Bleak House — Page 5

English → Fr CHAPTER I Level 9/10

Who happen to be in the Lord Chancellor's court this murky afternoon besides the Lord Chancellor, the counsel in the cause, two or three counsel who are never in any cause, and the well of solicitors before mentioned?

Qui se trouve donc dans la salle du Lord Chancelier en ce sombre après-midi, outre le Lord Chancelier lui-même, les avocats de l'affaire, deux ou trois avocats qui ne plaident jamais dans aucune cause, et le banc des solicitors mentionné précédemment ?

There is the registrar below the judge, in wig and gown; and there are two or three maces, or petty-bags, or privy purses, or whatever they may be, in legal court suits.

Il y a le greffier en dessous du juge, en perruque et en robe ; et il y a deux ou trois massiers, ou greffiers aux petites affaires, ou trésoriers privés, ou quoi que ce soit, en tenues officielles de tribunal.

These are all yawning, for no crumb of amusement ever falls from Jarndyce and Jarndyce (the cause in hand), which was squeezed dry years upon years ago.

Tous bâillent, car jamais la moindre miette de divertissement ne tombe de l'affaire Jarndyce contre Jarndyce (la cause en cours), qui a été pressée jusqu'à la dernière goutte il y a bien des années.

The short-hand writers, the reporters of the court, and the reporters of the newspapers invariably decamp with the rest of the regulars when Jarndyce and Jarndyce comes on.

Les sténographes, les chroniqueurs judiciaires et les journalistes des journaux décampent invariablement avec le reste des habitués lorsque l'affaire Jarndyce contre Jarndyce est appelée.

Their places are a blank.

Leurs places restent vides.

Standing on a seat at the side of the hall, the better to peer into the curtained sanctuary, is a little mad old woman in a squeezed bonnet who is always in court, from its sitting to its rising, and always expecting some incomprehensible judgment to be given in her favour.

Debout sur un banc sur le côté de la salle, pour mieux scruter le sanctuaire aux rideaux tirés, se tient une petite vieille femme un peu folle coiffée d'un bonnet froissé, toujours présente au tribunal, de l'ouverture à la clôture de la séance, et attendant toujours qu'un jugement incompréhensible soit rendu en sa faveur.

Some say she really is, or was, a party to a suit, but no one knows for certain because no one cares.

Certains disent qu'elle est, ou était, véritablement partie à un procès, mais personne n'en sait rien de certain parce que personne ne s'en soucie.

She carries some small litter in a reticule which she calls her documents, principally consisting of paper matches and dry lavender.

Elle porte dans un réticule un petit fatras qu'elle appelle ses documents, consistant principalement en allumettes de papier et en lavande séchée.

Vocabulary

Qui: Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'itself'.
trouve: Third-person singular of 'trouver'; means 'finds' or 'is located'.
donc: Conjunction meaning 'therefore' or 'so'.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'.
salle: Noun meaning 'room' or 'hall'.
Chancelier: Noun meaning 'Chancellor', a high government official.
en: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'on'; also a pronoun.
ce: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
sombre: Adjective meaning 'dark' or 'gloomy'.
après: Preposition or adverb meaning 'after' or 'afterwards'.
midi: Noun meaning 'noon' or 'midday'.
outre: Preposition meaning 'besides' or 'in addition to'.
lui: Personal pronoun meaning 'him', 'her', or 'to him/her'.
même: Adjective or adverb meaning 'same', 'even', or 'itself'.
avocats: Plural noun meaning 'lawyers' or 'barristers'.
affaire: Noun meaning 'case', 'matter', or 'business'.
deux: Number meaning 'two'.
ou: Conjunction meaning 'or'.
trois: Number meaning 'three'.
qui: Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'.
ne: Negation particle used with 'pas', 'jamais', 'rien', etc.
plaident: Third-person plural of 'plaider'; means 'plead' or 'argue a case'.
jamais: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever'.
aucune: Negative adjective meaning 'no' or 'not any' (feminine).
cause: Noun meaning 'cause' or 'legal case'.
banc: Noun meaning 'bench' or 'seat'.
mentionné: Past participle of 'mentionner'; means 'mentioned' or 'noted'.
précédemment: Adverb meaning 'previously' or 'earlier'.
y: Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or referring to a place.
greffier: Noun meaning 'court clerk' who records official proceedings.
dessous: Adverb or preposition meaning 'below' or 'underneath'.
juge: Noun meaning 'judge' in a court of law.
perruque: Noun meaning 'wig', traditionally worn by judges and barristers.
robe: Noun meaning 'gown' or 'dress'; here a judicial robe.
greffiers: Plural noun meaning 'clerks' or 'court registrars'.
petites: Feminine plural adjective meaning 'small' or 'minor'.
affaires: Plural noun meaning 'matters', 'cases', or 'business'.
trésoriers: Plural noun meaning 'treasurers' or 'financial officers'.
privés: Adjective meaning 'private' or 'personal'.
quoi: Pronoun meaning 'what'; used in questions or exclamations.
soit: Subjunctive form of 'être'; means 'may be' or 'whether'.
tenues: Plural noun meaning 'outfits', 'attire', or 'official dress'.
officielles: Adjective meaning 'official' or 'formal'.
tribunal: Noun meaning 'court' or 'tribunal', a judicial body.
Tous: Pronoun or adjective meaning 'all' or 'everyone'.
bâillent: Third-person plural of 'bâiller'; means 'yawn'.
car: Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'.
moindre: Adjective meaning 'least' or 'slightest'.
miette: Noun meaning 'crumb' or 'tiny bit'.
divertissement: Noun meaning 'entertainment' or 'diversion'.
tombe: Verb form of 'tomber' meaning 'falls'; also noun 'tomb'.
contre: Preposition meaning 'against' or 'versus'.
cours: Noun meaning 'courses', 'courts', or plural of 'court'.
été: Past participle of 'être' meaning 'been'; also noun 'summer'.
pressée: Adjective or past participle meaning 'squeezed', 'pressed', or 'hurried'.
jusqu': Preposition meaning 'until' or 'up to' (before vowel).
dernière: Feminine adjective meaning 'last' or 'final'.
goutte: Noun meaning 'drop' (of liquid); also a medical term for gout.
bien: Adverb meaning 'well'; also adjective meaning 'good'.
années: Plural noun meaning 'years'.
sténographes: Plural noun meaning 'stenographers' who transcribe proceedings.
chroniqueurs: Plural noun meaning 'chroniclers' or 'columnists'.
judiciaires: Adjective meaning 'judicial' or 'legal'.
journalistes: Plural noun meaning 'journalists' or 'reporters'.
journaux: Plural noun meaning 'newspapers'.
décampent: Third-person plural of 'décamper'; means 'clear out' or 'decamp'.
invariablement: Adverb meaning 'invariably' or 'without exception'.
avec: Preposition meaning 'with'.
reste: Noun meaning 'rest' or 'remainder'; verb 'stays'.
habitués: Plural noun meaning 'regulars' or 'habitual visitors'.
lorsque: Conjunction meaning 'when' at a specific moment.
appelée: Past participle of 'appeler' (feminine); means 'called' or 'named'.
Leurs: Possessive adjective meaning 'their' (plural noun follows).
places: Plural noun meaning 'seats', 'places', or 'spots'.
restent: Third-person plural of 'rester'; means 'remain' or 'stay'.
vides: Adjective meaning 'empty' or 'vacant'.
Debout: Adverb meaning 'standing' or 'upright'.
sur: Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon'.
côté: Noun meaning 'side' or 'direction'.
pour: Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'.
mieux: Adverb meaning 'better' or 'more clearly'.
scruter: Verb meaning 'to scrutinize' or 'to peer closely at'.
sanctuaire: Noun meaning 'sanctuary' or 'inner sacred space'.
rideaux: Plural noun meaning 'curtains' or 'drapes'.
tirés: Past participle of 'tirer'; means 'drawn' or 'pulled' (curtains).
tient: Third-person singular of 'tenir'; means 'holds' or 'stands'.
petite: Feminine adjective meaning 'small' or 'little'.
vieille: Feminine adjective meaning 'old' (woman or thing).
femme: Noun meaning 'woman' or 'wife'.
peu: Adverb meaning 'a little' or 'somewhat'.
folle: Feminine adjective meaning 'crazy' or 'mad'.
coiffée: Past participle of 'coiffer' (feminine); means 'wearing' on head.
bonnet: Noun meaning 'bonnet' or 'cap' worn on the head.
froissé: Adjective meaning 'crumpled', 'wrinkled', or 'creased'.
toujours: Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still'.
présente: Adjective meaning 'present' or 'in attendance'.
ouverture: Noun meaning 'opening' or 'start' of something.
clôture: Noun meaning 'closing' or 'conclusion' of a session.
séance: Noun meaning 'session' or 'sitting' of a court or meeting.
attendant: Present participle of 'attendre'; means 'waiting' or 'awaiting'.
jugement: Noun meaning 'judgment' or 'ruling' in a legal context.
incompréhensible: Adjective meaning 'incomprehensible' or 'impossible to understand'.
rendu: Past participle of 'rendre'; means 'rendered' or 'delivered'.
sa: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its' (feminine noun).
faveur: Noun meaning 'favor' or 'benefit'.
Certains: Pronoun or adjective meaning 'certain ones' or 'some people'.
disent: Third-person plural of 'dire'; means 'say' or 'tell'.
était: Imperfect tense of 'être'; means 'was' or 'used to be'.
véritablement: Adverb meaning 'truly' or 'genuinely'.
partie: Noun meaning 'party' in a legal case, or 'part'.
procès: Noun meaning 'trial' or 'lawsuit'.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but'.
personne: Noun or pronoun meaning 'person' or 'nobody'.
sait: Third-person singular of 'savoir'; means 'knows'.
rien: Pronoun meaning 'nothing' or 'anything'.
certain: Adjective meaning 'certain' or 'sure'.
parce: Part of 'parce que', conjunction meaning 'because'.
soucie: Third-person singular of 'se soucier'; means 'cares' or 'worries'.
porte: Verb meaning 'carries' or 'wears'; also noun meaning 'door'.
réticule: Noun meaning 'reticule', a small drawstring handbag.
petit: Masculine adjective meaning 'small' or 'little'.
fatras: Noun meaning 'jumble', 'hodgepodge', or 'clutter'.
appelle: Third-person singular of 'appeler'; means 'calls' or 'names'.
ses: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its' (plural).
documents: Plural noun meaning 'documents' or 'papers'.
consistant: Present participle of 'consister'; means 'consisting of'.
principalement: Adverb meaning 'mainly' or 'chiefly'.
allumettes: Plural noun meaning 'matches' (for lighting fire).
papier: Noun meaning 'paper' or 'document'.
lavande: Noun meaning 'lavender', a fragrant purple flowering plant.
séchée: Feminine past participle of 'sécher'; means 'dried'.

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