BAMATABOIS
Que tu es laide How ugly are you
Mais moi, j’aime la nouveauté But I love new things
Approche
un peu Come a bit closer
J’aime
bien voir avant d’acheter I like to see before buying
T’auras
cinq francs You'll have 5 francs
Tu
ne vaux pas plus que ça You're not worth any more than that.
FANTINE :
Je ne veux pas. I do not want.
Non, non, monsieur,
laissez-moi ! No, non, sir, leave me alone!
BAMATABOIS :
C’est
bien payé It's already payed
Pour
qui te prends-tu ? Who do you think you are
FANTINE :
Je
ne veux pas I don't want to!
BAMATABOIS :
Non,
mais des fois No, but sometimes
Petite
traînée You little slut
A
quoi joues-tu ? What game are you playing?
As-tu vu ta sale gueule récemment dans une glace ? Have you seen your dirty face recently in a mirror?
Et cet arbre de Noël que tu
peints sur ta bouche ? And that Christmas tree you paint on your face?
Avec moi, ce ne sont pas les catins, qui décident Sluts don't decide with me
Chacun reste à sa place Each stays in their place
Quand on fait ton métier When your job is
Pour une pièce, on se couche ! Going to bed for a coin!
FANTINE :
Je te
tuerai, salopard, essaye-le pour voir ! I'll kill you, you bastard, try it and see!
Même
une putain qui n’a plus aucun droit Even a whore who's got no more rights
Peut refuser un rat Can refuse a rat
BAMATABOIS :
Tu payeras pour ton impudence You'll pay for your impudence
Tu vas savoir ce qui en coûte You're gonna see what that costs
Pour ton agresse d’un honnête homme For your attack on an honest man
Tu vas payer cher cet affront You'll pay dearly for this insult
Tu vas coucher avec les rats de la prison ! You'll sleep with the rats in prison!
FANTINE :
Pitié, ne me dénoncez pas Mercy, please don't report me
Je ferai tout c’que vous voudrez I'll do whatever you will want
BAMATABOIS :
Tu t’expliqueras à la police You'll explain yourself to the police!
*The 2008 Québec version of the show changes that final line to...
BAMATABOIS :
Tu t’expliqueras aux policiers !
...to preserve the rhyme. No idea why no one hadn't thought of that before.*
Now, you must be wondering why I said this fight was "very French." The biggest thing I mean by that is the use of "tu" versus "vous." Now, if you don't know I mean by that, let me explain: in French, there are two ways to say "you": "tu", which you say to people you're being informal with, and "vous," which you use formally or with those you don't know. It can be very rude to use "tu" with someone you don't know, as it comes off as disrespectful. Now, you'll notice here, Bamatabois begins by calling Fantine "tu"--"Que tu es laide !" (which is a terrible way to start a conversation). Fantine, trying to be polite, calls him both "monsieur" and uses "vous" when she asks to be left alone ("Laissez-moi !") My favorite part, though, is when she gets super fierce after he attacks her. Fantine truly shows that she can slug with the best of them with her phase, "Je te tuerai, salopard, essaye-le pour voir !" She is so fed up that she not only calls him a bastard but she gets into it and drops to the "tu" form. However, as soon as he threatens to turn her in, she switches to "vous" to try to prove her respect to the...er...gentleman. It doesn't work.
What are your thoughts? Do you like the French version better than the English version? Does the vous/tu switch give the song more depth? Let me know in the comments below!
"Fantine's Arrest" is next on the plate, and will be coming up in the next week!
...to preserve the rhyme. No idea why no one hadn't thought of that before.*
Now, you must be wondering why I said this fight was "very French." The biggest thing I mean by that is the use of "tu" versus "vous." Now, if you don't know I mean by that, let me explain: in French, there are two ways to say "you": "tu", which you say to people you're being informal with, and "vous," which you use formally or with those you don't know. It can be very rude to use "tu" with someone you don't know, as it comes off as disrespectful. Now, you'll notice here, Bamatabois begins by calling Fantine "tu"--"Que tu es laide !" (which is a terrible way to start a conversation). Fantine, trying to be polite, calls him both "monsieur" and uses "vous" when she asks to be left alone ("Laissez-moi !") My favorite part, though, is when she gets super fierce after he attacks her. Fantine truly shows that she can slug with the best of them with her phase, "Je te tuerai, salopard, essaye-le pour voir !" She is so fed up that she not only calls him a bastard but she gets into it and drops to the "tu" form. However, as soon as he threatens to turn her in, she switches to "vous" to try to prove her respect to the...er...gentleman. It doesn't work.
What are your thoughts? Do you like the French version better than the English version? Does the vous/tu switch give the song more depth? Let me know in the comments below!
"Fantine's Arrest" is next on the plate, and will be coming up in the next week!
Dear Ryan: I've studied French for many years and still struggle to understand the finer points of tu/vous. Could you please clarify why, above, the use of "tu" instead of "vous" is disrespectful? Is it because the use of "tu" is usually towards a younger/perceived lower in stature person? Or is it because of the attempted closing of the familiarity gap, without first asking permission? When in France, if a police officer uses "tu" toward me, should I be offended, or is it natural, since he/she is a police officer? Let's say I am in Paris, and I have a confrontation with a stranger on a crowded bus. In addition to yelling/arguing, might I tutoie him in order to show my anger? (I have come up with various criteria: age difference; official post/station; stature of person; familiarity, though I'm not certain my theory is accurate or complete.) Thank you in advance! Merci beaucoup!
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