Jane Eyre: An Autobiography — Page 1
There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.
Il n'était pas possible de faire une promenade ce jour-là.
We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning;
Nous avions bien erré, en effet, dans les buissons sans feuilles pendant une heure le matin ;
but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question.
mais depuis le dîner (Mme Reed, quand il n'y avait pas de compagnie, dînait tôt) le froid vent d'hiver avait apporté avec lui des nuages si sombres, et une pluie si pénétrante, que toute autre sortie était désormais hors de question.
I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed.
J'en étais contente : je n'ai jamais aimé les longues promenades, surtout les après-midi froids : il m'était pénible de rentrer dans le crépuscule humide, avec des doigts et des orteils engourdis, et un cœur attristé par les reproches de Bessie, la nourrice, et humilié par la conscience de mon infériorité physique par rapport à Eliza, John et Georgiana Reed.
The said Eliza, John, and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room: she lay reclined on a sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her (for the time neither quarrelling nor crying) looked perfectly happy.
Ladite Eliza, John et Georgiana étaient maintenant rassemblés autour de leur maman dans le salon : elle était allongée sur un canapé près du foyer, et avec ses chéris autour d'elle (pour l'instant ne se querellant ni ne pleurant) semblait parfaitement heureuse.
Me, she had dispensed from joining the group; saying, "She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that until she heard from Bessie, and could discover by her own observation, that I was endeavouring in good earnest to acquire a more sociable and childlike disposition, a more attractive and sprightly manner—something lighter, franker, more natural, as it were—she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy, little children."
Quant à moi, elle m'avait dispensée de rejoindre le groupe ; disant : « Elle regrettait d'être dans la nécessité de me tenir à distance ; mais que jusqu'à ce qu'elle eût des nouvelles de Bessie, et pût découvrir par sa propre observation que je m'efforçais sérieusement d'acquérir un caractère plus sociable et plus enfantin, des manières plus attrayantes et plus vives — quelque chose de plus léger, de plus franc, de plus naturel, pour ainsi dire — elle se devait vraiment de m'exclure des privilèges destinés uniquement aux enfants contents et heureux. »
"What does Bessie say I have done?" I asked.
« Que dit Bessie que j'ai fait ? » demandai-je.
Vocabulary
- était
- Imperfect tense of 'être'; 'was' or 'were'.
- faire
- Infinitive verb meaning 'to do' or 'to make'.
- promenade
- Noun meaning a leisurely walk or stroll outdoors.
- là
- Adverb meaning 'there'; used in 'ce jour-là' meaning 'that day'.
- avions
- Imperfect form of 'avoir'; 'we had'.
- bien
- Adverb meaning 'well', 'indeed', or 'really'.
- erré
- Past participle of 'errer'; to have wandered or roamed.
- effet
- Noun meaning 'effect'; 'en effet' means 'indeed' or 'in fact'.
- buissons
- Plural noun meaning bushes or shrubs in a garden or wild area.
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without'.
- feuilles
- Plural noun meaning leaves of trees or plants.
- pendant
- Preposition meaning 'during' or 'for' a period of time.
- heure
- Noun meaning 'hour' or 'time'.
- matin
- Noun meaning 'morning'.
- depuis
- Preposition meaning 'since' or 'from' a point in time.
- dîner
- Noun or verb meaning 'dinner' or 'to have dinner'.
- quand
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'.
- y
- Pronoun meaning 'there' or replacing a previously mentioned place.
- avait
- Imperfect form of 'avoir'; third person singular 'had'.
- compagnie
- Noun meaning company, guests, or companionship.
- dînait
- Imperfect form of 'dîner'; 'was having dinner' or 'used to dine'.
- tôt
- Adverb meaning 'early' in terms of time.
- froid
- Adjective or noun meaning 'cold'.
- vent
- Noun meaning 'wind'.
- hiver
- Noun meaning 'winter'.
- apporté
- Past participle of 'apporter'; to have brought or carried something.
- nuages
- Plural noun meaning clouds in the sky.
- si
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'such'; also conjunction meaning 'if'.
- sombres
- Adjective meaning dark, gloomy, or somber.
- pluie
- Noun meaning 'rain'.
- pénétrante
- Adjective meaning penetrating, piercing, or sharp, describing cold rain.
- toute
- Feminine adjective meaning 'all', 'every', or 'any'.
- autre
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'another'.
- sortie
- Noun meaning an outing, exit, or going out.
- désormais
- Adverb meaning 'from now on', 'henceforth', or 'hereafter'.
- hors
- Preposition meaning 'outside' or 'beyond'; 'hors de question' means out of the question.
- étais
- Imperfect form of 'être'; first person singular 'I was'.
- contente
- Feminine adjective meaning happy, satisfied, or pleased.
- jamais
- Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever' depending on context.
- aimé
- Past participle of 'aimer'; 'liked' or 'loved'.
- longues
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'long' in duration or distance.
- promenades
- Plural noun meaning walks, strolls, or outdoor excursions.
- surtout
- Adverb meaning 'especially', 'above all', or 'particularly'.
- midi
- Noun meaning 'noon' or 'afternoon'; 'après-midi' means afternoon.
- froids
- Masculine plural adjective meaning 'cold'.
- pénible
- Adjective meaning painful, difficult, or distressing.
- rentrer
- Infinitive meaning 'to return home' or 'to go back inside'.
- crépuscule
- Noun meaning twilight or dusk, the time after sunset.
- humide
- Adjective meaning damp, wet, or humid.
- doigts
- Plural noun meaning fingers or toes.
- orteils
- Plural noun meaning toes on a foot.
- engourdis
- Adjective meaning numb or stiff from cold or inactivity.
- cœur
- Noun meaning 'heart', both literally and figuratively.
- attristé
- Past participle of 'attrister'; saddened or made sorrowful.
- reproches
- Plural noun meaning reproaches, blame, or criticisms directed at someone.
- nourrice
- Noun meaning a nursemaid or wet nurse caring for children.
- humilié
- Past participle of 'humilier'; humiliated or made to feel ashamed.
- conscience
- Noun meaning conscience, awareness, or consciousness.
- infériorité
- Noun meaning inferiority or a state of being lesser than others.
- physique
- Adjective meaning physical or relating to the body.
- rapport
- Noun meaning relationship or connection; 'par rapport à' means compared to.
- Ladite
- Feminine adjective meaning 'the aforementioned' or 'said'; formal usage.
- étaient
- Imperfect plural form of 'être'; 'they were'.
- maintenant
- Adverb meaning 'now' or 'at this moment'.
- rassemblés
- Past participle of 'rassembler'; gathered or assembled together.
- autour
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'around' or 'surrounding'.
- leur
- Possessive adjective meaning 'their'; also indirect object pronoun 'them'.
- maman
- Informal noun meaning 'mom' or 'mama'.
- salon
- Noun meaning living room or sitting room in a house.
- allongée
- Feminine past participle meaning lying down or stretched out.
- canapé
- Noun meaning a sofa or couch for sitting or lying on.
- près
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'near' or 'close to'.
- foyer
- Noun meaning hearth, fireplace, or home.
- chéris
- Plural noun or adjective meaning darlings or beloved ones.
- instant
- Noun meaning 'moment' or 'instant'; 'pour l'instant' means for now.
- querellant
- Present participle of 'se quereller'; quarreling or arguing with one another.
- ni
- Conjunction meaning 'nor'; used in 'ni...ni' meaning 'neither...nor'.
- pleurant
- Present participle of 'pleurer'; crying or weeping.
- semblait
- Imperfect form of 'sembler'; 'seemed' or 'appeared'.
- parfaitement
- Adverb meaning 'perfectly' or 'completely'.
- heureuse
- Feminine adjective meaning happy or joyful.
- Quant
- Preposition used in 'quant à' meaning 'as for' or 'regarding'.
- dispensée
- Feminine past participle meaning excused or exempted from something.
- rejoindre
- Infinitive meaning 'to join' or 'to rejoin' a person or group.
- disant
- Present participle of 'dire'; saying or stating something.
- regrettait
- Imperfect form of 'regretter'; 'was sorry' or 'regretted'.
- être
- Infinitive meaning 'to be'; one of the most essential French verbs.
- nécessité
- Noun meaning 'necessity' or an obligation that cannot be avoided.
- tenir
- Infinitive meaning 'to hold', 'to keep', or 'to maintain'.
- distance
- Noun meaning 'distance'; 'à distance' means kept away or at a distance.
- jusqu'
- Contraction of 'jusqu'à'; preposition meaning 'until' or 'up to'.
- eût
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'avoir'; 'had' in a formal or literary context.
- nouvelles
- Plural noun meaning news, information, or updates about someone.
- pût
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'pouvoir'; 'could' in a formal or literary context.
- découvrir
- Infinitive meaning 'to discover' or 'to find out' something.
- propre
- Adjective meaning 'own' when before a noun, or 'clean' when after.
- observation
- Noun meaning observation, watching, or monitoring of someone's behavior.
- efforçais
- Imperfect of 's'efforcer'; 'was striving' or 'making an effort'.
- sérieusement
- Adverb meaning 'seriously' or 'earnestly'.
- acquérir
- Infinitive meaning 'to acquire' or 'to develop' a quality or skill.
- caractère
- Noun meaning character, personality, or temperament of a person.
- plus
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'no longer' depending on context.
- sociable
- Adjective meaning sociable, friendly, or easy to get along with.
- enfantin
- Adjective meaning childlike, childish, or relating to childhood.
- manières
- Plural noun meaning manners, behaviors, or ways of acting.
- attrayantes
- Feminine plural adjective meaning attractive, appealing, or engaging.
- vives
- Feminine plural adjective meaning lively, vivid, or bright.
- quelque
- Adjective meaning 'some' or 'a certain'; used before singular nouns.
- chose
- Noun meaning 'thing'; 'quelque chose' means 'something'.
- léger
- Adjective meaning light, not heavy, or carefree in manner.
- franc
- Adjective meaning frank, open, honest, or candid in expression.
- naturel
- Adjective meaning natural, spontaneous, or unaffected in behavior.
- ainsi
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
- dire
- Infinitive meaning 'to say' or 'to tell'; 'pour ainsi dire' means so to speak.
- devait
- Imperfect of 'devoir'; 'had to', 'was supposed to', or 'must have'.
- vraiment
- Adverb meaning 'really', 'truly', or 'genuinely'.
- exclure
- Infinitive meaning 'to exclude' or 'to shut out' from a group or privilege.
- privilèges
- Plural noun meaning privileges or special rights granted to some people.
- destinés
- Past participle of 'destiner'; intended or meant for a specific purpose.
- uniquement
- Adverb meaning 'only', 'solely', or 'exclusively'.
- enfants
- Plural noun meaning children or kids.
- contents
- Masculine plural adjective meaning happy, content, or satisfied.
- heureux
- Adjective meaning happy, joyful, or fortunate.
- Que
- Interrogative or relative pronoun meaning 'what' or 'that'.
- dit
- Present or past form of 'dire'; 'says' or 'said'.
- fait
- Past participle or present of 'faire'; 'done' or 'made'.
- demandai-
- Passé simple form of 'demander'; 'I asked' in a formal literary narrative.
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