Class eleven and twelve || Unit one: Education and Life || Lesson 3 Children in School || English first paper || Bangla meaning, word meaning, text questions and answer || textbook page 14,15,117,18 & 19-24

Unit one: Education and Life
Lesson 3: Children in School

A. Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow:

This is an excerpt from a memoir, Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The author is a Japanese television personality and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. It is based on her childhood recollection of her school in Tokyo, during World War II.

The New School
When she saw the gate of the new school, Totto-chan stopped. The gate of the school she used to go to had fine concrete pillars with the name of the school in large characters. But the gate of this new school simply consisted of two rather short posts that still had twigs and leaves on them.
"This gate's growing," said Totto-chan. "It'll probably go on growing till it's taller than the telephone poles!"
The two "gate posts" were clearly trees with roots. When she got closer, she had to put her head to one side to read the name of the school because the wind had blown the sign askew.
"To-mo-e Ga-ku-en."
Totto-chan was about to ask Mother what "Tomoe" meant, when she caught a glimpse of something that made her think she must be dreaming. She squatted down and peered through the shrubbery to get a better look, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Mother, is that really a train! There, in the school grounds!"
For its classrooms, the school had made use of six abandoned railroad cars. To Totto-chan it seemed something you might dream about. A school in a train!
The windows of the railroad cars sparkled in the morning sunlight. But the eyes of the rosy-cheeked little girl gazing at them through the shrubbery sparkled even more.
"I like this school!"
A moment later, Totto-chan let out a whoop of joy and started running toward the "train school," calling out to Mother over her shoulder, "Come on, hurry, let's get on this train that's standing still." Startled, Mother began to run after her. Mother had been on a basketball team once, so she was faster than Totto-chan and caught hold of her dress just as she reached a door.
"You can't go in yet." said Mother, holding her back. "The cars are classrooms, and you haven't even been accepted here yet. If you really want to get on this train, you'll have to be nice and polite to the headmaster. We're going to call on him now, and if all goes well, you'll be able to go to this school. Do you understand?"
Totto-chan was awfully disappointed not to get on the "train" right away, but she decided she had better do as Mother told her. All right," she said. And then added, "I like this school a lot."
Mother felt like telling her it wasn't a matter of whether she liked the school but of whether the headmaster liked her. But she just let go of Totto-chan's dress, took hold of her hand, and started walking toward the headmaster's office.
All the railroad cars were quiet, for the first classes of the day had begun. Instead of a wall, the not very spacious school grounds were surrounded by trees, and there were flower beds full of red and yellow flowers.
The headmaster's office wasn't in a railroad car, but was on the right-hand side of a one-storey building that stood at the top of a semicircular flight of about seven stone steps opposite the gate.
Totto-chan let go of Mother's hand and raced up the steps, then turned around abruptly, almost causing Mother to run into her.
"What's the matter?" Mother asked, fearing Totto-chan might have changed her mind about the school.
Standing above her on the top step, Totto-chan whispered to Mother in all seriousness, "The man we're going to see must be a stationmaster!"
Mother had plenty of patience as well as a great sense of fun. She put her face close to Totto-chan's and whispered, "Why?"
Totto-chan whispered back, "You said he was the headmaster, but if he owns all these trains, he must be a stationmaster."
Mother had to admit it was unusual for a school to make use of old railroad cars, but there was no time to explain. She simply said, "Why don't you ask him yourself! And, anyway, what about Daddy? He plays the violin and owns several violins, but that doesn't make our house a violin shop, does it?"
"No, it doesn't," Totto-chan agreed, catching hold of Mother's hand.

The Headmaster
When Mother and Totto-chan went in, the man in the office got up from his chair. His hair was thin on top and he had a few teeth missing, but his face was a healthy colour. Although he wasn't very tall, he had solid shoulders and arms and was neatly dressed in a rather shabby black three-piece suit.
With a hasty bow, Totto-chan asked him spiritedly "What are you, a schoolmaster or a stationmaster?"
Mother was embarrassed, but before she had time to explain. he laughed and replied, "I'm the head-master of this school."
Totto-chan was delighted. "Oh, I'm so glad," she said, "because I want to ask you a favour. I'd like to come to your school."
The headmaster offered her a chair and turned to Mother. "You may go home now. I want to talk to Totto-chan."
Totto-chan had a moment's uneasiness, but somehow felt she would get along all right with this man. "Well, then, I'll leave her with you," Mother said bravely, and shut the door behind her as she went out.
The headmaster drew over a chair and put it facing Totto- chan, and when they were both sitting down close together, he said, "Now then, tell me all about yourself. Tell me anything at all you want to talk about."
"Anything I like?" Totto-chan had expected him to ask questions she would have to answer. When he said she could talk about anything she wanted, she was so happy she began straight away. It was all a bit higgledy-piggledy, but she talked for all she was worth. She told the headmaster how fast the train went that they had come on; how she had asked the ticket collector but he wouldn't let her keep her ticket; how pretty her homeroom teacher was at the other school; about the swallows' nest; about their brown dog. Rocky, who could do all sorts of tricks, how she used to go snip- snip with the scissors inside her mouth at kindergarten and the teacher said she mustn't do that because she might cut her tongue off, but she did it anyway; how she always blew her nose because Mother scolded her if it was runny, what a good swimmer Daddy was, and how he could dive as well. She went on and on. The headmaster would laugh, nod, and say, "And then?" And Totto-chan was so happy she kept right on talking. But finally she ran out of things to say. She sat with her mouth closed trying hard to think of something.
"Haven't you anything more you can tell me?" asked the headmaster.
What a shame to stop now, Totto-chan thought. It was such a wonderful chance. Wasn't there anything else she could talk about, she wondered, racking her brains? Then she had an idea.
She could tell him about the dress she was wearing that day. Mother made most of her dresses, but this one came from a shop. Her clothes were always torn when she came home in the late afternoon. Some of the rips were quite bad. Mother never knew how they got that way. Even her white cotton panties were sometimes in shreds. She explained to the headmaster that they got torn when she crossed other people's gardens by crawling under their fences, and when she burrowed under the barbed wire around vacant lots. So this morning, she said, when she was getting dressed to come here, all the nice dresses Mother had made were torn so she had to wear one Mother had bought. It had small dark red and gray checks and was made of jersey, and it wasn't bad, but Mother thought the red flowers embroidered on the collar were in bad taste. "Mother doesn't like the collar," said Totto-chan, holding it up for the headmaster to see.
After that, she could think of nothing more to say no matter how hard she tried. It made her rather sad. But just then the headmaster got up, placed his large, warm hand on her head, and said, "Well, now you're a pupil of this school."
Those were his very words. And at that moment Totto-chan felt she had met someone she really liked for the very first time in her life. You see, up till then, no one had ever listened to her for so long. And all that time the headmaster hadn't yawned once or looked bored, but seemed just as interested in what she had to say as she was.
Totto-chan hadn't learned how to tell time yet, but it did seem like a rather long time. If she had been able to, she would have been astonished, and even more grateful to the headmaster. For, you see, Mother and Totto-chan arrived at the school at eight, and when she had finished talking and the headmaster had told her she was a pupil of the school, he looked at his pocket watch and said, "Ah, it's time for lunch." So the headmaster must have listened to Totto-chan for four solid hours!
Neither before nor since did any grown-up listen to Totto-chan for as long as that. And, besides, it would have amazed Mother and her homeroom teacher to think that a seven-year-old child could find enough to talk about for four hours nonstop.
Totto-chan had no idea then, of course, that she had been expelled and that people were at their wit's end to know what to do. Having a naturally sunny disposition and being a bit absent-minded gave her an air of innocence. But deep down she felt she was considered different from other children and slightly strange. The headmaster, however, made her feel safe and warm and happy. She wanted to stay with him forever.
That's how Totto-chan felt about Headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi that first day. And. luckily, the head-master felt the same about her.

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning (Bangla)	Synonym	Antonym
Abandon	Verb	পরিত্যাগ করা	Forsake, Desert	Retain, Adopt
Abrupt	Adjective	আকস্মিক	Sudden, Unexpected	Gradual, Expected
Absurd	Adjective	হাস্যকর	Ridiculous, Silly	Rational, Sensible
Accept	Verb	গ্রহণ করা	Agree, Admit	Reject, Deny
Admire	Verb	প্রশংসা করা	Appreciate, Esteem	Criticize, Scorn
Adore	Verb	ভালোবাসা	Love, Cherish	Hate, Despise
Affection	Noun	স্নেহ	Love, Fondness	Hatred, Indifference
Alert	Adjective	সতর্ক	Vigilant, Watchful	Unaware, Careless
Ambition	Noun	উচ্চাকাঙ্ক্ষা	Aspiration, Goal	Apathy, Disinterest
Ancient	Adjective	প্রাচীন	Old, Antique	Modern, Recent
Anxious	Adjective	উদ্বিগ্ন	Worried, Nervous	Calm, Unconcerned
Appear	Verb	প্রকাশিত হওয়া	Emerge, Show	Disappear, Hide
Approach	Verb	কাছে আসা	Advance, Come	Retreat, Leave
Astonish	Verb	বিস্মিত করা	Amaze, Surprise	Bore, Expect
Attach	Verb	সংযুক্ত করা	Join, Connect	Detach, Separate
Avoid	Verb	এড়ানো	Evade, Escape	Confront, Face
Beautiful	Adjective	সুন্দর	Lovely, Pretty	Ugly, Unattractive
Begin	Verb	শুরু করা	Start, Commence	End, Finish
Believe	Verb	বিশ্বাস করা	Trust, Accept	Doubt, Distrust
Brave	Adjective	সাহসী	Courageous, Bold	Cowardly, Fearful
Broad	Adjective	প্রশস্ত	Wide, Expansive	Narrow, Limited
Calm	Adjective	শান্ত	Peaceful, Quiet	Agitated, Excited
Careful	Adjective	সতর্ক	Cautious, Alert	Careless, Reckless
Certain	Adjective	নিশ্চিত	Sure, Definite	Doubtful, Uncertain
Cheerful	Adjective	আনন্দিত	Happy, Joyful	Sad, Depressed
Clever	Adjective	চতুর	Smart, Intelligent	Foolish, Stupid
Comfort	Noun	স্বস্তি	Ease, Relief	Discomfort, Pain
Complete	Verb	সম্পূর্ণ করা	Finish, Accomplish	Begin, Incomplete
Confident	Adjective	আত্মবিশ্বাসী	Assured, Bold	Doubtful, Timid
Danger	Noun	বিপদ	Risk, Threat	Safety, Security
Dark	Adjective	অন্ধকার	Gloomy, Dim	Bright, Light
Destroy	Verb	ধ্বংস করা	Ruin, Demolish	Build, Create
Divide	Verb	বিভক্ত করা	Split, Separate	Unite, Combine
Easy	Adjective	সহজ	Simple, Effortless	Difficult, Hard
Educate	Verb	শিক্ষিত করা	Teach, Instruct	Ignore, Neglect
Enemy	Noun	শত্রু	Foe, Opponent	Friend, Ally
Famous	Adjective	বিখ্যাত	Renowned, Popular	Unknown, Obscure
Fast	Adjective	দ্রুত	Quick, Rapid	Slow, Sluggish
Fear	Noun	ভয়	Terror, Fright	Courage, Confidence
Freedom	Noun	স্বাধীনতা	Liberty, Independence	Captivity, Bondage
Generous	Adjective	উদার	Kind, Giving	Selfish, Stingy
Gentle	Adjective	নম্র	Mild, Soft	Harsh, Rough
Happy	Adjective	সুখী	Joyful, Cheerful	Sad, Miserable
Hard	Adjective	কঠিন	Tough, Rigid	Soft, Easy
Honest	Adjective	সৎ	Truthful, Sincere	Dishonest, Deceitful
Hope	Noun	আশা	Faith, Optimism	Despair, Hopelessness
Important	Adjective	গুরুত্বপূর্ণ	Significant, Vital	Unimportant, Trivial
Increase	Verb	বৃদ্ধি পাওয়া	Expand, Grow	Decrease, Reduce
Innocent	Adjective	নিরপরাধ	Pure, Harmless	Guilty, Blameworthy

When she saw the gate of the new school, Totto-chan stopped.
নতুন স্কুলের গেটটি দেখেই টোট্টো-চান থেমে গেল।

The gate of the school she used to go to had fine concrete pillars with the name of the school in large characters.
সে যে স্কুলে আগে যেত, তার গেটে সুন্দর কংক্রিটের স্তম্ভ ছিল এবং স্কুলের নাম বড় অক্ষরে লেখা ছিল।

But the gate of this new school simply consisted of two rather short posts that still had twigs and leaves on them.
কিন্তু নতুন স্কুলের গেটটি ছিল মাত্র দুটি ছোট খুঁটির, যার ওপরে এখনো ডালপালা ও পাতা ছিল।

"This gate's growing," said Totto-chan. "It'll probably go on growing till it's taller than the telephone poles!"
"এই গেটটা বেড়ে উঠছে," বলল টোট্টো-চান। "এটা হয়তো বাড়তেই থাকবে, যতক্ষণ না টেলিফোনের খুঁটির চেয়েও লম্বা হয়ে যায়!"

The two "gate posts" were clearly trees with roots.
দুটি "গেটের খুঁটি" স্পষ্টতই ছিল শেকড়সহ গাছ।

When she got closer, she had to put her head to one side to read the name of the school because the wind had blown the sign askew.
যখন সে কাছে গেল, তখন স্কুলের নাম পড়ার জন্য তাকে মাথা একপাশে কাত করতে হল, কারণ বাতাসে সাইনবোর্ডটি বেঁকে গিয়েছিল।

"To-mo-e Ga-ku-en."
"তো-মো-এ গা-কু-এন।"

Totto-chan was about to ask Mother what "Tomoe" meant, when she caught a glimpse of something that made her think she must be dreaming.
টোট্টো-চান মায়ের কাছে জানতে চাইতে যাচ্ছিল "তোমোয়ে" মানে কী, তখনই সে কিছু দেখতে পেল যা তাকে মনে করাল যে সে হয়তো স্বপ্ন দেখছে।

She squatted down and peered through the shrubbery to get a better look, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
সে নিচু হয়ে গুল্মের ফাঁক দিয়ে ভালোভাবে দেখার চেষ্টা করল, এবং নিজের চোখকে বিশ্বাস করতে পারল না।

"Mother, is that really a train! There, in the school grounds!"
"মা, এটা কি সত্যিই একটা ট্রেন! দেখো, স্কুলের মাঠে!"

For its classrooms, the school had made use of six abandoned railroad cars.
ক্লাসরুম হিসেবে স্কুলটি ছয়টি পরিত্যক্ত রেলগাড়ি ব্যবহার করেছিল।

To Totto-chan it seemed something you might dream about.
টোট্টো-চানের কাছে এটা মনে হল যেন কোনো স্বপ্নের মতো।

A school in a train!
ট্রেনের মধ্যে একটি স্কুল!

The windows of the railroad cars sparkled in the morning sunlight.
রেলগাড়িগুলোর জানালা সকালে সূর্যের আলোয় ঝলমল করছিল।

But the eyes of the rosy-cheeked little girl gazing at them through the shrubbery sparkled even more.
কিন্তু গুল্মের ফাঁক দিয়ে তাকানো গোলাপি গালওয়ালা ছোট মেয়েটির চোখ আরও বেশি ঝলমল করছিল।

"I like this school!"
"আমি এই স্কুলটি পছন্দ করি!"

A moment later, Totto-chan let out a whoop of joy and started running toward the "train school," calling out to Mother over her shoulder, "Come on, hurry, let's get on this train that's standing still."
একটু পরেই, টোট্টো-চান আনন্দে চিৎকার করে উঠল এবং "ট্রেন স্কুল" এর দিকে দৌড় দিল, আর কাঁধের ওপর দিয়ে মাকে ডাকল, "চল, তাড়াতাড়ি কর, চল এই দাঁড়িয়ে থাকা ট্রেনে উঠি।"

Startled, Mother began to run after her.

চমকে উঠে, মা তার পিছনে দৌড়াতে শুরু করলেন।

Mother had been on a basketball team once, so she was faster than Totto-chan and caught hold of her dress just as she reached a door.

মা একবার বাস্কেটবল দলের সদস্য ছিলেন, তাই তিনি তোত্তো-চানের চেয়ে দ্রুত ছিলেন এবং দরজায় পৌঁছানোর সাথে সাথেই তার পোশাক ধরে ফেললেন।

"You can't go in yet." said Mother, holding her back.

"তুমি এখনই ভিতরে যেতে পারবে না।" মা বললেন, তাকে থামিয়ে।

"The cars are classrooms, and you haven't even been accepted here yet. If you really want to get on this train, you'll have to be nice and polite to the headmaster. We're going to call on him now, and if all goes well, you'll be able to go to this school. Do you understand?"

"এই রেলগাড়িগুলো ক্লাসরুম, আর তুমি এখানেও এখনও ভর্তি হওনি। যদি সত্যিই এই ট্রেনে চড়তে চাও, তাহলে তোমাকে প্রধান শিক্ষকের কাছে ভদ্র ও সদয় হতে হবে। আমরা এখন তার কাছে যাব, আর যদি সবকিছু ঠিকঠাক হয়, তবে তুমি এই স্কুলে ভর্তি হতে পারবে। তুমি বুঝতে পারছো?"

"Totto-chan was awfully disappointed not to get on the "train" right away, but she decided she had better do as Mother told her.

তোত্তো-চান "ট্রেনে" তাত্ক্ষণিক চড়তে না পারায় অত্যন্ত হতাশ হয়েছিল, তবে সে ঠিক করল যে মা যেভাবে বলেছে, সেভাবে করা উচিত।

"All right," she said. And then added, "I like this school a lot."

"ঠিক আছে," সে বলল। তারপর যোগ করল, "আমি এই স্কুলটি অনেক পছন্দ করি।"

Mother felt like telling her it wasn't a matter of whether she liked the school but of whether the headmaster liked her.

মা মনে করেছিলেন তাকে বলতে যে, এটা কোন ব্যাপার নয় যে সে স্কুলটি পছন্দ করে কিনা, বরং ব্যাপার হল প্রধান শিক্ষক তাকে পছন্দ করেন কিনা।

But she just let go of Totto-chan's dress, took hold of her hand, and started walking toward the headmaster's office.

কিন্তু সে তোত্তো-চানের পোশাক ছেড়ে দিল, তার হাত ধরল, এবং প্রধান শিক্ষকের অফিসের দিকে হাঁটতে শুরু করল।

All the railroad cars were quiet, for the first classes of the day had begun.

সমস্ত রেলগাড়িগুলো চুপচাপ ছিল, কারণ দিনের প্রথম ক্লাস শুরু হয়ে গেছে।

Instead of a wall, the not very spacious school grounds were surrounded by trees, and there were flower beds full of red and yellow flowers.

দেয়ালের পরিবর্তে, তেমন বড় না হওয়া স্কুলের মাঠ গাছপালায় ঘেরা ছিল, এবং সেখানে লাল ও হলুদ ফুলে ভরা ফুলের বিছানা ছিল।

The headmaster's office wasn't in a railroad car, but was on the right-hand side of a one-storey building that stood at the top of a semicircular flight of about seven stone steps opposite the gate.

প্রধান শিক্ষকের অফিসটি রেলগাড়িতে ছিল না, বরং এটি একটি একতলা বিল্ডিংয়ের ডান পাশের দিকে ছিল, যা গেটের বিপরীতে প্রায় সাতটি পাথরের সিঁড়ির সেমিসার্কুলার উঁচুতে ছিল।

Totto-chan let go of Mother's hand and raced up the steps, then turned around abruptly, almost causing Mother to run into her.

তোত্তো-চান মা’র হাত ছেড়ে সিঁড়ির উপরে দৌড়ে উঠল, তারপর হঠাৎ পিছনে ঘুরে গেল, প্রায় মা’কে তার সাথে ধাক্কা খেতে বাধ্য করল।

"What's the matter?" Mother asked, fearing Totto-chan might have changed her mind about the school."

"কি হয়েছে?" মা জিজ্ঞাসা করলেন, আশঙ্কা ছিল যে তোত্তো-চান হয়তো স্কুল সম্পর্কে তার মন পরিবর্তন করে ফেলেছে।

Standing above her on the top step, Totto-chan whispered to Mother in all seriousness, "The man we're going to see must be a stationmaster!"

সিঁড়ির উপরের ধাপে দাঁড়িয়ে, তোত্তো-চান মাকে খুব সিরিয়াসভাবে ফিসফিস করে বলল, "যে মানুষটার সাথে আমরা দেখা করতে যাচ্ছি, সে অবশ্যই একজন ষ্টেশনমাস্টার হবে!"

Mother had plenty of patience as well as a great sense of fun. She put her face close to Totto-chan's and whispered, "Why?"

মা’র ছিল প্রচুর ধৈর্য এবং একটি অসাধারণ মজার অনুভূতি। তিনি তার মুখ তোত্তো-চানের কাছে নিয়ে গিয়ে ফিসফিস করে বললেন, "কেন?"

Totto-chan whispered back, "You said he was the headmaster, but if he owns all these trains, he must be a stationmaster."

তোত্তো-চান পাল্টা ফিসফিস করে বলল, "তুমি বলেছিলে সে প্রধান শিক্ষক, কিন্তু যদি সে এই সমস্ত ট্রেনের মালিক হয়, তাহলে তাকে অবশ্যই ষ্টেশনমাস্টার হতে হবে।"Mother had to admit it was unusual for a school to make use of old railroad cars, but there was no time to explain.মা স্বীকার করতে বাধ্য হলেন যে, একটি স্কুলের জন্য পুরনো রেলগাড়ি ব্যবহার করা অস্বাভাবিক ছিল, তবে বুঝানোর সময় ছিল না।

She simply said, "Why don't you ask him yourself! And, anyway, what about Daddy? He plays the violin and owns several violins, but that doesn't make our house a violin shop, does it?"

তিনি সহজেই বললেন, "তুমি নিজে তাকে জিজ্ঞাসা করো না! আর, যাই হোক, বাবা কি করেন? তিনি ভায়োলিন বাজান এবং কয়েকটি ভায়োলিনের মালিক, কিন্তু সেটা কি আমাদের বাড়িটিকে ভায়োলিনের দোকান বানিয়ে দেয়?"

"No, it doesn't," Totto-chan agreed, catching hold of Mother's hand."

"না, তা নয়," তোত্তো-চান সম্মতি জানিয়ে মা’র হাত ধরল।

"Well, now you're a pupil of this school."

"তো, এখন তুমি এই স্কুলের ছাত্র-ছাত্রী।"

Those were his very words.

এটাই ছিল তার শব্দগুলি।

And at that moment Totto-chan felt she had met someone she really liked for the very first time in her life.

আর সেই মুহূর্তে তোত্তো-চান অনুভব করেছিল যে, তিনি জীবনে প্রথমবারের মতো এমন একজনকে দেখেছেন যাকে তিনি সত্যিই পছন্দ করেছেন।

You see, up till then, no one had ever listened to her for so long.

দেখুন, তখন পর্যন্ত, কেউই তার কথা এতক্ষণ শুনে নি।

And all that time the headmaster hadn't yawned once or looked bored, but seemed just as interested in what she had to say as she was.

আর সেই পুরো সময় ধরে প্রধান শিক্ষক একবারও হাঁচি দেননি বা বিরক্ত মনে হয়নি, বরং তিনি তার কথাগুলোর প্রতি ততটাই আগ্রহী ছিলেন যতটা সে ছিল।

Totto-chan hadn't learned how to tell time yet, but it did seem like a rather long time.

তোত্তো-চান এখনও সময় বলতে শিখেনি, তবে এটা সত্যিই বেশ দীর্ঘ সময় মনে হচ্ছিল।

If she had been able to, she would have been astonished, and even more grateful to the headmaster.

যদি সে পারত, তবে সে হতবাক হত এবং প্রধান শিক্ষকের প্রতি আরও কৃতজ্ঞ হতো।

For, you see, Mother and Totto-chan arrived at the school at eight, and when she had finished talking and the headmaster had told her she was a pupil of the school, he looked at his pocket watch and said, "Ah, it's time for lunch."

কারণ, দেখুন, মা এবং তোত্তো-চান স্কুলে পৌঁছেছিল সকাল আটটায়, এবং যখন তার কথা বলা শেষ হয়েছিল এবং প্রধান শিক্ষক তাকে বলেছিলেন যে সে স্কুলের ছাত্র-ছাত্রী, তখন তিনি তার পকেট ঘড়িতে তাকিয়ে বললেন, "আহ, খাবারের সময় হয়ে গেছে।"

So the headmaster must have listened to Totto-chan for four solid hours!

তাহলে প্রধান শিক্ষক তোত্তো-চানের কথা নিশ্চয়ই চার ঘণ্টা ধরে একটানা শুনেছেন!

Neither before nor since did any grown-up listen to Totto-chan for as long as that.

তার আগে বা পরে কোনো বড় মানুষ তোত্তো-চানের কথা এতক্ষণ ধরে শোনেনি।

And, besides, it would have amazed Mother and her homeroom teacher to think that a seven-year-old child could find enough to talk about for four hours nonstop.

এবং তাছাড়া, এটা মা এবং তার হোমরুম শিক্ষিকাকে অবাক করে দিত যে, একটি সাত বছরের শিশু চার ঘণ্টা একটানা কথা বলার মতো বিষয় পেতে পারে।

Totto-chan had no idea then, of course, Sure! Here's the line-by-line Bangla translation of the passage:

When Mother and Totto-chan went in, the man in the office got up from his chair.

মা এবং তোত্তো-চান ভিতরে ঢুকলে, অফিসে থাকা ব্যক্তি তার চেয়ার থেকে উঠে দাঁড়ালেন।

His hair was thin on top and he had a few teeth missing, but his face was a healthy colour.

তার মাথার চুল ছিল পাতলা এবং কিছু দাঁত খোয়া গিয়েছিল, কিন্তু তার মুখের রং ছিল সুস্থ।

Although he wasn't very tall, he had solid shoulders and arms and was neatly dressed in a rather shabby black three-piece suit.

যদিও তিনি খুব লম্বা ছিলেন না, তার মজবুত কাঁধ এবং বাহু ছিল এবং তিনি একটি কিছুটা পুরানো কালো তিন-টুকরো স্যুটে সজ্জিত ছিলেন।

With a hasty bow, Totto-chan asked him spiritedly "What are you, a schoolmaster or a stationmaster?"

তাড়াহুড়ো করে মাথা নত করে, তোত্তো-চান তাকে উৎসাহিতভাবে জিজ্ঞেস করল, "আপনি কি, স্কুল মাস্টার না ষ্টেশনমাস্টার?"

Mother was embarrassed, but before she had time to explain. he laughed and replied, "I'm the head-master of this school."

মা বিব্রত হলেন, কিন্তু তিনি ব্যাখ্যা করার সুযোগ না পেতেই, তিনি হেসে বললেন, "আমি এই স্কুলের প্রধান শিক্ষক।"

Totto-chan was delighted. "Oh, I'm so glad," she said, "because I want to ask you a favour. I'd like to come to your school."

তোত্তো-চান আনন্দিত হল। "ও, আমি খুব খুশি," সে বলল, "কারণ আমি আপনাকে একটি অনুরোধ করতে চাই। আমি আপনার স্কুলে আসতে চাই।"

The headmaster offered her a chair and turned to Mother. "You may go home now. I want to talk to Totto-chan."

প্রধান শিক্ষক তাকে একটি চেয়ার দিলেন এবং মায়ের দিকে ফিরে বললেন, "আপনি এখন বাড়ি যেতে পারেন। আমি তোত্তো-চানের সাথে কথা বলতে চাই।"

Totto-chan had a moment's uneasiness, but somehow felt she would get along all right with this man.

তোত্তো-চান কিছুটা অস্বস্তি অনুভব করল, কিন্তু somehow সে অনুভব করল যে, এই ব্যক্তির সাথে সে ঠিকভাবে মিশে যাবে।

"Well, then, I'll leave her with you," Mother said bravely, and shut the door behind her as she went out.

"তাহলে, আমি তাকে আপনার কাছে ছেড়ে যাচ্ছি," মা সাহসিকতার সাথে বললেন, এবং দরজা বন্ধ করে বেরিয়ে গেলেন।

The headmaster drew over a chair and put it facing Totto-chan, and when they were both sitting down close together, he said, "Now then, tell me all about yourself. Tell me anything at all you want to talk about."

প্রধান শিক্ষক একটি চেয়ার টেনে এনে তোত্তো-চানের দিকে রাখলেন, এবং যখন তারা দুজন কাছাকাছি বসে, তিনি বললেন, "তাহলে, এবার নিজেকে সম্পর্কে সবকিছু বলো। তুমি যা কিছু বলতে চাও, বলো।"

"Anything I like?" Totto-chan had expected him to ask questions she would have to answer. When he said she could talk about anything she wanted, she was so happy she began straight away.

"যা কিছু আমি পছন্দ করি?" তোত্তো-চান আশা করেছিল যে, তিনি এমন কিছু প্রশ্ন করবেন যার উত্তর তাকে দিতে হবে। যখন তিনি বললেন যে সে যা খুশি তা বলতে পারে, তখন সে এত খুশি হল যে সরাসরি কথা বলা শুরু করে দিল।

It was all a bit higgledy-piggledy, but she talked for all she was worth.

এটা একটু অগোছালো ছিল, তবে সে যতটুকু পারল, সবটা বলল।

She told the headmaster how fast the train went that they had come on; how she had asked the ticket collector but he wouldn't let her keep her ticket; how pretty her homeroom teacher was at the other school; about the swallows' nest; about their brown dog, Rocky, who could do all sorts of tricks, how she used to go snip-snip with the scissors inside her mouth at kindergarten and the teacher said she mustn't do that because she might cut her tongue off, but she did it anyway; how she always blew her nose because Mother scolded her if it was runny, what a good swimmer Daddy was, and how he could dive as well.

সে প্রধান শিক্ষককে বলল যে, তারা যেই ট্রেনে এসেছিল তা কত দ্রুত চলেছিল; সে কীভাবে টিকিট কালেক্টরের কাছে জানতে চেয়েছিল কিন্তু তিনি তাকে টিকিট রাখার অনুমতি দেননি; অন্য স্কুলে তার হোমরুম শিক্ষক কেমন সুন্দর ছিল; স্ব্যালোদের বাসা সম্পর্কে; তাদের বাদামী কুকুর রকি সম্পর্কে, যে সব ধরনের কসরত করতে পারত, কীভাবে সে স্কুলে সঠিকভাবে কাঁচি দিয়ে তার মুখের মধ্যে "স্নিপ-স্নিপ" করত এবং শিক্ষক বলেছিল যে তাকে সেটা করা উচিত নয় কারণ তা তার জিভ কেটে ফেলতে পারে, কিন্তু সে তবুও করেছিল; সে কীভাবে সবসময় নাক মুছত, কারণ মা তাকে শাসন করতেন যদি তা নদী হয়ে যেত, বাবার দুর্দান্ত সাঁতারু হওয়া এবং কীভাবে সে ডাইভিংও করতে পারত।

She went on and on.

সে বলতেই থাকে।

The headmaster would laugh, nod, and say, "And then?"

প্রধান শিক্ষক হাসতেন, মাথা নাড়তেন এবং বলতেন, "তারপর?"

And Totto-chan was so happy she kept right on talking.

এবং তোত্তো-চান এত খুশি ছিল যে সে ঠিকই কথা বলতে থাকল।

But finally she ran out of things to say.

তবে অবশেষে তার বলার মতো কিছু শেষ হয়ে গেল।

She sat with her mouth closed trying hard to think of something.

সে চুপ করে বসে রইল, কিছু মনে করার চেষ্টা করছিল।

"Haven't you anything more you can tell me?" asked the headmaster.

"তুমি আমাকে আর কিছু বলার মতো কিছু নেই?" প্রধান শিক্ষক জিজ্ঞেস করলেন।

What a shame to stop now, Totto-chan thought. It was such a wonderful chance. Wasn't there anything else she could talk about, she wondered, racking her brains?

এখন থেমে যাওয়া কত দুর্ভাগ্যজনক, তোত্তো-চান ভাবল। এটা ছিল একটি দুর্দান্ত সুযোগ। সে ভাবল, আর কিছু কি ছিল না বলার মতো, তার মাথায় চিন্তা আসছিল?

Then she had an idea.

তারপর তার একটি ধারণা এল।

She could tell him about the dress she was wearing that day.

সে তাকে ওই দিন যে পোশাকটি পরেছিল, তা সম্পর্কে বলতে পারে।

Mother made most of her dresses, but this one came from a shop.

মা তার বেশিরভাগ পোশাক তৈরি করতেন, কিন্তু এই পোশাকটি একটি দোকান থেকে কেনা ছিল।

Her clothes were always torn when she came home in the late afternoon.

তার পোশাকগুলো সবসময় ছিঁড়ে যেত, যখন সে বিকেলে বাড়ি ফিরত।

Some of the rips were quite bad.

কিছু ছিঁড়ে যাওয়া জায়গা ছিল খুব খারাপ।

Mother never knew how they got that way.

মা কখনও জানতেন না যে সেগুলো কীভাবে এমন হয়ে গেল।

Even her white cotton panties were sometimes in shreds.

এমনকি তার সাদা কটন প্যান্টিও মাঝে মাঝে ছেঁড়া হয়ে যেত।

She explained to the headmaster that they got torn when she crossed other people's gardens by crawling under their fences, and when she burrowed under the barbed wire around vacant lots.

সে প্রধান শিক্ষককে ব্যাখ্যা করেছিল যে, এসব পোশাক ছিঁড়ে যায় যখন সে অন্য people's বাগানে গিয়ে তাদের বেড়া দিয়ে রেঙ্গে পার হয় এবং পরিত্যক্ত জমির চারপাশে ঝুলন্ত কাঁটা তারের নিচে ঢুকতে চেষ্টা করে।

So this morning, she said, when she was getting dressed to come here, all the nice dresses Mother had made were torn so she had to wear one Mother had bought.

তাই, সে বলল যে আজ সকালে, যখন সে এখানে আসতে পোশাক পরছিল, মা যে সুন্দর সুন্দর পোশাকগুলো তৈরি করেছিলেন তা সব ছিঁড়ে গিয়েছিল, তাই তাকে মা যে একটি পোশাক কিনে দিয়েছিলেন, তা পরতে হয়েছিল।

It had small dark red and gray checks and was made of jersey, and it wasn't bad, but Mother thought the red flowers embroidered on the collar were in bad taste.

এটা ছোট ছোট গা dark ় লাল এবং ধূসর চেক ছিল এবং জার্সি কাপড়ের তৈরি ছিল, এবং এটি খারাপ ছিল না, তবে মা মনে করতেন কলারের উপর লাল ফুলগুলি খারাপ রুচির ছিল।

"Mother doesn't like the collar," said Totto-chan, holding it up for the headmaster to see.

"মা কলারটি পছন্দ করে না," তোত্তো-চান বলল, এটি প্রধান শিক্ষকের দেখানোর জন্য উঁচু করে ধরল।fter that, she could think of nothing more to say no matter how hard she tried.

তার পর, সে কিছুই বলতে পারল না, যতই চেষ্টা করুক না কেন।

It made her rather sad.

এটি তাকে বেশ দুঃখিত করেছিল।

But just then the headmaster got up, placed his large, warm hand on her head, and said, "Well, now you're a pupil of this school."

কিন্তু ঠিক তখন প্রধান শিক্ষক উঠলেন, তার বড়, গরম হাতটি তার মাথায় রাখলেন এবং বললেন, "তো, এখন তুমি এই স্কুলের ছাত্র-ছাত্রী।"

Those were his very words.

এটাই ছিল তার সঠিক শব্দ।

And at that moment Totto-chan felt she had met someone she really liked for the very first time in her life.

আর সেই মুহূর্তে তোত্তো-চান অনুভব করেছিল যে, সে জীবনে প্রথমবারের মতো এমন কাউকে দেখেছে যাকে সে সত্যিই পছন্দ করেছে।

You see, up till then, no one had ever listened to her for so long.

দেখুন, তখন পর্যন্ত, কেউই তার কথা এতক্ষণ ধরে শোনেনি।

And all that time the headmaster hadn't yawned once or looked bored, but seemed just as interested in what she had to say as she was.

Totto-chan hadn't learned how to tell time yet, but it did seem like a rather long time.

তোত্তো-চান এখনও সময় বলতে শিখেনি, তবে এটা সত্যিই বেশ দীর্ঘ সময় মনে হচ্ছিল।

If she had been able to, she would have been astonished, and even more grateful to the headmaster.

যদি সে পারত, তবে সে হতবাক হত এবং প্রধান শিক্ষকের প্রতি আরও কৃতজ্ঞ হতো।

So the headmaster must have listened to Totto-chan for four solid hours!

তাহলে প্রধান শিক্ষক তোত্তো-চানের কথা নিশ্চয়ই চার ঘণ্টা ধরে একটানা শোনেন!

Neither before nor since did any grown-up listen to Totto-chan for as long as that.

তার আগে বা পরে কোনো বড় মানুষ তোত্তো-চানের কথা এতক্ষণ ধরে শোনেনি।

And, besides, it would have amazed Mother and her homeroom teacher to think that a seven-year-old child could find enough to talk about for four hours nonstop.

এবং তাছাড়া, মা এবং তার হোমরুম শিক্ষিকাকে অবাক করে দিত যে, একটি সাত বছর বয়সী শিশু চার ঘণ্টা একটানা কথা বলার মতো বিষয় পেতে পারে।

Totto-chan had no idea then, of course, that she had been expelled and that people were at their wit's end to know what to do.

তোত্তো-চান তখন, অবশ্যই, জানত না যে তাকে বহিষ্কার করা হয়েছিল এবং মানুষরা চিন্তা করছিল কী করা উচিত।

Having a naturally sunny disposition and being a bit absent-minded gave her an air of innocence.

তার স্বাভাবিকভাবে উজ্জ্বল মেজাজ এবং কিছুটা মনোযোগহীনতার কারণে তার মধ্যে এক ধরনের নিষ্পাপতার অনুভূতি ছিল।

But deep down she felt she was considered different from other children and slightly strange.

কিন্তু ভিতরে, সে অনুভব করত যে তাকে অন্য শিশুদের থেকে আলাদা এবং কিছুটা অদ্ভুত বলে মনে করা হয়।

The headmaster, however, made her feel safe and warm and happy.

তবে প্রধান শিক্ষক তাকে নিরাপদ, উষ্ণ এবং খুশি অনুভব করিয়েছিলেন।

She wanted to stay with him forever.

সে চেয়েছিল তার সাথে চিরকাল থাকতে।

That's how Totto-chan felt about Headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi that first day.

এভাবেই তোত্তো-চান প্রথম দিন প্রধান শিক্ষক সোসাকু কোবায়াশির প্রতি অনুভব করেছিল।

And, luckily, the headmaster felt the same about her.

এবং সৌভাগ্যবশত, প্রধান শিক্ষকও তার প্রতি একই অনুভূতি পোষণ করতেন।

Textbook Questions and Answer B

B. Now work in groups and write the answers of the following questions.
a) What is the excerpt about?
b) How did Totto-chan react when she realized that the school had railroad cars as classrooms?
c) How long did Totto-chan talk to the headmaster, Sosaku Kobayashi? What does that tell you about the headmaster?

Answers:

a) What is the excerpt about?
The excerpt is about Totto-chan, a young girl, visiting a unique school for the first time. The school uses abandoned railroad cars as classrooms, which fascinates her. The story highlights her interaction with the headmaster, Sosaku Kobayashi, who listens to her intently and warmly welcomes her to the school.

b) How did Totto-chan react when she realized that the school had railroad cars as classrooms?
Totto-chan was thrilled and amazed to see that the school used railroad cars as classrooms. She thought it was like a dream and immediately felt she liked the school. She excitedly ran toward the "train school," eager to explore it.

c) How long did Totto-chan talk to the headmaster, Sosaku Kobayashi? What does that tell you about the headmaster?
Totto-chan talked to the headmaster for four hours. This shows that the headmaster was a patient, kind, and empathetic person who genuinely cared about children. He valued Totto-chan's thoughts and allowed her to express herself freely, making her feel heard and understood.

Textbook Questions and Answer C

C. What do the following words mean? Write one sentence with each of these words.
twig, squat, peer, shrub, askew, glimpse, abandoned, sparkle, whoop, semicircular, abrupt, shabby, embarrass, scold, shred, burrow, disposition

Answer C

Meanings and Sentences:

Twig: A small, thin branch of a tree or bush.
- Sentence: She picked up a twig from the ground and used it to draw in the sand.
Squat: To sit with knees bent and heels close to the body.
- Sentence: The children squatted near the campfire, warming their hands.
Peer: To look closely or with difficulty.
- Sentence: He peered through the foggy window to see who was outside.
Shrub: A small to medium-sized woody plant.
- Sentence: The garden was filled with colorful shrubs and flowers.
Askew: Not straight or in the correct position.
- Sentence: The picture frame was hanging askew on the wall.
Glimpse: A brief or partial view.
- Sentence: She caught a glimpse of the sunrise through the curtains.
Abandoned: Left behind or deserted.
- Sentence: The abandoned house had broken windows and overgrown weeds.
Sparkle: To shine brightly with flashes of light.
- Sentence: The diamonds on her necklace sparkled in the sunlight.
Whoop: A loud, enthusiastic shout.
- Sentence: The fans let out a whoop of excitement when their team scored a goal.
Semicircular: Shaped like half of a circle.

Sentence: The children sat in a semicircular arrangement around the teacher.

Abrupt: Sudden or unexpected.

Sentence: His abrupt departure left everyone surprised.

Shabby: In poor condition due to wear or neglect.

Sentence: The old man wore a shabby coat with patches on the elbows.

Embarrass: To make someone feel self-conscious or awkward.

Sentence: She was embarrassed when she tripped in front of the audience.

Scold: To criticize someone angrily for doing something wrong.

Sentence: The teacher scolded the students for being noisy during the lesson.

Shred: A small piece torn from something.

Sentence: She found a shred of fabric stuck to the fence.

Burrow: To dig or create a hole or tunnel.

Sentence: The rabbits burrowed into the soft ground to make their home.

Disposition: A person's usual mood or temperament.

Sentence: Her cheerful disposition made her popular among her classmates.

Textbook Questions and Answer D

D. Make a list of things that Totto-chan said to the headmaster on her first day of school, Tomoe Gakuen.

Answer D

Here is a list of things Totto-chan talked about with the headmaster on her first day at Tomoe Gakuen:

How fast the train went that she had traveled on.
How the ticket collector wouldn’t let her keep her train ticket.
How pretty her homeroom teacher was at her previous school.
The swallows’ nest she had seen.
Her brown dog, Rocky, who could do tricks.
How she used to cut with scissors inside her mouth in kindergarten, even though the teacher warned her not to.
How her mother scolded her if she had a runny nose, so she always blew her nose.
How good a swimmer her father was and that he could dive well.
How her clothes often got torn from crawling under fences and barbed wire when crossing gardens and vacant lots.
The dress she was wearing that day, explaining it came from a shop, not made by her mother, and describing its design and the flowers embroidered on the collar that her mother didn’t like.

Textbook Questions and Answer E

E. In the excerpt, headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi encouraged Totto-chan to speak for as long as she wanted. Now answer these questions and develop a paragraph based on the following questions and give a title to your paragraph (200 words). You may have a look at the steps of paragraph writing provided in section F.
1. Do you think listening to children is a helpful practice?
2. Did you have anyone in your childhood who used to listen to you without interruption? Describe how that made you feel.
3. What benefit may a child have when he/she is allowed to express themselves?

Answer Question E

The Power of Listening to Children

Listening to children is undoubtedly a helpful practice, as it validates their thoughts and emotions, making them feel valued and respected. In the excerpt, Headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi’s patience and attentiveness made Totto-chan feel safe and cherished. Similarly, in my own childhood, my grandmother was someone who would listen to me without interruption. She would sit beside me with genuine interest, allowing me to share my wildest dreams and smallest worries. Her undivided attention made me feel important and boosted my confidence.

When children are given the freedom to express themselves, they experience numerous benefits. It fosters their creativity, builds self-esteem, and strengthens their communication skills. Moreover, being heard helps them process emotions and develop a sense of trust with adults. For Totto-chan, the headmaster's willingness to listen for hours helped her overcome her insecurities and form a deep connection with him. This shows that a nurturing environment, where children can freely share their thoughts, contributes to their emotional and social development. Ultimately, listening to children is a simple yet transformative practice that helps them thrive and feel understood.

For the model The School

For model on the headmaster

Class eleven and twelve || Unit one: Education and Life || Lesson 3 Children in School || English first paper || Bangla meaning, word meaning, text questions and answer || textbook page 14,15,117,18 & 19-24