France vue par Leonora Miano

French listening practice with side-by-side translation

  Listening comprehension: See the links at the bottom for lessons related to the phrases in italics.

La France vue par Leonora Miano France seen by Leonora Miano
Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire, ĂȘtre français ? C’est une chose trĂšs trĂšs simple. Si on ne parle pas d’identĂ­tĂ© tout de suite, ça veut d’abord dire euh se sentir concernĂ©, par ce qui se passe ici, se sentir attachĂ© aux gens d’ici. Ça veut dire aussi vouloir participer au projet qu’est la France, parce que la France n’est pas une chose qui est donnĂ©e pour toujours, qui est Ă©crite quelque part et qu’on doit juste ingurgiter ; c’est aussi ce qu’on va en faire, ce qu’on dĂ©sire en faire, ce qu’on va tous en faire, de toute façon, gaulois ou pas.
Translation

What does it mean to be French? It’s something very, very simple. If we don’t talk about identity right away, it first of all means to be concerned, by what’s happening here, to feel attached to people from here. It also means wanting to participate in the project that is France, because France isn’t something that is given forever, that is written somewhere and we just have to swallow it; it’s also what we’re going to make of it, what we want to make of it, and what we’re all going to make of it, French or not.

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Vous vous sentez partie prenante de l’idĂ©e de ce pays, du projet collectif qu’elle reprĂ©sente ?
Translation

Do you feel like a shareholder in the idea of this country, of the collective project that it represents?

[collapse]
Ah oui, mais la France est d’ailleurs surtout un beau projet pour l’instant, il faut le faire passer de la virtualitĂ© Ă  la rĂ©alitĂ©. Nous [ne] sommes pas encore en pleine Ă©poque de fraternitĂ©, d’Ă©galitĂ©, [il] faut bosser.
Translation

Oh yes, but France is above all a beautiful project at the moment, we have to move it from virtuality to reality. We’re not yet in the middle of an era of fraternity, equality, we have to work [at it].

[collapse]
Non, mais dans vos propos lĂ  il y a quelques secondes, on est passĂ© d’une forme de rejet Ă  une forme d’adhĂ©sion et d’admiration.
Translation

No, but in your remarks a few seconds ago, we went from talk of rejection to talk of belonging and admiration.

[collapse]
Non, non, je n’ai jamais rejetĂ© la France, et je ne pense mĂȘme pas que les colonisĂ©s la rejettent. Les colonisĂ©s n’aiment pas la domination, d’accord, mais ils peuvent tout Ă  fait ĂȘtre sĂ©duits par la culture, ĂȘtre curieux de cette culture, trouver de la beautĂ© aux gens ; moi j’aime passionnĂ©ment le comtĂ©, je n’arrive pas Ă  me passer de fromage français.
Translation

No, no, I’ve never rejected France, and I don’t even think colonized people reject it. Colonized people don’t like domination, OK, but they can absolutely be seduced by the culture, be curious about that culture, find beauty in the people; I’m madly in love with ComtĂ©, I can’t manage to do without French cheese.

[collapse]

Donc, donc non, je ne dĂ©teste pas la France mais je pense que nous devons travailler aujourd’hui des relations plus, comment dire, pacifiĂ©es entre anciennes colonies et la France, et que peut-ĂȘtre d’ailleurs un grand nombre des Français d’aujourd’hui n’ont pas du tout envie d’ĂȘtre des dominants. Ils ont envie d’ĂȘtre des humains qui voyagent dans le monde et qui sont considĂ©rĂ©s comme des humains, et ils ne veulent pas tenir le sceptre ni porter la couronne. Ils veulent ĂȘtre eux-mĂȘmes et frĂšres des autres.

Ça veut dire que vous ne …

Translation

So, no, I don’t hate France but I think today we have to work on a, how to say it, more peaceful relationship between former colonies and France, and that maybe beside a large number of French people today have no desire to be dominant. They want to be human beings who travel in the world and who are considered human being, and they don’t want to yield the scepter or wear the crown. They themselves want to be themselves and brothers of others.

That means you don’t …

[collapse]
Video courtesy of France Inter. Translation by LKL
Leonora Miano is a Cameroonian author who has lived in France since 1991. Her latest book is called Crépuscule du tourment.

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