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Petits textes de l'actualité

23 novembre 2007 mp3

The entire future of European plane maker, Airbus, is in jeopardy because of the weakness of the dollar - that's the stark warning from the company boss. Ironically, the order books have never been as full as at present. But the problem is the aircraft industry trades in dollars. And the greenback is hitting an all time low against the Euro. Airbus is already implementing restructuring plans to cut 10,000 jobs and close factories, leading to demonstrations like these. But last night chief executive Tom Enders, warned that would not be enough. "The dollar's rapid decline is life-threatening," he told staff, adding "radical measures" were needed. Airbus was already struggling to keep up with arch-rival, American company Boeing after delays to its A380 super jumbo. And the tumbling dollar is increasing Boeing's advantage. Last night, it was trading at 1.49 to the euro, and all the signs point to it getting weaker still.

• in jeopardy : en péril, menacé, compromis • weakness : faiblesse • stark : cru, sans ambages • order book : carnet de commandes • to trade : faire du commerce • the greenback : le dollar • to hit an all time low : atteindre son plus bas niveau • to implement : appliquer, mettre en oeuvre • demonstration : manifestation • chief executive : directeur • is life-threatening : peut être mortel • staff : personnel • arch-rival : principal adversaire • tumbling : qui fait une chute, qui dégringole • to trade : se négocier

9 novembre 2007 mp3

Argentina's presidential couple have unveiled a memorial to the victims of their country's so-called "Dirty War". The wall lists the names of some 13,000 people killed by the military junta in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their families came to remember. President elect Cristina Kirchner and her husband, the outgoing president, want faster trials for those responsible.

• to unveil : dévoiler, inaugurer • so-called : comme on l'appelle • dirty war : sale guerre • late 1970s : la fin des &nnées 70 • early 1980s : le début des années 80 • President elect : le président élu • outgoing president : président sortant • trial : procès

2 novembre 2007 mp3

German passports now have to have fingerprint data included in a scannable embedded chip. They are among the first EU passports to require this. Added to biometric data - a pan-European measure - this lets border guards see that a passport and carrier belong together. It is part of a plan in response to growing terrorism charges. Joachim Kueter at the federal passport printing office compares the new method with the old. He says: "The officer used to have to check with the picture on the passport if the passport holder was really the correct person. With the (two) fingerprints now, there is no room left for doubt that the passport really belongs to the bearer."

• fingerprint : empreinte digitale • embedded : implanté • to require : exiger, nécessiter • border : frontière • carrier, holder, bearer : porteur, détenteur • to belong together : appartenir à la même paire • growing : qui augmente • charge : accusation • there is no room for doubt : il n'y a plus aucun doute possible

17 août 2007 mp3

Peru has announced three days of mourning for the victims of Wednesday's powerful earthquake. Some 500 people were killed, more than a thousand injured. President Alan Garcia visited some of the worst-hit areas, and declared a state of emergency. The quake, measuring 7,9 on the Richter Scale, hit Ica province, south of the capital Lima. Most of the victims died there. Supplies of food and clothing were beginning to arrive, desperately needed as Peru is in the grip of a cold winter.

• morning : deuil • earthquake : tremblement de terre • injured : blessé • worst-hit : le plus touché • area : région • state of emergency : état d'urgence • quake : tremblement de terre • Richter Scale : échelle de Richter • supplies : approvisionnements • clothing : vêtements • in the grip of : en proie à

3 août 2007 mp3

As the dollar fell to a fresh 15-year low against a basket of major currencies and touched a new record low of over $1.3850 against the euro, the European tourist industry is starting to feel the effects. Visitors like American Dave Stone are suffering exchange rate blues: "At the beginning of our trip we just figured that was the price to come to Europe and go ahead and pay it. But as our euros started falling out more quickly, we definitely were a bit more price-conscious in terms of where we'd eat for dinner, try to find local restaurants that didn't charge quite so much. And the experts say there is no immediate relief in sight for the dollar. They predict that this is a long-term trend that could continue well past the summer tourist rush.

• a low : un niveau bas • basket of major currencies : panier des devises principales • over : plus de • against : par rapport à (comparaisons) • exchange rate blues : la dépression du taux de change (ils dépriment parce que le taux de change leur est défavorable) • to figure : penser • to go ahead : aller de l'avant, mettre à exécution • to be price-conscious : faire attention aux prix • in terms of : en ce qui concerne • to charge : faire payer • relief : soulagement • in sight : en vue • trend : tendance • past : après (dans le temps) • rush : ruée

20 juillet 2007

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Japan has closed its earthquake-hit nuclear plant indefinitely amid revelations that radiation leaks were worse than initially disclosed. Monday's 6.8 strength quake triggered a fire, broken pipes, a water leak and radioactive spills at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, which is the biggest in the world. The President of Tokyo Electric Power Company says the site in Nigata is "a mess." Radioactive liquid was released into the Sea of Japan in two separate leaks but officials insist it does not pose a threat to people or the environment.

• earthquake-hit nuclear plant : centrale nucléaire frappée par un tremblement de terre • leak : fuite • to disclose : divulguer • to trigger : déclencher • pipe : tuyau, conduite • spill : fuite • mess : désordre, fouillis, gâchis • to release : libérer • threat : menace

13 juillet 2007

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As long as there is no peace for Kosovo, Serbia will continue to wait to join the European Union. France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, visiting Belgrade leaders, spelled out that ethnic conflict would keep them at the gates of the EU and not let them in. He is a former UN governor of the 90 percent ethnic Albanian province. Kouchner said independence - described with EU supervision by the UN negotiator - would be the automatic outcome if extended talks fail again.

• as long as : tant que • leader : dirigeant • to spell out : expliquer clairement • gate : porte • to let sb in : ouvrir la porte à qqn, faire entrer • former : ancien • outcome : résultat, conséquence • extended : prolongé • talks : négotiations, pourparlers • to fail : échouer

6 juillet 2007

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Tit for tat judicial rebuffs between London and Moscow indicate that diplomatic relations between the two are significantly worsening. The UK Crown Prosecution Service has decided that exiled Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky had only called for "civil disobedience" in Russia against the Putin regime in a press interview in April and not "terrorist violence." This means Berezovsky will face no charges and will not be extradited to Russia, as Moscow has been demanding. The decision came hours after Moscow refused to help in the Litvinenko enquiry. Alexander Litvinenko was murdered in London last November and the CPS says it has evidence he was killed by Andrei Lugovoi, a former KGB agent. London wants him extradited and Moscow has refused.

• tit for tat : un prêté pour un rendu • rebuff : rebuffade (refus accompagné de paroles dures) • significantly : considérablement • to worsen : s'empirer, s'aggraver • the Crown : la Couronne, l'Etat • prosecution : poursuites judiciaires, accusation • to face : faire face à • charge : chef d'accusation, inculpation • to demand : exiger, réclamer • enquiry : enquête • evidence : preuve • former : ancien

29 juin 2007

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Swamped by the paper work - new EU members Romania and Bulgaria are not meeting targets for improving justice and fighting systemic corruption and organised crime. A report by the European Commission is set to call for more clearly defined benchmarks for the two countries to clean up their act but falls short of triggering punishing sanctions. It is not all bad - sources say the report will note the progress made in Bulgaria's adoption of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary. In fact both country's have revamped their justice systems and passed laws to set up graft-fighting institutions in line with EU demands. It's just taking too long!

• to swamp : inonder, submerger • paper work : paperasserie • to meet target : atteindre les objectifs • to improve : améliorer • to call for : demander • benchmark : repère, point de référence • to clean up their act : commencer à se comporter de manière raisonnable et responsable • to fall short of : être défaillant quant à • to trigger : déclencher, provoquer • to revamp : rafistoler, retaper • graft : magouilles • in line with : dans le sens de

22 juin 2007

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June the 21st marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and in Europe summer has arrived in different guises. Tha south east of the continent has been feeling the heat. Romania, Hungary and Greece are in the grip of a heatwave and temperatures have risen into the low 40's. While it is good news for those selling ice-cream and bottled water, hospitals have already been receiving hundreds of people a day suffering from heat- and sun-stroke. Authorities are warning people to avoid too much exposure to the sun. Air-conditioned cooling tents have sprung up in many towns. In contrast the UK has been hit by severe flooding. Families, businesses and emergency services are in the process of assessing the damage across the British Isles. And entire houses have been blown down in Central Switzerland, which has witnessed the worst storms in decades.

• guise : apparence, aspect • in the grip of : en proie à • heatwave : vague de chaleur • to rise : monter • bottled : en bouteille • a day : par jour • heat- and sun-stroke : coup de chaleur et insolation • to spring up : surgir, pousser comme des champignons • UK (United Kingdom) : Royaume-Uni • to hit : toucher • flooding : inondation • to assess : estimer, évaluer • damage : dégâts • to blow down : être abattu par le vent • to witness : être témoin de

15 juin 2007 mp3

Organic food production and labels and are set to be standardised across Europe. The move, which follows nearly a year and a half of negotiations between EU Agriculture ministers, is designed to reinforce quality controls. From 2009, produce must contain at least 95 percent of organic ingredients to benefit from the new label - a 20 percent rise on current standards. More controversially perhaps agriculture ministers have also accepted that organic foods may contain less than one percent of genetically modified crops. The Commission says the measure will protect producers against foods being accidentially contaminated.

• organic : biologique, bio (nourriture) • label : étiquette (l'étiquette bio en l'occurrence) • are set to : vont commencer à • move : démarche • to design : concevoir • produce : produits (alimentaires) • to benefit from : bénéficier de • label : label (l'étiquette bio en l'occurrence) • rise : hausse, augmentation • current : actuel • crop : produit agricole, culture

11 mai 2007 mp3

New EU rules to reduce the overcrowding of meat chickens have been agreed by the Member States. They establish a maximum stocking density of 33 kilos per square metre, or 39 if a stricter level of welfare standards is maintained; It means around 26 chickens. The new legislation also lays down a number of other conditions, such as lighting, litter, feeding, and ventilation. Up to now, there have been no rules on the space that must be allocated for broilers, as they are called. Detailed records must be kept on matters relevant to the animals' welfare. Any chickens that are seriously injured must be immediately treated or culled in a humane manner. Further, the Directive sets out training and certification requirements for professionals in operations raising more than 500 chickens.

• rule : règle, règlement • overcrowding : surpeuplement, entassement • welfare : bien-être • to lay down : formuler, établir • litter : litière • broiler : poulet (à rôtir) • matter : sujet, question • relevant to : en rapport avec • to injure : blesser • to cull : éliminer • further : de plus, en outre • to set out : présenter • training : formation • requirement : exigence • to raise : élever

4 mai 2007 mp3

Washington has reported the slowest US economic growth for four years. The Commerce Department blamed a continued slump in the housing market and the country's widening trade gap. The report is based on GDP- the value of all goods and services produced in a country. It showed a rise of just 1.3 percent in the first three months of the year. That's much less than all four periods of last year, and the lowest rate since the last part of 2003. It's even lower than a survey of economists had predicted.

• to report : annoncer, déclarer • growth : croissance • to blame : rejeter la responsabilité sur • slump : chute, forte baisse, baisse soudaine • housing : logement • to widen : s'élargir, s'agrandir • trade gap : déficit commercial • GDP : (Gross Domestic Product) PNB (produit national brut) • rise : hausse, augmentation • rate : taux • survey : étude, enquête • to predict : prédire

27 avril 2007 mp3

Using the climate argument in a new offensive to concentrate European Parliament business in one place... The Greens have released a study on how much carbon dioxide is produced by moving the institution's activities from Brussels to Strasbourg 12 times per year or more. The report said that by doing this, the European Union emits at least 20,268 extra tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Green MEP Claude Turmes argued that, in addition to costing taxpayers more than 200 million euros a year, this hurts the bloc's credibility in fighting climate change.

• to release : publier, dévoiler • study : étude • to produce : produire • to move : déplacer • 12 times : douze fois • report : rapport, enquête • to emit : dégager, émettre • extra : supplémentaire • green : écologique, vert • to argue : argumenter, soutenir • taxpayer : contribuable • to hurt : nuire à • to fight : lutter contre, combattre

20 avril 2007 mp3

Dangerous consumer products taken off the market in Europe have more than doubled in number in the past two years. The European Commission said 924 dangerous products were reported in 2006. China was indicated as the country of origin in almost half of all cases. This lab in Hungary puts the items to the test. It stresses the parts -- Will motors shut off automatically if there is too much resistance? How fast will materials catch fire? Will products perform realistically?

• consumer : consommateur • to take off : enlever • past : dernier, passé • to report : signaler, déclarer • products were reported : on a signalé des produits • to indicate : signaler, indiquer • almost : presque • item : article • to stress : solliciter • to shut off : se couper, s'arrêter • to catch fire : prendre feu • to perform : marcher, fonctionner • realistically : de façon réaliste

9 avril 2007 mp3

iTunes needs further tuning, the European Commission says: Agreements between Apple, the American consumer electronics corporation, and major record companies go against the European Union's rules prohibiting restrictive business practices. Brussels has sent formal charges, which allege that music sales in Europe are being restricted. This move by the Commission is not related to a deal announced on Monday under which the record giant EMI agreed to make its music available online without anti-piracy protection.

• further : supplémentaire • tuning : réglage, mise au point • agreement : accord • electronics : composants électroniques • record company : maison de disque • to go against : aller à l'encontre de • rule : règle • restrictive business practices : atteintes à la libre concurrence • charges : plainte • to allege : prétendre • move : démarche • available : disponible

5 mars 2007 mp3

On the campaign trail in the United States, Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama set aside their differences, paying homage together to civil rights activists in Alabama. They marched side by side with those who were clubbed by police during a peaceful demonstration for the black vote 42 years ago. The violence at the Bloody Sunday march in Selma in 1965 shocked America into action over racist voting practices which kept blacks from the ballot box.

• campaign trail : campagne électorale • to set aside : mettre de côté • to pay homage : rendre hommage • civil rights : droits civiques • activist : militant • side by side : côte à côte • to club : matraquer • demonstration : manifestation • to shock : scandaliser • racist voting practices : pratiques électorales racistes • kept blacks from the ballot box : empêchaient les noirs de voter

26 février 2007 mp3

Spain's economy continues to show red hot growth, up by nearly 4% last year. The National Statistics Institute said GDP expansion was particularly strong in the fourth quarter, rising by 1.2% compared with the previous three months. The figures put Spain at the top of the list of industrialised nations for growth along with Japan. It has consistently outperformed the euro zone in recent years. In 2005 its growth was a full 2% more than the region as a whole and last year's 3.9% expansion compares with 2.7% for the euro zone.

• red hot : fort, puissant • growth : croissance • GDP : (gross domestic product) PNB (produit national brut) • quarter : trimestre • figure : chiffre • at the top of the list : en tête de liste • along with : avec • consistently : régulièrement • to outperform : être plus performant que • as a whole : dans son ensemble • last year's 3.9% expansion compares with 2.7% for the euro zone : alors que l'Espagne a connu un accroissement de 3,9% en 2006, la zone euro n'a augmenté que de 2,7%

19 février 2007 mp3

Belarus has increased by around a third the transit fees for Russian oil heading through pipelines to Europe. The Energy Ministry in Minsk says the price hikes - the first in 11 years - are justified as they will help offset the cost of Moscow's doubling of energy prices it charges Belarus. Russia didn't immediately comment but recently said Belarus could not raise transit prices without its agreement.

• around : environ • fee : commission • oil : pétrole • to head : aller, se diriger • pipeline : oléoduc • hike : hausse, augmentation • to offset : contrebalancer, compenser • to charge : faire payer • to raise : augmenter • agreement : accord

12 février 2007 mp3

Representatives of the French petro-chemical giant Total will appear in court in Paris today in connection with one of Europe's worst environmental disasters. The 37,000 tonne "Erika" broke up and sank in heavy seas off the west coast of France in December 1999. 20,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil leaked onto nearby beaches causing damage valued at around one billion euros.

• in connection with : à propos • to break up : se disloquer • to sink : couler • heavy seas : grosse mer • off : à quelques kilomètres de • fuel / oil : pétrole • to leak : se répandre • onto : sur • valued at : estimé à • around : environ • billion : milliard

5 février 2007 mp3

The European Union has urged the member countries to forbid smoking in public places. Brussels has published a discussion paper saying the level of EU involvement in promoting smoke-free legislation is "an open question". But, in Brussels' opinion, comprehensive smoke-free policies that are successfully in force prove that the blanket option is viable. The law bans smoking in the workplace and public spaces in Ireland and Malta, Italy (with limited success), Sweden and, since this January, in Lithuania. England will follow a smoke-free Scotland this summer. Bans in France kick in this week but give bars, restaurants and workplaces a year's reprieve. Belgium too has exceptions.

• to urge : conseiller vivement • paper : document, article • open : en suspens • comprehensive : complet, exhaustif • policy : politique, orientation, règle • in force : en application, en vigueur • blanket : général, global • to ban : interdire • smoking : le tabac • to kick in : entrer en action • reprieve : sursis, répit

29 janvier 2007 mp3

The Chinese economy has lived up to its reputation of being the world's fastest growing. Latest figures show that it steamed ahead by 10.7 percent last year. That puts its expansion rate at more than twice the global average. But Beijing is worried that such high levels of growth may be unsustainable and plans to take several more measures to slow things down a bit.

• to live up to : se montrer à la hauteur de, mériter • world's fastest growing : qui augmente le plus rapidement au monde • figure : chiffre • to steam ahead : filer devant • rate : taux • twice : deux fois • average : moyenne • worried : inquiet • level : niveau • growth : croissance, développement • unsustainable : pas viable • to slow down : ralentir

22 janvier 2007 mp3

The EU-Russia summit between Germany's Angela Merkel and President Vladimir Putin has focussed on energy issues. Merkel said communication had to be improved, Putin said efforts are being stepped up. "I want to to stress our growing cooperation in the energy sector. Russia and Germany are interested in safeguarding European and global energy security. A forum on this is being planned between Russian and German energy companies for April this year,". They also said there was progress on foreign policy issues. The German Chancellor said they both supported the Middle East Quartet of international mediators.

• to focus on : être centré sur, porter sur • issue : question, problème • to improve : améliorer • to step up : intensifier • to stress : insister sur • growing : grandissant • to safeguard : sauvegarder • to plan : organiser • policy : politique • to support : soutenir • quartet : quatuor

15 janvier 2007 mp3

Green is the theme at this year's Detroit Motor Show which opens in unseasonably warm weather in the northern United States, underlining the fact that perhaps global warming is something to worry about. There are still plenty of high-horsepower hefty motors on the stands, but the crisis-mired US manufacturers have various environmentally friendly options and concept cars on show. The extent of their problems can be seen from the sales figures: General Motors sold four million cars there last year, down 8.8%, Ford 2.7 million, down 8% and Chrysler 2.1 million, down 7%. Toyota - best known for its petrol-electric hybrid car the Prius - by contrast saw its US sales soar nearly 13% last year. Also enjoying record sales the top end of the market. Rolls Royce, which unveiled a new Drophead Coupe - costing a mere 400,000 euros - it sold 800 cars last year and Rolls Royce boss Ian Robertson says many of them went to Asia.

• unseasonably warm weather : temps chaud pour la saison • to underline : souligner • global warming is something to worry about : il y a lieu de s'inquiéter au sujet du réchauffement de la planète • horsepower : cv (puissance d'un moteur) • hefty : gros, puissant • crisis-mired US manufacturers : fabricants américains empêtrés dans une crise • extent : importance, étendue • down : une baisse de • to soar : monter en flèche • to unveil : dévoiler • a mere : seulement

8 janvier 2007 mp3

The Italian government is coming under fire over conditions in hospitals. It follows an investigative magazine report which claims to have revealed shocking evidence of bad hygiene and mismanagement at the country's biggest hospital in Rome. The findings were made by a journalist who worked undercover as a cleaner.

• to come under fire : être vivement critiqué ou attaqué • an investigative magazine report : un reportage d'un magazine d'enquêtes • to claim : prétendre, déclarer • evidence : preuve • mismanagement : mauvaise gestion • undercover : en secret • cleaner : femme de ménage, nettoyeur