Cranford — Page 6
Moreover, it was considered "vulgar" (a tremendous word in Cranford) to give anything expensive, in the way of eatable or drinkable, at the evening entertainments.
De plus, il était considéré comme « vulgaire » (un mot terrible à Cranford) d'offrir quoi que ce soit de coûteux, en matière de nourriture ou de boisson, lors des réceptions du soir.
Wafer bread-and-butter and sponge-biscuits were all that the Honourable Mrs Jamieson gave; and she was sister-in-law to the late Earl of Glenmire, although she did practise such "elegant economy."
De fines tranches de pain beurré et des biscuits de Savoie étaient tout ce que l'honorable Mme Jamieson offrait ; et elle était la belle-sœur du feu comte de Glenmire, bien qu'elle pratiquât une telle « élégante économie ».
"Elegant economy!" How naturally one falls back into the phraseology of Cranford!
« Élégante économie ! » Comme on retombe naturellement dans la phraséologie de Cranford !
There, economy was always "elegant," and money-spending always "vulgar and ostentatious"; a sort of sour-grapeism which made us very peaceful and satisfied.
Là-bas, l'économie était toujours « élégante », et la dépense d'argent toujours « vulgaire et ostentatoire » ; une sorte de philosophie du renard et des raisins qui nous rendait très paisibles et satisfaits.
I never shall forget the dismay felt when a certain Captain Brown came to live at Cranford, and openly spoke about his being poor—not in a whisper to an intimate friend, the doors and windows being previously closed, but in the public street! in a loud military voice! alleging his poverty as a reason for not taking a particular house.
Je n'oublierai jamais la consternation ressentie lorsqu'un certain capitaine Brown vint s'installer à Cranford et parla ouvertement de sa pauvreté — non pas en chuchotant à l'oreille d'un ami intime, portes et fenêtres préalablement fermées, mais dans la rue publique ! d'une voix militaire tonitruante ! invoquant sa pauvreté comme raison de ne pas louer une certaine maison.
The ladies of Cranford were already rather moaning over the invasion of their territories by a man and a gentleman.
Les dames de Cranford se lamentaient déjà de l'invasion de leur territoire par un homme et un gentilhomme.
He was a half-pay captain, and had obtained some situation on a neighbouring railroad, which had been vehemently petitioned against by the little town; and if, in addition to his masculine gender, and his connection with the obnoxious railroad, he was so brazen as to talk of being poor—why, then, indeed, he must be sent to Coventry.
Il était capitaine en demi-solde et avait obtenu un poste sur un chemin de fer voisin, contre lequel la petite ville avait vigoureusement pétitionné ; et si, en plus de son sexe masculin et de son lien avec l'odieux chemin de fer, il avait l'impudence de parler de sa pauvreté — eh bien, alors, il fallait décidément le mettre en quarantaine.
Death was as true and as common as poverty; yet people never spoke about that, loud out in the streets.
La mort était aussi réelle et aussi commune que la pauvreté ; pourtant les gens n'en parlaient jamais à voix haute dans les rues.
Vocabulary
- De
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from' in French.
- plus
- Meaning 'more' or 'furthermore'; common adverb.
- il
- Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he.'
- était
- Imperfect tense of 'être'; meaning 'was' or 'used to be.'
- considéré
- Past participle of 'considérer'; meaning 'considered' or 'regarded.'
- comme
- Conjunction or preposition meaning 'as' or 'like.'
- vulgaire
- Adjective meaning 'vulgar,' 'common,' or 'crude.'
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one.'
- mot
- Noun meaning 'word'; a unit of language.
- terrible
- Adjective meaning 'terrible,' 'dreadful,' or 'awful.'
- à
- Preposition meaning 'at,' 'to,' or 'in.'
- d'
- Contracted form of 'de' before a vowel sound.
- offrir
- Verb meaning 'to offer' or 'to give as a gift.'
- quoi
- Pronoun meaning 'what'; used in various expressions.
- que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'what.'
- ce
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that.'
- soit
- Subjunctive of 'être'; meaning 'be' or 'whether.'
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about.'
- coûteux
- Adjective meaning 'costly,' 'expensive,' or 'pricey.'
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'by.'
- matière
- Noun meaning 'matter,' 'subject,' or 'material.'
- nourriture
- Noun meaning 'food' or 'nourishment.'
- ou
- Conjunction meaning 'or'; links alternatives together.
- boisson
- Noun meaning 'drink' or 'beverage.'
- lors
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'at the time of.'
- des
- Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the.'
- réceptions
- Noun meaning 'receptions,' 'parties,' or 'gatherings.'
- du
- Contracted article meaning 'of the' or 'some.'
- soir
- Noun meaning 'evening' or 'night.'
- fines
- Adjective meaning 'fine,' 'thin,' or 'delicate.'
- tranches
- Noun meaning 'slices' of food or material.
- pain
- Noun meaning 'bread,' a staple food.
- beurré
- Adjective meaning 'buttered'; spread with butter.
- et
- Conjunction meaning 'and'; connects words or clauses.
- biscuits
- Noun meaning 'biscuits' or 'cookies'; baked treats.
- étaient
- Imperfect plural form of 'être'; meaning 'were.'
- tout
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all,' 'everything,' or 'quite.'
- l'
- Contracted definite article 'le' or 'la' before vowel.
- honorable
- Adjective meaning 'honorable,' 'respectable,' or 'worthy.'
- Mme
- Abbreviation for 'Madame'; title for a married woman.
- offrait
- Imperfect of 'offrir'; meaning 'was offering' or 'offered.'
- elle
- Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she.'
- la
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her.'
- belle-sœur
- Noun meaning 'sister-in-law'; a family relation.
- feu
- Adjective meaning 'late' (deceased); or noun 'fire.'
- comte
- Noun meaning 'count' or 'earl'; a noble title.
- bien
- Adverb meaning 'well,' 'very,' or 'indeed.'
- qu'
- Contracted form of 'que' before a vowel.
- pratiquât
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'pratiquer'; meaning 'practiced.'
- une
- Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one.'
- telle
- Adjective meaning 'such' or 'such a'; feminine form.
- élégante
- Adjective meaning 'elegant,' 'graceful,' or 'refined.'
- économie
- Noun meaning 'economy,' 'thrift,' or 'saving.'
- Élégante
- Adjective meaning 'elegant'; used here as ironic exclamation.
- Comme
- Conjunction meaning 'how,' 'as,' or 'like.'
- on
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one,' 'we,' or 'they.'
- retombe
- Verb meaning 'falls back' or 'reverts to' naturally.
- naturellement
- Adverb meaning 'naturally' or 'of course.'
- dans
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'inside,' or 'into.'
- phraséologie
- Noun meaning 'phraseology'; characteristic expressions or wording.
- Là-bas
- Adverb meaning 'over there' or 'yonder.'
- toujours
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still.'
- dépense
- Noun meaning 'expenditure,' 'spending,' or 'expense.'
- argent
- Noun meaning 'money' or 'silver.'
- ostentatoire
- Adjective meaning 'ostentatious,' 'showy,' or 'pretentious.'
- sorte
- Noun meaning 'sort,' 'kind,' or 'type.'
- philosophie
- Noun meaning 'philosophy'; love and pursuit of wisdom.
- renard
- Noun meaning 'fox'; a cunning animal.
- raisins
- Noun meaning 'grapes'; fresh fruit from a vine.
- qui
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.'
- nous
- First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us.'
- rendait
- Imperfect of 'rendre'; meaning 'made' or 'rendered.'
- très
- Adverb meaning 'very'; intensifies adjectives and adverbs.
- paisibles
- Adjective meaning 'peaceful,' 'calm,' or 'tranquil.'
- satisfaits
- Adjective meaning 'satisfied,' 'content,' or 'pleased.'
- Je
- First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I.'
- n'
- Contracted negation particle 'ne' before a vowel.
- oublierai
- Future tense of 'oublier'; meaning 'will forget.'
- jamais
- Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever.'
- consternation
- Noun meaning 'consternation,' 'dismay,' or 'shock.'
- ressentie
- Past participle of 'ressentir'; meaning 'felt' or 'experienced.'
- lorsqu'
- Conjunction meaning 'when'; used before a vowel.
- certain
- Adjective meaning 'a certain,' 'specific,' or 'sure.'
- capitaine
- Noun meaning 'captain'; a military or naval officer.
- vint
- Simple past of 'venir'; meaning 'came.'
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun 'se' contracted before a vowel.
- installer
- Verb meaning 'to settle,' 'to set up,' or 'to install.'
- parla
- Simple past of 'parler'; meaning 'spoke' or 'talked.'
- ouvertement
- Adverb meaning 'openly,' 'frankly,' or 'candidly.'
- sa
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its.'
- pauvreté
- Noun meaning 'poverty' or 'lack of wealth.
- non
- Adverb meaning 'no' or 'not.'
- pas
- Negation particle used with 'ne' to mean 'not.'
- chuchotant
- Present participle of 'chuchoter'; meaning 'whispering.'
- oreille
- Noun meaning 'ear'; organ used for hearing.
- ami
- Noun meaning 'friend'; a close companion.
- intime
- Adjective meaning 'intimate,' 'close,' or 'private.'
- portes
- Noun meaning 'doors'; entry points to a room or building.
- fenêtres
- Noun meaning 'windows'; openings in walls for light.
- préalablement
- Adverb meaning 'beforehand,' 'previously,' or 'in advance.'
- fermées
- Adjective meaning 'closed' or 'shut'; feminine plural form.
- mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but'; introduces a contrasting idea.
- rue
- Noun meaning 'street' or 'road.'
- publique
- Adjective meaning 'public'; open or available to all.
- voix
- Noun meaning 'voice'; sound produced when speaking.
- militaire
- Adjective or noun meaning 'military' or 'soldier.'
- tonitruante
- Adjective meaning 'thundering,' 'booming,' or 'very loud.'
- invoquant
- Present participle of 'invoquer'; meaning 'invoking' or 'citing.'
- raison
- Noun meaning 'reason,' 'cause,' or 'rationale.'
- ne
- Negation particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs.
- louer
- Verb meaning 'to rent,' 'to hire,' or 'to praise.'
- certaine
- Adjective meaning 'a certain,' 'specific'; feminine form.
- maison
- Noun meaning 'house' or 'home.'
- Les
- Plural definite article meaning 'the.'
- dames
- Noun meaning 'ladies' or 'women'; polite plural form.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'themselves,' 'himself,' or 'herself.'
- lamentaient
- Imperfect of 'se lamenter'; meaning 'were lamenting.'
- déjà
- Adverb meaning 'already' or 'yet.'
- invasion
- Noun meaning 'invasion'; intrusion into someone's territory.
- leur
- Possessive adjective meaning 'their'; or indirect pronoun 'them.'
- territoire
- Noun meaning 'territory,' 'area,' or 'domain.'
- par
- Preposition meaning 'by,' 'through,' or 'per.'
- homme
- Noun meaning 'man' or 'human being.'
- gentilhomme
- Noun meaning 'gentleman'; a man of noble or refined breeding.
- Il
- Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he.'
- demi-solde
- Noun meaning 'half-pay'; reduced military pension after service.
- avait
- Imperfect of 'avoir'; meaning 'had.'
- obtenu
- Past participle of 'obtenir'; meaning 'obtained' or 'got.'
- poste
- Noun meaning 'post,' 'position,' or 'job.'
- sur
- Preposition meaning 'on,' 'over,' or 'about.'
- chemin
- Noun meaning 'path,' 'road,' or 'way.'
- fer
- Noun meaning 'iron'; a metal or railroad context.
- voisin
- Adjective or noun meaning 'neighboring' or 'neighbor.'
- contre
- Preposition meaning 'against' or 'opposed to.'
- lequel
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom.'
- petite
- Adjective meaning 'small,' 'little,' or 'minor.'
- ville
- Noun meaning 'town' or 'city.'
- vigoureusement
- Adverb meaning 'vigorously,' 'energetically,' or 'forcefully.'
- pétitionné
- Past participle of 'pétitionner'; meaning 'petitioned' formally.
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if'; or adverb meaning 'so.'
- son
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its.'
- sexe
- Noun meaning 'sex' or 'gender.'
- masculin
- Adjective meaning 'masculine' or 'male.'
- lien
- Noun meaning 'link,' 'bond,' or 'connection.'
- avec
- Preposition meaning 'with.'
- odieux
- Adjective meaning 'odious,' 'hateful,' or 'detestable.'
- impudence
- Noun meaning 'impudence,' 'insolence,' or 'cheek.'
- parler
- Verb meaning 'to speak' or 'to talk.'
- eh
- Interjection meaning 'eh,' 'hey,' or 'well.'
- alors
- Adverb meaning 'then,' 'so,' or 'at that time.'
- fallait
- Imperfect of 'falloir'; meaning 'it was necessary.'
- décidément
- Adverb meaning 'decidedly,' 'definitely,' or 'clearly.'
- le
- Masculine definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'him.'
- mettre
- Verb meaning 'to put,' 'to place,' or 'to set.'
- quarantaine
- Noun meaning 'quarantine' or 'about forty'; social isolation.
- La
- Feminine definite article meaning 'the.'
- mort
- Noun meaning 'death'; the end of life.
- aussi
- Adverb meaning 'also,' 'too,' or 'as well.'
- réelle
- Adjective meaning 'real,' 'actual,' or 'genuine'; feminine form.
- commune
- Adjective meaning 'common,' 'shared,' or 'ordinary.'
- pourtant
- Conjunction meaning 'yet,' 'however,' or 'nevertheless.'
- les
- Plural definite article meaning 'the.'
- gens
- Noun meaning 'people' or 'folk.'
- parlaient
- Imperfect of 'parler'; meaning 'were talking' or 'spoke.'
- haute
- Adjective meaning 'high,' 'loud,' or 'elevated'; feminine form.
- rues
- Noun meaning 'streets' or 'roads'; plural of 'rue.'
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