Cette série de conversations en anglais suit une famille qui part en voyage aux États-Unis. Allez avec elle à la découverte des passe-temps et de l’histoire associés aux lieux qu’elle visite. Ces conversations s’adressent à des personnes ayant un niveau d’anglais intermédiaire, voire plus avancé.
Si vous voulez suivre toute la leçon exclusivement en anglais, cliquez ici.
Dans cette leçon, la famille se rend à Graceland, l’ancienne demeure du musicien Elvis Presley à Memphis, dans le Tennessee.
Cliquez sur le lien audio et écoutez la conversation tout en la lisant ci-dessous. Les mots importants sont expliqués à la fin, en anglais, de façon à favoriser une immersion totale dans la langue. Certains sont suivis d’une brève traduction ou explication en français.
Sam: Let me get this straight: Elvis bought Graceland when he was only 22 years old?
Claudine: That’s right. He was already quite famous by that time. He bought this house and the grounds in 1957.
Gina: He was already starting to become an American legend.
Sam: I hope I can have a legion of fans by the time I’m 22.
Paul: I think you should graduate from high school first. Now, should we take a tour of the house first? Or do you want to see the meditation garden?
Gina: Let’s take the tour first. I’ve read that they have state-of-the-art iPad tours.
Claudine: And then we can walk through the meditation garden and see the gravesite of Elvis.
Un peu de vocabulaire
Elvis Presley was an American musician and actor. He is often referred to as “the King of Rock and Roll.” (“Rock and roll” can also be written as “rock ’n’ roll.”) Presley was born in 1935 and died in 1977.
The phrase let me get this straight means to correctly understand something or clarify something. (« Voyons un peu », « vous dites bien » – à employer quand on veut confirmer qu’on a bien compris quelque chose.)
The land or gardens around a large building are called the grounds. When used in this way, grounds is always plural. (Dans ce contexte, grounds signifie les terres ou les jardins d’une grande demeure, le domaine)
A legend is a very famous person who is admired by many people and is often known for doing something very well. (Une personnalité légendaire, une célébrité)
A legion is a very large number of people. (Une foule de gens)
A meditation garden is a garden area designed for relaxation. Meditation gardens can have plants, flowers, walkways, fountains, areas to sit, etc. A meditation garden is a peaceful place that people can visit to think and relax.
State-of-the-art is an adjective used to describe something that has the most modern technology or methods at the present time. (de pointe, comme dans technologie de pointe)
A gravesite is the place where a dead person is buried. To bury someone means that a person who is no longer alive is placed in a grave (a hole in the ground that is covered with dirt after the body is placed in it). (Une tombe)
[table id=102 /]
