Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 10
He had already bought a farm with his money, on which he had designed to pass the remainder of his life; but he bestowed the whole on his rival, together with the remains of his prize-money to purchase stock, and then himself solicited the young woman's father to consent to her marriage with her lover.
Il avait déjà acheté une ferme avec son argent, sur laquelle il avait prévu de passer le reste de sa vie ; mais il donna le tout à son rival, ainsi que le reste de sa prime pour acheter du bétail, et sollicita lui-même le père de la jeune femme pour qu'il consente à son mariage avec son amant.
But the old man decidedly refused, thinking himself bound in honour to my friend, who, when he found the father inexorable, quitted his country, nor returned until he heard that his former mistress was married according to her inclinations.
Mais le vieil homme refusa catégoriquement, se croyant lié par l'honneur envers mon ami, qui, lorsqu'il trouva le père inexorable, quitta son pays et ne revint que lorsqu'il apprit que son ancienne maîtresse s'était mariée selon ses inclinations.
"What a noble fellow!" you will exclaim.
« Quel noble personnage ! » vous vous exclamerez.
He is so; but then he is wholly uneducated: he is as silent as a Turk, and a kind of ignorant carelessness attends him, which, while it renders his conduct the more astonishing, detracts from the interest and sympathy which otherwise he would command.
Il l'est en effet ; mais il est entièrement sans éducation : il est aussi silencieux qu'un Turc, et une sorte de négligence ignorante l'accompagne, qui, tout en rendant sa conduite d'autant plus étonnante, diminue l'intérêt et la sympathie qu'il commanderait autrement.
Yet do not suppose, because I complain a little or because I can conceive a consolation for my toils which I may never know, that I am wavering in my resolutions.
Ne supposez pas cependant, parce que je me plains un peu ou parce que je puis concevoir une consolation à mes peines que je ne connaîtrai peut-être jamais, que je vacille dans mes résolutions.
Those are as fixed as fate, and my voyage is only now delayed until the weather shall permit my embarkation.
Celles-ci sont aussi fermes que le destin, et mon voyage n'est maintenant retardé que jusqu'à ce que le temps permette mon embarquement.
The winter has been dreadfully severe, but the spring promises well, and it is considered as a remarkably early season, so that perhaps I may sail sooner than I expected.
L'hiver a été terriblement rigoureux, mais le printemps s'annonce bien, et il est considéré comme une saison remarquablement précoce, de sorte que je pourrai peut-être prendre la mer plus tôt que je ne l'espérais.
Vocabulary
- avait
- Past tense of avoir: he/she had
- déjà
- Already; by this time
- acheté
- Past participle of acheter: bought, purchased
- ferme
- A farm; agricultural property with land
- argent
- Money; also the metal silver
- laquelle
- Relative pronoun meaning which, referring to feminine noun
- prévu
- Past participle of prévoir: planned, intended, expected
- passer
- To spend time; to pass, to go through
- reste
- The remainder, the rest of something
- vie
- Life; one's existence or lifetime
- donna
- Simple past of donner: gave, handed over
- tout
- Everything, all; used as adjective or pronoun
- rival
- A rival; competitor in love or contest
- ainsi
- Thus, so, in this way
- prime
- A bonus, premium, or additional sum given
- acheter
- To buy, to purchase goods or services
- bétail
- Livestock; cattle and farm animals collectively
- sollicita
- Simple past of solliciter: requested, petitioned, appealed to
- lui-même
- Himself; emphatic reflexive pronoun for third person
- père
- Father; male parent
- jeune
- Young; of little age or early in life
- femme
- Woman; also wife
- consente
- Subjunctive of consentir: agree, consent, give permission
- mariage
- Marriage; the union of two people
- amant
- A lover; a man in a romantic relationship
- vieil
- Old; adjective form of vieux before masculine vowel
- homme
- Man; adult male human being
- refusa
- Simple past of refuser: refused, declined, rejected
- catégoriquement
- Categorically; absolutely, without any possible exception
- croyant
- Present participle of croire: believing, thinking, trusting
- lié
- Past participle of lier: bound, tied, obligated
- honneur
- Honor; personal integrity, dignity, and moral code
- envers
- Preposition meaning toward, with respect to someone
- ami
- Friend; a close companion or associate
- lorsqu'
- Contracted form of lorsque: when, at the time
- trouva
- Simple past of trouver: found, discovered, considered
- inexorable
- Inexorable; unyielding, impossible to persuade or move
- quitta
- Simple past of quitter: left, departed from somewhere
- pays
- Country, land, homeland, or region
- revint
- Simple past of revenir: came back, returned
- apprit
- Simple past of apprendre: learned, found out, discovered
- ancienne
- Former, old, ancient; referring to a past relationship
- maîtresse
- Mistress; a woman in a romantic or illicit relationship
- mariée
- Married; feminine past participle of marier
- selon
- Preposition meaning according to, in accordance with
- inclinations
- Inclinations; personal tendencies, preferences, or desires
- Quel
- Exclamatory or interrogative adjective: what, which
- noble
- Noble; having high moral qualities or aristocratic bearing
- personnage
- Character, personage; a notable or fictional person
- exclamerez
- Future of s'exclamer: will exclaim, cry out
- effet
- Effect; result; en effet means indeed, in fact
- entièrement
- Entirely, completely, wholly without exception
- sans
- Preposition meaning without, lacking
- éducation
- Education; upbringing, manners, or formal schooling
- aussi
- Also, too; as (in comparisons)
- silencieux
- Silent, quiet; making little or no sound
- Turc
- A Turk; person from Turkey
- sorte
- Sort, kind, type; une sorte de means a kind of
- négligence
- Negligence; carelessness, lack of attention or care
- ignorante
- Ignorant; lacking knowledge or education (feminine form)
- accompagne
- Accompanies; goes along with, comes together with
- rendant
- Present participle of rendre: making, rendering, causing
- conduite
- Conduct, behavior; the way one acts
- autant
- As much, as many; d'autant plus means all the more
- étonnante
- Astonishing, amazing; causing surprise (feminine form)
- diminue
- Diminishes, reduces; decreases in amount or degree
- intérêt
- Interest; attention, curiosity, or financial return
- sympathie
- Sympathy; compassion, warm feeling toward someone
- commanderait
- Conditional of commander: would command, inspire, call for
- autrement
- Otherwise; in a different way or under other circumstances
- supposez
- Imperative of supposer: suppose, assume, presume
- cependant
- However, nevertheless, yet; introducing contrast
- plains
- Present of se plaindre: complain, lament, feel sorry
- peu
- Little, few; a small amount or degree
- puis
- Then, next; also first person of pouvoir: can
- concevoir
- To conceive, imagine, understand an idea or plan
- consolation
- Consolation; comfort given in grief or disappointment
- peines
- Sorrows, troubles, pains; emotional suffering or hardship
- connaîtrai
- Future of connaître: will know, will come to know
- peut-être
- Perhaps, maybe; expressing uncertainty or possibility
- jamais
- Never; or ever in questions and negatives
- vacille
- Wavers, vacillates; flickers or is unsteady
- résolutions
- Resolutions; firm decisions or determinations of purpose
- Celles-ci
- These ones; demonstrative pronoun referring to feminine nouns
- fermes
- Firm, steadfast; also plural of ferme (farms)
- destin
- Destiny, fate; the predetermined course of events
- voyage
- A journey, trip, or voyage
- maintenant
- Now; at the present moment
- retardé
- Past participle of retarder: delayed, postponed, put back
- jusqu'
- Contracted until, up to, as far as
- temps
- Time; also weather; a period or moment
- permette
- Subjunctive of permettre: allow, permit, make possible
- embarquement
- Embarkation; the act of boarding a ship
- hiver
- Winter; the coldest season of the year
- été
- Past participle of être: been; also summer (noun)
- terriblement
- Terribly, dreadfully; to a very great degree
- rigoureux
- Rigorous, harsh, severe; extremely strict or intense
- printemps
- Spring; the season between winter and summer
- annonce
- Announces, promises; gives early signs of something
- bien
- Well, good; used as adverb of manner or degree
- considéré
- Past participle of considérer: considered, regarded, respected
- saison
- Season; one of the four divisions of the year
- remarquablement
- Remarkably, notably; in a way worthy of attention
- précoce
- Early, precocious; occurring or developing before expected
- pourrai
- Future of pouvoir: will be able to, can
- prendre
- To take, to catch; to begin a journey by vessel
- mer
- Sea; the large body of salt water
- tôt
- Early, soon; before the expected or usual time
- espérais
- Imperfect of espérer: was hoping, used to hope
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