Jane Eyre: An Autobiography — Page 8

English → Fr CHAPTER I Level 7/10

I did so, not at first aware what was his intention; but when I saw him lift and poise the book and stand in act to hurl it, I instinctively started aside with a cry of alarm: not soon enough, however; the volume was flung, it hit me, and I fell, striking my head against the door and cutting it.

Je le fis, sans comprendre d'abord quelle était son intention ; mais quand je le vis soulever le livre, le soupeser et s'apprêter à le lancer, je m'écartai instinctivement avec un cri d'alarme : pas assez vite, cependant ; le volume fut lancé, il me frappa, et je tombai, heurtant ma tête contre la porte et me la blessant.

The cut bled, the pain was sharp: my terror had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded.

La blessure saignait, la douleur était vive : ma terreur avait atteint son paroxysme ; d'autres sentiments lui succédèrent.

"Wicked and cruel boy!" I said.

« Garçon méchant et cruel ! » dis-je.

"You are like a murderer—you are like a slave-driver—you are like the Roman emperors!"

« Vous ressemblez à un meurtrier — vous ressemblez à un négrier — vous ressemblez aux empereurs romains ! »

I had read Goldsmith's History of Rome, and had formed my opinion of Nero, Caligula, &c.

J'avais lu l'Histoire de Rome de Goldsmith, et je m'étais forgé une opinion sur Néron, Caligula, etc.

Also I had drawn parallels in silence, which I never thought thus to have declared aloud.

J'avais aussi établi des parallèles en silence, que je n'avais jamais pensé devoir déclarer ainsi à voix haute.

"What! what!" he cried.

« Quoi ! quoi ! » s'écria-t-il.

"Did she say that to me? Did you hear her, Eliza and Georgiana? Won't I tell mama? but first—"

« A-t-elle osé me dire cela ? L'avez-vous entendue, Eliza et Georgiana ? Je le dirai à maman ! mais d'abord — »

He ran headlong at me: I felt him grasp my hair and my shoulder: he had closed with a desperate thing.

Il se précipita tête baissée vers moi : je le sentis saisir mes cheveux et mon épaule : il s'était aux prises avec une chose désespérée.

I really saw in him a tyrant, a murderer.

Je voyais vraiment en lui un tyran, un meurtrier.

I felt a drop or two of blood from my head trickle down my neck, and was sensible of somewhat pungent suffering: these sensations for the time predominated over fear, and I received him in frantic sort.

Je sentis une ou deux gouttes de sang couler de ma tête le long de mon cou, et j'éprouvai une souffrance assez cuisante : ces sensations prirent momentanément le dessus sur la peur, et je l'accueillis avec frénésie.

I don't very well know what I did with my hands, but he called me "Rat! Rat!" and bellowed out aloud.

Je ne sais pas très bien ce que je fis de mes mains, mais il m'appela « Rat ! Rat ! » et vociféra à tue-tête.

Vocabulary

Je: First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
le: Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'him'.
fis: Past tense of 'faire'; meaning 'did' or 'made'.
sans: Preposition meaning 'without'.
comprendre: Verb meaning 'to understand'.
d': Contracted form of 'de' meaning 'of' or 'from'.
abord: Used in 'd'abord' meaning 'at first' or 'firstly'.
quelle: Feminine interrogative adjective meaning 'what' or 'which'.
était: Imperfect tense of 'être' meaning 'was'.
son: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
intention: Noun meaning 'intention' or 'purpose'.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but'.
quand: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'.
je: First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
vis: Past tense of 'voir' meaning 'saw'.
soulever: Verb meaning 'to lift' or 'to raise'.
livre: Noun meaning 'book'.
soupeser: Verb meaning 'to weigh in one's hand' or 'to hefted'.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and'.
s': Reflexive pronoun contracted form of 'se'.
apprêter: Verb meaning 'to prepare oneself' or 'to get ready'.
à: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
lancer: Verb meaning 'to throw' or 'to launch'.
m': Contracted reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me'.
écartai: Past tense of 's'écarter' meaning 'stepped aside'.
instinctivement: Adverb meaning 'instinctively'.
avec: Preposition meaning 'with'.
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
cri: Noun meaning 'cry' or 'shout'.
alarme: Noun meaning 'alarm' or 'fright'.
pas: Negation particle meaning 'not'; also 'step'.
assez: Adverb meaning 'enough' or 'sufficiently'.
vite: Adverb meaning 'quickly' or 'fast'.
cependant: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'.
volume: Noun meaning 'volume' or 'book'.
fut: Simple past tense of 'être' meaning 'was'.
lancé: Past participle of 'lancer' meaning 'thrown' or 'launched'.
il: Third person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
me: First person object pronoun meaning 'me'.
frappa: Past tense of 'frapper' meaning 'hit' or 'struck'.
tombai: Past tense of 'tomber' meaning 'fell'.
heurtant: Present participle of 'heurter' meaning 'hitting' or 'knocking'.
ma: Feminine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
tête: Noun meaning 'head'.
contre: Preposition meaning 'against'.
la: Feminine definite article meaning 'the'.
porte: Noun meaning 'door'.
blessant: Present participle of 'blesser' meaning 'wounding' or 'injuring'.
La: Feminine definite article meaning 'the'.
blessure: Noun meaning 'wound' or 'injury'.
saignait: Imperfect tense of 'saigner' meaning 'was bleeding'.
douleur: Noun meaning 'pain' or 'ache'.
vive: Adjective meaning 'intense', 'sharp', or 'vivid'.
terreur: Noun meaning 'terror' or 'dread'.
avait: Imperfect tense of 'avoir' meaning 'had'.
atteint: Past participle of 'atteindre' meaning 'reached' or 'attained'.
paroxysme: Noun meaning 'paroxysm' or 'peak of intensity'.
autres: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'others'.
sentiments: Noun meaning 'feelings' or 'emotions'.
lui: Pronoun meaning 'him', 'her', or 'to him/her'.
succédèrent: Past tense of 'succéder' meaning 'followed' or 'succeeded'.
Garçon: Noun meaning 'boy' or 'waiter'.
méchant: Adjective meaning 'wicked', 'mean', or 'naughty'.
cruel: Adjective meaning 'cruel' or 'merciless'.
dis: Past tense of 'dire' meaning 'said'.
Vous: Second person pronoun meaning 'you' (formal or plural).
ressemblez: Second person plural of 'ressembler' meaning 'you resemble'.
meurtrier: Noun or adjective meaning 'murderer' or 'deadly'.
vous: Second person pronoun meaning 'you'.
négrier: Noun meaning 'slave trader' or 'slave ship captain'.
aux: Contracted form of 'à les' meaning 'to the' or 'with the'.
empereurs: Noun meaning 'emperors'.
romains: Adjective meaning 'Roman'; referring to ancient Rome.
J': Contracted form of 'je' before a vowel meaning 'I'.
avais: Imperfect tense of 'avoir' meaning 'had'.
lu: Past participle of 'lire' meaning 'read'.
l': Contracted definite article meaning 'the' before vowel.
Histoire: Noun meaning 'history' or 'story'.
de: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
étais: Imperfect tense of 'être' meaning 'was' (first person).
forgé: Past participle of 'forger' meaning 'forged' or 'formed'.
une: Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
opinion: Noun meaning 'opinion' or 'view'.
sur: Preposition meaning 'on', 'about', or 'over'.
etc: Abbreviation meaning 'et cetera' or 'and so on'.
aussi: Adverb or conjunction meaning 'also', 'too', or 'therefore'.
établi: Past participle of 'établir' meaning 'established' or 'drawn'.
des: Plural indefinite article or partitive meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
parallèles: Noun or adjective meaning 'parallels' or 'comparisons'.
en: Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'by'.
silence: Noun meaning 'silence' or 'quiet'.
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'which', or 'than'.
n': Contracted negation particle 'ne' before a vowel.
jamais: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever'.
pensé: Past participle of 'penser' meaning 'thought'.
devoir: Verb meaning 'to have to', 'must', or 'to owe'.
déclarer: Verb meaning 'to declare' or 'to state openly'.
ainsi: Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
voix: Noun meaning 'voice'.
haute: Adjective meaning 'high' or 'loud'; 'à voix haute' means aloud.
Quoi: Pronoun or exclamation meaning 'what'.
écria: Past tense of 's'écrier' meaning 'exclaimed' or 'cried out'.
A: Third person singular of 'avoir' meaning 'has'.
elle: Third person feminine pronoun meaning 'she' or 'her'.
osé: Past participle of 'oser' meaning 'dared'.
dire: Verb meaning 'to say' or 'to tell'.
cela: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this'.
L': Contracted definite article meaning 'the' before vowel.
avez: Second person plural of 'avoir' meaning 'have'.
entendue: Past participle of 'entendre' meaning 'heard' (feminine form).
dirai: Future tense of 'dire' meaning 'will tell' or 'will say'.
maman: Noun meaning 'mom' or 'mother'.
Il: Third person masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'itself'.
précipita: Past tense of 'se précipiter' meaning 'rushed' or 'lunged'.
baissée: Past participle of 'baisser' meaning 'lowered' (feminine form).
vers: Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'towards'.
moi: Stressed first person pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I'.
sentis: Past tense of 'sentir' meaning 'felt' or 'smelled'.
saisir: Verb meaning 'to seize', 'to grab', or 'to grasp'.
mes: Plural possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
cheveux: Noun meaning 'hair' (plural).
mon: Masculine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
épaule: Noun meaning 'shoulder'.
prises: Past participle of 'prendre' meaning 'taken' or 'seized' (feminine plural).
chose: Noun meaning 'thing'.
désespérée: Adjective meaning 'desperate' or 'hopeless' (feminine form).
voyais: Imperfect tense of 'voir' meaning 'was seeing' or 'saw'.
vraiment: Adverb meaning 'truly' or 'really'.
tyran: Noun meaning 'tyrant'.
ou: Conjunction meaning 'or'.
deux: Number meaning 'two'.
gouttes: Noun meaning 'drops' (of liquid).
sang: Noun meaning 'blood'.
couler: Verb meaning 'to flow' or 'to run' (liquid).
long: Adjective meaning 'long'; 'le long de' means 'along'.
cou: Noun meaning 'neck'.
j': Contracted first person pronoun 'je' before a vowel.
éprouvai: Past tense of 'éprouver' meaning 'felt' or 'experienced'.
souffrance: Noun meaning 'suffering' or 'pain'.
cuisante: Adjective meaning 'stinging', 'burning', or 'sharp' (pain).
ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'.
sensations: Noun meaning 'sensations' or 'feelings'.
prirent: Past tense of 'prendre' meaning 'took' (third person plural).
momentanément: Adverb meaning 'momentarily' or 'temporarily'.
dessus: Adverb or noun meaning 'above', 'over', or 'upper side'.
peur: Noun meaning 'fear'.
accueillis: Past tense of 'accueillir' meaning 'received' or 'welcomed'.
frénésie: Noun meaning 'frenzy' or 'frantic excitement'.
ne: Negation particle used with 'pas', 'jamais', etc.
sais: First person singular of 'savoir' meaning 'know'.
très: Adverb meaning 'very'.
bien: Adverb meaning 'well' or 'good'.
ce: Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that'.
mains: Noun meaning 'hands'.
appela: Past tense of 'appeler' meaning 'called' or 'named'.
Rat: Noun meaning 'rat'; used here as an insult.
vociféra: Past tense of 'vociférer' meaning 'shouted' or 'yelled angrily'.
tue: Third person singular of 'tuer' meaning 'kills'.

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