnostne razdalje do drugih ljudi.

Despite the natural disaster that struck them, the danger of the spread of the new coronavirus and the importance of an adequate safety distance from other people should not be forgotten.

Nedeljski potres je bil najhujši v zadnjih 140 letih v Zagrebu.

Sunday's earthquake was the worst in Zagreb in the last 140 years.

V Sloveniji se dobro spomnimo potresa leta 1998, ki je bil še močnejši. Velikonočni potres z magnitudo 5,6 je takrat prizadel Posočje.

In Slovenia, we remember well the 1998 earthquake, which was even stronger. The Easter earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 affected the Soča Region.

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Virus, kdo ali kaj si ti?

Virus, who or what are you?

Written by Urša Adamič, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

So virusi živi ali niso živi?

Are viruses alive or not alive?

Na to vprašanje ni enostavnega odgovora. Virus se ne prehranjuje, ne diha in se ne premika sam.

There is no easy answer to this question. A virus does not feed, breathe and does not move alone.

Velika večina virusov za nas ni nevarna.

The vast majority of viruses are not dangerous to us.

»V človeku živi približno od 12 do 20 različnih vrst virusov. Z večino teh se čisto dobro razumemo,« je za RTV Slovenija povedal virolog Vincent Racaniello.

“There are about 12 to 20 different types of viruses in humans. Most of these get along with us just fine,” virologist Vincent Racaniello told RTV Slovenia.

Virusi so zelo majhni. Njihova zgradba je preprosta: sestavlja jih zaporedje genov, ki so obdani z maščobnim ovojem. Namesto okončin imajo na ovoju proteine, s katerimi se pritrdijo na celice.

Viruses are very small. Their structure is simple: they consist of a sequence of genes surrounded by an envelope of fat. Instead of limbs, they have proteins on the sheath that attach them to cells.

Sami po sebi virusi niso škodljivi. Večino časa naključno tavajo po prostoru in upajo, da se bodo zaleteli v kakšno celico.

Viruses in themselves are not harmful. Most of the time, they wander randomly around the room and hope to run into some cells.

V primeru, da virus najde pravo celico, se nanjo pritrdi in sprosti svoje gene. Celica jih začne prepisovati in nastanejo novi virusi.

If a virus finds the right cell, it attaches to it and releases its genes. The cell starts transcribing them and new viruses are generated.

Zaradi njihove preproste zgradbe jih lahko, dokler ne vstopijo v telo, zelo enostavno uničimo. Kako? Z milom!

Because of their simple structure, they can easily be destroyed before they enter the body. How? Soap!

V milu so prisotne molekule, ki razbijejo maščobni ovoj virusa. Učinkujejo hitro. Že če si roke natančno umivamo vsaj dvajset sekund, uničimo viruse, ki so se morda prilepili na naše prste.

There are molecules present in soap that break the fatty envelope of the virus. They work quickly. If we wash our hands carefully for at least twenty seconds, we destroy viruses that may have stuck to our fingers.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.