Unusual: power cut at the Elysée palace.
5 . le 13 juin : le treize juin.
43 % : quarante-trois pour cent.
Euro 2004 : Euro deux mille quatre.
4 juillet : quatre juillet.
At the beginning of this June afternoon, while having a coffee, the conversation starts with the protests of the EDF trade unions. Then it switches to the European elections, which took place on June 13 and in which only 43 % of the electors voted. And finally it goes on to the European Soccer Cup, Euro 2004. So far, this great sports event, which lasts until July 5, hasn’t mobilized the French much, but more than the elections, even so!
6 - bin y'avait plein d'gens : Eh bien, il y avait beaucoup de gens.
y'aurait pu y'avoir : il aurait pu y avoir.
parc'que : parce que.
y'a : il y a.
J'crois pas qu'ça : je ne crois pas que cela.
Ils veulent privatiser qu'à : il ne veulent privatiser qu'à.
j'me dis : je me dis.
c'est pas : ce n'est pas.
- In Corsica, they had power cuts, and it was a mess, er... a big mess because the whole of Corsica was without power. Well, there were people trapped, well, there could have been deaths because the firemen, they were saturated in... to help people stuck in lifts or... hospitals or... so, there's really... it's dangerous, it's dangerous and anyway I don't think that... that... that it will solve their problems to do that, as well. They want to privatize only 30 %, so I think : "Why not?". As it is not a 100 % privatization but only 30 %...
7 - Y'aura p't-être : il y aura peut-être.
i s'ront : ils seront.
i z'auront : ils auront.
- Maybe there'll be competition, like that.
- Yes, that's right, and then it... it... it... they'll be a little less... They'll have a little less monopoly, they'll be a little more open... to consumers, yeah, their clients... a little less... a little more competition, that's right, they'll be a little more...
8 - chais pas : je ne sais pas.
p't-être : peut-être.
I z'ont : ils ont.
Ils défendent leur bifteck : ils défendent leurs intérêts.
hein ! : n'est-ce pas.
- The staff who... who have had benefits since EDF exists, that is to say since... social benefits, for, I don't know... fifty years, sixty years, seventy years*, maybe, so er... all these benefits will be called into question. They're afraid that... that all these benefits will melt away year by year. They’re standing up for their rights, aren’t they?
* Since 1946.
9 – Bin : Et bien.
i z'ont pas : ils n'ont pas.
On savait pas : on ne savait pas.
il sait même pas : il ne sait même pas.
on nous en parle pas : on ne nous en parle pas.
- Were you interested in the European elections?
- Well, in my opinion, it's that... they didn’t advertise these elections enough. We didn't know who to vote for... So er... it's very serious, the average Frenchman er... he's European and he doesn't even really know because... they don't tell us much about it, do they?
10 - Je sais plus du tout : je ne sais plus du tout.
C'était pas clair : ce n'était pas clair.
d'voter : de voter.
- Well I think that I understand the elections less now than before. Before the elections, I had a small idea, but now, bah! I don't have any idea how it works any more!
- It's something which went right over my head. It was not clear... or... apart from voting for parties er... parties...
11 - Ouais : oui.
j'ai pas : je n'ai pas.
- Which we know.
- Yeah, that's it! I... I... I didn’t have the impression that we were talking about Europe. That's it...
- Me neither, it's the same for me. It’s true. We voted for the party... the party we are interested in, without really thinking that we were voting for Europe.
12 - J'aime pas : je n'aime pas.
i sont : ils sont.
- And the European Cup?
- Well me, personally, I find it funny. To see a little... first, it teaches us a little about the European countries. And that teaches us about other cultures... I don’t really like soccer, but well, it's a bit like the Tour de France where... we see all the countries a little, we see reports, and that’s interesting. And well, there is a... a joy, even if there are countries a little like England where they are a bit... a bit… some… some… some hooligans. But apart from that, no, it’s fun, it’s fun.
13 - je suis pas emballée de foot : je ne suis pas passionnée de foot.
tous ces équipes : toutes ces équipes.
- So it’s better organized than the European elections!
- For me too. That's it, soccer doesn’t... I am not too keen on soccer, but to see all these teams, all these er... different people, yes, it is entertaining. It helps us to get to know Europe, the countries of Europe.