Chinese-French Bilingual Reader Selection

Author: Gui Houyi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: July 1, 2005
Features: This book consists of 32 lessons, with a well-structured progression. Each lesson is divided into five parts: French original text, vocabulary list, notes, introduction, and translation. The notes section provides detailed explanations of the difficulties in each lesson. Through the translations in this book, you can learn about the work and life sketches of many world-renowned figures, appreciate the works of famous literary masters, and gain insights into the culture of China and France, the beautiful Seine River, the thunderous of the 1871 Paris Commune, and from the proverbial poem "Smiling," you can also learn how to interact with others.
The 21st century is the era of the knowledge economy and information. The amount of knowledge and information one grasps plays a crucial role in the progress and development of a nation and even an individual. With the success of Beijing's bid for the Olympics, China's entry into the WTO, and the continuous deepening of reform and the expansion of opening-up, China's cooperation with the international community has become increasingly close. Especially with the official friendly visit of French President Jacques Chirac to China and the grand celebration of the China-France Cultural Year, all of these have ushered the traditional friendship and cooperative relations between China and France into a new period of development. Therefore, more and more people will be learning French.
However, learning French is not an easy task. For those who study foreign languages, it is well understood that to truly master a foreign language, one must engage in extensive reading, especially reading some world-renowned classics, so that one's foreign language proficiency can reach a new level. To meet the needs of, enrich vocabulary, master common French sentence patterns, consolidate grammar, broaden knowledge, and improve reading skills in French, we have compiled this book, Selected Bilingual French-Chinese Readings. The book includes some new words that have emerged in recent years, such as: AIDS, mad cow disease, "Erika," Black Sea wave, gene therapy, as well as speeches or life sketches of many celebrities. Many of the content is little-known. For example: General de Gaulle's "Appeal to the French People," President Chirac's New Year's Greetings, President Pompidou's speech, "The President Who Manages a Thousand Matters."
It is particularly worth mentioning that in the selected classics section, some short stories by world literary masters are included. For example: De Maupassant's "The Last Lesson," Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace," Hugo's excerpt from "Les Misérables," and the famous Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl."
In short, even readers who know nothing about French can learn about the work and life sketches of many world-renowned figures, appreciate the works of world-famous literary masters, and gain insights into the culture of China and France, the beautiful Seine River, the thunderous of the 1871 Paris Commune, and from the proverbial poem "Smiling," you can also learn how to interact with others.
The book consists of 32 lessons, with a well-structured progression. Each lesson is divided into five parts: French original text, vocabulary list, notes, introduction, and translation. The notes section provides detailed explanations of the difficulties in each lesson. Especially the introduction section is quite distinctive. Most introductions include a brief author bio or background information about the article. Spending just a few minutes reading a few hundred words of the introduction will give you a relatively comprehensive understanding of the main idea of the article, serving as a "highlight."
This book is particularly suitable for learners with intermediate French proficiency, students with a certain foundation in French, and French enthusiasts. It can also be used as extracurricular reading material for university students. The book can also be used as a textbook for French majors in higher education institutions, as well as for second-language French students and amateur enthusiasts with a certain level of French proficiency.
During the compilation of this book, Mr. Kokouagbessizomblewou, Counselor of the Togo Embassy in China, reviewed the article "China and France" in the final stage; Mr. Ai Shu also contributed a great deal of work to this book. At the same time, this book also benefited from the guidance of many French experts and the help of many friends. On this occasion of publication, sincere thanks are extended to them.
I have been engaged in French translation and teaching for 30 years and have always wanted to contribute what I can to cultural exchange between China and France. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations and the China-France Cultural Year, I wrote this book as a token of celebration. Due to my limited ability and lack of experience, I sincerely hope that readers and French experts will point out any errors and shortcomings in the book.
Compiler
February 2005