h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

... est parfait; oubliez l'addition!

Bonjour stunningfrenchie, je pense que j'ai demande(acute accent sur le e) que vous oubliez l'addition mais je ne sais pas le mot en anglais pour "name tag". Ce n'est pas dire que je ne peux pas payer l'addition si vous voulez un the ou un cafe ou un verre du vin rouge ou un (comment direz vous en francais "pan galactic gargle blaster") . J'esperre vous comprendez et pardonnez mon mal francais.

Your name is perfect, you don't need a name tag.

Van

Thanks.

Your French is pretty good

I don't know the French for "name tag" either, anyway...

I think the latest translation for PGGB is "gargle blaster pan-galactique", but I seem to recall something about an "arrache-boyaux pan-galactique" (as in "pan galactic gut-ripper", or something like that).

For my part, being in the Champagne region, I'll offer you a glass of . Enjoy!

Merci beaucoup ( hic ) Je me souvenis de (Est-ce qu'il y a un verbe reflechi?) un peu de vocabulaire mais ma grammaire de Francais est terrible. Je voudrais progresser, donc je recherche le mot Francais en mon dictionnaire avant je trouve le mot Anglais transferer a Francais.

Voulez-vous converser avec moi (moi en Francais, vous en Anglais ou l'un et autre quand les mots ce n'est pas sous la main?) S'il vous plait ne pensez pas ca j'utiliserai vous comme un cochon d'Inde. Je voudrais pour vous rectifier mon Francais et il sera fabuleux pour nous comprendrons connaitre l'un l'autre. (I hope that makes sense but it's probably too literal- what is the french phrase for getting to know each other?)

Est-ce que je peux appelez-vous "tu", s'il vous plait?

En rendre grace a , voici un

A bientot
Van

Many thanks for the .

It would be a pleasure to chat with you and help you improve your French, but I'm afraid non-English-language posts are against the House Rules. BUT the good news is, we had found a way around that by translating our own posts into English before posting them (not sure if that's very clear : we would write a message in French, then write the English translation under it, then post the whole). Just to make sure we don't get deleted, you know.

There's also the language thing somewhere around...

______________________________________________

You can say "je me souviens d'un peu de vocabulaire", or "je me rappelle un peu de vocabulaire". Both are correct.
To look (something) up in the dictionary is "chercher (quelque chose) dans le dictionnaire".
"to get to know each other" would be "faire connaissance".
Hope that helps.

Ahah, found it!

Here's the link to the French Department of the Language Thing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/A2658684

There used to be a French speaking thread there, maybe we could revive it?

Descendre avec les regles de la maison!

Il sera prends-moi trop de temps toujours ecrire en Francais donc je pense nous pouvons(?) trouver un medium heureux

Merci pour votre temps et j'ecrirai tot (en Anglais)

Van

"Is it a revolt?" "No, Sire, it's a revolution!"

I agree that writing in a language you're not fluent in is a difficult task, even with all the good will in the world.

Write anytime, it'll always be a pleasure!

_________________________________

- "Down with the House Rules" would be "à bas les Règles de la Maison".
- "It would take me too much time" : "ça me prendrait trop de temps de..."

Bonjour la plus belle femme en France

Merci pour the links you gave; I may well sign up to the classroom when I have the time. I can't believe it's been five weeks since I said that I'd write to you soon! In my defence, I've been ill, injured, writing essays, coping with the Dr Who finale and watching trop de football. I gathered from one of bel's threads that you haven't been particularly enthralled by le coup de monde and I don't blame you. I'm a football (and sports) enthusiast and, being unemployed, I've been watching as much of the football as I've been able to but, even for me, watching some of it has seemed like a chore (particularly the France and England matches!)

I've also submitted four essays since I last wrote, two each for English language and literature. I'm reading a degree via distance learning. Four more essays and exams in Octobre then on to my next modules; I'm thinking of studying children's literature and beginners French

Je suis desole, I only meant to say merci for the links and ask how you were but I seem to have rambled on

Merci pour les chainons et comment ca-va?

Le votre,
Van

Hello, there!

Sorry to hear you've been unwell; I hope you are better now.

Well, I'm not really into sports but I do sometimes watch it, when ther's an important game; couldn't stand watching 2 matches a day for x weeks, though. I'd overdose!!

Ooooh...! Essays? What were they about? Anything interesting? (well, I hope so! )

I haven't been up to much these days, mostly because it was so hot!
I did go to a nice little concert/walk around town yesterday, with a baroque music group. It was very enjoyable, and the music was great quality, too!

Oh, and you're welcome, by the way.
I had to think for a while to understand the "Merci pour les chainons", because "chaînon" is the word for the actual metal link things. An internet link would be called "un lien".
(and "chaînon manquant" is the French for Darwin's "missing link". So you really had me puzzled, there! ).

Looking forward to reading you again soon.

SF.

Hello,

I know it's been a while (plus de deux moins!) so please accept these s of s and s. I've had several essays since you last wrote. Literature wise, I've written about The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Ibsen's 'A Doll's House' and a comparison of 'Othello' with Aphra Benn's 'The Rover'. Language wise, I've written about the visual grammar of an advert on the internet and a response to an extract of children conversing in a classroom in regard to their communicative competence and other stuff. Some of it has been interesting but I'll leave it up to you as to how interesting you think it is and whether you want to ask any questions about it. I have two exams in about a month so I've just started revising for them.

I should be starting Beginners' French in Octobre and a Shakespeare module in Janvier but I'll have to get through my exams before I think about them.

How are you? Still living the champagne lifestyle? (I'm not sure that joke will work. ) How's your job? Will you be protesting about the raising of the retirement age?

I hope that isn't too many questions but you don't have to answer any of them if you don't wish to.

Take good care, Van

Hello, there! Good to hear from you!

*unpacks s* Ooh! Thanks!

I haven't read 'The Colour Purple', 'A Doll's House', 'Othello' or 'The Rover'.
I have read 'The Scarlet Letter', but that's different, isn't it?

In my English studies at Uni, I read a few "classics", but my only Shakespeare was 'Richard II'.
We never had any comparing to do; we had essays on themes in a book, or text commentaries on an extract. I wasn't very good at either.
I quite liked 'News from Nowhere' by William Morris, and also shorts stories by Flannery O'Connor. That was interesting. I don't remember much from 'The Good Soldier' by F M Brown, the professor who treated it was very professorish, if you see what I mean. I think we weren't intelligent enough for her.

Oh, and one my my favourites was 'Huckleberry Fynn' (not sure how to spell it, though... )

I'm still happy with my job. I was away on holiday for three weeks, just got back yesterday.
I will not be protesting yet, as I am still only a trainee, and my year will (should) be validated on 1st October. After that date, though, I may well join the crowds.

with your exams.

I'm going to take the exam to get to the rank above mine does this make any sense at all?
I am currently in what's called "C category", which is the lowest civil service category; I'm going to take the exam to enter "B category"; it doesn't make much difference as to the job (although I could* be given more responsibility), but the pay is better.
The written part is in January, and the orals (if I make it that far...!) would be in May.

See/read you later.
SF.