A Room with a View — Page 7
The Pension Bertolini had decided, almost enthusiastically, that they would do.
La Pension Bertolini avait décidé, presque avec enthousiasme, qu'ils feraient l'affaire.
Whichever way they looked, kind ladies smiled and shouted at them.
De quelque côté qu'ils regardaient, de aimables dames leur souriaient et leur criaient des mots.
And above all rose the voice of the clever lady, crying: "Prato! They must go to Prato.
Et par-dessus tout s'élevait la voix de la dame avisée, qui s'écriait : « Prato ! Il faut qu'ils aillent à Prato.
That place is too sweetly squalid for words.
Cet endroit est d'une sordidité si délicieuse qu'on ne peut la décrire.
I love it; I revel in shaking off the trammels of respectability, as you know."
Je l'adore ; je me délecte à me débarrasser des chaînes de la respectabilité, comme vous le savez. »
The young man named George glanced at the clever lady, and then returned moodily to his plate.
Le jeune homme prénommé George jeta un regard à la dame avisée, puis revint d'un air maussade à son assiette.
Obviously he and his father did not do.
De toute évidence, lui et son père ne faisaient pas l'affaire.
Lucy, in the midst of her success, found time to wish they did.
Lucy, au cœur de son succès, trouva le temps de souhaiter qu'il en fût autrement.
It gave her no extra pleasure that any one should be left in the cold; and when she rose to go, she turned back and gave the two outsiders a nervous little bow.
Cela ne lui procurait aucun plaisir supplémentaire que quelqu'un fût laissé pour compte ; et lorsqu'elle se leva pour partir, elle se retourna et adressa aux deux étrangers un petit salut timide.
The father did not see it; the son acknowledged it, not by another bow, but by raising his eyebrows and smiling; he seemed to be smiling across something.
Le père ne le vit pas ; le fils en prit acte, non par un autre salut, mais en levant les sourcils et en souriant ; il semblait sourire par-dessus quelque chose.
She hastened after her cousin, who had already disappeared through the curtains—curtains which smote one in the face, and seemed heavy with more than cloth.
Elle se hâta de suivre sa cousine, qui avait déjà disparu derrière les rideaux — des rideaux qui vous frappaient au visage et semblaient lourds de bien autre chose que de tissu.
Beyond them stood the unreliable Signora, bowing good-evening to her guests, and supported by 'Enery, her little boy, and Victorier, her daughter.
Au-delà se tenait la peu fiable Signora, saluant ses hôtes d'un bonsoir, soutenue par 'Enery, son petit garçon, et Victorier, sa fille.
It made a curious little scene, this attempt of the Cockney to convey the grace and geniality of the South.
Cela formait une curieuse petite scène, cette tentative du Cockney de reproduire la grâce et la cordialité du Sud.
And even more curious was the drawing-room, which attempted to rival the solid comfort of a Bloomsbury boarding-house.
Et encore plus curieux était le salon, qui cherchait à rivaliser avec le confort solide d'une pension de Bloomsbury.
Vocabulary
- Pension
- A small, modest hotel or boarding house.
- avait
- Third person singular past tense of 'avoir' (to have).
- décidé
- Past participle of 'décider'; decided or determined.
- presque
- Adverb meaning almost or nearly.
- enthousiasme
- Noun meaning enthusiasm or eager excitement.
- feraient
- Conditional tense of 'faire'; they would do.
- affaire
- Noun meaning matter, deal, or business.
- quelque
- Adjective or adverb meaning some or a few.
- côté
- Noun meaning side or direction.
- regardaient
- Imperfect tense of 'regarder'; they were looking.
- aimables
- Adjective meaning kind, friendly, or pleasant.
- dames
- Plural noun meaning ladies or women.
- souriaient
- Imperfect tense of 'sourire'; they were smiling.
- criaient
- Imperfect tense of 'crier'; they were shouting.
- mots
- Plural noun meaning words.
- par-dessus
- Prepositional phrase meaning above or over everything.
- élevait
- Imperfect of 's'élever'; was rising or lifting.
- voix
- Noun meaning voice or vocal sound.
- dame
- Noun meaning lady or woman.
- avisée
- Adjective meaning shrewd, wise, or well-informed.
- écriait
- Imperfect of 's'écrier'; was exclaiming or crying out.
- faut
- Impersonal verb form meaning it is necessary.
- aillent
- Subjunctive of 'aller'; that they go.
- endroit
- Noun meaning place, spot, or location.
- sordidité
- Noun meaning sordidness or state of being squalid.
- délicieuse
- Adjective meaning delicious or delightful.
- décrire
- Infinitive meaning to describe or depict.
- adore
- First person singular of 'adorer'; I love or adore.
- délecte
- First person of 'se délecter'; I delight or revel.
- débarrasser
- Infinitive meaning to rid oneself of or remove.
- chaînes
- Plural noun meaning chains or shackles.
- respectabilité
- Noun meaning respectability or social propriety.
- savez
- Second person plural of 'savoir'; you know.
- jeune
- Adjective meaning young or youthful.
- homme
- Noun meaning man or male person.
- prénommé
- Adjective meaning named or first-named.
- jeta
- Past tense of 'jeter'; threw or cast a glance.
- regard
- Noun meaning look, glance, or gaze.
- puis
- Adverb meaning then or next in sequence.
- revint
- Simple past of 'revenir'; came back or returned.
- air
- Noun meaning air, appearance, or manner.
- maussade
- Adjective meaning sullen, gloomy, or morose.
- assiette
- Noun meaning plate or dish for food.
- évidence
- Noun meaning evidence or obvious truth.
- père
- Noun meaning father or male parent.
- faisaient
- Imperfect of 'faire'; they were doing or making.
- cœur
- Noun meaning heart, emotionally or physically.
- succès
- Noun meaning success or positive outcome.
- trouva
- Simple past of 'trouver'; found or discovered.
- temps
- Noun meaning time or weather.
- souhaiter
- Infinitive meaning to wish or desire something.
- fût
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'être'; that it were.
- autrement
- Adverb meaning otherwise or differently.
- Cela
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning that or this.
- procurait
- Imperfect of 'procurer'; was providing or giving.
- aucun
- Negative adjective meaning no or not any.
- plaisir
- Noun meaning pleasure or enjoyment.
- supplémentaire
- Adjective meaning additional or extra.
- quelqu'
- Contraction of 'quelque'; used in 'quelqu'un' (someone).
- laissé
- Past participle of 'laisser'; left or allowed.
- compte
- Noun meaning account, count, or reckoning.
- lorsqu'
- Conjunction meaning when, contracted before vowel.
- leva
- Simple past of 'se lever'; stood up or rose.
- partir
- Infinitive meaning to leave or depart.
- retourna
- Simple past of 'retourner'; turned back or returned.
- adressa
- Simple past of 's'adresser'; addressed or directed to.
- étrangers
- Noun meaning strangers or foreigners.
- salut
- Noun meaning greeting, hello, or salute.
- timide
- Adjective meaning shy, timid, or bashful.
- vit
- Simple past of 'voir'; saw or noticed.
- fils
- Noun meaning son or male offspring.
- prit
- Simple past of 'prendre'; took note or took.
- acte
- Noun meaning act, deed, or acknowledgment.
- levant
- Present participle of 'lever'; raising or lifting.
- sourcils
- Plural noun meaning eyebrows.
- souriant
- Present participle of 'sourire'; smiling.
- semblait
- Imperfect of 'sembler'; seemed or appeared.
- sourire
- Infinitive or noun meaning to smile or a smile.
- chose
- Noun meaning thing or matter.
- hâta
- Simple past of 'se hâter'; hurried or hastened.
- suivre
- Infinitive meaning to follow or go after.
- cousine
- Noun meaning female cousin or relation.
- déjà
- Adverb meaning already or previously.
- disparu
- Past participle of 'disparaître'; disappeared or vanished.
- derrière
- Preposition or adverb meaning behind or at the back.
- rideaux
- Plural noun meaning curtains or drapes.
- frappaient
- Imperfect of 'frapper'; were hitting or striking.
- visage
- Noun meaning face or facial features.
- semblaient
- Imperfect of 'sembler'; they seemed or appeared.
- lourds
- Adjective meaning heavy or weighty.
- tissu
- Noun meaning fabric, cloth, or tissue.
- Au-delà
- Adverb or preposition meaning beyond or on the other side.
- tenait
- Imperfect of 'tenir'; was holding or standing.
- fiable
- Adjective meaning reliable or trustworthy.
- saluant
- Present participle of 'saluer'; greeting or welcoming.
- hôtes
- Plural noun meaning guests or hosts.
- bonsoir
- Greeting meaning good evening.
- soutenue
- Adjective meaning sustained, supported, or upheld.
- garçon
- Noun meaning boy or waiter.
- fille
- Noun meaning girl or daughter.
- formait
- Imperfect of 'former'; was forming or making up.
- curieuse
- Adjective meaning curious, strange, or unusual.
- scène
- Noun meaning scene or stage situation.
- tentative
- Noun meaning attempt or try at something.
- reproduire
- Infinitive meaning to reproduce or replicate.
- grâce
- Noun meaning grace, elegance, or charm.
- cordialité
- Noun meaning cordiality, warmth, or friendliness.
- Sud
- Noun meaning south or southern region.
- encore
- Adverb meaning still, again, or even more.
- curieux
- Adjective meaning curious, strange, or interesting.
- salon
- Noun meaning living room or reception lounge.
- cherchait
- Imperfect of 'chercher'; was trying or seeking.
- rivaliser
- Infinitive meaning to rival or compete with.
- confort
- Noun meaning comfort or ease.
- solide
- Adjective meaning solid, sturdy, or substantial.
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