Grocer Bashir, chef Salma, and community volunteer Hisham reconsider a fictional neighbourhood food-surplus campaign after an unconfirmed collection causes confusion.
01Read the Arabic conversation
تَقْلِيلُ هَدْرِ الطَّعَامِ فِي الْحَيِّ
بَشِيرٌ: أَحْضَرْتُ صُورَةَ ثَلَاثِينَ كِيسًا وَزَّعْنَاهَا أَمْسِ مِنْ مَتْجَرِي. أُرِيدُ أَنْ نُطْلِقَ حَمْلَةً لِلْحَيِّ بِعُنْوَانِ «لَا طَعَامَ يُهْدَرُ»، وَأَنْ يَتَوَلَّى مَطْعَمُ سَلْمَى وَالْمُتَطَوِّعُونَ التَّوْزِيعَ كُلَّ مَسَاءٍ.
سَلْمَى: الْفِكْرَةُ تَسْتَحِقُّ الْبَحْثَ، لَكِنَّ عَدَدَ الْأَكْيَاسِ لَا يُخْبِرُنَا بِمُحْتَوَاهَا. وَقَدْ وَصَلَتْنِي أَمْسِ صَنَادِيقُ لَمْ أَطْلُبْهَا، بَعْدَ أَنْ أَعْدَدْتُ قَائِمَةَ الطَّعَامِ وَوَزَّعْتُ مَهَامَّ الْعَامِلِينَ.
هِشَامٌ: وَأَنَا تَلَقَّيْتُ رِسَالَةً تَقُولُ إِنَّ الْجَمْعَ جَاهِزٌ، فَاسْتَدْعَيْتُ مُتَطَوِّعَيْنِ. عِنْدَ الْوُصُولِ اكْتَشَفْنَا أَنَّ مَعْنَى «جَاهِزٌ» هُوَ أَنَّ الْبَضَاعَةَ مَوْجُودَةٌ، لَا أَنَّ جِهَةً وَافَقَتْ عَلَى اسْتِلَامِهَا.
بَشِيرٌ: ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ الْإِعْلَانَ عَنِ الْفَائِضِ يَكْفِي لِبَدْءِ الْعَمَلِ. أُقِرُّ بِأَنَّنِي نَقَلْتُ إِلَيْكُمَا مُشْكِلَةَ التَّنْسِيقِ، ثُمَّ وَصَفْتُ الْعَمَلِيَّةَ بِالنَّجَاحِ لِأَنَّ الْأَكْيَاسَ غَادَرَتْ مَتْجَرِي فِي النِّهَايَةِ.
سَلْمَى: لَا أَرْفُضُ التَّعَاوُنَ، وَإِنَّمَا أَرْفُضُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمَطْعَمُ وَجْهَةً تِلْقَائِيَّةً لِكُلِّ فَائِضٍ. أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مَعْرِفَةِ النَّوْعِ وَالْكَمِّيَّةِ قَبْلَ تَأْكِيدِ الطَّلَبِ، وَإِلَى حَقِّ الِاعْتِذَارِ إِذَا لَمْ تُنَاسِبْنِي الْكَمِّيَّةُ.
هِشَامٌ: يَجِبُ أَنْ نُفَرِّقَ فِي السِّجِلِّ بَيْنَ عَرْضٍ وَحَجْزٍ وَاسْتِلَامٍ فِعْلِيٍّ. إِذَا عَدَدْنَا الْمَعْرُوضَ مُوَزَّعًا، فَسَنُعْلِنُ نَتَائِجَ لَمْ تَحْدُثْ، وَنُرْسِلُ الْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَتَّضِحَ مُهِمَّتُهُمْ.
بَشِيرٌ: سَأُغَيِّرُ السِّجِلَّ، لَكِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنْ تُبْطِئَ الْخُطُوَاتُ الْجَدِيدَةُ الْعَمَلَ. كُلَّمَا تَرَاكَمَتِ الْبَضَاعَةُ شَعَرْتُ أَنَّنَا بِحَاجَةٍ إِلَى سَيَّارَةٍ أَكْبَرَ وَعَدَدٍ أَكْبَرَ مِنَ الْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ لِحَلِّ الْمُشْكِلَةِ.
سَلْمَى: قَبْلَ تَكْبِيرِ السَّيَّارَةِ، هَلْ رَاجَعْتَ سَبَبَ تَكَرُّرِ الْفَائِضِ؟ قَدْ نُحَسِّنُ نَقْلَهُ وَنُبْقِي الطَّلَبَ الزَّائِدَ كَمَا هُوَ. أُفَضِّلُ أَنْ نَسْأَلَ أَوَّلًا: مَا الَّذِي كَانَ يُمْكِنُ تَجَنُّبُهُ؟
هِشَامٌ: هَذَا يُغَيِّرُ مَعْنَى الْإِنْجَازِ؛ فَانْخِفَاضُ مَا نَجْمَعُهُ قَدْ يَكُونُ نَجَاحًا إِذَا انْخَفَضَ الْفَائِضُ أَصْلًا. لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ نَحْتَاجَ إِلَى كَمِّيَّاتٍ مُتَزَايِدَةٍ لِنُثْبِتَ أَنَّ حَمْلَتَنَا مُهِمَّةٌ لِلْحَيِّ.
بَشِيرٌ: فِي دَفْتَرِي أَرْبَعَةُ أَيَّامٍ تَكَرَّرَ فِيهَا فَائِضُ الْخُبْزِ. أَطْلُبُ الْكَمِّيَّةَ نَفْسَهَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ، وَمُنْذُ تَغْيِيرِ مَوْعِدِ السُّوقِ قَلَّ الْمَارُّونَ بِالْمَتْجَرِ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ مِنَ الْأُسْبُوعِ.
سَلْمَى: هَذِهِ مُلَاحَظَةٌ تَسْتَحِقُّ الِاخْتِبَارَ، لَا دَلِيلٌ عَلَى سَبَبٍ وَحِيدٍ. يُمْكِنُكَ تَعْدِيلُ طَلَبِ الْيَوْمَيْنِ وَتَسْجِيلُ الْمَبِيعَاتِ وَالطَّلَبَاتِ الَّتِي لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ تَلْبِيَتَهَا، لِئَلَّا نُسَمِّيَ نَقْصَ الْبَضَاعَةِ تَحْسِينًا.
هِشَامٌ: وَنُسَجِّلُ الْكَمِّيَّاتِ بِوَحْدَةٍ وَاضِحَةٍ لِكُلِّ نَوْعٍ. ثَلَاثُونَ كِيسًا صَغِيرًا لَيْسَتْ بِالضَّرُورَةِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ عَشَرَةِ أَكْيَاسٍ كَبِيرَةٍ، وَلَا يَصْلُحُ جَمْعُ الْأَعْدَادِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ فِي رَقْمٍ دِعَائِيٍّ وَاحِدٍ.
بَشِيرٌ: مَاذَا عَنْ تَخْفِيضِ السِّعْرِ قَبْلَ عَرْضِ الْفَائِضِ؟ أَخْشَى أَنْ يَعْتَبِرَ الزَّبَائِنُ الْحَمْلَةَ وَعْدًا بِتَوْزِيعٍ مَجَّانِيٍّ مُنْتَظَمٍ، ثُمَّ يَشْعُرُوا بِالْخِدَاعِ إِذَا لَمْ يَبْقَ شَيْءٌ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَيَّامِ.
سَلْمَى: إِذَنْ نَشْرَحُ تَرْتِيبَ الْخُطُوَاتِ بِوُضُوحٍ: تَخْطِيطُ الشِّرَاءِ أَوَّلًا، ثُمَّ عُرُوضٌ مُعْلَنَةٌ، ثُمَّ تَنْسِيقُ مَا يَبْقَى. وَلَا نَعِدُ مَطْعَمًا أَوْ أُسْرَةً بِمَوَادَّ يَعْتَمِدُ وُجُودُهَا عَلَى تَقَلُّبِ الْمَبِيعَاتِ.
هِشَامٌ: وَلَا نُطَالِبُ الْمُسْتَفِيدَ بِشَرْحِ ظُرُوفِهِ أَمَامَ الْآخَرِينَ. فِي تَوْزِيعِ الْأَمْسِ انْسَحَبَتْ مُشَارِكَةٌ عِنْدَمَا رَأَتِ الْكَامِيرَا، مَعَ أَنَّهَا وَافَقَتْ عَلَى الِاسْتِلَامِ، وَهُمَا مُوَافَقَتَانِ مُخْتَلِفَتَانِ تَمَامًا.
بَشِيرٌ: لَمْ أَنْتَبِهْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ. سَأَسْتَخْدِمُ صُورَةَ الصَّنَادِيقِ فَقَطْ، وَأَطْلُبُ الْإِذْنَ قَبْلَ نَشْرِ أَيِّ صُورَةٍ تُظْهِرُ شَخْصًا. وَسَأَحْذِفُ مِنَ الْإِعْلَانِ عِبَارَةَ «تَوْزِيعٌ يَوْمِيٌّ مَضْمُونٌ» الَّتِي كَتَبْتُهَا.
سَلْمَى: وَأَحْذَرُ أَيْضًا مِنْ جَعْلِ اسْمِ مَطْعَمِي ضَمَانًا لِكُلِّ مَا يُعْرَضُ. أَنَا مَسْؤُولَةٌ عَمَّا أَقْبَلُهُ وَأُعِدُّهُ فِي مَطْعَمِي؛ أَمَّا شُرُوطُ قَبُولِ الْمَوَادِّ فَتَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مُرَاجَعَةٍ مُخْتَصَّةٍ قَبْلَ الْجَمْعِ.
هِشَامٌ: وَفَرِيقِي لَمْ يُوَافِقْ بَعْدُ عَلَى النَّقْلِ الْيَوْمِيِّ. لِأَنَّ الْوَقْتَ الْمُتَاحَ لِلْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ مَحْدُودٌ، نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى جَدْوَلٍ وَمَسْؤُولٍ عَنْ تَأْكِيدِ كُلِّ رِحْلَةٍ، لَا إِلَى رَسَائِلَ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ فِي الْمَسَاءِ.
بَشِيرٌ: كَانَ مَوْعِدُ الْإِطْلَاقِ الْمُقْتَرَحُ غَدًا، وَقَدْ دَعَوْتُ أَصْحَابَ مَتَاجِرَ أُخْرَى. بَدَلًا مِنْ تَوْسِيعِ الْوَعْدِ، سَأُبْلِغُهُمْ أَنَّ لِقَاءَ الْغَدِ لِلتَّخْطِيطِ، وَأَنَّنَا لَنْ نَبْدَأَ الْجَمْعَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ.
سَلْمَى: هَذَا تَصْحِيحٌ ضَرُورِيٌّ، وَلَيْسَ إِلْغَاءً لِلْفِكْرَةِ. أَسْتَطِيعُ الْمُشَارَكَةَ فِي تَحْدِيدِ مَا يَحْتَاجُهُ الْمَطْعَمُ، لَكِنِّي لَنْ أُغَيِّرَ قَائِمَتِي لِأَسْتَوْعِبَ كُلَّ عَرْضٍ يَرِدُ مِنْ مَتَاجِرِ الْحَيِّ.
هِشَامٌ: سَأُعِدُّ نَمُوذَجًا قَصِيرًا لِلْعُرُوضِ وَالتَّأْكِيدِ، وَأُوَضِّحُ فِيهِ مَنْ يَتَّصِلُ بِمَنْ. وَلَنْ أَجْمَعَ أَسْمَاءَ الْأُسَرِ الْآنَ؛ فَلَا مَعْنَى لِجَمْعِ بَيَانَاتٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ نَعْرِفَ الْخِدْمَةَ الَّتِي نَسْتَطِيعُ تَقْدِيمَهَا.
بَشِيرٌ: أَمَّا طَلَبَاتُ مَتْجَرِي فَسَأُرَاجِعُهَا الْيَوْمَ مَعَ الْمُوَرِّدِ. لَا يَتَوَقَّفُ تَصْحِيحُهَا عَلَى اكْتِمَالِ شَبَكَةِ التَّوْزِيعِ، وَسَأُسَجِّلُ أَسْبَابَ الزِّيَادَةِ وَالنَّقْصِ لِأَعْرِفَ إِنْ كَانَ التَّعْدِيلُ يُنَاسِبُ حَرَكَةَ الْبَيْعِ فِعْلًا.
سَلْمَى: وَسَأُرَاجِعُ طَلَبَاتِ مَطْعَمِي أَيْضًا. لَيْسَ مِنَ الْإِنْصَافِ أَنْ نَطْلُبَ مِنْكَ تَقْلِيلَ الْفَائِضِ، ثُمَّ نَتَعَامَلَ مَعَ فَائِضِنَا كَأَنَّهُ مُشْكِلَةُ الْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ. لِكُلِّ جِهَةٍ مَسْؤُولِيَّةٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَطْلُبَ الْمُسَاعَدَةَ.
هِشَامٌ: وَفِي الْمُرَاجَعَةِ نَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ مَا مُنِعَ تَكَوُّنُهُ وَمَا اسْتَلَمَتْهُ جِهَةٌ أُخْرَى. لَنْ نَجْمَعَهُمَا بِسُهُولَةٍ؛ فَتَقْدِيرُ الْفَائِضِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَكَوَّنْ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مُقَارَنَةٍ تُرَاعِي تَغَيُّرَ الْمَبِيعَاتِ.
بَشِيرٌ: سَأُبَدِّلُ الْعُنْوَانَ إِلَى «نُخَطِّطُ لِفَائِضٍ أَقَلَّ». قَدْ يَكُونُ أَقَلَّ جَاذِبِيَّةً، لَكِنَّهُ يَصِفُ مَا نَبْدَأُ بِهِ فِعْلًا، وَلَا يَجْعَلُ عَدَدَ الْأَكْيَاسِ وَعْدًا يَسْبِقُ قُدْرَتَنَا عَلَى الْوَفَاءِ بِهِ.
سَلْمَى: سَأَحْضُرُ لِقَاءَ الْغَدِ بِقَائِمَةِ احْتِيَاجَاتِي وَحُدُودِ مُشَارَكَتِي، وَأَقْتَرِحُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ كُلُّ شَرِيكٍ ذَلِكَ. عِنْدَئِذٍ يَبْدَأُ التَّعَاوُنُ مِنَ الْقُدْرَاتِ الْحَقِيقِيَّةِ، لَا مِنْ افْتِرَاضِ أَنَّ الْآخَرِينَ سَيَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْأَمْرَ.
هِشَامٌ: وَسَأُبْلِغُ الْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ بِتَغْيِيرِ الْخُطَّةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُرَتِّبُوا أَوْقَاتَهُمْ. بَدَأْنَا بِصُورَةِ تَوْزِيعٍ، وَانْتَهَيْنَا بِسُؤَالٍ أَدَقَّ: كَيْفَ نُقَلِّلُ الْحَاجَةَ إِلَى التَّوْزِيعِ، وَنُنَسِّقُ مَا يَبْقَى دُونَ وُعُودٍ مُسْبَقَةٍ؟
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Bashir — grocer: I brought a photograph of thirty bags we distributed from my shop yesterday. I want to launch a neighbourhood campaign called “No Food Wasted,” with Salma’s restaurant and the volunteers handling distribution every evening.
Salma — chef: The idea deserves discussion, but the number of bags does not tell us what they contained. Yesterday boxes arrived that I had not requested, after I had prepared the menu and assigned the staff’s tasks.
Hisham — community volunteer: I received a message saying the collection was ready, so I called in two volunteers. On arrival, we discovered that “ready” meant the goods were there, not that an organisation had agreed to receive them.
Bashir — grocer: I thought announcing the surplus was enough to start. I admit I passed the coordination problem to you both and then described the operation as successful because the bags eventually left my shop.
Salma — chef: I am not rejecting cooperation; I reject making the restaurant the automatic destination for every surplus. I need to know the type and quantity before confirming a request, and the right to decline if the quantity does not suit me.
Hisham — community volunteer: We must distinguish an offer, a reservation, and actual receipt in the record. If we count what is offered as distributed, we will announce results that have not occurred and send volunteers before their task is clear.
Bashir — grocer: I will change the record, but I fear the new steps will slow things down. Whenever goods accumulate, I feel we need a bigger vehicle and more volunteers to solve the problem.
Salma — chef: Before getting a bigger vehicle, have you reviewed why the surplus keeps recurring? We might improve its transport while leaving over-ordering unchanged. I would rather ask first: what could have been avoided?
Hisham — community volunteer: That changes what achievement means: collecting less could be a success if the surplus itself decreases. I do not want us to need increasing quantities to prove that our campaign matters to the neighbourhood.
Bashir — grocer: My notebook shows four days with a recurring bread surplus. I order the same quantity every day, and since the market schedule changed, fewer people pass the shop on two days of the week.
Salma — chef: That observation deserves testing; it is not proof of a single cause. You can adjust the orders for those two days and record sales and requests you could not meet, so we do not label a shortage an improvement.
Hisham — community volunteer: We should record quantities in a clear unit for each type. Thirty small bags are not necessarily more than ten large ones, and adding the different counts into one promotional figure is not useful.
Bashir — grocer: What about reducing prices before offering a surplus? I fear customers may interpret the campaign as a promise of regular free distribution, then feel misled if nothing remains on some days.
Salma — chef: Then we explain the sequence clearly: purchase planning first, then advertised offers, then coordinating what remains. We should not promise a restaurant or family supplies whose availability depends on fluctuating sales.
Hisham — community volunteer: Nor should we ask a recipient to explain their circumstances in front of others. Yesterday one participant withdrew when she saw the camera, although she had agreed to receive a bag. Those are two entirely different kinds of consent.
Bashir — grocer: I had not noticed that. I will use a photograph of the boxes only and request permission before publishing any image showing a person. I will also remove “guaranteed daily distribution” from the announcement I wrote.
Salma — chef: I am also wary of making my restaurant’s name a guarantee for everything offered. I am responsible for what I accept and prepare at my restaurant; the conditions for accepting supplies need specialist review before collection.
Hisham — community volunteer: My team has not yet agreed to daily transport. Because volunteers’ available time is limited, we need a schedule and someone responsible for confirming every trip, not scattered evening messages.
Bashir — grocer: The proposed launch was tomorrow, and I have invited other shop owners. Instead of expanding the promise, I will tell them tomorrow’s meeting is for planning and that we will not start collection that day.
Salma — chef: That is a necessary correction, not abandonment of the idea. I can help identify what the restaurant needs, but I will not change my menu to absorb every offer from neighbourhood shops.
Hisham — community volunteer: I will prepare a short offer-and-confirmation form and make clear who contacts whom. I will not collect families’ names now; collecting information makes no sense before we know what service we can provide.
Bashir — grocer: As for my shop’s orders, I will review them with the supplier today. Correcting them does not depend on completing the distribution network, and I will record reasons for excesses and shortages to see whether the change actually fits sales patterns.
Salma — chef: I will review my restaurant’s orders too. It would be unfair to ask you to reduce your surplus and then treat ours as the volunteers’ problem. Every organisation has responsibilities before asking for help.
Hisham — community volunteer: In the review we will distinguish what was prevented from becoming surplus from what another organisation received. We will not simply add them together: estimating surplus that never arose requires a comparison that accounts for changing sales.
Bashir — grocer: I will change the title to “Planning for Less Surplus.” It may be less catchy, but it describes what we are actually starting with and does not turn the bag count into a promise that exceeds our ability to deliver.
Salma — chef: I will bring a list of my needs and the limits of my participation to tomorrow’s meeting, and suggest every partner do the same. Cooperation can then start from real capacity, not the assumption that others will somehow manage.
Hisham — community volunteer: I will tell the volunteers about the plan change before they arrange their time. We began with a distribution photograph and reached a more precise question: how can we reduce the need for redistribution and coordinate what remains without premature promises?
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| مُشْكِلَةَ التَّنْسِيقِ | the coordination problem |
| وَجْهَةً تِلْقَائِيَّةً | an automatic destination |
| اسْتِلَامٍ فِعْلِيٍّ | actual receipt |
| تَكَرُّرِ الْفَائِضِ | the recurrence of surplus |
| الطَّلَبَ الزَّائِدَ | over-ordering |
| بِوَحْدَةٍ وَاضِحَةٍ | using a clear unit |
| تَقَلُّبِ الْمَبِيعَاتِ | fluctuating sales |
| مُوَافَقَتَانِ مُخْتَلِفَتَانِ | two different kinds of consent |
| حُدُودِ مُشَارَكَتِي | the limits of my participation |
| الْمُوَرِّدِ | the supplier |
| تَصْحِيحٌ ضَرُورِيٌّ | a necessary correction |
| الْقُدْرَاتِ الْحَقِيقِيَّةِ | real capacities |
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
- Distinguish preventing surplus from transferring responsibility for it to another organisation.
- Evaluate quantities and outcomes without assuming that more bags collected always means greater success.
- Clarify consent, capacity, and confirmed responsibilities before announcing a shared service.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this conversation.
Lakinna and Lakin in Arabic: Two Patterns for But
لَكِنَّ عَدَدَ الْأَكْيَاسِ لَا يُخْبِرُنَا بِمُحْتَوَاهَا
Use lakinna to qualify support for an idea by identifying a limitation in the available evidence.
Fa in Arabic Conditional Sentences: When the Result Needs Fa
إِذَا عَدَدْنَا الْمَعْرُوضَ مُوَزَّعًا، فَسَنُعْلِنُ نَتَائِجَ لَمْ تَحْدُثْ
Notice fa linking an idha condition to a predicted result introduced by sa-.
Because in Arabic: Give a Reason with Lianna
لِأَنَّ الْوَقْتَ الْمُتَاحَ لِلْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ مَحْدُودٌ
Explain a planning constraint with lianna followed by the accusative noun al-waqta and the predicate mahdudun.
