Le Dictionnaire

se occuper de [qqc/qqp]
=to take care of [smtg/smne]

[qqc] dernier cri
=latest; state-of-the-art

pousser à
=to drive (smn or smtg) to

des pièces d’occasion
=used parts

la filière
=the path

propre
=clean / own

un carré (carré(e)(s))
=a square (squared)

ne sert a rien
=is useless

détruire
=to destroy

rentable
=profitable

dirigeant
=leader, manager

des sols
=soil

due(s) à
=due to

les nappes phréatique
=groundwater

un(e) chercheur/chercheuse
=a researcher

car
=for, since, as, because

entretenir (l’entretien)
=to maintain (maintenance)

tel
=such

le réseau
=the network

avouer
=to admit, confess

l’autel
=the altar

trahir
=to betray

les pouvoirs [publics]
=the powers/authorities / government

(im)puissant
=powerful / powerless

[se] débarrasser de
=to rid (oneself) of

le parc informatique
=the computer equipment/infrastructure

affirmer
=to claim/assert

le fait
=the fact

cela
=this/that

l’importe
=the importance

que n’importe quel
=than any other

le privé
=the private sector

entreprendre
=to undertake

une usine
=a factory/plant

des milliards
=billions

promouvoir
=to promote

un(e) ingénieur(e)
=an engineer

le chômage
=unemployment

une enquête
=a survey

de part et d’autre
=on either side

saigner
=to bleed

à boucler ses fins
=to make ends meet

s’endurcir / être aguerri
=to toughen, become hardened

revendiquer
=to claim

une évidence
=an obvious fact

tout un chacun
=one and all

être montré du doigt
=to be pointed at

laïc
=lay, secular

la laïcité
=secularism

regarder de haut
=to look down on

certes
=certainly

tout à fait
=quite

par hasard
=by chance

aboutir
=to lead / to result / to reach

cependant
=however, though

coupure
=to cut/break

le lien
=the link, tie

tenir à l’histoire
=to stick to the story

de son côté
=in turn

la main d’oeuvre
=the workforce

souvent
=often

parfois
=sometimes

oser
=to dare

s’aventurer
=to venture

sentir
=to feel

une vague
=a wave

l’appartenance
=membership

déchirer
=to tear

devant
=before/ahead of

l’élan
=zeal, impulse / momentum

le voile
=the veil

guérir
=to heal

donc
=therefore

enlever
=to remove

les tribunaux
=the courts

soulever
=to raise

par rapport à
=with respect to

le lycée
=high school

le tenue
=the outfit/uniform

utile
=useful

le procédé
=the process

ailleurs
=elsewhere/also/moreover

déranger
=to bother

plaindre
=to complain

vis à vis
=against

à propos
=about/regarding

de haut niveau
=high profile/level

se côtoyer
=to mingle/mix

un gamin
=a kid

un commerçant
=a shopkeeper

on s’en fichait
=we/one/they didn’t care

ressentir
=to feel/experience

faire du chemin
=to come a long way

le rez-de-chaussée
=the first floor

moche
=ugly

la matière grise
=the brainpower

parmi
=among

puisque
=since/because

dépourvu
=deprived, devoid

détenir
=to hold/detain

celui/celle de (ceux/celles de) [qqn]
=that of (those of) [sbdy]

réel(le)
=real

sagesse
=wisdom

tiers (tierce)
=third / third party

être issu de
=to result/stem/arise from

la pudeur
=modesty

pudique
=modest

plus tôt
=earlier

le bien
=goods, property

tenter l’aventure
=to try one’s luck

à tout prix
=at any cost

eschapper à [qqc]
=to escape [smtg]

subir
=to undergo, to sustain

se déroulir
=to unfold; to take place

la cave
=the basement, cellar

le ventre
=the belly

la connaissance
=knowledge / consciousness

un échec
=a failure

un quotidien
=a daily newspaper

une poignée
=a handle, a handful

l’abri
=shelter

les miettes
=crumbs

piéger
=to trap

l’achat
=the purchase

une pièce détaché
=a spare part

à la solde de
=on the payroll of

un flic
=a cop

un pot-de-vin
=a bribe

il ne sait toujours pas
=it remains unclear

rentrer en contact
=to come in contact / get in touch

le quartier
=the neighbourhood

tiers
=third

sinon
=if not; otherwise

un séjour
=a visit, stay

pas même
=not even

une proie
=a prey

alimenter
=to feed

à la suite de
=following, in the wake of

un coup de fil
=a phone call

aménager
=to arrange, set up

des enfants à charge
=dependent children

un hors-la-loi
=an outlaw

l’offre et la demande
=the supply and demand

l’attente
=the wait

trés tôt
=early

dessus
=above

soi-disant
=so-called

pluvieux
=rainy

le singe
=the monkey

un meurtre
=a murder

lorsque
=when

jusque
=until

car
=because

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  • Who am I?

    I am a student in Global Resource Systems studying Sustainable Community Development in the Americas. I came to this field through my passion for architecture, and out of the dying of a life-long dream to become an architect. I had studied architecture for two years at the University of Waterloo before going on a semi-hiatus while I had my son and got married. I was transferring to UBC's Environmental Design program, and it wasn't until nearly summer that it dawned on me that I was completely disillusioned with the field, and that it actually would not benefit me to be studying a subject whose mere methods of teaching I disagreed with. My problems with the field are deeply rooted, and I have come to the conclusion that if I am to actually contribute to the construction of the kinds of buildings and communities I want to see, then I am better off studying the fields of knowledge that I myself find relevant rather than a series of lectures on "architectonic themes" and "graphic lexicons of place". (OK, I made those up, but you couldn't tell, could you?!) Thus my classes have been in ecology and economics, geography and urban planning, social philosophy and anthropology, and of course, "land, food and community", issues I now recognize as central to discussions of civilization and human development. Technically this is my sixth year of studies by credit, or my eighth consecutive year of being at least a part-time student; in the next year and a half before I graduate I look forward to classes in sociology, community organizing, and natural resource management.

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