The old chest of drawers
A short text in Persian at level A2. 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. In the basement of grandmother’s house stands a chest of drawers older than me. The wood is rough to the touch, and the…
Text
- در زیرزمین خانه مادربزرگ کمدی است که از من قدیمی‌تر است. چوبش روی لمس زبر است و رنگش در آفتاب رنگ‌پریده شده. یک درش کج است و روی قفسه پایینش لکه روغن است. با این حال کمد سالم است و هنوز قابل استفاده، فقط قفلش زنگ‌زده. پدرم می‌گوید درش را درست می‌کند و لایه رنگ نو رویش می‌گذارد. من همین را با لکه‌ها و لبه‌های فرسوده دوست دارم.dar zirzâmine khânee mâderbâzârg kâmâdi ast ke az man gadimitar ast. chubesh ru-ye lams zaber ast â rângesh dar âftâb râng-paride shâde. yek daresh kadzh ast â ru-ye gâfsee pâinesh leke râghân ast. ba in hâl kâmâd sâlem ast â hânuz gâlebel estefâde, fagat gâffelesh zang-zade. padaram mi-guyad daresh râ dârast mikânad â lâyee range nu ru-yesh mi-gâzârad. man hamin râ ba lekehâ â lâbehâye farsude dust dâram.In the basement of grandmother’s house stands a chest of drawers older than me. The wood is rough to the touch, and the paint has faded in the sun. One door is crooked, and on the bottom shelf there is an oil stain. All the same the chest is whole and still usable — only the lock has rusted. Father says he will fix the door and put a layer of new paint on it. And I like it exactly so, with stains and worn edges.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What is the wood like to the touch?
- What happened to the paint?
- What is wrong with the lock?
- What does father intend to do?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Persian?
A2. 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.