10.2 Reading an editorial — Epoché
What you will be able to do Recognise the kinds of opinion writing in the French press: l'éditorial , la tribune , la chronique , le billet . Find the parts of an editorial: the news hook, the facts, the thesis, the concession and its rebuttal, the proposal, and the final point, la chute . Recognise the devices of persuasion in French: rhetorical questions, the inclusive nous , the imperative of necessity il faut . Summarise an editorial's argument in a few English sentences, separating facts from opinion. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Les transports publics sont très bons dans cette ville. [1] Public transit is very good in this city. Fais attention aux cyclistes et aux piétons. [2] Watch out for cyclists and pedestrians. Le temps est court, nous devons agir MAINTENANT. [3] Time is short, we must act NOW. Nous devons agir vite. [4] We have to act fast. Nous utilisons l'Internet tout le temps. [5] We use the Internet all the time. Ils sont plus rapides que nous. [6] They're quicker than we are. Je pense qu'il nous faut davantage de temps. [7] I think we need more time. On ne doit plus fumer dans les lieux publics. [8] You can't smoke in public places anymore. Prerequisites : 10.1 — this lesson follows 10.1 Argument , whose plan the editorial shortens and bends. You need the media words of 5.11 Vocabulary and the politics and economy words of 5.15 Vocabulary and 5.17 Vocabulary . French newspapers separate news from opinion, but opinion takes more room than in many English-language papers, and its forms have names that every reader knows. L'éditorial expresses the position of the paper itself; in Le Monde it appears unsigned every day, as the voice of the paper. La tribune is an opinion piece by an outside author, a politician, a scholar or a group of signatories. La chronique is a regular column by the same writer, and le billet a short, often ironic piece. Reading them is one of the best ways to learn how educated French persuades, and also to learn to resist persuasion. The plan Part What it does Typical phrases The hook Starts from the news: a decision, a figure, an event of the week. Depuis lundi, … The facts Sets out what is known, with figures and sources. Selon … , D'après … The thesis States the paper's position, often early and sharply. C'est une bonne idée. , Il faut … The concession Grants the opponents a point. Certes, … , On objectera que … The rebuttal Turns the concession back. Mais … , Encore faut-il … The proposal Says what should be done, and by whom. Il est temps de … , Il faut agir. The final point La chute : a short, striking last sentence. a question, a formula, a contrast Thesis early, not late. Unlike the dissertation of 10.1 Argument , the editorial does not keep its answer for the end. It has little space and wants to convince, so it states its position in the first paragraphs and spends the rest defending it. The concession is still there, because a French reader distrusts an argument that sees only one side. Reading strategy. Read an editorial three times, quickly. First, read the title and the last paragraph: they usually give the position and the proposal. Second, read the whole text and underline the sentences that state facts in one colour and opinions in another. Third, look for the concession, often introduced by certes , and check whether the rebuttal really answers it. The French radio stations offer a daily press review, la revue de presse , which quotes the morning's editorials and is a good listening exercise once you know these forms. Quoting the press. Newspaper articles are protected by copyright, which is why this lesson uses a model written for the course rather than a real editorial. When you quote a real article in your own writing, quote briefly, name the paper and the date, and summarise the rest in your own words. Worked example A model editorial written for this course, about 150 words, followed by an analysis. Title. Les transports gratuits, une vraie bonne idée ? Hook and facts. Depuis quelques années, plusieurs villes ont rendu leurs bus gratuits. Les habitants les utilisent davantage, et les rues du centre sont plus calmes. Ailleurs, la pollution s'aggrave d'année en année, et les embouteillages coûtent cher à tout le monde. Thesis. La gratuité des transports publics est une bonne idée, et il faut l'étendre. Concession and rebuttal. Certes, rien n'est vraiment gratuit : quelqu'un doit payer, et ce sera le contribuable. On objectera aussi que les bus gratuits attirent surtout des piétons et des cyclistes, et non des automobilistes. Mais le prix d'un billet ne paie déjà qu'une petite partie du coût réel d'un trajet. Et un bus plein vaut mieux qu'une rue pleine de voitures. Proposal. Encore faut-il que le service soit bon. La gratuité ne suffit pas : il faut des bus fréquents, rapides et propres. C'est pourquoi l'État doit aider les villes qui font ce choix. Final point. Le dire ne suffit pas. Il faut agir. Notice the thesis in the second paragraph, the concession introduced by Certes and On objectera , the rebuttal with Mais , the condition Encore faut-il , and the short final point, two sentences of five and three words. Useful phrases French English Il faut agir. [9] Action is necessary. Il faut agir vite. [10] We'd better act fast. Nous devons agir maintenant. [11] We have to move now. Le dire ne suffit pas. [12] Saying it is not enough. La pollution s'aggrave d'année en année. [13] The pollution worsens with each year. Nous utilisons les transports publics. [14] We use public transport. Est-ce gratuit ? [15] Is it free of charge? Il y avait un embouteillage. [16] There was a traffic jam. How English does it The voice of the paper. British and American newspapers also publish unsigned editorials, but French editorials often speak more boldly in the name of principles: the Republic, equality, Europe. Expect general ideas next to the facts, and wor