Recap by BV2

Topic recap sheet n°7 : the UK & Europe : “I love you !” “me neither …”
Content / Documents :
Pictures : Major Cam cartoon / Newspapers front pages (Brexit)
Video : a tour of the ESA / Will we be toasting with English Champagne ?
Texts : Brexit would hurt science / Champagne Taittinger settles in the UK / Translation (in Brussels)
Graphs : the UK and the EU
Civilisation / Culture : Project Fear (scare tactics to influence voters) / Is it safe ? people’s worst fears
a small country in a globalised world ( place of English in the world, diversity of cultures)
Picture(s) (description & meaning)
Major Cam Cartoon
Description : This is parody of the current situation of the UK. David Cameron is in front of an exit door.
He is continuously warning that he will go out but he never does ( he is only holding the doorknob). He
has the same expression on his face in the 6 pictures
Meaning : The exit door represents Brexit which means the end of EU membership for the UK. In fact,
David Cameron falls between two stools, and actually these are idle threats, because he often changes his
mind, there are no actions to prove his will to quit the EU.
The Revenant
Description : This is a parody of the Revenant poster. It represents David Cameron between two
frightening bears. The bear on the left represents the UK, and the other, the EU. It is entitled “One man’s
impossible journey”. Indeed, we can see David Cameron as an exhausted traveler who cannot decide on a
specific side.
Meaning : This picture represents the fight led by DC. He isn’t able to decide because he is under the
pressure of 2 entities: the UK and the UE represented as wild animals for DC. Each choice is risky.
Meaning
Graph (description & meaning)
The graph represents the British importation and exportation of goods from and to the biggest countries of
the EU. Globally, it shows that half of the British production is exported and 6% of the goods produced in
the EU are sold to the UK.
It highlights the dependence between the UK and the EU : the EU provides a huge amount of money and a
source of importation which is beneficial for each side. The UK imports mostly from Ireland and exports
mostly to rich neighbouring countries.
Vocabulary :
English
To fall between
two stools
An idle threat
French
A disaster
Ill= sick = ailing
To blackmail
A thorough= indepth analysis
Odd= weird
Un désastre
Malade
Faire du chantage
Une analyse en
profondeur
A refugee camp
Casualties
Civilians
A blockade
The single
currency
A ceasefire
Un camp de réfugiés
Pertes humaines
Les civils
Un blocus
La monnaie unique
A mole
A probe
Brexit
Long –term view
Une taupe
Une sonde
Britain + Exit
Une vue sur le long
terme
Relation
Fonds monétaires
Relationship
Funds
Avoir le cul entre deux
chaises
Une menace en l’air
Bizarre
Un cessez-le-feu
English
The ESA (European
Space Agency)
A spacecraft= a
spaceship
A UFO
A space shuttle
A launching pad
To endure an
embargo
To establish the single
currency
To join the euro zone
To hold one’s breath
A Scaremonger
To pull out of
Effectiveness
French
To have nerves of
steel
To remain
Annoying (polite)
Bloody annoying
Border control
Avoir des nerfs d’acier
A warning
Sparkling wines
L’ESA
Un vaisseau spatial
Un OVNI
Une navette spatiale
Une aire de lancement
Subir un embargo
Instaurer la monnaie
unique
Rejoindre la zone euro
Retenir son souffle
Un alarmiste
Sortir de, quitter
Efficacité
Rester
Ennuyant
Enmerdant/Chiant
Le contrôle des
frontières
Un avertissement
Vins pétillants
Recent events, historical & cultural references mentioned in the
documents:
-
Galileo = European GPS
Brexit would mean less money to invest in research and more difficulties to collect data as
many researches rely on the whole EU population; their research would be slowed down.
It would reduce the cooperation between countries for important projects (ESA), and
communication between scientists. It could also lead some scientists to leave the UK.
Fear tactics : Terrorist attacks in Europe (Paris and Brussels). Led to more severe border
controls.
Fear of migrants is used by the Brexit side / fear of economic recession is used by the
Bremain (or Better Together) side
Global issues : illegal migrants
climate change (increase of global temperatures = production of sparkling wines in the south
England possible again).
1973 : the UK joined the EU; but it neither belongs to the euro zone nor to the Schengen area
English is a universal language : it is used internationally, but also within the EU. It is the
language of science, business, tourism and diplomacy.
Key expressions (grammar, syntax, translation...)
- To be accused OF doING stg : Politicians are accused of scaremongering
- To keep doING stg : they keep insisting on irrational fears
- Neither…nor / it belongs neither to the Schengen area, nor to the Eurozone = only one negation
(neither + nor), the verb is affirmative (belongs)
- We’d rather avoid a crisis = We’d prefer not to face this crisis
We’d rather = we WOULD rather = we WOULD prefer to
-To scare someone into doing something : Citizens should not be scared into voting (on ne devrait
pas inciter les gens à voter en utilisant la peur)
- A crisis which threatens the economy / the people to whom he has promised a referendum
- Such as = like
as + noun = being (en tant que)
Politicians such as the Justice minister or the mayor of London are campaigning to leave the EU
As the Prime Minister, Cameron is trying to unite the British and influence their vote.
- farther (distance) ≠ further (profondeur)
- Since + date/event + PRESENT PERFECT
Since the end of the Middle Ages, beer has been the national beverage in England. (depuis la fin ….
la bière est la boisson nationale)
- Past event + PRETERIT
In the Middle Ages, the coronation of the King of England was toasted with English wine. (au
Moyen-Age, on fêtait…)
Document prepared with great care by : Clément, Emma, Mélody, Thomas, Maxime &
Marine
(self-styled … : Saint Baldureaux, Emmanounette, Mélodynamique des populations, Thomagmatisme, Maxou,
Marinopharyngite)