← Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus

Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 2

English → Fr Preface Level 7/10

There, Margaret, the sun is for ever visible, its broad disk just skirting the horizon and diffusing a perpetual splendour.

Là, Margaret, le soleil est éternellement visible, son large disque longeant à peine l'horizon et diffusant une splendeur perpétuelle.

There—for with your leave, my sister, I will put some trust in preceding navigators—there snow and frost are banished; and, sailing over a calm sea, we may be wafted to a land surpassing in wonders and in beauty every region hitherto discovered on the habitable globe.

Là — car avec votre permission, ma sœur, je ferai quelque crédit aux navigateurs qui m'ont précédé — là la neige et le gel sont bannis ; et, voguant sur une mer calme, nous pourrions être portés vers une terre surpassant en merveilles et en beauté toutes les régions jusqu'ici découvertes sur le globe habitable.

Its productions and features may be without example, as the phenomena of the heavenly bodies undoubtedly are in those undiscovered solitudes.

Ses productions et ses caractéristiques pourraient être sans exemple, tout comme les phénomènes des corps célestes le sont sans aucun doute dans ces solitudes inexplorées.

What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?

Que ne peut-on espérer d'un pays de lumière éternelle ?

I may there discover the wondrous power which attracts the needle and may regulate a thousand celestial observations that require only this voyage to render their seeming eccentricities consistent for ever.

Je pourrais y découvrir la prodigieuse force qui attire l'aiguille et régulariser mille observations célestes qui n'exigent que ce voyage pour rendre leurs apparentes excentricités cohérentes à jamais.

I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man.

Je rassasierai ma curieuse ardeur à la vue d'une partie du monde jamais visitée auparavant, et pourrai fouler une terre jamais encore marquée par le pied de l'homme.

These are my enticements, and they are sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death and to induce me to commence this laborious voyage with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a little boat, with his holiday mates, on an expedition of discovery up his native river.

Tels sont mes attraits, et ils suffisent à vaincre toute crainte du danger ou de la mort et à m'inciter à entreprendre ce laborieux voyage avec la joie qu'éprouve un enfant lorsqu'il s'embarque dans une petite barque, avec ses camarades de vacances, pour une expédition de découverte sur sa rivière natale.

Vocabulary

Là: la — There; indicating a specific place or location.
le: luh — The; masculine singular definite article.
soleil: so-lay — Sun; the star at the center of our solar system.
est: eh — Is; third-person singular present tense of être.
éternellement: ay-tehr-nel-mahn — Eternally; lasting or existing forever without end.
visible: vee-zeeb-luh — Visible; able to be seen by the eye.
son: sohn — His/her/its; third-person singular possessive adjective.
large: larzh — Wide or broad; having great extent across.
disque: deesk — Disc; a flat, circular shape, like the sun's face.
longeant: lohn-zhahn — Skirting or running along; present participle of longer.
à: a — At, to, or in; versatile French preposition.
peine: pen — Barely or hardly; scarcely, with difficulty.
l': l — The; elided definite article before a vowel sound.
horizon: o-ree-zohn — Horizon; the line where earth and sky meet.
et: ay — And; coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses.
diffusant: dee-few-zahn — Diffusing or spreading; present participle of diffuser.
une: ewn — A or an; feminine singular indefinite article.
splendeur: splahn-duhr — Splendor; magnificent brightness or impressive beauty.
perpétuelle: pehr-pay-tyoo-el — Perpetual; continuing forever or indefinitely without stopping.
car: kar — Because or for; conjunction giving reason or explanation.
avec: a-vek — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means.
votre: vo-truh — Your; second-person plural or formal possessive adjective.
permission: pehr-mee-syohn — Permission; authorization or allowance to do something.
ma: ma — My; first-person singular feminine possessive adjective.
sœur: suhr — Sister; a female sibling or close female relation.
je: zhuh — I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
ferai: fuh-ray — Will do or will make; future tense of faire.
quelque: kel-kuh — Some or a little; an indefinite determiner of quantity.
crédit: kray-dee — Credit or trust; belief given to someone's account.
aux: o — To the or at the; contracted plural preposition-article.
navigateurs: na-vee-ga-tuhr — Navigators; people who chart or direct sea voyages.
qui: kee — Who or which; relative or interrogative pronoun.
m': m — Me; elided first-person singular object pronoun.
ont: ohn — Have; third-person plural present tense of avoir.
précédé: pray-say-day — Preceded; gone or come before in time or order.
là: la — There; indicating that specific previously mentioned place.
la: la — The; feminine singular definite article.
neige: nezh — Snow; frozen precipitation falling as white flakes.
gel: zhel — Frost or freeze; freezing cold or icy conditions.
sont: sohn — Are; third-person plural present tense of être.
bannis: ba-nee — Banished or exiled; driven away or excluded completely.
voguant: vo-gahn — Sailing or gliding; present participle of voguer.
sur: sewr — On or over; preposition indicating surface or position.
mer: mehr — Sea; large body of salt water covering Earth's surface.
calme: kalm — Calm; peaceful, quiet, without agitation or rough waters.
nous: noo — We or us; first-person plural subject or object pronoun.
pourrions: poo-ryohn — Could; first-person plural conditional tense of pouvoir.
être: eh-truh — To be; fundamental infinitive linking verb in French.
portés: por-tay — Carried or brought; past participle of porter, plural.
vers: vehr — Toward; preposition indicating direction of movement.
terre: tehr — Land or earth; solid ground or the planet Earth.
surpassant: sewr-pa-sahn — Surpassing or exceeding; going beyond in quality or degree.
en: ahn — In or by; versatile French preposition or adverb.
merveilles: mehr-vay — Wonders or marvels; extraordinary and astonishing things.
beauté: bo-tay — Beauty; the quality of being pleasing or attractive.
toutes: toot — All; feminine plural form of the adjective tout.
les: lay — The; plural definite article for masculine and feminine.
régions: ray-zhyohn — Regions; large areas or territories defined by characteristics.
jusqu': zhews-k — Until or up to; elided preposition before vowel sound.
ici: ee-see — Here; indicating the present or nearby location.
découvertes: day-koo-vehrt — Discovered; found or uncovered for the first time.
globe: glob — Globe; the spherical Earth or world as a whole.
habitable: a-bee-ta-bluh — Habitable; capable of being lived in or inhabited.
Ses: say — Its/his/her; third-person singular possessive adjective, plural.
productions: pro-dewk-syohn — Productions; things produced naturally in a region or place.
ses: say — Its/his/her; third-person singular possessive adjective, plural.
caractéristiques: ka-rak-tay-rees-teek — Characteristics; distinctive features or traits of something.
pourraient: poo-reh — Could; third-person plural conditional tense of pouvoir.
sans: sahn — Without; preposition indicating absence or lack of something.
exemple: eg-zahm-pluh — Example; a thing serving as a model or precedent.
tout: too — All or everything; indefinite pronoun or adjective.
comme: kom — Like or as; conjunction or preposition for comparison.
phénomènes: fay-no-men — Phenomena; observable events or facts, especially remarkable ones.
des: day — Of the or some; plural partitive or definite article.
corps: kor — Bodies; physical forms, especially of celestial objects.
célestes: say-lest — Celestial; relating to the sky, heavens, or outer space.
aucun: o-kuhn — No or none; negative indefinite adjective or pronoun.
doute: doot — Doubt; uncertainty or lack of conviction about something.
dans: dahn — In or inside; preposition indicating location within something.
ces: say — These or those; plural demonstrative adjective.
solitudes: so-lee-tewd — Solitudes; remote, lonely, or uninhabited wilderness places.
inexplorées: een-eks-plo-ray — Unexplored; not yet examined, investigated, or traveled through.
Que: kuh — What; interrogative or exclamatory pronoun or conjunction.
ne: nuh — Not; first part of French negation, paired with pas.
peut: puh — Can; third-person singular present tense of pouvoir.
on: ohn — One or we; indefinite subject pronoun used broadly.
espérer: es-pay-ray — To hope; to wish or expect something will happen.
d': d — Of or from; elided preposition before a vowel.
un: uhn — A or one; masculine singular indefinite article or numeral.
pays: pay-ee — Country or land; a nation or territory with defined borders.
de: duh — Of or from; common preposition indicating relation or origin.
lumière: lew-myehr — Light; radiant energy visible to the human eye.
éternelle: ay-tehr-nel — Eternal; lasting forever, without beginning or end.
Je: zhuh — I; first-person singular subject pronoun in French.
pourrais: poo-reh — Could; first-person singular conditional tense of pouvoir.
y: ee — There; adverbial pronoun replacing a previously mentioned place.
découvrir: day-koo-vreer — To discover; to find something previously unknown or hidden.
prodigieuse: pro-dee-zhyuhz — Prodigious; remarkably great in size or degree.
force: fors — Force or power; strength or energy exerted physically.
attire: a-teer — Attracts or draws; third-person singular of attirer.
aiguille: ay-gwee — Needle; a thin pointed object, as in a compass.
régulariser: ray-gew-la-ree-zay — To regularize; to make consistent or bring into order.
mille: meel — Thousand; the number one thousand in French.
observations: ob-sehr-va-syohn — Observations; careful watchings or scientific measurements recorded.
n': n — Not; elided first part of negation before a vowel.
exigent: eg-zee-zhahn — Require or demand; third-person plural of exiger.
que: kuh — That or which; subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun.
ce: suh — This or that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
voyage: vwa-yazh — Voyage or trip; a journey, especially by sea or distance.
pour: poor — For or in order to; preposition indicating purpose or benefit.
rendre: rahn-druh — To make or render; to cause something to become.
leurs: luhr — Their; third-person plural possessive adjective.
apparentes: a-pa-rahnt — Apparent; seemingly obvious but possibly not truly real.
excentricités: eks-sahn-tree-see-tay — Eccentricities; irregularities or deviations from the expected norm.
cohérentes: ko-ay-rahnt — Coherent; logically consistent, clear, and fitting together well.
jamais: zha-meh — Never or ever; adverb negating or intensifying frequency.
rassasierai: ra-sa-zee-ray — Will satisfy; future tense of rassasier, to satiate.
curieuse: kew-ryuhz — Curious; eager to know or learn, inquisitive by nature.
ardeur: ar-duhr — Ardor; intense enthusiasm or passionate eagerness for something.
vue: vew — View or sight; the act of seeing or a scene.
partie: par-tee — Part or portion; a section of a larger whole.
du: dew — Of the; contracted masculine singular preposition-article.
monde: mohnd — World; the Earth or all of human society.
visitée: vee-zee-tay — Visited; gone to or traveled to a place before.
auparavant: o-pa-ra-vahn — Before or previously; at an earlier time than now.
pourrai: poo-ray — Will be able; first-person singular future of pouvoir.
fouler: foo-lay — To tread on; to walk upon or trample the ground.
encore: ahn-kor — Still or again; indicating repetition or continuation of action.
marquée: mar-kay — Marked; bearing a trace or impression left behind.
par: par — By or through; preposition indicating agent or means.
pied: pyay — Foot; the body part used for walking and standing.
homme: om — Man; an adult male human being.
Tels: tel — Such; adjective meaning of this or that kind.
mes: may — My; first-person singular possessive adjective, plural form.
attraits: a-treh — Attractions or charms; things that draw or appeal strongly.
ils: eel — They; third-person plural masculine subject pronoun.
suffisent: sew-feez — Suffice or are enough; third-person plural of suffire.
vaincre: vahn-kruh — To overcome or conquer; to defeat or surmount something.
toute: toot — All or every; feminine singular form of tout.
crainte: krahnt — Fear or dread; an apprehension of danger or harm.
danger: dahn-zhay — Danger; exposure to harm, risk, or potential injury.
ou: oo — Or; coordinating conjunction presenting an alternative choice.
mort: mor — Death; the end of life or biological functioning.
inciter: ahn-see-tay — To incite or urge; to encourage or stimulate action.
entreprendre: ahn-truh-prahn-druh — To undertake; to begin or take on a challenging task.
laborieux: la-bo-ryuh — Laborious; requiring great effort, work, or exertion.
joie: zhwa — Joy; a feeling of great pleasure or happiness.
qu': k — That or which; elided subordinating conjunction before vowel.
éprouve: ay-proov — Feels or experiences; third-person singular of éprouver.
enfant: ahn-fahn — Child; a young human being, boy or girl.
lorsqu': lors-k — When; conjunction introducing a time clause before vowel.
il: eel — He or it; third-person singular masculine subject pronoun.
s': s — Himself or herself; elided reflexive pronoun before vowel.
embarque: ahn-bark — Embarks or boards; gets onto a boat or vessel.
petite: puh-teet — Small or little; feminine adjective indicating small size.
barque: bark — Boat or bark; a small sailing or rowing vessel.
camarades: ka-ma-rad — Companions or friends; fellow associates sharing an activity.
vacances: va-kahns — Vacation or holidays; a period of rest from work.
expédition: eks-pay-dee-syohn — Expedition; an organized journey for a specific purpose.
découverte: day-koo-vehrt — Discovery; the act of finding something new or unknown.
sa: sa — His/her/its; third-person singular feminine possessive adjective.
rivière: ree-vyehr — River; a natural flowing body of fresh water.
natale: na-tal — Native; relating to the place where one was born.

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