Arabic–English parallel text
الطرد
The Parcel
DuoText
A bilingual Arabic–English edition: the Arabic text with the English beside it, paragraph by paragraph.
Opening the reader…
برد شديد على ماما
Too cold for Mama
كان كوفي مينساه في الثلاثين من عمره. جاء من غانا، وسكن في أمستردام. عمل في مكتب الاستقبال في فندق كبير.
Kofi Mensah was thirty. He came from Ghana, and he lived in Amsterdam. He worked at the reception desk of a big hotel.
كانت ليلة اثنين في شهر يناير. كان الفندق هادئا. في الخارج، كانت الحرارة 6 درجات تحت الصفر.
It was a Monday night in January. The hotel was quiet. Outside, it was minus six degrees.
في الساعة الحادية عشرة، رنّ هاتفه. كانت أمه من أكرا.
At eleven o’clock, his phone rang. It was his mother in Accra.
«يا كوفي! عندي تذكرتي! أصل يوم السبت في العاشرة صباحا.»
“Kofi! I have my ticket! I arrive on Saturday at ten in the morning.”
«هذا رائع يا ماما. سأكون في المطار. ثم نمشي بجانب القنوات.»
“That’s great, Mama. I’ll be at the airport. Then we can walk by the canals.”
«هل الجو بارد في أمستردام؟»
“Is it cold in Amsterdam?”
نظر كوفي من النافذة. كان هناك ثلج على الدراجات في الشارع.
Kofi looked out of the window. There was snow on the bikes in the street.
قال: «قليلا.»
“A little,” he said.
«جيد. سآخذ معي فساتيني الجميلة. وبعض السمك لك. أنت نحيف جدا في صورك.»
“Good. I’m going to bring my nice dresses. And some fish for you. You are too thin in your photos.”
بعد المكالمة، جلس كوفي عند المكتب ورأسه بين يديه. لم تكن عند أمه ملابس شتوية. هي لم تحتج إليها أبدا في أكرا.
After the call, Kofi sat at the desk with his head in his hands. His mother had no winter clothes. She never needed them in Accra.
سألت لوته: «ما المشكلة؟» كانت تعمل معه في الاستقبال في نوبة الليل.
“What’s wrong?” asked Lotte. She worked at reception with him on the night shift.
«أمي تأتي يوم السبت. هي تظن أن الجو هنا بارد قليلا.»
“My mother is coming on Saturday. She thinks it’s a little cold here.”
ضحكت لوته. «قليلا! الحرارة 6 درجات تحت الصفر. هي تحتاج إلى معطف شتوي حقيقي.»
Lotte laughed. “A little! It’s minus six. She needs a real winter coat.”
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