Sunday, April 3, 2016

Francophone de Singapour - French speaking Toastmasters Club

I was the ah counter at Francophone de Singapour,  a French speaking Toastmasters club.

I was Ah Counter - compteur d'hésitations, counter of hesitations.


I won the ribbon for best impromptu speaker.
My topic:
You are in an accident.

My topic was (I've translated from French): You are in a car accident. You are the driver. A person has been killed. The accident is your fault. The driver of the other car is in tears and thinks it is their fault. Do you admit that it is your fault or keep quiet?

I replied animatedly:
Vous ne direz rien! Jamais. Absolument pas. Ce n'est pas permis! Si vous avez regarder votre papier avec l'assurance vous devez lire des instructions. Vous ne devez pas admettre rien. C'est pour la compagnie qui va payer de decider ce qu'il fault dire.

Vous pouvez appelez pour la police, les pompiers, les gens pour vous aider, aider les blessée, mais vous ne direz rien au sujet de la cause.

C'est pour la police de trouver la faute. On peut voir, par les photographies, les marques des roues des voitures, pour savoir la vitesse des voitures et la direction. Ce n'est pas votre metier. Vous aider les blessée, mais vous ne dites rien. Moi, je crois toujours que les choses sont ma faute. Mais après un accident, c'est obligatoire de garder la silence.

Translation:
You say nothing! Absolutely not. It's not allowed.

If you have seen your car insurance document you must have read the instructions (of what to do in an accident). You must admit nothing. It's for the company which has to pay out to decide what you must say.

You can call the police, the firemen, the ambulance people, yourself help the wounded, but you must admit nothing on the subject of the cause of the accident. It's for the police (investigation) to establish the cause. That will be proved, seen from the photographs, the marks left on the road by the tyres of the vehicles showing their direction and speed. It's not your job. You are not an expert.

You help anybody who is injured to receive medical assistance but - you say nothing.  (You might not remember. Be confused, in shock.) Besides, I always think everything is my fault! But after an accident, your insurance company says - you are obliged to stay silent!

Glossary
ENGLISH - FRENCH
Ah counter - compteur d'hésitations
best evaluator - meilleur evaluateur
best impromptu speaker -  meilleur improvisateur 
best impromptu speech - la meilleure improvisation
best speaker - meilleur orateur
English - Anglais
French - Francis
guest - invite
never - jamais
nothing - rien
president -président/e
Singapore - Singapour
website - site web

FRENCH - ENGLISH
Anglais - English
compteur d'hésitations - Ah Counter
Francais - French
invité - guest
improvisation - impromptu (speech)
jamais - never
Meilleur evaluateur - best evaluator
meilleur improvisateur - best impromptu speaker
meilleur orateur - best speaker
rien - nothing
Singapour - Singapore
site web - website

The Francophone de Singapour club meets the first Friday of the month at 
Cairnhill Community Club (CC)
1 Anthony Road
229944 Singapour
Site web www.francosing.com

Near Newton MRT (Mass transit railway - underground) train station - Le Metro
Angela Lansbury, B A Hons, CL, ACG, author and speaker.

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