My grandfather's life
A short in Georgian text 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. Grandfather was born in a small village at the foot of a mountain, in the fifties. He spent his childhood in the…
Text
- ბაბუა პატარა სოფელში დაიბადა, მთის ძირას, ორმოცდაათიან წლებში. ბავშვობა ბოსტანში და ტყეში გაატარა, სკოლის დამთავრება ქალაქში მოუწია. პირველი სამსახურის პოვნა ადვილი არ იყო და ორი წელი ქარხანაში იმუშავა. ოცდახუთი წლის ასაკში ოჯახის შექმნა გადაწყვიტა და მშობლიურ ქალაქში დაბრუნდა. ამბობს, რომ იმ დროს ყველაფერი ნელა იცვლებოდა, ახლა კი — ერთ წელიწადში. ძველ ფოტოებს რომ ათვალიერებს, ყოველთვის ერთსა და იმავეს იმეორებს: ეს დიდი ხნის წინ იყო.babua patara sopelshi daibada, mtis dziras, ormotsdaatian tslebshi. bavshvoba bostanshi da tqeshi gaatara, skolis damtavreba kalakshi moutsia. pirveli samsakhuris povna advili ar iqo da ori tseli karkhanashi imushava. otsdakhuti tslis asakshi ojakhis shekmna gadatsqvita da mshobliur kalakshi dabrunda. ambobs, rom im dros qvelaperi nela itsvleboda, akhla ki — ert tselitsadshi. dzvel potoebs rom atvalierebs, qoveltvis ertsa da imaves imeorebs: es didi khnis tsin iqo.Grandfather was born in a small village at the foot of a mountain, in the fifties. He spent his childhood in the vegetable garden and in the forest, but had to finish school in the city. Finding his first job wasn't easy, and he worked at a factory for two years. At twenty-five he decided to start a family and returned to his hometown. He says that back then everything changed slowly, but now — within one year. When he looks through old photographs, he always repeats the same thing: that was long ago.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- Where was grandfather born?
- Where did he have to finish school?
- What wasn't easy?
- What does he repeat over old photographs?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Georgian?
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.