Help with French, please--The French pronunciation thread

[Steven Seitel]

Hi, Sonia...I would be most grateful for the sound file. Thank you very much. Please also say your name the way you would like to be credited at the beginning of the chapter.

There is a translation in the book, right after the quote, so I don't actually need that.

I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to speaking French, and now I find out there's OLD French, too. Oh, my...

Thanks again,

Steve

[Kitty]

I would be most grateful for the sound file. Thank you very much. Please also say your name the way you would like to be credited at the beginning of the chapter.

ok I did that, but you don't really have to credit me much, it's just 5 lines also, do you actually want to use my file or do you want to speak it yourself and only need to hear it first ?

here is the file. I also tried to intonate a bit, so the text is better understood. I tried my best to pronounce according to the rules I still remembered. But like Old and Middle English, or Latin, there are certain rules, but no one can be really sure how exactly it all was pronounced. Anyway, there won't be any native speakers anymore to complain.

https://librivox.org/uploads/craigdav1/historyofcalifornia_chanson_de_roland_chapman_128kb.mp3

I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to speaking French, and now I find out there's OLD French, too. Oh, my...

yes the Chanson was written around 1000-1100 or so, so the language has changed quite a bit.

Hope this is what you need

Sonia

[Steven Seitel]

Sonia, that's terrific...exactly what's needed! Thank you very much.

The way you say it is very beautiful, almost like singing. There's no way my rusty old tongue can cope with that, so I'd like to use your recording in the narration. You've helped to get past a difficult spot. Again, thank you.

Steve

[Kitty]

The way you say it is very beautiful, almost like singing.

well it is a "chanson" so yes, the sing-song is probably fitting.

I'm glad you like it it was fun exercising myself once more on this old text.

Sonia

[jmoorehouse]

Help needed with this French phrase!

"Il s'est laisse’ detroner comme un enfant que l’on envoie se coucher."

Thank you so much. Go very slow, syllable by syllable, and then once speaking naturally, please.

Jan

[Kitty]

Help needed with this French phrase!
"Il s'est laisse’ detroner comme un enfant que l’on envoie se coucher."
Thank you so much. Go very slow, syllable by syllable, and then once speaking naturally, please.
Jan

I can do it tonight when I'm back home if no one else comes around earlier. Already for translation, in case you're interested: "He let himself be dethroned like a child that one sends off to bed." Who are they talking about ?

Sonia

[Kitty]

all right, here is the short file. First word by word, then a bit faster and finally a very fluent version.

Note two "liaisons" you need to make, so that it sounds more fluent French:

"un enfant" - the 'n' attaches to the next word, that's why I spoke those two words together
"l’on envoie" - also here, 'n' attaches to next word

https://librivox.org/uploads/xx-nonproject/french_for_jan.mp3

if you wish I can have a listen once you have recorded the sentence

Hope this helps

Sonia

[jmoorehouse]

Sonia, many, many thanks. This was absolutely perfect! I practiced with your voice for about half an hour, then I taped it and cut and pasted it into my chapter. I think you MIGHT prefer NOT to hear the final product. lol I don't want to give you any sense of responsibility (or nightmares either).

Since you asked, this is a French phrase used about Catherine the Great's husband Peter from whom she stole the throne. I hope that gives you just the hint you wanted to understand such a strange quote.

Happy March (soon!).
Jan

[Kitty]

Since you asked, this is a French phrase used about Catherine the Great's husband Peter from whom she stole the throne. I hope that gives you just the hint you wanted to understand such a strange quote.

ah yes, if it's about him, the sentence is quite accurate

glad it helped

Sonia

[jmoorehouse]

A new chapter, a new French phrase! Oh my.

Here's what I need to pronounce to the best of my ability:

Taille de nymphe, un teint de lys et de rose.

Slowly so I can pronounce phonetically, then swiftly so I know what it should sound like!

Thank you!!
Jan

[Kitty]

Here's what I need to pronounce to the best of my ability:

Taille de nymphe, un teint de lys et de rose.

Slowly so I can pronounce phonetically, then swiftly so I know what it should sound like!

if you only have one-liners, these are quickly done

hope this helps: https://librivox.org/uploads/xx-nonproject/french-taille.mp3
it means: "body of a nymph, a complexion like the lily and the rose"

Sonia

[jmoorehouse]

Sonia, you are a miracle to me! Yes, I think they will mostly be one or two liners. I wonder if the author established her class and credibility by tossing in some obscure French quotes from time to time! hahaha
Thanks so much--such speed, too!
Warmly,
Jan

[TriciaG]

We have a paragraph in French in "Handbook of Home Rule". Here's the text:

"'Quand vous en êtes arroês à ce point, croyez bien que dans cette voie de regueurs tous vos efforts pour rétabler l'ordre et la paix seront inutiles. En vain, pour réprimer des crimes atroces, vous appellerez à votre aide toutes les sévérités du code de Dracon; en vain vous ferez des lois cruelles pour arrêter le cours de révoltantes cruautés; vainement vous frapperez de mort le moindre délit se rattachant à ces grands crimes; vainement, dans l'effroi de votre impuissance, vous suspendrez le cours des lois ordinaries proclamerez des comtés entiers en état de suspicion légale, voilerez le principe de la liberté individuelle, créerez des cours martiales, des commissions extraordinaires, et pour produire de salutaires impressions de terreur, multiplierez à l'excès les exécutions capitales.'"

Would someone be willing to record it, so we can insert it into the file?

[Kitty]

We have a paragraph in French in "Handbook of Home Rule". Here's the text:

"'Quand vous en êtes arroês à ce point, croyez bien que dans cette voie de regueurs tous vos efforts pour rétabler l'ordre et la paix seront inutiles. En vain, pour réprimer des crimes atroces, vous appellerez à votre aide toutes les sévérités du code de Dracon; en vain vous ferez des lois cruelles pour arrêter le cours de révoltantes cruautés; vainement vous frapperez de mort le moindre délit se rattachant à ces grands crimes; vainement, dans l'effroi de votre impuissance, vous suspendrez le cours des lois ordinaries proclamerez des comtés entiers en état de suspicion légale, voilerez le principe de la liberté individuelle, créerez des cours martiales, des commissions extraordinaires, et pour produire de salutaires impressions de terreur, multiplierez à l'excès les exécutions capitales.'"

Would someone be willing to record it, so we can insert it into the file?

I can record it immediately, but I think there are three small typos in the text, or maybe they were the old spelling of words that are written differently today.
Stay tuned, working on it and will post in the thread. So I understand you want to use my recording and I should read it in normal speed, not specifically very slow so the reader can emulate it ?

Sonia

[TriciaG]

Yes, normal speed. Thank you so much!