Dracula — Page 4

English → Fr CHAPTER I Level 7/10

All day long we seemed to dawdle through a country which was full of beauty of every kind.

Toute la journée, nous semblions flâner à travers un pays qui était plein de beautés de toutes sortes.

Sometimes we saw little towns or castles on the top of steep hills such as we see in old missals;

Parfois nous apercevions de petites villes ou des châteaux au sommet de collines escarpées, tels qu'on en voit dans les anciens missels ;

sometimes we ran by rivers and streams which seemed from the wide stony margin on each side of them to be subject to great floods.

parfois nous longions des rivières et des ruisseaux qui semblaient, d'après les larges berges pierreuses de chaque côté, être sujets à de grandes crues.

It takes a lot of water, and running strong, to sweep the outside edge of a river clear.

Il faut beaucoup d'eau, et un courant puissant, pour dégager la rive extérieure d'une rivière.

At every station there were groups of people, sometimes crowds, and in all sorts of attire.

À chaque station se trouvaient des groupes de personnes, parfois des foules, vêtues des tenues les plus diverses.

Some of them were just like the peasants at home or those I saw coming through France and Germany, with short jackets and round hats and home-made trousers;

Certains ressemblaient tout à fait aux paysans de chez nous ou à ceux que j'avais vus en traversant la France et l'Allemagne, avec leurs vestes courtes, leurs chapeaux ronds et leurs pantalons faits maison ;

but others were very picturesque.

mais d'autres étaient très pittoresques.

The women looked pretty, except when you got near them, but they were very clumsy about the waist.

Les femmes semblaient jolies, sauf quand on s'approchait d'elles, mais elles étaient très disgracieuses au niveau de la taille.

They had all full white sleeves of some kind or other, and most of them had big belts with a lot of strips of something fluttering from them like the dresses in a ballet, but of course there were petticoats under them.

Elles portaient toutes de larges manches blanches d'une sorte ou d'une autre, et la plupart avaient de grandes ceintures avec de nombreuses lanières de quelque chose qui flottaient comme les robes d'un ballet, mais il y avait bien sûr des jupons en dessous.

The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks, who were more barbarian than the rest, with their big cow-boy hats, great baggy dirty-white trousers, white linen shirts, and enormous heavy leather belts, nearly a foot wide, all studded over with brass nails.

Les personnages les plus étranges que nous vîmes étaient les Slovaques, qui étaient plus barbares que les autres, avec leurs grands chapeaux de cow-boy, leurs vastes pantalons bouffants blanc sale, leurs chemises de lin blanc et leurs énormes ceintures de cuir pesantes, larges de presque un pied, entièrement ornées de clous en laiton.

Vocabulary

Toute: All, every; used to indicate entirety or completeness
la: The; definite article for feminine singular nouns
journée: The daytime; a full day from morning to evening
nous: We or us; first-person plural pronoun
semblions: We seemed or appeared to be doing something
flâner: To stroll or wander leisurely without a destination
à: To, at, or in; a versatile preposition of location or direction
travers: Through or across; used in the phrase à travers
un: A or an; indefinite article for masculine singular nouns
pays: Country or land; a nation or region
qui: Who or which; a relative or interrogative pronoun
était: Was; third-person singular imperfect of être
plein: Full of; completely filled or abundant with something
de: Of or from; a common preposition indicating origin or belonging
beautés: Beauties; instances or examples of beautiful things
toutes: All; feminine plural form of tout indicating totality
sortes: Kinds or sorts; types or varieties of things
Parfois: Sometimes; occasionally, not always or regularly
apercevions: We caught sight of; imperfect of apercevoir, to notice
petites: Small or little; feminine plural adjective describing size
villes: Towns or cities; populated urban settlements
ou: Or; a conjunction presenting an alternative choice
des: Some; indefinite plural article for nouns
châteaux: Castles or châteaux; large fortified or stately buildings
au: At the or to the; contraction of à and le
sommet: Summit or top; the highest point of a hill or mountain
collines: Hills; gentle elevated landforms smaller than mountains
escarpées: Steep; describes sharply sloping or sheer hillsides
tels: Such; used to introduce a comparison or example
qu': That or as; shortened form of que before a vowel
on: One or people generally; indefinite third-person pronoun
en: Of them or in; pronoun or preposition indicating location
voit: Sees; third-person singular present of voir, to see
dans: In or inside; preposition indicating location within something
les: The; definite article for plural nouns
anciens: Ancient or old; adjective describing something from the past
longions: We followed alongside; imperfect of longer, to skirt
rivières: Rivers; large natural flowing bodies of fresh water
et: And; a conjunction joining words or clauses together
ruisseaux: Streams or brooks; small flowing bodies of water
semblaient: Seemed; third-person plural imperfect of sembler, to seem
d': Of or from; elided form of de before a vowel
après: After or according to; preposition of time or reference
larges: Wide or broad; adjective indicating great width or breadth
berges: Riverbanks; the sides or edges bordering a river
pierreuses: Stony or rocky; covered with or full of stones
chaque: Each or every; adjective indicating each individual item
côté: Side; one of two lateral edges or directions
être: To be; the fundamental French infinitive of existence
sujets: Subject to; liable or prone to a condition or event
grandes: Large or great; feminine plural adjective indicating size
crues: Floods or floods; rising waters overflowing riverbanks
Il: It or he; third-person masculine singular subject pronoun
faut: Must or need; impersonal verb from falloir, expressing necessity
beaucoup: A lot or much; adverb indicating a large quantity
eau: Water; the clear liquid essential for life
courant: Current or flow; moving water or stream of a river
puissant: Powerful or strong; having great force or energy
pour: For or in order to; preposition indicating purpose or benefit
dégager: To clear or free; to remove obstruction from something
rive: Bank or shore; the edge of a river or body of water
extérieure: Outer or exterior; situated on the outside of something
une: A or an; indefinite article for feminine singular nouns
rivière: River; a natural freshwater stream flowing to the sea
À: At or to; a preposition of location, direction, or time
station: Station or stop; a stopping point for trains or vehicles
se: Oneself or itself; reflexive pronoun used with pronominal verbs
trouvaient: Were found or located; imperfect of trouver, to find
groupes: Groups; assemblies of people gathered together
personnes: People or persons; individual human beings
foules: Crowds; large gatherings of people in one place
vêtues: Dressed or clothed; wearing particular clothing or attire
tenues: Outfits or attire; sets of clothing worn together
plus: More or most; comparative or superlative adverb of degree
diverses: Various or diverse; of many different kinds or types
Certains: Some or certain ones; refers to some among a group
ressemblaient: Resembled or looked like; imperfect of ressembler, to resemble
tout: Completely or entirely; adverb meaning wholly or totally
fait: Done or made; past participle of faire; also a fact
aux: To the or at the; contraction of à and les
paysans: Peasants or farmers; rural agricultural workers or villagers
chez: At the home of; preposition indicating someone's place
ceux: Those ones; demonstrative pronoun referring to people or things
que: That or whom; conjunction or relative pronoun
j': I; first-person singular pronoun elided before a vowel
avais: I had; first-person singular imperfect of avoir, to have
vus: Seen; masculine plural past participle of voir, to see
traversant: Crossing or passing through; present participle of traverser
l': The; elided form of le or la before a vowel
avec: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association
leurs: Their; possessive adjective for plural noun belonging to them
vestes: Jackets; short outer garments worn over a shirt
courtes: Short; feminine plural adjective indicating brief length
chapeaux: Hats; head coverings of various shapes and styles
ronds: Round; circular or rounded in shape
pantalons: Trousers or pants; leg coverings worn from waist down
faits: Made; past participle of faire indicating something produced
maison: Home or house; a building used as a dwelling
mais: But; a conjunction introducing a contrast or exception
autres: Others; referring to different or additional people or things
étaient: Were; third-person plural imperfect of être, to be
très: Very; an adverb intensifying an adjective or adverb
pittoresques: Picturesque; visually charming or attractive in an interesting way
Les: The; definite plural article for masculine or feminine nouns
femmes: Women; adult female human beings
jolies: Pretty; attractive or pleasant in appearance
sauf: Except or unless; a conjunction or preposition of exclusion
quand: When; a conjunction or adverb of time
s': Oneself; elided reflexive pronoun before a vowel
approchait: Approached or got close; imperfect of approcher, to approach
elles: They or them; third-person feminine plural pronoun
disgracieuses: Ungainly or unattractive; lacking grace or physical appeal
niveau: Level; a point of height or standard of measurement
taille: Waist or size; the middle of the body or clothing size
Elles: They; third-person feminine plural subject pronoun
portaient: Were wearing or carrying; imperfect of porter, to wear
manches: Sleeves; fabric covering the arms of a garment
blanches: White; feminine plural adjective describing the color white
sorte: Sort or kind; a type or category of something
autre: Other or another; referring to a different one
plupart: Most; the majority or greater part of a group
avaient: Had; third-person plural imperfect of avoir, to have
ceintures: Belts; bands worn around the waist to fasten clothing
nombreuses: Numerous; many in number or quantity
lanières: Straps or thongs; narrow strips of leather or fabric
quelque: Some or a certain; adjective indicating an unspecified amount
chose: Thing; an object, concept, or matter
flottaient: Were floating or fluttering; imperfect of flotter, to float
comme: Like or as; a conjunction or preposition of comparison
robes: Dresses or gowns; women's one-piece garments
il: He or it; third-person masculine singular subject pronoun
y: There; adverbial pronoun replacing a previously mentioned place
avait: There was or had; third-person singular imperfect of avoir
bien: Well or indeed; adverb expressing certainty or quality
sûr: Sure or certain; confident or guaranteed
jupons: Petticoats or underskirts; undergarments worn beneath skirts
dessous: Underneath or below; indicating a position beneath something
personnages: Characters or figures; notable or remarkable individuals
étranges: Strange or odd; unusual, unfamiliar, or bizarre
vîmes: We saw; first-person plural passé simple of voir, to see
barbares: Barbarians; uncivilized or primitive-seeming people
grands: Tall or large; masculine plural adjective indicating great size
vastes: Vast or huge; extremely large in extent or size
bouffants: Puffy or baggy; describing clothing that is full and billowy
blanc: White; a color or shade describing something pale or colorless
sale: Dirty; unclean, soiled, or stained
chemises: Shirts; garments worn on the upper body
lin: Linen; a fabric made from the flax plant
énormes: Enormous; extremely large or huge in size
cuir: Leather; tanned animal hide used for clothing or goods
pesantes: Heavy; weighing a great deal, burdensome to carry
presque: Almost or nearly; very close to but not entirely
pied: Foot; the lower extremity of the leg used for walking
entièrement: Entirely or completely; in a total or whole manner
ornées: Decorated or adorned; embellished with ornamental details
clous: Nails or studs; small metal fasteners or decorative fittings
laiton: Brass; a yellow alloy of copper and zinc

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