On Saturday I went the The Salisbury, un pub anglais, in La Baule to watch the England-France rugby match with a group from the hockey club. Chris, the other jouer anglais was there as well so it was two Anglais with about forty French supporters (well, technically two and a half Anglais as Chris had brought his four month old son along as well). Of course, England asserted their superior skills and won 17-9 - which has set Chris and I up nicely with the rest of the team for the remainder of the season :o)
One thing about the French TV coverage that I found interesting (Fr meaning) was that subtitles were given for the National Anthem (“Que Dieu protège notre gracieuse Reine, Longue vie à notre noble Reine, Que Dieu protège la Reine”). I wondered why that isn’t done for La Marseillaise on the BBC’s coverage – apart from the usual Anglo-Saxon belief that the rest of the world should speak (and presumably sing) in English of course.
However, maybe the real answer is that it’s not considered suitable for primetime television may be found in the translation for British followers of La Marseillaise that I found online …..
La Marseillaise
Come, children of the fatherland
The glorious day has come!
The bloody flag of tyranny,
Is raised against us.
Do you hear, in the countryside,
The roar of these savage soldiers?
They come right into our arms
To cut the throats of your sons and your wives.
To arms, citizens!
Form your battalions
Let us march, Let us march!
That our fields may run red;
steeped in tainted blood.
The glorious day has come!
The bloody flag of tyranny,
Is raised against us.
Do you hear, in the countryside,
The roar of these savage soldiers?
They come right into our arms
To cut the throats of your sons and your wives.
To arms, citizens!
Form your battalions
Let us march, Let us march!
That our fields may run red;
steeped in tainted blood.
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