Mariam and Jamal compare washing-machine repair and replacement.
01Read the Arabic conversation
الْمُفَاضَلَةُ بَيْنَ الْإِصْلَاحِ وَالِاسْتِبْدَالِ
مَرْيَمُ: عُمْرُ غَسَّالَتِي ثَمَانِي سَنَوَاتٍ، وَقَدْ تَوَقَّفَ تَصْرِيفُ الْمَاءِ. هَلِ الْإِصْلَاحُ مُجْدٍ، أَمْ أَشْتَرِي وَاحِدَةً جَدِيدَةً؟
جَمَالٌ: الْمُشْكِلَةُ الْمُؤَكَّدَةُ فِي الْمِضَخَّةِ، وَتَغْيِيرُهَا يُكَلِّفُ مِئَةً وَثَمَانِينَ رِيَالًا شَامِلَةً الْعَمَلَ. لَكِنَّنِي لَاحَظْتُ ضَجِيجًا فِي الْمُحَرِّكِ.
مَرْيَمُ: هَلْ يَعْنِي هَذَا أَنَّ الْمُحَرِّكَ سَيَتَعَطَّلُ قَرِيبًا؟ لَا أُرِيدُ دَفْعَ مَبْلَغٍ ثُمَّ مُوَاجَهَةَ عُطْلٍ آخَرَ.
جَمَالٌ: لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ الْجَزْمَ بِذَلِكَ. الضَّجِيجُ يَسْتَحِقُّ الْمُتَابَعَةَ، لَكِنَّهُ لَا يُحَدِّدُ مُدَّةَ بَقَاءِ الْمُحَرِّكِ صَالِحًا.
مَرْيَمُ: الْغَسَّالَةُ الْجَدِيدَةُ الْمُنَاسِبَةُ تَكْلِفَتُهَا تِسْعُمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ. الْإِصْلَاحُ أَرْخَصُ مِنَ الِاسْتِبْدَالِ، لَكِنَّ الْفَرْقَ لَيْسَ الْمِعْيَارَ الْوَحِيدَ.
جَمَالٌ: صَحِيحٌ. كَمْ مَرَّةً تَسْتَخْدِمِينَ الْغَسَّالَةَ أُسْبُوعِيًّا، وَكَمْ تَتَوَقَّعِينَ أَنْ تَبْقَيْ فِي هَذَا الْمَنْزِلِ؟
مَرْيَمُ: أَسْتَخْدِمُهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ أُسْبُوعِيًّا، وَسَأَنْتَقِلُ بَعْدَ سِتَّةِ أَشْهُرٍ إِلَى شَقَّةٍ فِيهَا غَسَّالَةٌ. أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى حَلٍّ مُؤَقَّتٍ.
جَمَالٌ: هَذَا يَجْعَلُ الْإِصْلَاحَ مَعْقُولًا، مَعَ بَقَاءِ الْمَخَاطِرِ. لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ تَفْهَمِي كَلَامِي عَلَى أَنَّهُ ضَمَانٌ لِلْغَسَّالَةِ كُلِّهَا.
مَرْيَمُ: وَمَا الَّذِي يَشْمَلُهُ عَرْضُكَ؟ أُرِيدُ التَّمْيِيزَ بَيْنَ جَوْدَةِ الْقِطْعَةِ الْجَدِيدَةِ وَحَالَةِ بَقِيَّةِ الْجِهَازِ.
جَمَالٌ: أُقَدِّمُ ضَمَانًا لِثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ عَلَى الْمِضَخَّةِ وَتَرْكِيبِهَا فَقَطْ. لَا يَشْمَلُ الْمُحَرِّكَ أَوِ الْأَجْزَاءَ الْأُخْرَى.
مَرْيَمُ: هَذَا أَقْصَرُ مِنَ الْمُدَّةِ الَّتِي أَحْتَاجُهَا، لَكِنَّ شِرَاءَ جَهَازٍ جَدِيدٍ قَبْلَ الِانْتِقَالِ قَدْ يَكُونُ غَيْرَ مُنَاسِبٍ.
جَمَالٌ: يُمْكِنُنَا إِجْرَاءُ فَحْصٍ إِضَافِيٍّ لِلْمُحَرِّكِ. سَيُقَلِّلُ ذَلِكَ الْغُمُوضَ، لَكِنَّهُ لَنْ يُلْغِيَ كُلَّ اِحْتِمَالٍ لِلْعُطْلِ.
مَرْيَمُ: هَلْ يَزِيدُ الْفَحْصُ التَّكْلِفَةَ؟ وَهَلْ يُلْزِمُنِي بِالْإِصْلَاحِ؟
جَمَالٌ: لَا، سَأُجْرِيهِ ضِمْنَ هَذِهِ الزِّيَارَةِ دُونَ رُسُومٍ إِضَافِيَّةٍ. وَلَنْ أَبْدَأَ الْإِصْلَاحَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُوَافِقِي عَلَى النَّتِيجَةِ.
مَرْيَمُ: إِذَنْ نَبْدَأُ بِالْفَحْصِ، لِأَنَّ الْمَعْلُومَاتِ الْإِضَافِيَّةَ قَدْ تُغَيِّرُ قَرَارِي. لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَخْتَارَ بِسَبَبِ السِّعْرِ وَحْدَهُ.
جَمَالٌ: بَعْدَ الْفَحْصِ، لَمْ أَجِدْ عُطْلًا آخَرَ مُؤَكَّدًا. مَعَ ذَلِكَ، يَبْقَى تَقْدِيرُ عُمْرِ الْمُحَرِّكِ غَيْرَ مُمْكِنٍ بِدِقَّةٍ.
مَرْيَمُ: سَأَخْتَارُ إِصْلَاحَ الْمِضَخَّةِ، بِشَرْطِ أَنْ يَبْقَى الْمَبْلَغُ مِئَةً وَثَمَانِينَ رِيَالًا وَأَنْ تَكُونَ حُدُودُ الضَّمَانِ مَكْتُوبَةً.
جَمَالٌ: مُتَّفِقُونَ. سَأَكْتُبُ مَا يَشْمَلُهُ الضَّمَانُ وَمُدَّتَهُ، وَأَذْكُرُ أَنَّ الْفَحْصَ لَا يَضْمَنُ عُمْرَ الْمُحَرِّكِ.
مَرْيَمُ: وَإِذَا ظَهَرَ عُطْلٌ كَبِيرٌ لَاحِقًا، فَسَأُعِيدُ مُقَارَنَةَ الْخِيَارَاتِ، بَدَلًا مِنْ دَفْعِ مَبَالِغَ مُتَتَالِيَةٍ بِدُونِ مُرَاجَعَةٍ.
جَمَالٌ: هَذَا مَنْطِقِيٌّ. الْقَرَارُ يُنَاسِبُ حَاجَتَكِ الْمُؤَقَّتَةَ، وَيُمْكِنُ تَغْيِيرُهُ إِذَا تَغَيَّرَتِ التَّكْلِفَةُ أَوِ الظُّرُوفُ.
مَرْيَمُ: أُقَدِّرُ صَرَاحَتَكَ. أَقْبَلُ قَدْرًا مِنَ الْمُخَاطَرَةِ، لَكِنِّي لَا أَعُدُّ الْإِصْلَاحَ وَعْدًا بِعَمَلِ الْغَسَّالَةِ لِسَنَوَاتٍ.
جَمَالٌ: سَأَبْدَأُ بَعْدَ تَوْقِيعِكِ عَلَى الْعَرْضِ، ثُمَّ نَخْتَبِرُ تَصْرِيفَ الْمَاءِ مَعًا قَبْلَ إِغْلَاقِ طَلَبِ الْخِدْمَةِ.
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Mariam: My washing machine is eight years old and has stopped draining. Is repair worthwhile, or should I buy a new one?
Jamal: The confirmed problem is the pump. Replacement costs 180 riyals including labour. However, I noticed motor noise.
Mariam: Does that mean the motor will fail soon? I do not want to pay and then face another fault.
Jamal: I cannot say for certain. The noise deserves monitoring but does not tell us how long the motor will remain functional.
Mariam: A suitable new washing machine costs 900 riyals. Repair is cheaper than replacement, but that difference is not the only criterion.
Jamal: Correct. How often do you use it weekly, and how long do you expect to stay here?
Mariam: Twice weekly. In six months I will move to a flat with a washing machine. I need a temporary solution.
Jamal: That makes repair reasonable, although risks remain. Do not understand my words as a guarantee for the whole machine.
Mariam: What does your offer cover? I want to distinguish the new part’s quality from the rest of the appliance’s condition.
Jamal: I offer a three-month guarantee on the pump and installation only. It excludes the motor and other parts.
Mariam: That is shorter than I need, but buying a new appliance before moving may be unsuitable.
Jamal: We can inspect the motor further. That will reduce uncertainty but will not eliminate every possibility of failure.
Mariam: Does inspection cost more? Does it commit me to repair?
Jamal: No, I will include it in this visit at no extra charge. I will not start repairs before you approve the outcome.
Mariam: Then we start with inspection, because additional information may change my decision. I do not want price alone to determine my choice.
Jamal: After inspection, I found no other confirmed fault. Even so, estimating the motor’s lifespan precisely remains impossible.
Mariam: I will choose pump repair, provided the price stays at 180 riyals and the guarantee’s limits are written down.
Jamal: Agreed. I will write down the guarantee’s coverage and duration, noting that inspection does not guarantee the motor’s lifespan.
Mariam: If a major fault appears later, I will compare the options again instead of paying successive amounts without reconsidering.
Jamal: That is logical. The decision suits your temporary need and can change if costs or circumstances change.
Mariam: I appreciate your honesty. I accept some risk but do not consider repair a promise of years of use.
Jamal: I will start after you sign the offer. Then we will test drainage together before closing the service request.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| تَصْرِيفُ الْمَاءِ | drainage of water |
| الْمِضَخَّةِ | the pump |
| الْجَزْمَ | stating something with certainty |
| الْمِعْيَارَ الْوَحِيدَ | the only criterion |
| حَلٍّ مُؤَقَّتٍ | a temporary solution |
| بَقَاءِ الْمَخَاطِرِ | risks remaining |
| حَالَةِ بَقِيَّةِ الْجِهَازِ | the rest of the appliance’s condition |
| سَيُقَلِّلُ ذَلِكَ الْغُمُوضَ | that will reduce uncertainty |
| حُدُودُ الضَّمَانِ | the guarantee’s limits |
| مَبَالِغَ مُتَتَالِيَةٍ | successive amounts |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic conversation for evidence. Open the English question support or a hint when you need help.
What to remember
- Compare costs and guarantees with your temporary needs.
- Qualify recommendations and reconsider them when circumstances change.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
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Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
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Review a comparative followed by min when contrasting the initial costs.
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لِأَنَّ الْمَعْلُومَاتِ الْإِضَافِيَّةَ قَدْ تُغَيِّرُ قَرَارِي
Connect a decision to its reason with lianna and a named noun.
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سَأَخْتَارُ إِصْلَاحَ الْمِضَخَّةِ
Notice attached sa when Mariam states her choice of repair.
