Heart of Darkness — Page 12
And as I looked at the map of it in a shop-window, it fascinated me as a snake would a bird—a silly little bird.
Et en regardant la carte dans une vitrine de magasin, cela me fascina comme un serpent fascinerait un oiseau — un petit oiseau stupide.
Then I remembered there was a big concern, a Company for trade on that river.
Puis je me souvins qu'il existait une grande entreprise, une Compagnie pour le commerce sur ce fleuve.
Dash it all! I thought to myself, they can't trade without using some kind of craft on that lot of fresh water—steamboats!
Diable ! me dis-je, ils ne peuvent pas commercer sans utiliser quelque sorte d'embarcation sur toute cette eau douce — des bateaux à vapeur !
Why shouldn't I try to get charge of one?
Pourquoi n'essaierais-je pas d'obtenir le commandement de l'un d'eux ?
I went on along Fleet Street, but could not shake off the idea.
Je continuai le long de Fleet Street, mais je ne pouvais pas me débarrasser de cette idée.
The snake had charmed me.
Le serpent m'avait ensorcelé.
"You understand it was a Continental concern, that Trading society; but I have a lot of relations living on the Continent, because it's cheap and not so nasty as it looks, they say.
« Vous comprenez, c'était une entreprise continentale, cette société commerciale ; mais j'ai beaucoup de parents vivant sur le Continent, parce que c'est bon marché et pas si désagréable que ça en a l'air, dit-on.
"I am sorry to own I began to worry them.
« Je suis honteux d'avouer que je commençai à les importuner.
This was already a fresh departure for me.
C'était déjà une nouvelle façon de faire pour moi.
I was not used to get things that way, you know.
Je n'avais pas l'habitude d'obtenir les choses de cette façon, vous savez.
I always went my own road and on my own legs where I had a mind to go.
J'ai toujours suivi mon propre chemin et marché de mes propres jambes là où j'avais envie d'aller.
I wouldn't have believed it of myself; but, then—you see—I felt somehow I must get there by hook or by crook.
Je n'aurais pas cru cela de moi-même ; mais, voyez-vous, je sentais qu'il me fallait y parvenir coûte que coûte.
So I worried them.
Alors je les importunai.
The men said 'My dear fellow,' and did nothing.
Les hommes disaient « Mon cher ami » et ne faisaient rien.
Then—would you believe it?—I tried the women.
Puis — le croiriez-vous ? — j'essayai auprès des femmes.
I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work—to get a job.
Moi, Charlie Marlow, je mis les femmes à contribution — pour obtenir un poste.
Heavens!
Grands dieux !
Well, you see, the notion drove me.
Eh bien, voyez-vous, cette idée me possédait.
I had an aunt, a dear enthusiastic soul.
J'avais une tante, une chère âme enthousiaste.
She wrote: 'It will be delightful.
Elle écrivit : « Ce sera délicieux.
Vocabulary
- regardant
- Present participle of 'regarder'; looking at something.
- carte
- A map or card used for navigation or identification.
- vitrine
- A shop window or display case showing merchandise.
- magasin
- A store or shop where goods are sold.
- cela
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this'.
- fascina
- Past tense of 'fasciner'; captivated or strongly attracted someone.
- serpent
- A snake; a long, legless reptile.
- fascinerait
- Conditional of 'fasciner'; would fascinate or captivate someone.
- oiseau
- A bird; a feathered, winged animal.
- petit
- Adjective meaning small or little in size.
- stupide
- Adjective meaning stupid, foolish, or lacking intelligence.
- Puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next', indicating sequence.
- souvins
- Past tense of 'se souvenir'; remembered something from the past.
- existait
- Imperfect tense of 'exister'; something existed or was present.
- grande
- Adjective meaning large, big, or great in size.
- entreprise
- A company or business enterprise engaged in commerce.
- Compagnie
- A company or organization involved in trade or business.
- commerce
- Trade or the buying and selling of goods.
- fleuve
- A large river that flows into the sea.
- Diable
- The devil; also used as an exclamation of surprise.
- dis
- Past tense of 'dire'; said something to someone.
- peuvent
- Present tense of 'pouvoir'; they are able to do something.
- commercer
- To trade or engage in commercial exchange of goods.
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without', lacking something.
- utiliser
- To use or make use of something for a purpose.
- quelque
- Adjective meaning 'some' or 'a certain' kind.
- sorte
- A sort, kind, or type of something.
- embarcation
- A small boat or vessel used for water travel.
- toute
- Adjective meaning 'all' or 'every', feminine form.
- cette
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' for feminine nouns.
- eau
- Water; the liquid essential for life and navigation.
- douce
- Adjective meaning sweet or fresh, as in fresh water.
- bateaux
- Plural of 'bateau'; boats or watercraft used for travel.
- vapeur
- Steam; used in 'bateau à vapeur', a steamboat.
- Pourquoi
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'why'; asking for a reason.
- essaierais
- Conditional of 'essayer'; would try or attempt something.
- obtenir
- To obtain, get, or acquire something desired.
- commandement
- A command or the position of commanding a vessel.
- eux
- Third-person plural disjunctive pronoun meaning 'them'.
- continuai
- Past tense of 'continuer'; continued moving or doing something.
- long
- Adjective meaning long in length or duration.
- mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrast or objection.
- pouvais
- Imperfect of 'pouvoir'; was able to or could do.
- débarrasser
- To get rid of or free oneself from something unwanted.
- idée
- An idea or thought occurring in the mind.
- ensorcelé
- Past participle of 'ensorceler'; bewitched or put under a spell.
- comprenez
- Present tense of 'comprendre'; you understand something.
- continentale
- Adjective meaning continental, relating to a continent.
- société
- A society or company organized for a common purpose.
- commerciale
- Adjective meaning commercial, related to trade or business.
- beaucoup
- Adverb meaning 'a lot' or 'many', indicating large quantity.
- parents
- Relatives or family members; parents or relations.
- vivant
- Present participle of 'vivre'; living or residing somewhere.
- Continent
- A large landmass; here referring to mainland Europe.
- bon
- Adjective meaning good, pleasant, or suitable.
- marché
- A market; 'bon marché' means cheap or inexpensive.
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or adverb meaning 'so'.
- désagréable
- Adjective meaning unpleasant, disagreeable, or uncomfortable.
- ça
- Informal demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'it'.
- air
- Appearance or manner; 'avoir l'air' means to seem or look.
- dit
- Past tense of 'dire'; said or told something to someone.
- on
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one', 'we', 'they', or 'people'.
- honteux
- Adjective meaning ashamed or embarrassed about something.
- avouer
- To admit or confess something, often reluctantly.
- commençai
- Past tense of 'commencer'; began or started doing something.
- importuner
- To importune or persistently bother and pester someone.
- déjà
- Adverb meaning 'already' or 'before', indicating prior occurrence.
- nouvelle
- Adjective meaning new or novel; something not done before.
- façon
- A way, manner, or method of doing something.
- faire
- Infinitive meaning 'to do' or 'to make' something.
- moi
- First-person disjunctive pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I'.
- habitude
- A habit or custom; usual way of doing things.
- choses
- Plural of 'chose'; things or objects of any kind.
- savez
- Present tense of 'savoir'; you know a fact or information.
- toujours
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still', indicating continuity.
- suivi
- Past participle of 'suivre'; followed a path or direction.
- propre
- Adjective meaning own, clean, or characteristic of someone.
- chemin
- A path, road, or way leading somewhere.
- jambes
- Plural of 'jambe'; legs, the lower limbs of the body.
- là
- Adverb meaning 'there', indicating a location or place.
- où
- Relative or interrogative adverb meaning 'where'.
- envie
- Desire or urge to do or have something.
- aller
- Infinitive meaning 'to go', movement toward a destination.
- aurais
- Conditional of 'avoir'; I would have done something.
- cru
- Past participle of 'croire'; believed or thought something true.
- même
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'same', 'even', or 'itself'.
- voyez
- Present tense of 'voir'; you see or notice something.
- sentais
- Imperfect of 'sentir'; I felt or sensed something inwardly.
- fallait
- Imperfect of 'falloir'; it was necessary to do something.
- y
- Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or 'to it'.
- parvenir
- To succeed in achieving or reaching a goal or destination.
- coûte
- Present of 'coûter'; costs; 'coûte que coûte' means at any cost.
- Alors
- Adverb meaning 'so', 'then', or 'at that time'.
- importunai
- Past tense of 'importuner'; pestered or bothered someone persistently.
- hommes
- Plural of 'homme'; men or human beings in general.
- disaient
- Imperfect of 'dire'; they were saying or used to say.
- cher
- Adjective meaning dear, beloved, or expensive.
- ami
- A friend or close acquaintance; masculine form.
- faisaient
- Imperfect of 'faire'; they were doing or making something.
- rien
- Pronoun meaning 'nothing'; used with 'ne' for negation.
- croiriez
- Conditional of 'croire'; you would believe something told.
- essayai
- Past tense of 'essayer'; tried or attempted something.
- auprès
- Preposition meaning 'with', 'near', or 'in the eyes of'.
- femmes
- Plural of 'femme'; women or wives.
- mis
- Past participle of 'mettre'; put or placed into service.
- contribution
- A contribution; being put to use for a purpose.
- poste
- A post or position; also a mail or post office.
- Grands
- Plural of 'grand'; great; used in exclamations like 'grands dieux'.
- dieux
- Plural of 'dieu'; gods; 'grands dieux' is an exclamation of surprise.
- Eh
- Interjection meaning 'hey' or 'well', expressing mild surprise.
- bien
- Adverb meaning 'well'; 'eh bien' means 'well then'.
- possédait
- Imperfect of 'posséder'; owned or possessed something.
- tante
- An aunt; a parent's sister or uncle's wife.
- chère
- Feminine adjective meaning dear or beloved; affectionate term.
- âme
- The soul or spirit; the inner essence of a person.
- enthousiaste
- Adjective meaning enthusiastic, eager, or full of excitement.
- écrivit
- Past tense of 'écrire'; wrote a letter or document.
- sera
- Future tense of 'être'; will be at a future time.
- délicieux
- Adjective meaning delightful, wonderful, or delicious.
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