The Fun They Had

 

The Fun They Had

Key Facts

Title: The Fun They Had

Author: Isaac Asimov

Year of Publication: 1951

Genre: Science Fiction (short story)

Setting:

• The year 2157
• A future society where children are taught by mechanical teachers at home

Main Characters:

• Margie Jones – an 11-year-old girl who dislikes her mechanical teacher
• Tommy – a 13-year-old boy who finds an old printed book
• County Inspector – repairs Margie’s mechanical teacher

Point of View:

• Third-person limited (mostly from Margie’s perspective)

Plot Overview (very brief):

• Margie writes in her diary that Tommy found a real book.
• The children are amazed because books are rare in their world of “telebooks.”
• The book is about “schools” of the past where human teachers taught groups of children in buildings.
• Margie contrasts this with her own unpleasant experience with her mechanical teacher.
• She dreams about how much fun the old schools must have been.

Themes:

• Education and technology
• Isolation vs. community
• Nostalgia for the past
• Human vs. machine interaction

Tone:

• Curious, reflective, slightly nostalgic

Symbols:

• The old book – symbol of knowledge, tradition, and human connection
• Mechanical teacher – symbol of impersonal, overly mechanized education

Climax:

• Margie imagines the old schools where kids studied together and had human teachers.

Ending:

• Margie reluctantly returns to her mechanical lessons, still thinking wistfully about the “fun they had” in the old days.

About the author

Full Name: Isaac Asimov

Birth: January 2, 1920, Petrovichi, Russia

Death: April 6, 1992, New York City, USA

Nationality: American (born in Russia)

Profession: Author, professor of biochemistry

Genres: Science Fiction, Popular Science, Mystery, Non-fiction

Famous Works:

• Foundation series
• Robot series (including I, Robot)
• The Caves of Steel
• The Fun They Had (short story, 1951)

Writing Style:

• Clear, logical, and imaginative
• Focused on science, technology, and the future
• Often explored themes of robots, space, and human society

Achievements:

• Prolific writer: over 500 books and 90,000 letters/articles
• Considered one of the “Big Three” science fiction writers, alongside Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke.

Main Text with Hinglish Translation

Margie even wrote about it

➡ Margie ne iske baare mein bhi likha

that night in her diary.

➡ us raat apni diary mein.

On the page headed May 17, 2157,

➡ us page par jiska title tha May 17, 2157,

she wrote,

➡ usne likha,

"Today, Tommy found a real book!"

➡ "Aaj, Tommy ko ek asli kitaab mili!"

It was a very old book.

➡ Ye ek bahut purani kitaab thi.

Margie's grandfather once said

➡ Margie ke dadaji ne ek baar kaha

that when he was a little boy

➡ ki jab vo chhote ladke the

his grandfather told him

➡ unke dadaji ne unhe bataya

that there was a time

➡ ki ek samay tha

when all stories

➡ jab saari kahaniyan

were printed on paper.

➡ kagaz par chhapi hoti thi.

They turned the pages,

➡ Vo log panno ko palat-te the,

which were yellow and crinkly,

➡ jo peele aur murjhaye hue the,

and it was awfully funny

➡ aur yeh bahut ajeeb sa lagta tha

to read words that stood still

➡ aise shabdon ko padhna jo bilkul static hote the

instead of moving

➡ hilne ke bajay

the way they were supposed to

➡ jaise ki unhe screen par hona chahiye tha

--on a screen, you know.

➡ --screen par, tum samajh rahe ho na.

And then, when they turned back

➡ Aur phir, jab vo wapas palat-te

to the page before,

➡ pichhle page par,

it had the same words on it

➡ uspe wahi shabd likhe hote the

that it had had

➡ jo pehle bhi the

when they read it the first time.

➡ jab unhone pehli baar padha tha.

"Gee," said Tommy,

➡ "Arre wah," Tommy ne kaha,

"what a waste.

➡ "kitna waste hai yeh.

When you're through with the book,

➡ Jab tum kitaab padh chuke hote ho,

you just throw it away, I guess.

➡ to tum bas ise fek dete ho, shayad.

Our television screen

➡ Hamara television screen

must have had a million books on it

➡ uspe to ek million kitaabein hongi

and it's good for plenty more.

➡ aur yeh aur bhi bahut saari ke liye sahi hai.

I wouldn't throw it away."

➡ Main ise kabhi fekta nahi."

"Same with mine," said Margie.

➡ "Mere wale ke sath bhi aisa hi hai," Margie ne kaha.

She was eleven

➡ Vo gyarah saal ki thi

and hadn't seen

➡ aur usne nahi dekhi thi

as many telebooks

➡ itni saari telebooks

as Tommy had.

➡ jitni Tommy ne dekhi thi.

He was thirteen.

➡ Vo terah saal ka tha.

She said,

➡ Usne kaha,

"Where did you find it?"

➡ "Tumhe yeh kahan mili?"

"In my house."

➡ "Mere ghar mein."

He pointed without looking,

➡ Usne bina dekhe ishara kiya,

because he was busy reading.

➡ kyunki vo padhne mein vyast tha.

"In the attic."

➡ "Chhat ke store room mein."

"What's it about?"

➡ "Yeh kis baare mein hai?"

"School."

➡ "School."

Margie was scornful.

➡ Margie ne tiraskar bhare andaaz mein kaha.

"School?

➡ "School?

What's there to write about school?

➡ School ke baare mein likhne layak kya hai?

I hate school."

➡ Mujhe school se nafrat hai."

Margie always hated school,

➡ Margie ko hamesha school se nafrat thi,

but now she hated it more than ever.

➡ par ab use aur bhi zyada nafrat thi.

The mechanical teacher

➡ Jo mechanical teacher tha

had been giving her test after test in geography

➡ vo usse bar bar geography ke test karwa raha tha

and she had been doing worse and worse

➡ aur uske marks lagataar kharab hote ja rahe the

until her mother

➡ jab tak uski maa ne

had shaken her head sorrowfully

➡ apna sar dukhi hokar nahi hilaaya

and sent for the County Inspector.

➡ aur County Inspector ko nahi bulaya.
He was a round little man
➡ Vo ek gol sa chhota aadmi tha
with a red face
➡ jiska chehra laal tha
and a whole box of tools
➡ aur uske paas ek poora box tha auzaron ka
with dials and wires.
➡ jisme dials aur taaren thi.
He smiled at Margie
➡ Usne Margie ko dekh kar muskaan di
and gave her an apple,
➡ aur use ek seb diya,
then took the teacher apart.
➡ phir usne teacher ko khol diya.
Margie had hoped
➡ Margie ko ummeed thi
he wouldn't know
➡ ki vo nahi jaanta hoga
how to put it together again,
➡ ise wapas kaise joda jaata hai,
but he knew how all right,
➡ par vo acche se jaanta tha,
and, after an hour or so,
➡ aur ek ghante ya uske baad,
there it was again,
➡ vo dobara taiyaar tha,
large and black and ugly,
➡ bada, kaala aur bhadda,
with a big screen
➡ ek bade screen ke sath
on which all the lessons were shown
➡ jisme saare lessons dikhaye jaate the
and the questions were asked.
➡ aur sawal pooche jaate the.
That wasn't so bad.
➡ Yeh itna bura nahi tha.
The part Margie hated most
➡ Jo hissa Margie ko sabse zyada nafrat thi
was the slot
➡ vo slot tha
where she had to put homework and test papers.
➡ jisme use apna homework aur test papers dalne padte the.
She always had to write them out
➡ Use hamesha unhe likhna padta tha
in a punch code
➡ ek punch code mein
they made her learn
➡ jo usse sikhaya gaya tha
when she was six years old,
➡ jab vo chhe saal ki thi,
and the mechanical teacher
➡ aur mechanical teacher
calculated the mark in no time.
➡ turant hi marks nikal deta tha.
The Inspector had smiled after he was finished
➡ Jab Inspector ne kaam poora kiya, to usne muskaan di
and patted Margie's head.
➡ aur Margie ke sir par haath phiraaya.
He said to her mother,
➡ Usne uski maa se kaha,
"It's not the little girl's fault, Mrs. Jones.
➡ "Yeh chhoti ladki ki galti nahi hai, Mrs. Jones.
I think the geography sector
➡ Mujhe lagta hai geography sector
was geared a little too quick.
➡ thoda zyada fast set tha.
Those things happen sometimes.
➡ Aisi cheezein kabhi kabhi ho jaati hain.
I've slowed it up
➡ Maine ise dheere kar diya hai
to an average ten-year level.
➡ ek das saal ke bachche ke average level par.
Actually, the over-all pattern of her progress
➡ Asal mein, uski progress ka overall pattern
is quite satisfactory."
➡ kaafi sahi hai."
And he patted Margie's head again.
➡ Aur usne dobara Margie ke sir par haath phiraaya.
Margie was disappointed.
➡ Margie nirash ho gayi.
She had been hoping
➡ Use ummeed thi
they would take the teacher away altogether.
➡ ki vo teacher ko poori tarah le jaayenge.
They had once taken Tommy's teacher away
➡ Ek baar unhone Tommy ka teacher le liya tha
for nearly a month
➡ lagbhag ek mahine ke liye
because the history sector had blanked out completely.
➡ kyunki history sector puri tarah kharab ho gaya tha.
So she said to Tommy,
➡ To usne Tommy se kaha,
"Why would anyone write about school?"
➡ "Koi school ke baare mein kyu likhega?"
Tommy looked at her
➡ Tommy ne use dekha
with very superior eyes.
➡ bahut superior nazron se.
"Because it's not our kind of school, stupid.
➡ "Kyuki yeh humare type ka school nahi hai, bewakoof.
This is the old kind of school
➡ Yeh purane type ka school hai
that they had
➡ jo unke paas tha
hundreds and hundreds of years ago."
➡ sau sau saalon pehle."
He added loftily,
➡ Usne garv se joda,
pronouncing the word carefully,
➡ shabd ko dhyaan se bolte hue,
"Centuries ago."
➡ "Sadiyon pehle."
Margie was hurt.
➡ Margie ko bura laga.
"Well, I don't know
➡ "Accha, mujhe nahi pata
what kind of school they had
➡ kaunsa school unke paas tha
all that time ago."
➡ itne saalon pehle."
She read the book
➡ Usne kitaab padhi
over his shoulder for a while,
➡ thodi der tak uske kandhe ke upar se,
then said,
➡ phir kaha,
"Anyway, they had a teacher."
➡ "Waise bhi, unke paas ek teacher tha."
"Sure they had a teacher,
➡ "Bilkul unke paas teacher tha,
but it wasn't a regular teacher.
➡ par vo ek regular teacher nahi tha.
It was a man."
➡ Vo ek aadmi tha."
"A man?
➡ "Ek aadmi?
How could a man be a teacher?"
➡ Ek aadmi teacher kaise ho sakta hai?"
"Well, he just told the boys and girls things
➡ "Arey, vo bas ladkon aur ladkiyon ko cheezein batata tha
and gave them homework
➡ aur unhe homework deta tha
and asked them questions."
➡ aur unse sawal poochta tha."
"A man isn't smart enough."
➡ "Ek aadmi itna smart nahi hota."
"Sure he is.
➡ "Bilkul hota hai.
My father knows as much as my teacher."
➡ Mere papa mere teacher jitna jaante hain."
"He can't.
➡ "Nahi, vo nahi jaante.
A man can't know as much as a teacher."
➡ Ek aadmi teacher jitna nahi jaanta."
"He knows almost as much, I betcha."
➡ "Vo lagbhag utna jaanta hai, main guarantee deta hoon."
Margie wasn't prepared to dispute that.
➡ Margie taiyaar nahi thi isse argue karne ke liye.
She said,
➡ Usne kaha,
"I wouldn't want a strange man in my house to teach me."
➡ "Main apne ghar mein ek ajeeb aadmi ko mujhe padhate hue nahi chaahungi."
Tommy screamed with laughter.
➡ Tommy zor se hansa.
"You don't know much, Margie.
➡ "Tumhe zyada pata nahi hai, Margie.
The teachers didn't live in the house.
➡ Teachers ghar mein nahi rehte the.
They had a special building
➡ Unke paas ek special building hoti thi
and all the kids went there."
➡ aur saare bachche wahan jaate the."
"And all the kids learned the same thing?"
➡ "Aur saare bachche ek hi cheez seekhte the?"
"Sure, if they were the same age."
➡ "Haan, agar vo ek hi umar ke hote the."
"But my mother says
➡ "Par meri maa kehti hain
a teacher has to be adjusted
➡ teacher ko adjust karna padta hai
to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches
➡ har ladke aur ladki ke dimaag ke hisaab se jise vo padhata hai
and that each kid has to be taught differently."
➡ aur har bacche ko alag tareeke se padhana padta hai."
"Just the same
➡ "Phir bhi
they didn't do it that way then.
➡ tab vo aisa nahi karte the.
If you don't like it,
➡ Agar tumhe pasand nahi,
you don't have to read the book."
➡ to tumhe kitaab padhne ki zaroorat nahi."
"I didn't say I didn't like it,"
➡ "Maine yeh nahi kaha ki mujhe pasand nahi hai,"
Margie said quickly.
➡ Margie ne turant kaha.
She wanted to read about those funny schools.
➡ Usse un ajeeb schools ke baare mein padhna tha.
They weren't even half-finished
➡ Vo abhi aadhi bhi kitaab nahi padh paaye the
when Margie's mother called,
➡ jab Margie ki maa ne bulaya,
"Margie! School!"
➡ "Margie! School!"
Margie looked up.
➡ Margie ne sir uthaya.
"Not yet, Mamma."
➡ "Abhi nahi, Mamma."
"Now!" said Mrs. Jones.
➡ "Abhi!" Mrs. Jones ne kaha.
"And it's probably time for Tommy, too."
➡ "Aur shayad Tommy ka bhi time ho gaya hai."
Margie said to Tommy,
➡ Margie ne Tommy se kaha,
"Can I read the book some more with you after school?"
➡ "Kya main school ke baad tumhare sath aur kitaab padh sakti hoon?"
"Maybe," he said nonchalantly.
➡ "Shayad," usne aaraam se kaha.
He walked away whistling,
➡ Vo seedha chala gaya seedhi siiti bajata hua,
the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm.
➡ uske baazu ke neeche purani dhul-bhari kitaab thi.
Margie went into the schoolroom.
➡ Margie schoolroom mein gayi.
It was right next to her bedroom,
➡ Vo uske bedroom ke bilkul paas tha,
and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her.
➡ aur mechanical teacher on tha aur uska intezaar kar raha tha.
It was always on
➡ Vo hamesha on hota tha
at the same time every day
➡ har din ek hi samay par
except Saturday and Sunday,
➡ Saturday aur Sunday ke alawa,
because her mother said
➡ kyunki uski maa kehti thi
little girls learned better
➡ chhoti ladkiyan behtar seekhti hain
if they learned at regular hours.
➡ agar vo regular ghanto mein seekhti hain.
The screen was lit up,
➡ Screen jal uthi,
and it said:
➡ aur usne likha:
"Today's arithmetic lesson
➡ "Aaj ka arithmetic lesson
is on the addition of proper fractions.
➡ proper fractions ke addition par hai.
Please insert yesterday's homework
➡ Kripya kal ka homework daaliye
in the proper slot."
➡ sahi slot mein."
Margie did so with a sigh.
➡ Margie ne aah bharke aisa kiya.
She was thinking
➡ Vo soch rahi thi
about the old schools
➡ purane schools ke baare mein
they had
➡ jo unke paas the
when her grandfather's grandfather
➡ jab uske dada ke dada
was a little boy.
➡ chhote ladke the.
All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came,
➡ Saare bachche poore muhalla se aate the,
laughing and shouting in the schoolyard,
➡ schoolyard mein haste aur chillate hue,
sitting together in the schoolroom,
➡ schoolroom mein ek saath baithkar,
going home together at the end of the day.
➡ din ke ant mein ek saath ghar jaate the.
They learned the same things,
➡ Vo ek hi cheez seekhte the,
so they could help one another on the homework
➡ isliye vo ek dusre ki homework mein madad kar paate the
and talk about it.
➡ aur uske baare mein baat karte the.
And the teachers were people...
➡ Aur teachers insaan hote the...
The mechanical teacher was flashing on the screen:
➡ Mechanical teacher screen par flash kar raha tha:
"When we add the fractions 1/2 and 1/4..."
➡ "Jab hum 1/2 aur 1/4 fractions ko jodte hain..."
Margie was thinking
➡ Margie soch rahi thi
about how the kids must have loved it
➡ ki bachchon ko kitna pasand aata hoga
in the old days.
➡ un purane dinon mein.
She was thinking
➡ Vo soch rahi thi
about the fun they had.
➡ un mazedaar palon ke baare mein jo unhone bitaye.