Audio
When I started www.sonsenfrancais.org, it was with audio files. I am convinced that video, with body language and the interest of the image to help, is much better. However, certain resources are available only in audio, and I will put them up here
| Click on the top half of the image for the audio file and the bottom for the text | |
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Our first example is the audio book. You should not neglect this rich
source of listening practice - and of literary pleasure, of course. If you
choose audio books of classics, you will find the text freely downloadable
on the 'Net. As always, try to follow without the text then with. The first quote is from one of the greatest of twentieth century French writers, Louis-Ferdinand Céline His style is abrasive, enormously creative, difficult. And, perhaps, a difficult man to like. An enthusiastic fascist, he spent the second war in Germany, and spent some time in prison for it after the war. But Voyage au bout de la nuit is a work of genius. Here we have the first chapter. You will need the text. It's a Level-3
I've updated this to reflect the 'audio subtitle
file' that I talk about below. Here are the files
Here is the second - and superb - chapter of the novel. |
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Signé Furax
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Learning French is like retracing the steps of one's life.
Another culture, another history - particularly of songs, films, plays,
and the things that made us laugh. In the England of the '50s we had the
Goon Show, the famous radio series. And there was a French equivalent
it was written by
Pierre
Dac and Francis Blanche, and called
Signé Furax.
The same style of humour, fantastic situations, funny voices, the
master criminal. And a new technical offering for this site. This is an audio recording. You get the text of this first episode of 8 minutes, a subtitle file, and a video. I've done this to allow you to listen to the episode while (optionally) reading the subtitles. The video is Windows Media Video, but AlShow and GOM player will play it, and allow you to rewind where necessary. Enjoy ! Obelisque.wmv Obelisque.srt Obelisque.doc The second part Le secret de Monsieur Léon Léon SecretLeon.wmv SecretLeon.srt SecretLeon.doc The plot thickens and the Police grapple... with each other ! GuerrePolices.wmv GuerrePolices.srt GuerrePolices.doc Fouvreaux and Socrate engage some outside help Le serment.wmv Le serment.srt Le serment.doc Two of our friends find the sort of bar we all dream about Chasseurdeprime.wmv Chasseurdeprime.srt Chasseurdeprime.doc In which a couple of rats are trapped and escape par la chasse Détournement.wmv Détournement.srt Détournement.doc Black and White meet with .... ? OmbreFurax.wmv OmbreFurax.srt OmbreFurax.doc Fouvreaux and Socrate, with the aid of Black and White try to save the famous Pont d'Avignon Le pont d'Avignon.wmv Le pont d'avignon.srt Le pont d'avignon.doc
In which a fast talking lorry driver confuses Fouvreau -
and tests our listening ability ! |
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Monsieur Broutechoux,
owner of l'Usine Pourdrilégumes takes our
intrepid investigators to see his factory. The cartoon above explains
all... Usine Poudrilégumes.wmv Usine Poudrilégumes.srt Usine Poudrilégumes.doc |
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A
strange little episode, where Black and White follow a trail of clues and
find the Commissaire Socrate up a tree... SignéSocrate.wmv SignéSocrate.srt SignéSocrate.doc
Now a long and quite difficult episode - but very funny ! My thanks to
Michel for helping me with the joke about the Halle aux Vins |
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In this episode Attentat à l'Institut Electroniquem, we start to pierce the mystery of the disappearing monuments. A fairly easy episode to follow |
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Some nice
exchanges here between the villainous Grougnache and his boss Klackmuf.
And then the cops swoop on L'usine Poudrelégumes
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Of course,
the operation is a failure, and Fouvreaux
throws a wobbly. And then the unfortunate Monsieur Broutechoux fails to
read the warning on the packet... Le témoin gênant.wmv Le témoin gênant.srt Le témoin gênant.doc |
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While
professor Hardy Petit's National Institute of Electronics is being rebuilt
we find him in temporary accomodation in the back of a butcher's shop,
along with his daughter and the dashing young Théo Courant. In this
episode, Théo comes to grief, and we have a sequence of good station
porter jokes at the end. But before that there are some difficult moments in the dialogue. See how you do...
L'enlèvement de Théo.wmv L'enlèvement de Théo.srt L'enlèvement de Théo.doc |
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A good episode, which starts with the unfortunate Théo
Courant being tortured to force him to write to the Professor. Quite nasty
- if you don't much like dentists drills you will feel for poor Théo. Attention Tangers.wmv Attention Tangers.srt Attention Tangers.doc |
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In this
episode we are introduced to Maurice Champot dit la Grammaire,
who of course says things like Il était de la plus haute importance que je vous visse. And then of course the endearing little Italian Cannelloni, living in Tangiers under the name of Asti Spumante... Le Bar de la grimace.wmv Le Bar de la grimace.srt Le Bar de la grimace.doc |
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I enjoyed this episode, where the resourceful young hero Theo
outwits the moustache-twirling Klakmuf and his henchman Grognache.
SOS sur 28 metres 02.wmv SOS sur 28 metres 02.srt SOS sur 28 metres 02.doc |
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The plot moves forward, with Black and White and the unfortunate
Cannelloni learning something interesting on the quayside of Tangiers,
thanks to Maurice la Grammaire. Un tireur nommé Asti Spumante.wmv Un tireur nommé Asti Spumante.srt Un tireur nommé Asti Spumante.doc |
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We start to understand how the dastardly theft of France's great
monuments was achieved - and we are reminded also that Pierre Dac is the
inventor of the Schmilblick. A good episode. L'extrapolateur de densité.wmv L'extrapolateur de densité.srt L'extrapolateur de densité.doc |
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A couple of good jokes in this episode, Changement de
régime. The idea of cleaning a hotel carpet
by going in through the celing of the room below... and then the
appalling torture suffered by poor Théo - having
to watch Klakmuf and Grougnache eat a fine meal, while Théo
himself has not eaten for three whole days... Torture à
la française.
Changement de régime.wmv Changement de régime.srt Changement de régime.doc |
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We are now
into the third episode of this series. Thirty-two episodes - with about
another 130 to go. And in Les perceurs de tapis persans the evil
Klakmuf prepares to take the unfortunate Théo
far, far across the sea...
Perceurs de tapis persans.wmv Perceurs de tapis persans.srt Perceurs de tapis persans.doc |
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Our intrepid team find the solution to Theo's puzzle - but head off
in the wrong direction !
Le rébus de Théo Courant.wmv Le rébus de Théo Courant.srt Le rébus de Théo Courant.doc |
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In which our heros meet the submarine Captain Fauderche - a name
familiar to those who study the oeuvre of Pierre Dac.
And we have the lovely lines Mais dis-moi, il est atteint de strabisme divergent ? Déformation professionnelle - c'est un ancien agent double Le miraculé de Sainte Rosalyne.wmv Le miraculé de Sainte Rosalyne.srt Le miraculé de Sainte Rosalyne.doc
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In this episode we meet the evil Furax and learn what terrible
destiny awaits the unfortunate Commissaire Socrate...
Le zombie de Furax.wmv Le zombie de Furax.srt Le zombie de Furax.doc |
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... in which the team of intrepid crime busters voyage towards Madagascar, and Klakmuf puts down a revolt |
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Captain Fauderche is not at all happy with our heroes - especially
the unfortunate Asti Spumante Le sous-marin de poche révolver.avi Le sous-marin de poche révolver.srt Le sous-marin de poche révolver.doc |
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Asti Spumante saves the team from starvation - at a price. Fuel is
bought from a sea-going petrol station - and Maurice le Grammaire
disappears !
Maurice le Grammaire a disparu.wmv Maurice le Grammaire a disparu.srt Maurice le Grammaire a disparu.doc |
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Théo is imprisoned in the lighthouse
Le prisonnier du phare.wmv Le prisonnier du phare.srt Le prisonnier du phare.txt |
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...and while Klakmuf tries to impress the natives with the Boudin
Sacré, Théo receives a lesson in lighthouse communication with a 'lampe
à signaux' from the kindly lighthouse keeper
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Tragedy for Klakmuf, the Sacred Goudgouz has been
replaced by chipolatas ....
Signaux du destin.wmv Signaux du destin.srt Signaux du destin.txt |
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In which our intrepid group of friends rescue Théo by pretending that he suffers from... |
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... but brave Théo turns
his back on liberty in order to spy on the villains Le sacrifice de Théo Courant.wmv Le sacrifice de Théo Courant.srt Le sacrifice de Théo Courant.txt |
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Klakmuf has blown up the pocket submarine and
along with it the Boudin sacré... but Asti
Spumante has saved the day with
Un vol providentiel.wmv Un vol providentiel.srt Un vol providentiel.txt |
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In
this episode, Fouvreaux offers the friends an extraordinary weapon
known only to the agents of the DDT, and concealed in a tooth - La
grenade frigorifiante.
La grenade frigorifiante.wmv La grenade frigorifiante.srt La grenade frigorifiante.txt |
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Asti Spumante is always the loose cannon of the group. In this
episode he decides to make a little pocket money by having the Boudin
sacré copied and sold in a gift shop. But where
is the original .... ? Cinq cents boudins de trop.wmv Cinq cents boudins de trop.srt Cinq cents boudins de trop.txt |
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And
now the intrepid little band go aboard the good ship Carmen Tessier,
to follow their friend Théo. A short
clip
where we hear once more the chorale Chaviro rotantacha. Chaviro rotantacha.wmv Chaviro rotantacha.srt Chaviro rotantacha.txt |
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Maurice le Grammaire recounts how he had the
real crates replaced by padded ones to allow them to stowaway - and
manages even to have the real ones sent off to Paris where Fouvreaux
will be able to examine them -- that is after the unfortunate Head of
the DDT has completed all the paperwork ! Les grosses caisses.flv Les grosses caisses.srt Les grosses caisses.txt View in browser |
