{"id":232,"date":"2010-04-06T16:37:39","date_gmt":"2010-04-06T16:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=232"},"modified":"2010-04-22T22:13:04","modified_gmt":"2010-04-22T22:13:04","slug":"french-eloquence-par-excellence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/french-eloquence-par-excellence\/","title":{"rendered":"The French Language: L\u2019\u00c9loquence, Par Excellence!"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the Italians are notoriously known for their obssession with l\u2019Op\u00e9ra<\/em>, the English for their penchant<\/em> towards the performing arts, the Germans for their grand amour<\/em> of la musique classique<\/em>, then what about the French? Eh bien<\/em> the French are tout simplement<\/em> fond of their own language!<\/p>\n

What they cherish par-dessus tout<\/em> (above all) is its singular feature of combining \u00e9loquence<\/em> and clart\u00e9 <\/em>(clarity.)\u00a0 Rivarol, a famous homme de lettres<\/em>, had once declared tout de go<\/em> (without hesitation) that \u201cTout ce qui n\u2019est pas clair n\u2019est pas fran\u00e7ais<\/em>\u201d (All that is not clear is not French.) As for eloquence, the French view it essentially as a dual art, assimilating oration with persuasion. Oration to stir up le c\u00f4t\u00e9 esth\u00e9tique de la langue<\/em>, but also pour convaincre les esprits<\/em> (to convince the minds.) Ever since the\u00a0first years of school in France, les \u00e9coliers<\/em> discover in their manuels scolaires<\/em> the process of la dialectique<\/em>: They learn how to argue and present their ideas, starting with la th\u00e8se<\/em>, then l\u2019antith\u00e8se<\/em>, and finally la synth\u00e8se<\/em>. This logical model is definitely de rigueur<\/em> (both in the French and the English sense) whenever you must write une r\u00e9daction <\/em>(an essay), and students follow it even until the university stage!<\/p>\n

The French are also tr\u00e8s fiers<\/em> (very proud) of their esprit cart\u00e9sien <\/em>(Cartesian mind), named after the distinguished philosopher Ren\u00e9 Descartes, who is known for his \u201cJe Pense, Donc Je suis<\/em>\u201d (I think, therefore I am.) You may also remember him from your early Calculus class days, when your teacher introduced you to the \u201cCartesian coordinates\u201d, with the X- and Y-axis! Yes, those coordinates (just like the \u201cCartesian Product\u201d, or \u201cset product\u201d) are named after him, and his last name alone\u00a0has turned, au fil des si\u00e8cles<\/em>, into a household name in France, synonymous with logique<\/em>, rationalisme<\/em>, and no-nonsense pr\u00e9cision<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In fact, Descartes\u2019 influence has been so enormous on people\u2019s mind that he is regarded as one of the pr\u00e9curseurs<\/em> or pionniers<\/em> (pioneers) of the Si\u00e8cle des Lumi\u00e8res<\/em> (The Enlightenment), the same century that has known La R\u00e9volution fran\u00e7aise<\/em>, a milestone historical event which should in many ways be considered as a \u201cCartesian Product\u201d itself: Soit dit sans jeu de mot<\/em> (no pun intended)\u2026 or, d’accord<\/em>,\u00a0maybe\u00a0juste un petit peu<\/em>.<\/p>\n

When we mention Les Lumi\u00e8res<\/em>, we also tend to think of the city of Paris, which is known as La Ville des Lumi\u00e8res<\/em>\u2026 But is it really because of all those high-voltage bulbs adorning La Tour Eiffel<\/em> and L\u2019Arc de Triomphe<\/em>? Non, pas vraiment !<\/em> The French would certainly point out to you that, after all, Paris n\u2019est pas Las Vegas !<\/em> The Lumi\u00e8res<\/em> are en fait<\/em> mostly to be understood as the intellectual Lights: Philosophers, artists, and hommes de lettres<\/em>, who have for centuries \u00e9lu domicile<\/em> (resided, that is) in the French Capital, enlightening and delighting their seduced readers and mesmerized audiences with their \u00e9loquence<\/em> of haute voltige<\/em>, often during des lectures publiques<\/em> delivered under eye-dazzling lights of haut voltage !<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If the Italians are notoriously known for their obssession with l\u2019Op\u00e9ra, the English for their penchant towards the performing arts, the Germans for their grand amour of la musique classique, then what about the French? Eh bien the French are tout simplement fond of their own language! What they cherish par-dessus tout (above all) is…<\/p>\n

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