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C2 French reading: who says what on a museum label?

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Read a donor’s letter, a museum label and a visitor’s comment. Track two transfers of a metal cup and practise attribution with selon and the conditional.

In short

The label documents the donation to the museum and attributes the earlier gift to a family account. Selon la famille and aurait été offerte keep that distinction visible. The visitor asks the museum to explain the enquiry that remains open.

Trois voix devant une même vitrine

A · Lettre de la donatrice

Mon grand-père parlait toujours de cette coupe comme d’un cadeau reçu pendant son séjour. Je souhaite que le musée conserve cette histoire familiale, plutôt que de réduire l’objet à une date et à une matière. Je n’ai cependant retrouvé aucun document concernant la personne qui la lui aurait remise1.

B · Projet de cartel

Coupe en métal, entrée dans la collection par donation2. Selon le récit transmis par la famille3, elle aurait auparavant été offerte au grand-père de la donatrice. Les circonstances de ce premier transfert ne sont pas documentées dans le dossier actuellement disponible. Cette mention distingue l’histoire rapportée de l’entrée attestée4 au musée.

C · Remarque d’une visiteuse

La formule « selon la famille » me paraît indispensable. Encore faudrait-il5 expliquer ce qui reste à chercher. Sans cela, la prudence du cartel risque de ressembler à une conclusion : on pourrait croire que l’absence de pièce clôt l’enquête6, alors qu’elle en marque peut-être le point de départ.

Read it in English

My grandfather always spoke of this cup as a gift received during his stay. I want the museum to preserve this family story rather than reduce the object to a date and a material. However, I have found no document concerning the person who is said to have given it to him.

Metal cup, added to the collection by donation. According to the account passed down by the family, it was reportedly given earlier to the donor’s grandfather. The circumstances of that first transfer are not documented in the currently available file. This wording distinguishes the reported history from the documented arrival at the museum.

The wording ‘according to the family’ seems essential to me. But it would also be necessary to explain what remains to be investigated. Otherwise, the label’s caution risks resembling a conclusion: people might think the lack of a document closes the enquiry, when it may instead mark its starting point.

Two transfers, two recipients
TransferRecipientEvidence described
Earlier reported giftThe donor’s grandfatherA family account; circumstances remain undocumented.
Later donationThe museumAn attested entry into the collection.

Four things in the museum dossier

La coupe a été donnée au musée. Selon la famille, elle aurait auparavant été offerte au grand-père de la donatrice.

The cup was donated to the museum. According to the family, it had reportedly been given earlier to the donor’s grandfather.

The first sentence presents the later transfer as established. The second attributes the earlier account.

Question 1No account needed
Which event is attested in the label?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The later donation to the museum.. The label explicitly distinguishes the attested museum entry from the family’s earlier account.

Question 2No account needed
Who wants the family story preserved?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The donor.. The donor asks the museum to preserve the family story while acknowledging a documentary gap.

Question 3No account needed
What does Encore faudrait-il add?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

A further requirement: explain what remains to be researched.. The visitor calls attribution essential and adds a request about the next stage of the enquiry.

Question 4No account needed
Why use aurait été offerte here?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

To present the earlier gift as reported information.. Together with selon, the conditional distances the museum from certifying the reported transfer.

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