Great Expectations — Page 4

English → Fr Chapter II. Level 8/10

"You did," said I.

« Vous l'avez fait, » dis-je.

"And why did I do it, I should like to know?" exclaimed my sister.

« Et pourquoi l'ai-je fait, j'aimerais bien le savoir ? » s'écria ma sœur.

I whimpered, "I don't know."

Je pleurnichai : « Je ne sais pas. »

"_I_ don't!" said my sister.

« _Moi_ non plus ! » dit ma sœur.

"I'd never do it again! I know that.

« Je ne le referais jamais ! Ça, je le sais.

I may truly say I've never had this apron of mine off since born you were.

Je puis vraiment dire que je n'ai jamais retiré mon tablier depuis que vous êtes né.

It's bad enough to be a blacksmith's wife (and him a Gargery) without being your mother."

C'est déjà bien assez d'être la femme d'un forgeron (et lui un Gargery) sans être en plus votre mère. »

My thoughts strayed from that question as I looked disconsolately at the fire.

Mes pensées s'éloignèrent de cette question tandis que je regardais d'un air découragé le feu.

For the fugitive out on the marshes with the ironed leg, the mysterious young man, the file, the food, and the dreadful pledge I was under to commit a larceny on those sheltering premises, rose before me in the avenging coals.

Car le fugitif dans les marais avec sa jambe entravée, le mystérieux jeune homme, la lime, la nourriture, et l'horrible serment qui me liait de commettre un larcin dans cette maison hospitalière, surgirent devant moi dans les braises vengeresses.

"Hah!" said Mrs. Joe, restoring Tickler to his station.

« Ha ! » dit Mme Joe, en remettant Tickler à sa place.

"Churchyard, indeed! You may well say churchyard, you two."

« Cimetière, vraiment ! Vous pouvez bien dire cimetière, vous deux. »

One of us, by the by, had not said it at all.

L'un de nous, soit dit en passant, ne l'avait pas dit du tout.

"You'll drive _me_ to the churchyard betwixt you, one of these days, and O, a pr-r-recious pair you'd be without me!"

« Vous me conduirez _moi_ au cimetière à vous deux, un de ces jours, et oh, la b-b-belle paire vous feriez sans moi ! »

As she applied herself to set the tea-things, Joe peeped down at me over his leg, as if he were mentally casting me and himself up, and calculating what kind of pair we practically should make, under the grievous circumstances foreshadowed.

Tandis qu'elle s'affairait à préparer le service à thé, Joe me lança un regard furtif par-dessus sa jambe, comme s'il nous évaluait mentalement lui et moi, et calculait quelle sorte de paire nous ferions concrètement dans les pénibles circonstances ainsi annoncées.

After that, he sat feeling his right-side flaxen curls and whisker, and following Mrs. Joe about with his blue eyes, as his manner always was at squally times.

Après cela, il resta assis à tâter ses boucles et ses favoris blond lin du côté droit, et à suivre Mme Joe des yeux, comme il en avait toujours l'habitude dans les moments orageux.

Vocabulary

Vous: Formal or plural 'you' in French.
l': Contracted definite article 'the' before vowel.
avez: Second person plural form of 'avoir' (to have).
fait: Past participle of 'faire'; done or made.
dis: First/second person singular of 'dire'; say or tell.
je: First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
Et: Conjunction meaning 'and' connecting clauses.
pourquoi: Interrogative adverb meaning 'why'.
ai: First person singular present of 'avoir'; have.
j': Contracted form of 'je' before a vowel.
aimerais: Conditional of 'aimer'; I would like or love.
bien: Adverb meaning 'well' or intensifier 'very much'.
le: Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'.
savoir: Infinitive meaning 'to know' a fact or skill.
s': Reflexive pronoun contracted before a vowel.
écria: Past tense of 's'écrier'; exclaimed or cried out.
ma: Feminine singular possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
sœur: Noun meaning 'sister', a female sibling.
Je: First person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'.
pleurnichai: Past tense of 'pleurnicher'; whimpered or whined.
ne: Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs.
sais: First/second person singular of 'savoir'; know.
pas: Negative particle completing negation with 'ne'.
_Moi_: Emphatic first person pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I'.
non: Negative adverb meaning 'no' or 'not'.
plus: Adverb meaning 'more' or 'no longer' in negation.
dit: Third person singular past tense of 'dire'; said.
referais: Conditional of 'refaire'; would redo or do again.
jamais: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever' in context.
Ça: Informal pronoun meaning 'that' or 'it'.
puis: Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next' in sequence.
vraiment: Adverb meaning 'really' or 'truly', expressing sincerity.
dire: Infinitive meaning 'to say' or 'to tell'.
que: Conjunction meaning 'that' or relative pronoun 'that/which'.
n': Contracted negative particle 'ne' before a vowel.
retiré: Past participle of 'retirer'; removed or taken off.
mon: Masculine singular possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
tablier: Noun meaning 'apron', worn to protect clothing.
depuis: Preposition meaning 'since' or 'for' a time period.
vous: Formal or plural pronoun meaning 'you'.
êtes: Second person plural of 'être'; you are.
né: Past participle of 'naître'; born into the world.
C': Contracted form of 'ce' meaning 'it' or 'this'.
est: Third person singular of 'être'; is.
déjà: Adverb meaning 'already' or 'yet'.
assez: Adverb meaning 'enough' or 'rather', indicating sufficiency.
d': Contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel meaning 'of/from'.
être: Infinitive of the verb 'to be'.
la: Feminine singular definite article meaning 'the'.
femme: Noun meaning 'woman' or 'wife'.
un: Masculine singular indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
forgeron: Noun meaning 'blacksmith', one who works with iron.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and' connecting words or clauses.
lui: Third person singular pronoun meaning 'him' or 'her'.
sans: Preposition meaning 'without', indicating absence of something.
en: Pronoun or preposition meaning 'in', 'of it', or 'some'.
votre: Formal possessive adjective meaning 'your'.
mère: Noun meaning 'mother', one's female parent.
Mes: Plural possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
pensées: Noun meaning 'thoughts' or 'ideas' in the mind.
éloignèrent: Past tense of 's'éloigner'; moved away or drifted from.
de: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
cette: Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
question: Noun meaning 'question' or 'matter' under discussion.
tandis: Conjunction used in 'tandis que' meaning 'while/whereas'.
regardais: Imperfect tense of 'regarder'; was looking or watching.
air: Noun meaning 'air', 'look', or 'expression' on face.
découragé: Adjective meaning 'discouraged' or 'disheartened', lacking motivation.
feu: Noun meaning 'fire' or 'flame' producing heat and light.
Car: Conjunction meaning 'for' or 'because', explaining a reason.
fugitif: Noun/adjective meaning 'fugitive', someone fleeing from authorities.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside' a place or time.
les: Plural definite article meaning 'the'.
marais: Noun meaning 'marsh' or 'swamp', a wet boggy area.
avec: Preposition meaning 'with', indicating accompaniment or means.
sa: Feminine singular possessive adjective meaning 'his/her/its'.
jambe: Noun meaning 'leg', the lower limb of the body.
entravée: Past participle of 'entraver'; shackled or hindered.
mystérieux: Adjective meaning 'mysterious', difficult to understand or explain.
jeune: Adjective meaning 'young', not old in age.
homme: Noun meaning 'man' or 'human being'.
lime: Noun meaning 'file', a metal tool for rasping surfaces.
nourriture: Noun meaning 'food' or 'nourishment' consumed to sustain life.
horrible: Adjective meaning 'horrible' or 'dreadful', causing horror or disgust.
serment: Noun meaning 'oath' or 'solemn promise' made formally.
qui: Relative pronoun meaning 'who', 'which', or 'that'.
me: First person singular object pronoun meaning 'me'.
liait: Imperfect of 'lier'; was binding or tying to.
commettre: Infinitive meaning 'to commit' a crime or act.
larcin: Noun meaning 'theft' or 'pilfering', petty stealing.
maison: Noun meaning 'house' or 'home', a dwelling place.
hospitalière: Adjective meaning 'hospitable', welcoming and generous to guests.
surgirent: Past tense of 'surgir'; arose or sprang up suddenly.
devant: Preposition meaning 'in front of' or 'before'.
moi: Emphatic first person pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I'.
braises: Noun meaning 'embers' or 'glowing coals' from a fire.
vengeresses: Feminine adjective meaning 'vengeful', seeking revenge or retribution.
Mme: Abbreviation of 'Madame', title of address for women.
remettant: Present participle of 'remettre'; putting back or replacing.
à: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
place: Noun meaning 'place', 'spot', or 'room' in space.
Cimetière: Noun meaning 'cemetery', a graveyard where people are buried.
pouvez: Second person plural of 'pouvoir'; you are able to.
cimetière: Noun meaning 'cemetery', a burial ground for the deceased.
deux: Number meaning 'two', the cardinal number after one.
L': Contracted definite article 'le/la' before a vowel.
nous: First person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'.
soit: Subjunctive of 'être'; be, or 'soit' meaning 'so be it'.
passant: Present participle of 'passer'; passing by or going through.
avait: Third person singular imperfect of 'avoir'; had.
du: Contracted article 'de le' meaning 'of the' or 'some'.
tout: Adjective/adverb meaning 'all', 'every', or 'completely'.
conduirez: Future tense of 'conduire'; you will lead or take.
_moi_: Emphatic stressed pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I myself'.
au: Contracted form of 'à le' meaning 'to the' or 'at the'.
ces: Plural demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'.
jours: Noun meaning 'days', units of time of twenty-four hours.
belle: Feminine adjective meaning 'beautiful' or 'lovely'.
paire: Noun meaning 'pair', a set of two matching things.
feriez: Conditional of 'faire'; you would do or make.
Tandis: Conjunction used in 'tandis que' meaning 'while' or 'whereas'.
qu': Contracted conjunction 'que' before a vowel meaning 'that/while'.
elle: Third person feminine singular pronoun meaning 'she' or 'her'.
affairait: Imperfect of 's'affairer'; was busying herself with tasks.
préparer: Infinitive meaning 'to prepare' or 'to get ready'.
service: Noun meaning 'service' or 'set', as in tea service.
thé: Noun meaning 'tea', a hot brewed beverage.
lança: Past tense of 'lancer'; threw, cast, or shot a glance.
regard: Noun meaning 'look' or 'glance' directed at someone.
furtif: Adjective meaning 'furtive' or 'stealthy', done secretly.
par: Preposition meaning 'by', 'through', or 'per'.
dessus: Adverb meaning 'above' or 'over'; par-dessus means 'over'.
comme: Conjunction/adverb meaning 'as', 'like', or 'how'.
il: Third person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
évaluait: Imperfect of 'évaluer'; was evaluating or assessing mentally.
mentalement: Adverb meaning 'mentally' or 'in one's mind'.
calculait: Imperfect of 'calculer'; was calculating or figuring out.
quelle: Feminine interrogative adjective meaning 'what' or 'which'.
sorte: Noun meaning 'sort', 'kind', or 'type' of something.
ferions: Conditional of 'faire'; we would do or make.
concrètement: Adverb meaning 'concretely' or 'in practical terms'.
pénibles: Adjective meaning 'painful', 'difficult', or 'trying' circumstances.
circonstances: Noun meaning 'circumstances', the conditions surrounding an event.
ainsi: Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
annoncées: Past participle of 'annoncer'; announced or foretold.
Après: Preposition/adverb meaning 'after' or 'afterward' in time.
cela: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this thing'.
resta: Past tense of 'rester'; stayed or remained in place.
assis: Past participle of 'asseoir'; seated or sitting down.
tâter: Infinitive meaning 'to feel' or 'to touch' carefully.
ses: Plural possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
boucles: Noun meaning 'curls' of hair or 'buckles'.
favoris: Noun meaning 'sideburns' or 'favourites' depending on context.
blond: Adjective meaning 'blond' or 'fair', describing light hair color.
lin: Noun meaning 'flax' or 'linen', a natural textile fiber.
côté: Noun meaning 'side' or 'flank', a lateral surface.
droit: Adjective/noun meaning 'right' (direction) or 'straight'.
suivre: Infinitive meaning 'to follow' someone or something.
des: Plural indefinite article or contraction meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
yeux: Noun meaning 'eyes', the organs of vision.
toujours: Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still', indicating continuity.
habitude: Noun meaning 'habit' or 'custom', a regular practice.
moments: Noun meaning 'moments' or 'times', brief periods of time.
orageux: Adjective meaning 'stormy' or 'turbulent', marked by conflict.

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