The village over fifty years
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. Fifty years ago this village was as in the old times. In that decade there was no road; in the rain the way was closed.…
Text
- پچاس سال پہلے یہ گاؤں پرانے زمانے جیسا تھا۔ اس دہائی میں سڑک نہیں تھی، بارش میں راستہ بند ہو جاتا تھا۔ پھر ایک دن یہاں بجلی آئی اور سب کچھ بدل گیا۔ نوجوان پہلے کام کے لیے شہر جاتے رہے، پھر وہیں رہنے لگے۔ اب گاؤں اپنی راہ چل رہا ہے، مگر پرانے دن یاد آتے ہیں۔pachas sal pehle ye gaon prane zamane dzhaisa tha. is dahai main sadak nahin thi, barish main rasta band ho dzhata tha. phir ek din yahan bidzhli ai aur sab kuchh badal gaya. naudzhawan pehle kam ke lie sheher dzhate rehe, phir wahin rehne lage. ab gaon apni rah chal reha hai, magar prane din yaad ate hain.Fifty years ago this village was as in the old times. In that decade there was no road; in the rain the way was closed. Then one day electricity came here, and everything changed. The young at first rode to the city for work, and then began to live there. Now the village goes its own way, but the old days are remembered.
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 the village like fifty years ago?
- What closed the way in the rain?
- What changed the village?
- Where did the young stay to live?
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.