Sylvie Vartan - Discours à Monte-Carlo / Speech in Monte-Carlo (2006)

[chantoubach]

ET QUE VIVE SYLVIE. BRAVO

[chantoubach]

Fabuleuse, merveilleuse Sylvie, avec ton coeur gros comme ça, comment ne peut-on pas T'AIMER, moi, je T'ADORE

[chantoubach]

@chantoubach Voilà pourquoi, on aime aussi SYLVIE: son talent, sa générosité, son amour. VIVE SYLVIE

[GeorgeRizov]

TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH TO ENGLISH - PART 1:

My dear and distinguished friends. Thank you for being among us. Fundamentally, when I look back at the past, I tell myself that I was very lucky. Yes, I was only a little child when my parents and my brother arrived from Bulgaria to Paris on Christmas Eve 1952. The 50s in Bulgaria were dark years. As for me, I was lucky thanks to the courage of my father to grow up and to be raised in a country of opportunity and liberty like France.

[GeorgeRizov]

TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH TO ENGLISH - PART 2:

But my luck also accompanied me throughout my career and even though I did not have to relive painful moments, I have to say that from the time of the yéyés, the yéyé girl that I was up until the woman that I am today, the road was luminous and passionate. And thanks to many among you who are here this evening, and who are taking part of the festivities, I thank you for being here.

[GeorgeRizov]

TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH TO ENGLISH - PART 3:

I have to tell you that it is true that in 1990, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, my profession allowed me to return to Bulgaria [Sylvie's homeland]. The political climate had changed in Eastern Europe and I had the desire to return to the land of my childhood, so I went back there, I took my courage in my two hands, then I returned there. The living conditions there were disastrous:

[GeorgeRizov]

TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH TO ENGLISH - PART 4:

It's true that when I found my uncle's house, which was converted into a day-care center, I saw some children lying down on the ground in dirty sheets and the only food they had during their meals were rotting apples. And in the streets, nothing seemed to have changed in the 40 years since I left. It was still the same endless lines in front of stores that were despairingly empty.

[GeorgeRizov]

TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH TO ENGLISH - PART 5:

And above all, the hospitals had severe shortages of everything. They did not have cotton, aspirin and many other essential things. I came back from this trip profoundly distressed and upon our return in Paris, my brother and I decided to form this association in order to help the most vulnerable ones, I am referring to the children.

[GeorgeRizov]

TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH TO ENGLISH - PART 6:

This association has been around for 15 years already. It's true that many among you were not even aware that it existed. We are a small association made up uniquely of volunteers who are not paid for the work they do. I pay tribute to them this evening and I have to say that it's wonderful to have people of heart who are united in this great cause.

[GeorgeRizov]

TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH TO ENGLISH - PART 7:

Although we are small, we have great expectations. And finally, I would like to thank all of you who are here this evening who will contribute to this great cause and who will make these children happy. On behalf of the Bulgarian children, a big thank you to you. Have a good evening and bon apétit.

-- Sylvie Vartan