Cranford — Page 7
It was a word not to be mentioned to ears polite.
C'était un mot qu'il ne fallait pas mentionner à des oreilles polies.
We had tacitly agreed to ignore that any with whom we associated on terms of visiting equality could ever be prevented by poverty from doing anything that they wished.
Nous avions tacitement convenu d'ignorer que quiconque avec qui nous fréquentions sur un pied d'égalité de visites pouvait jamais être empêché par la pauvreté de faire quoi que ce soit qu'il souhaitait.
If we walked to or from a party, it was because the night was _so_ fine, or the air _so_ refreshing, not because sedan-chairs were expensive.
Si nous marchions pour aller ou revenir d'une soirée, c'était parce que la nuit était _si_ belle, ou l'air _si_ rafraîchissant, et non parce que les chaises à porteurs étaient chères.
If we wore prints, instead of summer silks, it was because we preferred a washing material; and so on, till we blinded ourselves to the vulgar fact that we were, all of us, people of very moderate means.
Si nous portions des indiennes, au lieu de soies d'été, c'était parce que nous préférions un tissu lavable ; et ainsi de suite, jusqu'à ce que nous nous aveuglions sur le fait vulgaire que nous étions, nous tous, des gens aux moyens très modestes.
Of course, then, we did not know what to make of a man who could speak of poverty as if it was not a disgrace.
Bien sûr, alors, nous ne savions que penser d'un homme qui pouvait parler de la pauvreté comme si ce n'était pas une honte.
Yet, somehow, Captain Brown made himself respected in Cranford, and was called upon, in spite of all resolutions to the contrary.
Pourtant, d'une façon ou d'une autre, le capitaine Brown se fit respecter à Cranford, et l'on vint lui rendre visite, en dépit de toutes les résolutions contraires.
I was surprised to hear his opinions quoted as authority at a visit which I paid to Cranford about a year after he had settled in the town.
Je fus surprise d'entendre ses opinions citées comme faisant autorité lors d'une visite que je rendis à Cranford environ un an après qu'il se fut installé dans la ville.
My own friends had been among the bitterest opponents of any proposal to visit the Captain and his daughters, only twelve months before; and now he was even admitted in the tabooed hours before twelve.
Mes propres amies avaient été parmi les plus ferventes opposantes à toute proposition de rendre visite au capitaine et à ses filles, à peine douze mois auparavant ; et maintenant il était même reçu pendant les heures taboues d'avant midi.
Vocabulary
- était
- Past tense of 'être'; was
- mot
- A word or short expression
- fallait
- Imperfect of 'falloir'; it was necessary
- mentionner
- To mention or bring up in conversation
- oreilles
- Ears; the organs of hearing
- polies
- Polite, refined, well-mannered (feminine plural)
- tacitement
- Tacitly; without being explicitly stated
- convenu
- Past participle of 'convenir'; agreed upon
- ignorer
- To ignore or be unaware of something
- quiconque
- Whoever, anyone who, whomever
- fréquentions
- Imperfect of 'fréquenter'; we associated with regularly
- pied
- Foot; base; used in many expressions
- égalité
- Equality; state of being equal
- visites
- Visits; social calls to someone's home
- jamais
- Never; or ever in a question
- empêché
- Past participle of 'empêcher'; prevented, hindered
- pauvreté
- Poverty; the state of being poor
- soit
- Subjunctive of 'être'; be; used in expressions
- souhaitait
- Imperfect of 'souhaiter'; wished, desired
- marchions
- Imperfect of 'marcher'; we walked
- revenir
- To come back, to return
- soirée
- An evening event or social gathering
- nuit
- Night; the dark period after sunset
- belle
- Beautiful, lovely (feminine form)
- air
- Air, atmosphere; also appearance or manner
- rafraîchissant
- Refreshing; pleasantly cool or invigorating
- chaises
- Chairs; seats without arms
- porteurs
- Carriers, porters; those who carry things
- chères
- Expensive, dear (feminine plural)
- portions
- Imperfect of 'porter'; we wore or carried
- indiennes
- Indian cotton fabric; printed cotton cloth
- lieu
- Place; used in 'au lieu de' meaning instead of
- soies
- Silks; plural of 'soie', silk fabric
- préférions
- Imperfect of 'préférer'; we preferred
- tissu
- Fabric, cloth, textile material
- lavable
- Washable; able to be laundered
- ainsi
- Thus, so, in this way
- suite
- Continuation; used in 'ainsi de suite' meaning and so on
- jusqu'
- Contraction of 'jusqu'à'; until, up to
- aveuglions
- Imperfect of 'aveugler'; we blinded ourselves to
- fait
- Fact; also past participle of 'faire'
- vulgaire
- Vulgar, common, crude; lacking refinement
- gens
- People; persons in general
- moyens
- Means, resources; also middle, average
- modestes
- Modest, humble; limited in size or amount
- sûr
- Sure, certain; safe
- alors
- Then, so, at that time
- savions
- Imperfect of 'savoir'; we knew
- penser
- To think, to reflect or consider
- honte
- Shame; feeling of embarrassment or disgrace
- Pourtant
- Yet, however, nevertheless
- façon
- Way, manner, fashion of doing something
- capitaine
- Captain; military or naval officer rank
- fit
- Simple past of 'faire'; made, did
- respecter
- To respect; to treat with esteem
- vint
- Simple past of 'venir'; came
- rendre
- To give back; rendre visite means to visit
- visite
- A visit; a social call to someone
- dépit
- Spite; used in 'en dépit de' meaning despite
- résolutions
- Resolutions; firm decisions or determinations
- contraires
- Contrary, opposite; conflicting with something
- fus
- Simple past of 'être'; I was
- surprise
- Surprised; astonished by something unexpected
- entendre
- To hear; to listen to something
- opinions
- Opinions; personal views or judgments
- citées
- Cited, quoted; referred to as an authority
- faisant
- Present participle of 'faire'; making, doing
- autorité
- Authority; power or right to command
- lors
- At the time; used in 'lors de' or 'alors'
- rendis
- Simple past of 'rendre'; I went, returned
- environ
- About, approximately; around a quantity
- an
- Year; a period of twelve months
- fut
- Simple past of 'être'; was (third person)
- installé
- Past participle of 'installer'; settled, established
- ville
- City, town; an urban settlement
- propres
- Own; also clean; here meaning 'my very own'
- amies
- Female friends; feminine plural of 'ami'
- parmi
- Among, amongst; in the middle of a group
- ferventes
- Fervent, passionate, ardent (feminine plural)
- opposantes
- Opponents; those who oppose something (feminine)
- proposition
- Proposal; a suggestion put forward for consideration
- filles
- Girls, daughters; young female persons
- peine
- Barely, hardly; also pain or trouble
- douze
- Twelve; the number 12
- mois
- Month; one of twelve calendar periods
- auparavant
- Before, previously, formerly
- maintenant
- Now; at the present moment
- même
- Same; even; itself; emphatic particle
- reçu
- Past participle of 'recevoir'; received, welcomed
- pendant
- During; for a period of time
- heures
- Hours; units of time equal to sixty minutes
- taboues
- Taboo, forbidden (feminine plural)
- midi
- Noon; midday, twelve o'clock in the day
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