The business to the end
A text in Arabic at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. We planned the kitchen renovation for weeks, but it dragged on for two months. First there was a glitch with the…
Text
- تجديد المطبخ خططنا له لأسابيع، لكنه طال شهرين. أولا كان خلل في توصيل البلاط، فتوقف العمل. المعلم تأخر في الرد، وخفنا أن ينتهي كل شيء بانحيار. عندما وصل البلاط، يتبين أن نصفه مجعد ومكسور في الطريق. أزيلنا البلاط السيء في ثلاثة أيام، ثم عملنا بجد حتى النهاية. الآن المطبخ كما ينبغي، حسب القواعد، وكل شيء في مكانه.таджиид ааль-матбах хаттатна ляху ли-асаабииʿ, лякиннху тааль шахрайн. ауввальан кян хальаль фи таусииль аль-билят, фа-вакаф аль-ʿамаль. аль-муʿаллим таʾаххар фи ар-радд, ва-хифна ан янтахий куль шайʾ би-инхийар. ʿиндама васаль аль-билят, йятабайян анн нисфуху муджаʿʿад ва-максур фи ат-таарик. азальна аль-билят ас-сайиʾ фи саляса аййам, сумма ʿамильна би-джидд хатта ан-нихайа. ва-ль-аан ааль-матбах кяма йянбагий, хасаб аль-кавааʿид, ва-куль шайʾ фи макаанху.We planned the kitchen renovation for weeks, but it dragged on for two months. First there was a glitch with the delivery of the tile, and the work stopped. The repairman delayed his answer, and we feared everything would end in a collapse. When the tile came, it turned out that half of it was wrinkled and broken on the way. We removed the bad tile in three days, then worked diligently to the end. Now the kitchen is proper, by all the rules, and everything is in its place.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- How long did the renovation actually drag on?
- Why did the work stop at the beginning?
- What turned out when the tile came?
- How did it all end?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Arabic?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.