On registration day, visitors worry about their places in a crowded queue. A suggestion about numbered cards helps the desk work more calmly.
01Read the Arabic story
الطَّابُورُ الَّذِي احْتَاجَ إِلَى خُطَّةٍ أَفْضَلَ
ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الْمَرْكَزِ الثَّقَافِيِّ لِأُسَجِّلَ اسْمِي فِي دَوْرَةٍ لِلْخَطِّ الْعَرَبِيِّ. كَانَ ذَلِكَ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ لِلتَّسْجِيلِ، وَامْتَدَّ الطَّابُورُ مِنَ الْمَكْتَبِ إِلَى الْبَابِ. وَقَفَ رَجُلٌ مُسِنٌّ أَمَامِي وَهُوَ يَسْتَنِدُ إِلَى عَصَاهُ. كَانَتْ هُنَاكَ كَرَاسٍ فَارِغَةٌ، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَجْلِسْ. كُلَّمَا تَحَرَّكَ أَحَدٌ، سَأَلَ الْآخَرُونَ: «مَنْ كَانَ هُنَا قَبْلَهُ؟»
عِنْدَمَا وَصَلَتْ فَتَاةٌ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبِ، أَخْبَرَهَا الْمُوَظَّفُ أَنَّهَا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى اسْتِمَارَةٍ. ذَهَبَتْ لِتَأْخُذَهَا، ثُمَّ عَادَتْ وَحَاوَلَتْ أَنْ تَسْأَلَ عَنْ سُؤَالٍ فِيهَا. ظَنَّ بَعْضُ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ أَنَّهَا تُرِيدُ تَجَاوُزَ دَوْرِهَا. تَوَقَّفَ الْمُوَظَّفُ عَنْ عَمَلِهِ لِيَشْرَحَ الْأَمْرَ. سَمِعْتُ الرَّجُلَ الْمُسِنَّ يَقُولُ إِنَّهُ يَخَافُ أَنْ يَفْقِدَ مَكَانَهُ إِذَا جَلَسَ.
سَأَلْتُ الْمُوَظَّفَ إِنْ كَانَ يُمْكِنُ اسْتِخْدَامُ بِطَاقَاتٍ بِأَرْقَامٍ. أَعْجَبَتْهُ الْفِكْرَةُ، فَخَرَجَ مِنْ خَلْفِ الْمَكْتَبِ وَوَزَّعَ الْبِطَاقَاتِ حَسَبَ تَرْتِيبِ الْوُصُولِ. أَخَذْتُ الرَّقْمَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ، وَأَخَذَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي أَمَامِي الرَّقْمَ السَّابِقَ. وَضَعَ الْمُوَظَّفُ بَقِيَّةَ الْبِطَاقَاتِ عِنْدَ الْمَدْخَلِ، وَشَرَحَ لِلزَّائِرِ الْجَدِيدِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ الْبِطَاقَةَ التَّالِيَةَ.
اِقْتَرَحَتِ الْفَتَاةُ أَنْ تَكُونَ الِاسْتِمَارَاتُ عِنْدَ الْمَدْخَلِ أَيْضًا. نَقَلَهَا الْمُوَظَّفُ، وَطَلَبَ مِنْ زَمِيلَتِهِ مُسَاعَدَةَ مَنْ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى شَرْحٍ. جَلَسَتْ إِلَى طَاوِلَةٍ جَانِبِيَّةٍ، وَبَدَأْنَا نَمْلَأُ أَوْرَاقَنَا قَبْلَ الْوُصُولِ إِلَى مَكْتَبِ التَّسْجِيلِ. كَانَ الْمُوَظَّفُ يَكْتُبُ الرَّقْمَ الْمَطْلُوبَ عَلَى لَوْحَةٍ وَيُنَادِي بِهِ بِصَوْتٍ وَاضِحٍ، فَيَتَقَدَّمُ صَاحِبُهُ وَحْدَهُ.
جَلَسَ الرَّجُلُ الْمُسِنُّ وَوَضَعَ عَصَاهُ بِجَانِبِهِ. وَعِنْدَمَا نَادَى الْمُوَظَّفُ رَقْمَهُ، قَامَ بِهُدُوءٍ وَقَدَّمَ اسْتِمَارَتَهُ الْكَامِلَةَ. لَمْ يَنْتَهِ عَمَلُ الْمَكْتَبِ فَجْأَةً، وَلَمْ يَخْرُجِ الْجَمِيعُ فِي دَقِيقَةٍ، لَكِنَّ الْأَصْوَاتَ صَارَتْ أَهْدَأَ. قَرَأْتُ وَصْفَ الدَّوْرَةِ وَأَنَا أَنْتَظِرُ، وَتَوَقَّفْتُ عَنْ مُرَاقَبَةِ الْبَابِ. عِنْدَمَا ظَهَرَ رَقْمِي، كَانَتْ أَوْرَاقِي جَاهِزَةً لِلتَّسْجِيلِ دُونَ تَأْخِيرٍ.
Show English translationHide English translation
I went to the cultural centre to register for an Arabic calligraphy course. It was the first day of registration, and the queue stretched from the desk to the door. An elderly man stood in front of me, leaning on his walking stick. There were empty chairs, but he did not sit down. Whenever someone moved, the others asked, “Who was here before him?”
When a young woman reached the desk, the clerk told her that she needed a form. She went to get one, then returned and tried to ask about a question on it. Some people waiting thought she wanted to jump the queue. The clerk stopped working to explain the situation. I heard the elderly man say that he was afraid of losing his place if he sat down.
I asked the clerk whether it would be possible to use numbered cards. He liked the idea, so he came out from behind the desk and distributed the cards in order of arrival. I took number twelve, and the man in front of me took the preceding number. The clerk put the remaining cards by the entrance and explained to a new visitor that he should take the next card.
The young woman suggested that the forms should also be at the entrance. The clerk moved them and asked his colleague to help anyone who needed an explanation. She sat at a side table, and we began filling in our papers before reaching the registration desk. The clerk wrote the number being called on a board and announced it clearly, so only its holder came forward.
The elderly man sat down and put his walking stick beside him. When the clerk called his number, he got up calmly and handed in his completed form. The desk’s work did not suddenly finish, and not everyone left within a minute, but the voices became quieter. I read the course description while waiting and stopped watching the door. When my number appeared, my papers were ready for registration without delay.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| دَوْرَةٍ لِلْخَطِّ الْعَرَبِيِّ | an Arabic calligraphy course |
| الطَّابُورُ | the queue |
| يَسْتَنِدُ إِلَى عَصَاهُ | leans on his walking stick |
| اسْتِمَارَةٍ | a form |
| تَجَاوُزَ دَوْرِهَا | jumping the queue; going before her turn |
| تَرْتِيبِ الْوُصُولِ | order of arrival |
| بَقِيَّةَ الْبِطَاقَاتِ | the remaining cards |
| طَاوِلَةٍ جَانِبِيَّةٍ | a side table |
| يُنَادِي بِهِ | calls it out |
| مُرَاقَبَةِ الْبَابِ | watching the door |
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
- Separate what the young woman actually wants from what some waiting visitors assume about her.
- The new arrangement preserves arrival order and lets visitors prepare their forms and sit while waiting.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Purpose Li in Arabic: How to Say “In Order To”
لِأُسَجِّلَ اسْمِي
Connect the narrator’s visit with its purpose using li followed by a subjunctive verb.
Arabic Object Pronouns: How to Say He Opened It and I Opened It
نَقَلَهَا الْمُوَظَّفُ
Notice how the attached ha refers to the forms that the clerk moves to the entrance.
