Polynésie française

French listening practice with side-by-side translation

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

La Polynésie française French Polynesia
Qui d’entre nous n’a pas un jour rêvé de se prélasser sur ses plages paradisiaques ou barboter dans ses lagons aux eaux turquoises et limpides, lesquels nous rappellent les histoires de pirates ou d’aventure de notre enfance ? Sans oublier l’enchantement que suscitent toujours, parmi les aventuriers des temps modernes, des noms tels que Bora-Bora, Moorea, Tahiti ou Papeete.
Translation

Who among us hasn’t dreamed of one day lazing on its heavenly beaches or paddling in its lagoons of clear, turquoise waters, which remind us of our childhood pirate and adventure stories? Not to mention the enchantment still aroused in modern day adventurers by names like Bora-Bora, Moorea, Tahiti, and Papeete.

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La Polynésie française, qui signifie littéralement « îles nombreuses », est un pays d’outre-mer de la République française composé de cinq archipels fourmillant d’îles et d’atolls.
Translation

French Polynesia, which literally means "many islands," is a French overseas territory made up of five archipelagos teeming with islands and atolls.

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Elle comprend l’archipel de la Société (qui lui-même inclut les Îles du Vent et les Îles Sous-le-Vent), l’archipel de Tuamotu, l’archipel des Gambier, l’archipel des Australes, les îles Marquises et les immenses espaces maritimes adjacents accueillant une faune marine abondante et diversifiée.
Translation

It includes Society Islands (an archipelago which itself includes the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands), Tuamotu Archipelago, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands, Marquesas Islands, and the immense adjoining sea zones which are home to abundant and diverse marine fauna.

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Ce groupe d’îles volcaniques, flottant paresseusement au milieu de l’océan Pacifique, à plus de 6 000 kilomètres du continent australien, a subi les effets de l’implantation coloniale française dès 1843, alors que la reine de l’époque, Pomare IV, se voit contrainte d’accepter le protectorat français, d’abord aux Marquises puis à Tahiti. Son fils, qui lui a succédé, cèdera son pays à la France en 1880.
Translation

This group of volcanic islands, floating lazily in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, more than 6,000 kilometers [3,700 miles] from the Australian continent, underwent the effects of French colonial implanatation starting in 1843, when then-queen Pomare IV was obliged to accept the French protectorate, first in the Marquesas and then in Tahiti. Her son, who succeeded her, yielded his country to France in 1880.

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On prétend que ce sont des tribus venant du Sud-est asiatique dans des embarcations de fortune, sans doute à la recherche de territoires de pêche encore inexplorés, qui se sont implantés sur ces îles il y a près de 5 000 ans.
Translation

They say that it was tribes coming from southeast Asia in makeshift boats, undoubtedly looking for as-yet unexplored fishing territories, who implanted themselves on these islands nearly 5,000 years ago.

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French text, sound file, and image courtesy of Think French audiomagazine. This is part of an article in the avril 2012 issue. Translation by LKL

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