Time Zones

On the fourth morning, the train was west of Novosibirsk. Polly looked at the clock. It said 06:30. The clock had not changed since Moscow.

Asubuhi ya nne, treni ilikuwa magharibi mwa Novosibirsk. Polly aliangalia saa. Ilionyesha 06:30. Saa haikubadilika tangu Moscow.

The whole train runs on Moscow time. It does not change for seven days. You cannot run a long train with different times at each station.

Treni nzima inaendeshwa kwa saa za Moscow. Haibadiliki kwa siku saba. Huwezi kuendesha treni ndefu na saa tofauti kila kituo.

But local time outside was 10:30. The sun had been up for six hours.

Lakini saa za eneo la nje zilikuwa 10:30. Jua lilikuwa limechomoza kwa saa sita.

Polly went to find the dining car. It was three carriages away. She hopped along the corridor.

Polly alikwenda kutafuta gari la chakula. Lilikuwa mabehewa matatu mbali. Alirukaruka kwenye korido.

The conductors in green uniforms read newspapers between stations. They did not seem surprised to see a parrot.

Wahudumu waliovaa sare za kijani walikuwa wakisoma magazeti kati ya vituo. Hawakuonekana kushangaa kumwona kasuku.

The dining car had pale blue walls and lace curtains. Polly perched at a booth by the window.

Gari la chakula lilikuwa na kuta za rangi ya samawati na mapazia ya lace. Polly alikaa kwenye kibanda karibu na dirisha.

A waiter brought her a menu. She tilted her head. He took the menu back. Then he brought her a small plate. Bread, butter, and dark herring.

Mhudumu alimletea menyu. Aliinamisha kichwa chake. Mhudumu alichukua menyu na kurudi na sahani ndogo. Mkate, siagi, na samaki wa heringi wenye giza.

"Compliments of the kitchen," he said.

"Zawadi kutoka jikoni," alisema.

The herring was salty. The bread was sour. Russians have been eating this on trains for a hundred and twenty years.

Samaki wa heringi ulikuwa na chumvi. Mkate ulikuwa na uchachu. Warusi wamekuwa wakila hivi kwenye treni kwa miaka mia na ishirini.

Outside, the forest had become open grassland. Cows grazed near a small house. A man on a bicycle waited at a railway crossing.

Nje, msitu ulikuwa umebadilika kuwa uwanda wa majani. Ng'ombe walikuwa wakila karibu na nyumba ndogo. Mwanaume kwenye baiskeli alikuwa akisubiri kwenye kivuko cha reli.