The air-conditioned Puritan

The air-conditioned Puritan
Why Americans, and those who are
5
employed
to
write
about
them,
cannot enjoy holidays
“LET's take a boat to Bermuda, Let's take a
40Americans do not even take all the days they
10plane to St Paul, Let's take a kayak to Quincy
are allowed. In 2009, harrumphs Expedia,
or Nyack, Let's get away from it all.” That
Americans “gave back” a total of 436m
may be all very well if you are not Lexington.
vacation days. In fairness, America does
For reasons only the flinty-hearted editor of
indulge its children: their school year is one
this newspaper can explain, there will be no
45of the shortest in the world, as is their school
15summer break this year for your columnist.
day. But the indulgence ends with adulthood.
True, Lexington has been allowed to saddle
up his ultimate driving machine and motor
Even when Americans do take time off, they
north to join friends in a cabin in the
find it hard to relax. Having holidayed for
Adirondacks. But get away from it all? No sir,
many years with the family of a Wall Street
20this is a space that must be filled week in
50lawyer, your columnist’s slumber has all too
and week out this summer, come what may.
often been disturbed in the early hours by
the
murmur
of
writs,
affidavits
and
In a way, of course, it is fitting that a Brit
threatening letters being dictated by phone
writing about America should not be allowed
to New York from Provence, Tuscany and
holiday.
55other otherwise tranquil locations. It may be
25Having a complete break would make it
that without this unremitting industry the
harder to understand the natives. As all the
lawyer and his family could not have afforded
world knows, Americans find taking time off,
quite so many hops across the Atlantic. But it
let
leisure,
seems pretty clear that something cultural—
website,
60that famous Puritan fear of idle hands and
actual
relaxation
alone
filling
painfully
hard.
on
a
that
One
summer
time
with
travel
30expedia.com, believes (what a surprise) that
easeful nights—is at work as well.
“everyone deserves and needs a vacation.”
comparative
That is certainly the argument of “Working at
international data on the scandal of “vacation
Play”, Cindy Aron’s aptly named social history
deprivation”. These show that in 2009 the
of vacations in the United States, which
35average American adult received about 13
65argues that (up to 1940 at least, when her
Indeed,
it
has
compiled
days of holiday, whereas the average Briton
story
enjoyed
average
themselves trapped in a love-hate battle with
“working” Frenchman, infuriatingly, had 38
their holiday and have made a point of filling
days. Worse yet, more than a third of
their leisure with various sorts of work—
a
luxurious
26.
The
ends)
Americans
have
found
70religious, intellectual and therapeutic. The
history is another way to stiffen the laxity of
middle classes did not start to take holidays
a vacation: famous buildings, battlefields and
in a big way until the late 19th century, at a
115landmarks are popular and lucrative draws.
time when the values that mattered were still
Not even Disney believes it can prosper by
industry and discipline, and when leisure and
selling escapism alone. Hence its proposal for
75idleness were perceived as sources of moral,
an
American-history
theme
park
outside
spiritual, financial and political danger. Many
Washington, DC (a scheme thwarted by the
a modern holiday resort, such as Martha’s
120objections of local residents). And if the
Vineyard in Cape Cod, sprang out of a
educational holiday fails, there is always the
Methodist summer camp created to offer
pilgrimage.
80spiritual rather than physical comfort.
Like all theories about America as a whole,
Saddle up and think very hard
this one has its holes. How to explain Las
Vegas?
Besides,
not
all
immigrants
to
125Of
which
Lexington’s
journey
to
the
America brought Puritanism in their hearts.
Adirondacks is one. It would be simpler to
85From the 1930s onwards Jews living in New
hop on a plane, but how else, if not on
York started to holiday in the hundreds of
wheels, to delve into the psyche of the
rooming houses and hotels that sprouted in
holidaying
the
nearby
Catskill
mountains.
By
all
130enjoined
American?
Americans
Teddy
to
Roosevelt
rediscover
the
they
“strenuous life”, and your columnist embarks
90created there every summer was dedicated
(in his air-conditioned BMW) in that spirit on
unabashedly to pleasure. They danced the
this adventure with intimations of Steinbeck,
rumba, and later the bossa nova, and thrilled
Kerouac, “Easy Rider” and Lewis and Clark
accounts
the
self-contained
world
to crooners and comedians from Manhattan,
135thrown in.
Brooklyn and the Bronx. Though the posher
Beyond being part of the American passion
95hotels had swimming pools, golf courses and
for mobility, the road trip is a quest, less a
nightclubs, this was a magnet for Jews of all
search
classes, and many families and their friends
returned to the same hotels or rooming
houses year after year, until air conditioning,
100affluence
and
alternatives
cheap
available
air
and
travel
brought
for
pleasure
than
an
act
of
exploration, not just of the land but also of
140the self. Cross the continent on one of its
endlessly unspooling east-west highways and
made
you will encounter many a pilgrim—solitary
the
bikers on Harleys, hopeful families in their
enchanted little world to an end.
RVs—whose grail is not the Michelin-starred
And yet neither affluence nor diversity seem
145restaurant (fat chance) or the perfect beach
to have made it as easy for Americans to
but something at once simpler and loftier:
105relax on holiday in the way that guilt-free
“freedom”, perhaps. There are exceptions.
vacationer
Mark Twain sought only ham, eggs and
unable to silence his inner Puritan for those
scenery, “a fragrant pipe and a contented
paltry 13 days a year must combine his
150heart”. He was lucky not to work for The
holiday with some self-improving experience.
Economist’s flinty-hearted editor. (A problem
Europeans
do.
The
American
easily solved. Ed.)
110Children are sent to camp to learn the Great
Outdoors, or taught to fish or light fires by
over-earnest
fathers.
Communing
with
155
160
165
170
175
180
185
190
195
200
205
210
Useful vocabulary
flinty-hearted = with a hard heart
saddle up = to get started ( analogy of the saddle of a horse)
fitting = convenient
let alone = even less
infuriatingly = in an annoying manner
harrumph = clear throat noisily( figuratively here: express dissatisfaction grumpily)
indulge = usually to indulge IN stg but here: to satisfy/ yield(=céder) to the demand of
slumber = sleep
writ = legal document ordering so. to do stg
affidavit = written document which you swear is true (can be used in court)
unremitting = ceaseless
hop = jump : here short trips
idle ≠ busy
therapeutic θɛrəˈpjʊːtik
spring out of = come from
rooming houses = private houses you can rent
sprout = come out
unabashedly = without embarrassment
thrill to = to be excited by
posh = rich
magnet = piece of attracting iron, here: attraction
paltry = small
stiffen = make harder
draw = here: attraction
thwart = prevent
delve into = inquire
enjoin = encourage
intimation = hint
unspooling = straight (without many curves)
grail = earnestly pursued goal
fat chance = ironical expression meaning it is quite unlikely
lofty = noble, admirable
fragrant = that has a pleasant smell
Version
215
Translate the following passages into French:
L 5-13
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L 18-26
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L 47-53
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L 58-62
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250L 95-101
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L 132-139
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265
270
Certaines constructions verbales
275
I’d rather + do (BV)
I’d rather you+ preterite
To allow so. To +BV
280She had better + BV
I happened to see her yesterday
I can’t help +ING
To enable so. To+BV
To talk so into +ING
285To admit to +ING
To look forward to +ING
To object to+ING
To accuse so. OF +ING
To blame so. FOR +ING
290To have so. do stg.
This policy needs/wants rethinking
To succeed in +ING
To warn so. not to do stg.
I don’t mind / I mind +ING
295Please remember to tell him (axé vers l’avenir)
I remember talking to her. (axé vers le passé)
To want/expect so./stg to +BV
To let so. +BV
To forbid so. To+ BV
300To agree to +BV
I didn’t mean to+BV
To insist on (so.’s)+ING
To stop +ING
To stop to+BV
305To cause to + BV
to be made to + BV
310
315
320
je préfererais faire …
je préfererais que vous…
autoriser qqn à
elle ferait mieux de…
je l’ai par hasard vue hier.
je ne peux pas m’empêcher de…
permettre à qqn de …
convaincre qqn (en leur parlant)
admettre de…
languir de…
être contre le fait de…
accuser qqn de
‘’
faire faire qqch. (par qqn)
il faut repenser cette politique…
réussir à
mettre qqn en garde de ne pas faire qqch.
cela m’est égal de…/ ne m’est pas égal de
souviens toi de lui dire.
je me souviens de lui avoir parlé.
vouloir/ s’attendre à …que/ à ce que…
laisser qqn. +verbe
interdir à qqn de…
accepter de…
je n’avais pas l’intention de…
insister pour/ pour que
s’arrêter de…
s’arrêter pour…
causer qqch
être forcé à
Thème grammatical
325
330
335
340
345
1. C'est comme si une voix intérieure leur disait: " je préfèrerais que tu ne restes pas là à rien faire!"
2. Si les Américains ne veulent pas que leur vie entière se résume à leur travail, alors ils feraient
mieux de s'octroyer plus de temps libre et d'apprendre à en profiter pleinement sans la moindre
culpabilité.
3. Ils ne peuvent pas s'empêcher de travailler tout le temps, même durant le peu de jours de congé
qu'ils arrivent à prendre.
4. De réelles vacances leur permettraient cependant d'être encore plus efficace dans leur travail au
retour.
5. Malheureusement, on force tout le monde à croire que " l'oisiveté est mère de tous les vices."
6. On accuse les adultes américains de ne jamais travailler assez alors que leurs jeunes ont une des
années scolaires les plus courtes du monde!
7. J'ai finalement réussi à le convaincre (en lui parlant) de faire une véritable coupure avec sa vie
professionnelle. Ce qui devrait lui faire le plus grand bien s'il veut bien suivre mes conseils.
8. Je l'avais pourtant prévenu, qu'à ce rythme là, il allait tout droit à la dépression!