Rania and caterer Basel balance essential dietary needs and optional variety within a fixed budget.
01Read the Arabic conversation
التَّفَاوُضُ عَلَى قَائِمَةِ طَعَامٍ ضِمْنَ مِيزَانِيَّةٍ
رَانِيَا: لَدَيْنَا ثَلَاثُونَ ضَيْفًا، وَمِيزَانِيَّةُ الطَّعَامِ تِسْعُمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ. يَجِبُ أَنْ تَشْمَلَ التَّوْصِيلَ وَالْأَطْبَاقَ، لَا الطَّعَامَ وَحْدَهُ.
بَاسِلٌ: الْقَائِمَةُ الَّتِي طَلَبْتِهَا تَكْلِفَتُهَا أَلْفٌ وَخَمْسُونَ رِيَالًا شَامِلَةً كُلَّ ذَلِكَ. هَلْ يُمْكِنُ تَقْلِيلُ عَدَدِ الضُّيُوفِ؟
رَانِيَا: الْعَدَدُ ثَابِتٌ، وَسِتَّةُ ضُيُوفٍ يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى وَجَبَاتٍ نَبَاتِيَّةٍ. أُفَضِّلُ تَقْلِيلَ التَّنَوُّعِ عَلَى تَقْلِيلِ كَمِّيَّةِ الطَّعَامِ.
بَاسِلٌ: لِتَجَنُّبِ سُوءِ الْفَهْمِ، هَلْ يَأْكُلُ هَؤُلَاءِ الضُّيُوفُ الْبَيْضَ وَمُنْتَجَاتِ الْحَلِيبِ، أَمْ يَسْتَبْعِدُونَ جَمِيعَ الْمُنْتَجَاتِ الْحَيَوَانِيَّةِ؟
رَانِيَا: أَكَّدُوا أَنَّ الْبَيْضَ وَالْحَلِيبَ مَقْبُولَانِ، لَكِنَّهُمْ لَا يَأْكُلُونَ اللُّحُومَ أَوِ الْأَسْمَاكَ. نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى سِتِّ وَجَبَاتٍ كَامِلَةٍ.
بَاسِلٌ: يُمْكِنُنَا تَقْدِيمُ الْأَرُزِّ وَالْعَدَسِ وَالْخُضْرَوَاتِ لَهُمْ، وَالدَّجَاجِ مَعَ الْأَرُزِّ لِلْبَاقِينَ. كِلَا الْخِيَارَيْنِ يَشْمَلُ سَلَطَةً وَخُبْزًا.
رَانِيَا: هَذَا يُنَاسِبُنَا، بِشَرْطِ أَلَّا يَحْتَوِيَ الْأَرُزُّ النَّبَاتِيُّ عَلَى مَرَقِ اللَّحْمِ. أُرِيدُ تَأْكِيدَ الْمُكَوِّنَاتِ قَبْلَ الْمُوَافَقَةِ.
بَاسِلٌ: سَنَسْتَخْدِمُ مَرَقَ الْخُضْرَوَاتِ فِي تِلْكَ الْوَجَبَاتِ، وَنَكْتُبُ مُكَوِّنَاتِهَا. وَيُمْكِنُ تَخْفِيضُ السِّعْرِ بِحَذْفِ أَحَدِ أَطْبَاقِ الْمُقَبِّلَاتِ.
رَانِيَا: لَا أُمَانِعُ حَذْفَهُ، لِأَنَّ السَّلَطَةَ مَوْجُودَةٌ فِي كُلِّ وَجَبَةٍ. كَمْ يَصْبَحُ الْمَجْمُوعُ بَعْدَ هَذَا التَّعْدِيلِ؟
بَاسِلٌ: يَنْخَفِضُ إِلَى تِسْعِمِئَةٍ وَسَبْعِينَ رِيَالًا. وَإِذَا اسْتَبْدَلْنَا أَنْوَاعَ الْحَلْوَى الثَّلَاثَةَ بِنَوْعٍ وَاحِدٍ، نَبْلُغُ الْمِيزَانِيَّةَ الْمَطْلُوبَةَ.
رَانِيَا: هَلْ يَبْقَى لِكُلِّ ضَيْفٍ نَصِيبٌ مِنَ الْحَلْوَى؟ التَّنَوُّعُ مَرْغُوبٌ، وَلَكِنَّ كِفَايَةَ الْكَمِّيَّةِ أَهَمُّ لِهَذَا اللِّقَاءِ.
بَاسِلٌ: نَعَمْ، ثَلَاثُونَ حِصَّةً مِنْ نَوْعٍ وَاحِدٍ يُنَاسِبُ الْوَجَبَاتِ النَّبَاتِيَّةَ أَيْضًا. نُقَلِّلُ الْأَنْوَاعَ فَقَطْ، وَلَا نُصَغِّرُ الْحِصَصَ.
رَانِيَا: إِذَنْ نَحْذِفُ طَبَقَ مُقَبِّلَاتٍ وَنَوْعَيْنِ مِنَ الْحَلْوَى. هَلْ يَبْقَى التَّوْصِيلُ مَشْمُولًا؟
بَاسِلٌ: نَعَمْ، الْمَجْمُوعُ النِّهَائِيُّ تِسْعُمِئَةِ رِيَالٍ، شَامِلًا الضَّرِيبَةَ وَالتَّوْصِيلَ وَالْأَطْبَاقَ. لَا تَتَضَمَّنُ هَذِهِ الْقَائِمَةُ مَشْرُوبَاتٍ.
رَانِيَا: هَذَا وَاضِحٌ؛ الْقَاعَةُ تُوَفِّرُ الْمَاءَ، فَلَا نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مَشْرُوبَاتٍ إِضَافِيَّةٍ. وَنُرِيدُ وُصُولَ الطَّعَامِ فِي الثَّانِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ.
بَاسِلٌ: يُمْكِنُنَا تَأْكِيدُ هَذَا الْمَوْعِدِ. وَسَنَضَعُ الْوَجَبَاتِ النَّبَاتِيَّةَ فِي عُبُوَّاتٍ مُنْفَصِلَةٍ وَوَاضِحَةِ الْبِطَاقَاتِ لِتَسْهِيلِ تَوْزِيعِهَا.
رَانِيَا: وَيُرْجَى كِتَابَةُ مُكَوِّنَاتِ الْحَلْوَى أَيْضًا، حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ الضُّيُوفُ مَا يَتَنَاوَلُونَهُ.
بَاسِلٌ: سَأُرْسِلُ الْقَائِمَةَ مُفَصَّلَةً، وَأَذْكُرُ أَرْبَعًا وَعِشْرِينَ وَجَبَةَ دَجَاجٍ وَسِتَّ وَجَبَاتٍ نَبَاتِيَّةٍ، مَعَ ثَلَاثِينَ حِصَّةَ حَلْوَى.
رَانِيَا: جَيِّدٌ. لَا تَسْتَبْدِلُوا أَيَّ مُكَوِّنٍ بَعْدَ التَّأْكِيدِ دُونَ الرُّجُوعِ إِلَيَّ، حَتَّى لَوْ بَدَا الْبَدِيلُ مُشَابِهًا.
بَاسِلٌ: مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ. إِذَا تَعَذَّرَ تَوْفِيرُ مُكَوِّنٍ، نُرْسِلُ الْبَدِيلَ الْمُقْتَرَحَ وَمُكَوِّنَاتِهِ لِمُرَاجَعَتِكِ قَبْلَ إِجْرَاءِ أَيِّ تَغْيِيرٍ.
رَانِيَا: سَأُرَاجِعُ مَا تَكْتُبُهُ وَأُؤَكِّدُ الطَّلَبَ الْيَوْمَ. بِهَذَا نَحْتَرِمُ احْتِيَاجَاتِ الضُّيُوفِ مِنْ دُونِ تَجَاوُزِ الْمِيزَانِيَّةِ الْمُحَدَّدَةِ.
بَاسِلٌ: وَسَنَعْتَمِدُ النُّسْخَةَ الَّتِي تُوَافِقِينَ عَلَيْهَا، بِالْأَعْدَادِ وَالْمُكَوِّنَاتِ وَالسِّعْرِ وَمَوْعِدِ التَّوْصِيلِ الْمُتَّفَقِ عَلَيْهَا.
Show English translationHide English translation
Rania: We have thirty guests and a food budget of 900 riyals. It must include delivery and plates, not just food.
Basel: Your requested menu costs 1,050 riyals inclusive. Could you reduce guest numbers?
Rania: The number is fixed, and six guests need vegetarian meals. I would rather reduce variety than the amount of food.
Basel: To avoid misunderstanding, do these guests eat eggs and dairy, or exclude all animal products?
Rania: They confirmed that eggs and dairy are acceptable, but they do not eat meat or fish. We need six complete meals.
Basel: We can provide rice, lentils and vegetables for them, and chicken with rice for the others. Both options include salad and bread.
Rania: That suits us, provided the vegetarian rice contains no meat stock. I want the ingredients confirmed before agreeing.
Basel: We will use vegetable stock in those meals and list their ingredients. We can reduce the price by removing one starter dish.
Rania: I do not mind removing it because each meal already includes salad. What would the total be after that change?
Basel: It drops to 970 riyals. If we replace the three dessert varieties with one, we reach the requested budget.
Rania: Will each guest still have a dessert portion? Variety is desirable, but having enough matters more for this event.
Basel: Yes, thirty portions of one dessert suitable for the vegetarian meals too. We reduce the varieties, not the portion sizes.
Rania: Then we remove one starter and two dessert varieties. Is delivery still included?
Basel: Yes, the final total is 900 riyals including tax, delivery and plates. This menu does not include drinks.
Rania: That is clear; the venue provides water, so we do not need extra drinks. We want the food to arrive at twelve.
Basel: That time is confirmed. We will use separate, clearly labelled vegetarian meal containers for easier distribution.
Rania: Please list the dessert ingredients too, so guests know what they are eating.
Basel: I will send the detailed menu, specifying twenty-four chicken meals and six vegetarian meals, with thirty dessert portions.
Rania: Good. Please do not substitute any ingredient after confirmation without checking with me, even if the alternative seems similar.
Basel: Agreed. If an ingredient is unavailable, we will send the proposed alternative and its ingredients for your review before making any change.
Rania: I will review what you write and confirm the order today. This meets guests’ needs without exceeding the set budget.
Basel: We will follow your approved version, including the agreed quantities, ingredients, price and delivery time.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الْعَدَدُ ثَابِتٌ | the number is fixed |
| وَجَبَاتٍ نَبَاتِيَّةٍ | vegetarian meals |
| تَقْلِيلَ التَّنَوُّعِ | reducing variety |
| مُنْتَجَاتِ الْحَلِيبِ | dairy products |
| مَرَقِ اللَّحْمِ | meat stock |
| أَطْبَاقِ الْمُقَبِّلَاتِ | starter dishes |
| نَصِيبٌ مِنَ الْحَلْوَى | a dessert portion |
| كِفَايَةَ الْكَمِّيَّةِ | having a sufficient quantity |
| عُبُوَّاتٍ مُنْفَصِلَةٍ | separate containers |
| الْبَدِيلَ الْمُقْتَرَحَ | the proposed alternative |
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
- Protect essential dietary needs and portions when negotiating variety.
- Confirm costs, ingredients and substitutions in writing.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
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Use relative ma to identify the written content Rania will review.
