Carla Effect - Anglophonie

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Is Sarkozy Savoring - or Suffering from-The Carla Effect?
(NBC Evening News: 2009)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/32585505#32585505
When 54-year old French president Nicolas Sarkozy collapsed after a Sunday jog recently, doctors blamed heat
and overwork. But for everyone else, the culprit was clearly his significantly younger wife, 41 year-old Carla
Bruni.
“It’s very possible that having a far younger wife is a danger for the French president. He wants to keep up with
her, and she is a fast, fast person”
And by the time a slightly shaky Sarkozy was discharged from hospital the next day, the media was buzzing
with the “Carla effect.” Eighteen months into his new marriage he had, we heard, been subjected to the
rigorous paces of super-fit Carla’s personal trainer, forfeited his love of chocolate and, almost sacrilege for the
French -- thanks to Carla, even given up cheese.
Although his collapse turned out to be a health blip, French doctors ordered him to take some much needed rest
and to eat more.
They are telling him, “Take it easy! Younger wife or not, please take it easy.”
And while he’s done just that, enjoying a 3-week chill-out vacation with Carla on the French Riviera, his
popularity has surged, with his poll rating up by 12 percent.
Good news for Sarkozy, whose popularity had dropped rapidly after his election back in 2007. Nicknamed the
“Bling President,” Sarkozy was soon criticized for being too provincial, too vulgar.
His image has been somewhat crass, inept and not terribly “fin” – “refined” as the French say.
Until he met Carla! More notorious for her past affairs and racy photo shoots, the Italian-born supermodel,
turned folk-singer, turned the tables.
Initial French scepticism during their whirlwind romance, following hot on the heels of Sarkozy’s very public
divorce, soon melted into admiration. Adopted as a kind of French Jackie Kennedy, Carla’s surprisingly
impeccable First-Lady role has upped the presidential style stakes.
“Bringing to the Elysée Palace what the French people expect from a French and a First Lady – her style, her
glamor, her beauty, the way she dresses.”
Sarkozy’s taking her lead.
For example, he no longer wears a thick, expensive watch, he wears but a thin and chic expensive watch. He
dresses more carefully.
And it’s not just the hand-made English shirts, the Samba suits or the slim ties. The French like their
president -- well, presidential, intellectual!
“And in terms of what he reads, there are rumours that, you know, she buys books for him and she tries to,
once again, broaden his horizons.”
The metamorphosis appears to be working. The French president, who’d made no secret of his preference of all
things American, has recently been heard quoting from French classics. The “Carla effect” yet again? Well,
maybe not.
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He isn’t really taking. He still prefers light fiction, thrillers, police stories, mysteries and what not. And, uh,
for the French very often that’s considered not good.”
But she is (good). By dazzling her audiences with charm or simply dazzling the cameras with her beauty.
“She’s very good for him, for his image, that’s for sure. On the world stage, on the French one (stage),
Ummm, she’s, she’s an asset, that’s for sure!
So, is the woman who counts Mick Jagger, Donald Trump and Eric Clapton as former lovers, and who once
called monogamy boring, in this marriage for the long haul?
“My bet would be (that) she’s going to, she’s going to be, to be here, you know, for the full, for the full term.
Then we’ll see!”
Michelle Noibert, NBC news.
Vocabulary
01. to collapse
02. the culprit
03. a far younger wife
04. to keep up with her
05. a slightly shaky Sarkozy
06. the media was buzzing
07. the rigorous paces
08. to forfeit his love of chocolate
09. to give up cheese
10. to turn out to be a health blip
11. take it easy!
12. a chill-out vacation
13. his poll rating up by 12 percent
14. nicknamed the “Bling President”
15. somewhat crass
16. her past affairs
17. racy photo shoots
18. turned folk-singer
19. to turn the tables
20. a whirlwind romance
21. to follow hot on the heels
22. to melt into admiration
23. to up the presidential style stakes
24. to dress more carefully
25. slim ties
26. the French like their president …
27. to broaden his horizons
28. who’d made no secret
29. he isn’t really taking
30. and what not
31. to dazzle her audiences
32. That’s for sure
33. On the world stage
34. (she) called monogamy boring
35. for the long haul
36. my bet would be …
37. for the full term
s’effondrer
la coupable
beaucoup plus jeune
suivre son rythme
légèrement chancelant
parler beaucoup de quelque chose, “bourdonner”
rythme strict
se priver, abandonner
se priver, abandonner
s’avérer n’être qu’une petite anomalie (sans danger) de santé
détendez-vous, ralentissez
des vacances “relax”
les sondages de popularité sont en hausse de 12%
surnommé
quelque peu grossier
ses aventures précédentes
des séances photo un peu osées
devenue
renverser la tendance
éclair
suivre de très près, être sur les talons de
se transformer (“fondre”) en admiration
mettre plus d’importance sur la façon dont le president s’habille
s’habiller plus soigneusement
des cravates fines
préfère que leur président soient…
élargir ses horizons
qui n’a pas caché que
Il ne suit / n’accepte pas vraiment
et ainsi de suite
éblouir son auditoire
c’est certain
sur la scène mondiale
elle a qualifié la monogamie d’ennuyeux
sur le long terme
mon pari (ce que je pense, c’est que)
durant tout le mandat présidentiel