Leçon 7 -- Text

 

A classroom, a professor, some students.

 

 

1.

Now we are going to do the portrait of the young man of the story, Robert.

 

 

 

He's an American, a solid boy.

 

 

 

You mean (want to say) that he is going to be fat?

 

 

 

But no, not at all. He is solid, robust, husky, but he isn't fat at all.

 

 

 

He doesn't have a stomach: in fact, Robert is rather thin.

 

 

 

He is one meter 70 centimeters tall. (He measures 1 m. 70) --- 1 m. 70 = 5' 7"

 

 

 

And he weighs exactly 70 kilograms. -- 70 kilograms = 154 lbs.

 

 

 

He is taller than Mireille. Mireille is (makes) one meter 63 centimeters,

 

 

 

One meter 64, perhaps, not more. -- 1 m. 63 = 5' 4"

 

 

 

Robert is taller than she, or if you prefer, she is less tall than he, she is shorter than he.

 

 

2.

He is very athletic: he does some water skiing, some surfing, some polo,

 

 

 

Some football (American, of course), some basketball, some volleyball, some handball,

 

 

 

Some hockey, some roller skating.

 

 

 

That's all?

 

 

 

Yes, it's necessary to leave him a little time for working.

 

 

 

Or for taking a nap.

 

 

3.

Let's come back to our physical portrait. He isn't very tall. He is thin, but solid.

 

 

 

He has rather wide and rather square shoulders. He has a square chin.

 

 

 

Is he going to be blond, red-headed, brown-haired (chestnut), or brunette (dark-haired).

 

 

 

Blond. ... Ah! That's too bad, Madam.

 

 

 

 I think (believe) that Robert is going to be brunette (have dark hair). He has black hair.

 

 

 

Me, I prefer white hair, or gray. It's more serious, more distinguished.

 

 

 

Yes, it's true. But Robert is a young man. He has black hair, and eyebrows ...

 

 

 

Blond. ... Blond eyebrows with black hair? But no. That won't do. (That doesn't go.)

 

 

 

That won't do at all. With black hair, on needs (it is necessary) black eyebrows.

 

 

 

Too bad.

 

 

4.

Yes, but it's like that. Robert is going to have black and thick eyebrows.

 

 

 

... well, rather thick. But is he going to have a mustache?

 

 

 

You prefer Robert with or without a mustache? Without? Very well.

 

 

 

It's agreed. Robert isn't going to have a mustache.

 

 

 

Is he going to have a beard? What do you prefer, with or without?

 

 

 

So, what do you decide? A beard or no beard. ... No beard.

 

 

5.

Good. Robert isn't going to have a beard? And the eyes?

 

 

 

Is he going to have blue eyes? No! Dark (black)? .... Not really.

 

 

 

He is going to have chestnut colored eyes. So. There it is.

 

 

 

Robert doesn't have a stomach, no beard, no mustache, no white hair,

 

 

 

but he has wide shoulders, black hair, black eyebrows, chestnut colored eyes.

 

 

 

That's it for the physical.

 

 

6.

In terms of character, now. ... Is he, too, going to have a lively mind? (him also)

 

 

 

No, he's going to be stupid. ... But no, but no. He is going to be intelligent

 

 

 

and he, too, is going to have a quick mind. A bit less quick than Mireille perhaps,

 

 

 

but he's not going to be stupid. He is sociable, but he speaks less than Mireille.

 

 

 

Il is also less of a tease than she. He is more indulgent.

 

 

7.

Summing up, they don't resemble each other very much. They are even rather different.

 

 

 

Mireille is rather short; Robert is taller. She is blond; he is brunette.

 

 

 

She does ice-skating: He does roller-skating.

 

 

 

She has blue eyes; he has chestnut eyes.

   
 

She is very much a tease; he is less a tease.

   
 

She is very lively, he is calmer.

   
 

What is their meeting going to bring?

   
 

Ah ... because ... in the story ... the young man is going to meet the young girl?

   
 

Yes, perhaps ... or rather the young girl is going to meet the young man.

   
 

Everything is possible. Chance is so vast (large, great).