Light O' the Morning: The Story of an Irish Girl — Page 4
I have been two hours trying to get a wink of sleep, and just when I succeed you come in and wake me."
Cela fait deux heures que j'essaie de dormir un peu, et juste au moment où j'y arrive, vous entrez et me réveillez."
"It's sorry I am to my heart's core," said Nora.
« J'en suis désolée jusqu'au fond du cœur », dit Nora.
She went up to her mother, dropped on one knee, and looked with her rosy face into the worn and faded one of the elder woman.
Elle s'approcha de sa mère, posa un genou à terre et regarda avec son visage rose le visage usé et fané de la vieille femme.
"Here I am, mammy," she said again, "your own little Nora; let me sit with you a bit--may I?"
« Me voilà, maman », dit-elle encore, « ta petite Nora à toi ; laisse-moi rester un peu avec toi — tu veux bien ? »
Mrs. O'Shanaghgan smiled faintly.
Mme O'Shanaghgan eut un faible sourire.
She looked all over the girl's slim figure, and finally her eyes rested on the laughing, lovely face.
Elle parcourut du regard la silhouette svelte de la jeune fille, et finalement ses yeux s'arrêtèrent sur son visage riant et charmant.
Then a cloud crossed her forehead, and her eyes became dim with tears.
Puis un nuage passa sur son front, et ses yeux se voilèrent de larmes.
"Have you heard the last thing, Nora?"
« As-tu entendu la dernière nouvelle, Nora ? »
"There are so many last things, mother," said Nora.
« Il y a tant de dernières nouvelles, mère », dit Nora.
"But the very last.
« Mais la toute dernière.
Your father has to pay back the money which Squire Murphy of Cronane lent him.
Ton père doit rembourser l'argent que lui a prêté le squire Murphy de Cronane.
It is the queerest thing; but the mortgagee means to foreclose, as he calls it, within three months if that money is not paid in full.
C'est la chose la plus étrange ; mais le créancier hypothécaire entend saisir le bien, comme il dit, dans les trois mois si cet argent n'est pas remboursé en totalité.
I know well what it means."
Je sais bien ce que cela signifie. »
Nora smiled.
Nora sourit.
She took her mother's hand in hers, and began to stroke it gently.
Elle prit la main de sa mère dans les siennes et se mit à la caresser doucement.
"I suppose," she said, "it means this.
« Je suppose », dit-elle, « que cela signifie ceci.
It means that we must part with a little more of the beloved land, every sod of which I love.
Cela signifie que nous devons nous séparer d'un peu plus de cette terre bien-aimée, dont j'aime chaque motte.
We certainly do seem to be getting poorer and poorer; but never mind--nothing will ever alter the fact that--"
Nous semblons certes de plus en plus pauvres ; mais peu importe — rien ne changera jamais le fait que — »
"That what, child?
« Que quoi, mon enfant ?
Vocabulary
- Cela
- suh-lah — That; used to refer to something previously mentioned.
- fait
- feh — Makes, does; third person singular of 'faire'.
- deux
- duh — The number two.
- heures
- ur — Hours; units of time equal to sixty minutes.
- que
- kuh — That, which, what; common conjunction or relative pronoun.
- j'
- zhuh — I; first person singular subject pronoun before vowel.
- essaie
- eh-seh — Try; first/third person singular present of 'essayer'.
- de
- duh — Of, from; very common French preposition.
- dormir
- dor-meer — To sleep; basic infinitive verb for sleeping.
- un
- uhn — A, an; indefinite masculine singular article or number one.
- peu
- puh — A little, a bit; indicates small quantity or degree.
- et
- eh — And; basic coordinating conjunction joining words or clauses.
- juste
- zhüst — Just, exactly, right; indicates precise timing or fairness.
- au
- oh — At the, to the; contraction of 'à' and 'le'.
- moment
- moh-mahn — Moment, instant; a brief point in time.
- où
- oo — Where, when; relative pronoun indicating place or time.
- y
- ee — There; pronoun replacing a previously mentioned location.
- arrive
- ah-reev — Arrive, manage; first/third person singular of 'arriver'.
- vous
- voo — You; second person plural or formal singular pronoun.
- entrez
- ahn-treh — Enter; second person plural present of 'entrer'.
- me
- muh — Me; first person singular object pronoun.
- réveillez
- reh-veh-yeh — Wake up; second person plural present of 'réveiller'.
- J'
- zhuh — I; contracted first person singular pronoun before vowel.
- en
- ahn — Of it, from it; pronoun replacing a partitive complement.
- suis
- swee — Am; first person singular present of 'être'.
- désolée
- deh-zoh-leh — Sorry, devastated; feminine adjective expressing deep regret.
- jusqu'
- zhüsk — Until, up to; preposition indicating limit before vowel.
- fond
- fohn — Bottom, depth, heart; innermost part of something.
- du
- dü — Of the, some; contraction of 'de' and 'le'.
- cœur
- kur — Heart; central organ, also used for emotions and feelings.
- dit
- dee — Said; third person singular past tense of 'dire'.
- Elle
- el — She; third person singular feminine subject pronoun.
- s'
- suh — Herself, himself; reflexive pronoun before a vowel sound.
- approcha
- ah-proh-shah — Approached; third person singular simple past of 'approcher'.
- sa
- sah — Her, his; feminine singular possessive adjective.
- mère
- mair — Mother; female parent.
- posa
- poh-zah — Placed, put down; third person singular simple past of 'poser'.
- genou
- zhuh-noo — Knee; joint connecting upper and lower leg.
- à
- ah — At, to, in; very common French preposition.
- terre
- tair — Ground, earth; the floor or surface of the earth.
- regarda
- ruh-gar-dah — Looked at; third person singular simple past of 'regarder'.
- avec
- ah-vek — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means.
- son
- sohn — Her, his; masculine singular possessive adjective.
- visage
- vee-zahzh — Face; the front part of a person's head.
- rose
- rohz — Pink, rosy; light red color or the flower rose.
- le
- luh — The; masculine singular definite article.
- usé
- ü-zeh — Worn out, worn away; adjective describing something deteriorated.
- fané
- fah-neh — Faded, withered; adjective describing something that has lost color.
- la
- lah — The; feminine singular definite article.
- vieille
- vyeh-yuh — Old; feminine adjective describing elderly age.
- femme
- fahm — Woman, wife; adult female person.
- Me
- muh — Me; first person singular object pronoun.
- voilà
- vwah-lah — There I am, here I am; expression presenting something.
- maman
- mah-mahn — Mom, mummy; informal word for mother.
- elle
- el — She; third person singular feminine subject pronoun.
- encore
- ahn-kor — Still, again, yet; adverb indicating repetition or continuation.
- ta
- tah — Your; feminine singular informal possessive adjective.
- petite
- puh-teet — Little, small; feminine adjective indicating small size or youth.
- toi
- twah — You; stressed second person singular informal pronoun.
- laisse
- less — Let, allow; second person singular imperative of 'laisser'.
- moi
- mwah — Me; stressed first person singular pronoun.
- rester
- res-teh — To stay, to remain; infinitive indicating staying in place.
- tu
- tü — You; informal second person singular subject pronoun.
- veux
- vuh — Want; first/second person singular present of 'vouloir'.
- bien
- byahn — Well, good; adverb or adjective indicating quality or agreement.
- Mme
- mah-dahm — Mrs., Madam; abbreviation for 'Madame', feminine title.
- eut
- ü — Had; third person singular simple past of 'avoir'.
- faible
- feh-bluh — Weak, faint; adjective describing lack of strength.
- sourire
- soo-reer — Smile; a facial expression of happiness or amusement.
- parcourut
- par-koo-rü — Scanned, traveled over; third person singular simple past of 'parcourir'.
- regard
- ruh-gar — Gaze, look; the act of looking at something intently.
- silhouette
- see-loo-et — Silhouette, outline; the shape or outline of a figure.
- svelte
- svelt — Slender, slim; adjective describing a gracefully thin figure.
- jeune
- zhun — Young; adjective describing someone of a young age.
- fille
- fee-yuh — Girl, daughter; young female person or female child.
- finalement
- fee-nal-mahn — Finally, ultimately; adverb indicating the last in a sequence.
- ses
- seh — Her, his, its; plural possessive adjective for both genders.
- yeux
- yuh — Eyes; plural of 'œil', the organs of sight.
- arrêtèrent
- ah-reh-tair — Stopped, rested on; third person plural simple past of 'arrêter'.
- sur
- sür — On, upon, over; preposition indicating position above something.
- riant
- ree-ahn — Laughing, cheerful; present participle of 'rire', smiling brightly.
- charmant
- shar-mahn — Charming, delightful; adjective describing pleasant attractiveness.
- Puis
- pwee — Then, next; adverb indicating a following event in sequence.
- nuage
- nü-ahzh — Cloud; a mass of water vapor visible in the sky.
- passa
- pah-sah — Passed; third person singular simple past of 'passer'.
- front
- frohn — Forehead; the part of the face above the eyebrows.
- se
- suh — Herself, himself, themselves; reflexive pronoun for third person.
- voilèrent
- vwah-lair — Veiled, clouded over; third person plural simple past of 'voiler'.
- larmes
- larm — Tears; drops of water shed from eyes when crying.
- As
- ah — Have; second person singular present of 'avoir'.
- entendu
- ahn-tahn-dü — Heard; past participle of 'entendre', to hear or understand.
- dernière
- dair-nyair — Last, latest; feminine adjective indicating the most recent.
- nouvelle
- noo-vel — News, piece of news; a recent item of information.
- Il
- eel — He, it; third person masculine singular subject pronoun.
- a
- ah — Has; third person singular present of 'avoir'.
- tant
- tahn — So many, so much; adverb or determiner of great quantity.
- dernières
- dair-nyair — Latest, last; feminine plural adjective indicating most recent items.
- nouvelles
- noo-vel — News items; plural of 'nouvelle', pieces of recent information.
- Mais
- meh — But; coordinating conjunction expressing contrast or opposition.
- toute
- toot — All, every, whole; feminine singular indefinite adjective.
- Ton
- tohn — Your; masculine singular informal possessive adjective.
- père
- pair — Father; male parent.
- doit
- dwah — Must, owes; third person singular present of 'devoir'.
- rembourser
- rahm-boor-seh — To repay, reimburse; infinitive meaning to pay back money.
- l'
- luh/lah — The; definite article contracted before a vowel sound.
- argent
- ar-zhahn — Money, silver; currency or the precious metal silver.
- lui
- lwee — Him, her, to him; third person singular indirect object pronoun.
- prêté
- preh-teh — Lent; past participle of 'prêter', to lend something to someone.
- C'
- suh — It; contracted demonstrative pronoun 'ce' before vowel.
- est
- eh — Is; third person singular present of 'être'.
- chose
- shohz — Thing; a general word for an object or matter.
- plus
- plü/plüs — More, most; adverb indicating greater degree or quantity.
- étrange
- eh-trahnzh — Strange, odd; adjective describing something unusual or peculiar.
- créancier
- kreh-ahn-syeh — Creditor; a person to whom money is owed.
- hypothécaire
- ee-poh-teh-kair — Mortgage; adjective relating to a mortgage or loan security.
- entend
- ahn-tahn — Intends, hears; third person singular present of 'entendre'.
- saisir
- seh-zeer — To seize, take possession; infinitive meaning to legally repossess.
- comme
- kohm — As, like, since; conjunction indicating comparison or manner.
- il
- eel — He, it; third person masculine singular subject pronoun.
- dans
- dahn — In, within, inside; preposition indicating location or time frame.
- les
- leh — The; plural definite article for both genders.
- trois
- trwah — Three; the number three.
- mois
- mwah — Month; one of the twelve divisions of the year.
- si
- see — If, so; conditional conjunction or intensifying adverb.
- cet
- set — This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective before vowel.
- n'
- nuh — Not; negative particle contracted before a vowel sound.
- pas
- pah — Not; negative adverb used with 'ne' to negate a verb.
- remboursé
- rahm-boor-seh — Repaid; past participle of 'rembourser', to pay back money.
- totalité
- toh-tah-lee-teh — Totality, entirety; the complete whole amount of something.
- Je
- zhuh — I; first person singular subject pronoun.
- sais
- seh — Know; first person singular present of 'savoir'.
- ce
- suh — This, that, it; demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
- signifie
- see-nyee-fee — Means, signifies; third person singular present of 'signifier'.
- sourit
- soo-ree — Smiled; third person singular simple past of 'sourire'.
- prit
- pree — Took; third person singular simple past of 'prendre'.
- main
- mahn — Hand; the body part at the end of the arm.
- siennes
- syen — Hers; feminine plural possessive pronoun indicating ownership.
- mit
- mee — Put, began; third person singular simple past of 'mettre'.
- caresser
- kah-reh-seh — To caress, stroke; infinitive meaning to touch gently and tenderly.
- doucement
- doos-mahn — Gently, softly; adverb indicating a gentle or quiet manner.
- suppose
- sü-pohz — Suppose, assume; first person singular present of 'supposer'.
- ceci
- suh-see — This; demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby or abstract.
- nous
- noo — We, us; first person plural subject or object pronoun.
- devons
- duh-vohn — Must, have to; first person plural present of 'devoir'.
- séparer
- seh-pah-reh — To separate, part from; infinitive meaning to move apart.
- d'
- duh — Of, from; contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel.
- cette
- set — This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective.
- aimée
- eh-meh — Beloved, loved; feminine past participle of 'aimer', to love.
- dont
- dohn — Of which, whose; relative pronoun replacing a 'de' complement.
- aime
- em — Love, like; first/third person singular present of 'aimer'.
- chaque
- shahk — Each, every; indefinite adjective referring to individual items.
- motte
- mot — Clod, lump of earth; small chunk of soil or turf.
- Nous
- noo — We; first person plural subject pronoun.
- semblons
- sahm-blohn — Seem; first person plural present of 'sembler'.
- certes
- sairt — Certainly, admittedly; adverb conceding a point in argument.
- pauvres
- pohvr — Poor; plural adjective describing people lacking money or resources.
- importe
- ahm-port — Matters; third person singular present of 'importer', to matter.
- rien
- ryahn — Nothing; indefinite pronoun used in negation with 'ne'.
- ne
- nuh — Not; first part of the French negative construction with 'pas'.
- changera
- shahnzh-rah — Will change; third person singular future of 'changer'.
- jamais
- zhah-meh — Never, ever; adverb indicating at no time with negation.
- Que
- kuh — What; interrogative or exclamatory pronoun or conjunction.
- quoi
- kwah — What; stressed interrogative or exclamatory pronoun.
- mon
- mohn — My; masculine singular possessive adjective.
- enfant
- ahn-fahn — Child; a young human being, boy or girl.
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