Today's episode is about the true impact of socialist-era military service on men in Czechoslovakia. In the Slovak lesson, you will learn the difference between Slovak verbs 'ochutnať' and 'ochutnávať'. You’ll also learn how to say “Taste it but be careful.“ in Slovak. At the end of this episode, you can find my short story about the novel Tankový prapor (The Tank Battalion) by Josef Škvorecký.
Episode notes
In today's episode, I’m talking about the true impact of socialist-era military service on men in Czechoslovakia. In the Slovak lesson, you will learn the difference between Slovak verbs ochutnať and ochutnávať. You’ll also learn how to say “Taste it but be careful.“ in Slovak. At the end of this episode, you can find my short story about the novel Tankový prapor (The Tank Battalion) by Josef Škvorecký.
Slovak lesson
Chceš ochutnať toto víno? (Do you want to taste this wine? — maybe just a sip to try it.)
Áno, ochutnám ho. (Yes, I will taste it.)
Práve ochutnávame miestne syry. (We are tasting/sampling local cheeses right now.)
Future: Zajtra budeme ochutnávať vína. (Tomorrow we will be doing a wine tasting.)
Peter dnes ochutnáva slovenské syry. (Peter is tasting Slovak cheeses today.)
Peter ešte nikdyneochutnal slovenskú bryndzu, ale zajtra ju ochutná. (Peter has never tasted Slovak sheep cheese before, but tomorrow he will give it a try.)
Bude Peterochutnávaťaj slovenské vína? (Will Peter also tastes Slovak wines?)
Nemyslím, včeraochutnalburčiak a dnes ho bolí hlava. (I don't think so, he tasted a burčiak yesterday and today he has a headache.)
Ochutnajte to! (Taste it!)
Ochutnajte to, ale buďte opatrní. (Taste it but be careful.)
Tankový prapor – Josef Škvorecký
Ak vás zaujíma, ako vyzerala povinná vojenská služba v socialistickom Československu, kniha Tankový prapor od Josefa Škvoreckého je veľmi zaujímavým pohľadom do života mladých vojakov.
Škvorecký knihu napísal v roku 1954, keď sám mal čerstvú skúsenosť s vojenskou službou. V Československu však nemohla oficiálne vyjsť. Prvýkrát bola vydaná v Toronte, kde žil Škvorecký po emigrácii. Doma v Československu sa kniha mohla slobodne objaviť až po páde komunistického režimu.
Príbeh sa odohráva v päťdesiatych rokoch v československej armáde. Hlavnou postavou je vojak Danny Smiřický. Danny a jeho spolubojovníci sa snažia prežiť vojenskú službu, nezmyselné rozkazy, politické školenia, šikanu a často absurdné správanie nadriadených.
Kniha však nie je klasickým vojnovým príbehom o hrdinských bitkách. Naopak, Škvorecký ukazuje každodennú realitu obyčajných vojakov – nudu, frustráciu, vulgarizmy, alkohol, kamarátstvo a čierny humor. Práve humor je jednou z najsilnejších zbraní vojakov proti systému, ktorý od nich očakáva poslušnosť a nadšenie.
Hlavnou myšlienkou Tankového praporu je preto nielen kritika armády, ale aj kritika komunistického systému a jeho absurdnej byrokracie. Škvorecký ukazuje, ako si ľudia v neslobodnom prostredí vytvárajú vlastný svet, v ktorom sa snažia zachovať si humor, dôstojnosť a trochu osobnej slobody.
A možno práve preto je Tankový prapor dodnes zaujímavý. Je to príbeh o vojne, na ktorej sa vlastne nebojuje – a o mladých mužoch, ktorí sa namiesto nepriateľa snažia prežiť predovšetkým samotný systém.
TRANSLATION
The Tank Battalion – Josef Škvorecký
If you are interested in what compulsory military service was like in socialist Czechoslovakia, Josef Škvorecký’s The Tank Battalion (Tankový prapor) offers a fascinating look into the lives of young soldiers.
Škvorecký wrote the book in 1954, when his own experience with military service was still fresh. However, it could not be officially published in Czechoslovakia. It was first published in Toronto, after Škvorecký had emigrated there. The book could not be freely published in Czechoslovakia until after the fall of the communist regime.
The story takes place in the Czechoslovak army during the nineteen-fifties. The main character is soldier Danny Smiřický. Danny and his fellow soldiers try to survive military service, ridiculous orders, political training, hazing, and the often absurd behavior of their superiors.
But this is not a traditional war story about heroic battles. Instead, Škvorecký shows the everyday reality of ordinary soldiers—boredom, frustration, bad language, alcohol, friendship, and dark humor. Humor becomes one of the soldiers’ strongest weapons against a system that expects obedience and enthusiasm from them.
The main idea of The Tank Battalion is therefore not simply criticism of the army, but also criticism of the communist system and its absurd bureaucracy. Škvorecký shows how people living without freedom create their own world, where they try to preserve their humor, dignity, and a little personal freedom.
And perhaps that is why The Tank Battalion is still interesting today. It is a story about a war in which nobody is actually fighting—and about young men who are trying to survive not so much an enemy as the system itself.
Timestamps
00:33 Introduction to the episode
02:23 About the impact of mandatory military service in Czechoslovakia
10:56 Slovak lesson
12:12 Practice some sentences
14:45 Phrase for today
17:15 Fun fact 1
17:30 Fun fact 2
17:50 Tankový prapor by Josef Škvorecký in Slovak
20:19 Tank battalion by Josef Škvorecký in English
22:43 Final thoughts
If you have any questions, send it to my email hello@bozenasslovak.com. Check my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bozenasslovak/ where I am posting the pictures of what I am talking about on my podcast. Also, check my website https://www.bozenasslovak.com
© All copywrites reserved to Bozena Ondova Hilko LLC
