Friday, April 17, 2009

La France, Toujours

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Farewell to Paris and France. They are at once refined and crazed, logical and obsessive, beautiful and sardonic, politically conscientious and politically volcanic. We walked in the open door of what I took to be an art and design school across the street from the Luxembourg Gardens when we spotted this. It translates as something like "Sarkozy (the president of France) you are breaking our school." (French speakers, please correct as necessary.) Sounds like funding cuts are threatened. Would American students have this kind of hilarious sarcasm?

J'aime la France et y retournerai un jour.

Gotta get out and shoot some local material this weekend. And thanks to Eliane for helping with my lousy French.

6 comments:

Olivier said...

un bon résumé de ton voyage en France ;o))

Cergie said...

Bob, you need
"Pardon my French!
Pocket French Slang Dictionnary"
HARRAP

"Tu nous casses l'école" sounds almost like "tu nous casses les c******s"
In English : you break our b***s.

:)

Virginia said...

NON! I"M the one that needs Pardon My French! Thanks for the tip Cergie. Bob, good shot. I want to see that school as it's near our apartment I think.
J'aime France aussi? How's that for butchering the ole language!
V

PeterParis said...

I think it all started by “Casse-toi pauvre con” meaning “Get lost, dumb ass” or something similar, addressed by Sarkozy to a person who refused to shake hands with him during last year’s Farmers Show in Paris. It was filmed. Since then, the expression or the word “casser” are regularly referred to by people who wish to criticise Sarkozy (there are a few around)!

The school system is often critisised here, but as soon as someone tries to change something, there will be a strike ... and the projects will be withdrawn. That's part of the charm here! :-)

Jilly said...

I must remember to call by again for my French slang lesson. Thanks everyone! And love the photo.

• Eliane • said...

Funny! Yes, Cergie is correct. Hence the funny.

If you mean "I love France and will be back one day (or some day)", try: "J'aime la France et y retournerai un jour".