Alice's Adventures in Wonderland — Page 4

English → Fr CHAPTER I. Level 5/10

Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think—" (for, you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a _very_ good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) "—yes, that's about the right distance—but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I've got to?"

Voyons : ce serait à quatre mille milles de profondeur, je crois—" (car, vous le savez, Alice avait appris plusieurs choses de ce genre dans ses leçons en classe, et bien que ce ne fût pas une _très_ bonne occasion d'étaler ses connaissances, puisqu'il n'y avait personne pour l'écouter, c'était tout de même un bon exercice que de se le répéter) "—oui, c'est à peu près la bonne distance—mais alors je me demande à quelle Latitude ou Longitude je suis parvenue ?"

(Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)

(Alice n'avait aucune idée de ce qu'était la Latitude, ni la Longitude non plus, mais elle pensait que c'étaient de beaux grands mots à prononcer.)

Presently she began again.

Bientôt elle recommença.

"I wonder if I shall fall right _through_ the earth!

« Je me demande si je vais tomber tout droit _à travers_ la terre !

How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward!

Comme il sera drôle de se retrouver parmi les gens qui marchent la tête en bas !

The Antipathies, I think—" (she was rather glad there _was_ no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the right word)

Les Antipathies, je crois—" (elle était plutôt contente qu'il n'y eût _vraiment_ personne pour l'écouter, cette fois, car cela ne ressemblait pas du tout au mot juste)

"—but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know.

"—mais il me faudra leur demander quel est le nom du pays, vous savez.

Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?"

S'il vous plaît, Madame, est-ce ici la Nouvelle-Zélande ou l'Australie ?"

(and she tried to curtsey as she spoke—fancy _curtseying_ as you're falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?)

(et elle essaya de faire la révérence en parlant—imaginez faire _la révérence_ pendant que vous tombez dans les airs ! Pensez-vous que vous pourriez y arriver ?)

"And what an ignorant little girl she'll think me for asking!

« Et quelle petite fille ignorante elle me croira pour avoir posé cette question !

No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere."

Non, il ne faut surtout pas demander : peut-être que je le verrai écrit quelque part. »

Down, down, down.

Bas, bas, bas.

There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again.

Il n'y avait rien d'autre à faire, alors Alice recommença bientôt à parler.

"Dinah'll miss me very much to-night, I should think!

« Dinah va beaucoup me manquer ce soir, je crois !

Vocabulary

Voyons: vwa-yɔ̃ — Let's see; used to introduce a thought or calculation.
ce: sə — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'it'.
serait: sə-rɛ — Conditional form of 'être'; would be.
à: a — Preposition meaning 'at', 'to', or 'in'.
quatre: katr — The number four.
mille: mil — The number one thousand.
milles: mil — Plural of mile; unit of distance.
de: də — Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
profondeur: prɔ-fɔ̃-dœr — Depth; measurement from top to bottom.
je: ʒə — First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
crois: krwa — First-person singular of 'croire'; I believe or think.
car: kar — Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'.
vous: vu — Second-person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'.
le: lə — Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'it'.
savez: sa-ve — Second-person plural of 'savoir'; you know.
avait: a-vɛ — Third-person singular imperfect of 'avoir'; had.
appris: a-pri — Past participle of 'apprendre'; learned or taught.
plusieurs: plyzjœr — Adjective/pronoun meaning 'several' or 'many'.
choses: ʃoz — Plural of 'chose'; things or matters.
genre: ʒɑ̃r — Type, kind, or sort; of this kind.
dans: dɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'.
ses: se — Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
leçons: lə-sɔ̃ — Plural of 'leçon'; lessons or classes.
en: ɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'by'.
classe: klas — Class or classroom; school setting.
et: e — Conjunction meaning 'and'.
bien: bjɛ̃ — Adverb meaning 'well' or 'very'; also 'good'.
que: kə — Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'which', or 'than'.
ne: nə — Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs.
fût: fy — Imperfect subjunctive of 'être'; were (subjunctive).
pas: pa — Negative particle meaning 'not'; used with 'ne'.
une: yn — Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
_très_: trɛ — Adverb meaning 'very'; intensifier before adjectives.
bonne: bɔn — Feminine form of 'bon'; good or suitable.
occasion: ɔ-ka-zjɔ̃ — Occasion or opportunity; a favorable moment.
d': d — Contracted form of 'de'; of or from.
étaler: e-ta-le — To display or show off; spread out proudly.
connaissances: kɔ-nɛ-sɑ̃s — Plural of 'connaissance'; knowledge or acquaintances.
puisqu': pɥisk — Contracted 'puisque'; conjunction meaning 'since' or 'as'.
il: il — Third-person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
n': n — Contracted negative particle 'ne'; used before vowels.
y: i — Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or 'in it'.
personne: pɛr-sɔn — Nobody or no one; also means 'person'.
pour: pur — Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'.
l': l — Contracted definite article or pronoun; 'the' or 'it'.
écouter: e-ku-te — To listen to; to pay attention to someone speaking.
c': s — Contracted 'ce'; demonstrative pronoun meaning 'it' or 'this'.
était: e-tɛ — Imperfect of 'être'; was or used to be.
tout: tu — Adjective/adverb meaning 'all', 'every', or 'quite'.
même: mɛm — Adverb/adjective meaning 'same', 'even', or 'itself'.
un: œ̃ — Masculine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
bon: bɔ̃ — Adjective meaning 'good' or 'nice'.
exercice: ɛɡ-zɛr-sis — Exercise or practice; an activity to develop skill.
se: sə — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself', 'himself', 'herself'.
répéter: re-pe-te — To repeat; to say or do something again.
oui: wi — Yes; affirmative response.
est: ɛ — Third-person singular of 'être'; is.
peu: pø — Adverb meaning 'little' or 'few'; not much.
près: prɛ — Adverb/preposition meaning 'near' or 'close to'.
la: la — Feminine definite article meaning 'the'.
distance: dis-tɑ̃s — Distance; the space between two points.
mais: mɛ — Conjunction meaning 'but'; introduces contrast.
alors: a-lɔr — Adverb/conjunction meaning 'then', 'so', or 'therefore'.
me: mə — First-person singular reflexive or object pronoun; me.
demande: də-mɑ̃d — First-person singular of 'demander'; I wonder or ask.
quelle: kɛl — Feminine interrogative adjective meaning 'which' or 'what'.
Latitude: la-ti-tyd — Latitude; geographic coordinate measuring north-south position.
ou: u — Conjunction meaning 'or'; presents an alternative.
Longitude: lɔ̃-ʒi-tyd — Longitude; geographic coordinate measuring east-west position.
suis: sɥi — First-person singular of 'être'; I am.
parvenue: par-və-ny — Past participle of 'parvenir' (fem.); arrived or reached.
aucune: o-kyn — Feminine negative determiner meaning 'no' or 'none'.
idée: i-de — Idea; a thought or concept in one's mind.
qu': k — Contracted 'que'; conjunction meaning 'that' or 'which'.
ni: ni — Negative conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'neither'.
non: nɔ̃ — Negative adverb meaning 'no' or 'not'.
plus: ply — Adverb meaning 'more', 'no longer', or 'anymore'.
elle: ɛl — Third-person feminine pronoun meaning 'she' or 'it'.
pensait: pɑ̃-sɛ — Imperfect of 'penser'; was thinking or thought.
étaient: e-tɛ — Imperfect plural of 'être'; were.
beaux: bo — Masculine plural of 'beau'; beautiful or fine.
grands: ɡrɑ̃ — Masculine plural of 'grand'; big, great, or tall.
mots: mo — Plural of 'mot'; words.
prononcer: prɔ-nɔ̃-se — To pronounce or utter; to say a word aloud.
Bientôt: bjɛ̃-to — Adverb meaning 'soon' or 'shortly after'.
recommença: rə-kɔ-mɑ̃-sa — Past tense of 'recommencer'; started again or resumed.
Je: ʒə — First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
si: si — Conjunction meaning 'if'; also intensifier meaning 'so'.
vais: vɛ — First-person singular of 'aller'; I am going.
tomber: tɔ̃-be — To fall; to drop down under gravity.
droit: drwa — Straight; directly; without deviation.
_à: a — Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'through'.
travers_: tra-vɛr — Through; across; used in 'à travers' meaning 'through'.
terre: tɛr — Earth; ground; the planet or soil.
Comme: kɔm — Adverb/conjunction meaning 'how', 'as', or 'like'.
sera: sə-ra — Third-person singular future of 'être'; will be.
drôle: drol — Funny or strange; amusing or peculiar.
retrouver: rə-tru-ve — To find again; to rediscover or meet again.
parmi: par-mi — Preposition meaning 'among' or 'amongst'.
les: le — Plural definite article meaning 'the'.
gens: ʒɑ̃ — People; a group of persons in general.
qui: ki — Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'.
marchent: marʃ — Third-person plural of 'marcher'; walk or move on foot.
tête: tɛt — Head; the top part of the body.
bas: ba — Low; below; also 'stocking' or 'down'.
Les: le — Plural definite article meaning 'the'.
Antipathies: ɑ̃-ti-pa-ti — Alice's confusion for 'Antipodes'; opposite side of Earth.
plutôt: ply-to — Adverb meaning 'rather', 'instead', or 'quite'.
contente: kɔ̃-tɑ̃t — Feminine adjective meaning 'happy', 'pleased', or 'glad'.
eût: y — Past subjunctive of 'avoir'; had (subjunctive mood).
_vraiment_: vrɛ-mɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'really' or 'truly'; emphasizes sincerity.
cette: sɛt — Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
fois: fwa — Time or instance; 'cette fois' means 'this time'.
cela: sə-la — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this thing'.
ressemblait: rə-sɑ̃-blɛ — Imperfect of 'ressembler'; looked like or resembled.
du: dy — Contracted 'de le'; of the (masculine singular).
au: o — Contracted 'à le'; to the or at the (masculine singular).
mot: mo — Word; a unit of language with meaning.
juste: ʒyst — Correct, right, or exact; the right word.
faudra: fo-dra — Future of 'falloir'; it will be necessary.
leur: lœr — Pronoun/adjective meaning 'their' or 'to them'.
demander: də-mɑ̃-de — To ask; to request information from someone.
quel: kɛl — Masculine interrogative adjective meaning 'which' or 'what'.
nom: nɔ̃ — Name; the word used to identify a person or place.
pays: pe-i — Country; a nation or territory with its own government.
S': s — Contracted reflexive pronoun 'se'; oneself (before vowel).
plaît: plɛ — Third-person of 'plaire'; pleases; used in 's'il vous plaît'.
Madame: ma-dam — Formal address for a woman; madam or ma'am.
est-: ɛ — Inverted form of 'est'; used in questions with inversion.
ici: i-si — Adverb meaning 'here'; in this place.
Nouvelle-: nu-vɛl — Adjective meaning 'New'; part of 'Nouvelle-Zélande'.
essaya: e-sɛ-ja — Past tense of 'essayer'; tried or attempted.
faire: fɛr — To do or make; a very common French verb.
révérence: re-ve-rɑ̃s — Curtsy or bow; a gesture of respect or greeting.
parlant: par-lɑ̃ — Present participle of 'parler'; speaking or while speaking.
imaginez: i-ma-ʒi-ne — Second-person plural of 'imaginer'; imagine or picture that.
_la: la — Feminine definite article; 'the' before a feminine noun.
révérence_: re-ve-rɑ̃s — Curtsy; polite bow made while falling through the air.
pendant: pɑ̃-dɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'during' or 'while'; throughout a period.
tombez: tɔ̃-be — Second-person plural of 'tomber'; you fall.
airs: ɛr — Plural of 'air'; airs, atmosphere, or open sky.
Pensez-: pɑ̃-se — Imperative second-person plural of 'penser'; think or consider.
pourriez: pu-rje — Second-person plural conditional of 'pouvoir'; you could.
arriver: a-ri-ve — To arrive; to reach a destination or outcome.
Et: e — Conjunction meaning 'and'; links words or clauses.
petite: pə-tit — Feminine adjective meaning 'small', 'little', or 'young'.
fille: fij — Girl or daughter; a young female person.
ignorante: i-ɲɔ-rɑ̃t — Feminine adjective meaning 'ignorant' or 'unknowing'.
croira: krwa-ra — Future of 'croire'; will believe or think.
avoir: a-vwar — To have; one of the most essential French verbs.
posé: po-ze — Past participle of 'poser'; asked (a question) or placed.
question: kɛs-tjɔ̃ — Question; an inquiry seeking information or an answer.
Non: nɔ̃ — No; negative response or refusal.
faut: fo — Impersonal verb 'falloir'; it is necessary or one must.
surtout: syr-tu — Adverb meaning 'above all', 'especially', or 'most importantly'.
peut-: pø — Third-person singular of 'pouvoir'; can or may (inverted).
être: ɛtr — To be; the infinitive of the fundamental French verb.
verrai: vɛ-re — First-person singular future of 'voir'; I will see.
écrit: e-kri — Written; past participle of 'écrire'; also 'written text'.
quelque: kɛlk — Adjective meaning 'some' or 'a certain'; quelque part = somewhere.
part: par — Place or share; 'quelque part' means 'somewhere'.
Bas: ba — Low or down; also used as 'downstairs' or 'below'.
Il: il — Third-person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
rien: rjɛ̃ — Nothing; used with 'ne' to express negation completely.
autre: Other or another; different from what was mentioned.
bientôt: bjɛ̃-to — Soon; in a short time from now.
parler: par-le — To speak or talk; to communicate verbally.
va: va — Third-person singular of 'aller'; goes or is going.
beaucoup: bo-ku — Adverb meaning 'a lot', 'much', or 'very much'.
manquer: mɑ̃-ke — To miss; to be absent or to be missed by someone.
soir: swar — Evening; the latter part of the day before night.

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