Fluent French 2004-2 Mars-Avril B

Thank you for listening to Fluent French Audio! In Transcript B, we have included a word-forword translation of your CD or cassette.
This will help you spend more time listening and less time thumbing through your French dictionary. Our translation is unique: rather than telling you what an English speaker would have said, we aim for a semi-literal translation that makes the French speakers word choice and sentence structure clear. We underline individual words that cannot be translated literally and groups of words that need to be understood as a whole. However, we do not underline common expressions that intermediate learners will recognize, such as tout le monde and aprs-midi. We hope you enjoy listening to these recordings as much as we enjoy bringing them to you! Sincerely,
Galle Domon, Editor
David Tolman, Publisher
Toll free 1-888-259-9601 contact@fluentfrench.com
mars avril 2004 CONTENTS

Article 1: Canal du Midi For a relaxing vacation, spend a week traveling the canal du Midi. Monsieur Jacques Noisette talks about the past and future of the canal. section/track # 1 - 11 pages 1 - 21 Article 2: Savon de Marseille You cant spend very long in a French household without running into Marseilles soap. Madame Bousquet-Fabre fills us in on the history of the soap, and Marguerite and Marianne speak about the many uses for this miracle stain remover. section/track # 12 23 pages 23 - 49 Article 3: La cigogne, symbole de lAlsace Storks have always been the symbol of Alsace, but in 1974, there were only 9 pairs left. Monsieur JeanClaude Clauss, founder of SOS Cigognes, tells us how reintroduction efforts have raised the number to 250 pairs. section/track # 24 - 33 pages 51 - 66 Article 4: Lutte contre le vol des objets dart Capitaine Marro is engaged in the fight against the theft and re-sale of art and antiques. He spoke with our reporter about the market for stolen art in Europe. section/track # 34 - 40 pages 67 79 Article 5: Les Frres Lumire In 1895, the Lumire brothers invented the cinematograph and started the movie industry. Monsieur Fabrice Calzettoni tells the story of these prolific inventors. section/track # 41 - 49 pages 81 - 102
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 1
SECTION 1 Bonjour, et bienvenue Fluent French Audio de Hello, and welcome to Fluent French Audio for mars-avril 2004. Partons vers le Sud-Ouest o notre premier March-April, 2004. Lets head for the Southwest where our first rendez-vous nous amne au canal du Midi.1 rendez-vous takes us to the canal du Midi.
10
Monsieur Noisette reprend pour nous son histoire, ainsi que Mister Noisette reviews for us its history, as well as son caractre touristique. its touristic qualities.
M. Noisette.
SECTION 2 Le canal du Midi est certainement lun des The canal du Midi is certainly one of the canaux les plus connus en Europe. Cest galement best-known canals in Europe. It is also
20
un ouvrage dart particulirement intressant la fois2 a particularly interesting work of art both
1 2
le Midi = the South of France. la fois = both; at one time. la fois = the instance, the time. See other examples on pages 6 and 16.
Fluent French Audio
sur le plan1 historique et touristique. Pour en parler, from the standpoint of history and tourism. To discuss it, nous avons Jacques Noisette, we have Jacques Noisette,
30
charg des relations publiques pour V.N.F., in charge of public relations for V.N.F, Voies Navigables de France. Jacques Noisette, bonjour. Voies Navigables de France. Jacques Noisette, hello. Bonjour. Hello. Alors, tout dabord, est-ce que vous pouvez Well, first of all, can you nous conter2 ce fameux canal du Midi ? tell us about this famous canal du Midi? Alors, effectivement,3 le canal du Midi est devenu Well, indeed, the canal du Midi has become, je dirai au fil de4 lhistoire une destination-phare5 I would say, in the course of history a key destination
40
50
en matire de tourisme fluvial. Alors, ce canal du Midi, cest in river tourism. So this canal du Midi it is un canal qui a plusieurs particularits dont la premire a canal which has several characteristics the first of which cest dtre la fois un ouvrage de navigation,6 mais cest is that of being both a navigation project, but it is
1 2 3
4 5
sur le plan = from the standpoint of; as far as. conter = to tell about, to tell a story. effectivement : Note that effectivement and justement usually refer to something that was said or implied previously. effectivement carries the meaning of yes, in fact, as was mentioned earlier. justement carries the meaning of yes, precisely; in point of fact. See some examples of justement on pages 6, 28, and 30. au fil de = in the course of. phare : following a noun, it means key, important. un pointphare = a key point. un phare = a lighthouse. un ouvrage = an (engineering) work.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 3
60
aussi un ouvrage patrimonial exceptionnel. Alors, also an exceptional patrimonial work. So, on va revenir un petit peu sur lhistoire de ce canal we will come back a little bit to the history of this canal, qui date de trs, trs longtemps qui ne date pas dhier, which does not date from yesterday, which dates from very, very long ago, puisque je dirai de tout temps, les hommes, les puissants, since , I would say that forever, men, the powerful les seigneurs, les rois ont cherch un moyen de joindre the lords, the kings have sought a way to link lAtlantique la Mditerrane. the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Alors, pourquoi joindre lAtlantique la Well, why link the Atlantic to the
70
80
Mditerrane ? Dabord pour permettre nos rgions du Mediterranean? First to allow our regions of the Sud-Ouest de se dvelopper et puis surtout de permettre Southwest to develop and also, above all, to allow des liaisons commerciales et des changes de marchandises commercial connections and exchanges of goods
90
entre lOccident et lOrient par le bassin mditerranen. Et between the West and the East through the Mediterranean Basin. And puis il y avait1 un autre argument, ctait largument politique then, there was another argument, it was a political argument et notamment lpoque o a t construit le canal,2 puisque and in particular at the time when the canal was built, since
il y a, from, il (it) + y (there) + a (has) form of avoir (to have). il y a = there is; there are. il y avait = there were. il y a eu = there has been. Note that o (where) is often used for when.
Fluent French Audio
100
tous les bateaux de marchandises passaient par all the merchant ships went through le dtroit de Gibraltar qui tait gouvern par le roi dEspagne, the Strait of Gibraltar which was ruled by the King of Spain, illustre ennemi du roi Louis XIV. Et donc, trs tt an illustrious enemy of King Louis XIV. And so, very early on, les puissants ont voulu trouver un, un moyen de rejoindre the powerful wanted to find a, a way to link
110
lAtlantique la Mditerrane. the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. SECTION 3 Ce moyen de liaison, a a t formalis au XVIIe This means of connection, it was formalized in the 17th sicle donc par un homme qui sappelait Paul Riquet. century then, by a man whose name was Paul Riquet.
120
Voil, hein, donc les Romains avaient pens un Thats it, so the Romans had thought of a projet, Franois Ier avait pens un projet et tous project, Francis 1st had thought of a project and all se sont buts1 une, une contrainte trs spcifique et puis came up against a, a very specific obstacle
130
qui empche toute cration, cest lalimentation en eau.2 which hinders any creation, it is the water supply.
se buter contre/ quelque chose = to come up against something. buter sur un problme = to encounter a problem. alimenter = to supply. lalimentation = 1) food, 2) the supply. See page 8 for an example of alimenter.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 5
Alors, il a fallu que...1 que ce soit2 Pierre Paul Riquet qui So, it was necessary that that it be Pierre Paul Riquet who ntait ni3 ingnieur, comme le prcise le Larousse,4 was neither an engineer, as the Larousse points out, ni hydraulicien, ni technicien. Ctait un collecteur dimpts, nor a hydraulics expert, nor a technician. He was a tax collector a peut... un collecteur gnral de gabelle, comme quoi a general collector of the salt tax, which just shows that that can... a peut mener tout. Et ctait un collecteur de gabelle qui that can lead to anything. And he was a collector of the salt tax who tait n Bziers en 1604 et il tait issu dune famille dj was born in Bziers in 1604 and he was from a family (that was) already
150
140
assez riche et assez puissante sur le secteur de Bziers : son rather wealthy and fairly powerful in the Bziers area: his pre avait un, un cabinet notarial,5 il tait dans les affaires, father had a, a legal office, he was in business il fricotait un petit peu droite et gauche et donc he did a little business here and there and so
160
il jouissait dj 6dune rputation. Et on parlait dj he already enjoyed a reputation. And people were talking already lpoque de la cration de ce canal. Et donc Pierre Paul at that time of the creation of this canal. And so Pierre Paul
3 4 5
falloir = to be necessary. il faut que = it is necessary that. il a fallu que = it was necessary that. soit is a subjunctive form of tre (to be). il a fallu que... makes the subjunctive form necessary. See other examples on pages 7, 18, 19 and 33. ne... ni... ni = neither... nor. le Larousse = name of the popular French dictionary. un cabinet notarial = a legal office. un notaire : somewhat like a lawyer in the U.S. or a solicitor in Britain. He does not handle courtroom proceedings, but does handle transfers of real estate, inheritance, etc. jouir de quelque chose = to possess something, to benefit from the possession of something.
Fluent French Audio
Riquet tout petit a entendu parler de cette fameuse Riquet as a very young boy heard talk of this famous liaison des deux mers, de ce projet quil y aurait ... linking of the two seas, of this project that there would be to quil y aurait constituer. Et cest en fait en collectant limpt that there would be to build. And it is in fact while collecting the tax et en collectant la gabelle, le sel, un point, and while collecting the salt tax, the salt, a point, un point important an important point 180
170
Alors, justement, la gabelle, quelle... - Well, indeed, the salt tax, what rappelons juste rapidement quest-ce que cest ? lets just quickly recall, what is it? Ben,1 la gabelle cest un des plus anciens impts. Why, the salt tax is one of the oldest taxes.
190
Ctait un impt qui tait assis sur le sel. Et donc, le sel, It was a tax that was levied on salt. And so, salt aujourdhui, il est communment sur nos tables, mais today is commonly on our tables, but lpoque le sel avait une, at the time, salt had a une importance extrmement grande puisquil permettait an extremely great importance since it allowed (people) la fois de saler la nourriture mais aussi de conserver both to season food, but also to preserve la viande, de conserver les poissons. Et donc tout un chacun, meat, to preserve fish. And so everyone,
200
ben : colloquial for bien.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 7
quon soit au bord de la mer1 ou au fin fond2 des montagnes, whether they lived by the sea or deep in the mountains,
210
eh bien, lpoque, tout le monde utilisait le sel. Et donc cet well, at the time, everyone used salt. And so that impt tait assis sur le sel. tax was based on salt. SECTION 4 Donc Pierre Paul Riquet jouissait dun territoire So Pierre Paul Riquet had a territory (that was)
220
extrmement vaste en qualit de fermier gnral des extremely vast in his role as inspector general of gabelles. A lpoque, ctait un titre quand mme salt taxes. At the time it was a title (that was) actually extrmement important ; ce serait un Superintendant des extremely important; that would be a Superintendant des Finances aujourdhui. Et il avait donc un territoire en gros qui Finances today. And he had then a territory, roughly, which stendait3 de Toulouse jusqu4 Arles, donc incluant toute stretched from Toulouse to Arles, thus including all of la Camargue et quasiment aux frontires du Rhne. Donc, Camargue and (going) practically to the Rhne boundaries. So, cest un territoire extrmement vaste. Et cest en allant it is an extremely vast territory. And it is while going
230
240
collecter limpt dans la Montagne noire que Riquet a eu to collect the tax in the Black Mountain area that Riquet had
quon soit au bord de la mer, literally, that one be at the edge of the sea. soit is a subjunctive form of tre. au fin fond de = deep into; in the farthest reaches of. le fond = the bottom; the base. stendre = to stretch out. tendre = to spread out; to open out; to extend; to expand. See another example of stendre on page 12. jusqu = all the way to; up to.
Fluent French Audio
cette rvlation et cest l, un des lments de son gnie this revelation and it is there, one of the elements of his genius au-del de la construction de louvrage, cest que voyant beyond the construction of the work, it is that seeing
250
toutes ces petites rivires, tous ces petits cours deau qui all those small streams, all these small waterways that irriguaient la Montagne noire, il sest dit : Voil le moyen irrigated the Black Mountain, he told himself: Here is the means dalimenter un canal, en collectant cette eau de ces of filling a canal, by collecting this water from those diffrentes rivires, la recevant dans un grand various streams, receiving it in a large bassin de navigation qui est le bassin de Saint-Ferrol je navigation basin which is the Saint Ferrol Basin I pourrai alimenter le canal qui permet la liaison entre will be able to supply the canal, which enables the connection between Toulouse et la Mditerrane. Toulouse and the Mediterranean."
260
270
SECTION 5 Alors, a ctait pour lide gniale de Pierre So, that was for the fantastic idea of Pierre Paul Riquet. partir de quelle date il a commenc Paul Riquet. From what date did he begin construire cet ouvrage ? to build this structure?
280
Alors, ce quil y a dextraordinaire dans cette affaire, Well what is extraordinary in this case cest quil va commencer cet ouvrage en 1666. it is that he is going to begin this work in 1666.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 9
Il avait donc dj un peu plus dune cinquantaine1 dannes, He was then already a little more than about fifty years old,
290
ce qui lpoque tait un vieillard,2 hein, cet ge-l which in those days made him an old man, you know, at that age on tait un vieillard lpoque. Il aurait trs bien pu you were an old man in those days. He would have very well been able finir tranquillement une retraite paisible dans son chteau de to quietly finish a peaceful retirement in his castle of Bon Repos prs de Revel.3 Bon, il a prfr se lancer4 dans Bon Repos near Revel. Okay, he preferred to go into cette aventure compltement folle. Donc, il y avait rflchi this completely foolish adventure. So, he had thought about it bien avant. Le dpart, le vrai dpart de la construction well before. The start, the actual start of the construction du canal, a a t la prsentation donc de son projet of the canal, was the presentation, then, of his project
300
310
larchevque de Toulouse, hein. Donc a lui a permis de to the Archbishop of Toulouse, you know. So, that allowed him to se mettre dans la poche5 un petit peu lglise, hein. Et... put the Church on his side to some extent, you know. And Monseigneur de Bourlemont a permis Riquet que son projet Monsignor de Bourlemont enabled Riquet to present his project
3 4
une cinquantaine = about 50. See page 11 for an example of une vigntaine (about 20). un vieillard = an old man. une vielle dame = an old lady. vieux = old. Revel = a city in Haute-Garonne. se lancer dans quelque chose = to throw oneself into something. lancer = to throw. See pages 14 and 97 for other examples. se mettre quelquun dans la poche = to get someone on your side. Literally, to put someone in the pocket.
10
320
Fluent French Audio
soit prsent1 Colbert2 puis de Colbert Louis XIV, to Colbert, then from Colbert to Louis XIV, jusquen 1666 o, l,3 Louis XIV promeut son fameux until 1666 when, at that point, Louis XIV promulgated his famous dit, ldit de 1666 qui intime Pierre Paul Riquet edict, the Edict of 1666 which orders Pierre Paul Riquet de construire le canal de liaison des deux mers. to build the canal linking the two seas.
330
Une cluse du canal.
SECTION 6 Donc 1666 pour le, le dbut, on va dire, So, 1666 for the, the beginning, we will say, des travaux pour ce fameux canal du Midi. Combien de of the work on this famous canal du Midi. How much
Monseigneur de Bourlemont a permis Riquet que son projet soit prsent Colbert, literally, Monseigneur de Bourlemont has permitted to Riquet that his project be presented to Colbert. soit is a subjunctive form of tre (to be). Colbert : (1619-1683) French Statesman who is credited for carrying out an economic reconstruction program that helped make Louis XIVs France a dominant European power. l = there, but is also used to mean here, now, then, etc.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 1 1
temps finalement il faudra pour construire time ultimately will it take to build
340
cet ouvrage ? this structure? Seulement 15 ans. Je dis seulement 15 ans Only 15 years. I say only 15 years parce que... en fait le canal a t inaugur en 1680, quelques because in fact, the canal was inaugurated in 1680, a few mois je... dailleurs juste aprs la mort de Riquet donc months, I moreover, just after the death of Riquet so, il na mme pas vu son canal mis en eau.1 Quinze annes, he did not even see his canal primed. Fifteen years, cest... cest extrmement rapide. Il faut savoir que it is it is extremely fast. You should know that il a fallu presque une vingtaine dannes pour, des tudes it took almost about twenty years to, from the studies
350
360
jusqu linauguration, construire lautoroute des Deux Mers,2 to the inauguration, to build the autoroute des Deux Mers, hein, avec des moyens autres. Donc quinze ans, cest... you know, with much better means. So fifteen years, thats au XVIIe sicle, cest extrmement rapide. Bon, Riquet in the 17th century, thats extremely fast. Okay, Riquet
370
stait quand mme entour de3 bon nombre dingnieurs, had nevertheless surrounded himself with a good number of engineers, de gens qui connaissaient bien les techniques et surtout of people who knew well the techniques and above all
1 2
mis is the past participle of mettre (to put). lautoroute des Deux Mers: Also known as the A62, it runs from Narbonne to Bordeaux. The two seas, of course, are the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. sentourer de = to surround oneself with.
12
1
Fluent French Audio
dune arme de 12 000 hommes, femmes, qui ont dblay with an army of 12,000 men and women who cleared le terrain pendant ces quinze annes. the terrain during those fifteen years. SECTION 7 Le canal du Midi stend sur combien de The canal du Midi stretches over how many kilomtres, finalement ? kilometers, actually? Eh bien, le canal du Midi va de Toulouse jusqu Well, the canal du Midi goes from Toulouse all the way to lentre de ltang de Thau,2 entre de ltang de Thau qui the entrance of the tang de Thau, entrance of the tang de Thau which permettait de rejoindre Ste3 qui est un port qui a t cr made it possible to reach Ste, which is a port that was created par Pierre Paul Riquet. Pierre Paul Riquet avait cr Ste by Pierre Paul Riquet. Pierre Paul Riquet had created Ste
400
380
390
de faon permettre aux bateaux de mer de dcharger des in order to allow sea-going ships to unload marchandises qui taient ensuite achemines par le canal. merchandise, which was then routed through the canal. Donc dans lesprit de Riquet et des gens de lpoque, So in the minds of Riquet and the people of the time,
410
la liaison tait assure puisque les bateaux pouvaient the connection was assured since the ships were able remonter de Ste jusqu Toulouse par le canal du Midi, to go from Ste all the way to Toulouse through the canal du Midi,
1 2 3
This de is a continuation of sentourer de. un tang = a pond; a lagoon. Ste = A Mediterranean port, population 40 220.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 1 3
descendaient en Garonne au Pont Jumeaux ici went down on the Garonne River to the Pont Jumeaux (twin bridges) here Toulouse avec une cluse qui aujourdhui nexiste plus.1 Et in Toulouse with a lock which no longer exists today. And les bateaux continuaient leur voyage jusqu Bordeaux the ships continued their journey to Bordeaux par la Garonne. on the Garonne.
420
Systme des neuf cluses de Fonseranes, Bziers.
SECTION 8 Et puis je citerai un dernier ouvrage quand mme un And also I will cite one last work (which is) actually a
430
petit peu exceptionnel : cest le tunnel du Malpas qui little bit exceptional: it is the Malpas Tunnel, which a une histoire assez exceptionnelle puisque, l, has quite an extraordinary history because there,
ne... plus = no longer; no more.
14
Fluent French Audio
on est une vingtaine de kilomtres de Bziers, we are approximately 20 kilometers from Bziers,
440
en amont de Bziers, que Riquet et ses hommes arrivent upstream of Bziers, (where) Riquet and his men arrive devant la, la colline dEnsrune qui est before the Ensrune Hill which is une colline sablonneuse. L, aussi, Riquet tait la fin de a sandy hill. Then, too, Riquet was at the end of sa vie. Il tait la fin du canal. Le roi ne laidait plus his life. He was at the end of the canal. The king no longer helped him assez financirement comme au dbut. Et donc Riquet sufficiently financially as in the beginning. And so Riquet ne pouvait pas se permettre de se lancer encore dans could not afford to throw himself once again into la construction dcluses qui permettaient de franchir cette the construction of river locks that would enable (him) to cross this
450
460
montagne. Et face cette adversit, il a dit : Ben, puisque mountain. And faced with this obstacle, he said: Why, since je ne peux pas passer sur la montagne, eh bien le canal I am not able to pass over the mountain, well, the canal traversera la montagne. Les ingnieurs du roi sy opposent, will go through the mountain. The kings engineers oppose it,
470
considrant que techniquement cest de la folie. considering that technically, it is folly. Le roi envoie donc ses meilleurs ingnieurs sur place The king sends then his best engineers to the site pour constater que, ben finalement, cette colline sablonneuse to verify that, why, in the end, this sandy hill ne peut pas... ne peut pas accueillir un canal. Les missaires cannot cannot receive a canal. The emissaries
480
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 1 5
du roi rentrent Versailles, informent le roi de la rsistance of the king go back to Versailles, inform the king of the resistance de Pierre Paul Riquet... aux injonctions des missaires du roi. of Pierre Paul Riquet to the injunctions of the kings emissaries. Du coup,1 le roi envoie les forces de police de lpoque pour As a result, the king sends the police force of the time to
490
arrter ce fou de Riquet qui veut faire passer un, un canal arrest that crazy Riquet who wants to make a canal pass sous une montagne. Et quand les missaires du roi, under a mountain. And when the kings emissaries, venant arrter Pierre Paul Riquet, arrivent sur le site, ben, coming to arrest Pierre Paul Riquet, arrive at the site, why,
500
le canal tait pass. La, la montagne tait traverse, et the canal had passed. The, the mountain was crossed and le canal passait sous la montagne. a a t le premier canal the canal passed under the mountain. That was the first canal passer sous une montagne. to pass under a mountain. SECTION 9 Alors, canal du Midi, un ouvrage historique, So, the canal du Midi, a historic construction,
510
mais galement, depuis maintenant une vingtaine but also, for now about twenty dannes, un ouvrage touristique. years, a tourist attraction. En fin de compte, ce sont les Anglais, je crois, Ultimately, it is the English, I believe,
du coup = as a result. Literally, from the strike, the hit, the blow. le coup = the strike, the hit, the blow.
16
520
Fluent French Audio
qui ont remis au got du jour1 la navigation who put back in fashion navigation sur le canal du Midi. on the canal du Midi. Ah, cest mme eux qui lont importe, puisque on Ah, it is even they who imported it since we assiste, dans les annes 1980,2 3 un double phnomne : witness, in the 1980s , a dual phenomenon: la fois, le transport traditionnel de marchandises sur at the same time, the traditional transport of merchandise on le canal qui se dprcie et qui, chaque anne perd des the canal which diminishes and which each year loses tonnages et des bateliers. Le nombre de bateaux diminue tonnage and boatmen. The number of boats diminishes
530
540
autant que le tonnage qui est transport. Et donc, as much as the tonnage that is transported. And so, on voit arriver une, une nouvelle forme de tourisme qui est we see the arrival of a, a new form of tourism that is le tourisme fluvial et qui, effectivement, a t import river tourism and which indeed was imported,
550
entre guillemets, par nos amis anglais, puisque les premires in quotes, by our English friends, since the first compagnies de location4 de bateaux taient boat rental companies were dorigine anglaise. of English origin.
3 4
remettre quelque chose au got du jour = 1) to update something, 2) to put something back in fashion. les annes 1980 = the 1980s. Compare to les annes 1900 (the 1900s) on page 27. assister quelque chose = to witness something. la location : a false friend. It means the rental and not the location. It comes from the verb louer = to rent, to lease.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 1 7
SECTION 10
560
Alors le tourisme fluvial va finalement donner So river tourism is going, in the end, to give une deuxime jeunesse au canal du Midi. Aujourdhui, a second youth to the canal du Midi. Today, lorsquune personne veut faire du tourisme fluvial, when a person wants to do river tourism quelles sont les, les informations quil1 doit retenir ? what are the, the pieces of information that he must remember? coutez, il y a plusieurs formes de tourisme fluvial : Listen, there are several forms of river tourism: il y a le tourisme fluvial sur leau, mais le canal there is river tourism on the water, but the canal peut se dcouvrir pied. Donc, on est en train damnager2 can be discovered on foot. So, we are in the process of developing
570
580
progressivement le canal et douvrir ses voies gradually the canal and opening its passages au grand public, avec pour objectif que, ben, aussi bien, to the general public with as an objective that, why, as well, tout le monde sy promne pied, vlo, les mamans, everybody should stroll on foot, on a bike, mothers,
590
les rolleurs, que, que tout a dcouvre le canal. On peut in-line skaters, that, that all that should discover the canal. One can le dcouvrir donc vlo, on peut le dcouvrir pied, et explore it then, on a bike, one can discover it on foot and
1 2
The speaker should have said elle, since personne is feminine. tre en train de faire quelque chose = to be in the process of doing something. amnager = to fit out; to lay out; to develop. See other examples of tre en train de faire quelque chose on pages 40 and 99.
18
Fluent French Audio
on peut le dcouvrir en bateau. one can explore it by boat. Alors, en bateau, c[e n]est pas la peine dtre1 So, by boat, you dont have to be un marin deau douce2 confirm. Il y a plusieurs formes de a confirmed Sunday sailor. There are several forms of navigation : soit3 vous pouvez tre propritaire de votre navigation: either you can be the owner of your bateau et naviguer sur le canal, soit vous pouvez et cest boat and navigate on the canal, or you can and it is
610
600
le cas pour 80% de la frquentation,4 donc cest dire si5 le, the case for 80% of the visitors, so this shows that the le tourisme fluvial, qui tait balbutiant6 dans les annes 80, river tourism, which was in its infancy in the 1980s, a pris un essor7 extrmement important vous pouvez has experienced tremendous growth you are able
620
tout fait, sans permis, louer un bateau pour une semaine et absolutely, without a permit, to rent a boat for a week and partir naviguer sur le canal. to go sailing on the canal.
2 3
5 6
ce nest pas la peine, literally, it is not (worth) the trouble. In this case, the idea is that you don't have to be, it is not necessary to be. un marin deau douce, literally, a fresh water sailor. soit... soit = either or. soit is a subjunctive form of tre (to be). See another example of soit... soit on page 19. la frquentation = the number of persons who visit. frquenter = to visit, to frequent. cest dire si..., literally, it is to say if... balbutier = to stammer, to mumble. This type of tourism was in the babbling stages, in its infancy. lessor = flight; rapid expansion. prendre essor = to take flight; to develop rapidly. See another example of prendre essor on page 19 and an example of lessor on page 25.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 1 9
SECTION 11 Troisime formule, qui est une formule de groupe, Third way, which is a group formula,
630
o, l, on a des bateaux qui sont grs par des where in this case we have boats that are managed by propritaires qui conduisent eux-mmes le bateau et qui owners who drive the boats themselves and who offrent des prestations1 de croisire. Alors croisire, soit offer cruise services. So, a cruise, either croisire simple, soit croisire plus repas bord. a simple cruise, or a cruise plus on-board meals. Et puis une dernire catgorie, qui, And also one last category, that qui prend un essor extrmement important, cest les that is experiencing extremely important growth, it is the bateaux-htels, qui sont une quinzaine dunits sur notre hotel-boats, which total about fifteen on our
640
650
canal et qui offrent des prestations plutt haut de gamme2 canal and which offer rather top-of-the-line services une clientle relativement confidentielle, compose to a relatively exclusive clientele, composed en grande partie dAmricains, qui louent le... des bateaux in large part of Americans who rent the boats
660
o ils peuvent naviguer, coucher et dcouvrir la fois where they can navigate, sleep and discover at the same time le patrimoine culturel et le patrimoine historique de the cultural heritage and the historic heritage of
une prestation = a service, a benefit, a level of performance. les prestations de scurit sociale = social security benefits. haut de gamme = top of the line. une gamme de produits = a line of products.
20
Fluent French Audio
nos rgions, et aussi le patrimoine gastronomique, puisque, our regions, and also the gastronomic heritage since table, sont prsents, ben, les... les vins du Languedoc, et at the table are presented, well, the the wines of Languedoc and puis tous les plats typiques de nos rgions. also all the dishes typical of our regions. Alors, jimagine que cette dernire prestation So, I imagine that this last service est ralise1 par des tour-oprateurs2 spcialiss, is handled by specialized tour operators
680
670
quon peut trouver notamment aux tats-Unis. that one can find for example in the United States. Combien faut-il compter pour une semaine, comme How much should one allow for one week like a, en trs haut gamme, en... en bateau-htel ? that, in very top-of-the-line, in in a hotel-boat?
690
Ben, pour vous donner des, des ordres de prix,3 Why, to give you some, some price ranges, hein, un bateau de location, suivant4 la saison, a rental boat, depending on the season, you know, suivant la taille du bateau, a peut aller de 1 500 depending on the size of the boat, that can go from 1,500 euros, jusqu 2 500 euros la semaine. Dans euros up to 2,500 euros a week. In le cas des bateaux-htels, on est sur une logique de... the case of hotel-boats, we are in a price range of
700
1 2
3 4
raliser = to bring into existence; to make; to realize; to complete. The franglais term tour-oprateur is now found in French dictionaries. un ordre de prix = a price range. suivant = according to; depending upon. Literally, following. suivre = to follow.
Mars - Avril 2004
Canal du Midi 2 1
3 000 euros par personne et par semaine. 3,000 euros per person and per week. Bien, ben, cest parfait. Merci beaucoup, Well, why, this is perfect. Thank you very much
710
monsieur Noisette, et, et bonne navigation. Mister Noisette and, and happy sailing. Avec plaisir. My pleasure.
22
Fluent French Audio
Mars - Avril 2004
Savon de Marseille 2 3
SECTION 12 Un des produits bien franais que toute mnagre One of the typically French products that any homemaker se doit davoir1 est bien entendu2 le savon de Marseille. must have is, of course, Marseilles soap. Absolument incontournable, il est une vritable institution Absolutely essential, it is a true institution
10
dans tous les foyers franais. in all French households.
Mme. Bousquet-Fabre.
SECTION 13 Marie-Hlne Bousquet-Fabre, bonjour. Marie-Hlne Bousquet-Fabre, hello. Bonjour. Hello. Vous tes la directrice gnrale de You are the general manager of
20
se doit davoir = owes it to oneself to have. se devoir = to owe to oneself. devoir = to be obliged; to owe; to be supposed to. bien entendu = of course, literally, well heard; well understood. entendre = to hear; to understand.
24
Fluent French Audio
la savonnerie Marius Fabre,1 the Marius Fabre soap factory, qui est une des plus vieilles savonneries de France. which is one of the oldest soap factories in France. Cest exact. Et cest aussi That is correct. And it is also
30
une des plus vieilles savonneries des Bouches-du-Rhne2 et one of the oldest soap factories of Bouches-du-Rhne and donc de la Provence, puisque mon grand-pre a cr cette thus of Provence, since my grandfather created this savonnerie en 1900. Ctait donc Marius Fabre. Je suis soap factory in 1900. So he was Marius Fabre. I am sa petite-fille et filleule,3 parce que il tait mon parrain. Et his granddaughter and goddaughter, because he was my godfather. And je pense que cest pour a peut-tre quil y a eu de laffinit I think that it is why perhaps there was an affinity et que cest moi qui suis l, maintenant, de nos jours. and that I am the one who is here, now, nowadays. Alors, mon grand-pre, en 1900, effectivement Well, my grandfather, in 1900, indeed
40
50
a commenc au fond de4 son jardin, dans son garage faire began in the back of his yard, in his garage, to make du savon, artisanalement, comme beaucoup de Salonais soap, by traditional methods, like many Salon inhabitants lpoque, puisque ctait Salon-de-Provence tait at the time, since it was Salon-de-Provence was
1 2
3 4
http://www.marius-fabre.fr. The factory is open for tours. Les Bouches du Rhne : a dpartement in southern France at the mouth (la bouche) of the Rhne river. la filleule = the goddaughter; le filleul = the godson. au fond de, literally, in the bottom of, in the back of. le fond = the bottom, the base.
Mars - Avril 2004

60
un grand centre savonnier ct de Marseille, cest un peu an important soap-making center near Marseilles, it is a little moins connu, mais cest 50 kilomtres seulement.1 less well known, but it is only 50 kilometers away. Et par contre, voyant lessor et lexpansion que And yet, observing the development and expansion that prenait sa petite savonnerie de lpoque, en 1927, his little soap factory of the time was having, in 1927, il est venu dans ces locaux que nous occupons toujours et he came into these premises which we still occupy and il a rachet, donc, les locaux dune vieille savonnerie, qui he bought, then, the premises of an old soap factory, which sappelait la savonnerie Couderc, Salon, et was called the Couderc soap factory, in Salon, and
70
80
il en a fait2 le sige principal de sa savonnerie. he made it into the headquarters of his soap factory. Et cest toujours l que nous sommes, donc. And it is still here that we are, in fact.
Le muse du savon de Marseille.

1
tre 50 kilomtres de quelque chose = to be 50 km away from something. il en a fait... = he made it into... Literally, he made of it. The en (of it) refers to la savonnerie Couderc.
26
Fluent French Audio
SECTION 14 Donc en fait, il a cr la savonnerie en 1900, So, in fact, he created the soap factory in 1900, parce que il sest rendu compte1 because he noticed. Il avait 18 ou 20 ans, hein, il tait tout jeune. Donc, He was 18 or 20, you know, he was very young. So,
10
ctait un peu lengouement de cette poque, je vous dis it was in a way the craze of those days, I mean a avait dj commenc Salon, et fin XIXe, at the end of the 19th (century) it had already begun in Salon and ensuite au tout dbut du XXe, a a t, a a t vraiment then at the very beginning of the 20th, it was, it was truly le extraordinairement florissant. Et Salon, donc, vous voyez the extraordinarily flourishing. And Salon, so, you see dans notre petite ville de Salon-de-Provence, des in our little town of Salon-de-Provence, some pas des milliers, mais enfin des dizaines de petites m not thousands, but really tens of little m enfin de petits chteaux qui ne sont pas du tout well, small manors that are not at all
20
30
provenaux dailleurs, parce qu cette poque-l, Provenal moreover, because in those days, ctait la mode des petits chteaux parisiens,2 donc, mes little Parisian manors were in style, so, my parents eux-mmes habitent un petit chteau comme a, parents themselves live in a small manor like that,
se rendre compte de quelque chose = to realize something; to come to understand something. la mode = the fashion, the trend.
Mars - Avril 2004

40
avec un, une tour et des tuiles en ardoise, with a, a tower and slate roof tiles, qui ne sont pas du tout provenales,1 mais cest le reflet de that are not at all Provenal, but it is the reflection of cette poque-l et, et de et de lessor conomique de that era and, and of... and of the economic development of Salon-de-Provence cette poque-l. Salon-de-Provence in those days. SECTION 15 Alors, cest vrai que le savon, cest vraiment So, its true that soap, it is really un produit de notre rgion, des Bouches-du-Rhne, a product of our region, of Bouches-du-Rhne, Marseille, Salon, mais le savon ne date pas in Marseilles, in Salon, but soap does not date des annes 1900.2 Il y a toujours eu du savon, from the 1900s. There has always been soap, notamment, cest Louis XIV, je crois, qui avait labor in particular, it is Louis XIV, I believe, who had developed un procd bien particulier. a very special process.
50
60
70
Ce nest pas Louis XIV qui a labor It is not Louis XIV who developed ce procd particulier, parce que le savon, comme vous this special process, because soap, as you lavez dit, existait bien avant Louis XIV, puisquil date du have said, existed well before Louis XIV, since it dates from the
Red clay roof tiles are the norm in Southern France, while slate roof tiles are the norm in the North. les annes 1900, literally, the years 1900. Compare to les annes 1980 (the 1980s) on page 16.
28
80
Fluent French Audio
temps des Gaulois et, et mme davant. Par contre, Louis XIV time of the Gauls, and, and even before. However, Louis XIV et plutt son ministre Colbert, a codifi la fabrication and rather his minister, Colbert, codified the manufacture du savon. Parce quil y avait tellement dabus, justement, of soap. Because there was so much abuse, precisely, dj, cette poque c[e n]est pas nouveau il y avait already in those days it is not new there were des gens qui fabriquaient tout et nimporte quoi1 et people who were making everything and anything and nimporte comment. Donc il a fallu codifier. Et notamment, every which way. So, it was necessary to codify. And in particular, ben, il disait quil ne fallait pas fabriquer en plein t2 why, he said that people should not manufacture in summer
90
100
parce quil fait trop chaud, enfin, etc. Et il faut savoir aussi, because it is too hot, well, etc. And you should know, too, qu cette poque-l, le savon dit3 de Marseille tait that in those days, soap known as savon de Marseille was un savon de couleur verte, puisquil tait fait avec a green-colored soap, since it was made with
110
les huiles dolive de la rgion. Et donc ces huiles dolive, lt, the olive oils of the region. And so these olive oils, in summer quand on les travaillait, quand on les saponifiait, elles when you worked them, when you turned them to soap, they restaient trs, trs souples, trs molles, quoi.4 Et donc, remained very, very supple, very soft, you know. And so
2 3
nimporte quoi = whatever; anything. Compare to nimporte quel on pages 33 and 46. en plein t, literally, in full summer. dit/dite = known as; called. dit is the past participle of dire (to say.) quoi, literally, what. Often used to finish a thought. Can be translated variously as you know, in short, etc.
Mars - Avril 2004
120
il avait interdit que la fabrication se fasse pendant he had forbidden that manufacturing take place during les mois les plus chauds de lt. Voil, un petit peu, bon, the hottest months of summer. That's it, in a way, okay il y avait dautres choses dans la codification, mais ctait a. there were other things in the codification, but it was that. Et ctait pour viter les fraudes, enfin, bon, comme on, And it was to prevent fraud, well, okay, as we,
130
on peut en avoir lheure actuelle1 aussi, we can have some in this day and age also, au niveau des2 matires premires. as far as raw materials. Et ensuite, il y a eu dans le, je dirai XVIIIe, XIXe And then, there were in the, I will say 18th, 19th -
140
XIXe surtout , toutes les graines, les huiles de graines 19th century mostly all the seeds, the oils from seeds qui sont venues des colonies dAfrique et autres3 that came from the colonies in Africa and elsewhere qui ntaient donc plus des huiles dolive mais that were therefore no longer olive oils but des huiles de copra, de palme, etc., et qui ont donn4 un oils of copra, of palm, etc., and which produced a savon blanc. Enfin, blanc ,5 c[e n]est pas blanc comme white soap. Well, white, it is not white like
150
3 4
lheure actuelle, in this day and age, literally, at the current hour. actuel = current, up to date. actuellement = currently. les actualits = the news. au niveau de = as far as, as regards; with respect to. Literally, at the level of. See another example on page 67. et autres = and others. See other examples on pages 70 and 77. donner = to give; to result in; to produce. a na rien donn. = That produced no result; that had no effect. The speaker quotes herself in mock derision before specifying what she really means. This is common in spoken French.
30
Fluent French Audio
un lavabo, cest blanc, couleur crme et qui, effectivement, a bathroom sink, it is cream-colored white, and that indeed est peut-tre pour, je dirai, la plupart des gens, le reflet is perhaps for, I will say, most people, the reflection
160
ou limage que lon a du savon de Marseille. or the image that we have of Marseilles soap.
SECTION 16 Comment il est fabriqu, ce savon ? How is it made, this soap? Dans le savon vert lhuile dolive, justement, In the green olive oil soap, actually, comme je vous lai dit un petit peu tout lheure, as I told you a little bit earlier,
170
Mars - Avril 2004
il ny a pas que de lhuile dolive. Dans la composition there is not only olive oil. In the composition des matires premires grasses,1 cest--dire des huiles, of the raw materials, that is to say of the oils, il y a de lhuile de grignon dolive, cest--dire, le rsidu de there is oil of olive cake, that is to say, the residue of
180
la premire pression de lhuile dolive. Donc cest un petit peu the first pressing of olive oil. So it is sort of une pte qui est donc le rsultat du broyage des noyaux a paste which is thus the result of the crushing of the pits de la pulpe etc., et qui est vert fonc. Et cest cette pte, of the pulp, etc, and which is dark green. And it is this paste,
190
cette huile dolive grasse qui va donc donner la couleur verte this thick olive oil that is going then to give the green color au savon. Par contre, pour faire mousser2 un petit peu to the soap. On the other hand, to make the soap lather up a little bit plus que si on [ne] mettait que des huiles dolive, on rajoute more than if you put only olive oils, we add un peu de copra. La proportion, cest trois quarts, a little copra. The proportion it is three-fourths, donc 75% dhuile dolive et 25% de copra. then, 75% olive oil and 25% copra. SECTION 17 Et la fabrication est toujours la mme, depuis And the manufacture is still the same, for
200
un gras = a fat; an oil; a grease. In this case, the speaker is talking about the oils that go into the making of the soap. mousser = to froth; to foam; to lather. faire mousser quelque chose = to make something foam up. la mousse = moss; lather; bubbles; foam. la mousse raser = shaving cream. la mousse au chocolat = chocolate mousse.
32
Fluent French Audio
210
des sicles et des sicles ? centuries and centuries? La fabrication est toujours la mme, effectivement, The manufacture is still the same , as you said, dans ces chaudrons. a sappelle la mthode marseillaise, in those vats. That is called the Marseilles method puisquon fait du savon de Marseille. Et la spcificit since we make Marseilles soap. And the particularity
220
du savon de Marseille, cest dtre fabriqu de cette faon-l. about Marseilles soap, it is to be made in that way. Cest--dire dans des grands chaudrons ciel ouvert qui That is to say in large open vats that bouillent, et qui font bouillir la pte, qui est lintrieur. boil, and which make the paste boil, which is inside.
230
Alors, il faut quand mme prciser une chose, Then, we must nevertheless specify one thing, cest que ces carrs1 de savon ont un tampon dessus. it is that those soap squares have a seal on them. Et a, cest aussi une spcificit, And that, that is also a unique characteristic, il faut quil y ait le tampon. there has to be the seal. Vous faites quel moment, ce tamponnage ? At what point do you do this stamping ? Alors, effectivement, tous les morceaux de savon, Well, it is true, all the pieces of soap,
240
un carr = a square. The speaker again refers to a square of soap on page 40.
Mars - Avril 2004
quel que soit1 le morceau de savon qui sort de chez nous, whatever the piece of soap that comes from our factory,
250
comme de nimporte quelle2 autre savonnerie au dbut du as from any other soap factory at the beginning of the sicle, devait tre estampill pour quon puisse le retrouver, century, had to be stamped so that people were able to find it, retrouver le nom du fabricant. Ctait un peu to find the name of the manufacturer. It was in a way
260
la traabilit3 avant lheure, en fait, hein ? trackability before its time, in fact, you know? SECTION 18 Le savon de Marseille a un engouement4 Marseilles soap has always been the object depuis toujours. Est-ce que vous pensez que a vient of a passion. Do you think that that comes
270
principalement parce que cest une tradition qui primarily because it is a tradition that sest transmise de grand-mre en grand-mre ? was passed on from grandmother to grandmother? Ma grand-mre par exemple me disait quelle voyait My grandmother, for example, was telling me that she watched
quel que soit = whatever, whatever be, whatever may be, from, quel (which) + que (that) + soit (be). soit is a form of tre (to be). See another example on page 94. nimporte quel = any; whichever. See another example on page 46. Compare also to nimporte quoi and nimporte comment on page 28. la traabilit : the possibility of tracking a product through the various stages of its production, in particular in the food industry. This has been the subject of French news recently, in connection with the mad cow disease. The speaker misspoke. She could have said, il y a un engouement pour le savon de Marseille depuis toujours (there has always been an infatuation with Marseilles soap). un engouement = an infatuation, a brief fancy.
34
Fluent French Audio
280
sa tante lavandire laver au savon de Marseille etc., her aunt, a washerwoman, wash clothes with Marseilles soap, etc, etc. etc. Cest vrai quil y a, bon, je [ne] dirais pas It is true that there is, okay, I would not say un engouement, parce que je parlerai plutt de a passion, because I would speak instead of
290
retour aux sources ou de retour des produits naturels a return to the basics or of a return to natural products qui ont fait leurs preuves,1 quon avait peut-tre un peu that have proved themselves that we had perhaps somewhat oublis il y a une vingtaine dannes parce que aprs forgotten about twenty years ago because after
300
la guerre, il y a eu les enzymes gloutons, the war, there were the voracious enzymes, il y a eu les produits ptroliers, il y a eu toutes les, there were petroleum products, there were all the les produits de douche et autres qui, the shower products and so on that, qui [n]taient pas forcment du vgtal, au contraire, that did not necessarily come from plants, on the contrary, qui venaient du ptrole. that came from petroleum. On en revient2 un petit peu, je crois. Et We are swinging back to an extent, I believe. And effectivement, ben nous, depuis une vingtaine dannes, indeed, well, for us, for about twenty now,
310
320
1 2
faire ses preuves = to prove oneself; to stand the test of time. revenir de quelque chose = to get over something; to change one's mind; to abandon something (often a theory or an idea). Literally, to come back from something.
Mars - Avril 2004
a a commenc par les coopratives cologiques de lpoque, it began with the environmental cooperatives of the day, qui, qui sont revenues vers nous, et puis maintenant, cest, that, that came back to us, and well now, it is je dirai, mme pas des cologistes,1 mais des gens I will say, not even environmentalists, but people
330
qui font attention leur sant. Il y a eu le problme de who pay attention to their health. There was the problem of la vache folle, il y a eu le problme de pas mal de2 choses o mad cow disease, there was the problem of a number of things where on sest aperu3 que ce dont on se servait4 we realized that what we used pour se laver ou ce dont on se servait pour se nourrir, to wash up or what we used to feed ourselves, a avait une importance capitale, ce qui ntait pas le cas that had tremendous importance, which was not the case il y a une dizaine dannes, je crois. Et que cest un retour, about ten years ago, I believe. And that it is a return, mais qui va durer, parce que on sest rendu compte que ce but which will last, because people realized that this
340
350
savon avait des qualits exceptionnelles et que il tait trs soap had exceptional qualities and that it was very
un cologiste = 1) an ecologist, 2) a nature person. Notice that this usage has a very different feel from the term un colo used by M. Clauss on page 63. pas mal de = quite a few. See another example of pas mal de on page 73 and an example of pas mal (pretty good) on page 44. sapercevoir = to notice, to become aware of. apercevoir = to see; to catch sight of. se servir de quelque chose = to use something; to make use of something. See another example on page 42. ce dont on se servait = that of which we were making use.
36
Fluent French Audio
bon pour beaucoup de choses, aussi bien pour la toilette que1 good for many things, both for washing up, as well as pour les blessures, que pour enlever les taches, que pour les, for wounds, as for removing spots, as for
360
les rhumatismes, ou les crampes dans le lit, contre rheumatism, or cramps in bed, against les pucerons en jardinerie, pour pratiquement beaucoup, aphids in gardening, for practically many, beaucoup, beaucoup de choses de la vie quotidienne. many, many things in everyday life. SECTION 19
370
Est-ce que a marche2 ltranger ? Is it doing well abroad? Est-ce que vous faites de lexportation, et vers quels Do you export, and towards what pays ? countries? a marche trs, trs bien ltranger, puisque nous It is doing very , very well abroad, since we exportons pratiquement la moiti de notre production. export practically half of our production. Et on vous demande plutt le savon vert ou And do they ask you for mostly green soap or le savon blanc ? white soap ?
380
390
aussi bien... que... = 1) both... and... 2) as well... as... See page 94 for another example of aussi bien... que... See pages 43 and 45 for other examples of aussi bien. marcher = 1) to walk; 2) to work (in the case of machines); 3) to work out. a marche ? means Sales are good? See another example of a marche on page 53 and an example of ne pas marcher (to not go well, to be unsuccessful) on page 85.
Mars - Avril 2004
Aux tats-Unis, au Japon, savon vert, uniquement, In the United States, in Japan, green soap only, pratiquement, 90%, avec toutes les savonnettes practically 90% with all the small soap bars qui vont avec, cest--dire qui sont dclines1 sur cette base, that go with it, that is to say that are available on that basis,
400
avec des produits et des parfums diffrents. with different products and fragrances. Par contre, en Italie, paradoxalement, On the other hand, in Italy, paradoxically, ils aiment beaucoup le savon blanc aussi, they also like white soap very much, alors que cest un pays quand mme de, de, whereas it is nevertheless a country having de forte connotation huile dolive. a strong olive oil connotation. Mais, ils ont les deux. Ils, ils aiment bien les deux. But they have both. They, they like both a lot. SECTION 20
410
420
Juste pour terminer, pour Simply in conclusion, for nos auditeurs amricains, quand ils vont aller chercher our American listeners, when they go looking for du savon, sils ont envie de trouver soap, if they want to find du savon de Marseille dans un magasin aux tats-Unis, Marseilles soap in a store in the United States,
430
dcliner un produit = to make a product available. un produit dclin en 3 coloris = a product available in 3 colors.
38
Fluent French Audio
pour tre srs que ce soit du vrai savon de Marseille et to be sure that it is genuine Marseilles soap and pas nimporte quoi, quest-ce quil faut quils regardent not just anything, what is it necessary that they look at et quils trouvent sur ltiquette ? and that they find on the label?
440
Alors, ben, dabord, quand on cherche Well, now, first, when you look for un vrai savon de Marseille, effectivement, il faut chercher a genuine Marseilles soap, as you said, you have to look for pas mal de critres, je dirai, de, de, de slection, a number of I will say of selection criteria, cest--dire quil faut quil ait 72% dhuile, hein, a, cest that is to say that there must be 72% oil, you know, that is la composition. Il faut quil y ait, bon, il faut quils regardent the composition. There must be, okay, they have to look at ltiquette et les ingrdients. Il faut quils regardent aussi, the label and the ingredients. They also have to look at je pense, la provenance, parce que sils voient que cest I think, the origin, because if they see that it is
450
460
Marius Fabre, hein, je pense quils sont garantis 100% que Marius Fabre, you know, I think that they are 100% guaranteed that cest un bon savon. Et ensuite, il faudra que ils aient it is a good soap. And then, it is necessary that... they have souvent, il y a de la publicit mensongre aussi, sur les often, there is false advertising, too, on the
470
tiquettes, cest--dire quils disent que cest fabriqu labels, that is to say that they say that it is made lancienne, que cest fabriqu en chaudron, que cest the old-fashioned way, that it is made in vats, that it is
Mars - Avril 2004
fabriqu la mthode marseillaise. Mais bien sr, cest made Marseilles style. But of course, it is difficile de tlphoner au fabricant et de dire : difficult to phone the manufacturer and to say : Je voudrais voir vos chaudrons ! , mais je peux I would like to see your vats!, but I can vous garantir quil y en a beaucoup qui ne sont pas quips assure you that there are many who are not equipped comme nous et qui nont pas cet outil de travail que nous as we are and who do not have this work tool that we
490
480
avons nous de famille et, et depuis plus de cent ans pour have, we, in the family and, and (have had) for more than 100 years for faire ce, ce genre de garantie. making this, this sort of guarantee. Marie-Hlne Bousquet, merci et au revoir ! Marie-Hlne Bousquet, thank you and good-bye !
500
Merci vous et, et bientt, jespre. Thank you and, and see you soon, I hope.
40
Fluent French Audio
SECTION 21 Bonjour Marianne, Hello Marianne, quest-ce que vous tes en train de faire ?1 what are you in the middle of doing? Bonjour. Je suis en train de nettoyer Hello. I am in the process of cleaning
510
une robe ma petite-fille,2 qui a t tache de gras.3 one of my grand-daughters dresses, that has been stained with grease. Oui, mais vous la nettoyez dune manire Yes, but you are cleaning it in a manner un petit peu particulire. Cest quoi,4 exactement, (that is) a little bit special. What is it, exactly,
520
ce gros carr que vous tenez dans la main ? this big square that you are holding in your hand? Eh bien, cest le miracle, cest le savon de Marseille. Well, it is the miracle, it is Marseilles soap. Je suis en train de passer du savon de Marseille sec sur I am in the process of rubbing Marseilles soap dry on la robe. Et je vais laisser imprgner the dress And I am going to let it soak in pendant quelques moments. for a few moments.
530
tre en train de faire quelque chose = to be in the process of doing something. See other examples on pages 17 and 99. une robe ma petite-fille = a dress that belongs to my granddaughter. can be used to express ownership. Cette robe est ma moi. = This dress belongs to me. un ami moi = a friend of mine. Note that it would have been more proper to say une robe de ma petite-fille. le gras = fat; oil; grease. The substance in question could be butter, oil, grease, etc. The speaker also could have said Quest-ce que ce gros carr...
Mars - Avril 2004
Pourquoi vous dites1 que cest le miracle ? Why do you say that it is the miracle? Parce que, pour moi, cest un dtachant-miracle, Because for me it is a miracle stain remover,
540
le savon de Marseille. Marseilles soap. Et... vous avez toujours connu a ? And you have always been familiar with it? Comment vous avez connu le savon de Marseille ? How did you learn about Marseilles soap ?
550
Ben, je... je... jai toujours connu a, oui, Why, I I... I have always known that, yes, effectivement, je dois tenir2 a peut-tre de ma mre. indeed, I must get that perhaps from my mother. Alors justement, il y a votre maman qui est Well, in fact, there is your mother who is juste ct. Bonjour Marguerite. Cest, cest vous qui just nearby. Hello Marguerite. It is, its you who lui avez donn lhabitude de vous3 servir du savon ? got her into the habit of using soap? Ben, bien sr, parce quelle ma vu faire quand elle Why, of course, because she saw me do it when she tait petite. Et donc, je pense que elle a d dire : was little. And so, I think that she must have said:
560
570
pourquoi vous dites : this is somewhat colloquial. The speaker could also have said Pourquoi dites-vous, or Pourquoi est-ce que vous dites. tenir quelque chose de quelquun = to get something from someone. Il tient ses yeux bleus de son pre. = He gets his blue eyes from his father. The speaker misspoke. She should have said se servir du savon.
42
Fluent French Audio
Ben, tiens !1 a marchait bien pour ma maman. "Well now ! That worked well for my mother. a doit bien aller pour moi, maintenant ! That must work well for me now !
Marianne et Marguerite.
SECTION 22 Est-ce que vous connaissez beaucoup de Do you know many femmes de votre entourage, des amies vous qui women close to you, friends of yours who utilisent le savon de Marseille ? use Marseilles soap? Oui, je pense que, moi, je connais beaucoup de Yes, I think that me, I know many femmes qui utilisent le savon de Marseille. women who use Marseilles soap.
590
580
Et puis on peut mme sen servir2 pour se laver, And then you can even use it to wash up, tout simplement. Cest un savon qui est trs pur. quite simply. It is a soap that is very pure.
1 2
Tiens ! = Well, now! From tenir (to hold.) se servir de quelque chose = to make use of something; to use something. sen servir = to use it, to make use of it. See another example of se servir de on page 35.
Mars - Avril 2004
Et vous savez pourquoi il dgraisse aussi bien ? And you know why it degreases so well?
600
Non, je [ne] sais pas. Je [ne] peux pas vous dire. No, I dont know. I am not able to tell you. Non, moi non plus. Mais je pense que cest un savon No, neither can I. But I think that it is a soap qui est merveilleux, parce quon peut se laver... mme that is wonderful, because you can wash even la figure, tout a, et jamais il ne nous fera du mal. your face, all that, and it will never harm you. Et mme aux bbs ?1 And even babies? Mme aux bbs. Pourquoi pas ? Even babies. Why not? Surtout aux bbs, parce que cest un savon qui est Babies above all, because it is a soap that is
610
620
pur. pure. Alors pour vous, cest vraiment fabuleux, So, for you, it is truly fabulous, ce savon de Marseille, pour la peau, tel point que this Marseilles soap, for the skin, to the point that
630
vous avez mme une, une anecdote concernant les you even have an, an anecdote concerning the bienfaits que le savon de Marseille peut avoir beneficial effects that Marseilles soap can have sur la peau. on the skin.
aux bbs : the aux comes from faire mal ... in the previous sentence. faire mal quelquun = to harm someone. Ce savon ne fera pas mal, mme aux bbs. = This soap wont do any harm, even to babies.
44
Fluent French Audio
640
Oui, effectivement, jai une amie qui a un enfant qui Yes, thats true, I have a friend who has a child who est allergique beaucoup de choses et is allergic to many things and elle ne peut le laver quau savon de Marseille. Parce que je she can only wash him with Marseilles soap. Because I pense que... cest le seul qui nest pas nocif et think that it is the only one that is not harmful and
650
qui ne lui apportera que du bienfait. will only bring him beneficial effects. Et cest son mdecin qui lavait conseill ? And it is her doctor who had advised it? Cest le mdecin qui lui a dit de le laver It is the doctor who told her to wash him
660
au savon de Marseille. Les dermatos,1 dailleurs, le... with Marseilles soap. Dermatologists, moreover... le recommandent assez. recommend it a lot. Il vaut mieux, quand on a... des petits bobos It is better, when you have little boo-boos aux pieds ou aux mains, se laver avec on your feet or on your hands, to wash with du savon de Marseille. Parce que cest un... je pense Marseilles soap. Because it is a I think un bienfait... a doit rgnrer un petit peu la peau et a benefit it must regenerate, to some extent, the skin and cest pas mal. its pretty good.
670
680
Alors vous dites quil est trs bon pour la peau, Well, you say that it is very good for the skin,
un dermato : short for un dermatologue.
Mars - Avril 2004
ce savon de Marseille, mais il est trs bon aussi pour this Marseilles soap, but it is very good also for les dents, puisque vous avez carrment1 votre dentiste the teeth, since you have in fact your dentist
690
qui vous a recommand de vous brosser avec,2 who has recommended to you to brush (your teeth) with (it) cest a ? it that right? Oui, le dentiste ma dit de... plutt qu[e d]acheter Yes, the dentist told me rather than to buy des... des produits pour les dents, ce serait aussi bien some some products for teeth, it would be just as well quon se lave avec du savon de Marseille, tout simplement. that I brush with Marseilles soap, quite simply. Enfin, c[e n]est peut-tre pas trs agrable au got. Well, it is perhaps not very pleasant to the taste. Donc, en fait, il vous a dit de vous brosser So, in fact, he told you to brush (your teeth)
700
710
avec du savon de Marseille ? with Marseilles soap? Oui, effectivement, du savon de Marseille Yes, thats right, Marseilles soap tout simplement. quite simply.
720
Et il a voqu quel... quel bienfait ? And he mentioned what what benefit? En plus pour les appareils dentaires, cest trs, In addition for dentures, it is very
carrment, literally, squarely. un carr = a square. See another example of carrment on page 65. avec at the end of a sentence. This is common in informal speech.
46
Fluent French Audio
trs bien, plutt que nimporte quel produit quon peut very good, rather than any product that they can vendre en... dans les boutiques, les pharmacies, etc. sell in in shops. pharmacies, etc. SECTION 23 Et vous avez montr, a, vous, vos enfants ? And you have shown that, you, to your children? Vous avez des enfants, Marianne, et vous avez montr You have children, Marianne and you have shown cette... cette tactique ? this this tactic? Oui, jai fait voir a ma fille1 qui, dailleurs Yes, I showed that to my daughter who, moreover samuse beaucoup, parce que je [ne] sais pas faire... rien laughs a lot, because I cannot do... nothing du tout, sans avoir le savon de Marseille la main. at all without having Marseilles soap in my hand.
750
730
740
Donc en fait, elle se moque de vous ? So, in fact, she laughs at you? Exactement ! Absolutely! Et vous, a vous fait rire aussi ? And you, that makes you laugh also?
760
Ben, bien sr, parce que ces jeunes, Why, of course, because these young people, ils [ne] veulent pas comprendre ! Et pourtant, they dont want to understand! And yet,
faire voir quelque chose quelquun = to show something to someone. Literally, to cause someone to see something.
Mars - Avril 2004
il [n]y a rien de plus sain ! Cest trs, trs bien, a ! there is nothing healthier! That is very, very good, that! Mais enfin, on sen moque.1 Nous, on le fait But well, we dont care about that. We do it et plus tard, elle fera comme nous ! and later she will do as we (do)! Alors, l, a fait un petit moment donc que So, now, it has been a little while then since vous avez fait le savon sec. L, vous avez mouill you have applied the dry soap. There, you have moistened
780
770
le savon. the soap. Oui, pour pouvoir le frotter un tout petit peu et Yes, in order to be able to rub it a very little bit and puis bien laver ma tache avec le savon, toujours mouill. then to wash thoroughly my stain with the soap, still wet.
790
Et la tache va partir au schage. And the stain will disappear when it dries. Donc, l vous tes en train de... frotter. So, now, you are in the process of rubbing. Je suis en train de frotter, de rincer mon tissu I'm in the process of rubbing, of rinsing my cloth sous leau. Voil. Et la tache va tre partie... Voil... under water. There. And the stain will be gone There Voil, vous voyez, il [n] y a plus de tache. There, you see, there is no more stain. Effectivement, il [n] y a plus de tache du tout. Thats true, there is no more stain at all.
800
se moquer de = 1) to make fun of, to laugh at, 2) to not care about.
48
Fluent French Audio
Voil. Exactement. Maintenant, on va laisser scher Thats it. Exactly. Now, we will let (it) dry
810
et le tissu sera tout propre. and the material will be all clean. C[e n]est pas un miracle, tout a, tout de mme !1 That wouldnt be a miracle by any chance, all the same ?!?! Cest vrai que cest assez impressionnant ! It is true that, it is rather impressive!
820
Cest parfait ! Prenez du savon de Marseille ! Its perfect! Use Marseilles soap! Mais du vrai ! Parce quil [en] existe plusieurs, But the genuine ! Because there are several of them, hein ! right? Oui, oui, oui, non, non ! Il faut prendre Yes, yes, yes, no, no! You have to get le vrai savon de Marseille. Dailleurs, si cest marqu the real Marseilles soap. Besides, if it is written savon pur ou savon de Marseille , cest celui-l qui "pure soap" or "Marseilles soap," thats the one that va le mieux. Le reste,2 il est trafiqu,3 c[e n]est pas bon ! works best. All the others are altered, they arent good!
830
840
Merci beaucoup Marianne ! Thank you very much, Marianne! Au revoir ! Good bye!
2 3
Ce nest pas un miracle ! : this is actually a rhetorical question meaning, You think that might be a miracle? le reste : the speaker means all the other soaps. trafiquer = 1) to deal in stolen or illegal merchandise. 2) (colloquial) to alter (a product); to use inferior ingredients in an attempt to defraud the buyer. 3) (colloquial) to do; to fiddle around. Quest-ce que tu trafiques ? = What are you doing?
Mars - Avril 2004
Merci Marguerite, au revoir ! Thank you Marguerite, good bye!

850
Au revoir ! Good bye!
50
Fluent French Audio
Mars - Avril 2004
Cigognes
51
SECTION 24 En France, les cigognes ont nouveau la mainmise1 In France, the storks have again control over sur lAlsace. Monsieur Clauss nous explique les efforts de son Alsace. Mister Clauss explains to us the efforts of his association afin de rimplanter ces oiseaux magiques dans la association to reintroduce these magical birds in the
10
rgion. region.
M. Clauss.
SECTION 25 Bonjour, Monsieur Clauss. Vous tes le Hello, Mister Clauss. You are the responsable de lassociation SOS cigognes. director of the SOS Storks Association. Oui, lassociation a pour but2 de rimplanter Yes, the association has as its goal to reintroduce la cigogne Steinbourg et environs, et puis de mettre des the stork in Steinbourg and the region and also to put nids dans dautres villages, dans dautres communes. nests in other villages, in other communities.
20
avoir la mainmise = to have control over something. la main = the hand. mise is the past participle of mettre (to put). un but = a goal; avoir pour but de faire quelque chose = to have as a goal to do something.
52
Fluent French Audio
Alors, au dpart, en 1974, il [n]y avait que neuf So, at the start, in 1974, there were only nine
30
couples encore en Alsace. Donc, il fallait aider la cigogne. pairs still in Alsace. So it was necessary to help the storks. Donc, l, on a lenclos. On reproduit des cigogneaux. So, here we have the enclosure. We breed young storks. Au dpart, on a mis les cigognes terre pendant trois At the start we kept the storks on the ground for three
40
annes, donc on a cass1 la migration. Et, donc, a veut dire2 years, so we interrupted the migration. And so, that means jusqu maturit sexuelle, on les a laisses en enclos ou, ou up to sexual maturity, we left them in an enclosure or, or mises sur un terrain avec une lanire laile quon we put them in a field with a strap on their wings that we a change tous les deux mois. Et, maintenant, on compte 26 changed every two months. And now, we count 26 villages autour de Steinbourg avec des cigognes. Et les villages around Steinbourg that have storks. And the jeunes partent librement. Et, cette anne, on a bagu3 120 young leave freely. And this year, we banded 120 cigogneaux Steinbourg et environs. Donc, cest young storks in the Steinbourg area. So, it is,
50
60
quand mme quelque chose de, de favorable. in any case, a good thing.
1 2 3
casser, literally, to break. vouloir dire = to mean. Literally, to want to say. baguer un oiseau = to band a bird; to tag a bird. une bague = a ring.
Mars - Avril 2004
Cigognes
53
SECTION 26 Donc, a veut dire quen Alsace on recense1 So that means that in Alsace you count combien de, de cigognes en ce moment ? how many storks at this time?
70
Alors, en Alsace, il y a maintenant peu prs 250 Well, in Alsace, there are now approximately 250 couples dans les villages. Donc, cest dj plus que avant pairs in the villages. So, it is already more than before la guerre. Donc cest assez, mais il y a de grands centres qui the war. So, it is enough, but there are important centers that
80
pensent autrement, qui cassent toujours la migration des believe otherwise, that are still stopping the migration of the cigognes. Et je crois quil faut arrter, parce quen Suisse storks. And I think that it is necessary to stop, because in Switzerland il ny a plus denclos et a marche trs bien. there are no more enclosures, and things are going very well. Et si on met trop de cigognes sur un terrain, il faut And if you put too many storks in a field, it is necessary donner manger, elles ne font plus leur travail normal, to give them food, they no longer do their normal work, parce que la cigogne, elle mange des insectes, des souris, because a stork, it eats insects, mice, des taupes, les mulots, des serpents, des lzards. Alors, moles, field mice, snakes, lizards. So,
90
100
si il y a trop de cigognes, elles nont plus rien manger. if there are too many storks, they no longer have anything to eat. Donc, il faudrait un peu... pas limiter, mais arrter de casser So we should somewhat. not limit, but stop interrupting
recenser = to take a census, to register.
54
Fluent French Audio
la migration. the migration.

110
SECTION 27 Alors, on dit que la cigogne, cest le symbole de Well, they say that the stork, it is the symbol of lAlsace. Comment la cigogne est devenue1 Alsace. How did the stork become lanimal emblmatique de la rgion ? the symbolic animal in this area?
120
Bon, depuis toute ma jeunesse, jai... pas ador OK, ever since my youth, I have not... adored la cigogne, mais je lai suivie. Ctait, ctait... mon animal. the stork, but I have followed it. It was, it was my animal. Bon, jai aim tous les oiseaux de par ma grand-mre, OK, I liked all birds because of my grandmother, elle ma appris la nature, les oiseaux. Et puis, ct de ma she taught me about nature, birds. And then, next to my maison, il y avait deux nids. Et puis mon pre ma fait une house there were two nests. And so my father made me a lucarne dans le toit, et, quand je pouvais crire, bon, skylight in the roof, and when I was able to write, well, jai marqu la venue des cigogneaux, des cigognes, pardon, I recorded the arrival of the young storks, of the storks, pardon me,
130
140
Et la ponte2, les accouplements, la naissance, and the laying of eggs, the mating, the birth, le dpart des cigognes. Donc, pour moi, ctait grandiose, the departure of the storks. So, for me, it was grandiose,
In proper French, one would say, Comment la cigogne est-elle devenue lanimal la ponte = the laying of eggs. pondre = to lay eggs.
Mars - Avril 2004
Cigognes
55
comme pour tout Alsacien. Cest pour a que cest devenu as (it was) for any Alsatian. That is why it became
150
lemblme de lAlsace. the symbol of Alsace. Depuis quand exactement la cigogne est1 Since when exactly is the stork lemblme de lAlsace ? Vous savez ? the symbol of Alsace? (Do) you know? Non, mais a, a vient srement de lAllemagne, No, but that, that comes certainly from Germany, parce que bon, lAlsace tait longtemps allemande, et because OK, Alsace was German for a long time and la cigogne tait dj bien protge l-bas, donc protge the stork was already well protected there, so, protected en Alsace. Et, depuis toujours, ctait lemblme de lAlsace. in Alsace. And always, it had been the symbol of Alsace.
160
170
SECTION 28 On dit que la cigogne est un porte-bonheur ;2 They say that the stork is a lucky charm; si jamais elle se pose sur votre toit, elle, if ever it alights on your roof, it elle porte bonheur aux habitants, cest a ? it brings luck to the dwellers, thats it?
180
Oui, cest a. Il y a aussi la lgende : donc Yes thats it. There is also the legend: okay,
In proper French, one would say, depuis quand la cigogne estelle lemblme un porte-bonheur = a lucky charm.
56
Fluent French Audio
la cigogne, est porte-bonheur. L o elle se met1 sur un toit, the stork is a lucky charm. Wherever it settles on a roof, il y a le bonheur dans la maison. Lclair2 ne rentre pas, there is happiness in the home. Lightning flashes dont enter,
190
la foudre3 ne rentre pas dans la maison. La cigogne reste lightning does not enter the house. The stork remains fidle, ce qui nest pas vrai. Donc ce sont des lgendes, quoi. faithful, which is not true. So those are legends, you know. Mais qui sont quand mme belles. But which are beautiful all the same. On dit que la cigogne est symbole de, de fidlit They say that the stork is a symbol of, of faithfulness et de fcondit ? and fecundity? Cest a aussi, mais on peut la comparer lhomme. Thats it also, but we can compare it to humans. La cigogne, depuis, donc, quon la bague... Mme ici, depuis Storks, since we have been banding them... Even here, since
200
210
78, jai pu constater
des divorces, des remariages, 78, I have been able to witness divorces, remarriages, des mnages trois, des cigognes qui ont un amant, mnages trois, storks that have a lover, une matresse. Encore lanne dernire, deux couples qui a mistress. Still last year, two couples that
220
se sont spars et qui sont ensemble depuis huit ans. Et separated and that had been together for eight years. And lanne dernire il y a eu divorce et, donc, il y avait eu last year, there was a divorce and so there had been
2 3
se mettre, literally, to put oneself. See some more examples on pages 62 and 66. un clair = a flash of lightning. la foudre = lightning.
Mars - Avril 2004
Cigognes
57
bagarre1 entre les deux couples, et puis le... la femelle a fight between the two couples, and then the the female est partie avec lautre mle. Et maintenant donc... son left with the other male. And now then. her ex-compagnon veut toujours aller avec son ex-compagne ex-companion still wants to go with his ex- (female) companion et puis... mais a ne marche pas, quoi. Donc and then but that does not work, you know. So il y a eu divorce, et puis voil. there was a divorce, and then, there we are.
240
230
SECTION 29 Alors, est-ce que vous pourriez rappeler quel Now, could you remind us what est le, le parcours de migration de la cigogne ? is the, the migration pattern of a stork? Quels sont ses dplacements ? What are its movements?
250
Donc, les cigognes de la Hollande, les cigognes dici, OK, storks from Holland, the storks from here, de lAllemagne de lOuest, les cigognes suisses from West Germany, the Swiss storks font la migration par la valle du Rhne, Montpellier, migrate through the Rhne Valley, Montpellier, lest de lEspagne, le dtroit de Gibraltar, le Maroc, Eastern Spain, the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco, la Mauritanie, le Mali, jusquau Niger. Tandis que les cigognes Mauritania, Mali, all the way to Niger. Whereas the storks
260
une bagarre = a fight, a brawl.
58
Fluent French Audio
de lex-DDR,1 la Roumanie, la Hongrie, la Russie, from the former East Germany, Romania, Hungary, Russia, tous ces pays de lEst, ces cigognes ont lautre couloir, all those Eastern countries, those storks have the other corridor,
270
le couloir est, par le Bosphore, la Turquie, et rentrent the Eastern corridor, via the Bosphorus, Turkey, and they enter de lautre ct en Afrique. on the other side into Africa. Alors, donc, la cigogne blanche, celle quil y a So, then, the white stork, the one that there is
280
ici, elle, elle part quand, exactement ? Par exemple, here, it, it leaves when, exactly? For example, on peut lobserver quand ici, et we can see it when, here, and quand est-ce quelle va se retrouver2 Gibraltar ? when is it going to be in Gibraltar? La cigogne part toujours aux alentours du 15 aot. The stork always leaves around the 15th of August. Et les cigogneaux partent avant les parents ; donc, And the young storks leave before the parents; so, ce ne sont pas les parents qui montrent le chemin it is not the parents who show the way aux jeunes. Les parents partent quinze jours aprs.3 to the young ones. The parents leave two weeks later.
290
300
DDR : (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) = German Democratic Republic (former Eastern Germany). se retrouver quelque part = to end up somewhere. Compare to se trouver quelque part (to be somewhere.) See page 69 for an example of se trouver. quinze jours : two weeks. Literally, fifteen days. Compare to huit jours (a week, literally, 8 days.) See page 86 for an example.
Mars - Avril 2004
Cigognes
59
Et elles mettent combien de temps1 pour aller And they take how long to go jusqu Gibraltar ? all the way to Gibraltar? Oui, donc, a dpend du temps, parce que la cigogne Yes, well, that depends on the weather, because a stork
310
plane. Et la cigogne cherche les thermiques et, sil ny a pas glides. And the stork seeks thermals and, if there are no de courants chauds, la cigogne se pose et reste trois, quatre warm currents, the stork lands and stays three or four jours, jusqu huit jours, et aprs elle repart. Donc, a peut days, up to eight days, and then it sets off again. So, that can durer quelques semaines jusqu Gibraltar. last a few weeks to get to Gibraltar. SECTION 30 Et une fois en Afrique, elle revient quand ici ? And once in Africa, it comes back when, here? Alors, en Afrique, elle migre aussi. Donc elle descend Well, in Africa, it migrates also. So it goes down du Maroc jusquau Niger et alors elle remigre2 vers le haut3 from Morocco all the way to Niger and then it re-migrates upwards et elle revient aux alentours dbut mars jusqu fin avril. and it comes back around early March to late April. Et alors, les couples... donc dbut mars, avril, les And so, the couples so, early March or April, the
320
330
mettre du temps faire quelque chose, = to spend time doing something. mettre = to put. The verb remigrer does not exist. The speaker could have said, elle migre de nouveau. vers le haut, literally, towards the top.
60
Fluent French Audio
couples se forment, il y a des fois le mle, des fois la femelle couples form, there is sometimes the male, sometimes the female
340
qui vient en premier. Et elles travaillent tout de suite au nid. who comes first. And they work right away on the nest. Et donc il y a tout de suite accouplement, aprs huit jours, And so mating occurs right away, after eight days ponte. Et lincubation dure trente-trois, trente-six jours. eggs are laid. And incubation lasts 33 to 36 days.
350
Aprs, il y a les petits qui naissent. Afterwards, there are the young who are born. Aussi, je veux dire, la cigogne pond Also, I mean, the stork lays eggs tous les deux jours et, tous les deux jours, il y a un jeune qui every two days and every two days there is a young one who nat. Alors la cigogne pond de quatre six ufs, et is born. So the stork lays from four to six eggs, and il ny a presque jamais six jeunes, parce que le cigogneau there are almost never six babies, because the young stork a1 75 grammes la naissance, luf a 100 grammes. Et le weighs 75 grams at birth, the egg weighs 100 grams. And the jeune pousse trs vite. Au bout de quinze jours, young one grows up very fast. At the end of two weeks,
360
370
il dpasse le kilo. Donc, six ufs, a veut dire a met

it weighs over a kilogram. So, six eggs, that means that takes douze quinze jours. Alors, le premier a plus quun kilo, et twelve to fifteen days. So the first weighs over a kilogram, and le dernier a 75 grammes. Donc le grand frre tue la petite the last weighs 75 grams. So, the big brother kills the little
In standard French, one would say, le cigogneau pse 75 grammes or le cigogneau fait 75 grammes.
Mars - Avril 2004

380
Cigognes
61
sur ou le petit frre : instinct de survie. sister or the little brother: survival instinct. SECTION 31 Et le voyage est parfois difficile pour ces And the voyage is sometimes difficult for those cigognes, enfin, elles peuvent dcder storks, I mean, they can die
390
au cours du voyage ? during the migration? Oui, il y a beaucoup de dcs. Donc avec les jeunes Yes, there are many deaths. So with the young cigogneaux, il y a de 2 5 % qui reviennent, donc cest peu. storks, there is from 2 to 5% who return, so thats not much. Parce que sur le voyage, donc, il y a beaucoup Because during the migration, then, there are many dlectrocutions, o les cigogneaux se posent sur electrocutions, where the young storks alight on des poteaux lectriques encore non neutraliss1 : alors, electrical poles that have not been (see note): so le cigogneau est sur la masse, sur linfrastructure2 et tient un the young stork is on (the grounded part of the infrastructure) and grabs a
400
410
fil de 20 000 ou 60 000 ou 400 000 volts, donc a fait boum, 20,000 or 60,000 or 400,000 volt wire, so it goes "boom,"
un poteau non neutralis : a pole that has not had plastic spikes placed on it to prevent storks from landing. See page 63 for a picture of un poteau neutralis. This term has nothing to do with grounding or insulation. la masse here refers to everything that is grounded: the pole and everything bolted to it. The wires are not part of la masse, they are insulated from ground. If the stork chick bites a bare wire while sitting on the nest (which is sitting on la masse) the electricity short circuits to ground via the chick.
62
Fluent French Audio
et puis il meurt. Ou alors les autoroutes qui passent des fois and then he dies. Or else, the highways which sometimes pass sur un lieu de gagnage,1 o les anctres cigognes through a feed patch where the stork ancestors
420
se mettaient pour manger, et les jeunes se mettent sur la used to stay to eat, and the young ones go onto the mme place, quoi. Donc il y a accident, quoi. same spot, you know. Therefore, there are accidents, you know. Parce quici les cigognes sont choyes2 par Because here the storks are pampered by les services de llectricit. Par exemple, the electric company. For example, les agents dlectricit surlvent les nids the electric company agents raise the nests pour viter que les cigognes [ne] se prennent3 dans les to prevent the storks from getting caught in the fils lectriques, [ne] soient lectrocutes, cest a ? electrical wires, from being electrocuted, is that right?
430
440
Cest a. Donc, au dpart, ctait un grand travail Thats right. So, at the start, it was a vast undertaking parce que, ici, quand jai commenc en 78 avec because, here, when I started in 78 with la rimplantation des cigognes, donc les premiers the resettlement of the storks, then the first
450
cigogneaux qui sont ns ont t lectrocuts ou sont morts stork chicks that were born were electrocuted or died
1 2 3
un gagnage = a field where birds forage for food. choyer : to give someone choice treatment. un choix = a choice. se prendre dans quelque chose = to get caught in something. Note that se prennent is a subjunctive form of se prendre. viter que is followed by the subjunctive.
Mars - Avril 2004
Cigognes
63
sur lautoroute. on the highway.
Un nid mme les cbles.
Une rehausse.
Un poteau neutralis.
SECTION 32 Alors, dans le temps, on tait mal vu1 Well, in those days, we were not well thought of parce que tout le monde tait un peu stress ; si on parlait because everybody was a little stressed; if you talked
460
de cigogne, on tait tout de suite un colo,2 about storks, you were immediately (considered to be) a tree hugger
un vert, donc on tait rejet. Et, moi, jai toujours dit que cest
a Green, so you were rejected. And me, I always said that it is
tre mal vu = to be poorly considered, to be poorly thought of. Literally, poorly seen. vu is the past participle of voir (to see). un colo : short for un cologiste.
64
Fluent French Audio
la meilleure marque, la meilleure carte de visite pour the best imprint, the best business card for
470
lectricit de Strasbourg, lectricit de France, Electricit de Strasbourg, Electricit de France, si ils font quelque chose. if they do something. Alors jai t entendu. Et, maintenant, on travaille Well, I was heard. And now, we work bien ensemble. Ils ont neutralis des poteaux lectriques,1 well together. They fixed spikes on the poles to prevent storks from landing et, en 1981, on avait le premier couple, Steinbourg, qui and in 1981, we had the first pair, in Steinbourg, that mettait son nid sur un poteau lectrique, 380 volts, mais was nesting on a 380-volt electrical pole; but cbl,2 donc aucun3 risque dlectrocution. Mais le poids with shielded wires, so no risk of electrocution. But the weight
480
490
du nid peut avoir4 jusqu 400, 500 kilos5 aprs des annes, of the nest can be up to 400, 500 kilos after a few years, donc a pse quand mme lourd. Et donc, aprs la quatrime so, that weighs a lot, all the same. And so, after the fourth anne, jai propos une rehausse6 et... qui a t accepte. year, I suggested a raised platform and which was accepted.
1 2
5 6
See picture on page 63. un cble lectrique = an insulated electric wire. In this case, if the stork sits on the grounded pole and bites the cable, there is no danger. See picture on page 63. aucun(e) = none, not any. See page 69 for another example of aucun and page 99 for an example of ne... aucun. The speaker could also have said Mais le nid peut faire jusqu 400, 500 kilos. (But the nest can weigh up to 400 or 500 kilos.) Ce cheval fait 500 kilos. = This horse weighs 500 kilos. 400 to 500 kilograms = 880 to 1,100 pounds. une rehausse : see picture on page 63.
Mars - Avril 2004

500
Cigognes
65
Maintenant, lectricit de Strasbourg a install neuf nids Now, Electrici de Strasbourg has installed nine nests dix-neuf nids en Alsace sur poteau lectrique. Donc, 19 nests in Alsace on electrical poles. So cest quelque chose de trs bien. it is a very good thing. Parce que le nid est tellement lourd, vous dites Because the nest is so heavy, you say jusqu 500 kilos, a peut casser les, up to 500 kilos, that can break the, les cbles lectriques, et, comme a, the electrical cables, and, that way, la cigogne slectrocute ? the stork is electrocuted?
510
520
Donc, le nid, aprs des annes parce que So, the nest, after a few years because la cigogne travaille chaque anne 30 40 centimtres de the stork works every year with 30 to 40 centimeters of branches quelle entasse, et alors a devient trs, trs lourd. branches that it piles up, and so it becomes very, very heavy.
530
Et alors donc, sur la rehausse, la rehausse nest pas faite And so then, with regard to the raised platform it is not designed pour 400 kilos. Donc, toutes les quelques annes,1 on enlve for 400 kilos. So, every few years, we remove des branches. Mais, si le nid est carrment mme les branches. But, if the nest is truly directly on the cbles, a pse sur le cble et a peut arracher le cble, donc cables, that weighs on the cable and that can tear down the cable, hence
540
In proper French, one would say, au bout de quelques annes (at the end of a few years; after a few years.)
66
Fluent French Audio
court circuit, lectrocution. Et puis, pour le client, short circuit, electrocution. And also, for the consumer, plus de courant. no more current. SECTION 33
550
Bon, on peut les rentendre l, enfin, Well, we can hear them again now, well, un tout petit peu? a very little bit? Oui, oui. Yes, yes. Comment vous faites, exactement? What do you do, exactly
560
[... ... ... ...] En fait, vous tentez de vous approcher delles1 In fact, you try to approach them et tout de suite, elles rpondent. and immediately, they respond. Donc, euhm... Quand je mapproche du nid, So uhm... When I get closer to the nest, la cigogne est sauvage. Alors... elle se met the stork is not tame. So... she puts herself en position offensive. Et puis, elle commence claqueter... into an offensive posture. And then, she starts to clack... bon, pour dire : Je suis le propritaire de ce nid ! well, to say, I am the owner of this nest!
580
570
se rapprocher de quelquun = to get closer to someone. vous vous rapprochez delles = you get closer to them. vous tentez de vous approcher delles = you try to get closer to them.
Mars - Avril 2004
Vols dobjets dart 6 7
SECTION 34 Le capitaine Marro travaille la Direction gnrale de Captain Marro works at the headquarters of la Gendarmerie nationale1 Paris. Il nous a parl de la lutte the Gendarmerie nationale in Paris. He spoke to us about the fight contre les vols et le recel des objets dart en France. against thefts and harboring of works of art in France.
Cpt. Marro.
SECTION 35
10
Si on regarde les statistiques, If we look at statistics, les chiffres les plus importants au niveau des vols the highest numbers as far as thefts constituent les rsidences principales, are made up of main residences des rsidences secondaires. Ensuite, vous avez les chteaux and second homes. Next, you have the manors
20
la gendarmerie nationale : in France, there is la police (the local police) and la gendarmerie (which is also a police force, but is a national force, is financed with federal funds, and is actually a branch of the military.)
68
Fluent French Audio
et les demeures de caractre et puis, en troisime, vous and residences of distinction and then in third place, you avez, donc, les lieux de culte. Et puis, on a dautres have, then, places of worship. And then, we have other phnomnes. On a vu un engouement, l, assez rcent phenomena. We have noted a keen interest, here, fairly recently
30
sur les chemines.1 Il y en a qui sintressent in fireplaces. There are some who are interested in des planchers, des boiseries, hein, qui peuvent galement floors, in woodwork, you know, that can also tre drobs. Et puis, enfin, vous avez les vols be stolen. And then, finally, you have thefts duvres dart qui sont dans des muses. Il y a des gens qui of works of art that are in museums. There are people who sont spcialiss aussi pour les vols dans les muses. are specialized also in thefts in museums. titre danecdote, on avait vu aussi lanne dernire As an anecdote, we have seen also last year un passionn de livres anciens qui avait trouv le moyen an enthusiast of ancient books who had found the means
40
50
de sintroduire2 dans le couvent du mont Sainte-Odile, l, of getting into the convent of Mont Ste Odile, there, par un passage quil avait pu dcouvrir, je crois, sur through a passageway that he had been able to find, I believe, on un site Internet ou, et puis sapproprier des livres anciens, an Internet site or and then to appropriate ancient books,
60
hein, plus de 200 ou 300 ouvrages qui avaient t drobs, you know, more than 200 or 300 volumes that had been stolen
1 2
une chemine : 1) a chimney, 2) a fireplace, 3) a mantelpiece. sintroduire dans... : to get into...
Mars - Avril 2004
et puis, aucune trace deffraction,1 rien du tout. Donc, les and then, not a single trace of forced entry, nothing at all. So, the enquteurs ont employ des moyens assez astucieux et investigators used rather clever means and ils ont pu remonter jusqu lauteur,2 le prendre they were able to go all the way back to the thief, to catch him en flagrant dlit3 au moment o il pntrait par in the act at the time when he was entering through un passage souterrain dans la bibliothque an underground passageway into the library o se trouvaient les livres anciens. where were located the ancient books.
80
70
SECTION 36 Nous avons trait, il y a deux ans, un dossier4 qui We handled, 2 years ago, a case that tait au dpart sur5 la Seine-Maritime, qui concernait des was, at the start in the Seine-Maritime dpartement, which concerned some vols dans les glises. Au mois daot, il tait vol un tableau thefts in churches. In the month of August, a painting was stolen
90
dans une petite glise. Ce tableau est rapparu6 un mois from a small church. This painting reappeared one month plus tard, sur une biennale des antiquaires assez prestigieuse later at a rather prestigious biennial festival of antique dealers
4 5
une effraction = an act of breaking in, a forced entry. Ils sont entrs par effraction. = They broke in. lauteur, literally, the author. lauteur du crime = the person who committed the crime. prendre quelquun en flagrant dlit = to catch someone in the act. un dlit = a crime; a misdemeanor. un dossier = a file, a dossier, a case. sur : can be used to mean, in the area of. sur Paris = in the Paris area; in and around Paris. rapparu : past participle of rapparatre = to reappear.
70
Fluent French Audio
sur Paris, transform en miroir. in Paris, turned into a mirror.

100
Heureusement, ce jour-l, parmi la clientle, Fortunately, that day, among the clientele, il y avait un... un descendant du donateur, qui a reconnu there was a a descendant of the donor, who recognized lencadrement du tableau. Nous sommes partis sur cet the frame of the painting. We set off after this antiquaire, qui tait un antiquaire de renom install... antique dealer, who was a well-known dealer established en Belgique. Et lenqute a t mene conjointement avec in Belgium. And the investigation was conducted jointly with les collgues belges et les collgues hollandais, our Belgian and Dutch colleagues, puisquil sest avr que les malfaiteurs taient des Belges since it turned out that the criminals were Belgian
110
120
et puis des Hollandais et que tout un trafic a t mis en place and also Dutch and that a whole racket was put in place qui consistait voler, sur la France, sur la Belgique, which consisted of stealing, in France, in Belgium, le Luxembourg, lAllemagne et autres, des objets du culte in Luxemburg, in Germany and elsewhere, objects of worship
130
et de les revendre par lintermdiaire and reselling them with the help dun antiquaire peu scrupuleux install dans of an unscrupulous antique dealer established in la rgion de Maastricht. the Maastricht area.
Mars - Avril 2004
SECTION 37
140
Le circuit classique, a peut aussi partir dun, The classic route, that can also start from a cambriolage tout simplement. On a une maison, burglary, quite simply. You have a house, on se fait cambrioler.1 O est-ce quon les retrouve, you get broken into. Where do you find them, ces objets, une fois vols? Est-ce que vous pouvez these objects, once they have been stolen? Can you nous expliquer un peu le... ce schma, explain to us a little the this outline, ce circuit classique du cambriolage au recel, this typical route from the burglary to the harboring tout simplement ? very simply?
150
160
On a plusieurs catgories, si vous voulez, de voleurs. We have several categories, if you will, of thieves. On a des voleurs qui travaillent au niveau local, We have thieves who work at the local level or au niveau rgional. on a regional level.
170
Et puis bien sr nous avons tous les grands And then of course we have all the major rseaux nationaux, voire2 internationaux, qui existent. national, even international networks that exist. Il faut savoir, aprs, que les objets circulent, ils circulent de You should know, next, that the objects circulate, they circulate from
se faire cambrioler = to get broken into; to be burglarized. cambrioler = to burglarize. voire = perhaps even. Not to be confused with voir (to see.) See another example on page 78.
72
Fluent French Audio
180
brocanteur en brocanteur, de brocanteur en antiquaire. one bric-a-brac dealer to another, from bric-a-brac dealer to antique dealer. Ensuite, vous avez sur la France comme ailleurs des grandes Next, you have in France, as elsewhere, important foires internationales, je citerai Montpellier, je citerai Lille, international trade fairs, I will mention Montpellier, I will mention Lille, je citerai Lyon, je citerai aussi le march des puces1 de I will mention Lyons, I will also mention the flea market of
190
Saint-Ouen, o, l, bien sr, la marchandise schangeant Saint-Ouen, where, of course, the goods changing hands bon, on [ne] va pas considrer, heureusement, loin de l, okay, we will not consider, fortunately, far from that, que les antiquaires et le brocanteur sont des receleurs, mais that antique dealers and bric-a-brac dealers are fences, but
200
le trafic des uvres dart consiste injecter dans the illegal trade of works of art consists of injecting into le trafic licite des objets de provenance frauduleuse. Et, the legal trade some items obtained fraudulently. And, un moment donn, on peut retrouver ces objets en France, at a given moment, one can find those items in France, bien sr, sur le march national, mais galement sur of course, on the national market, but also on le march international. Il suffit de voir2 tous ces vhicules, the international market. One needs only to see all these vehicles, lors de ces foires internationales, immatriculs3 during these international fairs, registered in
210
1 2
The expression is le march aux puces. il suffit de faire quelque chose = it suffices to do something, you need only to do something. immatriculer = to register. une plaque dimmatriculation = a license plate. The way that one knows that these cars are registered in other countries is by looking at the license plates.
Mars - Avril 2004
en Angleterre, immatriculs en Italie, en Allemagne in England registered in Italy, in Germany

220
et autres et qui viennent sapprovisionner and other places and who come to supply themselves dans le cadre dun march tout fait normal. within the framework of a perfectly normal market. SECTION 38 La France est un pays o la brocante, o les France is a country where bric-a-brac dealing, where the puces ou encore les antiquaires sont flea markets or even antique shops are extrmement dvelopps par rapport au reste de extremely developed compared to the rest of certains voisins, comme lItalie, lAllemagne ou some neighbors, such as Italy, Germany or encore, lAngleterre ? even England?
240
230
Nous avons, effectivement, en France, pas mal de We have, as you say, in France, a fair number of brocanteurs, dantiquaires. Bon, il faut savoir aussi que, bric-a-brac dealers and antique dealers. Okay, you should know also that, en France, nous sommes un pays o il existe une in France, we are a country where there exists a
250
rglementation qui nexiste pas dans dautres pays. Le recel, set of rules that does not exist in other countries. Fencing cest un dlit continu et [il] prend effet ds linstant que lon is a continuous offense and (it) takes effect from the moment that we retrouve lobjet de provenance frauduleuse. Alors que find an object of fraudulent origins. Whereas dautres pays, qui nont pas la mme lgislation, favorisent, other countries, that do not have the same laws, encourage,
260
74
Fluent French Audio
malheureusement, le... le trafic. unfortunately, the illegal dealing. En France, nous avons une lgislation, aussi, In France, we have laws also concernant lachat et la revente des objets : les brocanteurs concerning the purchase and resale of objects: bric-a-brac dealers
270
et les antiquaires sont soumis un registre de police sur and antique dealers are subject to a police register on lequel sont enregistrs, donc, la catgorie des objets dus ou which is recorded, then, the category of objects owed or des objets qui sont achets, la date, les rfrences de la objects that are bought, the date, the references of the
280
pice didentit et aussi la destination, le prix et la revente. ID and also the destination, the price and the resale. Bon, vous allez me dire, quand un brocanteur ou Okay, you are going to say to me, when a bric-a-brac dealer or un antiquaire achte une pice en dessous de sa valeur, an antique dealer buys a piece below its value, c[e n]est pas pour cela1 quil sera qualifi de receleur. that does not necessarily mean that he will be labeled a fence. Il faut savoir quun commerant, il souhaite You should know that a merchant, he wishes faire une bonne affaire. Je vous ai cit tout lheure, to get a good deal. I mentioned to you earlier, quand mme, lexemple de ce tableau. Ce tableau all the same, the example of that painting. That painting
290
300
a t vendu par les voleurs..., excusez-moi de parler was sold by the thieves, forgive me for speaking
ce nest pas pour cela que... = that doesnt necessarily mean that... Literally, it is not for that that...
Mars - Avril 2004
en francs, mais pour la somme de 15 000 francs. Mais in francs, but for the sum of 15,000 francs. But on saperoit que, un mois plus tard, prsent we find that one month later, presented
310
sous forme de tableau sur le march parisien, en retour, in the form of a painting on the Parisian market, in return, aprs avoir sjourn sur la Belgique, et sur Maastricht, after having stayed in Belgium and in Maastricht, aux Pays-Bas, [il] tait propos pour la somme de in the Netherlands, it was offered for the sum of 300 000 francs. L, on peut penser que lantiquaire qui 300,000 francs. Now, we can conclude that the antique dealer who le mettait en vente, lui, en aura ralis une trs, trs bonne was putting it up for sale, he will have made a very, very good affaire et ntait pas sans ignorer1 le montant de lobjet deal, and was not unaware of the worth of the object quil avait achet. Et donc, l, on peut qualifier that he had bought. So then, in this case, we can label
320
330
ce marchand de receleur. this merchant as a fence. SECTION 39 Est-ce que, justement, ce nombre de trafics Is it that, in fact, this number of illegal trades dobjets dart est d aussi un flou juridique of works of art is due also to a grey area in the law
340
au sein de2 lEurope, finalement ? Est-ce que, within Europe, in the end? Is it that,
It would have been better to say, il ntait pas sans savoir le montant de lobjet au sein de = within; in the midst of. le sein = the bosom, the breast.
76
Fluent French Audio
justement, en Europe, nos voisins europens ont, in fact, in Europe, our European neighbors have, peu prs, cette mme rigueur sur le plan lgal ? roughly, this same rigor in the area of the law?
350
Non. On est un des rares pays en Europe avoir No. We are one of the few countries in Europe to have une lgislation efficace pour lutter, justement, contre laws that are effective in fighting, precisely against ce trafic. Je prends lexemple, malheureusement encore, de this traffic. Ill take the example, unfortunately, again, of la Belgique, qui, elle, bon, a une lgislation beaucoup plus Belgium, which, well, has laws (that are) much more souple en matire de prescription1 de recel et qui favorise flexible in the area of rights to stolen goods which encourages malheureusement le trafic. Et nombre dobjets drobs unfortunately the illegal trade. And many objects stolen en France se retrouvent ensuite, aprs, sur le march belge in France are found subsequently, afterwards, on the Belgian market
360
370
ou sur le march hollandais. Pourquoi ? Parce que or on the Dutch market. Why? Because la lgislation le favorise. the legislation encourages it. SECTION 40 Les plaignants, eux, les personnes qui The plaintiffs, they, the persons who
380
malheureusement ont t victimes de ces vols, unfortunately have been victims of these thefts,
la prescription = 1) the prescription, 2) the directions, the instructions, 3) regulations concerning the definition of ownership.
Mars - Avril 2004
est-ce que, pour elles, la recherche de leurs biens est is it that, for them, the search for their goods is longue et est-ce que cest vraiment un passage difficile long and is it really a difficult experience
390
au vu des1 diffrentes embches, puisque jimagine considering the various obstacles, since I imagine que le bien doit disparatre, doit parfois tre modifi ? that the object must disappear, must sometimes be altered? Il faut savoir que la police, comme la gendarmerie, You should know that the police, like the gendarmerie, retrouve assez frquemment des objets. Or,2 recover objects fairly frequently. But malheureusement, les victimes ne sont pas toujours unfortunately, the victims are not always en possession de photos reprsentant in possession of photos representing, dune manire assez significative lobjet. On nous fournit in a sufficiently significant manner, the object. They provide us
400
410
des fois des photos de famille o on voit la grand-mre, o sometimes with family photos where we see the grandmother, where on voit la communion et autres, et o on voit simplement we see the first communion and other things, and where we see only une partie de lobjet. Faire figurer 3 a dans une base, a part of the object. To include that in a database,
420
malheureusement, cest une chose pratiquement impossible unfortunately. it is a practically impossible task
2 3
au vu des..., = considering... Literally, at the sight of the... le vu = the sight. voir = to see. Or = Whereas; But; Now. faire figurer quelque chose = to make something show up, to make something appear. figurer = to appear, to represent.
78
Fluent French Audio
au niveau de la recherche aprs, et de lexploitation. with respect to the search afterwards and the use (of the photo). Ensuite, nous, police et gendarmerie, on sefforce, Next, we, the police and gendarmerie, we try, lorsque lon dcouvre des objets, de constituer des when we discover objects, to create some sites Internet o on inclut donc... les objets Internet sites where we include, then the objects qui sont dcouverts. that are discovered. Bon, un meuble, cest peut-tre trs difficile Okay, a piece of furniture, is perhaps very difficult
440
430
identifier, parce quils ont t tirs en, en plusieurs to identify, because it has been reproduced in, in many dizaines, voire peut-tre centaines dexemplaires. Vous avez tens, even perhaps hundreds of copies. You have aussi des objets qui se ressemblent. also objects that look like each other.
450
Et tout repose sur la qualit de limage. And everything depends on the quality of the picture. Bon, il y a certains objets, notamment les tableaux, Okay, there are some objects, for example some paintings, o on arrive assez facilement en retrouver.1 Pourquoi ? where we manage fairly easily to find them. Why? Parce que a reprsente des personnages, a reprsente des Because they portray people, they portray animaux. Et cest vrai que cest plus facile rechercher dans animals And it is true that it is easier to search in
460
Note that the here is part of arriver ... (to succeed in...). on arrive assez facilement en retrouver, from, on (we) + arriver (to manage to, to succeed in) + assez (fairly, rather) + facilement (easily) + en retrouver (to re-find some of them).
Mars - Avril 2004
une base reposant sur... sur ces critres. a database relying on... on those criteria.
80
Fluent French Audio
Mars - Avril 2004
Les frres Lumire 8 1
SECTION 41 Vous tes-vous dj imagin la sortie des Have you ever pictured the release of tout premiers films au cinma ? Cest cette premire the very first films in the cinema? It is that first exprience fantastique que nous raconte Monsieur Calzettoni fantastic experience that Mister Calzettoni recounts
10
au muse de linstitut Lumire de Lyon. at the museum of the Lumire Institute in Lyons.
M. Calzettoni.
SECTION 42 Alors, lInstitut Lumire, donc, on est l au Well, the Lumire Institute, so, we are here at the cur de linvention du cinmatographe1 en France. heart of the invention of the movie camera in France. On va resituer le contexte : dabord, qui sont We are going to give the backdrop: first, who are
20
les frres Lumire, de, de quel milieu, the Lumire brothers, from, from what background, de quelle culture, ici Lyon ? from what social background, here in Lyons?
le cinmatographe = the cinematograph; a "movie projector."
82
Fluent French Audio
Alors, les frres Lumire, Louis et Auguste Lumire, Well, the Lumire brothers, Louis and Auguste Lumire, taient des Lyonnais qui ne sont pas des Lyonnais dorigine. were Lyons inhabitants, who are not originally from Lyons. Ils sont venus vivre Lyon avec leur pre, Antoine Lumire, They came to live in Lyons with their father, Antoine Lumire, en 1870. Antoine Lumire vivait Besanon.1 Ils sinstallent2 in 1870. Antoine Lumire lived in Besanon. They settle vers le quartier de la place Bellecour. Et Antoine Lumire est near the neighborhood of Place Bellecour. And Antoine Lumire is
40
30
un portraitiste : cest une poque, en 1870, o on ne fait pas a portrait photographer: it is a period, in 1870, when one doesnt do de la photographie soi-mme, avec des appareils photo3 photography oneself, with cameras quon achte. On va chez le portraitiste pour that one buys. One goes to the photographers studio
50
se faire faire4 un portrait en photographie. Ctait trs to have a photographic portrait done. It was very much la mode lpoque et ctait le mtier dAntoine Lumire. in fashion at the time and it was the trade of Antoine Lumire. Donc ils viennent sinstaller Lyon, et Antoine Lumire So, they come settle in Lyons, and Antoine Lumire ouvre un atelier de portraitiste, et Louis et Auguste vont opens a portrait studio and Louis and Auguste are going
60
2 3
Besanon ; A city of the Eastern part of France bordering the Jura mountains. The family was fleeing the Prussian army during the Franco-Prussian war (1870-1871). sinstaller = to settle, to move in. un appareil photo : short for un appareil photographique = a camera. Literally a photographic apparatus. Beware of the false friend une camra (a video camera or a movie camera.) See page 91 for an example of une camra. se faire faire quelque chose = to have something done for oneself.
Mars - Avril 2004
grandir dans Lyon partir de ce moment-l. to grow up in Lyons from that point on. SECTION 43 Alors, les frres Lumire sont surtout connus Well, the Lumire brothers are mostly known pour avoir invent le cinmatographe, qui va donner for having invented the cinematograph, which will give birth to les projections de cinma. Mais, par contre, ils nont pas moving picture projections. But on the other hand, they did not travaill que1 sur la photographie. Cest--dire que ctaient work only on photography. That is to say that they were effectivement, comme on dit, des inventeurs. Alors, leurs indeed, as we say, inventors. So, their
80
70
spcialits, ctait la photographie, ctaient la chimie, specialties were photography, chemistry, loptique, la physique, mais ils vont toucher 2 tout. optics, physics, but they will get into everything Et on doit Louis et Auguste Lumire des inventions And we owe to Louis and Auguste Lumire some inventions
90
dont on se sert3 tous les jours sans savoir que cest eux which we use every day without knowing that it is they qui les ont faites pour la premire fois. who made them for the first time. Cest--dire ? Meaning?
2 3
ne... pas... que = not only. Compare to ne... que = only. Ils nont pas travaill que sur la photographie. = They didnt work only on photography. Compare to Ils nont travaill que sur la photographie. = They only worked on photography. toucher = to get into, to try. toucher = to touch. se servir de quelque chose = to make use of something.
84
Fluent French Audio
100
Alors, par exemple, Auguste Lumire a invent Well, for example, Auguste Lumire invented le tulle gras, qui est un produit quon achte en pharmacie the petrolatum pack, which is a product that you buy at the pharmacy et qui sert calmer les brlures. Cest un and which is used to soothe burns. It is a produit pharmaceutique qui porte encore aujourdhui le nom pharmaceutical product which bears, still today, the name
110
de tulle gras Lumire . Louis inventera of Lumire petrolatum pack. Louis will invent la membrane acoustique, qui est ce quon a aujourdhui sur the acoustic diaphragm, which is what we have today on les enceintes1 des haut-parleurs de chane hi-fi. Cette the speakers of hi-fi audio systems. This
120
membrane qui vibre et qui nous donne des sons de basse. diaphragm, which vibrates and which gives us bass sounds. Cest Louis Lumire qui la invente aussi. Donc, voil, It was Louis Lumire who invented it also. So, there you have plusieurs choses parmi les plus connues qui sont several among the best-known things that are en dehors de la photographie. outside of (the field of) photography. SECTION 44 Et donc la premire fois que lon a t And so, the first time that people went
130
une enceinte = an enclosure (for a loudspeaker). un haut-parleur = a loudspeaker.
Mars - Avril 2004
au cinma, quest-ce quon y a vu ?1 to the movies, what did they see? Alors, la premire fois quon va au cinma, cest Well, the first time they go to the movies, it is in Paris, donc, le 28 dcembre 1895. Et cest la premire fois Paris, then, on December 28, 1895. And it is the first time quon paye pour voir des films projets sur un cran. that they pay to see films projected on a screen. Cest--dire exactement comme on va au cinma That is to say exactly like we go to the movies
150
140
aujourdhui. today. Alors il y a eu une projection en Allemagne par So there was a screening in Germany by les frres Skladanowsky, au mois daot2 de cette mme the Skladanowsky brothers, in the month of August of this same
160
anne, mais a [n]a pas march.3 Cest--dire que year, but that did not work out. That is to say that le procd a dplu4 aux spectateurs, et la salle a ferm the spectators did not like process, and the theater closed
quest-ce quon y a vu = what did they see there. From, que (what) + est (is) + ce (it) + que (that) + on (they) + y (there) + a (have) + vu (seen). The Lumire brothers take credit as having the first working movie process because they received their patent in February 1895. They gave many private screenings and shot many films, but didnt have a public showing until 10 months later, in December. marcher = 1) to walk; 2) [in the case of machines] to work; 3) to work out. See other examples of this use of marcher on pages 36 and 53. dplu : past participle of dplaire. dplaire qqn (to be disliked by someone.) Ce livre ma dplu. = I disliked this book, I did not like this book. Compare to plaire quelquun = to please someone; to be liked by someone.
86
Fluent French Audio
au bout de huit jours.1 Donc a ne marchait pas. at the end of a week. So it was unsuccessful. Alors, la premire, on va dire, So, the first, we would say, sance publique payante russie qui fonctionne successful paying public screening that operates est celle du 28 dcembre Paris, faite par les frres Lumire. is that of December 28 in Paris, done by the Lumire brothers. Alors, pour cette sance que personne ne connaissait, Well, for that screening that nobody no one was familiar with,
180
170
puisque jamais personne navait vu de cinma, Antoine since nobody had ever seen moving pictures, Antoine Lumire, qui tait le pre de Louis et Auguste Lumire, Lumire, who was the father of Louis and Auguste Lumire, trs fier de linvention de son fils,2 est mont Paris avec des very proud of the invention of his son, went up to Paris with
190
cartons-programmes quil a distribus aux gens qui passaient program cards that he distributed to the people who were passing dans la rue. Et le soir, 19 heures, 33 spectateurs on the street. And in the evening, at 7:00 p.m., 33 spectators sont venus, 33 curieux qui ont accept de payer un franc came, 33 onlookers who agreed to pay one franc
huit jours : a week. Literally, eight days. Compare to quinze jours (two weeks, literally, 15 days.) See page 58 for an example. It was actually Louis who developed the machine. The brothers cosigned all of their inventions because of an oath they made when they were boys: they had been developing film in a cave near the seashore and were trapped inside by the incoming tide. They promised to each other that, if they survived, they would always work together. The familys wealth came from Louiss 1880 invention of a new photographic process. Louiss father, Antoine, bought land on the outskirts of Lyon to produce the new breed of photographic plates and quickly made a fortune for the family. By the time of the invention of the cinematograph, the family had franchisees all over the world. This made it easy to capitalize on the invention of the cinematograph.
Mars - Avril 2004
200
lpoque pour entrer dans la salle. Et l, ils ont vu, at the time to enter into the theater. And there, they saw, ils ont t sans le savoir les tout premiers spectateurs they were without knowing it the very first spectators de lhistoire du cinma, puisque ces 33 spectateurs ont vu in the history of the cinema, since those 33 spectators saw dix films qui avaient t tourns pendant le printemps et lt ten films which had been shot during the spring and summer
210
1895, cest--dire les deux saisons qui avaient prcd cette of 1895, that is to say the two seasons that had preceded that sance, des films tourns Lyon, des films tourns dans screening, films shot in Lyons, films shot in le sud de la France. Alors, par exemple, il y avait the south of France. Well, for example, there was
220
La Sortie des usines Lumire , qui est le tout premier film "Quitting Time at the Lumire Factory, which is the very first film fait par Louis Lumire Lyon. Mais il y avait aussi made by Louis Lumire in Lyons. But there was also LArroseur arros , qui est un film qui a t fait en t "The Sprayed Sprayer," which is a film that was made in the summer en 1895 La Ciotat. Il ny avait pas, par contre, cette of 1895 in La Ciotat. On the other hand, there was not, at that premire sance, un film qui deviendra clbre et qui first screening, a film that will become famous and that sappelle Le Train entrant en gare de La Ciotat , qui is named "The Train Entering the Station at La Ciotat, which effrayait les premiers spectateurs par leffet de ralisme frightened the first spectators by the realism effect
230
240
quil provoquait. Et, du coup, il sera projet plus tard, mais that it produced. And as a result, it will be shown later, but
88
Fluent French Audio
il va rester clbre. it will remain famous. Alors, cette premire sance, on a vu dix films. Well, at that first showing they saw ten films.
250
a a dur une demi-heure. Et les spectateurs qui sont sortis That lasted one half hour. And the spectators who came out de l sont sortis tellement merveills, quils en ont parl of there came out so filled with wonder that they talked about it autour deux. Ds quon sortait dans la rue, around them. As soon as they went out into the street, on en parlait, puis on en a parl dans la presse. a a t1 they talked about it, then it was discussed in the press. That went trs, trs vite... Puisque, le dimanche daprs, cest--dire very, very quickly Since the following Sunday, that is to say sept jours plus tard, il y avait 2 000 personnes qui seven days later, there were 2,000 people who attendaient louverture du Grand Caf. Donc a a t trs, were waiting for the opening of the Grand Caf. So, that went very,
260
270
trs vite... il y a eu un bouche oreille norme2 quand very quicklythere was an enormous word of mouth when les spectateurs ont dcouvert ces images. the spectators discovered these images. SECTION 45 On va parler un petit peu de We will talk a little bit about
280
a a t = In conversational French, the pass compos of tre (to be) is often used instead of aller (to go) to render the idea of something happening quickly or slowly. Strangely, in the present tense, it is natural to say "a va vite", but in the past, the French usually say a a t vite (that went quickly) or a a t lent (that went slowly.) le bouche loreille : word of mouth. une bouche = a mouth. une oreille = an ear.
Mars - Avril 2004
ces tout premiers films. Le tout premier, those very first films. The very first, La Sortie des usines Lumire , je crois "Quitting Time at the Lumire Factory," I believe quil y en a eu plusieurs versions, et le premier that there were several versions of it, and the first
290
ntait peut-tre pas le premier, dailleurs, hein ? was perhaps not the first, besides, right? Alors, on connaissait Well, we knew La Sortie des usines Lumire parce que "Leaving the Lumire factory because le carton-programme de cette premire sance, distribu par the program card of that first screening, distributed by Antoine Lumire, portait comme titre, en premier film Antoine Lumire, bore as a title, as the first film projet, La Sortie des usines Lumire . shown, Leaving the Lumire factory. Donc on avait une copie qui a circul dans toutes les So we had a copy that circulated in all the
300
310
cinmathques comme tant le premier film. film libraries as being the first film Mais, il y avait un article de presse lpoque qui But there was an article in the press at the time that mentionnait, pour les sances du Grand Caf, cest--dire mentioned for the screenings at the Grand Caf, that is to say
320
celles qui ont commenc le 28 dcembre, qui mentionnait those that started on December 28, that mentioned une voiture tire par deux chevaux et que lon apercevait a carriage drawn by two horses that could be seen
90
Fluent French Audio
dans ce film. Et le film qui circulait, cette in this film. And the film that circulated, this Sortie des usines Lumire , na pas cette, cette voiture Quitting Time at the Lumire Factory, does not have that, that carriage tire par deux chevaux. drawn by two horses. Et il y a dix ans, on a retrouv, un homme a retrouv And ten years ago, they found, a man found dans sa malle, dans son grenier, par hasard, un film qui tait in his trunk, in his attic, by chance, a film that was
340
330
enferm dans une bote crite Lumire, socit, compagnie closed up in a box marked Lumire company, de film, Lyon, etc. Donc il la ramen ici lInstitut Lumire, of films, Lyon, etc. So he brought it here to the Lumire Institute; on a ouvert la bote et on a failli svanouir, puisquil avait we opened the box and we almost fainted, because he had
350
dcouvert, sans le vouloir,1 un film qui sappelait discovered, unknowingly, a film that was called La Sortie des usines Lumire , sur lequel on apercevait Leaving the Lumire Factory in which one could see une voiture tire par deux chevaux, effectivement, qui tait, a carriage drawn by two horses, indeed, that was lpoque, la voiture qui raccompagnait2 le contrematre at the time, the carriage that transported the foreman des usines Lumire. Puisque le contrematre, lui, of the Lumire factory. Since the foreman, he,
360
sans le vouloir = unintentionally, without knowing it. Literally, without wanting it. raccompagner : from accompagner = to accompany. In this case, the literal meaning is to accompany back. Il le raccompagne la maison. = He accompanies him back home; He takes him back home.
Mars - Avril 2004
avait la... cette chance1 davoir la voiture taxi offerte2 par was so lucky as to have a taxi provided by les usines Lumire, par la famille Lumire, qui the Lumire factory, by the Lumire family, that
370
le raccompagnait chez lui. took him back home. SECTION 46 Et il y a aussi donc LArroseur arros , And there is also then "The Sprayed Sprayer," qui est un film intressant parce quon est dj, which is an interesting film because we are already,
380
dans tous ces premiers films, in all these earliest films, non pas simplement dans la captation de la ralit, not just in the realm of capturing reality, mais il y a un scnario, cest un film comique. but there is a screenplay, it is a comic film.
390
Alors, effectivement, ds lt 1895, Well, indeed, as early as the summer of 1895, Louis Lumire part dans le Midi3 de la France dans sa Louis Lumire leaves for the south of France to his rsidence de La Ciotat, avec son frre, sa famille, residence in La Ciotat, with his brother, his family, et il a lide de filmer avec sa camra. Alors, il filme, and he gets the idea to film (scenes) with his movie camera. So, he films,
400
avoir la chance de : to be lucky enough to; to have the opportunity to. offrir = to offer; to give (without expecting payment.) votre premier numro offert = your first issue free. Je te loffre. = Ill pay for it.; Ill give it to you. Compare to Je tinvite ! = Im buying!; My treat! Le Midi : the south of France.
92
Fluent French Audio
cest cet t-l quil filme Le Train entrant en gare de it is during that summer that he films "Arrival of a Train at the Station in La Ciotat , qui a lair dtre1 un documentaire. On est sur La Ciotat, which appears to be a documentary. We are on le quai de la gare, on voit des passagers qui vont prendre the platform at the station, we see passengers who are going to take
410
le train. Mais quand on regarde bien le film, on saperoit the train. But when we look closely at the film, we notice que, parmi les passagers, il y a quatre ou cinq personnes de that, among the passengers, there are 4 or 5 persons from la famille Lumire. Donc ils taient l pour le film, the Lumire family. So, they were there for the film,
420
donc ctait dj de la mise en scne. so it was already staged for the screen. Et larroseur arros, cest le jardinier de And the sprayed sprayer, it is the gardener of Louis Lumire, son jardinier, et le neveu du jardinier qui Louis Lumire, his gardener, and the gardeners nephew who acceptent de tourner la comdie , on va dire agree to "act out the comedy," shall we say entre guillemets, devant la camra Lumire, parce que Louis in quotes, before the Lumire camera, because Louis Lumire a t lui-mme le tmoin dune blague que douard Lumire was personally the witness of a trick that douard Lumire, son jeune frre parce qu cette poque-l Lumire, his younger brother, because in those days
430
440
avoir lair dtre = to have the air of being; to appear to be.
Mars - Avril 2004
il a un tout jeune frre cadet1 qui a sept, huit ans peu prs, he has a very young brother who is seven or eight years old, roughly, et qui a fait cette blague, lui, au jardinier. Et donc, en voyant and who played that trick on the gardener. And so, seeing a, en tant tmoin de cette blague, il a lide de la mettre that, being a witness to that trick, he gets the idea to put it
450
en film. Donc, cest du scnario. Donc, cest videmment on film. So, this is a script. So, it is of course le premier gag , on dit, hein, puisque cest la premire the first "gag," they say, you know, since it is the first fois quon a ri devant une toile au cinma, et cest time that people have laughed before a screen at the movies, and it is une mise en scne reconstitue partir dune ide de rel a staging reconstructed from an idea of reality puisquil a t tmoin de a. Il [ne] la pas invent. since he witnessed that. He did not invent it. Mais, cest une vraie mise en scne. Donc, ds le dpart, But it is a true stage production. So, from the start, on a cette ide-l, dans le cinma, de mettre en scne. they have this idea, in the cinema, of staging.
460
470
SECTION 47 Et LEntre du train en gare de La Ciotat ,2 And "The Arrival of a Train at the Station in La Ciotat", donc, a vritablement effray les spectateurs, qui then, has truly frightened the spectators, who
un tout jeune frre cadet, literally, a very young youngest brother. tout jeune = very young. un frre cadet = a youngest brother. cadet as an adjective means younger, but le cadet = the youngest. Elle a trois frres cadets. = She has 3 younger brothers. The original title of this film was LEntre dun train en gare. It is now known by two names, Le Train entrant en gare de La Ciotat and LEntre du train en gare de La Ciotat.
94
Fluent French Audio
ont vu le train arriver sur eux ? C[e n]est pas, saw the train coming at them? It is not,
480
c[e n]est pas une lgende, a sest vraiment pass it is not a legend, it really happened comme a lpoque ? like that at the time? Alors, on a exagr la ralit, bien sr, puisque Well, they exaggerated the reality, of course, since
490
on entend dire : Les gens senfuyaient en voyant le train we hear it said: "The people fled upon seeing the train entrer en gare de La Ciotat , etc. Alors, non, bien sr. enter the station in La Ciotat," etc. Well, no, of course. Par contre, il y avait un effet de ralit, effectivement, On the other hand, there was a reality effect, thats true, un effet de ralisme, qui venait tout simplement de a realism effect, which came quite simply from quelque chose dont on nest absolument plus capable de something of which we are absolutely no longer able se rendre compte aujourdhui, puisque, quel que soit notre to realize today, since, whatever our ge,1 on a tous vcu avec ces images aussi bien par la tl age, we have all lived with these images both through television
500
510
que2 par le cinma. Mais un effet physique sur lil humain and through the cinema. But a physical effect on the human eye, qui narrivait pas comprendre que ctait which was not able to understand that it was
quel que soit notre ge , literally, whatever (may) be our age. soit is an subjunctive form of tre (to be). See page 33 for another example of quel que soit. aussi bien.que = 1) as well... as... 2) both. and. See page 36 for another example.
Mars - Avril 2004
de la deux dimensions . Et que ctait donc quelque chose two-dimensional. And that it was thus something
520
qui [ne] pouvait pas tre la ralit. Et certaines that could not be reality. And some personnes sensibles, effectivement, se reculaient sur leur sensitive people, indeed, recoiled in their sige, avaient un effet de stupeur, un petit peu, en voyant la seats, were somewhat astonished as they saw the machine entrer, parce que, pendant une fraction de seconde, machine arrive because during a fraction of a second, ils avaient limpression quelle entrait dans la salle, que they had the impression that it was entering the theater, that ctait de la ralit. Alors, par contre, on a lhabitude de it was real. Well, on the other hand, we have the habit of parler de ce film comme ayant effray les premiers talking of this film as having frightened the first
530
540
spectateurs. Par contre, ce qui est authentique, cest que, spectators. On the other hand, what is true is that, pour certaines sances, et notamment quand il y avait for some screenings, and particularly when there were des personnages humains sur les films, comme human characters in the films, like
550
LArroseur arros , par exemple, certains The Sprayed Sprayer, for example, some spectateurs incrdules demandaient passer derrire lcran unbelieving spectators asked to pass behind the screen pour avoir la preuve que tout a ntait pas des vrais acteurs to have the proof that all that was not real actors qui jouaient derrire une toile et que tout a ntait pas... who played behind a screen and that all that was not
560
96
Fluent French Audio
Donc, ctait extrmement... L, il faut bien So, it was extremely In this case, one really needs se rendre compte que lil humain avait normment de to realize that the human eye had a great deal of difficults accepter cette ide de, de bidimensionnalit sur difficulty accepting the idea of, of two-dimensionality on
570
ces premires images animes. Alors, peut-tre pas des gens those first animated pictures. So, perhaps not people qui seffrayaient ou qui svanouissaient, comme who became frightened or who fainted, as on a pu vouloir le dire,1 mais une incrdulit, some may have tried to say, but disbelief,
580
a, cest certain. that is for certain. SECTION 48 Est-ce quon sait, l-dessus, si ils ont eu des Do we know, on that subject, whether they had any regrets ? Quand on voit le dveloppement du cinma regrets? When we see the development of the cinema
590
de fiction ou de divertissement, au dbut du XXe sicle, of fiction, of entertainment, at the beginning of the 20th century, est-ce que ils ont eu des regrets, ou comme vous did they have any regrets, or as you le dites, ce sont des chercheurs, ils sont partis sur say, they are researchers, they turned to dautres choses, ils avaient dautres ides en tte ? other things, they had other ideas in mind?
600
comme on a pu vouloir le dire, from, comme (as) + on (people) + a pu (have been able) + vouloir (to want) + le dire (to say it.)
Mars - Avril 2004
Voil, cest exactement a. Cest--dire que There you have it, thats it exactly... That is to say that ils ont pass leurs vies la recherche, et le cinma pour eux they spent their lives on research, and cinema for them na jamais t un regret du genre : Ah, si on avait su que was never a regret of the type: "Ah, if we had known that
610
a deviendrait... , etc. Pas du tout parce que it would become", etc. Not at all, because c[e n]tait pas..., dabord, absolument pas dans la mentalit it was not, in the first place, absolutely not within the mentality dAuguste, qui, lui, va devenir un chirurgien, un mdecin, va of Auguste, who himself will become a surgeon, a physician, is going
620
se lancer dans la mdecine. Donc, lui, quand bien mme to go into medicine. So, he, even if le cinma aurait exist, il [n]en aurait pas fait. Quant Louis cinema had existed, he would not have made any films. As for Louis Lumire, lui, ctait la photographie dabord, hein. Lumire, for him, it was photography first, you know. Dailleurs, le cinma, et linvention Besides, the cinema and the invention du cinmatographe, ne sera que quelques semaines dans of the cinematograph will represent only a few weeks in sa vie de chercheur, qui va durer des annes et des annes. his life as a researcher, which will last for years and years. Puisque la premire fois, on va dire, que on parle du Since the first time, we shall say, that they speak of
630
640
cinma dans la famille Lumire, cest en aot 1894. cinema in the Lumire family, it is in August, 1894. Personne ny pense avant. Puisque cest Auguste Lumire qui Nobody thinks about it before. Since it is Auguste Lumire who
98
Fluent French Audio
voit le Kintoscope de Thomas Edison Lyon sees Thomas Edisons Kinetoscope in Lyons
650
et qui ramne lide du cinma cest--dire, and brings back the idea of the cinema that is to say essayer de faire sortir le film de la bote pour le projeter sur to try to make the film come out of the box in order to project it onto un cran et que, le 15 fvrier 1895, le brevet est dpos. a screen - and since on February 15, 1895, the patent is submitted. Donc, de toute manire, entre aot 1894 et fvrier So, in any case, between August, 1894 and February 1895, il [n]y a que six mois. Donc a na pas pris plus. 1895, there are only six months. So, that did not take more (time). Par contre, il va sobsder sur la photographie couleur. On the other hand, he will become obsessed with color photography. Donc, lui, il retourne dans son laboratoire de recherche et Thus, he, he returns to his research laboratory and
660
670
il dira lui-mme : Jai laiss le cinma aux autres. , he himself will say, I have left the cinema up to others, parce que c[e n]tait pas son affaire.1 because it was not his business. Et il y a une phrase And there is one quote
680
aujourdhui, qui est reste clbre, de Louis Lumire, which has remained famous to this day from Louis Lumire, qui a dit... qui a dit... En 1935, il est invit aux tats-Unis, who said who said. In 1935, he is invited to the United States, o on organise un grand gala scientifique, avec des grands where they organize a great scientific gathering, with famous scientifiques, en lhonneur de Louis Lumire. Et scientists, in honor of Louis Lumire. And
690
The Lumire factories did continue to develop cinema.
Mars - Avril 2004
publiquement, devant la presse, cest la seule fois, in public, before the media, it is the only time, on va dire, o les Amricains ont reconnu la paternit1 du we will say, when the Americans recognized the origins of the cinma, cest--dire ont offert cette soire Louis Lumire cinema, that is to say (they) dedicated that soire to Louis Lumire 700
soire dailleurs o un clich clbre le montre en train de a soire, moreover, where a famous picture shows him in the process of serrer la main de Walt Disney qui le remercie de ce quil shaking the hand of Walt Disney, who thanks him for what he a fait. Et, lors de cette soire, Louis Lumire dira : has done. And during that soire Louis Lumire will say :
710
Le cinma amuse le monde entier. Que pouvions-nous faire "The cinema amuses the whole world. What could we do de mieux et qui nous donne plus de fiert ? Donc, il y a (that would be) better and that (would) give us more pride?" So, there is cette phrase qui a t crite lors de ce jubil en 1935 et qui this statement that was written during this jubilee in 1935 and which est reste clbre et qui dit bien quil navait aucun2 regret. remained famous and which says very well that he had no regrets. SECTION 49 Une dernire question pour finir. One last question in conclusion. Est-ce quon peut encore apprendre des choses, sur Can one still learn (new) things, about lhistoire du cinmatographe, des frres Lumire ? the history of the cinematograph, about the Lumire brothers?
720
730
1 2
la paternit = the fatherhood. ne... aucun = no, none, not one. See pages 64 and 69 for examples of aucun.
100
Fluent French Audio
Est-ce quon peut esprer retrouver des films comme Can we hope to find films as on en a retrouv, des magnifiques, we found some, some wonderful ones, il y a une dizaine dannes ? Ou est-ce que about ten years ago? Or is it that
740
maintenant cette histoire-l est peu prs close ? now this case is just about closed? Alors, non seulement on peut esprer, mais cest Well, not only we can hope, but it is mme plus que a, on en retrouve encore. even more than that, we are still finding some.
750
Puisquil y a deux ans on en a retrouv en Australie, et Since, two years ago, some were found in Australia, and il y a un an on en a retrouv Hauteville, donc pas trs loin one year ago some were found in Hauteville, so, not very far dici..., et qui sont venus augmenter le catalogue. Donc oui, from here, and they came to be added to the catalogue. So, yes, on peut esprer encore retrouver des films. we can still hope to find films Cest une histoire norme, parce que il y a It is a huge story, because there is la famille Lumire, mais il y a aussi tous les... tous les the Lumire family , but there are also all the all the inventeurs, tous les techniciens, tous les amis, cinastes, inventors, all the technicians, all the friends, film directors,
760
770
photographes, chimistes, physiciens, qui ont tourn photographers, chemists, physicists, who revolved autour de cette famille et qui se sont greffs eux,1 toutes around this family and who have become part of them, all
se greffer = to become added to, to become part of.
Mars - Avril 2004
Les frres Lumire 1 0 1
les alliances industrielles qui se sont produites, etc., avec the industrial alliances that took place, etc., with
780
des disparitions darchives, avec des parties dusines qui the disappearance of archives, with parts of factories that ont brl, avec des membres de la famille, aujourdhui, qui burned, with family members, today, who restent un peu partout1 en France et qui continuent live almost everywhere in France and who continue to travailler avec nous sur ce pass, reconstruire, work with us on the past, to rebuild, redcouvrir, etc., les polmiques autour de linvention to rediscover, etc. the controversies surrounding the invention du cinma, autour de la collaboration entre Auguste Lumire of the cinema, about the collaboration between August Lumire et le gouvernement de Vichy pendant and the Vichy government during
790
800
la Seconde Guerre mondiale, des mystres lucider, etc., the second World War, mysteries to solve, etc., etc. Donc, il y a plein, plein de choses, aujourdhui, qui, etc. So, there are plenty, plenty of things, today, that qui sont encore faire. On continue, nous aussi, davoir des that are yet to be done. We continue, we also, to receive
810
cartons. On a quelquun qui travaille ici spcialement cardboard boxes. We have someone who works here especially pour a, pour ouvrir les cartons et pour dcouvrir toutes les on that, to open the boxes and to go through all the archives, les lettres, les documents, etc. Et cest une histoire archives, the letters, the documents, etc. And it is a story
un peu partout = roughly everywhere, almost everywhere.
102
Fluent French Audio
820
qui est norme puisquelle comporte1 cent vingt ans, that is enormous since it spans 120 years, on va dire, de, dhistoire de cette famille, et que we will say, of, of the history of this family, and that a fait simplement vingt ans quon fait a correctement, it has only been 20 years since that we have done this correctly, prcisment, etc. Donc, nous, plus ceux qui viendront precisely, etc. So , we, plus those who will come (after us)
830
aurons encore probablement beaucoup de choses will probably still have many things dcouvrir. to discover.
comporter = to include, to consist of.

Fluent French 2004-2 Mars-Avril B

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Fluent French 2004-2 Mars-Avril B

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thank you for listening to Fluent French Audio! In Transcript B, we have included a word-forword translation of your CD or cassette.

Galle Domon, Editor

David Tolman, Publisher

Toll free 1-888-259-9601 contact@fluentfrench.com

mars avril 2004 CONTENTS

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

ben : colloquial for bien.

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Une cluse du canal.

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Systme des neuf cluses de Fonseranes, Bziers.

ne... plus = no longer; no more.

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

dans tous les foyers franais. in all French households.

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Le muse du savon de Marseille.

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

un dermato : short for un dermatologue.

Mars - Avril 2004

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004

se moquer de = 1) to make fun of, to laugh at, 2) to not care about.

Fluent French Audio

Mars - Avril 2004