The trail across the meadow
A text in Urdu 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. With my brother we set out for the mountain house. The trail’s landmark was the square, but we went straight across.…
Text
- بھائی کے ساتھ ہم پہاڑ کے گھر کی طرف نکلے۔ راستے کی نشانی چوک تھا، مگر ہم شارٹ کٹ سے گئے۔ آدھے گھنٹے میں راستہ گم ہو گیا، گہرائی میں کچھ دکھائی نہیں دیتا تھا۔ دور کہیں گرجا گھر کی گھنٹی سنائی دی، ہم اسی کی طرف مڑے۔ راستہ نیچے کی طرف اترا اور آخر میں بند گلی نکلی۔ واپس ہم بڑی سڑک سے آئے، چوک سے دائیں مڑ کر گھر پہنچے۔bhai ke sath hum pahar ke ghar ki tarab nikle. raste ki nishani chok tha, magar hum short kat se gae. ade ghante main rasta gum ho gaya, gehrai main kuchh dikhai nahin dita tha. dur kahin girdzha ghar ki ghanti sunai di, hum usi ki tarab mure. rasta nichhe ki tarab utara aur akhir main band gali nikli. wapas hum bari sadak se ae, chok se daien mur kar ghar pahunche.With my brother we set out for the mountain house. The trail’s landmark was the square, but we went straight across. After half an hour the way was lost; in the depths nothing could be seen. From afar the ringing of a bell tower was heard; we turned toward it. The trail went down and at the end came to a dead end. Back we returned by the big road, turned at the square to the right, and reached the house.
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 did they go straight across?
- Why did they get lost?
- What was heard from afar?
- How did the trail end below?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Urdu?
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.