Sami has prepared carefully for an important meeting. Outside his office, a visitor needs help finding a changed entrance, and a short explanation is not enough.
01Read the Arabic story
مُسَاعَدَةُ غَرِيبٍ قَبْلَ اِجْتِمَاعٍ مُهِمٍّ
وَصَلَ سَامِي إِلَى شَارِعِ الْمَكْتَبِ قَبْلَ التَّاسِعَةِ بِعَشْرِ دَقَائِقَ. كَانَ عِنْدَهُ اِجْتِمَاعٌ مُهِمٌّ مَعَ فَرِيقِهِ، وَسَيَعْرِضُ فِيهِ فِكْرَةً جَدِيدَةً لِتَحْسِينِ خِدْمَةِ الْعُمَلَاءِ. رَاجَعَ أَوْرَاقَهُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ، وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ قَلِيلًا قَبْلَ الْبِدَايَةِ. وَعِنْدَ بَابِ الْمَبْنَى، أَوْقَفَهُ رَجُلٌ يَحْمِلُ ظَرْفًا بُنِّيًّا وَخَرِيطَةً مَطْبُوعَةً صَغِيرَةً.
سَأَلَ الرَّجُلُ عَنْ مَكْتَبِ الْبَلَدِيَّةِ فِي الشَّارِعِ الْمُجَاوِرِ. كَانَ قَدْ ذَهَبَ إِلَى الْمَدْخَلِ الْمَوْجُودِ فِي الْخَرِيطَةِ، فَوَجَدَهُ مُغْلَقًا بِسَبَبِ أَعْمَالِ الْإِصْلَاحِ. شَرَحَ لَهُ سَامِي مَكَانَ الْمَدْخَلِ الْمُؤَقَّتِ، لَكِنَّ الرَّجُلَ أَشَارَ إِلَى الِاتِّجَاهِ الْخَطَأِ. كَانَ يَزُورُ الْمِنْطَقَةَ لِأَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ، وَخَافَ أَنْ يَفُوتَهُ مَوْعِدُهُ بَعْدَ رِحْلَةٍ طَوِيلَةٍ.
نَظَرَ سَامِي إِلَى سَاعَتِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «سَأَمْشِي مَعَكَ حَتَّى أُرِيَكَ الْبَابَ». لَمْ يُرِدْ أَنْ يَتْرُكَ الرَّجُلَ يَبْحَثُ وَحْدَهُ، وَهُوَ يَعْرِفُ الطَّرِيقَ. قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَحَرَّكَ، أَرْسَلَ رِسَالَةً إِلَى زَمِيلَتِهِ: «أُسَاعِدُ زَائِرًا قُرْبَ الْمَكْتَبِ، وَقَدْ أَتَأَخَّرُ دَقَائِقَ قَلِيلَةً. مِلَفُّ الْعَرْضِ مَوْجُودٌ لَدَيْكِ». رَدَّتْ بِأَنَّهَا سَتَبْدَأُ بِمُرَاجَعَةِ مَهَامِّ الْأُسْبُوعِ.
مَشَى الرَّجُلَانِ إِلَى الشَّارِعِ الْمُجَاوِرِ، لَكِنَّهُمَا اِنْتَظَرَا قَلِيلًا عِنْدَ إِشَارَةِ الْمُرُورِ. أَرَى سَامِي الرَّجُلَ لَوْحَةَ الْمَدْخَلِ الْمُؤَقَّتِ، وَتَأَكَّدَ مِنْ مُوَظَّفِ الِاسْتِقْبَالِ أَنَّهُ فِي الْمَكَانِ الصَّحِيحِ. شَكَرَهُ الرَّجُلُ وَدَخَلَ، فَعَادَ سَامِي بِخُطًى سَرِيعَةٍ. لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ وَقْتٌ لِشُرْبِ الْقَهْوَةِ كَمَا خَطَّطَ، وَشَعَرَ بِالتَّوَتُّرِ وَهُوَ يَصْعَدُ السُّلَّمَ.
دَخَلَ غُرْفَةَ الْاِجْتِمَاعِ فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَثَلَاثِ دَقَائِقَ. اِعْتَذَرَ بِاخْتِصَارٍ، وَجَلَسَ حَتَّى جَاءَ دَوْرُهُ. كَانَتْ زَمِيلَتُهُ قَدْ فَتَحَتْ مِلَفَّهُ، فَبَدَأَ الْعَرْضَ مِنْ دُونِ تَأْخِيرٍ إِضَافِيٍّ. بَعْدَ الْاِجْتِمَاعِ شَكَرَهَا عَلَى مُسَاعَدَتِهَا. فَهِمَ أَنَّ مُسَاعَدَةَ شَخْصٍ لَا تَعْنِي نِسْيَانَ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُونَهُ؛ لِذَلِكَ كَانَ إِخْبَارُ الْفَرِيقِ مُبَكِّرًا جُزْءًا مُهِمًّا مِنْ قَرَارِهِ.
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Sami reached the office street ten minutes before nine. He had an important meeting with his team, where he would present a new idea for improving customer service. He reviewed his papers on the way and wanted to sit down for a little while before the start. At the building entrance, a man carrying a brown envelope and a small printed map stopped him.
The man asked about the municipal office in the next street. He had gone to the entrance shown on the map and found it closed because of repair work. Sami explained where the temporary entrance was, but the man pointed in the wrong direction. He was visiting the area for the first time and feared missing his appointment after a long journey.
Sami looked at his watch, then said, “I’ll walk with you to show you the door.” He did not want to leave the man searching alone when he knew the way. Before setting off, he sent his colleague a message: “I’m helping a visitor near the office and may be a few minutes late. You have the presentation file.” She replied that she would begin by reviewing the week’s tasks.
The two men walked to the next street, but waited a little at the traffic lights. Sami showed the man the temporary-entrance sign and checked with the receptionist that he was in the right place. The man thanked him and went inside, and Sami returned at a brisk pace. He had no time for the coffee he had planned and felt tense as he climbed the stairs.
He entered the meeting room at three minutes past nine. He apologised briefly and sat down until his turn came. His colleague had opened his file, so he began the presentation without any further delay. After the meeting, he thanked her for her help. He understood that helping someone did not mean forgetting those waiting for him; telling the team early had therefore been an important part of his decision.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| خِدْمَةِ الْعُمَلَاءِ | customer service |
| ظَرْفًا | an envelope |
| الْمُجَاوِرِ | neighbouring; next |
| الْمُؤَقَّتِ | temporary |
| يَفُوتَهُ مَوْعِدُهُ | he misses his appointment |
| مَهَامِّ الْأُسْبُوعِ | the week’s tasks |
| إِشَارَةِ الْمُرُورِ | the traffic lights |
| بِخُطًى سَرِيعَةٍ | at a brisk pace |
| التَّوَتُّرِ | tension; nervousness |
| بِاخْتِصَارٍ | briefly |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Sami gives practical help after spoken directions fail, then checks that the visitor reaches the correct office.
- He informs his team before leaving, apologises for the short delay and recognises his colleague’s help.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Telling the Time in Arabic: Hours, Half Past and Quarter Past
فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَثَلَاثِ دَقَائِقَ
Compare the early arrival on the street with the later arrival in the meeting room.
Past-Tense Arabic for Two People: They Both and You Both
اِنْتَظَرَا قَلِيلًا عِنْدَ إِشَارَةِ الْمُرُورِ
Notice the verb ending when both men wait together at the traffic lights.
Directions in Arabic: Left, Right and Straight Ahead
إِلَى الشَّارِعِ الْمُجَاوِرِ
Follow the route from the office street to the temporary entrance.
