← Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World

Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World — Page 1

English → Fr CHAPTER I. Level 8/10

The author gives some account of himself and family. His first inducements to travel. He is shipwrecked, and swims for his life, gets safe on shore in the country of Lilliput; is made a prisoner, and carried up the country.

L'auteur donne quelques informations sur lui-même et sa famille. Ses premières motivations pour voyager. Il fait naufrage, nage pour sauver sa vie, parvient sain et sauf sur le rivage du pays de Lilliput ; est fait prisonnier et conduit à l'intérieur du pays.

My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five sons.

Mon père possédait un petit domaine dans le Nottinghamshire ; j'étais le troisième de cinq fils.

He sent me to Emanuel College in Cambridge at fourteen years old, where I resided three years, and applied myself close to my studies; but the charge of maintaining me, although I had a very scanty allowance, being too great for a narrow fortune, I was bound apprentice to Mr. James Bates, an eminent surgeon in London, with whom I continued four years.

Il m'envoya au Emanuel College de Cambridge à l'âge de quatorze ans, où je résidai trois ans et me consacrai assidûment à mes études ; mais le coût de mon entretien, bien que je disposasse d'une allocation très modeste, étant trop élevé pour une fortune étroite, je fus placé en apprentissage auprès de M. James Bates, un éminent chirurgien de Londres, chez qui je demeurai quatre ans.

My father now and then sending me small sums of money, I laid them out in learning navigation, and other parts of the mathematics, useful to those who intend to travel, as I always believed it would be, some time or other, my fortune to do.

Mon père m'envoyant de temps à autre de petites sommes d'argent, je les employais à apprendre la navigation et d'autres branches des mathématiques, utiles à ceux qui ont l'intention de voyager, comme j'ai toujours cru qu'il me serait donné de le faire, tôt ou tard.

When I left Mr. Bates, I went down to my father: where, by the assistance of him and my uncle John, and some other relations, I got forty pounds, and a promise of thirty pounds a year to maintain me at Leyden: there I studied physic two years and seven months, knowing it would be useful in long voyages.

Quand je quittai M. Bates, je me rendis chez mon père : là, grâce à son aide et à celle de mon oncle John et de quelques autres parents, j'obtins quarante livres, ainsi que la promesse de trente livres par an pour subvenir à mes besoins à Leyde : j'y étudiai la médecine pendant deux ans et sept mois, sachant que cela me serait utile lors de longs voyages.

Soon after my return from Leyden, I was recommended by my good master, Mr.

Peu après mon retour de Leyde, je fus recommandé par mon bon maître, M.

Vocabulary

auteur
A person who writes or creates a work.
donne
Gives or provides something to someone.
quelques
A few or some; indicates a small number.
informations
Facts or details about a subject.
sur
Preposition meaning on, about, or concerning.
lui
Personal pronoun meaning him or to him.
même
Means same, even, or self depending on context.
famille
A group of people related by blood or marriage.
premières
First in order or sequence; feminine plural form.
motivations
Reasons or desires that drive someone to act.
voyager
To travel from one place to another.
fait
Does or makes; third person singular of faire.
naufrage
A shipwreck or disaster at sea.
nage
Swims; third person singular of nager.
sauver
To save or rescue someone or something from danger.
vie
Life; the state of being alive.
parvient
Manages to achieve or reach; succeeds in doing.
sain
Healthy, sound, or unharmed in body or mind.
sauf
Safe or unharmed; also means except as preposition.
rivage
The shore or bank of a sea or river.
pays
A country or region where people live.
prisonnier
A person captured and held against their will.
conduit
Led or taken somewhere; guided or directed.
intérieur
The inside or interior of a place or space.
père
Father; one's male parent.
possédait
Owned or possessed something; imperfect tense of posséder.
petit
Small or little in size or importance.
domaine
An estate, domain, or area of land owned.
troisième
Third in order or ranking among a sequence.
cinq
The number five.
fils
Son; a male child of a parent.
envoya
Sent someone to a place; past tense of envoyer.
âge
Age; the number of years one has lived.
quatorze
The number fourteen.
ans
Years; used when expressing a person's age.
Relative pronoun or adverb meaning where or when.
résidai
Resided or lived somewhere; simple past of résider.
trois
The number three.
consacrai
Devoted or dedicated myself; simple past of consacrer.
assidûment
Diligently, steadily, and with great dedication.
études
Studies or coursework pursued at an educational institution.
coût
The cost or price of something.
entretien
Maintenance, upkeep, or the cost of living expenses.
bien
Well or very; indicates quality or degree.
disposasse
Had available or at one's disposal; imperfect subjunctive.
allocation
An allowance or grant of money provided regularly.
modeste
Modest, small, or not extravagant in amount.
étant
Being; present participle of être, used in clauses.
trop
Too or too much; excessive in degree.
élevé
High or elevated; used here to mean too expensive.
fortune
Wealth, fortune, or financial circumstances.
étroite
Narrow or limited; here describing restricted financial means.
fus
Was; first person singular simple past of être.
placé
Placed or positioned somewhere by someone else.
apprentissage
Apprenticeship; learning a trade under a skilled master.
auprès
Near or with; close to a person or institution.
éminent
Eminent or distinguished; outstanding in a profession.
chirurgien
A surgeon; a doctor who performs surgical operations.
Londres
London; the capital city of England and the UK.
chez
At the home or place of someone.
demeurai
Stayed or remained; simple past of demeurer.
quatre
The number four.
envoyant
Sending; present participle of envoyer.
temps
Time or weather; a fundamental concept in French.
autre
Other or another; referring to a different thing.
petites
Small or little; feminine plural adjective.
sommes
Sums of money; also we are (être).
argent
Money or silver; a common and essential noun.
employais
Used or employed; imperfect tense of employer.
apprendre
To learn or to teach; a fundamental French verb.
navigation
The practice of directing a ship or vessel.
autres
Others or other; plural form of autre.
branches
Branches or fields of a discipline or subject.
mathématiques
Mathematics; the study of numbers and quantities.
utiles
Useful or helpful; plural form of utile.
ceux
Those or the ones; demonstrative pronoun (masculine plural).
intention
An intention or plan to do something.
comme
As, like, or since; used in comparisons.
toujours
Always or still; indicating continuity or permanence.
cru
Believed; past participle of croire, to believe.
serait
Would be; conditional tense of être.
donné
Given; past participle of donner.
faire
To do or to make; a very common French verb.
tôt
Early or soon; referring to time.
tard
Late; referring to a later point in time.
Quand
When; introducing a time clause or question.
quittai
Left or departed; simple past of quitter.
rendis
Went or made my way; simple past of se rendre.
There; indicating a place at a distance.
grâce
Thanks to or grace; expressing gratitude or favor.
aide
Help or assistance provided by someone.
celle
The one; demonstrative pronoun (feminine singular).
oncle
Uncle; the brother of one's parent.
parents
Parents or relatives; those related by family ties.
obtins
Obtained or received; simple past of obtenir.
quarante
The number forty.
livres
Pounds (currency) or books; context determines meaning.
ainsi
Thus, so, or in this way; indicating manner.
promesse
A promise or commitment made to someone.
trente
The number thirty.
par
By, per, or through; a versatile preposition.
an
A year; one complete calendar year.
subvenir
To provide for or meet one's needs financially.
besoins
Needs or necessities required for daily life.
y
There or to it; adverbial pronoun replacing a place.
étudiai
Studied; first person simple past of étudier.
médecine
Medicine; the science of treating illness and disease.
pendant
During or for a period of time.
deux
The number two.
sept
The number seven.
mois
Month or months; a unit of time measurement.
sachant
Knowing; present participle of savoir.
cela
That or this; demonstrative pronoun referring to something.
utile
Useful or helpful; beneficial for a purpose.
lors
At the time of; used in the phrase lors de.
longs
Long; plural masculine adjective describing duration or length.
voyages
Trips or journeys to distant places.
Peu
Little or few; indicating a small amount.
après
After; indicating something following in time or order.
retour
Return; the act of coming back to a place.
recommandé
Recommended; suggested as worthy or suitable.
bon
Good; describing quality or suitability.
maître
Master or teacher; a skilled and respected professional.
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