Cranford — Page 4

English → Fr CHAPTER I. Level 7/10

"You must keep thinking about the time, my dear, and not allow yourself to forget it in conversation."

« Vous devez continuer à penser à l'heure, ma chère, et ne pas vous permettre de l'oublier dans la conversation. »

As everybody had this rule in their minds, whether they received or paid a call, of course no absorbing subject was ever spoken about.

Comme tout le monde avait cette règle à l'esprit, qu'ils reçussent une visite ou en rendissent une, il va sans dire qu'aucun sujet captivant n'était jamais abordé.

We kept ourselves to short sentences of small talk, and were punctual to our time.

Nous nous en tenions à de courtes phrases de conversation anodine, et nous étions ponctuels à l'heure convenue.

I imagine that a few of the gentlefolks of Cranford were poor, and had some difficulty in making both ends meet; but they were like the Spartans, and concealed their smart under a smiling face.

J'imagine que quelques-unes des bonnes gens de Cranford étaient pauvres et avaient quelque difficulté à joindre les deux bouts ; mais ils étaient comme les Spartiates, et dissimulaient leur souffrance sous un visage souriant.

We none of us spoke of money, because that subject savoured of commerce and trade, and though some might be poor, we were all aristocratic.

Aucun de nous ne parlait d'argent, car ce sujet sentait le commerce et le négoce, et bien que certains pussent être pauvres, nous étions tous aristocratiques.

The Cranfordians had that kindly _esprit de corps_ which made them overlook all deficiencies in success when some among them tried to conceal their poverty.

Les habitants de Cranford avaient cet aimable _esprit de corps_ qui leur faisait fermer les yeux sur tous les manques de réussite lorsque certains d'entre eux cherchaient à dissimuler leur pauvreté.

Vocabulary

Vous: You (formal or plural second person pronoun).
devez: Must or have to (second person plural of devoir).
continuer: To continue or keep doing something.
à: To, at, or in (common preposition).
penser: To think or to reflect on something.
heure: Hour or time of day.
ma: My (feminine singular possessive adjective).
chère: Dear or beloved (feminine form of cher).
et: And (coordinating conjunction).
ne: Negation particle used with pas or other words.
pas: Not (negation word paired with ne).
vous: You (formal or plural, object or subject pronoun).
permettre: To allow or permit someone to do something.
de: Of, from, or to (very common preposition).
oublier: To forget something or someone.
dans: In or inside (preposition of location or time).
la: The (feminine singular definite article).
conversation: A spoken exchange between two or more people.
Comme: As, like, or since (conjunction or preposition).
tout: All, every, or everything (common adjective/pronoun).
le: The (masculine singular definite article).
monde: World or people; tout le monde means everyone.
avait: Had (third person singular imperfect of avoir).
cette: This (feminine singular demonstrative adjective).
règle: Rule, regulation, or principle to be followed.
esprit: Mind, spirit, or wit of a person or group.
ils: They (masculine or mixed group third person plural).
reçussent: Received (imperfect subjunctive of recevoir, literary).
une: A or an (feminine singular indefinite article).
visite: A visit or call made to someone.
ou: Or (coordinating conjunction offering alternatives).
en: In, of it, or from there (preposition or pronoun).
rendissent: Returned or paid back (imperfect subjunctive of rendre, literary).
il: He or it (masculine third person singular pronoun).
va: Goes; il va sans dire means it goes without saying.
sans: Without (preposition indicating absence).
dire: To say or to tell something.
aucun: No, none, or not any (negative adjective or pronoun).
sujet: Subject, topic, or matter under discussion.
captivant: Captivating, fascinating, or gripping in interest.
était: Was or used to be (third person singular imperfect of être).
jamais: Never or ever (negation or time adverb).
abordé: Approached or broached, as a topic in conversation.
Nous: We or us (first person plural pronoun).
nous: We or us (first person plural pronoun, object form).
tenions: Held or kept (first person plural imperfect of tenir).
courtes: Short (feminine plural adjective describing length).
phrases: Sentences or phrases in spoken or written language.
anodine: Bland, harmless, or inoffensive in content or tone.
étions: Were (first person plural imperfect of être).
ponctuels: Punctual or prompt in time-keeping (masculine plural).
convenue: Agreed upon or conventional (feminine past participle of convenir).
imagine: Imagine or suppose (first/third person of imaginer).
que: That, which, or whom (conjunction or relative pronoun).
quelques: Some or a few (plural indefinite adjective).
unes: Some or ones (feminine plural indefinite pronoun).
des: Some or of the (plural partitive or definite article).
bonnes: Good (feminine plural adjective expressing quality).
gens: People or folk (plural noun for persons generally).
étaient: Were (third person plural imperfect of être).
pauvres: Poor (plural adjective describing financial hardship).
avaient: Had (third person plural imperfect of avoir).
quelque: Some or a certain amount of (singular adjective).
difficulté: Difficulty or trouble encountered in doing something.
joindre: To join or connect; joindre les deux bouts means make ends meet.
les: The (plural definite article for masculine or feminine).
deux: Two (cardinal number).
bouts: Ends or tips; les deux bouts refers to making ends meet.
mais: But (coordinating conjunction showing contrast).
comme: Like or as (comparison conjunction or preposition).
Spartiates: Spartans, ancient Greek people known for austere endurance.
dissimulaient: Were hiding or concealing (third person plural imperfect of dissimuler).
leur: Their or to them (possessive adjective or object pronoun).
souffrance: Suffering or pain endured by a person.
sous: Under or beneath (preposition of position).
un: A or an (masculine singular indefinite article).
visage: Face of a person.
souriant: Smiling (present participle of sourire used as adjective).
Aucun: No one or none (negative pronoun or adjective).
parlait: Spoke or talked (third person singular imperfect of parler).
argent: Money or silver (noun).
car: Because or for (causal coordinating conjunction).
ce: This, it, or that (demonstrative pronoun or adjective).
sentait: Smelled of or suggested (third person singular imperfect of sentir).
commerce: Trade, commerce, or business activity.
négoce: Trade or mercantile business (somewhat formal term).
bien: Well, good, or very (adverb or adjective).
certains: Some or certain ones (masculine plural pronoun or adjective).
pussent: Could or might (imperfect subjunctive of pouvoir, literary).
être: To be (infinitive of the verb être).
tous: All or everyone (masculine plural pronoun or adjective).
aristocratiques: Aristocratic, relating to nobility or upper-class values.
Les: The (plural definite article).
habitants: Inhabitants or residents of a place.
cet: This (masculine singular demonstrative before vowel or h).
aimable: Kind, pleasant, or likable (adjective).
_esprit: Spirit (italicized as part of esprit de corps phrase).
corps_: Body; esprit de corps means group solidarity and pride.
qui: Who or which (relative or interrogative pronoun).
faisait: Made or caused (third person singular imperfect of faire).
fermer: To close or shut something.
yeux: Eyes (plural of œil).
sur: On or upon (common preposition of position).
manques: Lacks or shortcomings, things missing or insufficient.
réussite: Success or achievement in a goal or endeavor.
lorsque: When (temporal conjunction for a specific moment).
entre: Between or among (preposition of position or relation).
eux: Them (masculine plural disjunctive personal pronoun).
cherchaient: Were seeking or trying (third person plural imperfect of chercher).
dissimuler: To conceal or hide something from others.
pauvreté: Poverty or state of being poor financially.

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