Do you know the French traveling artist Catherine Barthe from Lyon?
She is fascinated by the American myths and aircraft.
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The Ghost Writer by John Harwood is a brilliant ghost story (histoire de fantôme) that is homage to the Victorian tradition of the ghost story.
Gerard Freeman’s life is going to change as he discovered the secret manuscript of his great grandmother, Viola Hartley, a ghost story writer in the 1890s.
From that moment, his quest to reveal all the mysteries of his family background leads him to the haunted house (maison hantée) of his tormented aunt Ann in London.
Why should his reading of the ghost stories interfere with his own life and put him in a terrifying danger?
Harwood is a talented writer who constructs his story with mysteries and nightmares.
Here is the French translation of the first chapter of The Ghost Writer (l'écrivain fantôme):
C’était dans la chambre de ma mère, une après-midi chaude de janvier, que je vis la photographie pour la première fois. Elle dormait, d‘après moi, dans la véranda à l'autre bout de la maison. Je me faufilai à l’intérieur de la pièce par l’entrebâillement de la porte: j’éprouvai alors une sensation de plaisir à transgresser ce lieu, je respirai les senteurs des parfums, des poudres, des rouges à lèvres et des autres odeurs d‘adultes, des boules de naphtaline contre les poissons d'argent et de l’insecticide contre les moustiques que nos moustiquaires n’arrivaient jamais vraiment à repousser. Les rideaux étaient tirés, le store à moitié baissé. On ne voyait rien par la fenêtre mis à part le mur de briques nu de la maison d’à côté occupée par la vieille Mrs Noonan.
When you translate an English book, you should always consider the context. As the scene takes place in Australia, we do not translate Mrs Noonan.
Your cover letter should be clear and unique so that you are sure to answer your future employer's expectations?
Give clear, simple but precise information about you
Write in clear-cut paragraphs with arguments: each paragraph shoud add new information
1. say what you are doing at the moment
2. give the reason why you apply for the job
3. talk about your experience with examples
4. describe your skills and your qualities for the job
5. show that you know the company where you would like to work
6. add your curriculum vitae
Binat
14 rue Aristide Briand, 78005 Paris
Tel : 02 98 82 75 85[h1]
Je travaille actuellement comme rédactrice en chef d’un journal local, Le petit hebdo, dans le cadre d’un CDD qui se termine le 31 mars. Je souhaite cependant intégrer une structure internationale comme la vôtre afin d’utiliser mes compétences linguistiques.[h4]
Je recherche un emploi dans une entreprise en lien direct avec un cabinet de traduction dans le domaine légal pour lequel j’ai le plus d’expérience.[h5]
J’ai en effet occupé différents emplois de traductrice de l’anglais vers le français dans un cabinet d’avocat de la région parisienne, puis dans une compagnie d’assurance à Lilles avant de travailler en Inde pour un cabinet médical dont la clientèle se composait d’expatriés anglophones.[h6]
Grâce à mon expérience diversifiée en rédaction et en traduction, je sais prendre des initiatives et travailler en équipe. J’aime aussi mener à bien des missions à l’international et je suis prête à me déplacer pour mon travail. [h7]
Dans l’attente de votre réponse, veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, mes meilleures salutations[h9] .
Cécile Binat
P.S. [h10] : ci-joint mon curriculum vitae
If you need to write a motivation letter in French, see our Translating, writing and proof-reading services available on Lyon City Blog.
If you need to write a motivation letter in French, see our Translating, writing and proof-reading services available on Lyon City Blog.
[h2]The reason why of your letter
[h3]Dear Sir or Madam
[h4]You work as a head writer for a local paper until 31 March and you would like to be part of an international company to use your language skills
[h5]You are seeking a company that has a partnership with a legal translation services agency since you have a lot of experience in this field.
[h7]As an experienced writer and translator, you are able to take initiatives and work in teams. You are also fond of being responsible for international projects. You are ready to work outside.
[h8]You would like to meet them to show how motivated and enthusiastic you are.
[h9]Yours faithfully
[h10]P.S. for post-scriptum
According to OIF, the International Organization of French Language, 200 million people speak French as their mother tongue in Europe, Sub-Saharian Africa and North Africa (2006-2007).
French is spoken by 63 million people in France, 16 million in Algeria, 11.5 Million in Canada…
French is the official language of the International Red Cross
Montréal is the second largest French speaking city in the world
In 1962 Leopold Sédar Senghor founded « francophonie » to promote French as a world language and French culture.
An interview in French with Catherine Fuchs, Head of the French National Center for Scientific Research, CNRS
Catherine Fuchs is a specialist in linguistics and semantics. She published many essays about semantics, especially Les ambiguïtés du français et Paraphrase et énonciation, (Ophrys Publisher).
She has just published Dictionnaire des verbes du français actuel - Constructions, emplois, synonymes, a dictionary about the French verbs.
Listen to her interview
A Clear-Cut Motivation Letter (lettre de motivation)
It is not always easy to write a motivation letter whatever the language. It has to be clear-cut with paragraphs that show your motivation, experience and qualifications.
A Motivation Letter for a French-speaking Employer
When you write your mtivation letter in French, do not forget your addressee is a native French speaker who has not the same vision of professional life as an English-speaking person.
Proper Phrases
In addition, you should pay attention to the required phrases used in the professional sphere.
Here is a good example that you may try to imitate:
