Иногда вы хотите читать по-русски. Sometimes you want to read in Russian.
Иногда вы хотите читать по-английски. sometimes you want to read in English.
You are reading: Bilingual books russian english
However, if you want to read both Russian and English, there is an excellent option: bilingual books.
read on to discover seven great bilingual books for learning Russian.
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- why read bilingual books in russian and english?
- 7 beautiful bilingual books you can enjoy in russian and english
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- 1. “the death of ivan ilyich” by leo tolstoy
- 2. “bilingual chekhov” by anton chekhov
- 3. “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- 4. “The Backbone of Russia” by Paul E. richardson and mikhail mordasov
- 5. “russian fairy tales” by svetlana bagdasaryan
- 6. “Hmm! let’s eat!” by thando maclaren
- 7. “the three little pigs“
download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable pdf that you can take anywhere. click here for a copy. (download)
See Also: Ten of the best subtitles | Books | The Guardian
why read bilingual books in russian and english?
Using bilingual books in your Russian studies has many benefits:
- bilingual books are convenient. if you don’t know a word in Russian, you don’t have to keep looking at the dictionary. all you have to do is look at the attached English translation. so instead of wasting valuable time flipping through a thick reference volume or trying to remember how to type Russian on your favorite device, you’ll be able to spend more time reading Russian.
- They’re not intimidating . When you first try to read in a foreign language, it can be daunting. reading is a challenging test of your learning, and it’s hard to tell how successful you’ll be. With bilingual books, you have the translations at hand, so you can approach reading practice without any jitters. And do you know what less nervousness means? it means you’ll probably be less likely to put off reading practice and more likely to actually enjoy it.
- they grow with you. how you use the books will vary depending on your level of proficiency. when you are a beginning student, you can rely more on English. but as you learn more, you can enjoy only the Russian text without checking the English version. this makes bilingual books surprisingly versatile.
- they provide great support for other learning resources. use bilingual books in conjunction with other forms of Russian media (such as TV shows, movies and music) to complete their learning skills. If you want a more organized approach, consider a virtual immersion platform. fluentu, for example, uses longer content clips along with interactive subtitles and adaptive review quizzes to improve vocabulary skills.
Are you already convinced? Read on for our favorite Russian-English bilingual books!
7 beautiful bilingual books that you can enjoy in Russian and English
1. “the death of ivan ilyich” by leo tolstoy
There’s nothing like reading a Russian masterpiece in the original language. but Russian works are notoriously complex and often difficult to follow. Fortunately, bilingual books are here to help.
Interlinear Books offers a bilingual downloadable version of Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, which follows a dying man as he grapples with the way he has lived his life. you can download the text to your favorite device or print it out and read a paper copy.
“the death of ivan ilyich” is a short novel, so it is not as long as most full russian novels. therefore, it is a good starting point for anyone who wants to read authentic Russian literature.
See Also: There’s new pressure to ban books at schools : NPR
what to expect:
In this bilingual text, the English version appears directly below the Russian text, making it easy to switch between the two. each word is translated directly below its Russian version, so you can not only piece together the meaning of the sentence, but also know what role each word plays in its construction.
2. “bilingual chekhov” by anton chekhov
if you can’t get enough short stories in russian, “bilingual chekhov” is for you.
This edition contains eight pieces by the noted playwright and short story writer Anton Chekhov. The works collected here include his popular “The Little Trilogy” and an excerpt from the play “The Seagull.”
There is also information about Chekhov himself written in both languages, describing his life and eccentricities for anyone curious about the mind behind the literature.
See Also: There’s new pressure to ban books at schools : NPR
what to expect:
Pages alternate between English and Russian, making it easy to read each story entirely in one language or switch seamlessly between the two. the Russian text contains accent marks so readers can easily see where to put the emphasis on each word, and the translations are literal and few literary liberties are taken, meaning you can usually see the exact translation of each line (even in English!). the poems!).
3. “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dostoevsky is one of the most important names in Russian literature. To read his books in the original language, you’ll need an advanced understanding of the Russian language… or a handy bilingual text!
In short, “Crime and Punishment” is about a poor guy who commits murder but ultimately feels guilty for his actions (though not for the reasons you’d expect). the story is complex and compelling, but can be a bit difficult to follow, especially if you’re not fluent in the language. Fortunately, this bilingual text can act as a crutch until you can figure it out for yourself.
See Also: There’s new pressure to ban books at schools : NPR
what to expect:
This downloadable text is designed to be used on your favorite device. simply click on a sentence (or part of a sentence) to see its English translation. the translations are expertly done and focus on conveying gist and meaning, rather than literal translation, so you can’t use it for word-for-word translation. As a result, it is recommended for higher level students.
4. “The Backbone of Russia” by Paul E. richardson and mikhail mordasov
do you like to contemplate beautiful images of russia? Do you want to get your cultural and linguistic education at once? “the backbone of russia” is a great option.
This book is a collaboration between a journalist and a photojournalist that provides a unique look at Russia and its people. The book takes readers on a journey through Russia, showing places and people that would otherwise go unnoticed. It’s packed with images of Russia and the Russians, along with detailed descriptions in both English and Russian.
See Also: There’s new pressure to ban books at schools : NPR
what to expect:
Because it includes many photographs, it is an easy and unintimidating read. some captions describe the image. others include comments from the people who appear in the images. you can enjoy the short descriptions in Russian or check out the English versions. Regardless, the photos will provide a clear context to help you understand the descriptions.
For the most part, the text is an exact translation, but some phrases are not translated literally, choosing instead to convey a larger meaning. challenge yourself by finding these discrepancies and figuring out what a literal translation of each would look like.
5. “russian fairy tales” by svetlana bagdasaryan
if you have a soft spot for fairy tales, you’ll love Russian fairy tales.
“Russian Fairy Tales” features five stories, including familiar tales like “jack frost”, along with Russian classics that any Russian student should know, like “vasilisa and baba yaga”.
Since the stories are intended to be appropriate for children, the level of the language is not too advanced.
See Also: There’s new pressure to ban books at schools : NPR
what to expect:
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The text is broken into snippets and jumps between languages, so if you don’t understand something, it’s easy to check the English translation.
Note that the translations here are rudimentary and don’t always use the best English, but they do a good job of conveying meanings and often opt for literal translations, perfect if you’re obsessed with a particular topic. word or phrase.
6. “Hmm! let’s eat!” by thando maclaren
Do you want to learn Russian words for delicious international dishes? “Hmm! let’s eat!” is a fun and illustrated way to learn all the vocabulary you’ll need to name your favorite foods.
This language lizard picture book is intended for children, so the vocabulary is simple. “Hmm! let’s eat” is available in several different language options. if you want it in Russian and English, just use the dropdown menu.
If you’re learning multiple languages, you could even use different volumes to learn the same words in multiple languages. or check out the rest of the “our lives, our worlds” series, which includes similarly structured books on games/sports and modes of transportation.
See Also: There’s new pressure to ban books at schools : NPR
what to expect:
This is an excellent book for beginning students. Each Russian word is accompanied by its English translation and colorful illustration, so there’s never any question about what each word means.
Unusually for language learning books, this one is not specific to Russian culture and instead uses 11 children from around the world to present cultural foods and dishes, all in Russian with full English translations . Use it to learn simple sentence structures, as well as how to say ethnic food names like “sushi” and “tagine” in Russian.
7. “the three little pigs“
Who does not know the story of “the three little pigs”?
You know, three pigs build their houses with different materials. when a wolf blows on the houses, only the house made of bricks remains standing. it’s familiar and easy to follow, so even if you want to try to read exclusively in Russian, you’ll probably be able to understand it.
however, just in case, you might want to try this bilingual text. it’s completely free online thanks to duotales. Perhaps best of all, Duotales also offers mp3s that you can download or listen to online. This way, you can listen to the spoken words as you read along with the story, working some listening practice into your reading activity.
the website also offers many other stories, so you can increase the difficulty of pushkin’s works or read other children’s stories.
See Also: There’s new pressure to ban books at schools : NPR
what to expect:
each sentence is translated directly below it, so the text alternates between languages on each line. once again, the translations are not literal, so don’t try to use them to learn individual words. instead, use the translations to check if you understood the basic meaning of each sentence.
With these seven beautiful bilingual books, you can start reading Russian today, regardless of your current proficiency level!
download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable pdf that you can take anywhere. click here for a copy. (download)
