The story at the station
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. Once I stood at the station waiting for a train; the train was due with a delay. At that moment an elderly woman came…
Text
- ایک بار اسٹیشن پر ریل کے انتظار میں کھڑا تھا، ریل دیر سے آنی تھی۔ اسی وقت ایک بوڑھی عورت آئیں اور پوچھا کہ دوسری ریل کہاں آئے گی۔ میں نے سمجھایا کہ پچھلے ہفتے ریل کی جگہ بدلی گئی تھی۔ وہ تقریباً ریل چھوٹ جانے والی تھی؛ ہم دونوں جلدی سیڑھیوں سے گئے۔ ہم آخری وقت پر پہنچے، اور اس نے شکریہ کہا۔ آج بھی وہ دن آنکھوں کے سامنے ہے۔ek bar steshan per ril ke intizar main khara tha, ril der se ani thi. usi waqt ek burhi aurat aien aur pocha ke dusri ril kahan ae gi. main ne samjhaya ke pichhle hafte ril ki dzhaga badali gai thi. wo taqriban ril chhut dzhane wali thi; hum donon dzhaldi sidhion se gae. hum akhiri waqt per pahunche, aur us ne shukriya kyaha. adzh bhi wo din ankhon ke samne hai.Once I stood at the station waiting for a train; the train was due with a delay. At that moment an elderly woman came up and asked whence the second train would come. I explained that last week the platform had been changed. She nearly missed her train; the two of us walked quickly up the stairs. We made it at the last moment, and she said thank you. And today that day is before my eyes.
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 the narrator standing?
- What did the woman ask about?
- Why did the woman not know the way?
- How did the story end?
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.