A year without a boss
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. Two years ago I left my job at the factory. The first year was at a loss: too much money went into machines. The…
Text
- دو سال پہلے میں نے کارخانے کی نوکری چھوڑی۔ پہلے سال نقصان رہا، کیونکہ مشینوں پر بہت سرمایہ لگ گیا۔ سب سے بڑے حریف نے قیمت گھٹائی اور مانگ کم ہو گئی۔ پھر میں نے ایک بڑھئی اور دو ملازم رکھے۔ اس سال منافع پہلی بار خاندان کی کفایت کے لیے کافی ہوا۔do sal pehle main ne karkhane ki nokari chhori. pehle sal naqsan reha, kiyunke mashinon per behot sarmaya lag gaya. sab se bare harif ne qimat ghatai aur mang kam ho gai. phir main ne ek barhai aur do mulazim rekhe. is sal manafa pehli bar khandan ki kifayat ke lie kafi hua.Two years ago I left my job at the factory. The first year was at a loss: too much money went into machines. The biggest competitor lowered his prices, and demand fell. Then I hired a carpenter and two subordinates. This year the profit sufficed for the family for the first time.
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 he before?
- Why was the first year at a loss?
- What did the biggest competitor do?
- What changed this year?
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.