Hungarian Basic Course 1732 Studios

Hungarian · Unit 24

Unit 24: Magyarország gazdasági élete

Volume 2

Hungary's economic life

197 lines

Basic Sentences I

  1. 1

    Hello, Mr. Smith! I haven't seen you for weeks. Where are you spending your time nowadays?

    JóHello (Good day)
    napot,Hello (Good day)
    SmithSmith (an American in the dialogues)
    úr!Mr., sir, gentleman
    Hetekseven; week
    ótasince
    nemunless, except
    láttam.I saw
    Holwhere
    töltispend; pour
    azthe (before a vowel); also 'that' in 'az a ...'
    idejéttime, period; weather
    mostanában?lately, nowadays
  2. 2

    Greetings, Mr. Benedek! We really haven't met for a long time. But you know, I've been very busy lately.

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    I've heard that you're studying the economic life of Hungary. Have you succeeded in obtaining appropriate books?

  4. 4

    I've found many useful and appropriate books in the library on this subject. Besides, I use every opportunity to discuss these things.

hasznos
useful
vonatkozó
concerning, regarding
  1. 5

    Have you already read about the fundamental changes that have taken place in the economic life of Hungary since the war?

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    Yes, indeed. I've read about the country's nationalization and the reconstruction of its industries. But tell me, what's the current situation in the nation concerning private property?

gyökeres
fundamental, radical
magántulajdon
private property, ownership
jelenleg
at present, for the time being
  1. 7

    Well, neither the means of production, nor goods exceeding the needs of the individual can be privately owned.

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    Does this mean that everything is the property of the state?

Csupán
merely, only
továbbá
besides, moreover, furthermore
  1. 9

    Yes, theoretically private enterprise is not compatible with this economic system.

  2. 10

    What happened to the craftsmen who formerly worked in their own shops?

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    Some of them went to work in factories engaged in mass production. The rest belong to the craftmen's co-operatives, and they work there.

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    Which branch of industry has the state developed most rapidly since the war?

elvileg
theoretically, in principle
lehetséges
possible
  1. 13

    Heavy industry has received the largest appropriations, and many new machine plants have been built throughout the country. The state has been striving to mechanize agriculture as rapidly as possible.

előbb
as soon as possible
  1. 14

    If I remember correctly, the Danube Ironworks were built about the same time. But industrialization requires considerable electric power and raw materials. Does the country have sufficient reserves of these?

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    Unfortunately Hungary is quite deficient both in electric power and in raw materials. The country lacks natural sources for energy.

iparosítás
industrialization
  1. 16

    Because of its bulk and weight the transportation of raw material is costly. From where does the country obtain these materials?

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    Oil, gas and ores come mostly from neighboring countries. Whenever possible transportation is by water which is more economical.

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    So the industry of the country is mainly processing industry?

költséges
costly, expensive
  1. 19

    Yes, and it's quite flourishing. According to published statistics steel and machinery production has doubled in the past few years.

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    How were the skilled workers obtained for industry?

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    The mechanization of agriculture freed many workers who then went to work in factories. Many of them ultimately became engineers or technicians.

eléggé
sufficiently, fairly
statisztika
statistics
  1. 22

    Hungary, as an eastern bloc country, is a member of the Council of Mutual Economic Aid. What does this mean in practice?

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    It means that the eastern European countries co-ordinate their economic programs to determine what each country should produce.

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    I think this is equally good for each of the countries. But I've heard that this year the country wants to export more. What export products does Hungarian industry produce?

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    Chiefly machinery, tools and food. I've read that under competitive bidding a contract has been concluded with Argentina for machine tools and diesels.

Kölcsönös
mutual
egyformán
equally, alike
exportálni
to export
  1. 26

    This certainly will be good business for the Ganz Wagon Works. But what does the food export consist of?

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    Principally agricultural products and poultry. The western European countries purchase a lot of food products. Hungarian wines, in particular, are popular abroad.

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    That doesn't surprise me, I like them too. But what is the situation concerning the availability of goods for consumption within the country? Is supply balanced with demand?

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    Well, it's certain that industry doesn't produce enough consumer goods, so there are many shortages.

Főként
chiefly, mainly
  1. 30

    Is this the reason why the country cannot keep pace with the other European countries in raising its living standards?

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    That's right. But, of course, much depends on agriculture. If crop production fails the whole economy is hurt, because then it's necessary to increase the importation of grains.

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    How does the distribution of goods take place?

tartani
to keep pace
  1. 33

    Through wholesale outlets.

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    Are the goods received directly from manufacturers?

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    Yes, and then they pass on to the retail outlets as well as to the farmers' co-operatives. These are the channels to the consumer.

közvetlenül
directly
valamint
just as, as well as
  1. 36

    Some time ago I saw an economic map of Hungary and I noticed that industry was developed mainly in the large cities and along the rivers. Do you think this is advantageous from an economic point of view?

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    By all means. The government is trying to industrialize the country evenly as much as possible. This is one of the essential conditions to prevent unemployment.

előnyös
advantageous, favorable, profitable
amennyire
as much as
egyenletesen
evenly
  1. 38

    Since everybody works for the state I don't think the question of self interest would jeopardize the implementation of the country's economic plans.

  2. 39

    This is one of the main concerns of a socialist economic system. But don't forget that the state enforces the laws with a very firm hand.

Minthogy
since
szocialista
socialist

Közmondások - Proverbs

A phrase with its own meaning

A múltkoriban kezembe került Magyarország gazdasági térképe. Some time ago I saw an economic map of Hungary.

Word for word, kezembe került says the map came into my hands. The English says 'I saw'.

Such a phrase is an idiom. Its meaning does not come from its parts, and a literal translation into English does not give it.

Szert tenni: to obtain

Sikerült szert tennie megfelelő könyvekre? Have you succeeded in obtaining appropriate books?

Szert tenni means 'to obtain'. Lépést tartani means 'to keep pace'. Neither meaning comes from a word for word reading.

The same is true the other way. English patterns put word for word into Hungarian may not be understood. At the least, they mark the speaker as a foreigner.

  1. 40

    What happens to me today may happen to you tomorrow.

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    Every household has its own customs.

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    People make plans, but God decides how things turn out.

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    Speech is silver, silence is gold.

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    A word is yours to control until you say it.

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    Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

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    No one can be a judge in his own case.

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    Not everything that shines is gold.

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    All is well if the end is well.

A. "Idiomatic" Expressions

In this Unit there are many examples of Hungarian constructions illustrating usage which is "unusual", "peculiar" or "idiomatic" from the student's point of view; based on his knowledge of Hungarian structure, the meanings of such expressions are "figurative", since the student cannot always derive these meanings from the constituent parts or elements comprising the whole. For example, a literal translation into English of szaván fogni, sokba kerül, or rossz szemmel nézni valamit, does not render the exact meaning that each phrase signals to a Hungarian; likewise, if an American uses English patterns in rendering such phrases into Hungarian, he may not be understood, or at the least his patterns of speech will immediately mark him as a foreigner to the native Hungarian speaker. The task of the student from this point on, therefore, is to pay particular attention to those phrases, expressions and constructions whose structural patterns do not correspond to the English structural frames. Since every language has an enormous number of such "idioms" that are peculiar to it and therefore identify, flavor, and characterize that language, the student needs to spend much time learning these "exceptions to the rule." The materials in the Hungarian Basic Course up to this point have concentrated almost exclusively on the development of the most common fundamental patterns of Hungarian speech. With these basic skills well developed, the student can now concentrate on the enrichment of his vocabulary and the development of fluency in the manipulation of these specialized figures of speech, a few examples of which are found in the basic sentences of this Unit. His knowledge of Hungarian will not really be complete until he has mastered all such idioms. Since in theory as well as in practice, idioms are the stuff of which dictionaries are made, a good Hungarian-English dictionary will be indispensable for him from now on. However, as there are a great many idioms, with more coming into existence every day, the student will have to depend more and more on the help of a native speaker to provide the subtleties that he will not always be able to find in a dictionary.

Transformation Drill

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    Washingtonban az élet sokba kerül.

    In Washington life costs a lot.

  2. 50

    Mi járatban volt Budapesten?

    What brought him to Budapest?

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    Mi járatban volt Budapesten?

    What brought him to Budapest?

  2. 52

    Ha segít, tiszta szívemből megköszönöm.

    If you help, I will thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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    Ha segít, tiszta szívemből megköszönöm.

    If you help, I will thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  2. 54

    A lány férjhez megy.

    The girl is getting married.

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    A lány férjhez megy.

    The girl is getting married.

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    Nem tudtam Kováccsal beszélni, mert házon kívül volt.

    I couldn't talk with Kovács, because he was away from home.

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    Nem tudtam Kováccsal beszélni, mert házon kívül volt.

    I couldn't talk with Kovács, because he was away from home.

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    A gazdálkodók örülnek az esőnek.

    The farmers are glad of the rain.

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    A gazdálkodók örülnek az esőnek.

    The farmers are glad of the rain.

  2. 60

    Szabót kinevezik követnek.

    Szabó is being appointed envoy.

  3. 61

    Válaszolnia kell a levélre.

    He must answer the letter.

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    Válaszolnia kell a levélre.

    He must answer the letter.

  2. 63

    Leszokott a dohányzásról?

    Has he given up smoking?

  1. 64

    Leszokott a dohányzásról?

    Has he given up smoking?

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    Ha nem ütött volna az óra éjfélt, nem mentem volna haza.

    If the clock had not struck midnight, I would not have gone home.

  1. 66

    Fehér elbúcsúzik a lányoktól.

    Fehér is saying goodbye to the girls.

  2. 67

    Tegnap találkoztam a barátommal.

    Yesterday I met my friend.

  1. 68

    Tegnap találkoztam a barátommal.

    Yesterday I met my friend.

Translation Drill

  1. 69

    Agricultural and industrial production play an important part in the economic development of every country.

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    At the beginning of the 20th century Hungary was an agricultural country.

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    The country exported agricultural products to the West European countries and purchased machines from them.

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    They began to develop industry in Hungary after World War I.

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    However, during World War II most of the industry in Hungary was destroyed.

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    After the war, people worked on the reconstruction of the country.

  7. 75

    In 1948 the government nationalized the banks, factories and the larger companies.

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    They wanted to build a strong industrial state; for this reason they concentrated on the development of heavy industry.

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    Later the government nationalized all the minor industrial and commercial enterprises also.

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    No kind of (instrument of) production may be in private hands in the country, and thus in principle private enterprise is not possible.

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    Hungary is poor in raw materials and natural energy; its reserve of these is small.

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    These are obtained mostly from neighboring countries.

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    Hungary is a member of the Council of Mutual Economic Aid.

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    The members of the Council of Mutual Economic Aid co-ordinate their production programs in industry as well as in agriculture.

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    Hungarian industry exports machines, tools, chemicals and agricultural products for the most part.

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    Since animal husbandry is developed in the country, meat products are also exported.

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    There are countless (chemical) industrial plants in operation in the country, where chemicals and drugs are manufactured.

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    In the vicinity of Budapest there are numerous heavy industry enterprises which manufacture trucks, machine tools and instruments.

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    There is occasional trouble with the country's (domestic) supply of goods, when industry and agriculture do not produce enough consumer articles.

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    When the demand for an individual article is greater than the supply, the state imports the merchandise from abroad.

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    The state commercial companies occupy themselves with the distribution of goods.

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    The wholesale enterprises take over the products directly from industry.

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    The merchandise gets to the consumer through the retail enterprises and the shops of the agricultural co-operatives.

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    The craftsmen, who had their own shops before, now work in factories or in (craftsmen's) co-operatives.

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    The craftsmen's co-operatives perform important repair and service work too.

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    In the socialist economic system of Hungary, production, distribution and the execution of plans are under the supervision of the state.

Response Drill

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    What changes took place in Hungary after the war?

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    What objects can be privately owned in Hungary?

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    Why can't there be private enterprise in the country?

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    Which branch of industry did the state develop fastest?

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    What did the state strive for with the rapid development of industry?

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    What two important things does industrialization require?

  7. 101

    When does a country have to import raw materials and energy?

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    How are raw materials shipped from abroad?

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    What production has doubled according to the statistics?

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    How were the skilled workers obtained for industry?

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    Of what economic organization is Hungary a member?

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    What does it mean in practice that the country is a member of this organization?

  4. 107

    What articles does Hungary produce for foreign countries?

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    Which branch of agriculture is developed in the country?

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    What Hungarian goods are popular abroad?

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    What must be in balance in the country's internal supply of goods?

  8. 111

    What happens if not enough consumer goods are produced?

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    In what must the country keep pace with the other countries?

  1. 113

    If the agricultural harvest turns out badly, what does that result in for the country?

  2. 114

    How does the distribution of goods take place in Hungary?

  3. 115

    Through what stores do the goods reach the consumers?

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    Where do the craftsmen who formerly had their own workshops work now?

  5. 117

    What production goes on in the factories?

  6. 118

    What work do the small-industry producers' cooperatives do?

  7. 119

    Where has industry developed chiefly in Hungary?

  8. 120

    What is not advantageous from the country's economic point of view?

  9. 121

    What does the government try to do as far as possibilities allow?

  1. 122

    What is an important condition for unemployment not to arise?

  2. 123

    What factor can endanger the carrying out of the economic plans?

  3. 124

    How does the state try to ensure the development of the national economy?

Conversation Practice 1

  1. 125

    When did radical changes take place in Hungarian economic life?

  2. 126

    After the war, when the country was rebuilt and nationalized.

  3. 127

    What did the government nationalize first?

  4. 128

    First the banks, factories and larger enterprises. Later it nationalized smaller industrial and commercial enterprises too.

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    What means cannot be privately owned in the country?

  6. 130

    Means of production and those objects that exceed the needs of the individual.

  7. 131

    In principle, what is not possible in the Hungarian economic system?

  8. 132

    Private enterprise is not possible, because everything that is a means of production is the property of the state.

Conversation Practice 2

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    How was heavy industry developed in the country?

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    Many machine factories were built throughout the country.

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    What did the state strive for when it developed industry?

  4. 136

    To mechanize agriculture as soon as possible.

  5. 137

    What is Hungary poor in that is important for industrialization?

  6. 138

    The country is poor in raw materials and energy, so both must be imported.

  7. 139

    How are raw materials shipped from the neighboring countries?

  8. 140

    Chiefly by rail or by waterway, because these are the most economical.

Conversation Practice 3

  1. 141

    How were the skilled workers obtained for industry?

  2. 142

    The labor freed by mechanization went from agriculture to work in industry.

  3. 143

    What did the East European countries do in the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance?

  4. 144

    They coordinated their economic programs and divided up production.

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    What articles are produced in Hungary for export?

  6. 146

    Chiefly machines, instruments and agricultural products.

  7. 147

    When are supply and demand not in balance in the country?

  8. 148

    When industry and agriculture do not produce enough consumer goods.

Conversation Practice 4

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    How does the distribution of goods take place in the country?

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    The goods go from industry to the wholesale, then the retail enterprises, and from there to the consumers.

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    What work do the small-industry producers' cooperatives do?

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    They do important repair and service work.

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    Where has industry developed chiefly in Hungary?

  6. 154

    It has developed chiefly in the large cities and along the rivers.

  7. 155

    What can endanger the carrying out of the economic plans in the Communist countries?

  8. 156

    The lack of individual interest and personal responsibility.

Narrative

  1. 157

    Once, long ago, Hungary was an agricultural country.

  2. 158

    On the Alföld mainly grain was grown, in the Dunántúl and other parts of the country vegetables and fruit.

  3. 159

    In this period the agricultural products were exported to the western European countries, from which machines, vehicles and other equipment were purchased.

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    Industry played a secondary role in the country's economic life, and its development progressed only slowly.

  5. 161

    Between the two wars they began to build up industry in Hungary.

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    During the Second World War, however, the greater part of the existing Hungarian industry was destroyed.

  7. 163

    After the war the country's economic life was reorganized and planned economy was introduced.

  8. 164

    The government strove first to rebuild the country, and then to develop industry.

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    The reorganization of economic life took place through the application of socialist economic theories, on the basis of the system prevailing in the Soviet Union.

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    The government nationalized the factories, banks and enterprises and regulated the question of private property.

  11. 167

    In the economic plans the aim was, first of all, the development of heavy industry.

  12. 168

    Many machines had to be manufactured for agriculture.

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    With huge investments the state built new iron and machine works and took steps to increase the production of the mines.

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    Industrialization requires a great deal of raw materials and energy.

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    Since the country is poor in raw materials and has no natural sources of energy, imports of these are needed.

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    The state obtains the iron ore, wood, oil and other important raw materials needed for industry chiefly from the neighboring countries.

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    Transport is by rail or on the Danube, because the use of the waterway is the cheapest.

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    To increase energy production the state built power plants, but these cannot satisfy the needs of industry.

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    In Hungary electric power is obtained chiefly from coal.

  1. 176

    Hungarian industry and agriculture export many goods every year.

  2. 177

    The products of the chemical, machine, textile and precision instrument industries are well known in many countries.

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    The foreign trade enterprises display the products of Hungarian industry at exhibitions in various countries for the world market.

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    In many countries Hungarian engineers build factories, bridges and other installations, for which the country receives foreign currency.

  5. 180

    Developed animal husbandry is also carried on in the country.

  6. 181

    A large quantity of fish is caught every year from the larger rivers and lakes, which comes into circulation on the domestic and foreign markets.

  7. 182

    In the mountainous regions there are many forests, but these cannot ensure the supply of wood.

  8. 183

    In the country's economic system private enterprise is not possible, so everyone works either for the state or for cooperatives.

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    The state forced the peasants by strict decrees into agricultural producers' cooperatives, and left only a small piece of land around their house for their own cultivation.

  10. 185

    The formerly independent craftsmen also could not continue their work in their own workshops.

  11. 186

    Some of them went to work in factories where mass production goes on, and the others work in the small-industry producers' cooperatives.

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    In the producers' cooperatives the means of production are group property.

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    It follows from this that the management of the producers' cooperatives differs to a certain degree from the management of the state enterprises.

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    The state enterprises depend entirely on the ministries; the ministries decide every question.

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    The producers' cooperatives can mostly decide production questions themselves, and they must also raise the sources for expanding production themselves.

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    Besides this, they must strive for the regular employment of their members.

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    In their own interest they must organize their production so as to obtain as large a gross income as possible.

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    A part of the gross income they may use for paying the cooperative members for their work, and another part for accumulation.

  1. 194

    In production, individual interest and personal responsibility play an important part everywhere.

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    Since in the socialist economic system objects exceeding the needs of the individual and means of production cannot be privately owned, these two factors mentioned above are often lacking in production.

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    This often endangers the carrying out of the economic plans.

  4. 197

    The state, of course, tries to ensure the development of the national economy by the strict enforcement of the laws.

The particulars

The course
Foreign Service Institute, Hungarian Basic Course, Washington, 1962. Public domain. The teaching pages, the glosses and the narration of lines the tape lacks are ours.
Reading aloud
Digital narration, directed by 1732 Studios.
The book
Gulliver’s Fifth and Sixth Voyages, the work this course leads to, free to read here.
Data
JSON · Markdown · A guide for agents
Two whoopie pies and a pine. An inside joke.