Déménagement à Québec
Moving to Québec City
A teenager moves to a new school mid-year and feels like an outsider, until the chess club gives her a way in.
- belonging
- new beginnings
Tap an underlined word to see its meaning.
What you'll encounter
- Grammar
- passé composé
- negation with ne...personne/ne...rien
- relative clauses with qui/que
- Vocabulary
- school vocabulary
- feelings of belonging and loneliness
- Skills
- following a character's emotional arc across scenes
- understanding indirect social conflict
Juliette a déménagé à Québec il y a trois semaines, en plein milieu de l’année scolaire. Son père a trouvé un nouveau travail là-bas, et toute la famille a quitté Trois-Rivières dans la .
Show English
Juliette has moved to Québec City three weeks ago, in the middle of the school year. Her father has found a new job there, and the whole family has left Trois-Rivières in a hurry.
Dans sa nouvelle école, Juliette ne connaît personne. Elle s’assoit seule à midi, dans un coin de la . Les autres élèves ont déjà leurs groupes d’amis, formés depuis septembre.
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At her new school, Juliette doesn't know anyone. She sits alone at lunch, in a corner of the cafeteria. The other students already have their groups of friends, formed since September.
Les cours ne sont pas tout à fait les mêmes que dans son ancienne école. La prof de français utilise des expressions que Juliette ne connaît pas encore, et les autres élèves rient parfois de petites choses qu’elle ne comprend pas. Juliette se sent de plus en plus seule, jour après jour.
Show English
Classes aren't quite the same as at her old school. The French teacher uses expressions Juliette doesn't know yet, and the other students sometimes laugh at small things she doesn't understand. Juliette feels more and more alone, day after day.
Chaque soir, Juliette raconte sa journée à son grand frère, Mathis. « Personne ne me parle », dit-elle. « Je mange seule, je marche seule. Je me sens invisible. »
Show English
Every evening, Juliette tells her older brother, Mathis, about her day. "Nobody talks to me," she says. "I eat alone, I walk alone. I feel invisible."
Mathis l’écoute, puis propose une idée. « Il n’y a pas un club ou une activité que tu peux rejoindre ? C’est souvent plus facile de parler aux gens quand tout le monde fait quelque chose ensemble. »
Show English
Mathis listens to her, then suggests an idea. "Isn't there a club or an activity you can join? It's often easier to talk to people when everyone is doing something together."
Le lendemain, Juliette regarde le tableau d’affichage dans le . Parmi les affiches, une attire son attention : le club d’échecs se réunit chaque mardi, en salle 204, après les cours.
Show English
The next day, Juliette looks at the board in the hallway. Among the posters, one catches her attention: the chess club meets every Tuesday, in room 204, after class.
Juliette a appris à jouer aux échecs avec son grand-père, pendant les vacances d’été. Elle n’a pas joué depuis longtemps, mais elle se souvient bien des règles. Elle décide d’aller voir.
Show English
Juliette has learned to play chess with her grandfather, during summer vacations. She hasn't played in a long time, but she remembers the rules well. She decides to go see.
Le mardi, elle pousse la porte de la salle 204. Une dizaine d’élèves sont déjà assis devant des . Un garçon avec des lunettes lève les yeux et lui .
Show English
On Tuesday, she pushes open the door of room 204. About ten students are already seated in front of chessboards. A boy with glasses looks up and smiles at her.
« Tu es nouvelle ? » demande-t-il. « Oui, je viens de déménager », répond Juliette. « Moi, c’est Samuel », dit-il. « Tu veux faire une partie avec moi ? Je te préviens, je ne suis pas très fort. »
Show English
"Are you new?" he asks. "Yes, I just moved here," answers Juliette. "My name is Samuel," he says. "Do you want to play a game with me? I warn you, I'm not very strong."
Juliette s’assoit en face de lui. Les premiers coups sont calmes et prudents. Puis, petit à petit, les deux adolescents commencent à parler entre les coups, de l’école, de musique, de leurs jeux préférés.
Show English
Juliette sits down across from him. The first moves are quiet and careful. Then, little by little, the two teenagers start talking between moves, about school, about music, about their favorite games.
Samuel perd la première partie, mais il rit de bon cœur. « Tu joues vraiment bien », dit-il à Juliette. « Tu veux faire une autre partie la semaine prochaine ? »
Show English
Samuel loses the first game, but he laughs about it good-naturedly. "You really know how to play," he tells Juliette. "Want to play another one next week?"
Les semaines suivantes, Juliette revient chaque mardi. Elle apprend à connaître les autres membres du club : Lucie, qui gagne toujours ; Théo, qui raconte des blagues entre les coups ; Mia, qui explique des stratégies aux débutants.
Show English
The following weeks, Juliette comes back every Tuesday. She gets to know the other club members: Lucie, who always wins; Théo, who tells jokes between moves; Mia, who explains strategies to beginners.
Petit à petit, les échecs cessent d’être juste un jeu pour Juliette. Ils deviennent une raison de voir des visages qu’elle reconnaît dans les couloirs, des personnes qui lui disent bonjour par son prénom.
Show English
Little by little, chess stops being just a game for Juliette. It becomes a reason to see faces she recognizes in the hallways, people who say hello to her by name.
Un mois après sa première visite au club, Juliette participe même à un petit tournoi organisé à l’école. Elle ne gagne pas, mais elle joue trois bonnes parties, et ses nouveaux amis l’ depuis le côté.
Show English
One month after her first visit to the club, Juliette even takes part in a small tournament organized at school. She doesn't win, but she plays three good games, and her new friends cheer for her from the side.
Le tournoi dure toute une matinée. Juliette affronte trois adversaires différents, dont une fille très forte qui gagne finalement le tournoi. Entre les parties, elle discute avec Lucie et Théo, qui lui donnent quelques conseils sur sa stratégie pour la partie suivante.
Show English
The tournament lasts the whole morning. Juliette plays against three different opponents, including a very strong girl who ends up winning the tournament. Between games, she talks with Lucie and Théo, who give her a few tips for her next game.
À la fin du tournoi, Samuel l’invite à manger à sa table, avec le reste du groupe. Juliette s’assoit, et pour la première fois depuis son déménagement, le temps passe vite pendant le repas.
Show English
At the end of the tournament, Samuel invites her to eat lunch at his table, with the rest of the group. Juliette sits down, and for the first time since her move, lunch goes by quickly.
Ce soir-là, elle raconte sa journée à Mathis, mais avec une voix différente cette fois. « J’ai des amis maintenant », dit-elle simplement. « Et tout a commencé avec un échiquier. »
Show English
That evening, she tells Mathis about her day, but with a different voice this time. "I have friends now," she says simply. "And it all started with a chessboard."
Show full English translation
Juliette has moved to Québec City three weeks ago, in the middle of the school year. Her father has found a new job there, and the whole family has left Trois-Rivières in a hurry.
At her new school, Juliette doesn't know anyone. She sits alone at lunch, in a corner of the cafeteria. The other students already have their groups of friends, formed since September.
Classes aren't quite the same as at her old school. The French teacher uses expressions Juliette doesn't know yet, and the other students sometimes laugh at small things she doesn't understand. Juliette feels more and more alone, day after day.
Every evening, Juliette tells her older brother, Mathis, about her day. "Nobody talks to me," she says. "I eat alone, I walk alone. I feel invisible."
Mathis listens to her, then suggests an idea. "Isn't there a club or an activity you can join? It's often easier to talk to people when everyone is doing something together."
The next day, Juliette looks at the board in the hallway. Among the posters, one catches her attention: the chess club meets every Tuesday, in room 204, after class.
Juliette has learned to play chess with her grandfather, during summer vacations. She hasn't played in a long time, but she remembers the rules well. She decides to go see.
On Tuesday, she pushes open the door of room 204. About ten students are already seated in front of chessboards. A boy with glasses looks up and smiles at her.
"Are you new?" he asks. "Yes, I just moved here," answers Juliette. "My name is Samuel," he says. "Do you want to play a game with me? I warn you, I'm not very strong."
Juliette sits down across from him. The first moves are quiet and careful. Then, little by little, the two teenagers start talking between moves, about school, about music, about their favorite games.
Samuel loses the first game, but he laughs about it good-naturedly. "You really know how to play," he tells Juliette. "Want to play another one next week?"
The following weeks, Juliette comes back every Tuesday. She gets to know the other club members: Lucie, who always wins; Théo, who tells jokes between moves; Mia, who explains strategies to beginners.
Little by little, chess stops being just a game for Juliette. It becomes a reason to see faces she recognizes in the hallways, people who say hello to her by name.
One month after her first visit to the club, Juliette even takes part in a small tournament organized at school. She doesn't win, but she plays three good games, and her new friends cheer for her from the side.
The tournament lasts the whole morning. Juliette plays against three different opponents, including a very strong girl who ends up winning the tournament. Between games, she talks with Lucie and Théo, who give her a few tips for her next game.
At the end of the tournament, Samuel invites her to eat lunch at his table, with the rest of the group. Juliette sits down, and for the first time since her move, lunch goes by quickly.
That evening, she tells Mathis about her day, but with a different voice this time. "I have friends now," she says simply. "And it all started with a chessboard."
Words to know
- précipitation
- — hurry
- cantine
- — cafeteria
- couloir
- — hallway
- échiquiers
- — chessboards
- sourit
- — smiles
- encouragent
- — cheer for her