Anna Karenina — Page 4

English → Fr Chapter 2 Level 7/10

"Matvey, my sister Anna Arkadyevna will be here tomorrow," he said, checking for a minute the sleek, plump hand of the barber, cutting a pink path through his long, curly whiskers.

« Matvey, ma sœur Anna Arkadyevna sera ici demain », dit-il, retenant un instant la main lisse et potelée du barbier, qui traçait un sillon rosé à travers ses longues favoris bouclés.

"Thank God!" said Matvey, showing by this response that he, like his master, realized the significance of this arrival—that is, that Anna Arkadyevna, the sister he was so fond of, might bring about a reconciliation between husband and wife.

« Dieu merci ! » dit Matvey, laissant entendre par cette réponse que lui, tout comme son maître, comprenait l'importance de cette arrivée — c'est-à-dire qu'Anna Arkadyevna, la sœur qu'il aimait tant, pourrait amener une réconciliation entre mari et femme.

"Alone, or with her husband?" inquired Matvey.

« Seule, ou avec son mari ? » demanda Matvey.

Stepan Arkadyevitch could not answer, as the barber was at work on his upper lip, and he raised one finger.

Stepan Arkadyevitch ne put répondre, car le barbier s'affairait sur sa lèvre supérieure, et il leva un doigt.

Matvey nodded at the looking-glass.

Matvey fit un signe de tête en direction du miroir.

"Alone. Is the room to be got ready upstairs?"

« Seule. Faut-il préparer la chambre à l'étage ? »

"Inform Darya Alexandrovna: where she orders."

« Informez Darya Alexandrovna : comme elle l'ordonne. »

"Darya Alexandrovna?" Matvey repeated, as though in doubt.

« Darya Alexandrovna ? » répéta Matvey, comme s'il doutait.

"Yes, inform her. Here, take the telegram; give it to her, and then do what she tells you."

« Oui, informez-la. Tenez, prenez le télégramme ; donnez-le-lui, et faites ensuite ce qu'elle vous dira. »

"You want to try it on," Matvey understood, but he only said, "Yes, sir."

« Il veut voir comment elle réagit », comprit Matvey, mais il se contenta de dire : « Bien, monsieur. »

Stepan Arkadyevitch was already washed and combed and ready to be dressed, when Matvey, stepping deliberately in his creaky boots, came back into the room with the telegram in his hand.

Stepan Arkadyevitch était déjà lavé, peigné et prêt à s'habiller, lorsque Matvey, avançant d'un pas délibéré dans ses bottes qui craquaient, revint dans la pièce avec le télégramme à la main.

The barber had gone.

Le barbier était parti.

"Darya Alexandrovna told me to inform you that she is going away. Let him do—that is you—as he likes," he said, laughing only with his eyes, and putting his hands in his pockets, he watched his master with his head on one side.

« Darya Alexandrovna m'a chargé de vous informer qu'elle s'en va. Qu'il fasse — c'est-à-dire vous — comme il lui plaît », dit-il, riant seulement des yeux, et enfonçant les mains dans ses poches, il regardait son maître la tête penchée sur le côté.

Stepan Arkadyevitch was silent a minute.

Stepan Arkadyevitch garda le silence un moment.

Vocabulary

ma: My (feminine singular possessive adjective).
sœur: sœr — Sister; a female sibling.
sera: Will be; third person singular future of être.
ici: Here; in this place or location.
demain: Tomorrow; the day following today.
dit-il: He said; inverted form of dire.
retenant: Holding back; present participle of retenir.
un: A, an; masculine indefinite article or number one.
instant: A moment; a very brief period of time.
la: The; feminine definite article.
main: Hand; the end part of the arm.
lisse: Smooth; having an even, flat surface.
et: And; coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses.
potelée: Plump, chubby; describing a rounded, soft hand.
du: Of the; masculine singular contracted article.
barbier: Barber; a person who cuts men's hair and shaves.
qui: Who, which; relative or interrogative pronoun.
traçait: Was drawing, tracing; imperfect tense of tracer.
sillon: Furrow, groove; a long narrow channel or line.
rosé: Pinkish; slightly pink in color.
à: To, at, in; common French preposition.
travers: Through, across; used in the phrase à travers.
ses: His, her, its; plural possessive adjective.
longues: Long; feminine plural adjective describing length.
favoris: Sideburns; strips of facial hair on the cheeks.
bouclés: Curly; describing hair that forms ringlets or waves.
Dieu: God; the supreme divine being.
merci: Thank you; an expression of gratitude.
dit: Said; past tense of dire, to say.
laissant: Letting, leaving; present participle of laisser.
entendre: To hear, to understand; an infinitive verb.
par: By, through; common French preposition.
cette: This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective.
réponse: Answer, response; a reply to a question or statement.
que: That, which, what; conjunction or relative pronoun.
lui: Him, he; third person singular pronoun.
tout: All, everything; indicating totality or entirety.
comme: Like, as; comparison conjunction or preposition.
son: His, her, its; masculine singular possessive adjective.
maître: Master, employer; a person in a position of authority.
comprenait: Understood; imperfect tense of comprendre.
l': The; elided definite article before a vowel.
importance: Importance; the quality of being significant or notable.
de: Of, from; very common French preposition.
arrivée: Arrival; the act of reaching a destination.
c': It; elided demonstrative pronoun before est.
est-à-dire: That is to say; used to clarify or explain.
qu': That; elided conjunction before a vowel.
il: He, it; third person masculine singular pronoun.
aimait: Loved, liked; imperfect tense of aimer.
tant: So much, so many; indicating a great degree or quantity.
pourrait: Could; conditional tense of pouvoir.
amener: To bring, to lead; to cause something to happen.
une: A, an; feminine indefinite article.
réconciliation: Reconciliation; restoring a friendly relationship after conflict.
entre: Between, among; preposition indicating a relationship.
mari: Husband; a married man in relation to his wife.
femme: Woman, wife; an adult female person.
Seule: Alone; without companions, by oneself.
ou: Or; conjunction presenting an alternative choice.
avec: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association.
demanda: Asked; simple past tense of demander.
ne: Not; part of French negation, used with pas.
put: Could; simple past tense of pouvoir.
répondre: To answer, to respond; an infinitive verb.
car: Because, for; causal conjunction explaining a reason.
le: The; masculine singular definite article.
s': Himself, herself; elided reflexive pronoun.
affairait: Was busying himself; imperfect tense of s'affairer.
sur: On, upon; preposition indicating position above a surface.
sa: His, her, its; feminine singular possessive adjective.
lèvre: Lip; the fleshy edge of the mouth.
supérieure: Upper, superior; higher in position or rank.
leva: Raised, lifted; simple past tense of lever.
doigt: Finger; one of the digits of the hand.
fit: Made, did; simple past tense of faire.
signe: Sign, signal; a gesture conveying a message.
tête: Head; the uppermost part of the human body.
en: In, by; preposition or pronoun with various uses.
direction: Direction; the path or way toward something.
miroir: Mirror; a reflective surface used to see oneself.
Faut-il: Is it necessary; inverted form of il faut.
préparer: To prepare; to make ready in advance.
chambre: Room, bedroom; a private room for sleeping.
étage: Floor, story; a level of a building.
Informez: Inform; imperative form of informer, to notify.
elle: She, her; third person feminine singular pronoun.
ordonne: Orders, commands; third person singular of ordonner.
répéta: Repeated; simple past tense of répéter.
doutait: Doubted; imperfect tense of douter.
Oui: Yes; affirmative response word.
informez-la: Inform her; imperative with attached object pronoun.
Tenez: Here, take; imperative of tenir, used to hand something.
prenez: Take; imperative form of prendre.
télégramme: Telegram; a written message sent by telegraph.
donnez-le-lui: Give it to her/him; imperative with two object pronouns.
faites: Do, make; imperative or present of faire.
ensuite: Then, afterwards; indicating the next step in a sequence.
ce: This, that, what; demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
vous: You; second person plural or formal singular pronoun.
dira: Will say; third person singular future of dire.
Il: He, it; third person masculine singular subject pronoun.
veut: Wants; third person singular present of vouloir.
voir: To see; an infinitive verb of perception.
comment: How; interrogative or relative adverb of manner.
réagit: Reacts, reacted; present or past of réagir.
comprit: Understood; simple past tense of comprendre.
mais: But; adversative conjunction expressing contrast.
se: Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun.
contenta: Was content; past tense of se contenter, to be satisfied.
dire: To say; infinitive of the verb meaning to speak.
Bien: Well, good; adverb or adjective of approval.
monsieur: Mister, sir; polite form of address for a man.
était: Was; imperfect tense of être.
déjà: Already; indicating something has happened before now.
lavé: Washed; past participle of laver.
peigné: Combed; past participle of peigner.
prêt: Ready; prepared and available to act.
habiller: To dress; to put clothes on someone.
lorsque: When; conjunction indicating a point in time.
avançant: Advancing, moving forward; present participle of avancer.
d': Of, from; elided preposition de before a vowel.
pas: Step; a single movement of the foot while walking.
délibéré: Deliberate; done intentionally and purposefully.
dans: In, inside; preposition indicating location within.
bottes: Boots; footwear covering the foot and lower leg.
craquaient: Were creaking; imperfect tense of craquer.
revint: Came back; simple past tense of revenir.
pièce: Room, piece; a separate room or an individual item.
Le: The; masculine singular definite article.
parti: Party, side; a political group or a decided choice.
m': Me; elided first person singular object pronoun.
a: Has; third person singular present of avoir.
chargé: Charged, tasked; past participle of charger, to assign.
informer: To inform; to tell or give information to someone.
va: Goes; third person singular present of aller.
Qu': That, what; elided conjunction or pronoun before a vowel.
fasse: Does, makes; subjunctive present of faire.
plaît: Pleases; third person singular present of plaire.
riant: Laughing; present participle of rire.
seulement: Only, merely; limiting adverb restricting scope.
des: Some, of the; plural indefinite or partitive article.
yeux: Eyes; plural of œil, the organs of sight.
enfonçant: Pushing in, thrusting; present participle of enfoncer.
les: The; plural definite article for masculine and feminine.
mains: Hands; plural of main, the end parts of the arms.
poches: Pockets; small pouches sewn into clothing.
regardait: Was looking at; imperfect tense of regarder.
penchée: Leaning, tilted; past participle of pencher.
côté: Side; one of the lateral parts of something.
garda: Kept, maintained; simple past tense of garder.
silence: Silence; the complete absence of sound or speech.
moment: Moment; a short indefinite period of time.

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