Paris Love Locks

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Paris Tries to Put a Lockdown on Love Locks
(NBC Nightly News, 2015)
page 1/3
http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/paris-tries-to-put-a-lockdown-on-love-locks-tradition-399354435655
We end tonight with a matter of tough love in one of the most romantic cities in the world. For years
couples have expressed their commitment to one another by attaching padlocks – hundreds of thousands
of them – to one Parisian bridge, and now some are saying there’s such a thing as too much love. From
Paris, here’s NBC’s Katy Tur.
When locking your love in the City of Love, don’t expect any love from the locals. The Pont des Arts,
the center of Paris and one of its most iconic bridges has been transformed from a charming display of
‘”l’amour” into, well, this! Inscribed with initials and hearts, locks on top of locks on top of locks.
So many (that) city had to cover them up with plywood for fear that they would multiply endlessly.
This is a form of vandalism. Enter Eisa Taylor, an American expat with the mission to save her favorite
bridge. Through social media and an on-line petition, she and another American have pushed for the
French government to crack down on the lockdown.
Each panel, if they weighed it, would be somewhere between five-hundred and seven-hundred kilograms.
And when you multiply those tiny tokens of affection by the thousands, you get a bridge many tons
heavier than it should be. Yes, tons! Case in point, these collapsing grills.
It’s not very beautiful and it’s dangerous. Bruno Julliard is the Deputy Mayor of Paris. He says the city
is preparing to cut all the locks off and cover the railings with plexiglas.
All people who are in love, we want they.. them to come in Paris. But we don’t want that they put love
locks. (correct English = We don’t want them to put love locks.)
You can cut them off, but they’re like weeds or cockroaches -- they keep coming back!
Ivy Gambo and Peter Conception flew to Paris to lock their love.
The French say you’re not supposed to lock up your love. You’re supposed to let it be free.
That’s the French, we’re Americans!
Yeah, that’s true!
There’s no ??
No, (?) no kidding!
Is that a proposition?
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Katy Turret, NBC News, Paris
page 2/3
Vocabulary
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A lockdown on love locks
A matter of tough love
For years
Their commitment to one another
Padlocks
There such a thing as too much love
When locking your love
Don’t expect
The locals
A charming display
Inscribed
So many (padlocks)
Plywood
For fear
Endlessly
Expat
Through social media
To push for the French government
To crack down
The lockdown
Somewhere
Tiny tokens
These collapsing grills
To cut all the locks off
Weeds or cockroaches
They keep coming back
To lock up your love
To let it be free
une interdiction de cadenas d’amour
une question d’amour “dur” = un amour exigeant
depuis des années
leur engagement l’un envers l’autre
des cadenas
on peut parler de trop d’amour
en vérouillant (scellant) votre amour
ne vous attendez pas à
les riverains
une manifestation charmante
inscrit, gravé
tant de
du contreplaqué
de peur de
sans fin
ne expatriée
par les médias sociaux
réclamer
sévir
la pose de cadenas
quelque part (entre)
des gages minuscules
en trains de s’effondrer
couper, enlever
des mauvaises herbes ou des cafards
ils continuent à revenir, ils reviennent toujours
enfermer (dans le contexte)
le laisser libre
Paris Tries to Put a Lockdown on Love Locks
(NBC Nightly News, 2015)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
We end tonight with a m______of t_______ love in one of the most romantic cities in the world.
(une question d’amour exigeant)
F_____y_______ couples have expressed their c___________to one another by attaching p_______ –
(depuis des années)
(leur engagement)
(des cadenas)
page 3/3
hundreds of thousands of them – to one Parisian bridge, and now some are saying there’s such a thing as
too much love. From Paris, here’s NBC’s Katy Tur.
When locking your love in the City of Love, d_______e__________ any love from the l_________. The
(ne vous attendez pas à)
(les riverains)
Pont des Arts, the center of Paris and one of its most iconic bridges has been transformed from a
charming d_____________ of ‘”l’amour” into, well, this! Inscribed with initials and hearts, locks on top
(manifestation)
of locks on top of locks.
So many (that) city had to cover them up with plywood f____f____ that they would multiply e________.
(de peur)
(sans fin)
This is a form of vandalism. Enter Eisa Taylor, an American expat with the mission to save her favorite
bridge. T_______ social media and an on-line petition, she and another American have p______ f ____
(par)
(ont réclamé)
the French government to c________d________ on the l_________.
(sévir)
(la pose des cadenas)
Each panel, if they weighed it, would be s________ between five-hundred and seven-hundred kilograms.
(quelque part entre)
And when you multiply those t______t______ of affection by the thousands, you get a bridge many tons
(gages minuscules)
heavier than it should be. Yes, tons! Case in point, these c___________ grills.
(en train de s’effondrer)
It’s not very beautiful and it’s dangerous. Bruno Julliard is the Deputy Mayor of Paris. He says the city
is preparing to cut all the locks off and cover the railings with plexiglas.
All people who are in love, we want they.. them to come in Paris. But we don’t want that they put love
locks. (correct English = We don’t want them to put love locks.)
You can cut them off, but they’re like w_______ or c________ -- they k________ coming back!
(des mauvaises herbes ou des cafards)
(continuent à)
Ivy Gambo and Peter Conception flew to Paris to lock their love.
The French say you’re not supposed to l_______u___ your love. You’re supposed to l_______free.
(enfermer)
That’s the French, we’re Americans!
Yeah, that’s true!
There’s no ??
No, (?) n___k_______!
(sans blague!)
Is that a proposition? Happy Valentine’s Day.
(le laisser libre)