Paris is hosting the Olympics this year, hoping to dazzle participants and viewers around the world. But first, the organizers have had to overcome some major hurdles, like cleaning the Seine for the swimming events and getting rid of unsightly trash, among other things. In this lesson we will focus on what Sophie and Patrice have to say about the games and how, as Parisians, the preparations for the games affect them. 

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In this video, Patrice starts with a joke, claiming that he has been sélectionné (selected) for the games:

J'ai été sélectionné aux Jeux olympiques.

I was selected for the Olympic Games.

Caption 1, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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Actually, the only épreuve (sporting event) he will be participating in, as Sophie jokingly points out, is going on holiday to get away from all the fuss. In fact, Sophie is teasing Patrice, pretending to feel sorry for him by making a pun on the word épreuve, which also means “ordeal”:  

L'épreuve de partir en vacances très, très loin de Paris, tu veux dire ?

The event of going on vacation very, very far from Paris, you mean?

Caption 7, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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As for the athletes, they will participate in actual sporting events—épreuves—some of them traditional, like la course et le lancer (running and throwing), and some created from scratch. The host country can create a new discipline if they wish:

Comme dans les jeux antiques, on trouve des épreuves de course et de lancer. Mais on innove en créant une épreuve de toutes pièces : le marathon.

As in the ancient games, you can find running and throwing events. But they innovate by creating an event from scratch: the marathon.

Captions 57-61, Jamy Epicurieux La drôle d'histoire des JO (Jeux Olympiques) - Part 1

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This year, France has introduced a new discipline, breakdancing:

Le breakdance fera partie des Jeux olympiques à partir de 2024.

Breakdancing will be part of the Olympics as of 2024.

Some disciplines, like the swimming events, have been quite a headache for the organizers. According to this article, “After years of promises and more than $1 billion of investment, Paris’s once-filthy river is finally swimmable.” The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, even took a dip in the Seine to show that the river is safe to swim in. And in his video, Patrice tells us the water has been assainie (sanitized) for the athletes: 

Ah bon ? -Donc ils ont assaini, assaini, assaini

Oh yeah? -So they sanitized, sanitized, sanitized

Caption 30, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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Finally, les athlètes (the athletes) agreed to swim in the Seine:

Et donc les athlètes ont donc accepté de le faire.

And so the athletes therefore agreed to do it.

Caption 35, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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These are just a few of the challenges that the organizers face. For all that, Sophie is thrilled that the Olympic Games are being organisés (held) in Paris:

C'est génial que les Jeux olympiques soient organisés à Paris. 

It's great that the Olympic Games are being held in Paris.

Caption 48, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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Nevertheless, Sophie thinks the city of Paris could have done a better job of addressing the ongoing problem of poverty, which she thinks has simply been pushed out of sight:

Mais ce que je vois quand même, c'est que on repousse toute la misère à la périphérie.

But what I see, in any event, is that we're pushing all the poverty to the periphery.

Captions 51-52, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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The same goes for the trash problem, which is bound to get worse with the influx of extra visitors:

Mais c'est le propre de l'être humain en fait de repousser les problèmes sans les régler, comme les poubelles

But that's the peculiarity of human beings, in fact, to push away problems without resolving them, like the trash cans

Captions 61-63, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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There has been another controversy surrounding the Olympics: the decision to relocate les bouquinistes (secondhand booksellers along the Seine) for security reasons. The bouquinistes, who are considered a symbol of Paris, fought back and managed to overturn that decision, to their great relief: 

Les bouquinistes sont heureux et soulagés de pouvoir rester sur les quais de la Seine.

The secondhand booksellers are happy and relieved to be able to stay on the banks of the Seine.

Meanwhile, let's not forget about the stars of the show, the athletes, who are eager for the games to start. Still claiming to be one of them, Patrice concludes the video with another joke, telling Sophie that he has some kind of training to do… (Maybe for some holiday acitivities?)

Tiens. Viens, regarde. Je te montre comment je m'entraîne.

Here. Come, look. I'll show you how I train.

Caption 74, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024

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Now that the immense job of getting Paris ready for the Olympics is complete, the world is ready to enjoy les Jeux olympiques!