Taking the plunge ! Se jeter à l’eau !

This resourceful young man is about "to take the plunge" into Upper Mystic Lake, a popular place for swimming, sailing and fishing located in the Northwestern suburbs of Boston.

However, Upper Mystic lake as well as Lower Mystic Lake, below, suffer from significant sewage bacteria, and are also constaminated by toxic chemicals.

This contamination dates back to the end of the 19th century when manufacturing industry dumped sulfuric acid into the Aberjona River which flows into the lake.

Later, in the 1970s, toxic manufacturing plants contributed again to extensive chemical contamination of heavy- metals.

Various studies have been performed showing a high concentration of arsenic and undetermined amounts of lead and chromium.

However, researchers have diverging opinions about the risks on the public health. Some are concerned about some possible health issues. Others argue that the concentration of arsenic is buried in the debris on the bottom of the lake, and so that it is safe for people to swim. Go figure...



Ce jeune homme ingénieux va "se jeter à l'eau" du Upper Mystic lake (lac supérieur), un endroit populaire pour nager, faire de la voile et pêcher, situé dans la banlieue nord de Boston.

Cependant, Upper Mystic Lake et Lower Mystic lake (lac inferieur) plus bas sont pollués par des bactéries provenant de l'évacuation des eaux usées, ainsi que par des produits chimiques toxiques.

Cette contamination remonte à la fin du 19ieme siècle quand les tanneries déversaient de l'acide sulfurique dans la rivière Aberjona qui se jette dans le lac.

Plus tard, dans les années 1980, des usines toxiques ont contribué une fois de plus à une contamination importante de divers métaux lourds.

Diverses études ont été réalisées montrant une concentration élevée d’arsenic et une quantité indéterminée de plomb et de chrome.

Cependant les chercheurs ont des points de vue divergents en ce qui concerne les risques sur la santé publique. Certains s’inquiètent des conséquences que cela pourrait avoir sur la santé. D’autres soutiennent que la concentration d’arsenic est ensevelie au fond du lac dans les débris et qu’elle est donc sans danger pour les nageurs.
Allez savoir!

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

1. “ Se jeter à l’eau !" (lit: to throw oneself in water!): To take the plunge. 2. "Tomber dans le lac " : (lit: to fall into the lake) To go on a fool's errand. Origin: Contrary to what one can think, the origin of the saying didn't refer to the body of water: lac (lake). Back to the 12th century, the saying was written with the word "lacs" (with an s at the end ) which designated a slipknot (un noeud coulant). The slipknot was used as a snare to capture game. It was pronounced (la) without the 'K' sound at the end (like in the word "lac"). Therefore "tomber dans le lac" meant "tomber dans le piège" (to fall into the trap). Later, in the 18th century, the word "lacs" went into disuse and gradually the pronunciation changed. The "c" was then pronounced which led to a confusion with the word "lac" (the body of water) and so the sense became different and the expression "tomber à l’eau" (to fall into the waer) took it over. The word "lacet" (lace/lacing) is a diminutive for the old word "lacs".