Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — Page 8

English → Fr CHAPTER II. Level 6/10

We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money."

Nous arrêtons les diligences et les voitures sur la route, avec des masques, et nous tuons les gens et prenons leurs montres et leur argent."

"Must we always kill the people?"

« Faut-il toujours tuer les gens ? »

"Oh, certainly.

« Oh, certainement.

It's best.

C'est ce qu'il y a de mieux.

Some authorities think different, but mostly it's considered best to kill them—except some that you bring to the cave here, and keep them till they're ransomed."

Certaines autorités pensent différemment, mais la plupart du temps on considère qu'il vaut mieux les tuer — sauf certains que vous amenez ici dans la caverne, et que vous gardez jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient rançonnés. »

"Ransomed? What's that?"

« Rançonnés ? Qu'est-ce que c'est ? »

"I don't know.

« Je ne sais pas.

But that's what they do.

Mais c'est ce qu'ils font.

I've seen it in books; and so of course that's what we've got to do."

Je l'ai vu dans des livres ; et donc bien sûr c'est ce que nous devons faire. »

"But how can we do it if we don't know what it is?"

« Mais comment pouvons-nous le faire si nous ne savons pas ce que c'est ? »

"Why, blame it all, we've _got_ to do it.

« Eh bien, que diable, nous _devons_ le faire.

Don't I tell you it's in the books?

Est-ce que je ne vous dis pas que c'est dans les livres ?

Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?"

Voulez-vous faire autrement que ce qui est dans les livres, et tout embrouiller ? »

"Oh, that's all very fine to _say_, Tom Sawyer, but how in the nation are these fellows going to be ransomed if we don't know how to do it to them?—that's the thing _I_ want to get at.

« Oh, c'est très facile à _dire_, Tom Sawyer, mais comment diable ces gars vont-ils être rançonnés si nous ne savons pas comment le faire ? — c'est ce que _moi_ je veux savoir.

Now, what do you _reckon_ it is?"

Alors, qu'est-ce que vous _pensez_ que c'est ? »

"Well, I don't know.

« Eh bien, je ne sais pas.

But per'aps if we keep them till they're ransomed, it means that we keep them till they're dead."

Mais p't-être que si nous les gardons jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient rançonnés, ça veut dire que nous les gardons jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient morts. »

"Now, that's something _like_.

« Voilà qui ressemble à quelque chose.

That'll answer.

Ça ira.

Why couldn't you said that before?

Pourquoi n'avez-vous pas dit ça avant ?

We'll keep them till they're ransomed to death; and a bothersome lot they'll be, too—eating up everything, and always trying to get loose."

Nous les garderons jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient rançonnés à mort ; et ils seront bien embêtants, en plus — à tout manger, et à essayer toujours de se libérer. »

"How you talk, Ben Rogers.

« Comme tu parles, Ben Rogers.

Vocabulary

Nous: First person plural subject pronoun meaning 'we'.
arrêtons: We stop; first person plural present of arrêter.
les: Definite plural article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'them'.
diligences: Stagecoaches; horse-drawn carriages for passenger transport.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or clauses.
voitures: Cars or carriages; common vehicles for transportation.
sur: Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon'.
la: Feminine definite article meaning 'the'.
route: Road or route; a path for travel.
avec: Preposition meaning 'with'.
des: Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
masques: Masks; coverings worn to hide one's face.
nous: First person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'.
tuons: We kill; first person plural present of tuer.
gens: People; a general term for persons or folks.
prenons: We take; first person plural present of prendre.
leurs: Possessive adjective meaning 'their' (plural noun).
montres: Watches; small timepieces worn on the wrist.
leur: Possessive adjective or pronoun meaning 'their' or 'to them'.
argent: Money or silver; commonly used to mean cash.
Faut: Short for 'il faut', meaning 'it is necessary'.
il: Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
toujours: Always or still; indicates continuity or habitual action.
tuer: To kill; infinitive verb indicating taking a life.
certainement: Certainly; used to affirm or agree with something.
C': Contraction of 'ce', meaning 'it' or 'that' before est.
est: Third person singular present of être, meaning 'is'.
ce: Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
qu': Contraction of 'que', a conjunction or relative pronoun.
y: Pronoun meaning 'there' or 'it', referring to a place.
a: Third person singular present of avoir, meaning 'has'.
de: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
mieux: Better or best; comparative/superlative form of bien.
Certaines: Certain or some; feminine plural adjective indicating specificity.
autorités: Authorities; people or bodies holding official power.
pensent: They think; third person plural present of penser.
différemment: Differently; in a different or contrasting manner.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrast.
plupart: Most; used in 'la plupart' to mean the majority.
du: Contraction of 'de le', meaning 'of the' (masculine).
temps: Time or weather; a fundamental noun with broad usage.
on: Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one', 'we', or 'they'.
considère: One considers; third person singular present of considérer.
vaut: It is worth; third person singular present of valoir.
sauf: Except or unless; preposition indicating an exclusion.
certains: Certain ones or some; masculine plural indefinite adjective.
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'which', or 'whom'.
vous: Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'.
amenez: You bring; second person plural present of amener.
ici: Here; adverb indicating a nearby or current location.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'.
caverne: Cave or cavern; a large natural underground hollow space.
gardez: You keep or guard; second person plural present of garder.
jusqu': Contraction of 'jusqu'à', meaning 'until' or 'up to'.
à: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
ils: Third person plural masculine pronoun meaning 'they'.
soient: Subjunctive of être; meaning 'be', used in subordinate clauses.
rançonnés: Ransomed; held captive until a payment is received.
Rançonnés: Ransomed; past participle, held for ransom payment.
Je: First person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'.
ne: Negation particle used with pas to form 'not'.
sais: I know; first person singular present of savoir.
pas: Negation word used with ne to mean 'not'.
Mais: But; conjunction introducing a contrast or objection.
font: They do or make; third person plural present of faire.
l': Contraction of le or la before a vowel, meaning 'the'.
ai: I have; first person singular present of avoir.
vu: Seen; past participle of voir, meaning 'to see'.
livres: Books or pounds; common noun with two distinct meanings.
donc: Therefore or so; conjunction indicating a logical conclusion.
bien: Well or good; common adverb or adjective with broad use.
sûr: Sure or certain; adjective expressing confidence or certainty.
devons: We must; first person plural present of devoir.
faire: To do or make; essential high-frequency French infinitive.
comment: How; interrogative adverb asking about manner or method.
pouvons: We can; first person plural present of pouvoir.
le: Masculine definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'him/it'.
si: If or so; conditional conjunction or intensifying adverb.
savons: We know; first person plural present of savoir.
diable: Devil; used as an exclamation expressing surprise or frustration.
Est: Is; third person singular present of être in a question.
dis: I say or tell; first person singular present of dire.
Voulez: Do you want; second person plural present of vouloir.
autrement: Otherwise or differently; adverb indicating an alternative way.
qui: Who or which; relative or interrogative pronoun.
tout: All, everything, or very; versatile adjective or adverb.
embrouiller: To muddle or confuse; to make something tangled or unclear.
très: Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or other adverbs.
facile: Easy; adjective describing something simple or effortless.
dire: To say or tell; common high-frequency French infinitive.
ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those' (plural).
gars: Guys or fellows; informal term for boys or men.
vont: They go; third person plural present of aller.
être: To be; the most fundamental French infinitive verb.
moi: Me or I; stressed first person singular pronoun.
veux: I want; first person singular present of vouloir.
savoir: To know facts or how to do something; knowledge verb.
Alors: Then or so; conjunction or adverb indicating consequence.
pensez: You think; second person plural present of penser.
gardons: We keep or guard; first person plural present of garder.
ça: That or it; informal demonstrative pronoun for things.
veut: He/she wants; third person singular present of vouloir.
morts: Dead; plural adjective or noun referring to deceased persons.
Voilà: There it is; exclamation presenting or acknowledging something.
ressemble: Resembles or looks like; third person singular present of ressembler.
quelque: Some or a few; indefinite adjective indicating a small quantity.
chose: Thing; a common feminine noun with very broad usage.
Ça: That or it; informal demonstrative pronoun for things.
Ira: Will go; future tense of aller, used in 'ça ira'.
Pourquoi: Why; interrogative adverb asking for a reason.
n': Contraction of 'ne', the first part of French negation.
avez: You have; second person plural present of avoir.
dit: Said; past participle of dire, meaning 'to say'.
avant: Before; preposition or adverb indicating prior time or position.
garderons: We will keep; first person plural future of garder.
mort: Dead or death; adjective or noun referring to dying.
seront: They will be; third person plural future of être.
embêtants: Annoying or bothersome; adjective describing troublesome people.
en: In, on, or by; versatile preposition or pronoun.
plus: More or no more; used in comparisons or negation.
manger: To eat; essential high-frequency French infinitive.
essayer: To try or attempt; common French infinitive verb.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'themselves'.
libérer: To free or liberate oneself; to gain release from captivity.
Comme: Like, as, or how; conjunction or adverb of comparison.
tu: Second person singular informal pronoun meaning 'you'.
parles: You speak or talk; second person singular present of parler.

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