Heart of Darkness — Page 3

English → Fr Full Text Level 9/10

And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall, the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed to a dull red without rays and without heat, as if about to go out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of that gloom brooding over a crowd of men.

Et enfin, dans sa chute courbe et imperceptible, le soleil s'abaissa, et de blanc ardent passa à un rouge terne sans rayons et sans chaleur, comme s'il allait s'éteindre soudainement, frappé à mort par le contact de cette obscurité qui couvait au-dessus d'une foule d'hommes.

Forthwith a change came over the waters, and the serenity became less brilliant but more profound.

Aussitôt un changement se fit sur les eaux, et la sérénité devint moins brillante mais plus profonde.

The old river in its broad reach rested unruffled at the decline of day, after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks, spread out in the tranquil dignity of a waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth.

Le vieux fleuve dans sa large étendue se reposait sans ride au déclin du jour, après des siècles de bons et loyaux services rendus à la race qui peuplait ses rives, déployé dans la tranquille dignité d'une voie navigable menant aux extrémités les plus lointaines de la terre.

We looked at the venerable stream not in the vivid flush of a short day that comes and departs for ever, but in the august light of abiding memories.

Nous regardions le vénérable cours d'eau non dans l'éclat vif d'un jour court qui vient et s'en va pour toujours, mais dans la lumière auguste de souvenirs durables.

And indeed nothing is easier for a man who has, as the phrase goes, "followed the sea" with reverence and affection, than to evoke the great spirit of the past upon the lower reaches of the Thames.

Et en vérité rien n'est plus aisé pour un homme qui a, comme on dit, « suivi la mer » avec révérence et affection, que d'évoquer le grand esprit du passé sur les basses eaux de la Tamise.

The tidal current runs to and fro in its unceasing service, crowded with memories of men and ships it had borne to the rest of home or to the battles of the sea.

Le courant de marée va et vient dans son service incessant, chargé de souvenirs des hommes et des navires qu'il avait portés vers le repos du foyer ou vers les batailles de la mer.

It had known and served all the men of whom the nation is proud, from Sir Francis Drake to Sir John Franklin, knights all, titled and untitled—the great knights-errant of the sea.

Il avait connu et servi tous les hommes dont la nation est fière, de Sir Francis Drake à Sir John Franklin, chevaliers tous, titrés et sans titre — les grands chevaliers errants de la mer.

Vocabulary

enfin: Finally, at last; used to indicate conclusion.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'.
sa: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
chute: A fall or descent; dropping downward.
courbe: Curved, bent; having a rounded or arched shape.
imperceptible: Too slight or gradual to be noticed or perceived.
soleil: The sun; the star at the center of our solar system.
abaissa: Lowered or descended; past tense of 'abaisser'.
blanc: White; the color of snow or pure light.
ardent: Burning, fierce; intensely hot or passionate.
rouge: Red; the color of blood or fire.
terne: Dull, dim, lacking brightness or luster.
sans: Preposition meaning 'without', lacking something.
rayons: Rays or beams of light emanating from a source.
chaleur: Heat; warmth produced by a heat source.
comme: Conjunction meaning 'as' or 'like', for comparison.
allait: Was going; imperfect tense of 'aller'.
éteindre: To extinguish or turn off a light or flame.
soudainement: Suddenly, all at once, without warning.
frappé: Struck, hit; affected suddenly and forcefully.
mort: Death; the end of life.
contact: Touch or connection between two things or surfaces.
cette: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that' (feminine).
obscurité: Darkness; absence of light or clarity.
couvait: Was brooding or smoldering; lurking beneath the surface.
dessus: Above, on top; higher in position.
foule: A crowd or throng of many people gathered together.
hommes: Men or humans; plural of 'homme'.
Aussitôt: Immediately, right away, as soon as possible.
changement: A change or transformation; shift from one state to another.
fit: Made or did; simple past of 'faire'.
eaux: Waters; plural of 'eau', referring to bodies of water.
sérénité: Serenity; calm, peaceful, and tranquil quality.
devint: Became; simple past of 'devenir'.
moins: Less; comparative adverb indicating a smaller degree.
brillante: Brilliant, bright, sparkling with light or intelligence.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but', indicating contrast or opposition.
plus: More; comparative adverb indicating a greater degree.
profonde: Deep, profound; extending far down or in meaning.
vieux: Old, aged; having existed for a long time.
fleuve: A large river flowing into the sea.
large: Wide, broad; having great extent from side to side.
étendue: Expanse, stretch; a wide area or extent of something.
reposait: Was resting or lying still; imperfect of 'reposer'.
ride: A ripple or wrinkle on a water surface or skin.
déclin: Decline, waning; gradual decrease or end of something.
jour: Day; a period of 24 hours or daylight hours.
après: After, following; subsequent to something in time.
siècles: Centuries; periods of one hundred years each.
bons: Good; plural of 'bon', meaning favorable or virtuous.
loyaux: Loyal, faithful; steadfastly devoted and trustworthy.
services: Services; acts of help or duty rendered to others.
rendus: Rendered, given; past participle of 'rendre'.
race: Race or people; a group sharing common ancestry or origin.
peuplait: Populated, inhabited; imperfect of 'peupler'.
ses: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its' (plural).
rives: Riverbanks or shores; edges alongside a body of water.
déployé: Deployed or spread out; unfolded across a wide area.
tranquille: Calm, quiet, peaceful; free from disturbance or agitation.
dignité: Dignity; composed and worthy bearing or conduct.
voie: A way, path, or route leading somewhere.
navigable: Navigable; deep or wide enough for ships to travel.
menant: Leading or heading toward; present participle of 'mener'.
extrémités: Extremities, far ends; outermost points of something.
lointaines: Distant, faraway; situated far away in space or time.
terre: Earth, land; the ground or planet we live on.
regardions: Were looking at; imperfect tense of 'regarder'.
vénérable: Venerable; commanding respect due to age or dignity.
cours: Course or flow; the path taken by a river or stream.
eau: Water; the transparent liquid essential to life.
non: No, not; used to negate or refuse something.
éclat: Brilliance, sparkle; radiant brightness or splendor.
vif: Lively, bright, vivid; keen and full of energy.
court: Short, brief; having little length or duration.
vient: Comes; third-person singular present of 'venir'.
va: Goes; third-person singular present of 'aller'.
toujours: Always, forever; at all times or still continuing.
lumière: Light; illumination from a natural or artificial source.
auguste: August, majestic; inspiring awe and deep respect.
souvenirs: Memories or mementos; things recalled from the past.
durables: Lasting, enduring; remaining strong over a long time.
vérité: Truth; conformity to fact or reality.
rien: Nothing; not anything at all.
aisé: Easy, effortless; requiring little difficulty or effort.
homme: Man; an adult male human being.
on: One, people, we; indefinite subject pronoun in French.
dit: Said; simple past or present tense of 'dire'.
suivi: Followed; past participle of 'suivre'.
mer: Sea; a large body of salt water.
avec: With; indicating accompaniment or manner.
révérence: Reverence; deep respect and admiration for someone.
affection: Affection; warm fondness and caring for someone.
évoquer: To evoke or call to mind; to recall or suggest.
grand: Great, large; impressive in size or importance.
esprit: Spirit, mind, or wit; intellectual or immaterial essence.
passé: Past; time that has already gone by.
basses: Low; situated near the ground or bottom.
Tamise: The Thames; the famous river flowing through London.
courant: Current; a flowing movement of water or air.
marée: Tide; periodic rise and fall of sea water levels.
son: His, her, its; possessive adjective for singular nouns.
service: Service; the act of serving or helping others.
incessant: Incessant, unceasing; continuing without interruption or pause.
chargé: Loaded, laden, charged; carrying a heavy burden.
navires: Ships, vessels; large boats for sea travel or transport.
portés: Carried, transported; past participle of 'porter'.
vers: Toward, towards; in the direction of something.
repos: Rest, repose; a state of relaxation or peace.
foyer: Home, hearth; a place of comfort and family life.
ou: Or; conjunction presenting an alternative choice.
batailles: Battles; armed conflicts or struggles between opponents.
connu: Known; past participle of 'connaître'.
servi: Served; past participle of 'servir'.
tous: All, everyone; referring to every person or thing.
dont: Whose, of which; relative pronoun indicating possession.
nation: Nation; a country or people sharing identity and culture.
fière: Proud; feeling pleased and satisfied with achievement.
chevaliers: Knights; men granted an honorable military rank.
titrés: Titled; holding a noble or honorific title.
titre: Title; a name indicating rank, honor, or distinction.
grands: Great ones; notable or distinguished figures of importance.
errants: Wandering, roaming; moving from place to place without settlement.

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