Isabelle Chapman talk

by Elisabeth Heurtier (level B2)

Member of the Jury for the 2023 UIAD Prize for Literature

On February 8th, Isabelle Chapman came to the UIAD for a talk about the 2023 UIAD Prize for Literature.

Last year, “La douceur de l’eau”, the French translation of “The sweetness of water” by Nathan Harris obtained the UIAD Prize for Literature. It was the opportunity to invite the author of the novel. But he couldn’t come from the USA and the UIAD invited the translator, Isabelle Chapman.

In place of having a lecture about the inspiration, the intentions, the genesis, or the aim of the writer, we had a very interesting report about the problems related to translation. 

The meeting began with a summary of the book by an enthusiastic member of the jury 2023. The story is set just at the end of the Civil War. It evokes the problems between the slaves and their white owners when the former were declared free. Nathan Harris tackles the theme through the story of two slaves (two brothers) and a couple of farmers whose son seems to have been killed at war, and who decide to give a job to the brothers. The novel is about the consequences of the farmers’ choice; there is beautiful nature and a rather inhuman environment. 

But to get back to the subject at hand: the translation. 

I can tell you what I’ve understood and remembered about what Isabelle Chapman said regarding her job of translator:

- Isabelle Chapman was chosen to do the job by the French publisher. It was a five-month task.

- In general the author and the translator don’t meet each other. The translator is only in relation with the book. Her work is neither a word-for-word translation, nor a creation. It’s an interpretation.

- Isabelle Chapman’s aim is to make the reader understand the author’s feelings about the world he describes.

-She also has to reproduce the music of the text. She thinks that French is less musical and more abstract than English. For example, in English, repetitions can be used to give rhythm to the text, but in French repetitions are generally incorrect. English uses the vocabulary of the body more than French to express feelings. Sometimes Nathan Harris doesn’t use certain words with their real meaning. The translator has to search for the best way to change the words, staying close to the idea and the rhythm of the author.

-She also explained that a translation depends on the translator and the period when the work is done because languages change across the time. 

If we had to remember only one idea from Isabelle Chapman, it is that this first novel of Nathan Harris shows that he is, and he will be, a brilliant American author. You really ought to read the book  - in English or in French! 

Thanks to Isabelle Chapman for her clear, honest, intelligent, instructive, answers to our numerous questions.

 

Une Histoire d'images (2)

by Josée Bernard (level B2)

Rosana Sam’s group of English students visited the Grenoble museum on January 11 in order to see the photographic exhibition Une histoire d’images. 

The exhibition features 270 photos assembled and donated by the art-collector Antoine de Galbert.

The world from the end of the second world war till today is described by 95 more or less well-known photographers in various ways; photojournalism as well as staged photos all telling their own fascinating story. 

It’s difficult during a visit to see everything, to understand everything…

We had a young guide in English who selected and explained several photos per room (perhaps too many?) but the explanations on the walls could complete.

The collection is very diverse, we encounter irony and humor as well as horror and sadness.

All these photos speak on contemporary History, at the level of the “greats of this World” or at the level of “the little people”:

We all admired the magnificent portrait of Massoud, and we were moved by those of the young volunteer fighters in Donbass.

I wondered at the impassivity of the North Korean filling his cart at the supermarket.

I had the impression of being physically present in Gdansk, during these public confessions.

I trembled between the two shots of the demonstrations during the release of Nelson Mandela, on one side the white crowd with swastika flags, on the other the jubilant black crowd.

Despite everything, I smiled at the photos titled “la fin du Monde nous aura quand même donné de beaux couchers de soleil”

Lots of humanity and a lot of humans in this exhibition even if the final results are rather pessimistic.

 

The Audacity Road

by Véronique Feltrin (level B2)

                                                                                                                                                      

Crédit photos :PhotoNomades production

      Do you know this young woman? You don’t? Yet she lives in Grenoble and she set a women‘s record in 2023. Her name is Nathalie Baillon, and she‘s a long-distance cyclist.

She deserves to be talked about, because ultra-cycling is a very demanding sport, physically and mentally, however little publicized compared to others sports disciplines. 

In May 2023 she tried to break a record, biking alone across Europe from the south of Spain to the North Cape in Norway, without any assistance. 6,400 kilometres, across 10 countries, 38,500 metres of cumulative height difference! 

A British man, Ian Walter, currently holds the record time: 16 days, 20 hours and 59 minutes.

Nathalie established the women’s record for this challenge: 18 days, 15 hours and 27 minutes.

Here is the route, which is not entirely correct. Competition rules do not allow taking a ferry, also she had to cross part of Russia.

She biked on dangerous roads without sides, with many trucks, in Estonia and Russia. She says she has never been as afraid as crossing Saint Petersburg, where nothing is planned for cyclists, and Russians drive fast.

She entered Russia easily but spent a lot of time at the border between Russia and Finland, with a lot of questions from customs officials who wanted to understand who she was and why she was here. And on the Finnish side, officials stopped her too, and wanted to know what questions were asked by the Russians!

Variations in climatic conditions were difficult too: heat and storms in Spain and then cold, snow and hail in Norway and Finland. She was hampered by a headwind during a large part of the race. 

During this race, rest times are not deducted from the final time. So, she was biking during between 15 and 18 hours a day, with increasing pain as the days passed.

She was sleeping between 4 and 6 hours, sometimes in a hotel, but most of the time outside in fields so as not to waste time.

She didn‘t have any assistance, so she was having to stop to buy food. These were often sandwiches, hamburgers, cereals or chocolate bars. Junkfood as she says! 

The race was full of emotional moments. Human meetings with people who were following her on social networks and were waiting for her, offering her food or accommodation to rest. And magnificent landscapes, wild animals, herds of reindeers, unforgettable moments…

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" 

                                                                 Hunter S. Thompson

 https://www.nathaliebaillon.com/

Congratulation to this young Grenoble resident, and encouragements for her next challenge, the Atlas Moutain Race which will begin on February 9^th.

 

 

Une Histoire d'images

by Christiane Rizzo (level B1)

On Thursday 11th of january, two of Rosana Delon’s classes were together in the Museum of Grenoble to see an exhibit of photographs.

Through 270 images made by 95 photographers, the visitors have a view both objective and subjective of the last century. Many of us are retired and for them, this exhibit was like a journey through our memory.

Some photographs were impressive, even until to nausea. But, for all of us, it was a experience which  took us from one emotion to another  according to these photos.

If we had some difficulties to look at all the pictures about the wounds due to Hiroshima’s atomic bomb, it was easier to discover again all the pictures we had  already seen in the newpapers or magazines. All these  personnality politics, these armies with their parade uniforms, and these chiefs of great industrial groups are confronted with the immigrant populations, the damage caused by fascism or religious fundamentalism and more simply, with poverty.

We can’t say that this exhibit is beautiful or ugly, it is just necessary to see it.

Epiphany Cake!

 

In Mary's English group, this Thursday January 11th, we celebrated the new year 2024. For this we shared a very good time eating a 'galette des rois' and drinking tea, coffee and of course cider.  alas no king came. 

Ginette Bassani (level B1)

The Epiphany cake has a long history. Epiphany has been celebrated since  Antiquity. The galette is round-shaped and golden in color like the sun. Then the Romans adopted this feast before Epiphany became a Christian feast. It celebrated the visit of the three Wise Men to the baby Jésus.

It later became a popular festival.

Our English course has continued this tradition to greet the new year 2024 on Thursday 11th January. The cake chosen by Ginette was made of a delicious frangipane. We shared it into 15 parts and the draw chose 4 queens, no king !

We drank cider, tea, coffee. It was a very convivial moment. The story goes that it is for the queens to offer the next galette …

Edwige Brun (level B1)

See Wonka and let the magic happen!

by Pierre Grange (level B2)

 

Willy Wonka is back in theaters!

Indeed, last month, the film WONKA was released, directed by Paul King (Paddington).

Wonka tells the story of Willy Wonka's youth, before he became the extraordinary inventor, magician and chocolatier of the world of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', imagined by Roald Dahl.

But this time, without Charlie or his chocolate factory.

If you remember, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is also two films:

In 1971, with Gene WILDER and in 2005 with Johnny Depp in the main part, directed by Tim Burton.

In Wonka, Willy is still just a young chocolatier who has only one dream: to make and sell the best chocolates in the world.

 

WONKA is what we call a ‘prequel’.

That is to say, a film which is released now, but whose plot takes place before the previous episodes. A little bit like the STARS WAR saga. 

In the title role, Timothée Chalamet (Dune, Call me by your name) appears obvious from the start of the film. 

Besides Timothée Chalamet, we find Hugh Grant (amazing in the role of an Oompa Loompa),

 

 

Olivia Colman (the horrible Mrs. Scrubbit)

 and even Rowan Atkinson (known for his role in Mister Bean).

WONKA is a nice musical and releasing it before Christmas was a good idea.

Indeed, the director Paul King offers a wonderful movie with musical shows and a luxury cast. 

The plot and the dialogues are well written and the movie sets are very well done.

This film is aimed at both adults and children.

Perhaps some spectators could criticize so much wonder, optimism and good feelings. 

On the other hand, others will find in this film a concentration of sweetness, sprinkled with emotions.

For almost two hours, the spectator lets himself be carried into the musical and enchanting world of Wonka and follows the story of his young hero, full of dreams and ambitions. 

The movie requires a certain amount of abandon to fully work.

Let the child inside you come back, and you will see, you will feel good over the course of the film.

For my part, I found my childish soul again for two hours.

During this troubled period, it's time to dream of a little magic.

And what’s more, it will obviously make you want chocolate!

Here's the trailer in English 

Here's the trailer in French

The Clown

by Thérèse Combet (level B1)

 

A clownish Christmas.

You,clown, why are you laughing?

Because i'm sad

Dry pine needles

Have pierced

My nose!

I'm a hedgehog

No more caresses

The boxes were full

'Order delivered'

Santa Claus worked well

In my memory still

The little red car

With a tangerine in the old shoe!

I'm somewhere else

Little LEON tests his gift: a flying car.

Granny would have liked an electric walker.

Next time...maybe!

But all the champagne bubbles

Have drenched our hearts

We were happy to be with those

...who were still there!