About books and audiobooks
for children:
The classification "for children" is given according to the story, not to
the linguistics.
Books for children, be they bilingual books or not, and audiobooks, be they
bilingual or French audiobooks, present a linear story in which few characters
appear. They are devoided of sexually explicit episodes and do not use coarse
words.
But from a linguistic point of view, the only concession that books and
audiobooks for children get is about the length of the sentences, or rather,
their brevity. The brevity of sentences in children's books is somewhat
new, and therefore in Les Mémoires d'un âne sentences longer than
25 words are not rare. As much as possible, the adaptation has kept the
rhythm of the sentences, because it is part of the charm of la Comtesse
de Ségur's writing. Nonetheless, abridged audio books have their simplification
reflected in their corresponding bilingual
books. French unabridged audio books are often beyond children's patience.
So, linguistically speaking, the simplest story has to respect the grammar
rules of the language it is written in. That is the reason why French audiobooks
for children may not be suitable for true beginners.
To ease their efforts, the French adaptation uses the present of narration.
The French audiobook Les Mémoires de Cadichon
and the accompanying bilingual book
only $5.90
Click
here for the version on DVD
Click
here for the version to download
The Comtesse de Ségur, and this is one of the reasons that make her books for children interesting nowadays, did not sweeten the reality. So, the grown-ups who are learning French and use the audiobook to improve their understanding of oral French will enjoy a forgotten frankness about the world as it went.
A good century ago, children were not thought to be kind and good-hearted
by nature. On the contrary: they were bad, and evil had to be rooted out
from them. In the other works by Sophie de Ségur, the children were so
routinely whipped that the society became aware of the way children were
treated and, in that respect, a book such as Les Malheurs de Sophie
marked a turning point in bringing up children. In Les Mémoires de
Cadichon only the donkey (!) is hit.
Animals were thought to be on earth to work for men. The idea of treating
them as well as possible was not widely spread. For example, a little
girl asks one of her friends why he beats his donkey; today, she would
think it is wrong, whatever the reason.
The death was part of the life; it was a regrettable one, but that was
not a reason strong enough to hide it. Therefore, an illness or an accident
may have a fatal outcome. Even the suicide is touched on, though not showed
as such, and contemplated only by Cadichon.
Parents were seldom present in their children lives. It is all the more
true in Cadichon's Life Story that the children spend the vacations
at their grand-mother's house, in the countryside. They have a nanny and
there are many servants, because only the wealthy could go on vacations.
To summarize, the attentive listener is given an opportunity of traveling through time.
The abridged version, except for some words that are essential to understand
the story (bât: pack-saddle: bride: bridle, etc) does not contain words
and phrases that have become unused, and often unknown.
Parts that reflect French customs and habits so peculiar that the French
themselves understand them no longer, have been removed.
The recording is slightly slower than the usual speed of speech, and
very clearly articulated.
Only the most usual liaisons (the linking of words) are pronounced
(though some unusual ones may have escaped the reader's attention).
The PDF file of the bilingual book is a side by side bilingual book (as long as the readers choose to display two pages at a time). If they choose to print it, it is a large print book suitable for visually impaired students.
Les Mémoires de Cadichon
1h15mn of French recording and a bilingual book, only $5.90
Click
here for the version on DVD
Click
here for the version to download
Listen to an excerpt:
- © 2010 Guichard
- (Not so) Daily French
- French course
- How to pronounce French