A borrowed camera falls from an open bag. Its owner needs it for a celebration, so the borrower must explain the damage and agree on a practical solution.
01Read the Arabic story
الْكَامِيرَا الْمُسْتَعَارَةُ وَالْعَدَسَةُ الْمَكْسُورَةُ
اِسْتَعَرْتُ كَامِيرَا صَدِيقِي سَمِيرٍ لِتَصْوِيرِ حَدِيقَةِ الْمَدْرَسَةِ. كُنَّا نُعِدُّ صُوَرًا لِمَعْرِضٍ عَنِ الْأَمَاكِنِ الْخَضْرَاءِ فِي الْحَيِّ. أَرَانِي سَمِيرٌ كَيْفَ أَحْمِلُهَا، وَأَعْطَانِي حَقِيبَتَهَا. قَالَ إِنَّهُ سَيَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهَا يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ لِتَصْوِيرِ حَفْلٍ عَائِلِيٍّ. وَعَدْتُهُ بِإِعَادَتِهَا مَسَاءَ الْخَمِيسِ، وَحَمَلْتُهَا إِلَى الْحَدِيقَةِ بَعْدَ الدَّرْسِ. وَكُنْتُ أَعْرِفُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْكَامِيرَا عَزِيزَةٌ عَلَيْهِ لِأَنَّهُ اشْتَرَاهَا مِنْ مَالِهِ.
بَعْدَ التَّصْوِيرِ، وَضَعْتُ الْكَامِيرَا فِي الْحَقِيبَةِ، لَكِنَّنِي لَمْ أُغْلِقْهَا جَيِّدًا. عِنْدَمَا رَفَعْتُهَا عَنِ الْمَقْعَدِ، سَقَطَتِ الْكَامِيرَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ، وَانْكَسَرَ زُجَاجُ الْعَدَسَةِ. شَعَرْتُ بِالْخَوْفِ، وَفَكَّرْتُ فِي إِصْلَاحِهَا دُونَ إِخْبَارِ سَمِيرٍ. ثُمَّ تَذَكَّرْتُ مَوْعِدَ الْحَفْلِ. لَمْ أَكُنْ أَعْرِفُ كَمْ يَسْتَغْرِقُ الْإِصْلَاحُ، فَاتَّصَلْتُ بِهِ فَوْرًا وَشَرَحْتُ مَا حَدَثَ.
كَانَ سَمِيرٌ غَاضِبًا، وَسَأَلَنِي لِمَاذَا لَمْ أَفْحَصِ الْحَقِيبَةَ. لَمْ أَبْحَثْ عَنْ عُذْرٍ. قُلْتُ: «أَنْتَ مُحِقٌّ، وَسَأَدْفَعُ تَكْلِفَةَ الْإِصْلَاحِ». ذَهَبْنَا مَعًا إِلَى مَحَلٍّ يَثِقُ بِهِ. فَحَصَ الْفَنِّيُّ الْكَامِيرَا، وَقَالَ إِنَّ الْعَدَسَةَ تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى زُجَاجٍ جَدِيدٍ، وَإِنَّ الْعَمَلَ سَيَنْتَهِي بَعْدَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ، أَيْ بَعْدَ الْحَفْلِ.
كَانَ الْمَبْلَغُ أَكْبَرَ مِنْ مُدَّخَرَاتِي. شَرَحْتُ ذَلِكَ لِسَمِيرٍ، وَاقْتَرَحْتُ أَنْ أَدْفَعَ نِصْفَهُ الْآنَ وَالْبَاقِيَ خِلَالَ أُسْبُوعَيْنِ. وَافَقَ، وَكَتَبْنَا الْمَوْعِدَيْنِ. وَدَفَعَ سَمِيرٌ الْمَبْلَغَ لِلْمَحَلِّ. ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُ أَخِي عَنْ كَامِيرَتِهِ الْقَدِيمَةِ. سَمَحَ لِسَمِيرٍ بِاسْتِخْدَامِهَا فِي الْحَفْلِ، بَعْدَ أَنْ جَرَّبَهَا سَمِيرٌ وَتَأَكَّدَ مِنْ جَوْدَةِ صُوَرِهَا. لَمْ تَكُنْ مِثْلَ كَامِيرَتِهِ، لَكِنَّهَا نَاسَبَتِ الْغَرَضَ.
عِنْدَ اسْتِلَامِ الْكَامِيرَا مِنَ الْمَحَلِّ، فَحَصَهَا سَمِيرٌ وَاحْتَفَظَ بِالْإِيصَالِ. دَفَعْتُ الْبَاقِيَ فِي الْمَوْعِدِ الَّذِي اتَّفَقْنَا عَلَيْهِ. بَعْدَ شَهْرٍ، طَلَبْتُ مِنْهُ أَنْ يُرِيَنِي كَيْفَ يُصَوِّرُ الزُّهُورَ. جَاءَ بِالْكَامِيرَا، وَتَرَكَنِي أَلْتَقِطُ بَعْضَ الصُّوَرِ وَهُوَ بِجَانِبِي. وَقَبْلَ أَنْ نَمْشِيَ، أَغْلَقْتُ الْحَقِيبَةَ وَفَحَصْتُهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
I borrowed my friend Samir’s camera to photograph the school garden. We were preparing photographs for an exhibition about green spaces in the neighbourhood. Samir showed me how to carry it and gave me its bag. He said he would need it on Friday to photograph a family celebration. I promised to return it on Thursday evening and took it to the garden after class. I knew this camera was precious to him because he had bought it with his own money.
After taking the photographs, I put the camera in the bag, but I did not close it properly. When I lifted the bag from the bench, the camera fell to the ground and the lens glass broke. I felt afraid and thought about repairing it without telling Samir. Then I remembered the celebration. I did not know how long the repair would take, so I called him immediately and explained what had happened.
Samir was angry and asked why I had not checked the bag. I did not look for an excuse. I said, “You’re right, and I’ll pay for the repair.” We went together to a shop he trusted. The technician examined the camera and said the lens needed new glass and the work would be finished in three days, after the celebration.
The amount was more than my savings. I explained this to Samir and suggested paying half now and the rest within two weeks. He agreed, and we wrote down the two dates. Samir paid the shop. Then I asked my brother about his old camera. He allowed Samir to use it at the celebration after Samir had tried it and checked the quality of its photographs. It was not like his own camera, but it suited the purpose.
When we collected the camera from the shop, Samir checked it and kept the receipt. I paid the rest on the date we had agreed. A month later, I asked him to show me how he photographed flowers. He brought the camera and let me take some pictures while he stood beside me. Before we walked away, I closed the bag and checked it twice.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| اِسْتَعَرْتُ | I borrowed |
| لِمَعْرِضٍ | for an exhibition |
| زُجَاجُ الْعَدَسَةِ | the lens glass |
| عُذْرٍ | an excuse |
| الْفَنِّيُّ | the technician |
| تَكْلِفَةَ الْإِصْلَاحِ | the cost of repair |
| مُدَّخَرَاتِي | my savings |
| الْبَاقِيَ | the rest |
| نَاسَبَتِ الْغَرَضَ | suited the purpose |
| بِالْإِيصَالِ | the receipt |
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
- Follow the difference between admitting an accident and carrying out the agreed repair and payment plan.
- Samir’s final action gives evidence of renewed trust while leaving room for caution.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Kana in Arabic: Was and Were
كَانَ سَمِيرٌ غَاضِبًا
Use kana with an adjective to understand Samir’s reaction in the past.
Arabic Time and Place Adverbs: Before, After, In Front and Behind
بَعْدَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ
Track the repair timetable with a before-or-after expression.
