Homework Help: french from Anonymous to SraJMcGin

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 12:50pm.

Thanks so much, you have been of great help ;)

I have a few questions though

"qui tenait à son avoir" i got it from the story= Mais couper, c'était perdre le chalut, et ce chalut valait de l'argent, beaucoup d'argent, quinze cents francs ; et il appartenait à Javel aîné, qui tenait à son avoir.

can u please explain to me the "s'il est celui." i am trying to say that " if it is him, then...(Javel est-possiblement- le frère du manchot et que s'il est celui, il avait assisté à son frère quand il s'est coupé le bras)

Thanks again for the editing.
Can u please just quickly skim over it again(sorry if i'm being a bit annoying:)

Ce conte commence avec une personne anonyme qui lit un journal. De plus, cette histoire est racontée par un journal.

Le journal initialement parle d'un bateau de pêche, commandé par Javel, qui se brise sur les roches quand il entre dans le port de Boulogne-sur-Mer. Spécifiquement, le journal mentionne que cinq personnes ont péri à cause de l'accident. Ensuite, le journal raconte que Javel est-possiblement- le frère du manchot et que s'il est celui, il avait assisté à son frère quand il s'est coupé le bras.

Ce drame s'est passé, il y a dix-huit ans, quand Javel, quatre hommes et son frère (Javel cadet) sont sortis de Bologne pour jeter le chaut. Aussitôt qu'ils sont partis du port, le vent s’est élevé et une bourrasque a forcé le chalutier à amarrer ; mais ils n'ont pas pu, car la mer battait les falaises.

Puis après s'être calmé, ils ont jeté le chalut; mais quand ils l’ont fait, une grosse vague a frappé le bateau et tout à coup le bras de Javel cadet s'est trouvé saisi entre la corde un instant. Immédiatement, tout le monde dans le bateau a essayé de l'aider. Et pourtant, ils n'ont pas réussi.

La seule manière dans laquelle ils l'ont pu sauver c'était de couper la corde. Mais couper c'était perdre le chalut et ce chalut valait de l'argent; et il a appartenu à Javel aîné, qui tenait à son avoir. Donc, Javel cadet ne l'a pas permis et il a dit qu'à sa place il irait lofer. Comme il n’a pas réussi, son frère et les autres personnes s'amollirent les amarres du chalut et on dégage le bras inerte de Javel cadet.

Puisque son bras était rompu, les os cassés; Javel cadet l'a coupé. Après cela, il a mis son bras dans un baril de pêche des jours derniers. Quand ils sont arrivés à Boulogne-sur-Mer, Javel cadet a cessé de naviguer et il a enterré le bras.

Thanks again!)

french from Anonymous to SraJMcGin - SraJMcGin, Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 1:28pm
First of all, in English = if it were he. What I tried to explain is that with "si clauses" (meaning if...), there are 3 patterns to follow. The "si clause" may come first, as in your example, or after the result/main clause. The tense used in the main clause is the same in both languages.

1. When the verb in the main clause is in the future, present, or imperative, the present indicative is used in the "si clause."
S'il pleut, nous ne sortirons pas / nous ne sortons pas / ne sortez pas.
(If it rains, we shall not go out / we do not go out / do not go out.)

2. When the main clause is in the present conditional, the imperfect is used in the "si" clause.
S'il pleuvait, nous ne sortirions pas. (If it rained/were to rain, we would not go out.

3. The same sequence of tenses applies in compound tenses, with the auxiliary considered as the verb. That means, if the past conditional is used in the main clause (as you did in your example), the pluperfect is used in the "si" clause.
S'il avait plu, nous ne serions pas sortis. (If it had rained, we would not have gone out.)

RECAP: The only tenses used in "si" clauses are" the present indicative, the imperfect, and the pluperfect. However when "si" means "whether" and not "if" it may be followed by any tense, just as in English.

I'll be right back for the rest.

Sra (aka Mme)
french from Anonymous to SraJMcGin - SraJMcGin, Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 2:28pm
You are not in the least annoying! In fact, it's a good thing it's now daylight. As it get darker, my eyes really fade! When you get older, the eys need a LOT of light!

BTW, I'm glad I didn't have my students read this story; it's gruesome! We tried for "lighter" fare!

It helps to read the entire context. Now it's clear that the "qui tenait à son avoir" means "who was insisting on having his way."

The "s'il est celui" went with "if it is the one I'm thinking of, he had helped, etc. Since you want to say "if it were he..." it's best with "s'il était celui-là," etc. You might also say "if it had been he" = s'il avait été, etc.

Get rid of some hyphens in "que Javel est-possiblement- le frère" = "que Javel est possiblement le frère..." If you want to work in the Subjunctive = qu'il est possible que Javel soit le frère...

tout le monde dans le bateau a essayé de l'aider = actually aider takes an à (to offer help TO someone) so that ought to be...a essayé de lui aider.

In the next-to-last paragraph, ""s'amoillirent...et on dégage... =
amoillir or s'amoillir is usually used with noise = like to soften the noise. With the ropes, maybe "loosen" is better? (lâcher/relâcher?) What tense do you want here...present, passé composé? I'm only asking because of "Comme il n'a pas réussi..." past tense The "sequence of tense" is violated often but for the AP and IB I always stressed to not do it. That was just a "sticky wicket" for us! You are free to ignore it!

"des jours derniers" actually went with the "barrels emptied of fish in the last days." Perhaps ending with "un baril de pêche.

When in doubt how to say something perfectly, it's always a good idea to SIMPLIFY what you are saying. Sometimes you have to accept that you will never be able to say exactly what you'd like to say --- even in your native language!

In any event, you've done a great job and always feel free to ask again!

Sra (aka Mme)

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