The village over half a century
A text in Persian 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. Fifty years ago life in our village was hard. There was no road; water was carried from the well. In the sixties…
Text
- پنجاه سال پیش زندگی در روستای ما سخت بود. جاده نداشتیم و آب را از چاه میآوردیم. در دهه چهل برق آمد و زندگی عوض شد. جوانها برای کار به شهر میرفتند. حالا روزهای کاری در روستا کم آدم است و جمعهها پر از مهمان. بابا میگوید: هر چیز جریان دارد و ما هم باید عوض شویم.pandzhâh sâle pish zendegi dar rustâi mâ sakht bud. dzhâde nâdâshtim â âb râ az châh mi-âvardim. dar dâhe chel barg âmed â zendegi âvaz shâd. dzhâvânhâ barâe kâr be shahr mi-raftand. hâlâ ruzhâe kâli dar rustâ kâm âdâm ast â dzhâmehâ pâre az memân. bâbâ mi-gâyad: har chiz dzharyân dârad â mâ ham bâyad âvaz shâvim.Fifty years ago life in our village was hard. There was no road; water was carried from the well. In the sixties electricity was brought, and life changed. The young left for the city to earn. Now on weekdays there are few people in the village, and on Friday it is full of guests. Grandfather says: everything takes its course, and we too must change.
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 was life in the village like before?
- What changed the village in the sixties?
- Where did the young go?
- What does grandfather say?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Persian?
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.