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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — Page 5

English → Fr CHAPTER I. Level 6/10

Miss Watson she kept pecking at me, and it got tiresome and lonesome.

Miss Watson n'arrêtait pas de me harceler, et cela devenait ennuyeux et solitaire.

By-and-by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed.

Peu après, ils firent entrer les nègres et on dit les prières, puis tout le monde alla se coucher.

I went up to my room with a piece of candle, and put it on the table.

Je montai dans ma chambre avec un bout de bougie, et je le posai sur la table.

Then I set down in a chair by the window and tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use.

Puis je m'assis sur une chaise près de la fenêtre et essayai de penser à quelque chose de gai, mais ce n'était pas possible.

I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead.

Je me sentais si seul que j'aurais presque souhaité être mort.

The stars were shining, and the leaves rustled in the woods ever so mournful; and I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippowill and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die;

Les étoiles brillaient, et les feuilles bruissaient dans les bois d'une façon si mélancolique ; et j'entendis une chouette, au loin, qui hululait à propos de quelqu'un qui était mort, et un engoulevent et un chien qui pleuraient à propos de quelqu'un qui allait mourir ;

and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn't make out what it was, and so it made the cold shivers run over me.

et le vent essayait de me chuchoter quelque chose, et je n'arrivais pas à comprendre ce que c'était, et cela me donna le frisson.

Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving.

Puis, là-bas dans les bois, j'entendis cette sorte de son qu'un fantôme émet quand il veut parler de quelque chose qui le préoccupe et ne peut pas se faire comprendre, et ne peut donc pas reposer tranquillement dans sa tombe, et doit errer ainsi chaque nuit en se lamentant.

I got so down-hearted and scared I did wish I had some company.

Je me sentais si abattu et si effrayé que je souhaitais vraiment avoir de la compagnie.

Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it was all shriveled up.

Bientôt une araignée se mit à grimper sur mon épaule, et je la chassai d'une chiquenaude et elle tomba dans la bougie ; et avant que je puisse bouger elle était toute recroquevillée.

Vocabulary

n'
Contraction of 'ne', used in negation
arrêtait
Was stopping or ceasing an action
pas
Not; used to form negation in French
de
Of, from; a very common preposition
me
Me; first-person singular object pronoun
harceler
To harass or persistently bother someone
et
And; basic coordinating conjunction
cela
That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something
devenait
Was becoming; imperfect tense of devenir
ennuyeux
Boring, tedious, or annoying in nature
solitaire
Lonely, solitary; feeling or being alone
Peu
Little, few; indicating small quantity or degree
après
After; preposition indicating sequence in time
ils
They; third-person plural masculine pronoun
firent
Did, made; passé simple of faire
entrer
To enter, to come or go inside
les
The; plural definite article in French
on
One, we, they; indefinite subject pronoun
dit
Said; third-person singular passé simple of dire
prières
Prayers; spoken or silent religious devotions
puis
Then, next; indicating sequence of events
tout
All, every, everything; broad inclusive term
le
The; masculine singular definite article
monde
World; also used in 'tout le monde' meaning everyone
alla
Went; third-person singular passé simple of aller
se
Oneself; reflexive pronoun for third person
coucher
To go to bed, to lie down to sleep
Je
I; first-person singular subject pronoun
montai
Went up, climbed; passé simple of monter
dans
In, inside; common preposition of location
ma
My; feminine singular possessive adjective
chambre
Bedroom, room where one sleeps
avec
With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
un
A, an; masculine singular indefinite article
bout
End, tip, small piece of something
bougie
Candle; wax stick providing light when burned
je
I; first-person singular subject pronoun
posai
Placed, put down; passé simple of poser
sur
On, upon; preposition indicating position above
la
The; feminine singular definite article
table
Table; flat-surfaced piece of furniture
Puis
Then, next; indicating sequence of actions
m'
Me, myself; elided first-person object pronoun
assis
Sat, seated; past participle of s'asseoir
une
A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
chaise
Chair; piece of furniture for sitting
près
Near, close to; preposition of proximity
fenêtre
Window; opening in a wall for light
essayai
Tried, attempted; passé simple of essayer
penser
To think, to reflect or consider something
à
To, at, in; very common French preposition
quelque
Some, a few; indefinite adjective of quantity
chose
Thing; a general object or matter
gai
Gay, cheerful, merry, lively in mood
mais
But; conjunction expressing contrast or exception
ce
This, that, it; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
était
Was; third-person singular imperfect of être
possible
Possible; able to happen or be done
sentais
Felt, sensed; imperfect of sentir
si
So, such, if; used for emphasis or condition
seul
Alone, only, lonely; without others present
que
That, which, than; conjunction or relative pronoun
j'
I; elided form of je before vowel
aurais
Would have; conditional of avoir
presque
Almost, nearly; indicating something not quite complete
souhaité
Wished, desired; past participle of souhaiter
être
To be; fundamental French auxiliary and linking verb
mort
Dead, death; absence of life
Les
The; plural definite article for all genders
étoiles
Stars; luminous celestial bodies seen at night
brillaient
Were shining, gleaming; imperfect of briller
feuilles
Leaves; flat green parts of plants and trees
bruissaient
Were rustling, murmuring; imperfect of bruisser
bois
Woods, forest; wooded area of trees
d'
Of, from; elided form of de
façon
Way, manner; method of doing something
mélancolique
Melancholic, sad, gloomy in tone or mood
entendis
Heard; first-person singular passé simple of entendre
chouette
Owl; nocturnal bird known for hooting
au
To the, at the; contraction of à + le
loin
Far, far away; at a great distance
qui
Who, which; relative or interrogative pronoun
hululait
Was hooting; imperfect of hululer, of an owl
propos
About, concerning; à propos de means regarding
quelqu'
Some; elided form of quelque before vowel
chien
Dog; common domesticated canine animal
pleuraient
Were crying, weeping; imperfect of pleurer
allait
Was going; imperfect third-person singular of aller
mourir
To die; to cease living
vent
Wind; moving air, natural atmospheric phenomenon
essayait
Was trying; imperfect third-person singular of essayer
chuchoter
To whisper; to speak very softly and quietly
arrivais
Was managing, was arriving; imperfect of arriver
comprendre
To understand, to comprehend something
c'
It, that; elided form of ce before vowel
donna
Gave; third-person singular passé simple of donner
frisson
Shiver, chill; trembling from cold or fear
là-bas
Over there, yonder; referring to a distant place
cette
This, that; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
sorte
Sort, kind, type; category of something
son
Sound; also possessive adjective meaning his/her/its
qu'
That, which; elided form of que
fantôme
Ghost, phantom; spirit of a dead person
émet
Emits, produces; third-person singular present of émettre
quand
When; conjunction or adverb of time
il
He, it; third-person singular masculine pronoun
veut
Wants; third-person singular present of vouloir
parler
To speak, to talk to someone
préoccupe
Worries, preoccupies; concerns someone deeply
ne
Not; used with pas to form negation
peut
Can, is able to; third-person singular of pouvoir
faire
To do, to make; highly versatile French verb
donc
Therefore, so, thus; logical consequence conjunction
reposer
To rest, to lay down, to repose
tranquillement
Quietly, calmly, peacefully; in a tranquil manner
sa
His, her, its; feminine singular possessive adjective
tombe
Grave, tomb; burial place for the dead
doit
Must, has to; third-person singular of devoir
errer
To wander, to roam without direction or purpose
ainsi
Thus, so, in this way; consequently
chaque
Each, every; referring to individual items in set
nuit
Night; the dark period after sunset
en
In, by, while; versatile preposition or pronoun
lamentant
Lamenting, mourning; expressing grief or sorrow
abattu
Downcast, dejected, struck down, dispirited
effrayé
Frightened, scared, terrified by something
souhaitais
Was wishing, was hoping; imperfect of souhaiter
vraiment
Really, truly, genuinely; used for emphasis
avoir
To have; essential auxiliary and main verb
compagnie
Company, companionship; being with other people
Bientôt
Soon, shortly; in a brief amount of time
araignée
Spider; eight-legged arachnid that spins webs
mit
Put, placed, began; passé simple of mettre
grimper
To climb, to crawl upward on something
mon
My; masculine singular possessive adjective
épaule
Shoulder; joint connecting arm to the body
chassai
Chased away, drove off; passé simple of chasser
elle
She, it; third-person singular feminine pronoun
tomba
Fell; third-person singular passé simple of tomber
avant
Before; preposition indicating prior time or position
puisse
Could, might; subjunctive of pouvoir
bouger
To move, to budge, to shift position
toute
All, entirely, completely; feminine form of tout
recroquevillée
Curled up, huddled, shriveled into a ball
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