SIMON & SCHUSTERS

PIMSLEUR

FRENCH
5
level

READING BOOKLET

Graphic Design: Maia Kennedy

and Recorded Program 2014 Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Reading Booklet 2014 Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio,
a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Mfg. in USA.
All rights reserved.

FRENCH 5
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Voices
English-Speaking Instructor................... Ray Brown
French-Speaking Instructor..... Dominique Clment
Female French Speaker......... M-P Grandin-Gillette
Male French Speaker........................... Pierre Hurel
Course Writers
Marie-P. Grandin-Gillette Berit S. Ahmad
Editor
Hiromi K. Bouchard
Editor & Executive Producer
Beverly D. Heinle
Reviewer
Dominique Clment
Producer & Director
Sarah H. McInnis
Recording Engineer
Peter S. Turpin
Simon & Schuster Studios, Concord, MA
iii

FRENCH 5
Table of Contents
Readings
Introduction............................................................ 1
Les Chevaliers
Leon Un................................................................ 3
Lesson One Translations........................................ 4
Leon Deux ......................................................... 5
Lesson Two Translations........................................ 6
Leon Trois ............................................................ 7
Lesson Three Translations ..................................... 8
Leon Quatre.......................................................... 9
Lesson Four Translations ....................................... 10
Leon Cinq............................................................. 11
Lesson Five Translations........................................ 12
Leon Six................................................................ 13
Lesson Six Translations ......................................... 14
Leon Sept.............................................................. 15
Lesson Seven Translations ..................................... 16
Leon Huit.............................................................. 17
Lesson Eight Translations ...................................... 18
Leon Neuf............................................................. 19
Lesson Nine Translations....................................... 20
Leon Dix............................................................... 21
iv

FRENCH 5
Table of Contents (continued)
Readings
Lesson Ten Translations......................................... 22
Leon Onze ............................................................ 23
Lesson Eleven Translations.................................... 24
Leon Douze .......................................................... 25
Lesson Twelve Translations ................................... 26
Leon Treize........................................................... 27
Lesson Thirteen Translations ................................. 28
Leon Quatorze...................................................... 29
Lesson Fourteen Translations ................................ 30
Leon Quinze ......................................................... 31
Lesson Fifteen Translations ................................... 32
Leon Seize ............................................................ 33
Lesson Sixteen Translations................................... 34
Leon Dix-sept ...................................................... 35
Lesson Seventeen Translations .............................. 36
Leon Dix-huit ....................................................... 37
Lesson Eighteen Translations ................................ 38
Leon Dix-neuf ...................................................... 39
Lesson Nineteen Translations ................................ 40
Leon Vingt ............................................................ 41
Lesson Twenty Translations................................... 42
v

Travelers should always check with their

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advisories on local conditions before
traveling abroad.

FRENCH 5
Introduction
The 20 Reading Lessons in French Level 5 tell
a short story, Les Chevaliers (The Knights), which
will provide practice in reading and expand your
vocabulary. Many of the words are known or guessable. Translations follow the Reading Lessons.
The recorded portion of the Reading Lessons
will be found at the end of the program, following
the 30 Units. Instructions on how to do the Readings are contained in the audio.

For more information, call

1-800-831-5497 or visit us
at Pimsleur.com

FRENCH 5
Les Chevaliers: Leon Un
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Quand il sest rveill,

12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

Ni de catastrophique.

Dans sa chambre dhpital trs blanche,

Il sest rappel ce quon lui avait dit.
Les mdecins, les infirmires, sa femme,
Ses enfants, sa mre, et mme
Son patron et quelques collgues de travail :
Quil avait eu de la chance,
Que a aurait pu tre pire,
Quil lavait chapp belle
Quil avait failli mourir, le pauvre.
Lui, il ne voyait pas ce que a avait
de miraculeux,
Quest-ce qui stait pass, dj ?
Il ne se souvenait de rien en particulier,
Mais on lui avait racont,
Et il avait vu les photos de la voiture.
Apparemment, il y avait du verglas et
personne dautre

18. Sur la route cette nuit-l.

19. Ce ntait pas de sa faute.
20. Il fallait quil dorme, quil ne sinquite pas.
3

FRENCH 5
Lesson One Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

When he woke up,

in his very white hospital room,
he remembered what they had told him.
The doctors, the nurses, his wife,
his children, his mother, and even
his boss and a few work colleagues:
that he had been lucky,
that it could have been worse,
that he had escaped with his life,
that he had almost died, poor him.
Him, he didnt see what was miraculous about it,
or catastrophic.
What had happened, already?
He didnt remember anything in particular,
but he had been told,
and he had seen the pictures of the car.
Apparently, there was black ice and no one else
on the road that night.
It wasnt his fault.
It was necessary that he sleep, that he not worry
himself.
4

FRENCH 5
Leon Deux
1. Il sappelait Henri Morbier.
2. Le nom de famille, il ny pouvait rien,
3. Mais Henri, il trouvait que ctait un
prnom ridicule.

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

On tait au vingt-et-unime sicle aprs tout, non ?

Il aurait bien aim que ce soit Harry, ou Steve,
Comme Harry Potter, ou Steve McQueen.
eux, au moins, il arrivait des choses,
Des aventures, du danger.
Mais lui, il narrivait jamais rien.
En fait, depuis quil tait n,
Trente-huit ans plus tt,
Il ne lui tait jamais rien arriv du tout,
part ce qui arrive tout le monde, bien entendu.
Et puis cette bte histoire de verglas, de voiture.
Ctait bien la premire fois
Quil aurait peut-tre quelque chose
De vaguement intressant raconter son bureau.
En attendant, il fallait quil se repose,
Quil ne pense rien.
Pas si facile.
5

FRENCH 5
Lesson Two Translations
1. His name was Henri Morbier.
2. The last name, there was nothing he could do
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

about it,
but Henri, he found that to be a ridiculous
first name.
We were in the 21st century after all, no?
He would have liked that it be Harry, or Steve,
like Harry Potter or Steve McQueen.
To them, at least, things happened,
adventures, danger.
But to him, nothing ever happened.
In fact, since hed been born,
38 years earlier,
nothing had ever happened to him at all,
except for what happens to everyone, of course.
And then this dumb matter of black ice, of car.
It was indeed the first time
that he perhaps would have something
vaguely interesting to tell at the office.
In the meantime, it was necessary that he rest
himself,
that he not think of anything.
Not so easy.
6

FRENCH 5
Leon Trois
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Il tait n Angers. Dj a commenait mal,

Parce qu Angers, il ny avait rien faire,
Rien dire, pas grand-chose voir non plus.
Pas de danger Angers.
Il y avait des magasins, des terrains de foot,
Un chteau sur la rivire.
a, le chteau, il lavait vu, et revu.
lcole, avec la classe de Madame Duclos.
Il se souvenait bien delle, avec ses chaussures
trop serres.
Le pont-levis, les douves, les chevaliers en armure,
huit ans, a va encore.
Il se voyait bien chevalier, cette poque-l.
Pourquoi pas ?
Le chteau, au lyce, il y tait retourn,
Avec des filles, des copains, des cigarettes,
Ou quelques bouteilles de temps en temps.
Mais, bof, il stait ennuy.
Un chteau, pour que ce soit intressant,
Il aurait fallu quil soit hant, horrible,
Ou alors, ailleurs.
7

FRENCH 5
Lesson Three Translations
1. He was born in Angers. Already that was a
bad start,

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

because in Angers, there was nothing to do,

nothing to say, not much to see either.
No danger in Angers.
There were some stores, some soccer fields,
a castle on the river.
That, the castle, he had seen it, and seen it again.
At school, with Mrs. Duclos class.
He remembered her well, with her too-tight shoes.
The drawbridge, the moat, the knights in armor,
at eight years old, thats still fine.
He could see himself a knight, in those days.
Why not?
The castle, in high school, he had gone back to it,
with girls, pals, cigarettes,
or a few bottles from time to time.
But, eh, he had gotten bored.
In order to be interesting, a castle
should have been haunted, horrible,
or somewhere else.
8

FRENCH 5
Leon Quatre
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

dix-huit ans, aprs le bac,

Quil avait eu sans trop se fatiguer,
Il aurait pu rester.
Il y a tout ce quil faut Angers,
Lui avaient dit ses parents.
Mais il avait prfr partir.
Il ne leur avait pas dit pourquoi.
En fait, il ne le savait pas lui-mme.
Il avait juste cette impression depuis toujours,
Que partir ctait mieux que rester.
a navait pas t facile de vivre Paris,
De trouver un appartement,
Qui ne soit ni dgotant, ni hors de prix.
Il avait visit de vraies horreurs,
Les unes aprs les autres.
Il avait fini par trouver un studio dtudiant
Que lui louait une dame africaine,
Dans une petite rue du vingtime arrondissement.
Ctait au sixime tage sans ascenseur.
Il y resterait sept ans.

FRENCH 5
Lesson Four Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

At eighteen, after his exams,

which he had passed without too much effort,
he could have stayed.
Theres everything you need in Angers,
his parents had said to him.
But he had preferred to leave.
He hadnt told them why.
Actually, he didnt know that himself.
He had just always had that feeling,
that to leave was better than to stay.
It hadnt been easy to live in Paris,
to find an apartment,
that was neither disgusting, nor unaffordable.
He had visited some real horrors,
one after the other.
He had ended by finding a student studio
that an African lady rented to him,
on a small street in the twentieth district.
It was on the sixth floor, no elevator.
He would stay there seven years.

10

FRENCH 5
Leon Cinq
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.

Il la revoyait maintenant,
Cette chambre de sa jeunesse,
Depuis sa chambre dhpital.
La fentre qui donnait sur les toits.
Le lit et la commode,
Qui venaient de chez ses parents.
Le frigo qui faisait son bruit, la nuit.
La cuisinire cabosse
Quil avait monte sur son dos,
Sous les yeux inquiets de sa copine de lpoque.
Ne fais pas landouille, Henri.
Arrte-toi, repose-toi.
Tu vas te casser quelque chose.
Ah, les hommes,
Vous feriez vraiment nimporte quoi
Pour nous impressionner.
Il avait d limpressionner, effectivement.
Sgolne ? Sverine ? Sophie ?
son ge, le mal au dos navait pas dur
longtemps.

20. La copine non plus.

11

FRENCH 5
Lesson Five Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

He was seeing it again now,

that room of his youth,
from his hospital room.
The window that looked out on the roofs.
The bed and the chest of drawers,
that had come from his parents house.
The fridge that made its noise, at night.
The banged-up stove
that he had brought up on his back,
under the worried eyes of his then-girlfriend.
Dont be a dope, Henri.
Stop, rest.
Youre going to break something.
Ah, men,
youd really do anything
to impress us.
He must have really impressed her.
Sgolne? Sverine? Sophie?
At his age, the backache hadnt lasted long.
Neither had the girlfriend.

12

FRENCH 5
Leon Six
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Monsieur Morbier ?
Je peux entrer ?
Oui, oui, faites comme chez vous.
Je vous en prie.
La salle de bain est l.
Vous voulez que je vous aide
vous lever ?
Tout le monde est parti ?
Oui, il est tard.
Les visites sont termines.
Je mappelle Sidonie.
Je suis linfirmire de nuit.
Il faut que je prenne votre tension,
Et que je vous donne vos mdicaments.
Mais ne vous inquitez pas,
Je nen ai pas pour longtemps.
Jai tous les renseignements dont jai besoin
Sur ce petit ordinateur, l.
Vous voyez ?
Allez, donnez-moi votre bras.

13

FRENCH 5
Lesson Six Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Mister Morbier?
Can I come in?
Yes, yes, make yourself at home.
I beg of you.
The bathroom is there.
Do you want me to help you
to get up?
Is everybody gone?
Yes, its late.
Visiting hours are over.
My name is Sidonie.
Im the night nurse.
I have to take your blood pressure,
and give you your medicines.
But dont worry,
I wont take long.
I have all the information I need
on this little computer, there.
You see?
Come on, give me your arm.

14

FRENCH 5
Leon Sept
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Il aurait bien aim lui demander

Ce qui lui tait arriv,
Et dans quel tat il tait,
Exactement.
Mais elle tait dj repartie.
Sidonie, ctait joli.
Elle tait peut-tre africaine,
Ou hatienne.
Efficace, en tout cas,
Souriante et rapide.
En attendant, il allait bien falloir
Quil se lve et quil aille aux toilettes.
Tiens, il y avait un autre lit,
Vide, ct du sien.
Avec tous ces mdicaments, il se sentait
Compltement ct de la plaque.
Dans les choux, dans les nuages.
Quest-ce quils disaient, dj,
Quand il avait vingt ans ?
Henri, tu pdales dans la choucroute.

15

FRENCH 5
Lesson Seven Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

He would have liked to ask her

what had happened to him,
and what condition he was in,
exactly.
But she had already left.
Sidonie, that was pretty.
Maybe she was African,
or Haitian.
Efficient, in any case,
smiling and fast.
In the meantime, he was going to have
to get up and go to the bathroom.
Huh, there was another bed,
empty, next to his.
With all those drugs, he was feeling
completely out of it.
In the cabbages, in the clouds.
What was it they used to say, already,
when he was twenty?
Henri, youre pedaling in saurkraut.

16

FRENCH 5
Leon Huit
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Quand il stait vu dans la glace,

Dans la lumire au non,
Il avait fallu quil se retienne
Aux bords du lavabo.
La tte quil avait !
Est-ce que ctait laccident de voiture de la veille,
Ou les dix-huit ans depuis ses vingt ans,
Qui lavaient fait vieillir comme a ?
Pas tonnant que tout le monde soit parti,
Quils laient laiss l, tout seul.
Non, mais, ctait lui, a ?
Ce front marqu,
Ces yeux cerns, cette peau grise,
Ce nez gonfl, tordu,
Et ce bleu, presque vert, sur la pommette.
Cette bouche mince et sche
Qui ne disait rien.
Lui aussi il serait parti,
En courant,
Sil avait vu ce type-l.

17

FRENCH 5
Lesson Eight Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

When hed seen himself in the mirror

in the neon light,
hed had to hold on
to the edges of the sink.
The face he had!
Was it the car accident of the day before,
or the eighteen years since his twenty years,
that had made him age like that?
No wonder that everyone had gone away,
that they had left him there, all alone.
No, but, that was him?
That marked forehead,
those saggy eyes, that grayish skin,
that swollen, twisted nose,
and that bruise, almost green, on the cheekbone.
That thin, dry mouth
that said nothing.
He would have left too,
running,
if hed seen that guy.

18

FRENCH 5
Leon Neuf
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Il avait la clavicule casse,

Et un traumatisme crnien.
Des ecchymoses partout, dont une belle
De forme circulaire sur la poitrine.
Votre airbag na pas march, lui avait
dit Sidonie,

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Au milieu de la nuit.

14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Contre un arbre ?

Vous avez vraiment eu de la chance.

On va vous garder quelques jours en observation.
Cest plus prudent.
Quest-ce quil allait leur dire
Quand ils reviendraient le lendemain ?
Sa femme, ses enfants, sa mre.
Quil tait dsol davoir envoy la
nouvelle voiture
Que lassurance allait sen occuper ?
Et son patron ?
Quil retournerait travailler le plus tt possible ?
Le marketing, Morbier,
Cest ici et maintenant que a se passe.
Vous le savez bien.
19

FRENCH 5
Lesson Nine Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

He had a broken clavicle,

and a concussion.
Bruises everywhere, including a nice one
circular-shaped on his chest.
Your airbag didnt work, Sidonie had told him,
in the middle of the night.
You were really lucky.
Were going to keep you a few days on observation.
Thats safer.
What was he going to say to them
when they came back the next day?
His wife, his children, his mother.
That he was sorry to have crashed the new car
against a tree?
That the insurance would take care of it?
And to his boss?
That he would return to work as soon as possible?
Marketing, Morbier,
takes place here and now.
You know that well.

20

FRENCH 5
Leon Dix
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Le lendemain il y avait quelquun,

Ou plutt une forme,
Dans le lit d ct.
Il avait d arriver pendant la nuit.
On ne voyait quune mche de cheveux roux
Qui dpassait sous les couvertures.
En fait, maintenant, a lennuyait un peu
Quil y ait quelquun dautre dans sa chambre.
Il stait habitu tre tranquille.
a ne lui arrivait pas souvent.
Sa femme tait passe dans la matine,
En coup de vent,
Aprs avoir dpos les enfants lcole.
Ils tembrassent, Nina ta fait un dessin,
Mon pauvre lapin.
Il faut que je file, jai une runion
Avec le comit dtablissement.
a va durer des heures, comme dhabitude.
Jen ai assez, vivement les vacances !
Je reviendrai quand je pourrai.

21

FRENCH 5
Lesson Ten Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

The next day there was someone,

or rather a shape,
in the next bed.
He must have arrived during the night.
You could only see a strand of red hair
sticking out under the covers.
Actually, now, that annoyed him a little
that there was someone else in his room.
He had gotten used to being in peace.
That didnt happen to him often.
His wife had come by in the morning,
like a gust of wind,
after having dropped the kids off at school.
They kiss you, Nina drew you a picture,
my poor bunny.
I have to run, I have a meeting
with the company committee.
Its going to last for hours, as usual.
Ive had enough, cant wait for vacation!
Ill come back when I can.

22

FRENCH 5
Leon Onze
1. Sa mre tait venue spcialement dAngers
2. Quand elle avait appris la nouvelle.
3. Au moins elle en profiterait pour voir un peu
les enfants.

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Nina tait encore un bb,

16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Votre enfant est dissip.

Mais pour combien de temps ?

Il sinquitait un peu pour Flix,
Qui stait fait disputer lcole,
Pour avoir tir les cheveux dune petite fille,
Et pour avoir pouss un petit garon
Contre le mur de la cantine.
On les avait convoqus, tous les trois,
Sa femme, son fils et lui,
Dans un petit bureau au bout dun long couloir.
Il tait arriv en retard,
Parce quil y avait des embouteillages cette
heure-l.
On dirait quil sennuie.
Il se souvient quil avait pens,
Cest normal de sennuyer mon ge moi,
Mais pas au sien.
23

FRENCH 5
Lesson Eleven Translations
1. His mother had come specially from Angers
2. when shed heard the news.
3. At least shed take advantage of that to see the
kids a little.

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Nina was still a baby,

but for how long?
He worried a little about Flix,
whod gotten in trouble at school,
for having pulled a little girls hair,
and for having pushed a little boy
against the cafeteria wall.
They had been summoned, all three of them,
his wife, his son and himself,
in a small office at the end of a long corridor.
He had arrived late,
because there were traffic jams at that hour.
Your child is unfocused.
It looks like hes bored.
He remembers that hed thought,
its normal to be bored at my age,
but not at his.
24

FRENCH 5
Leon Douze
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Ae, il avait mal partout !

Comme des coups de marteau dans la tte.
Des coups de couteau dans les ctes.
a devait tre lheure de renouveler ses pilules.
Linfirmire de jour nallait pas tarder.
Dailleurs, il y avait du mouvement dans
la chambre.
Un mdecin en blouse blanche
Qui se penchait sur le lit d ct.
Sortez de l, jeune homme,
Ne faites pas lidiot.
Il faut que je vous parle de ce qui sest pass.
Oui, je sais, je suis tomb en faisant
de lescalade.
Lescalade dun pont en pleine nuit, ce nest
pas malin !
Laissez-moi tranquille ! Je men fiche !
Je ne veux voir personne, sauf elle.
Cest elle que je voulais prouver
Que je ferais nimporte quoi.
Cest bien gentil, tout a,
Mais vous vous tes cass lastragale.

14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. Cest un petit os du pied.
25

FRENCH 5
Lesson Twelve Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Ouch, he hurt everywhere!

14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Leave me alone! I dont care!

Like hammer blows in the head.

Knife strikes in the ribs.
It must be the time to renew his pills.
The day nurse wouldnt be long.
Besides, there was movement in the room.
A doctor in a white coat
who was leaning over the next bed.
Come out of there, young man,
dont be an idiot.
I need to talk to you about what happened.
Yes, I know, I fell while climbing.
Climbing a bridge in the middle of the night,
thats not clever!
I dont want to see anyone, but her.
Its to her I wanted to prove
that I would do anything.
Thats all very nice,
but you broke your astragalus (ankle bone).
Its a small bone of the foot.
26

FRENCH 5
Leon Treize
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Il avait fait semblant de dormir,

Pour ne pas gner le jeune homme amoureux,
Quand la jeune fille tait arrive en courant.
Il lavait entendue plus que vue.
Elle avait un joli accent.
Peut-tre quil avait rv.
Et puis, il stait rveill
Quand on avait emmen le jeune homme
Dans la salle dopration,
Dans son pyjama dhpital.
Il se sentait un peu jaloux,
Devant une telle jeunesse, une telle beaut.
Lui ntait pas si vieux, ni si moche que a,
Ni gros, ni chauve, plutt agrable regarder
Pour son ge,
Comme le lui disait sa femme.
Mais quand mme.
Il travaillait tout le temps, il buvait trop,
Il mangeait souvent nimporte quoi.
ce rythme-l, a nallait pas durer.

27

FRENCH 5
Lesson Thirteen Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

He had pretended to sleep,

in order not to embarrass the amorous young man,
when the young girl had come running in.
He had heard more than seen her.
She had a pretty accent.
Maybe he had been dreaming.
And then, hed awakened
when they had taken the young man away
to the operating room,
in his hospital pajamas.
He was feeling a bit jealous,
in front of such youth, such beauty.
He wasnt so old, nor so ugly as that,
neither fat, nor bald, rather pleasant to look at
for his age,
as his wife would tell him.
But still.
He was working all the time, he was drinking
too much,

19. he would often eat any old thing.

20. At that pace, it wouldnt last.
28

FRENCH 5
Leon Quatorze
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Plus tard, ctait encore la nuit.

Il avait cru voir sa mre, son fils debout,
Sa fille assise sur une chaise,
Avec un cahier sur les genoux.
Chut, il dort, ne le drangez pas, le pauvre.
Nayez pas peur, il rentrera bientt la maison.
Les infirmires sont trs gentilles.
Elles soccupent bien de lui.
Et quand il sera remis sur pied,
On achtera une nouvelle voiture.
Une belle voiture rouge qui va vite ?
Avec un toit ouvrant ?
On verra, ma puce, on verra.
Pour linstant il faut quil dorme, ton papa,
Pour reprendre ses forces
Et retourner travailler.
Mais la voix avait chang dans la nuit.
Ce ntait plus sa mre, ni sa femme, ni son fils.
Ctait lui, ct, sous les couvertures
Qui parlait. Mais qui ?

29

FRENCH 5
Lesson Fourteen Translations
1. Later, it was night again.
2. He had thought hed seen his mother, his
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

son standing,
his daughter sitting in a chair,
with a notebook on her knees.
Shush, hes asleep, dont bother him, poor thing.
Dont be scared, hell come home soon.
The nurses are very kind.
They take good care of him.
And when he will be back on his feet,
well buy a new car.
A beautiful red car that goes fast?
With a sunroof?
Well see, honey, well see.
For now, your daddy needs to sleep.
To regain his strength
and go back to work.
But the voice had changed in the night.
It was no longer his mother, nor his wife, nor
his son.
It was him, at his side, under the blankets
who was talking. But to whom?

30

FRENCH 5
Leon Quinze
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

a ressemblait des cloches qui sonnent.

Ding-a-ling ?
Et sil parlait en dormant ?
Un effet secondaire de lanesthsie ?
Il tait peut-tre au tlphone.
Mais non, les jeunes ne se tlphonaient plus.
Il senvoyaient des textos
Ou se laissaient des messages sur les rseaux
sociaux.
Mme ses enfants passaient des heures
Hypnotiss devant lcran de leur ordinateur.
De son temps, on nallait pas jouer dehors non plus.
On tait coll la tl.
Mais bon.
Des cloches qui sonnent, encore ?
Hum, quest-ce que vous dites ?
Ah, excusez-moi, je vous ai rveill.
Non, non, ne vous en faites pas.
Je mennuyais un peu, justement.
Si on allait faire un tour ?
Vous rigolez ? Jai le pied cass.
31

FRENCH 5
Lesson Fifteen Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

It sounded like bells ringing.

Ding-a-ling?
And what if he was talking in his sleep?
A side effect of anesthesia?
Maybe he was on the phone.
But no, young people didnt phone each
other anymore.
They sent each other texts
or left each other messages on the social networks.
Even his kids spent hours
hypnotized before their computer screens.
In his day, you didnt go play outside either.
You were glued to the TV.
But, oh well.
Bells ringing, again?
Hmm, what are you saying?
Oh, excuse me, I woke you up.
No, no, dont worry.
I was a little bored, as it happens.
How about we go for a walk?
Are you kidding? I have a broken foot.
32

FRENCH 5
Leon Seize
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

Mais ils staient dbrouills.

Ils avaient trouv un fauteuil roulant
Qui tranait dans le couloir.
Ils navanaient pas vite mais a allait.
Ils nallaient pas loin.
Vous faisiez quoi exactement ?
Japprenais le norvgien.
Pardon ?
Le norvgien ? Pourquoi ?
Pourquoi pas.
Alors le jeune homme lui avait expliqu
Que ctait par respect,
Par amour et aussi par principe.
Ils taient descendus au rez-de-chausse.
Ils avaient crois Sidonie
Qui avait fait une drle de tte.
Hyggelig hilse p deg,
a veut dire enchant, charm, ravi de
vous connatre.

19. Je veux faire bonne impression

20. En arrivant chez les parents de la fille que jaime.
33

FRENCH 5
Lesson Sixteen Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

But theyd managed.

Theyd found a wheelchair
that was left out in the hallway.
They werent moving fast but it was all right.
They werent going far.
What were you doing exactly?
I was learning Norwegian.
Excuse me?
Norwegian? Why?
Why not.
So the young man had explained to him
that it was out of respect,
out of love and out of principle too.
They had gone down to the ground floor.
They had crossed paths with Sidonie
who had made a strange face.
Hyggelig hilse p deg,
That means enchanted, charmed, delighted to
know you.

19. I want to make a good impression

20. when I arrive at the parents house of the girl
I love.

34

FRENCH 5
Leon Dix-sept
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Je veux aussi ne jamais cesser dapprendre.

Pas vous ?
Ctait sympa dentendre a
De la bouche dun gamin de vingt ans.
Ne jamais cesser dapprendre.
Lui aussi, en quittant Angers,
Il y a tellement longtemps maintenant,
Il stait dit quil irait partout.
Quil parlerait dexprience et pas comme un livre,
Quil dvalerait les rues de San Francisco
Au volant dune voiture de sport,
Comme Steve McQueen.
Langlais amricain, le norvgien,
Le tagalog des Philippines,
Et le portugais du Brsil,
Le mandarin pour voir la Chine,
Il en avait toujours rv.
Par amour, par respect, par principe.
Mieux vaut tard que jamais.
Ctait le moment.

35

FRENCH 5
Lesson Seventeen Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

I also want to never stop learning.

Not you?
That was nice to hear that
from the mouth of a twenty-year-old kid.
To never stop learning.
He too, when he had left Angers,
so long ago now,
hed told himself he would go everywhere.
That he would speak from experience and not like
a book,

10. that he would barrel down the streets of

San Francisco

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

at the wheel of a sports car,

like Steve McQueen.
American English, Norwegian,
Tagalog of the Philippines,
and Brazilian Portuguese,
Mandarin to see China,
He had always dreamed of it.
Out of love, out of respect, out of principle.
Better late than never.
Now was the time.
36

FRENCH 5
Leon Dix-huit
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Il est quatre heures du matin.

Vous mexcuserez, je suis crev.
Et puis, jai encore beaucoup apprendre
Avant de la rejoindre au bout du monde.
Je mappelle Laurent, au fait.
Hyggelig hilse p deg, moi, cest Henri.
Merci pour le caf, demain.
Vous rigolez ? Cest moi qui vous remercie !
Dommage quon ne puisse pas tlphoner
cette heure-ci.
Il faut que je parle ma femme.
Vous pourriez lui envoyer un texto.
Elle le trouverait en se rveillant.
Vous croyez ?
a serait bien la premire fois.
GUniD JTM (jai une ide, je taime)
Elle va croire que jai t enlev
Par des extra-terrestres !
Il va falloir aussi que je parle mon patron.
Mais a, a attendra demain matin.

37

FRENCH 5
Lesson Eighteen Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Its four oclock in the morning.

Youll excuse me, Im exhausted.
And then, I still have a lot to learn
before I join her at the end of the world.
My name is Laurent, by the way.
Hyggelig hilse p deg, Im Henri.
Thanks for the coffee, see you tomorrow.
Are you kidding? I thank you!
Too bad you cant make a phone call
at this hour.
I have to talk to my wife.
You could send her a text.
She would find it when she wakes up.
You think so?
That would indeed be the first time.
(GUniD JTM) I have an idea. I love you.
Shes going to believe Ive been abducted
by aliens!
Im going to have to talk to my boss too.
But that, that will wait until tomorrow morning.

38

FRENCH 5
Leon Dix-neuf
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Sidonie tait passe vers six heures,

Avant de rentrer chez elle.
Mais quest-ce qui vous a pris,
De vous aventurer comme a dans les couloirs,
Tous les deux, dans ltat o vous tes ?
Elle parlait le crole hatien et elle avait appris
Le swahili dans sa jeunesse,
Pour suivre un tudiant en mdecine
Qui venait de Tanzanie.
a navait pas dur entre eux
Mais elle le parlait encore un peu.
Elle avait mme appris
Quelques mots ses enfants,
Pour leur donner envie, plus tard,
De voyager.
Vous sortez tous les deux cet aprs-midi.
Vous devriez dormir un peu.
Il y aura des tas de papiers remplir.
Meilleurs vux de bonheur, Laurent !
Et Henri, bon voyage !

39

FRENCH 5
Lesson Nineteen Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Sidonie had come by around six,

before going home.
But what got into you,
roaming in the halls like that,
both of you, in your condition?
She spoke Haitian Creole and she had learned
Swahili in her youth,
in order to follow a medical student
who came from Tanzania.
It hadnt lasted between them
but she still spoke it a little.
She had even taught
a few words to her children,
to give them a desire, later,
to travel.
Youre both getting out this afternoon.
You should sleep a little.
Therell be piles of papers to fill out.
Best wishes of happiness, Laurent!
And Henri, have a good trip!

40

FRENCH 5
Leon Vingt
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Vous partez ?
Il partait.
Ils partaient tous les quatre le mois prochain.
Sa femme venait de prendre les billets pour Beijing.
Trente jours.
a leur donnait le temps dapprendre un peu
de mandarin,
Pour leur mettre leau la bouche.
De rgler les affaires dassurance,
De passer lcole chercher les devoirs des enfants.
Ils avaient besoin de vacances.
Sa mre choisirait la voiture,
Rouge ou bleue, avec un toit ouvrant.
Mme son patron lui avait fait comprendre
Que la Chine souvrait aux tudes de march.
Vous avez le temprament dun aventurier, Henri,
Je ne vous lai jamais dit,
Mais je lai toujours pens.
Le chevalier en armure de ses huit ans,
Peut-tre que ctait lui,
Finalement.
41

FRENCH 5
Lesson Twenty Translations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Youre leaving?
He was leaving.
They were leaving next month, all 4 of them.
His wife had just booked the tickets to Beijing.
Thirty days.
That would give them time to learn a little Mandarin,
to make their mouths water.
To resolve the insurance business,
to go by the school and pick up the
childrens homework.
They needed a vacation.
His mother would pick the car,
red or blue, with a sunroof.
Even his boss had given him to understand
that China was opening itself to market research.
You have the temperament of an adventurer, Henri.
Ive never told you so,
but Ive always thought it.
The knight in armor from when he was eight,
maybe that was him,
in the end.
42