Louvre

French listening practice with side-by-side translation

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

Le Louvre The Louvre
Un trĂ©sor au Louvre, Jamy, non, mais quelle idĂ©e ! En tout cas, on n’est pas sorti de l’auberge, hein, parce que le Louvre, c’est immense. Il faut dire qu’avant de devenir un musĂ©e, c’Ă©tait un palais royal. Eh, oui !
Translation

A treasure at the Louvre, Jamy, what an idea! In any case, we’re not out of the woods yet, because the Louvre is immense. But then, before becoming a museum, it was a royal palace. Yes, indeed!

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Du Moyen Ă‚ge au 19e siècle, les rois de France et leurs cours ont rĂ©gulièrement sĂ©journĂ© ici. C’est comme ça que le Louvre s’est bâti, petit Ă  petit. Au total, il a fallu huit siècles pour le construire.
Translation

From the Middle Ages to the 19th century, the kings of France and their courts regularly stayed here. That’s how the Louvre was built, little by little. In all, it took eight centuries to build it.

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– Bon alors, Jamy, cette chasse au trĂ©sor, je la commence par oĂą ?
– Euh, par la Cour Carré !
– Par là. Bon, on va y aller.
Translation

– So, Jamy, where do I start this treasure hunt?
– Um, in the square courtyard!
–
Over there. OK, let’s go.

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Allez, bon courage Fred, car la randonnĂ©e ne fait que commencer. Le Louvre est le plus grand palais d’Europe. Il occupe plus de 15 hectares au cĹ“ur de Paris. Imaginez ! C’est deux fois plus grand que le château de Versailles. Et Ă  l’intĂ©rieur, on a vite fait de se perdre dans ce grand labyrinthe de salles et de couloirs qui forment un parcours de plus de 14 kilomètres avec 10 000 marches d’escalier Ă  descendre ou Ă  monter.
Translation

Hang in there, Fred, because the hike has only just begun. The Louvre is the largest palace in Europe. It occupies more than 15 hectares [37 acres] in the heart of Paris. Imagine! That’s more than twice as big as Versailles. And inside, it’s easy to get lost in this great maze of rooms and hallways that form a route of more than 14 kilometers [8.7 miles] with 10,000 steps to descend or climb.

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Ça y est Jamy, j’y suis dans la Court CarrĂ©, le point de dĂ©part de la longue histoire du Louvre. En effet, c’est Ă  cet emplacement que le roi Philippe-Auguste fait poser, en 1190, la première pierre d’un château-fort. Alors, Ă  l’Ă©poque, ici c’Ă©tait encore un terrain vague, un lieu-dit qui s’appelait dĂ©jĂ  « le Louvre Â», peut-ĂŞtre, d’après certains historiens, parce que le lieu Ă©tait infestĂ© de loups.
Translation

OK, Jamy, I’m in the square courtyard, the departure point for the Louvre’s long history. Indeed, it was here that King Philippe-Auguste had the first stone of a fortified castle laid in 1190. At the time, this was still a wasteland, a locality that was already called "The Louvre," perhaps, according to some historians, because the spot was infested with wolves.

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– Ben, il est où ton château-fort, Fred ? Moi, je [ne] vois rien.
– Patience, la petite voix. C’est juste sous mes pieds, et tu vas voir, qu’il y a de très beaux restes.
Translation

– So, where is this fortified castle, Fred? I don’t see anything.
– Be patient, little voice. It’s just under my feet, and you’ll see that there are some very nice remains.

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Video courtesy of Imineo.com. Transcript provided for just a small portion: 1:00 to 2:47. Translation by LKL

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