French listening practice with side-by-side translation
Listening comprehension: See the links at the bottom for lessons related to the phrases in italics.
| Quelle est l’origine du carnaval ? | What is the origin of Carnaval? |
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Ă quoi ça sert ? Ăa veut dire quoi, ça ? Pourquoi c’est comme ça ? C’est oĂč ? C’est qui, lui ? Un jour, une question Quelle est l’origine du carnaval ? |
Translation
What’s that for? What does that mean? Why is it like that? Where is it? Who’s that? One day, one question What is the origin of Carnaval?
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Cette annĂ©e, tu participes peut-ĂȘtre au carnaval de ta ville. En dĂ©corant des chars ou en dĂ©filant en fanfare, on perpĂ©tue une coutume trĂšs ancienne. Selon le calendrier catholique, le carnaval prĂ©cĂšde le carĂȘme, un jeĂ»ne de 40 jours. En prĂ©vision de cette pĂ©riode de restriction, on mange gras et sucrĂ© – c’est pour ça qu’on parle de mardi gras. |
Translation
This year, you might participate in your city’s Carnaval. By decorating floats or parading noisily, you’re carrying on a very ancient custom. According to the Catholic calendar, Carnival precedes Lent, a 40-day fast. In anticipation of this period of restriction, people eat fatty and sweet foods: that’s why we talk about Mardi Gras (literally, "fat Tuesday.")
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| Mais, quel est le rapport avec les masques et les dĂ©guisements ? En rĂ©alitĂ©, les traditions carnavalesques remontent Ă des temps reculĂ©s, bien avant d’ĂȘtre intĂ©grĂ©es Ă la religion catholique. Ces fĂȘtes de printemps cĂ©lĂšbrent le renouveau de la nature, comme celle de Dionysos en GrĂšce ou les Saturnales Ă Rome. |
Translation
But what’s the link with masks and disguises? In fact, Carnavelesque traditions date back to distant times, long before they were incorporated into the Catholic religion. These spring holidays celebrated springtide, like that of Dionysos in Greece or Saturnalia in Rome. [collapse]
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| Ă cette occasion, les rĂŽles sont inversĂ©s : des esclaves peuvent faire semblant d’ĂȘtre des rois, les enfants d’ĂȘtre des adultes. Les masques et les dĂ©guisements permettent Ă chacun de changer de place pour un jour et de se moquer des puissants. |
Translation
On this occasion, roles are reversed: slaves can pretend to be kings, children to be adults. Masks and disguises allowed everyone to change palces for a day and to make fun of the powerful. [collapse]
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| Le monde marche Ă l’envers avant de repartir pour une nouvelle annĂ©e. C’est comme mettre une maison en dĂ©sordre pour mieux ranger. Souvent, on fabrique un Monsieur Carnaval, roi d’un jour qui est brĂ»lĂ© Ă la fin de la fĂȘte pour dire adieu Ă l’hiver. |
Translation
The world goes backward before starting up again for a new year. It’s like making a mess in a house to better put everything in order. Often a Mr. Carnaval is created, king for one day who is burned at the end of the holiday to say farewell to winter. [collapse]
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| En Europe, on trouve certains des carnavals les plus rĂ©putĂ©s : celui de Nice en France ou de Venise en Italie. Mais les pays du monde entier rivalisent de carnavals extraordinaires. Ă Rio, on danse la samba. Ă QuĂ©bec, on sculpte la glace. Quand il s’agit de carnaval, l’esprit de la fĂȘte est internationale ! |
Translation
In Europe, some of the most famous Carnavals are found: the one in Nice, France and the one in Venice, Italy. But countries all around the world hold their own with extraordinary Carnavals. In Rio, they dance the samba. In Quebec, they carve ice. When it comes to Carnaval, the spirit of the celebration is international! [collapse]
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| Tu te poses des questions ? Nous, on y répond ! |
Translation
You have questions? We answer them! [collapse]
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| Video courtesy of 1 jour, 1 question. | Translation by LKL |
Listening comprehension
Expressions
Vocabulary
Grammar
- Asking questions
- Ă quoi ça sert – indefinite demonstrative pronoun
- C’est qui, lui; nous, on y rĂ©pond – stressed pronouns
- Quelle est l’origine, quel est le rapport – interrogative adjectives
- Cette annĂ©e, Ces fĂȘtes – demonstrative adjectives
- ta ville – possessive adjective
- En dĂ©corant, en dĂ©filant – present participles
- avant d’ĂȘtre intĂ©grĂ©es – passive voice in the infinitive
- celle de Dionysos, celui de Nice – indefinite demonstrative pronouns
- les rĂŽles sont inversĂ©s, roi d’un jour qui est brĂ»lĂ© – passive voice
- chacun – indefinite pronoun
- se moquer – pronominal verb in the infinitive
- il s’agit de carnaval – impersonal verb
- Tu te poses – pronominal verb
- on y rĂ©pond – adverbial pronoun y
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