Zaila den elkarrizketa
A short in Basque text at level B1. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. Phone conversations come hard: there is a lot of noise, and words are hard to hear. At the start I say: "Please speak…
Text
- Telefonozko elkarrizketak zailak izaten dira: zarata asko dago eta hitzak gaizki entzuten dira. Hasieran esaten dut: «Mesedez, poliki hitz egin»; eta ulertzen ez badut, berriro galdetu ohi dut, ez dudala ongi entzun esanda. Norbaitek hitza moztean, lotsa egiten zait eskatzea, baina ikasi dut «utzi iezadazu hitz egiten» esaten, mindu gabe. Elkarrizketa bakoitzaren amaieran laburbiltzen dut adostutakoa; horrela, dena garbi geratzen da.Phone conversations come hard: there is a lot of noise, and words are hard to hear. At the start I say: "Please speak slower"; and if I do not understand, I usually ask again, saying I did not catch it. When somebody interrupts me, it is awkward to ask, but I have learned to say "let me speak", without resentment. At the end of every conversation I sum up what was agreed; that way everything stays clear.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Why are phone conversations hard?
- What does the narrator say at the start of a conversation?
- What does he do when he is interrupted?
- What happens at the end of the conversation?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Basque?
B1. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
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.