Ils ont découvert avec stupéfaction que leur guide de voyage était un contrebandier.
They were astonished to discover that their travel guide was a smuggler.
I cannot help to wonder where the people from French Word of the Day get their sentences from. And who picks the word, for that matter. If there are 365 new words to be learnt as a reasonably beginner French student, would smuggler really be one of them? Would I go to France, and ask where I can find a smuggler? Or look at the bus driver and ask him, are you a smuggler? Hm... maybe it would be useful to be able to deny that I am NOT a smuggler. But then I can think of a whole list of words that would need to be added to my list of vocabulary if that is the rationale!
These are some of the thoughts that made their way into my consciousness today. At some point even thoughts about rain, more rain, lots more rain and then the inevitable thoughts of floods had to make space for something else. It is quite challenging though: the water levels keep raising, some roads are flooded, others almost flooded, some schools are even closed, and anyone in a house close to water is watching the water level with a careful eye. In the Gold Coast, that is just about everybody.
Hence it didn't take long for the two red-and-yellow canoes floating up the canal, to be spotted. (Yes, floating UP, as the water levels are still raising.) As I was standing on the porch, watching the canoes, taking a picture and waiting for thoughts other than rain and water to enter my mind, I suddenly saw the neighbour frantically trying to get my attention and pointing at the canoes. Gosh, they must be hers! I hurried over to where she was standing next to the water with a long pool broom.
"They are coming this way! We can pull them up just now!" She was quite agitated. It must be terrible watching your belongings float in the river. But just as she predicted, the canoes were coming closer fairly steadily, and with some more long-handled pool equipment, we soon managed to pull them ashore.
I looked at our neighbour. She was visibly happy. No, she was beaming!
"There, you take that one now." She pushed the one canoe in my direction. What? I can't do that!! I protested.
"Finder's keepers, lovey!"
The truth slowly dawned over me.
And she looked.... SMUG!
They were astonished to discover that their travel guide was a smuggler.
I cannot help to wonder where the people from French Word of the Day get their sentences from. And who picks the word, for that matter. If there are 365 new words to be learnt as a reasonably beginner French student, would smuggler really be one of them? Would I go to France, and ask where I can find a smuggler? Or look at the bus driver and ask him, are you a smuggler? Hm... maybe it would be useful to be able to deny that I am NOT a smuggler. But then I can think of a whole list of words that would need to be added to my list of vocabulary if that is the rationale!
These are some of the thoughts that made their way into my consciousness today. At some point even thoughts about rain, more rain, lots more rain and then the inevitable thoughts of floods had to make space for something else. It is quite challenging though: the water levels keep raising, some roads are flooded, others almost flooded, some schools are even closed, and anyone in a house close to water is watching the water level with a careful eye. In the Gold Coast, that is just about everybody.
Hence it didn't take long for the two red-and-yellow canoes floating up the canal, to be spotted. (Yes, floating UP, as the water levels are still raising.) As I was standing on the porch, watching the canoes, taking a picture and waiting for thoughts other than rain and water to enter my mind, I suddenly saw the neighbour frantically trying to get my attention and pointing at the canoes. Gosh, they must be hers! I hurried over to where she was standing next to the water with a long pool broom.
"They are coming this way! We can pull them up just now!" She was quite agitated. It must be terrible watching your belongings float in the river. But just as she predicted, the canoes were coming closer fairly steadily, and with some more long-handled pool equipment, we soon managed to pull them ashore.
I looked at our neighbour. She was visibly happy. No, she was beaming!
"There, you take that one now." She pushed the one canoe in my direction. What? I can't do that!! I protested.
"Finder's keepers, lovey!"
The truth slowly dawned over me.
And she looked.... SMUG!
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| Canoes floating up the canal |
Very entertaining read. But why would you DENY that you are NOT a smuggler? I'm sure there are situations where that might be advantageous, but in a foreign country it is usually prudent to affirm one's innocence.Or?
ReplyDeleteYou are of course absolutely right.... and my poor proofreader got a kick in the butt and a strong coffee today!
ReplyDelete