Jane Eyre: An Autobiography — Page 2
"Jane, I don't like cavillers or questioners; besides, there is something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner. Be seated somewhere; and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent."
« Jane, je n'aime pas les ergoteurs ni les questioneurs ; de plus, il y a quelque chose de vraiment choquant dans le fait qu'un enfant reprenne ses aînés de cette manière. Asseyez-vous quelque part ; et jusqu'à ce que vous puissiez parler agréablement, restez silencieuse. »
A breakfast-room adjoined the drawing-room, I slipped in there.
Une salle du petit-déjeuner jouxtait le salon, je m'y glissai.
It contained a bookcase: I soon possessed myself of a volume, taking care that it should be one stored with pictures.
Elle contenait une bibliothèque : je m'emparai bientôt d'un volume, en prenant soin que ce fût un livre rempli d'illustrations.
I mounted into the window-seat: gathering up my feet, I sat cross-legged, like a Turk; and, having drawn the red moreen curtain nearly close, I was shrined in double retirement.
Je grimpai sur le siège de la fenêtre : repliant mes pieds sous moi, je m'assis en tailleur, comme un Turc ; et, ayant tiré presque entièrement le rideau de moreigne rouge, je me trouvai enchâssée dans un double isolement.
Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear panes of glass, protecting, but not separating me from the drear November day.
Des plis de draperie écarlate bornaient ma vue à droite ; à gauche se trouvaient les vitres transparentes, me protégeant, mais ne me séparant pas du morne jour de novembre.
At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon.
Par intervalles, tout en feuilletant mon livre, j'étudiais l'aspect de cet après-midi d'hiver.
Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast.
Au loin, il offrait un pâle vide de brume et de nuages ; près de là, une scène de pelouse mouillée et d'arbustes battus par la tempête, avec une pluie incessante balayant sauvagement devant un long et lamentable coup de vent.
I returned to my book—Bewick's History of British Birds: the letterpress thereof I cared little for, generally speaking; and yet there were certain introductory pages that, child as I was, I could not pass quite as a blank.
Je revins à mon livre — l'Histoire des oiseaux britanniques de Bewick : le texte imprimé m'importait peu, en général ; et pourtant il y avait certaines pages introductives que, toute enfant que j'étais, je ne pouvais pas parcourir comme si elles étaient vides de sens.
Vocabulary
- je
- First person singular subject pronoun: I
- n'
- Contracted negation particle used before vowels
- aime
- To like or love someone or something
- pas
- Negation word meaning not
- les
- Definite plural article meaning the
- ergoteurs
- People who argue over trivial details; nitpickers
- ni
- Conjunction meaning neither or nor
- questioneurs
- People who ask too many questions; questioners
- de
- Preposition meaning of, from, or about
- plus
- Adverb meaning more or furthermore
- il
- Third person singular masculine pronoun: he or it
- y
- Pronoun meaning there or to it
- a
- Third person singular of avoir: there is
- quelque
- Adjective or adverb meaning some or a certain
- chose
- Noun meaning thing or matter
- vraiment
- Adverb meaning truly or really
- choquant
- Adjective meaning shocking or offensive
- dans
- Preposition meaning in or inside
- le
- Definite masculine singular article meaning the
- fait
- Noun meaning fact; also third person of faire
- qu'
- Contracted conjunction that meaning that
- un
- Indefinite masculine article meaning a or one
- enfant
- Noun meaning child
- reprenne
- Subjunctive of reprendre: to correct or retort
- ses
- Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its (plural)
- aînés
- Noun meaning elders or older people
- cette
- Demonstrative adjective meaning this (feminine)
- manière
- Noun meaning manner or way
- Asseyez-
- Imperative form of asseoir: sit (reflexive command)
- vous
- Second person plural or formal pronoun: you
- part
- Noun meaning part, place, or share
- et
- Conjunction meaning and
- jusqu'
- Preposition meaning until or up to
- à
- Preposition meaning to, at, or in
- ce
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning this or it
- que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning that or which
- puissiez
- Subjunctive of pouvoir: to be able to
- parler
- Verb meaning to speak or to talk
- agréablement
- Adverb meaning pleasantly or agreeably
- restez
- Imperative of rester: stay or remain
- silencieuse
- Adjective meaning silent or quiet (feminine)
- Une
- Indefinite feminine article meaning a or one
- salle
- Noun meaning room or hall
- du
- Contracted article meaning of the (masculine)
- petit-
- Prefix meaning small or little (in compound words)
- déjeuner
- Noun meaning breakfast or lunch
- jouxtait
- Imperfect of jouxter: to adjoin or be next to
- salon
- Noun meaning living room or lounge
- m'
- Contracted first person reflexive pronoun: me or myself
- glissai
- Past simple of glisser: I slipped or slid in
- Elle
- Third person feminine pronoun: she or it
- contenait
- Imperfect of contenir: it contained
- une
- Indefinite feminine article meaning a or one
- bibliothèque
- Noun meaning bookcase or library
- emparai
- Past simple of s'emparer: I seized or took hold
- bientôt
- Adverb meaning soon or shortly
- d'
- Contracted preposition of or from before vowel
- volume
- Noun meaning volume or book
- en
- Preposition or pronoun meaning in, by, or of it
- prenant
- Present participle of prendre: taking
- soin
- Noun meaning care; prendre soin means to take care
- fût
- Imperfect subjunctive of être: that it was
- livre
- Noun meaning book
- rempli
- Adjective meaning filled or full
- illustrations
- Noun meaning illustrations or pictures
- Je
- First person singular subject pronoun: I
- grimpai
- Past simple of grimper: I climbed up
- sur
- Preposition meaning on or upon
- siège
- Noun meaning seat or chair
- la
- Definite feminine singular article meaning the
- fenêtre
- Noun meaning window
- repliant
- Present participle of replier: folding back
- mes
- Possessive adjective meaning my (plural)
- pieds
- Noun meaning feet
- sous
- Preposition meaning under or beneath
- moi
- Stressed first person pronoun: me or myself
- assis
- Past participle of asseoir: seated or sitting
- tailleur
- En tailleur means cross-legged sitting position
- comme
- Conjunction or adverb meaning like or as
- Turc
- Noun meaning Turk; à la turque means cross-legged
- ayant
- Present participle of avoir: having
- tiré
- Past participle of tirer: pulled or drawn
- presque
- Adverb meaning almost or nearly
- entièrement
- Adverb meaning entirely or completely
- rideau
- Noun meaning curtain or drape
- rouge
- Adjective meaning red
- me
- First person reflexive or object pronoun: me or myself
- trouvai
- Past simple of trouver: I found myself
- enchâssée
- Past participle meaning enclosed or set (feminine)
- double
- Adjective meaning double or twofold
- isolement
- Noun meaning isolation or seclusion
- Des
- Plural indefinite article meaning some or of the
- plis
- Noun meaning folds or pleats
- draperie
- Noun meaning drapery or curtain fabric
- écarlate
- Adjective meaning scarlet or bright red
- bornaient
- Imperfect of borner: they limited or bounded
- ma
- Possessive feminine adjective meaning my
- vue
- Noun meaning view or sight
- droite
- Noun or adjective meaning right side or straight
- gauche
- Noun or adjective meaning left side
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning oneself, himself, or herself
- trouvaient
- Imperfect of trouver: they were found or situated
- vitres
- Noun meaning windowpanes or glass panels
- transparentes
- Adjective meaning transparent or see-through (feminine plural)
- protégeant
- Present participle of protéger: protecting
- mais
- Conjunction meaning but
- ne
- Negation particle used with pas or other negatives
- séparant
- Present participle of séparer: separating
- morne
- Adjective meaning gloomy or dreary
- jour
- Noun meaning day or daylight
- novembre
- Noun meaning November
- Par
- Preposition meaning by, through, or per
- intervalles
- Noun meaning intervals or gaps in time
- tout
- Adjective or adverb meaning all, every, or quite
- feuilletant
- Present participle of feuilleter: leafing through
- mon
- Possessive masculine adjective meaning my
- j'
- Contracted first person pronoun before vowel: I
- étudiais
- Imperfect of étudier: I was studying or observing
- l'
- Contracted definite article the before vowel
- aspect
- Noun meaning aspect, appearance, or look
- cet
- Demonstrative adjective this or that (masculine before vowel)
- après-
- Prefix meaning after (used in compound words)
- midi
- Noun meaning noon or afternoon
- hiver
- Noun meaning winter
- Au
- Contracted article meaning at the or to the (masculine)
- loin
- Adverb meaning far or far away
- offrait
- Imperfect of offrir: it offered or presented
- pâle
- Adjective meaning pale or faint in color
- vide
- Adjective meaning empty or void
- brume
- Noun meaning mist or haze
- nuages
- Noun meaning clouds
- près
- Adverb or preposition meaning near or close
- là
- Adverb meaning there or here
- scène
- Noun meaning scene or view
- pelouse
- Noun meaning lawn or grassy area
- mouillée
- Adjective meaning wet or soaked (feminine)
- arbustes
- Noun meaning shrubs or bushes
- battus
- Past participle of battre: beaten or battered
- par
- Preposition meaning by or through
- tempête
- Noun meaning storm or tempest
- avec
- Preposition meaning with
- pluie
- Noun meaning rain
- incessante
- Adjective meaning incessant or relentless (feminine)
- balayant
- Present participle of balayer: sweeping
- sauvagement
- Adverb meaning wildly or savagely
- devant
- Preposition meaning in front of or before
- long
- Adjective meaning long; also noun meaning length
- lamentable
- Adjective meaning lamentable or pitiful
- coup
- Noun meaning blow, gust, or strike
- vent
- Noun meaning wind
- revins
- Past simple of revenir: I returned or came back
- Histoire
- Noun meaning history or story
- des
- Plural article meaning some or of the
- oiseaux
- Noun meaning birds
- britanniques
- Adjective meaning British
- texte
- Noun meaning text or written content
- imprimé
- Past participle of imprimer: printed
- importait
- Imperfect of importer: it mattered or was important
- peu
- Adverb meaning little or not much
- général
- Adjective or noun meaning general or overall
- pourtant
- Conjunction meaning however or yet
- avait
- Imperfect of avoir: there was or had
- certaines
- Adjective meaning certain or some (feminine plural)
- pages
- Noun meaning pages
- introductives
- Adjective meaning introductory (feminine plural)
- toute
- Adjective meaning all or entire (feminine singular)
- étais
- Imperfect of être: I was
- pouvais
- Imperfect of pouvoir: I could or was able to
- parcourir
- Verb meaning to skim through or browse
- si
- Conjunction meaning if or whether
- elles
- Third person feminine plural pronoun: they
- étaient
- Imperfect of être: they were
- vides
- Adjective meaning empty or blank (plural)
- sens
- Noun meaning sense or meaning
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →