« La haine des autres est chose beaucoup plus claire que l’amour de soi. » Paul Valéry – Tel quel📚 (1941) 🇺🇸 According to Paul Valéry: “Hatred for others is much clearer than love for oneself.” 🇯🇵「他人への憎しみのほうが自分への愛より遥かにはっきりしている」と、ポール・ヴァレリー📚
After more than two years of shutting their borders, Japan finally announced to fully reopen the country. It was about time! It was initially only opened to tourists within a tour and accompanied by a guide, however after many criticism, they announced to open to individual tourists too. Here is a Japanese article on “Yahoo! […]
The last living member of the French cinematographic movement Nouvelle Vague (New Wave), Swiss-French film director Jean-Luc Godard, just died at the age of 91 at his home in Switzerland. You can read an homage to his work in this French article published in “Le Monde.” You will find its English translation by hitting the […]
Japanese words are all very similar due to the limited number of syllables. That is why it is easier sometimes to learn the kanji, in order to be able to distinguish similar sounds and memorize them better. These adverbs below are particularly confusing for students, so today, I’d like to go over them: mada, mata, […]
Today, a listening comprehension from the witty philosopher and moralist Jean de La Bruyère. In English, the term “moralist” usually evokes “a person who teaches or promotes morality.” This meaning exists in the French word “moraliste” too, however it also designates an author who writes about society’s customs and manners. It makes sense since “moraliste” […]
🇺🇸 For Proust’s fans, it’s a dream come true: nearly a 100 years after his death, we finally have access to the last piece of the puzzle! This newly discovered manuscript has just been published this month. The oldest version of his masterpiece “A la Recherche du temps perdu” (“In search of lost time”) has just […]
Quote from the Aeneid, teaching us to believe in ourselves: « Possunt quia posse videntur » – Virgil 🇫🇷 Ils peuvent parce qu’ils croient pouvoir Il suffit de croire en soi-même, et tout devient possible🙏🏻 🇺🇸 They can because they think they can 🇯🇵 彼らはできると思っているから、できる ウェルギリウスの叙事詩「アエネイス」に登場する文📚 自分を信じることが大事🙏🏻
🇺🇸 There’s a new scandal in Paris! As France is confined for the third time this month since the beginning of the pandemic and restaurants have been closed since last October, clandestine restaurants and parties are being regularly reported on the news. This month new rumors started that luxurious dinners are being illegally held, and that even […]
🇺🇸 Today’s Japanese proverb: 泣き面に蜂 🐝 nakitsura ni hachi Its literal meaning is “a bee on a crying face.” This is an expression used when the misfortune you are facing gets even worse: you are already crying, but on top of that, a bee stings your tearful face! In French, the equivalent would be “un […]
« Mettre la puce à l’oreille » 🐜 🇺🇸 This French expression (literally “to put a flea to the ear”) means “to give a clue; to get a clue.” 🔻🔻 🇫🇷 « Son air embarrassé m’a tout de suite mis la puce à l’oreille ! » 🇯🇵 「何かに感づく」という意味の慣用句です。（直訳は、「耳に蚤を入れる」） 虫繋がりで、日本語の「虫の知らせ」に少し近いですが、フランス語の場合は、第六感というよりも、何かをみて疑うというニュアンスです。Ça m’a mis la ~「それを見て感づいた」な使います。