A Room with a View — Page 9
" Again he hesitated, and then said gently: "I think he would not take advantage of your acceptance, nor expect you to show gratitude.
" Il hésita de nouveau, puis dit doucement : « Je pense qu'il n'abuserait pas de votre acceptation, ni n'attendrait de vous que vous lui témoigniez de la gratitude.
He has the merit—if it is one—of saying exactly what he means.
Il a le mérite — si c'en est un — de dire exactement ce qu'il pense.
He has rooms he does not value, and he thinks you would value them.
Il possède des chambres auxquelles il n'attache aucune valeur, et il pense que vous, vous y en attacheriez.
He no more thought of putting you under an obligation than he thought of being polite.
Il n'a pas plus songé à vous mettre dans l'obligation qu'il n'a songé à être poli.
It is so difficult—at least, I find it difficult—to understand people who speak the truth."
Il est si difficile — du moins, je le trouve difficile — de comprendre les gens qui disent la vérité. »
Lucy was pleased, and said: "I was hoping that he was nice; I do so always hope that people will be nice."
Lucy fut satisfaite et dit : « J'espérais qu'il était aimable ; j'espère toujours que les gens seront aimables. »
"I think he is; nice and tiresome.
« Je crois qu'il l'est ; aimable et fatigant.
I differ from him on almost every point of any importance, and so, I expect—I may say I hope—you will differ.
Je ne suis pas d'accord avec lui sur presque tous les points importants, et je suppose — je puis même dire que j'espère — que vous serez en désaccord vous aussi.
But his is a type one disagrees with rather than deplores.
Mais c'est le genre de personne avec qui l'on est en désaccord plutôt qu'on ne la déplore.
When he first came here he not unnaturally put people's backs up.
Lorsqu'il est arrivé ici pour la première fois, il a tout naturellement hérissé les gens.
He has no tact and no manners—I don't mean by that that he has bad manners—and he will not keep his opinions to himself.
Il n'a aucun tact et aucune politesse — je ne veux pas dire par là qu'il est impoli — et il ne garde pas ses opinions pour lui.
We nearly complained about him to our depressing Signora, but I am glad to say we thought better of it."
Nous avons failli nous plaindre de lui à notre déprimante Signora, mais je suis heureux de dire que nous y avons renoncé. »
"Am I to conclude," said Miss Bartlett, "that he is a Socialist?"
« Dois-je en conclure, dit Miss Bartlett, qu'il est socialiste ? »
Mr. Beebe accepted the convenient word, not without a slight twitching of the lips.
M. Beebe accepta le terme commode, non sans un léger frémissement des lèvres.
"And presumably he has brought up his son to be a Socialist, too?
« Et vraisemblablement il a élevé son fils pour qu'il soit socialiste lui aussi ?
Vocabulary
- hésita
- ay-zee-tah — Past tense of hésiter: he hesitated.
- nouveau
- noo-voh — Adjective meaning new; again when used in de nouveau.
- puis
- pwee — Adverb meaning then, next, or afterwards.
- doucement
- doos-mahn — Adverb meaning softly, gently, or quietly.
- n'abuserait
- nah-byooz-reh — Conditional negative of abuser: would not abuse or take advantage.
- acceptation
- ak-sep-tah-syohn — Noun meaning acceptance or act of accepting.
- ni
- nee — Conjunction meaning neither or nor.
- n'attendrait
- nah-tahn-dreh — Conditional negative of attendre: would not expect or await.
- témoigniez
- tay-mwah-nyay — Subjunctive of témoigner: that you show or demonstrate.
- gratitude
- grah-tee-tewd — Noun meaning gratitude or thankfulness.
- mérite
- may-reet — Noun meaning merit, worth, or virtue.
- c'en
- sahn — Contraction of ce + en: of it or thereof.
- exactement
- eg-zak-tuh-mahn — Adverb meaning exactly or precisely.
- possède
- poh-sed — Present tense of posséder: he possesses or owns.
- chambres
- shahm-bruh — Plural noun meaning rooms or bedrooms.
- auxquelles
- oh-kel — Relative pronoun: to which (feminine plural).
- n'attache
- nah-tash — Negative present of attacher: does not attach or attribute.
- aucune
- oh-kewn — Negative adjective meaning no, none, or not any (feminine).
- valeur
- vah-luhr — Noun meaning value, worth, or importance.
- attacheriez
- ah-tash-ryay — Conditional of attacher: you would attach or attribute.
- songé
- sohn-zhay — Past participle of songer: thought about or considered.
- mettre
- meh-truh — Infinitive meaning to put, place, or set.
- l'obligation
- lob-lee-gah-syohn — Noun meaning obligation or duty.
- poli
- poh-lee — Adjective meaning polite or courteous.
- difficile
- dee-fee-seel — Adjective meaning difficult or hard.
- moins
- mwahn — Adverb meaning less or at least.
- comprendre
- kohm-prahn-druh — Infinitive meaning to understand or comprehend.
- gens
- zhahn — Noun meaning people or folks.
- vérité
- vay-ree-tay — Noun meaning truth or truthfulness.
- fut
- few — Simple past of être: was (literary or formal).
- satisfaite
- sah-tees-fet — Adjective meaning satisfied or pleased (feminine).
- J'espérais
- zhes-pay-reh — Imperfect of espérer: I was hoping or used to hope.
- aimable
- em-ah-bluh — Adjective meaning kind, amiable, or likeable.
- j'espère
- zhes-pehr — Present of espérer: I hope.
- toujours
- too-zhoor — Adverb meaning always or still.
- aimables
- em-ah-bluh — Plural adjective meaning kind or amiable.
- crois
- krwah — Present of croire: I believe or think.
- fatigant
- fah-tee-gahn — Adjective meaning tiring, exhausting, or tedious.
- d'accord
- dah-kor — Expression meaning in agreement or okay.
- presque
- presk — Adverb meaning almost or nearly.
- tous
- too — Adjective or pronoun meaning all or every (masculine plural).
- points
- pwahn — Plural noun meaning points or matters.
- importants
- ahm-por-tahn — Plural adjective meaning important or significant.
- suppose
- sew-pohz — Present of supposer: I suppose or assume.
- même
- mem — Adverb or adjective meaning even, same, or itself.
- désaccord
- day-zah-kor — Noun meaning disagreement or discord.
- aussi
- oh-see — Adverb meaning also, too, or as well.
- genre
- zhahn-ruh — Noun meaning type, kind, or genre.
- personne
- pehr-son — Noun meaning person; pronoun meaning nobody.
- l'on
- lohn — Stylistic variant of on: one or we.
- plutôt
- plew-toh — Adverb meaning rather or instead.
- déplore
- day-plor — Present of déplorer: one deplores or regrets.
- Lorsqu'il
- lor-skeel — Contraction of lorsque + il: when he.
- première
- pruh-myehr — Adjective meaning first (feminine form).
- fois
- fwah — Noun meaning time or occurrence in a series.
- tout
- too — Adjective or adverb meaning all, every, or quite.
- naturellement
- nah-tew-rel-mahn — Adverb meaning naturally or of course.
- hérissé
- ay-ree-say — Adjective or past participle: bristled or irritated.
- aucun
- oh-kuhn — Adjective meaning no, none, or not any (masculine).
- tact
- takt — Noun meaning tact or social sensitivity.
- politesse
- poh-lee-tes — Noun meaning politeness, courtesy, or good manners.
- impoli
- ahm-poh-lee — Adjective meaning impolite or rude.
- garde
- gard — Present of garder: keeps or holds onto.
- opinions
- oh-pee-nyohn — Plural noun meaning opinions or views.
- failli
- fah-yee — Past participle of faillir: nearly did or almost.
- plaindre
- plahn-druh — Infinitive meaning to complain or to pity.
- déprimante
- day-pree-mahnt — Adjective meaning depressing or disheartening (feminine).
- heureux
- uh-ruh — Adjective meaning happy or fortunate (masculine).
- renoncé
- ruh-nohn-say — Past participle of renoncer: gave up or abandoned.
- Dois-je
- dwah-zhuh — Inverted form of je dois: must I or should I.
- conclure
- kohn-klewr — Infinitive meaning to conclude or infer.
- socialiste
- soh-syah-leest — Adjective or noun meaning socialist.
- accepta
- ak-sep-tah — Simple past of accepter: accepted.
- terme
- tehrm — Noun meaning term, word, or expression.
- commode
- koh-mod — Adjective meaning convenient or handy.
- sans
- sahn — Preposition meaning without.
- léger
- lay-zhay — Adjective meaning light, slight, or mild.
- frémissement
- fray-mees-mahn — Noun meaning shiver, tremor, or quiver.
- lèvres
- leh-vruh — Plural noun meaning lips.
- vraisemblablement
- vreh-sahm-blah-bluh-mahn — Adverb meaning probably or in all likelihood.
- élevé
- ay-luh-vay — Past participle of élever: raised or brought up.
- fils
- fees — Noun meaning son.
- soit
- swah — Subjunctive of être: may be or let it be.
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