Crime and Punishment — Page 2

English → Fr CHAPTER I Level 8/10

But to be stopped on the stairs, to be forced to listen to her trivial, irrelevant gossip, to pestering demands for payment, threats and complaints, and to rack his brains for excuses, to prevaricate, to lie--no, rather than that, he would creep down the stairs like a cat and slip out unseen.

Mais être arrêté dans l'escalier, être forcé d'écouter ses bavardages futiles et hors de propos, ses demandes importunes de paiement, ses menaces et ses plaintes, et se creuser la cervelle pour trouver des excuses, tergiverser, mentir -- non, plutôt que cela, il descendrait l'escalier en se glissant comme un chat et sortirait sans être vu.

This evening, however, on coming out into the street, he became acutely aware of his fears.

Ce soir-là, cependant, en sortant dans la rue, il prit une conscience aiguë de ses craintes.

"I want to attempt a thing _like that_ and am frightened by these trifles," he thought, with an odd smile.

« Je veux tenter une chose _pareille_ et je me laisse effrayer par ces bagatelles », pensa-t-il avec un sourire étrange.

"Hm... yes, all is in a man's hands and he lets it all slip from cowardice, that's an axiom.

« Hm... oui, tout est entre les mains de l'homme et il laisse tout lui échapper par lâcheté, c'est un axiome.

It would be interesting to know what it is men are most afraid of.

Il serait intéressant de savoir de quoi les hommes ont le plus peur.

Taking a new step, uttering a new word is what they fear most.... But I am talking too much.

Faire un nouveau pas, prononcer un nouveau mot, voilà ce qu'ils craignent le plus... Mais je parle trop.

It's because I chatter that I do nothing.

C'est parce que je bavarde que je ne fais rien.

Or perhaps it is that I chatter because I do nothing.

Ou peut-être est-ce que je bavarde parce que je ne fais rien.

I've learned to chatter this last month, lying for days together in my den thinking... of Jack the Giant-killer.

J'ai appris à bavarder ce dernier mois, passant des journées entières allongé dans mon terrier à penser... à Jack le Tueur de Géants.

Why am I going there now?

Pourquoi y vais-je maintenant ?

Am I capable of _that_?

Suis-je capable de _cela_ ?

Is _that_ serious?

Est-ce _sérieux_ ?

It is not serious at all.

Ce n'est pas sérieux du tout.

It's simply a fantasy to amuse myself; a plaything!

C'est simplement une fantaisie pour m'amuser ; un jouet !

Yes, maybe it is a plaything.

Oui, c'est peut-être un jouet.

Vocabulary

Mais: mɛ — Conjunction meaning 'but', used to contrast ideas.
être: ɛtʁ — To be; fundamental linking or auxiliary verb.
arrêté: aʁɛte — Stopped, arrested, or halted in place.
dans: dɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'.
l': l — Contracted definite article meaning 'the'.
escalier: ɛskalje — A staircase or flight of stairs.
forcé: fɔʁse — Forced or compelled to do something.
d': d — Contracted preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'.
écouter: ekute — To listen to someone or something.
ses: se — Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
bavardages: bavardaʒ — Idle chatter or meaningless talk.
futiles: fytil — Trivial, pointless, or of no real importance.
et: e — Conjunction meaning 'and'.
hors: ɔʁ — Outside of or beyond a given boundary.
de: də — Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
propos: pʁopo — Subject, topic, or relevance of speech.
demandes: dəmɑ̃d — Requests or demands made of someone.
importunes: ɛ̃pɔʁtyn — Bothersome, intrusive, or persistently annoying requests.
paiement: pɛmɑ̃ — Payment of money owed to someone.
menaces: mənas — Threats made to intimidate or coerce someone.
plaintes: plɛ̃t — Complaints or expressions of grievance or dissatisfaction.
se: sə — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'itself'.
creuser: kʁøze — To dig or rack one's brain deeply.
la: la — Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'.
cervelle: sɛʁvɛl — Brain or mind, often used informally.
pour: puʁ — Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'.
trouver: tʁuve — To find or come up with something.
des: de — Indefinite plural article meaning 'some' or 'any'.
excuses: ɛkskyz — Excuses or apologies offered to justify behavior.
tergiverser: tɛʁʒivɛʁse — To stall, hedge, or avoid giving a direct answer.
mentir: mɑ̃tiʁ — To lie or tell an untruth.
non: nɔ̃ — Word meaning 'no', expressing negation or refusal.
plutôt: plyto — Rather or instead; expressing a preference.
que: kə — Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'than', or 'which'.
cela: səla — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this'.
il: il — Third-person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
descendrait: desɑ̃dʁɛ — He would go down or descend (conditional tense).
en: ɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in', 'by', or 'while'.
glissant: ɡlisɑ̃ — Sliding or slipping smoothly along a surface.
comme: kɔm — Conjunction or preposition meaning 'like' or 'as'.
un: œ̃ — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
chat: ʃa — A cat, the common domestic feline animal.
sortirait: sɔʁtiʁɛ — He would go out or leave (conditional tense).
sans: sɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'without'.
vu: vy — Seen; past participle of 'voir', to see.
Ce: sə — Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that'.
soir-là: swaʁ la — That particular evening or night.
cependant: səpɑ̃dɑ̃ — However or nevertheless; introduces a contrasting idea.
sortant: sɔʁtɑ̃ — Going out or leaving; present participle of 'sortir'.
rue: ʁy — A street or road in a town or city.
prit: pʁi — Took or seized; simple past of 'prendre'.
une: yn — Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
conscience: kɔ̃sjɑ̃s — Awareness, consciousness, or moral sense.
aiguë: eɡy — Sharp or acute; describes intense awareness or sensation.
craintes: kʁɛ̃t — Fears or apprehensions about something.
Je: ʒə — First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
veux: vø — Want; first-person present of 'vouloir'.
tenter: tɑ̃te — To attempt or try to do something.
chose: ʃoz — Thing or matter; a general noun.
_pareille_: paʁɛj — Such or similar; of the same kind.
je: ʒə — First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
me: mə — Reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'.
laisse: lɛs — Allow, let, or permit something to happen.
effrayer: efʁeje — To frighten or scare someone.
par: paʁ — Preposition meaning 'by', 'through', or 'with'.
ces: se — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'.
bagatelles: baɡatɛl — Trifles or trivial matters of little importance.
pensa-t-: pɑ̃sa t — He thought; inverted form of 'pensa' for style.
avec: avɛk — Preposition meaning 'with'.
sourire: suʁiʁ — A smile; or to smile (verb/noun).
étrange: etʁɑ̃ʒ — Strange, odd, or unusual in character.
oui: wi — Yes; basic affirmative response word.
tout: tu — All, everything, or entirely.
est: ɛ — Is; third-person singular present of 'être'.
entre: ɑ̃tʁ — Between or among things or people.
les: le — Definite plural article meaning 'the'.
mains: mɛ̃ — Hands; the human body's grasping appendages.
homme: ɔm — Man or human being in general.
lui: lɥi — Him or to him; third-person pronoun.
échapper: eʃape — To escape or slip away from something.
lâcheté: laʃte — Cowardice; lack of courage or bravery.
c': s — Contracted form of 'ce' before a vowel.
axiome: aksjom — An axiom; a self-evident or accepted truth.
Il: il — Third-person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
serait: səʁɛ — Would be; third-person conditional of 'être'.
intéressant: ɛ̃teʁesɑ̃ — Interesting or engaging; worth one's attention.
savoir: savwaʁ — To know facts or information; knowledge verb.
quoi: kwa — What; interrogative pronoun used in questions.
hommes: ɔm — Men or human beings; plural of 'homme'.
ont: ɔ̃ — Have; third-person plural present of 'avoir'.
le: lə — Definite masculine article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'him'.
plus: ply — More; used in comparisons or negation.
peur: pœʁ — Fear or fright; strong feeling of alarm.
Faire: fɛʁ — To do or make; very common action verb.
nouveau: nuvo — New or novel; something not previously seen.
pas: pɑ — Step, or negation particle meaning 'not'.
prononcer: pʁonɔ̃se — To pronounce or utter words aloud.
mot: mo — A word; basic unit of language.
voilà: vwala — There it is; used to present something.
ce: sə — Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
qu': k — Contracted 'que' meaning 'that' or 'what'.
ils: il — Third-person masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they'.
craignent: kʁɛɲ — They fear; third-person plural of 'craindre'.
parle: paʁl — Speaks or talks; first/third person of 'parler'.
trop: tʁo — Too much or excessively.
C': s — Contracted 'ce' before a vowel, meaning 'it' or 'this'.
parce: paʁs — Because; part of 'parce que' causal conjunction.
bavarde: bavard — Chatters or gossips; to talk idly.
ne: nə — Negation particle used with 'pas', 'jamais', etc.
fais: fɛ — Do or make; first-person present of 'faire'.
rien: ʁjɛ̃ — Nothing; used with 'ne' for negation.
Ou: u — Or; conjunction presenting an alternative.
peut-être: pøtɛtʁ — Perhaps or maybe; expressing uncertainty.
J': ʒ — Contracted 'je' before a vowel, meaning 'I'.
ai: e — Have; first-person singular present of 'avoir'.
appris: apʁi — Learned; past participle of 'apprendre'.
à: a — Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
bavarder: bavarde — To chatter, gossip, or talk idly.
dernier: dɛʁnje — Last or most recent; final in a series.
mois: mwa — Month; one of the twelve divisions of a year.
passant: pasɑ̃ — Passing or spending time; present participle of 'passer'.
journées: ʒuʁne — Full days; daytime periods from morning to evening.
entières: ɑ̃tjɛʁ — Whole or entire; complete without omission.
allongé: alɔ̃ʒe — Lying down or stretched out horizontally.
mon: mɔ̃ — Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine).
terrier: tɛʁje — A burrow or den; small underground dwelling.
penser: pɑ̃se — To think or reflect on something.
Tueur: tɥœʁ — Killer or slayer; one who kills others.
Géants: ʒeɑ̃ — Giants; mythical or very large beings.
Pourquoi: puʁkwa — Why; interrogative word asking for a reason.
y: i — There; pronoun replacing a place or idea.
vais-: vɛ — Go; first-person singular present of 'aller'.
maintenant: mɛ̃tnɑ̃ — Now; at the present moment or time.
Suis-: sɥi — Am; first-person singular present of 'être'.
capable: kapabl — Capable or able to do something.
_cela_: səla — That; emphatic demonstrative pronoun.
Est-: ɛ — Is; third-person singular of 'être' (inverted).
_sérieux_: seʁjø — Serious or earnest; not playful or trivial.
n': n — Contracted negation particle 'ne' before a vowel.
sérieux: seʁjø — Serious, genuine, or of real importance.
du: dy — Contracted 'de le' meaning 'of the' or 'some'.
simplement: sɛ̃pləmɑ̃ — Simply or merely; in a straightforward way.
fantaisie: fɑ̃tezi — Fantasy or whim; imaginative or fanciful notion.
m': m — Contracted 'me' before a vowel; myself or me.
amuser: amyze — To amuse or entertain oneself or others.
jouet: ʒwɛ — A toy; object used for play or amusement.
Oui: wi — Yes; basic affirmative response word.

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