Reading the same story in two languages, side by side, is a good way to develop your English language and translation skills. It is called a bilingual story because it is written in two languages, and it is called a parallel text story because the two language versions are printed next to each other.
Here is an example--the beginning of a children's story in French and English, from the website www.thefrenchexperiment.com (a link to the website is below the story sample):
Once upon a time there was a mama pig who had three little pigs. She loved them very much, but there was not enough food for all of them to eat, so she sent them out into the big world to seek their fortunes.
If you want a more advanced reading level with parallel translation, try the link below, where someone has posted classic stories in parallel French, English, and Spanish versions (you can also listen to recordings of the stories in these different languages).
(NOTE: The translation is not always word-for-word and there may be mistakes, but parallel clauses are highlighted in the same color in each language.)
Here is an example from the above-linked website--the beginning of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth :
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH by Jules Verne
Here is an example--the beginning of a children's story in French and English, from the website www.thefrenchexperiment.com (a link to the website is below the story sample):
Les Trois Petits Cochons
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
Il était une fois une maman cochon qui avait trois petits cochons. Elle les aimait beaucoup, mais comme il n'y avait pas assez de nourriture pour qu'ils puissent tous manger à leur faim, elle les a envoyé tenter leur chance dans le vaste monde.
Once upon a time there was a mama pig who had three little pigs. She loved them very much, but there was not enough food for all of them to eat, so she sent them out into the big world to seek their fortunes.LINK: Bilingual Children's Stories in French and English at thefrenchexperiment.com
If you want a more advanced reading level with parallel translation, try the link below, where someone has posted classic stories in parallel French, English, and Spanish versions (you can also listen to recordings of the stories in these different languages).
(NOTE: The translation is not always word-for-word and there may be mistakes, but parallel clauses are highlighted in the same color in each language.)
LINK: Stories with side-by-side translations in French, English, and Spanish
Here is an example from the above-linked website--the beginning of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth :
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH by Jules Verne
French
PARAGRAPH 1
Le 24 mai 1863, un dimanche, mon oncle, le professeur Lidenbrock, revint précipitamment vers sa petite maison située au numéro 19 de Königstrasse, l’une des plus anciennes rues du vieux quartier de Hambourg. ................................ |
English
PARAGRAPH 1
On Sunday, the 24th of May, 1863, my uncle, Professor Liedenbrock, rushed into his little house, No. 19 Königstrasse, one of the oldest streets in the oldest portion of the city of Hamburg. |
Spanish
PARAGRAPH 1
El domingo 24 de mayo de 1863, mi tío, el profesor Lidenbrock, regresó precipitadamente a su casa, situada en el número 19 de la König-strasse, una de las calles más antiguas del barrio viejo de Hamburgo. |
PARAGRAPH 2
La bonne Marthe dut se croire fort en retard, car le dîner commençait à peine à chanter sur le fourneau de la cuisine. .......................................... |
PARAGRAPH 2
Martha, his excellent maid, must have concluded that she was very much behindhand, for the dinner had only just been put into the oven. |
PARAGRAPH 2
Marta, su excelente criada, se azaró de un modo extraordinario, creyendo que se había retrasado, pues apenas si empezaba a cocer la comida en el hornillo. |
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