Here’s my very first French essay! We’re supposed to write a story based on 2 characters in our textbook, a certain pupil named Hamlet, and his teacher. We have to introduce both characters, introduce a conflict, resolve that conflict in a humorous/ironic/philosophical/political manner. And due to linguistic limitations, we can only use words and phrases that we’ve been taught. Here’s the result, followed by an English translation (with attempts to preserve as much of the French syntax as possible without sacrificing grammar):
C’est l’élève Hamlet. Hamlet est un garçon petit, et il a sept ans. Il a les cheveux blonds et les yeux verts, et il aime aller au école. Vraiment, il ressemble à garçon typique, mais il ne comme pas tout le monde! Par exemple, «Hamlet» n’est pas son prénom vrai; il préfère s’appeler «le petit prince», mais à ses camarades de classe et son professeur, il s’appelle «le prince Hamlet» ou «Hamlet». Pourquoi? Je ne sais pas! Peut-être il ressemble le prince danois, mais il n’est pas danois! Au contraire, ne personne connais sa origine. Oui, Hamlet n’est pas typique!
Hamlet a un professeur. Il s’appelle Monsieur Tristan. M. Tristan est un homme gros, et il a peut-être cinquante ans. Il a pas beaucoup de cheveux, et ses cheveux gris. Il est très riche, mais il est très avare aussi. Ses étudiants détestent M. Tristan, car il est très sérieux et toujours triste. Il n’a pas de femme, et a pas beaucoup amis. Il n’aime pas les enfants, ses étudiants surtout! Hamlet, par contre, a beaucoup amis, car il est très sociable et sympathique, et il est jamais égoïste.
Un journée, M. Tristan pose un question à Hamlet:
– Hamlet, tu es toujours heureux. Pourquoi?
– Ben, je ne sais pas, Monsieur Tristan. Eh bien… mon père est très heureux, ma mère est très heureuse, et mes frères et sœurs sont très heureux aussi…
– Qui sont les membres de ta famille?
– Euh… mon père est les soleil, ma mère est la lune, et mes frères et sœurs sont…
– Les étoiles?
– Oui, professeur!
– Pas possible! Tu es dans les nuages! Est-ce que tu as un père et une mère? Réponde comme tout le monde!
– Oui, professeur. Mon père est les soleil, ma mère…
– Suffit. Tu n’as pas père ou mère, n’est-ce pas?
– Mais si, professeur! J’ai un père et une mère. Mon père est les soleil…
– Suffit, suffit! Je comprends. Tu es très optimiste… Je n’ai pas une famille, comme tu, mais tu n’est pas triste. Je, par contre, ne suis pas heureux.
– Mai non, Monsieur Tristan! Vous avez un père et des enfants!
– Hein?
– Le fils est le père de l’homme, n’est-ce pas?
– Euh… C’est vrai…
– Et nous, vos étudiants, somme vos enfants! Si vous aimez nous, nous aimons vous aussi.
– C’est vrai, c’est vrai… Hamlet, tu es petit, mais tu es très intelligent!
M. Tristan écoute Hamlet, et adore ses étudiants. Il est très généreux et sympathique aussi. Hamlet et ses camarades de classe sont très heureux, et adorent leurs professeur. Et M. Tristan est surtout heureux. Finis.
And in English:
This is Hamlet the pupil. Hamlet is a small boy, and has seven years [is seven years old]. He has blond hair and green eyes, and he loves to go to school. Indeed, he resembles a typical boy, but he is not like everyone else. For example, “Hamlet” is not he real first name; he prefers to be called “the little prince”, but to his classmates and his teacher, he is called “prince Hamlet” or “Hamlet”. Why? I do not know! Perhaps he resembles the Danish prince, but he is not a Dane! On the contrary, nobody knows his origins. Yes, Hamlet is not typical!
Hamlet has a teacher. He is called Mr. Saddon ["Triste" is French for "sad"]. Mr. Saddon is a big man, and he is about fifty years old. He has not much hair, and his hair is grey. He is very rich, but very stingy also. His students detest Mr. Saddon, for he is very serious and always unhappy. He does not have a wife, and has very few friends. He does not love children, especially his students! Hamlet, on the other hand, has many friends, for his is very friendly and nice, and he is never selfish.
One day, Mr. Saddon poses a question to Hamlet:
“Hamlet, you are always happy. Why?”
“Hmm, I do not know, Mr. Saddon. Well… my father is very happy, my mother is very happy, and my brothers and sisters are very happy too…”
“Who are the members of your family?”
“Um… my father is the sun, my mother is the moon, and my brothers and sisters are…”
“The stars?”
“Yes, teacher!”
“Impossible! You are in the clouds! Do you have a father and a mother? Respond like everyone else!”
“Yes, teacher. My father is the sun, my mother…”
“Enough. You do not have a father or mother, do you?”
“But yes, teacher! I have a father and a mother. My father is the sun…”
“Enough, enough! I understand. You are very optimistic… I do not have a family too, like you, but you are not sad. I, on the other hand, am not happy.”
“But no, Mr. Saddon! You have a father and children!”
“What?”
“The son is the father of the man, right?
“Er… that’s true…”
“And we, your students, are your children! If you love us, we love you also!”
“That’s true, that’s true… Hamlet, you are little, but you are very smart!”
Mr. Saddon listens to Hamlet, and adores his students. He is very generous and nice also. Hamlet and his classmates are very happy, and adore their teacher. And Mr. Saddon is especially happy. The end.
Clearly, there are many issues and difficulties with this narrative, apart from the limited vocabulary and sentence structures. Readers of French will find this much more awkward than readers of English, as there’s much more room for mistakes in French: gender, verb conjugation, formality, just to name a few. Also, the lack of a past tense (we haven’t been taught that yet) is très enneyeux [very annoying]. Writing this took up an inordinate amount of time… so even if I don’t get a good grade on this, I hope that at least the grader enjoyed it.
WOW Kor can already write in French! So cool:)
The google toolbar popped out on this pg Asking Whether to translate this to Français pg haha .. Look what came up: D
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‘It is the student’s Hamlet. Hamlet is a little boy, and he has seven. He has blond hair and green eyes, and he loves going to school. Really, it looks like a typical boy, but he does not like the whole world! For example, Hamlet is not his real name he prefers to be called “the little prince, but his classmates and his teacher, he is called” Prince Hamlet “or” Hamlet. “Why?” I do not know! Perhaps it resembles the Danish prince, but he is not Danish! On the contrary, does anyone know its origin. Yes, Hamlet is not typical!
Hamlet was a teacher. His name is Sir Tristan. Mr. Tristan is a fat man, and he perhaps fifty years. He has not much hair, and her gray hair. It is very rich, but it is also very stingy. His students hate Mr. Tristan, because he is always very serious and sad. He has no wife, and not many friends. He does not like children, especially his students! Hamlet, by idiots, has many friends because he is very sociable and friendly, and it is never selfish.
One Day Mr. Tristan poses a question to Hamlet:
– Hamlet, you’re always happy. Why?
– Well, I do not know, Sir Tristan. Well … my father is very happy, my mother is very happy, and my brothers and sisters are also very happy …
– Who are the members of your family?
– Uh … my father is the sun, my mother is the moon, and my brothers and sisters …
– The stars?
– Yes, Professor!
– Impossible! You’re in the clouds! Do you have a father and mother? Respond like everyone else!
– Yes, Professor. My father is the sun, my mother …
– Enough. You have no father or mother, is not it?
– Yes, Professor! I have a father and a mother. My father is the sun …
– Enough, enough! I understand. You’re very optimistic … I’m not a family like you, but you is not sad. I, for idiots, I am not happy.
– May not, Mr Tristan! You have a father and child!
– Huh?
– The son is the father of the man, is not it?
– Uh … It’s true …
– And we, your students are your children! If you love us, we love you too.
– True, true … Hamlet, you’re small, but you’re very smart!
Mr. Tristan plays Hamlet, and loves his students. He is very generous and friendly too. Hamlet and his classmates are very happy and love their teacher. And Mr. Tristan is especially happy. Finis. ”
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HEHE quite close!
haha! that was cool! but, oh man! i hope the google translator is the one making mistakes, and not me! haha! some of the translations are really off! and it translates “par contre” as “by idiots”!! hilarious!