Coniston — Volume 01 — Page 11

English → Fr CHAPTER I Level 6/10

Cynthia, of all people, took to watching the tanner's son, and listening to the brief colloquies he had with other men at Jonah Winch's store, when she went there to buy things for the parsonage; and it seemed to her that Jock had not been altogether wrong, and that there was in the man an indefinable but very compelling force.

Cynthia, entre toutes, s'était mise à observer le fils du tanneur, et à écouter les brèves conversations qu'il avait avec d'autres hommes dans la boutique de Jonah Winch, lorsqu'elle s'y rendait pour acheter des choses pour le presbytère ; et il lui semblait que Jock n'avait pas eu tout à fait tort, et qu'il y avait en cet homme une force indéfinissable mais très puissante.

And when a woman begins to admit that a man has force, her curiosity usually increases.

Et quand une femme commence à admettre qu'un homme possède de la force, sa curiosité s'en trouve généralement accrue.

On one or two of these occasions Cynthia had been startled to find his eyes fixed upon her, and though the feeling she had was closely akin to fear, she found something distinctly pleasurable in it.

À une ou deux de ces occasions, Cynthia avait été saisie de trouver ses yeux fixés sur elle, et bien que le sentiment qu'elle éprouvait fût très proche de la peur, elle y trouvait quelque chose de nettement agréable.

May came, and the pools dried up, the orchards were pink and white, the birches and the maples were all yellow-green on the mountain sides against the dark pines, and Cynthia was driving the minister's gig to Brampton.

Mai arriva, les mares s'asséchèrent, les vergers se parèrent de rose et de blanc, les bouleaux et les érables étaient tout jaune-vert sur les flancs de la montagne se détachant contre les sombres pins, et Cynthia conduisait le cabriolet du pasteur vers Brampton.

Ahead of her, in the canon made by the road between the great woods, strode an uncouth but powerful figure--coonskin cap, homespun breeches tucked into boots, and all.

Devant elle, dans le couloir formé par la route entre les grands bois, avançait à grands pas une silhouette fruste mais puissante — bonnet en peau de raton laveur, culotte de drap grossier rentrée dans des bottes, et tout le reste.

The gig slowed down, and Cynthia began to tremble with that same delightful fear.

Le cabriolet ralentit, et Cynthia commença à trembler de cette même peur délicieuse.

She knew it must be wicked, because she liked it so much.

Elle savait que cela devait être coupable, parce qu'elle aimait cela tellement.

Unaccountable thing!

Chose inexplicable !

She felt all akin to the nature about her, and her blood was coursing as the sap rushes through a tree.

Elle se sentait intimement liée à la nature qui l'entourait, et son sang courait en elle comme la sève se précipite à travers un arbre.

She would not speak to him; of that she was sure, and equally sure that he would not speak to her.

Elle ne lui parlerait pas ; de cela elle était certaine, et tout aussi certaine qu'il ne lui parlerait pas non plus.

Vocabulary

entre: Between or among people or things.
toutes: All, feminine plural form of 'tout'.
s'était: Reflexive past auxiliary 'had' for reflexive verbs.
mise: Put, placed; past participle of 'mettre'.
à: Preposition meaning to, at, or in.
observer: To watch or observe someone carefully.
fils: Son; male child of a parent.
du: Contracted article meaning 'of the' (masculine).
tanneur: A tanner; person who tans animal hides.
écouter: To listen to someone or something.
brèves: Brief, short; feminine plural adjective.
conversations: Spoken exchanges between two or more people.
avait: Had; third-person singular imperfect of 'avoir'.
avec: Preposition meaning 'with'.
d'autres: Other; referring to additional people or things.
hommes: Men; adult male human beings.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'.
boutique: A small shop or store selling goods.
lorsqu'elle: When she; temporal conjunction with feminine pronoun.
s'y: Reflexive pronoun combined with locative 'y': there.
rendait: Went; imperfect tense of 'se rendre' (to go).
pour: Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'.
acheter: To buy or purchase something.
choses: Things; objects or matters in general.
presbytère: A rectory or parsonage where a priest lives.
lui: Indirect object pronoun meaning 'to her/him'.
semblait: Seemed; imperfect tense of 'sembler'.
pas: Negation particle used with 'ne': not.
eu: Had; past participle of 'avoir'.
tout: All, entirely, completely; adverb or adjective.
fait: Done; past participle of 'faire', also 'fact'.
tort: Wrong; being mistaken or in error.
y: Pronoun meaning 'there' or 'in it'.
en: Preposition or pronoun: in, of it, some.
cet: Demonstrative adjective 'this' before masculine vowel.
homme: Man; adult male human being.
force: Strength or power possessed by someone.
indéfinissable: Impossible to define or put into words.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but'.
très: Adverb meaning 'very' or 'extremely'.
puissante: Powerful, strong; feminine form of 'puissant'.
quand: When; temporal conjunction or interrogative adverb.
femme: Woman or wife; adult female human being.
commence: Begins; third-person singular present of 'commencer'.
admettre: To admit or acknowledge something as true.
possède: Possesses; third-person singular of 'posséder'.
curiosité: Curiosity; strong desire to know or learn.
s'en: Reflexive and partitive pronoun combination: of it/them.
trouve: Finds; third-person singular present of 'trouver'.
généralement: Generally; in most cases or usually.
accrue: Increased; past participle of 'accroître' (feminine).
ou: Conjunction meaning 'or'.
deux: The number two.
ces: Demonstrative adjective: these or those.
occasions: Occasions; specific times or opportunities for something.
été: Been; past participle of 'être'; also summer.
saisie: Seized; caught suddenly; feminine past participle.
trouver: To find or discover something or someone.
ses: Possessive adjective: his, her, or its (plural).
yeux: Eyes; plural of 'œil'.
fixés: Fixed, staring; past participle of 'fixer'.
sur: Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon'.
bien: Well; adverb expressing quality or agreement.
sentiment: Feeling or emotion experienced internally.
éprouvait: Felt, experienced; imperfect tense of 'éprouver'.
fût: Subjunctive imperfect of 'être': were.
proche: Close, near; in proximity to something.
peur: Fear; strong feeling of being afraid.
trouvait: Found; imperfect tense of 'trouver'.
quelque: Some or a certain; indefinite adjective.
chose: Thing; an object or matter.
nettement: Clearly, distinctly; in an obvious manner.
agréable: Pleasant, agreeable; giving a pleasing sensation.
Mai: May; the fifth month of the year.
arriva: Arrived; past simple of 'arriver'.
mares: Ponds or puddles; small bodies of water.
s'asséchèrent: Dried up; reflexive past simple of 's'assécher'.
vergers: Orchards; areas where fruit trees are grown.
se: Reflexive pronoun: himself, herself, or itself.
parèrent: Adorned themselves; past simple of 'se parer'.
rose: Pink; light red color, also a flower.
blanc: White; the color white.
bouleaux: Birch trees; slender trees with white bark.
érables: Maple trees; trees known for sweet sap.
étaient: Were; imperfect tense of 'être', third-person plural.
jaune-vert: Yellow-green; a color between yellow and green.
flancs: Flanks or sides of a hill or mountain.
montagne: Mountain; a large natural elevation of earth.
détachant: Standing out; present participle of 'se détacher'.
contre: Against; preposition indicating opposition or contrast.
sombres: Dark, gloomy; adjective describing lack of light.
pins: Pine trees; evergreen conifers with needle leaves.
conduisait: Was driving; imperfect tense of 'conduire'.
cabriolet: A light two-wheeled carriage pulled by a horse.
pasteur: Pastor or minister; a Protestant religious leader.
vers: Toward; preposition indicating direction.
Devant: In front of; preposition indicating position ahead.
couloir: Corridor or narrow passage between two things.
formé: Formed; past participle of 'former'.
par: By or through; preposition of means or agent.
route: Road; a path for vehicles to travel on.
grands: Large, tall; masculine plural adjective.
bois: Woods, forest; also wood as a material.
avançait: Was advancing; imperfect tense of 'avancer'.
silhouette: An outline or dark shape seen against light.
fruste: Rough, unrefined; lacking sophistication or polish.
bonnet: A hat or cap worn on the head.
peau: Skin or hide; also animal fur or leather.
raton: Small rodent; 'raton laveur' means raccoon.
laveur: Washer; 'raton laveur' is raccoon in French.
culotte: Breeches or short pants worn historically.
drap: Cloth or sheet; a piece of woven fabric.
grossier: Coarse, crude; rough in texture or manner.
rentrée: Tucked in; return; feminine past participle of 'rentrer'.
bottes: Boots; tall footwear covering the ankle and leg.
reste: Rest, remainder; what is left over.
ralentit: Slowed down; past simple of 'ralentir'.
commença: Began; past simple of 'commencer'.
trembler: To tremble or shake from fear or emotion.
cette: Demonstrative adjective: this (feminine singular).
même: Same or even; used for emphasis or comparison.
délicieuse: Delicious or delightful; extremely pleasant.
savait: Knew; imperfect tense of 'savoir'.
cela: That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something.
devait: Had to, must; imperfect of 'devoir'.
être: To be; the fundamental verb of existence.
coupable: Guilty; responsible for a wrongdoing or fault.
parce: Because; used in 'parce que'.
aimait: Loved or liked; imperfect tense of 'aimer'.
tellement: So much; to such a great degree.
Chose: Thing; an object or matter.
inexplicable: Inexplicable; impossible to explain or understand.
sentait: Felt or sensed; imperfect tense of 'sentir'.
intimement: Intimately; in a deeply personal or close way.
liée: Linked, bound; feminine past participle of 'lier'.
nature: Nature; the natural world and its phenomena.
qui: Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'.
l'entourait: Surrounded her; imperfect of 'entourer' with pronoun.
son: Possessive adjective: his, her, or its (masculine).
sang: Blood; the red fluid circulating in the body.
courait: Was running; imperfect tense of 'courir'.
comme: Like, as; conjunction or preposition of comparison.
sève: Sap; the fluid that flows through a plant.
précipite: Rushes, hurries; present tense of 'précipiter'.
travers: Through; used in 'à travers' meaning across.
arbre: Tree; a large woody plant with a trunk.
ne: Negation particle used with 'pas' or alone.
parlerait: Would speak; conditional tense of 'parler'.
était: Was; imperfect tense of 'être', third-person singular.
certaine: Certain, sure; feminine adjective expressing confidence.
aussi: Also, too; adverb indicating addition or comparison.
non: No; negative response or denial.
plus: More; or in negation 'no longer'.

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