Cranford — Page 12
He nodded and smiled to his acquaintances; but he shook hands with none until he had helped Miss Brown to unfurl her umbrella, had relieved her of her prayer-book, and had waited patiently till she, with trembling nervous hands, had taken up her gown to walk through the wet roads.
Il salua de la tête et sourit à ses connaissances ; mais il ne serra la main à personne avant d'avoir aidé Miss Brown à ouvrir son parapluie, de l'avoir déchargée de son livre de prières, et d'avoir attendu patiemment qu'elle, de ses mains tremblantes et nerveuses, eût relevé sa robe pour marcher sur les routes détrempées.
I wonder what the Cranford ladies did with Captain Brown at their parties.
Je me demande ce que les dames de Cranford firent du Capitaine Brown lors de leurs soirées.
We had often rejoiced, in former days, that there was no gentleman to be attended to, and to find conversation for, at the card-parties.
Nous nous étions souvent réjouies, autrefois, qu'il n'y eût point de gentilhomme à qui s'occuper et pour qui trouver de la conversation, lors des soirées de cartes.
We had congratulated ourselves upon the snugness of the evenings; and, in our love for gentility, and distaste of mankind, we had almost persuaded ourselves that to be a man was to be "vulgar"; so that when I found my friend and hostess, Miss Jenkyns, was going to have a party in my honour, and that Captain and the Miss Browns were invited, I wondered much what would be the course of the evening.
Nous nous étions félicitées de l'intimité douillette de ces soirées ; et, dans notre amour de la distinction et notre aversion pour les hommes, nous nous étions presque persuadées qu'être un homme, c'était être « vulgaire » ; si bien que lorsque j'appris que mon amie et hôtesse, Miss Jenkyns, allait donner une soirée en mon honneur, et que le Capitaine et les demoiselles Brown étaient invités, je me demandai avec une grande curiosité comment se déroulerait la soirée.
Card-tables, with green baize tops, were set out by daylight, just as usual; it was the third week in November, so the evenings closed in about four.
Les tables de jeu, recouvertes de leurs tapis de feutre vert, furent installées de jour, comme à l'accoutumée ; c'était la troisième semaine de novembre, aussi la nuit tombait-elle vers quatre heures.
Candles, and clean packs of cards, were arranged on each table.
Des bougies et des jeux de cartes neufs furent disposés sur chaque table.
The fire was made up; the neat maid-servant had received her last directions; and there we stood, dressed in our best, each with a candle-lighter in our hands, ready to dart at the candles as soon as the first knock came.
Le feu fut attisé ; la soigneuse servante avait reçu ses dernières instructions ; et nous voilà debout, vêtues de nos plus belles tenues, chacune une allumette à la main, prêtes à nous précipiter sur les bougies dès que retentirait le premier coup à la porte.
Vocabulary
- salua
- Greeted or acknowledged someone formally.
- tête
- The head, top part of the body.
- sourit
- Smiled, showed a pleased facial expression.
- connaissances
- Acquaintances, people one knows casually.
- serra
- Clasped or shook tightly, as a hand.
- main
- The hand, body part at the end of the arm.
- personne
- Nobody, or a person depending on context.
- avant
- Before, earlier in time or order.
- d'avoir
- Of having; infinitive form used in past constructions.
- aidé
- Helped or assisted someone with something.
- ouvrir
- To open something, such as a door or umbrella.
- parapluie
- An umbrella used for protection from rain.
- l'avoir
- Having her or it; pronoun plus infinitive of avoir.
- déchargée
- Relieved of a burden or load she was carrying.
- livre
- A book, or a pound as a unit of measure.
- prières
- Prayers, religious or earnest requests to God.
- attendu
- Waited or awaited patiently for someone or something.
- patiemment
- Patiently, in a calm and tolerant manner.
- mains
- Hands, the body parts at the ends of arms.
- tremblantes
- Trembling or shaking, as from cold or nerves.
- nerveuses
- Nervous or anxious, showing tension or unease.
- eût
- Subjunctive past form of 'avoir', meaning 'had'.
- relevé
- Lifted or raised up, as a garment from the ground.
- robe
- A dress or gown worn by a woman.
- marcher
- To walk or march along a path.
- routes
- Roads or routes used for traveling.
- détrempées
- Waterlogged or soaked through with rain or water.
- demande
- Asks or wonders about something; to inquire.
- dames
- Ladies or women of social standing.
- firent
- Did or made; past historic third person plural of faire.
- Capitaine
- Captain, a military or naval officer of rank.
- lors
- At the time of; used in expressions like 'lors de'.
- soirées
- Evening social gatherings or parties.
- étions
- Were; imperfect first person plural of être.
- souvent
- Often, frequently occurring or repeated.
- réjouies
- Delighted or gladdened, feeling joy about something.
- autrefois
- Formerly, in the past or in earlier times.
- point
- Not at all; a stronger negative in formal French.
- gentilhomme
- A gentleman, a man of noble or refined birth.
- s'occuper
- To busy oneself with or take care of something.
- trouver
- To find or discover something or someone.
- conversation
- A spoken exchange of thoughts between people.
- cartes
- Cards, as in playing cards used for games.
- félicitées
- Congratulated or praised for something achieved.
- l'intimité
- Intimacy, closeness, or a sense of private warmth.
- douillette
- Cozy, snug, or comfortably sheltered from outside.
- amour
- Love, a deep affection or romantic feeling.
- distinction
- Distinction, refinement, or elegance of manner.
- aversion
- A strong dislike or repugnance toward something.
- hommes
- Men, adult male human beings.
- presque
- Almost, nearly but not quite entirely.
- persuadées
- Persuaded or convinced of something being true.
- homme
- A man, an adult male human being.
- c'était
- It was; contraction of 'ce' and imperfect of être.
- être
- To be; fundamental linking verb in French.
- vulgaire
- Vulgar, common, or lacking refinement and taste.
- bien
- Well, good; used to affirm or intensify meaning.
- lorsque
- When, at the moment that an event occurred.
- j'appris
- I learned or found out about something.
- amie
- A female friend or close companion.
- hôtesse
- A hostess, a woman who receives or entertains guests.
- allait
- Was going to; imperfect of aller indicating near future.
- donner
- To give or host, as in giving a party.
- soirée
- An evening party or social gathering.
- honneur
- Honor, respect, or tribute given to someone.
- demoiselles
- Young women or unmarried ladies of good standing.
- étaient
- Were; imperfect third person plural of être.
- invités
- Guests who have been invited to an event.
- demandai
- Asked or inquired; past historic first person singular.
- grande
- Great, large, or significant in degree.
- curiosité
- Curiosity, a desire to know or learn something.
- comment
- How; used to ask about manner or method.
- déroulerait
- Would unfold or take place, referring to an event.
- tables
- Tables, flat-surfaced furniture used for activities.
- jeu
- Game or play; an activity for entertainment.
- recouvertes
- Covered or draped over with a material.
- tapis
- A carpet, rug, or felt covering on a surface.
- feutre
- Felt, a dense textile material made of compressed fibers.
- vert
- Green, the color of grass or leaves.
- furent
- Were; past historic third person plural of être.
- installées
- Set up or installed in a particular place.
- jour
- Day, a period of twenty-four hours.
- l'accoutumée
- The custom or habit; as was usual practice.
- troisième
- Third, the ordinal number following second.
- semaine
- A week, a period of seven days.
- novembre
- November, the eleventh month of the year.
- aussi
- Also, too, or therefore in formal usage.
- nuit
- Night, the dark period after sunset.
- tombait-elle
- Was falling; inverted form used in literary style.
- vers
- Around or toward, indicating approximate time or direction.
- quatre
- The number four.
- heures
- Hours or o'clock, units of time.
- bougies
- Candles used to provide light by burning.
- jeux
- Games or sets of playing cards for entertainment.
- neufs
- New, brand new, not previously used.
- disposés
- Arranged or placed in an orderly manner.
- chaque
- Each, every individual item or person.
- table
- A table, flat-surfaced piece of furniture.
- feu
- Fire, flames burning in a hearth or fireplace.
- fut
- Was; past historic third person singular of être.
- attisé
- Stoked or stirred up, making a fire burn brighter.
- soigneuse
- Careful, diligent, attentive in performing a task.
- servante
- A maidservant or female domestic worker.
- avait
- Had; imperfect third person singular of avoir.
- reçu
- Received; past participle of recevoir.
- dernières
- Last or final, most recent in a series.
- instructions
- Directions or orders given to guide someone's actions.
- voilà
- There you are; used to present or indicate something.
- debout
- Standing upright, on one's feet.
- vêtues
- Dressed or clothed in particular attire.
- plus
- More, most; used in comparatives and superlatives.
- belles
- Beautiful or lovely; feminine plural of beau.
- tenues
- Outfits or attire worn for a particular occasion.
- chacune
- Each one, every individual woman or item.
- allumette
- A match used to light candles or fires.
- prêtes
- Ready or prepared to do something.
- précipiter
- To rush or throw oneself forward rapidly.
- dès
- As soon as or from the moment that.
- retentirait
- Would resound or ring out loudly.
- premier
- First, the ordinal number before second.
- coup
- A knock or blow; here a knock at the door.
- porte
- A door or gate used to enter a building.
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