Dracula — Page 7
It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask any one else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting.
C'était si près de l'heure du départ que je n'eus pas le temps d'en demander à quelqu'un d'autre, car tout cela était très mystérieux et nullement rassurant.
Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a very hysterical way:
Juste avant que je parte, la vieille dame monta dans ma chambre et dit d'une manière très hystérique :
"Must you go? Oh! young Herr, must you go?"
« Devez-vous partir ? Oh ! jeune Herr, devez-vous partir ? »
She was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all.
Elle était dans un état d'agitation tel qu'elle semblait avoir perdu la maîtrise de l'allemand qu'elle connaissait, et le mêlait avec une autre langue que je ne connaissais pas du tout.
I was just able to follow her by asking many questions.
Je réussissais tout juste à la suivre en posant de nombreuses questions.
When I told her that I must go at once, and that I was engaged on important business, she asked again:
Lorsque je lui dis que je devais partir immédiatement et que j'étais occupé à des affaires importantes, elle demanda à nouveau :
"Do you know what day it is?"
« Savez-vous quel jour nous sommes ? »
I answered that it was the fourth of May.
Je répondis que c'était le quatre mai.
She shook her head as she said again:
Elle secoua la tête en disant à nouveau :
"Oh, yes! I know that! I know that, but do you know what day it is?"
« Oh, oui ! Je sais cela ! Je sais cela, mais savez-vous quel jour nous sommes ? »
On my saying that I did not understand, she went on:
Comme je lui dis que je ne comprenais pas, elle continua :
"It is the eve of St. George's Day.
« C'est la veille de la Saint-Georges.
Do you not know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?
Ne savez-vous pas que cette nuit, quand l'horloge sonnera minuit, toutes les forces maléfiques du monde auront plein pouvoir ?
Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?"
Savez-vous où vous allez, et ce qui vous attend ? »
She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect.
Elle était dans une détresse si évidente que j'essayai de la réconforter, mais sans succès.
Vocabulary
- était
- Was; third person singular past tense of 'être'
- si
- So, such, or if; used for emphasis or condition
- près
- Near, close to; indicating proximity in space or time
- heure
- Hour, time; unit of time or a specific moment
- départ
- Departure; the act of leaving or setting off
- eus
- Had; first person singular simple past of 'avoir'
- temps
- Time or weather; a common and versatile French noun
- demander
- To ask, to request; seeking information or help
- quelqu'
- Someone, some; indefinite pronoun before a vowel
- autre
- Other, another; referring to a different person or thing
- car
- Because, for; coordinating conjunction explaining reason
- tout
- All, everything, quite; indicates totality or emphasis
- cela
- That, all that; demonstrative pronoun referring to something
- très
- Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or other adverbs
- mystérieux
- Mysterious; strange, puzzling, or hard to explain
- nullement
- Not at all, in no way; strong negative adverb
- rassurant
- Reassuring; providing comfort or reducing worry
- Juste
- Just, exactly, barely; indicating precision or a small margin
- avant
- Before; indicating something earlier in time or position
- parte
- Leaves; third person singular present subjunctive of 'partir'
- vieille
- Old woman, old; feminine adjective or noun for aged
- dame
- Lady, woman; polite term for an adult female
- monta
- Went up, climbed; third person singular simple past of 'monter'
- chambre
- Room, bedroom; a private room in a house or hotel
- dit
- Said; third person singular simple past of 'dire'
- manière
- Manner, way; a mode or style of doing something
- hystérique
- Hysterical; in a state of extreme agitation or panic
- Devez
- Must, have to; second person plural of 'devoir'
- partir
- To leave, to depart; moving away from a place
- jeune
- Young; describing someone of little age
- devez
- Must, have to; second person plural present of 'devoir'
- état
- State, condition; the situation or condition of something
- agitation
- Agitation, excitement; state of nervous or anxious movement
- tel
- Such, such a; indicating the degree or kind of something
- semblait
- Seemed; third person singular imperfect of 'sembler'
- avoir
- To have; essential auxiliary and main verb in French
- perdu
- Lost; past participle of 'perdre', no longer having something
- maîtrise
- Mastery, control; full command or control over something
- allemand
- German; relating to Germany or the German language
- connaissait
- Knew; third person singular imperfect of 'connaître'
- mêlait
- Mixed, blended; third person singular imperfect of 'mêler'
- langue
- Language, tongue; a system of communication or body part
- connaissais
- Knew; first person singular imperfect of 'connaître'
- réussissais
- Managed, succeeded; first person singular imperfect of 'réussir'
- juste
- Just, barely, only; indicating a small margin or precision
- suivre
- To follow, to keep up; moving behind or understanding flow
- posant
- Asking, posing; present participle of 'poser' (questions)
- nombreuses
- Numerous, many; a large quantity of something, feminine plural
- questions
- Questions; inquiries seeking information or answers
- Lorsque
- When; conjunction introducing a time clause
- dis
- Said, told; first person singular simple past of 'dire'
- devais
- Had to, must; first person singular imperfect of 'devoir'
- immédiatement
- Immediately; without delay, right away
- étais
- Was; first person singular imperfect of 'être'
- occupé
- Busy, occupied; engaged with a task or activity
- affaires
- Business, affairs, matters; professional or personal dealings
- importantes
- Important; of great significance or consequence, feminine plural
- demanda
- Asked; third person singular simple past of 'demander'
- nouveau
- New, again; referring to something recent or repeated
- Savez
- Know; second person plural present of 'savoir'
- quel
- Which, what; interrogative adjective asking for identification
- jour
- Day; a 24-hour period or daytime
- répondis
- Replied; first person singular simple past of 'répondre'
- quatre
- Four; the number 4
- mai
- May; the fifth month of the year
- secoua
- Shook; third person singular simple past of 'secouer'
- tête
- Head; the top part of the body, or one's mind
- disant
- Saying; present participle of 'dire'
- sais
- Know; first or second person singular present of 'savoir'
- savez
- Know; second person plural present of 'savoir'
- Comme
- As, since, like; conjunction of comparison or cause
- comprenais
- Understood; first person singular imperfect of 'comprendre'
- continua
- Continued; third person singular simple past of 'continuer'
- veille
- Eve, the day before; the night or day preceding an event
- cette
- This, that; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- nuit
- Night; the dark period between sunset and sunrise
- quand
- When; conjunction or adverb of time
- horloge
- Clock; a device for measuring and displaying the time
- sonnera
- Will ring, will strike; third person singular future of 'sonner'
- minuit
- Midnight; twelve o'clock at night
- toutes
- All; feminine plural form of 'tout'
- forces
- Forces, powers; strengths or supernatural powers
- maléfiques
- Evil, malevolent; causing harm through supernatural means
- monde
- World, people; the earth or a group of people
- auront
- Will have; third person plural future of 'avoir'
- plein
- Full, complete; having maximum capacity or power
- pouvoir
- Power, to be able to; ability or the infinitive verb
- où
- Where; interrogative or relative adverb of place
- allez
- Go; second person plural present of 'aller'
- attend
- Waits, awaits; third person singular present of 'attendre'
- détresse
- Distress; a state of extreme anxiety or danger
- évidente
- Obvious, evident; clearly apparent or easy to see
- essayai
- Tried; first person singular simple past of 'essayer'
- réconforter
- To comfort, to reassure; providing emotional support to someone
- sans
- Without; indicating absence or lack of something
- succès
- Success; the achievement of a desired goal or outcome
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