Cranford — Page 13
Parties in Cranford were solemn festivities, making the ladies feel gravely elated as they sat together in their best dresses.
Les soirées à Cranford étaient des fêtes solennelles, qui faisaient se sentir les dames gravement exaltées tandis qu'elles étaient assises ensemble dans leurs plus belles robes.
As soon as three had arrived, we sat down to "Preference," I being the unlucky fourth.
Dès que trois d'entre elles furent arrivées, nous nous mîmes à jouer à la « Préférence », j'étant la malchanceuse quatrième.
The next four comers were put down immediately to another table; and presently the tea-trays, which I had seen set out in the store-room as I passed in the morning, were placed each on the middle of a card-table.
Les quatre suivantes furent immédiatement assignées à une autre table ; et bientôt les plateaux à thé, que j'avais vus disposés dans le garde-manger en passant le matin, furent chacun placés au milieu d'une table de jeu.
The china was delicate egg-shell; the old-fashioned silver glittered with polishing; but the eatables were of the slightest description.
La porcelaine était d'une délicatesse de coquille d'œuf ; l'argenterie démodée brillait à force d'être polie ; mais les victuailles étaient des plus modestes.
While the trays were yet on the tables, Captain and the Miss Browns came in; and I could see that, somehow or other, the Captain was a favourite with all the ladies present.
Tandis que les plateaux étaient encore sur les tables, le Capitaine et les demoiselles Brown entrèrent ; et je pouvais voir que, d'une façon ou d'une autre, le Capitaine était le favori de toutes les dames présentes.
Ruffled brows were smoothed, sharp voices lowered at his approach.
Les fronts froissés se déridèrent, les voix acerbes s'adoucirent à son approche.
Miss Brown looked ill, and depressed almost to gloom.
Miss Brown avait l'air malade, et déprimée jusqu'à la mélancolie.
Miss Jessie smiled as usual, and seemed nearly as popular as her father.
Miss Jessie souriait comme à son habitude, et semblait presque aussi populaire que son père.
He immediately and quietly assumed the man's place in the room; attended to every one's wants, lessened the pretty maid-servant's labour by waiting on empty cups and bread-and-butterless ladies; and yet did it all in so easy and dignified a manner, and so much as if it were a matter of course for the strong to attend to the weak, that he was a true man throughout.
Il prit immédiatement et tranquillement la place de l'homme dans la pièce ; veilla aux besoins de chacun, allégea le travail de la jolie servante en s'occupant des tasses vides et des dames sans pain et beurre ; et pourtant il fit tout cela d'une manière si aisée et si digne, et tellement comme si c'était la chose la plus naturelle du monde que les forts s'occupent des faibles, qu'il fut un véritable homme du début à la fin.
Vocabulary
- soirées
- Evening social gatherings or parties
- étaient
- Past imperfect of 'être'; 'were'
- fêtes
- Celebrations, parties, or festive occasions
- solennelles
- Solemn, formal, or ceremonious in character
- faisaient
- Past imperfect of 'faire'; 'made' or 'caused'
- sentir
- To feel or to smell something
- dames
- Ladies or women of social standing
- gravement
- Seriously, gravely, or in a solemn manner
- exaltées
- Elated, excited, or in a heightened emotional state
- tandis
- While or whereas, used in 'tandis que'
- assises
- Seated or sitting down, feminine plural form
- ensemble
- Together, at the same time or place
- belles
- Beautiful or lovely, feminine plural form
- robes
- Dresses or gowns worn by women
- Dès
- As soon as, from the moment that
- furent
- Simple past of 'être'; 'were'
- arrivées
- Arrived, feminine plural past participle
- mîmes
- Simple past of 'mettre'; 'put' or 'began'
- jouer
- To play a game or instrument
- Préférence
- A card game popular in nineteenth-century France
- étant
- Present participle of 'être'; 'being'
- malchanceuse
- Unlucky or unfortunate, feminine singular form
- quatrième
- Ordinal number meaning 'fourth'
- suivantes
- Following or next ones, feminine plural form
- immédiatement
- Immediately, without any delay
- assignées
- Assigned or allocated to something or someone
- bientôt
- Soon or shortly, in a little while
- plateaux
- Trays used for carrying food or drinks
- thé
- Tea, a hot brewed beverage
- avais
- Imperfect of 'avoir'; 'had' first-person singular
- vus
- Past participle of 'voir'; 'seen'
- disposés
- Arranged or laid out in a particular way
- garde-manger
- Pantry or larder for storing food
- passant
- Passing by or going through a place
- chacun
- Each one or every one individually
- placés
- Placed or positioned somewhere, masculine plural
- milieu
- Middle or center of something
- jeu
- Game or play activity
- porcelaine
- Fine white ceramic material used for tableware
- délicatesse
- Delicacy, fineness, or refinement of quality
- coquille
- Shell, as of an egg or shellfish
- œuf
- Egg, a common food item
- argenterie
- Silverware or silver cutlery and tableware
- démodée
- Old-fashioned or out of style, feminine form
- brillait
- Shone or gleamed with light, imperfect tense
- force
- Here means 'by dint of' or 'owing to much'
- polie
- Polished or shined up, feminine singular form
- victuailles
- Victuals or foodstuffs provided at a meal
- modestes
- Modest, humble, or not extravagant
- Tandis
- While or whereas, used with 'que'
- encore
- Still, yet, or again
- Capitaine
- Captain, a military or naval officer rank
- demoiselles
- Young women or unmarried ladies
- entrèrent
- Simple past of 'entrer'; 'entered'
- pouvais
- Imperfect of 'pouvoir'; 'could' or 'was able to'
- voir
- To see or to observe something
- façon
- Way, manner, or fashion of doing something
- favori
- Favorite or most preferred person or thing
- présentes
- Present or in attendance, feminine plural form
- fronts
- Foreheads or brows of a person's face
- froissés
- Furrowed, creased, or wrinkled in displeasure
- déridèrent
- Smoothed out or became cheerful, simple past
- voix
- Voice or voices used in speaking
- acerbes
- Acerbic, sharp, or biting in tone
- adoucirent
- Softened or became gentler, simple past tense
- approche
- Approach or drawing near to someone
- avait
- Imperfect of 'avoir'; 'had' third-person singular
- air
- Appearance or look that someone has
- malade
- Sick or ill, not in good health
- déprimée
- Depressed or low-spirited, feminine singular form
- mélancolie
- Melancholy or deep sadness and gloominess
- souriait
- Smiled, imperfect tense third-person singular
- habitude
- Habit or custom, something done regularly
- semblait
- Seemed or appeared, imperfect tense
- presque
- Almost or nearly, not quite completely
- populaire
- Popular or well-liked by many people
- père
- Father, a male parent
- prit
- Simple past of 'prendre'; 'took'
- tranquillement
- Calmly, quietly, or in a peaceful manner
- place
- Place or seat; position in a space
- pièce
- Room in a building or a piece of something
- veilla
- Watched over or attended to, simple past
- besoins
- Needs or necessities required by someone
- allégea
- Lightened or eased a burden, simple past
- travail
- Work or labor performed by someone
- jolie
- Pretty or attractive, feminine singular form
- servante
- Maidservant or female domestic worker
- occupant
- Occupying or keeping busy with a task
- tasses
- Cups used for drinking tea or coffee
- vides
- Empty or vacant, plural form
- pain
- Bread, a staple baked food
- beurre
- Butter, a dairy spread for bread
- pourtant
- However, yet, or nevertheless
- fit
- Simple past of 'faire'; 'did' or 'made'
- cela
- That or all of that, demonstrative pronoun
- manière
- Manner or way of doing something
- aisée
- Easy, effortless, or comfortable, feminine form
- digne
- Dignified or worthy of respect
- tellement
- So much or to such a great degree
- naturelle
- Natural or occurring in the normal way
- monde
- World or people in general
- forts
- Strong ones or the strong, masculine plural
- occupent
- Occupy or take care of, third-person plural
- faibles
- Weak ones or the weak, plural form
- fut
- Simple past of 'être'; 'was'
- véritable
- True, genuine, or real
- début
- Beginning or start of something
- fin
- End or conclusion of something
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