A Room with a View — Page 4
Lucy, too, was perplexed; but she saw that they were in for what is known as "quite a scene," and she had an odd feeling that whenever these ill-bred tourists spoke the contest widened and deepened till it dealt, not with rooms and views, but with—well, with something quite different, whose existence she had not realized before.
Lucy, elle aussi, était perplexe ; mais elle vit qu'ils allaient avoir ce qu'on appelle « toute une scène », et elle éprouvait l'étrange sentiment que chaque fois que ces touristes mal élevés prenaient la parole, la dispute s'élargissait et s'approfondissait jusqu'à ne plus porter sur des chambres et des vues, mais sur — eh bien, sur quelque chose de tout à fait différent, dont elle n'avait pas auparavant réalisé l'existence.
Now the old man attacked Miss Bartlett almost violently: Why should she not change?
À présent le vieil homme s'en prit à Miss Bartlett presque violemment : Pourquoi ne changerait-elle pas ?
What possible objection had she?
Quelle objection possible pouvait-elle avoir ?
They would clear out in half an hour.
Ils libéreraient les lieux en une demi-heure.
Miss Bartlett, though skilled in the delicacies of conversation, was powerless in the presence of brutality.
Miss Bartlett, bien que versée dans les délicatesses de la conversation, était impuissante face à la brutalité.
It was impossible to snub any one so gross.
Il était impossible de rabrouer quelqu'un d'aussi grossier.
Her face reddened with displeasure.
Son visage rougit de mécontentement.
She looked around as much as to say, "Are you all like this?"
Elle regarda autour d'elle comme pour dire : « Êtes-vous tous ainsi ? »
And two little old ladies, who were sitting further up the table, with shawls hanging over the backs of the chairs, looked back, clearly indicating "We are not; we are genteel."
Et deux petites vieilles dames, assises plus haut à la table, leurs châles pendant sur le dossier des chaises, levèrent les yeux, indiquant clairement : « Nous, non ; nous sommes des gens bien élevés. »
"Eat your dinner, dear," she said to Lucy, and began to toy again with the meat that she had once censured.
« Mange ton dîner, ma chérie », dit-elle à Lucy, et elle se mit à jouer de nouveau avec la viande qu'elle avait jadis critiquée.
Lucy mumbled that those seemed very odd people opposite.
Lucy marmonna que ces gens d'en face semblaient bien étranges.
"Eat your dinner, dear. This pension is a failure. To-morrow we will make a change."
« Mange ton dîner, ma chérie. Cette pension est un échec. Demain nous changerons d'établissement. »
Hardly had she announced this fell decision when she reversed it.
À peine avait-elle annoncé cette funeste décision qu'elle la revenait dessus.
The curtains at the end of the room parted, and revealed a clergyman, stout but attractive, who hurried forward to take his place at the table, cheerfully apologizing for his lateness.
Les rideaux au fond de la salle s'écartèrent et révélèrent un ecclésiastique, corpulent mais d'allure agréable, qui s'avança en hâte pour prendre sa place à table, s'excusant joyeusement de son retard.
Vocabulary
- elle
- Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'.
- aussi
- Adverb meaning 'also' or 'too'.
- était
- Imperfect tense of 'être'; meaning 'was' or 'were'.
- perplexe
- Adjective meaning puzzled, confused, or bewildered.
- mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing contrast.
- vit
- Past historic of 'voir'; meaning 'saw'.
- qu'
- Contracted form of 'que'; subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'.
- ils
- Third-person plural masculine pronoun meaning 'they'.
- allaient
- Imperfect of 'aller'; meaning 'were going'.
- avoir
- Infinitive verb meaning 'to have'.
- ce
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
- on
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one', 'we', or 'they'.
- appelle
- Present tense of 'appeler'; meaning 'calls' or 'names'.
- toute
- Feminine form of 'tout'; meaning 'all', 'whole', or 'every'.
- une
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- scène
- Noun meaning a scene, spectacle, or dramatic episode.
- et
- Conjunction meaning 'and'.
- éprouvait
- Imperfect of 'éprouver'; meaning 'was feeling' or 'experiencing'.
- l'
- Contracted definite article meaning 'the' before a vowel.
- étrange
- Adjective meaning strange, odd, or peculiar.
- sentiment
- Noun meaning feeling, emotion, or sentiment.
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'.
- chaque
- Adjective meaning 'each' or 'every'.
- fois
- Noun meaning 'time' in the sense of an occasion or instance.
- ces
- Plural demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'.
- touristes
- Noun meaning tourists, people traveling for leisure.
- mal
- Adverb or noun meaning 'badly', 'poorly', or 'evil'.
- élevés
- Past participle of 'élever'; here meaning 'raised', 'bred', or 'mannered'.
- prenaient
- Imperfect of 'prendre'; meaning 'were taking'.
- la
- Feminine definite article meaning 'the'.
- parole
- Noun meaning 'word' or 'speech'; 'prendre la parole' means to speak.
- dispute
- Noun meaning an argument, quarrel, or dispute.
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun 'se' contracted before a vowel.
- élargissait
- Imperfect of 'élargir'; meaning 'was widening' or 'broadening'.
- approfondissait
- Imperfect of 'approfondir'; meaning 'was deepening' or 'intensifying'.
- jusqu'
- Preposition 'jusqu'à' meaning 'until' or 'up to'.
- à
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
- ne
- Negative particle used with 'pas' or other negations.
- plus
- Adverb meaning 'more' or in negation 'no longer'.
- porter
- Infinitive meaning 'to carry', 'to bear', or 'to concern'.
- sur
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'upon', or 'about'.
- des
- Plural indefinite article or contraction meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
- chambres
- Noun meaning rooms, especially bedrooms.
- vues
- Noun or past participle meaning 'views' or 'seen'.
- eh
- Interjection expressing surprise, hesitation, or emphasis.
- bien
- Adverb meaning 'well' or 'indeed'; used in many expressions.
- quelque
- Adjective meaning 'some', 'a few', or 'any'.
- chose
- Noun meaning 'thing' or 'matter'.
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
- tout
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all', 'every', or 'entirely'.
- fait
- Noun or past participle meaning 'fact' or 'done'.
- différent
- Adjective meaning different, distinct, or unlike.
- dont
- Relative pronoun meaning 'of which', 'whose', or 'from which'.
- n'
- Contracted negative particle 'ne' before a vowel.
- avait
- Imperfect of 'avoir'; meaning 'had'.
- pas
- Negative adverb meaning 'not'; used with 'ne'.
- auparavant
- Adverb meaning 'before', 'previously', or 'formerly'.
- réalisé
- Past participle of 'réaliser'; meaning 'realized' or 'understood'.
- existence
- Noun meaning existence, being, or reality.
- À
- Preposition meaning 'at', 'to', or 'in'.
- présent
- Noun or adjective meaning 'now', 'present time'.
- le
- Masculine definite article meaning 'the'.
- vieil
- Masculine adjective form of 'vieux' before vowel; meaning 'old'.
- homme
- Noun meaning man or human being.
- en
- Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in', 'of it', or 'some'.
- prit
- Past historic of 'prendre'; meaning 'took'.
- presque
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'.
- violemment
- Adverb meaning violently or with great force.
- Pourquoi
- Adverb or conjunction meaning 'why'.
- changerait
- Conditional of 'changer'; meaning 'would change'.
- Quelle
- Interrogative adjective meaning 'what' or 'which' (feminine).
- objection
- Noun meaning objection, opposition, or protest.
- possible
- Adjective meaning possible or feasible.
- pouvait
- Imperfect of 'pouvoir'; meaning 'could' or 'was able to'.
- Ils
- Third-person plural pronoun meaning 'they'.
- libéreraient
- Conditional of 'libérer'; meaning 'would free' or 'vacate'.
- les
- Plural definite article meaning 'the'.
- lieux
- Noun meaning places or premises; 'libérer les lieux' means to vacate.
- demi
- Adjective meaning half; used in expressions like 'une demi-heure'.
- heure
- Noun meaning hour or time.
- versée
- Past participle of 'verser'; here meaning 'versed' or 'skilled in'.
- dans
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'inside', or 'within'.
- délicatesses
- Noun meaning delicacies, subtleties, or refined manners.
- conversation
- Noun meaning conversation or discussion.
- impuissante
- Adjective meaning powerless, helpless, or unable to act.
- face
- Noun meaning face; 'face à' means 'faced with' or 'confronting'.
- brutalité
- Noun meaning brutality, roughness, or crudeness.
- Il
- Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
- impossible
- Adjective meaning impossible or not possible.
- rabrouer
- Verb meaning to rebuke, snub, or reprimand someone sharply.
- quelqu'
- Contracted form of 'quelque'; part of 'quelqu'un' meaning 'someone'.
- un
- Masculine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
- d'
- Contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel.
- grossier
- Adjective meaning rude, crude, coarse, or ill-mannered.
- Son
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
- visage
- Noun meaning face or facial expression.
- rougit
- Past historic of 'rougir'; meaning 'blushed' or 'turned red'.
- mécontentement
- Noun meaning discontent, dissatisfaction, or displeasure.
- Elle
- Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'.
- regarda
- Past historic of 'regarder'; meaning 'looked' or 'glanced'.
- autour
- Adverb meaning 'around' or 'about'.
- comme
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as', 'like', or 'as if'.
- pour
- Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to', or 'to'.
- dire
- Infinitive meaning 'to say' or 'to tell'.
- Êtes
- Second-person plural of 'être'; meaning 'are' (you all/you formal).
- vous
- Pronoun meaning 'you' (formal or plural).
- tous
- Plural adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'everyone'.
- ainsi
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
- Et
- Conjunction meaning 'and'.
- deux
- Number adjective meaning 'two'.
- petites
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'small' or 'little'.
- vieilles
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'old'.
- dames
- Noun meaning ladies or women (polite form).
- assises
- Past participle of 'asseoir'; meaning 'seated' or 'sitting'.
- haut
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'high', 'tall', or 'upper'.
- table
- Noun meaning table, as in a piece of furniture.
- leurs
- Plural possessive adjective meaning 'their'.
- châles
- Noun meaning shawls, wraps worn over shoulders.
- pendant
- Preposition meaning 'during' or 'hanging'; here 'hanging'.
- dossier
- Noun meaning backrest (of a chair) or file/dossier.
- chaises
- Noun meaning chairs.
- levèrent
- Past historic of 'lever'; meaning 'raised' or 'lifted'.
- yeux
- Noun meaning eyes (plural of 'œil').
- indiquant
- Present participle of 'indiquer'; meaning 'indicating' or 'showing'.
- clairement
- Adverb meaning clearly or plainly.
- Nous
- First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'.
- non
- Adverb meaning 'no' or 'not'.
- sommes
- First-person plural of 'être'; meaning 'are'.
- gens
- Noun meaning people or persons in general.
- Mange
- Imperative of 'manger'; meaning 'eat' (command form).
- ton
- Masculine possessive adjective meaning 'your' (informal singular).
- dîner
- Noun or infinitive meaning 'dinner' or 'to dine'.
- ma
- Feminine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
- chérie
- Noun or adjective meaning 'dear', 'darling', or 'beloved'.
- dit
- Past historic of 'dire'; meaning 'said'.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself', 'himself', or 'herself'.
- mit
- Past historic of 'mettre'; meaning 'put' or 'began'.
- jouer
- Infinitive meaning 'to play'.
- nouveau
- Adjective meaning 'new'; 'de nouveau' means 'again'.
- avec
- Preposition meaning 'with'.
- viande
- Noun meaning meat or flesh.
- jadis
- Adverb meaning 'formerly', 'once', or 'in the past'.
- critiquée
- Past participle of 'critiquer'; meaning 'criticized' or 'found fault with'.
- marmonna
- Past historic of 'marmonner'; meaning 'muttered' or 'mumbled'.
- semblaient
- Imperfect of 'sembler'; meaning 'seemed' or 'appeared'.
- étranges
- Plural adjective meaning strange, odd, or unusual.
- Cette
- Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
- pension
- Noun meaning boarding house, pension, or guesthouse.
- est
- Third-person singular of 'être'; meaning 'is'.
- échec
- Noun meaning failure, defeat, or setback.
- Demain
- Adverb meaning 'tomorrow'.
- changerons
- Future tense of 'changer'; meaning 'we will change'.
- établissement
- Noun meaning establishment, institution, or premises.
- peine
- Noun meaning difficulty, sorrow, or penalty; 'à peine' means 'barely'.
- annoncé
- Past participle of 'annoncer'; meaning 'announced' or 'declared'.
- cette
- Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
- funeste
- Adjective meaning disastrous, fateful, or ill-omened.
- décision
- Noun meaning decision or resolution.
- revenait
- Imperfect of 'revenir'; meaning 'was coming back' or 'returning'.
- dessus
- Adverb meaning 'above', 'on top', or 'over it'.
- Les
- Plural definite article meaning 'the'.
- rideaux
- Noun meaning curtains or drapes.
- au
- Contracted article 'à le' meaning 'at the' or 'to the'.
- fond
- Noun meaning back, bottom, or far end of a space.
- salle
- Noun meaning room, hall, or dining room.
- écartèrent
- Past historic of 'écarter'; meaning 'parted', 'drew aside', or 'separated'.
- révélèrent
- Past historic of 'révéler'; meaning 'revealed' or 'disclosed'.
- ecclésiastique
- Adjective or noun meaning ecclesiastical or a clergyman.
- corpulent
- Adjective meaning stout, portly, or heavily built.
- allure
- Noun meaning bearing, manner, appearance, or style.
- agréable
- Adjective meaning pleasant, agreeable, or enjoyable.
- qui
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who', 'which', or 'that'.
- avança
- Past historic of 'avancer'; meaning 'moved forward' or 'stepped up'.
- hâte
- Noun meaning haste or hurry; 'en hâte' means hastily.
- prendre
- Infinitive meaning 'to take'.
- sa
- Feminine possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
- place
- Noun meaning place, seat, or position.
- excusant
- Present participle of 'excuser'; meaning 'excusing' or 'apologizing'.
- joyeusement
- Adverb meaning joyfully, cheerfully, or happily.
- son
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
- retard
- Noun meaning delay or lateness; 'en retard' means late.
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