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.
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Dans cette conversation, la famille se rend en Virginie occidentale où elle visite Harpers Ferry, le site d’une révolte historique contre l’esclavage.
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.
Claudine: This is the place where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet?
Paul: Yes. We’re in West Virginia, but the borders of Maryland and Virginia are right over there.
Gina: But Harpers Ferry is most famous for John Brown’s raid on an armory in 1859.
Sam: One man raided an armory?
Gina: He wasn’t alone. There were about 20 men with him. And he expected others to join him in his cause.
Claudine: What was his cause?
Paul: Well, this was right before the American Civil War, and there were people who were very opposed to slavery. And John Brown was a staunch abolitionist. His raid was a revolt against slavery.
Gina: And he hoped slaves and freedom fighters would join the raid. But that didn’t happen, and he was defeated.
Un peu de vocabulaire
A border is a line that divides one country, state, etc., from another. (une frontière, une ligne de démarcation)
A raid is a planned attack that is done suddenly in order to destroy something, search for something and/or take something.
An armory is a place where weapons are kept. The Harpers Ferry Armory was the second government armory in the country. (un arsenal, une armurerie)
As a noun, the word cause has different meanings. In this conversation, a cause means something (such as an idea or goal) that people support or fight for.
The adjective staunch means very strong and loyal to a belief or cause. (indéfectible)
An abolitionist is a person who wants to abolish (completely end) slavery.
A revolt is a protest against authority, especially a government, that often involves violence.
A freedom fighter is a person who fights against what they think is an unfair government or system. During the time period of John Brown’s raid, a freedom fighter was someone who fought to end the system of slavery. (un combatant de la liberté)
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