Anne of Green Gables — Page 1

English → Fr CHAPTER I. Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Surprised Level 6/10

MRS. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies' eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde's Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof.

Mme Rachel Lynde habitait juste à l'endroit où la grand-route d'Avonlea descendait dans un petit creux, bordé d'aulnes et de fuchsias sauvages et traversé par un ruisseau qui prenait sa source tout au fond des bois de la vieille propriété Cuthbert ; on le disait compliqué et impétueux dans son premier parcours à travers ces bois, avec de sombres secrets de mares et de cascades ; mais lorsqu'il atteignait le Creux de Lynde, c'était un petit cours d'eau tranquille et bien sage, car pas même un ruisseau ne pouvait passer devant la porte de Mme Rachel Lynde sans tenir dûment compte des convenances et du décorum ; il avait probablement conscience que Mme Rachel était assise à sa fenêtre, gardant un œil attentif sur tout ce qui passait, des ruisseaux aux enfants, et que si elle remarquait quelque chose d'étrange ou de déplacé, elle ne se reposerait jamais avant d'en avoir déterré les raisons et les causes.

There are plenty of people, in Avonlea and out of it, who can attend closely to their neighbors' business by dint of neglecting their own; but Mrs. Rachel Lynde was one of those capable creatures who can manage their own concerns and those of other folks into the bargain.

Il y a beaucoup de gens, à Avonlea et ailleurs, qui peuvent s'occuper attentivement des affaires de leurs voisins à force de négliger les leurs ; mais Mme Rachel Lynde était l'une de ces créatures capables qui peuvent gérer leurs propres affaires et celles des autres par-dessus le marché.

She was a notable housewife; her work was always done and well done; she "ran" the Sewing Circle, helped run the Sunday-school, and was the strongest prop of the Church Aid Society and Foreign Missions Auxiliary.

C'était une ménagère remarquable ; son travail était toujours fait et bien fait ; elle « dirigeait » le Cercle de couture, aidait à gérer l'école du dimanche, et était le soutien le plus solide de la Société d'aide à l'Église et de l'Auxiliaire des missions étrangères.

Yet with all this Mrs.

Et pourtant, malgré tout cela, Mme

Vocabulary

Mme: Abbreviation for Madame, title for a married woman.
habitait: Lived, resided in a place (past imperfect).
juste: Just, exactly, or fair in meaning.
à: Preposition meaning at, to, or in.
l': Contracted definite article meaning the.
endroit: A specific place or location.
où: Relative pronoun or adverb meaning where.
la: Definite article meaning the (feminine).
grand-route: Main road or highway connecting places.
d': Contracted preposition meaning of or from.
descendait: Was going down, descending a slope (imperfect).
dans: Preposition meaning in or into.
un: Indefinite article meaning a or an (masculine).
petit: Small or little in size.
creux: A hollow, dip, or low-lying area.
bordé: Bordered or lined along the edges.
aulnes: Alder trees typically found near water.
et: Conjunction meaning and.
de: Preposition meaning of, from, or with.
sauvages: Wild, growing naturally without cultivation.
traversé: Crossed or traversed through a place.
par: Preposition meaning by, through, or per.
ruisseau: A small stream or brook.
qui: Relative pronoun meaning who or which.
prenait: Was taking, originating from a source (imperfect).
sa: Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its (feminine).
source: The origin or spring of a stream.
tout: All, entirely, or completely.
au: Contracted article meaning at the or to the.
fond: The bottom or deepest part of something.
des: Contracted article meaning of the (plural).
bois: Woods or forest area.
vieille: Old, aged (feminine adjective).
propriété: A property or estate belonging to someone.
on: Indefinite pronoun meaning one, we, or people.
le: Definite article or pronoun meaning the or it.
disait: Was saying or used to say (imperfect).
compliqué: Complicated, complex, difficult to understand.
impétueux: Impetuous, rushing forcefully with great energy.
son: Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its (masculine).
premier: First in order or sequence.
parcours: Route, course, or path traveled.
travers: Across or through, used in expressions.
ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning these or those.
avec: Preposition meaning with.
sombres: Dark, gloomy, or shadowy in appearance.
secrets: Secrets or hidden, mysterious things.
mares: Small ponds or pools of still water.
cascades: Waterfalls or cascading streams of water.
mais: Conjunction meaning but.
lorsqu': Conjunction meaning when (before a vowel).
il: Personal pronoun meaning he or it.
atteignait: Was reaching or arriving at a place (imperfect).
Creux: A hollow or low area used as place name.
c': Contracted demonstrative pronoun meaning it or this.
était: Was, third person singular of être (imperfect).
cours: Course, as in watercourse or flow.
eau: Water in its general meaning.
tranquille: Calm, quiet, peaceful in nature.
bien: Well, very, or good in adverbial use.
sage: Well-behaved, wise, or sensible.
car: Conjunction meaning because or for.
pas: Negation particle used with ne.
même: Even, same, or self in various uses.
ne: Negation particle used before a verb.
pouvait: Could, was able to (imperfect of pouvoir).
passer: To pass by or go past something.
devant: In front of, before something.
porte: A door or gate of a building.
sans: Preposition meaning without.
tenir: To hold or take into account.
dûment: Duly, properly, in the required manner.
compte: Account or consideration given to something.
convenances: Social conventions or proprieties one observes.
du: Contracted article meaning of the (masculine).
décorum: Decorum, proper and dignified social behavior.
avait: Had, third person singular of avoir (imperfect).
probablement: Probably, in all likelihood.
conscience: Awareness, consciousness, or sense of duty.
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning that or which.
assise: Seated, sitting down (feminine past participle).
fenêtre: A window in a wall or building.
gardant: Keeping watch, maintaining a watchful eye.
œil: Eye, used for watching or observing.
attentif: Attentive, paying close and careful attention.
sur: Preposition meaning on or over.
ce: Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning this or that.
passait: Was passing or happening (imperfect of passer).
ruisseaux: Plural of ruisseau, small streams or brooks.
aux: Contracted article meaning to the or at the (plural).
enfants: Children, young people in general.
si: Conjunction meaning if or so.
elle: Personal pronoun meaning she or her.
remarquait: Was noticing or observing something (imperfect).
quelque: Some, any, or a certain thing.
chose: A thing or something in general.
étrange: Strange, odd, or unusual in character.
déplacé: Out of place, inappropriate, or displaced.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning herself, himself, or itself.
reposerait: Would rest or settle (conditional of reposer).
jamais: Never, or ever in negative constructions.
avant: Before, prior to an event or time.
en: Pronoun or preposition meaning in, of it.
avoir: To have; also auxiliary verb in French.
déterré: Unearthed, dug up, uncovered hidden information.
les: Definite article meaning the (plural form).
raisons: Reasons or rationales for something happening.
causes: Causes, underlying reasons behind events.
Il: Personal pronoun meaning he or it.
y: Pronoun meaning there or in it.
a: Has or there is/are (il y a).
beaucoup: A lot, many, much in quantity.
gens: People, persons in a general sense.
ailleurs: Elsewhere, in another place.
peuvent: Can, are able to (present of pouvoir).
s': Reflexive pronoun meaning oneself (contracted form).
occuper: To occupy oneself with or attend to.
attentivement: Attentively, carefully, with close attention.
affaires: Affairs, business, or personal matters.
leurs: Possessive adjective meaning their (plural).
voisins: Neighbors, people living nearby.
force: Force, strength, or compelled by necessity.
négliger: To neglect or fail to attend to.
une: Indefinite article meaning a or an (feminine).
créatures: Creatures or beings, here referring to people.
capables: Capable, able to do something effectively.
gérer: To manage or handle something effectively.
propres: Own, as in one's own affairs.
celles: Demonstrative pronoun meaning those (feminine plural).
autres: Others, other people or things.
par-dessus: On top of that, above and beyond.
marché: Market, or in par-dessus le marché: to boot.
C': Contracted demonstrative pronoun meaning it or this.
ménagère: Housewife or skilled homemaker.
remarquable: Remarkable, noteworthy, outstanding in quality.
travail: Work or labor performed regularly.
toujours: Always, still, or ever in use.
fait: Done or made (past participle of faire).
dirigeait: Was leading or directing a group (imperfect).
Cercle: Circle or club, a social gathering group.
couture: Sewing, needlework, or fashion design.
aidait: Was helping or assisting regularly (imperfect).
école: School, an institution of learning.
dimanche: Sunday, the last day of the week.
soutien: Support, backing, or assistance given to others.
plus: More, most, or no longer in use.
solide: Solid, strong, reliable in character.
Société: Society or organized association of people.
aide: Help, assistance, or aid given.
Église: Church, a place of Christian worship.
Auxiliaire: Auxiliary, a supporting or subsidiary organization.
missions: Missions, religious or charitable outreach activities.
étrangères: Foreign, relating to other countries (feminine plural).
Et: Conjunction meaning and.
pourtant: Yet, nevertheless, however in contrast.
malgré: Despite, in spite of something.
cela: Demonstrative pronoun meaning that or all that.

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →