Little Women — Page 10

English → Fr CHAPTER ONE Level 6/10

Amy followed, but she poked her hands out stiffly before her, and jerked herself along as if she went by machinery, and her "Ow!" was more suggestive of pins being run into her than of fear and anguish.

Amy suivit, mais elle tendait les mains rigidement devant elle, et s'avançait par à-coups comme si elle était mue par un mécanisme, et son « Aïe ! » évoquait davantage des épingles qu'on lui plantait dans la chair que la peur et l'angoisse.

Jo gave a despairing groan, and Meg laughed outright, while Beth let her bread burn as she watched the fun with interest.

Jo poussa un gémissement désespéré, et Meg éclata de rire, tandis que Beth laissa brûler son pain en regardant la scène avec intérêt.

"It's no use! Do the best you can when the time comes, and if the audience laughs, don't blame me. Come on, Meg."

« C'est inutile ! Faites de votre mieux le moment venu, et si le public rit, ne m'en blâmez pas. Allez, Meg. »

Then things went smoothly, for Don Pedro defied the world in a speech of two pages without a single break.

Ensuite, les choses se déroulèrent sans accroc, car Don Pedro défia le monde entier dans un discours de deux pages sans la moindre interruption.

Hagar, the witch, chanted an awful incantation over her kettleful of simmering toads, with weird effect.

Hagar, la sorcière, psalmodia une terrible incantation au-dessus de sa marmite de crapauds frémissants, avec un effet saisissant.

Roderigo rent his chains asunder manfully, and Hugo died in agonies of remorse and arsenic, with a wild, "Ha! Ha!"

Roderigo brisa vaillamment ses chaînes, et Hugo mourut dans les affres du remords et de l'arsenic, avec un retentissant « Ha ! Ha ! »

"It's the best we've had yet," said Meg, as the dead villain sat up and rubbed his elbows.

« C'est le meilleur que nous ayons eu jusqu'ici », dit Meg, tandis que le méchant mort se redressa et se frotta les coudes.

"I don't see how you can write and act such splendid things, Jo. You're a regular Shakespeare!" exclaimed Beth, who firmly believed that her sisters were gifted with wonderful genius in all things.

« Je ne comprends pas comment tu peux écrire et jouer de si belles choses, Jo. Tu es un véritable Shakespeare ! » s'exclama Beth, qui croyait fermement que ses sœurs étaient dotées d'un génie merveilleux en toutes choses.

"Not quite," replied Jo modestly. "I do think _The Witches Curse, an Operatic Tragedy_ is rather a nice thing, but I'd like to try _Macbeth_, if we only had a trapdoor for Banquo.

« Pas tout à fait », répondit Jo modestement. « Je pense que La Malédiction des sorcières, une tragédie lyrique est une assez belle œuvre, mais j'aimerais essayer Macbeth, si seulement nous avions une trappe pour Banquo.

I always wanted to do the killing part. 'Is that a dagger that I see before me?

J'ai toujours voulu jouer la scène du meurtre. « Est-ce un poignard que je vois devant moi ?

Vocabulary

suivit: Followed (third person singular simple past).
mais: Conjunction meaning but or however.
elle: Third person singular feminine pronoun meaning she.
tendait: Was stretching or holding out (imperfect tense).
les: Definite plural article meaning the.
mains: Plural noun meaning hands.
rigidement: Adverb meaning stiffly or rigidly.
devant: Preposition meaning in front of or ahead.
et: Conjunction meaning and.
s': Reflexive pronoun contraction used before vowels.
avançait: Was moving forward or advancing (imperfect tense).
par: Preposition meaning by, through, or per.
à: Preposition meaning to, at, or in.
coups: Plural noun meaning blows, hits, or jerks.
comme: Conjunction or adverb meaning like or as.
si: Conjunction meaning if or whether.
était: Was (third person singular imperfect of être).
mue: Driven or propelled (past participle, feminine form).
un: Indefinite article or numeral meaning a or one.
mécanisme: Noun meaning mechanism or mechanical device.
son: Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its.
Aïe: Exclamation expressing sudden pain, meaning ouch.
évoquait: Was evoking or suggesting (imperfect tense).
davantage: Adverb meaning more or to a greater extent.
des: Indefinite plural article meaning some or any.
épingles: Plural noun meaning pins or needles.
qu': Conjunction or pronoun contraction meaning that or than.
on: Indefinite pronoun meaning one, we, or they.
lui: Indirect object pronoun meaning to her, him, or it.
plantait: Was sticking or planting into (imperfect tense).
dans: Preposition meaning in or inside.
la: Definite feminine singular article meaning the.
chair: Noun meaning flesh or skin.
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning that, which, or than.
peur: Noun meaning fear or fright.
l': Definite article contraction before a vowel sound.
angoisse: Noun meaning anguish, anxiety, or deep distress.
poussa: Uttered or let out (simple past of pousser).
gémissement: Noun meaning groan, moan, or wail.
désespéré: Adjective meaning desperate or despairing.
éclata: Burst out (simple past of éclater).
de: Preposition meaning of, from, or with.
rire: Verb or noun meaning to laugh or laughter.
tandis: Conjunction used in tandis que meaning while or whereas.
laissa: Let or allowed (simple past of laisser).
brûler: Verb meaning to burn or to be burning.
pain: Noun meaning bread.
en: Preposition or pronoun meaning in, while, or of it.
regardant: Present participle of regarder meaning watching or looking at.
scène: Noun meaning scene, stage, or situation.
avec: Preposition meaning with.
intérêt: Noun meaning interest or attention.
C': Contraction of ce meaning it or this before est.
est: Third person singular of être meaning is.
inutile: Adjective meaning useless or pointless.
Faites: Imperative form of faire meaning do or make.
votre: Possessive adjective meaning your (formal or plural).
mieux: Adverb or adjective meaning better or best.
le: Definite masculine singular article meaning the.
moment: Noun meaning moment or time.
venu: Come (past participle of venir).
public: Noun meaning audience or the public.
rit: Laughed (third person singular simple past of rire).
ne: Negative particle used with pas or other negations.
m': Contraction of me, first person object pronoun.
blâmez: Blame (imperative or present tense second person plural).
pas: Negative particle meaning not, used with ne.
Allez: Go or come on (imperative of aller).
Ensuite: Adverb meaning then, next, or afterwards.
choses: Plural noun meaning things or matters.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning himself, herself, or themselves.
déroulèrent: Unfolded or proceeded (simple past of se dérouler).
sans: Preposition meaning without.
accroc: Noun meaning hitch, snag, or problem.
car: Conjunction meaning because or for.
défia: Defied or challenged (simple past of défier).
monde: Noun meaning world or everyone.
entier: Adjective meaning entire, whole, or complete.
discours: Noun meaning speech or discourse.
deux: Number meaning two.
pages: Plural noun meaning pages.
moindre: Adjective meaning least, slightest, or smallest.
interruption: Noun meaning interruption or break.
sorcière: Noun meaning witch or sorceress.
psalmodia: Chanted or intoned (simple past of psalmodier).
une: Indefinite feminine singular article meaning a or one.
terrible: Adjective meaning terrible, dreadful, or frightening.
incantation: Noun meaning incantation or magic spell chant.
au: Contraction of à le meaning at the or to the.
dessus: Adverb or preposition meaning above or over.
sa: Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its (feminine).
marmite: Noun meaning cooking pot or cauldron.
crapauds: Plural noun meaning toads.
frémissants: Adjective meaning trembling, quivering, or shuddering.
effet: Noun meaning effect, result, or impression.
saisissant: Adjective meaning striking, gripping, or startling.
brisa: Broke (simple past of briser).
vaillamment: Adverb meaning bravely, valiantly, or courageously.
ses: Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its (plural).
chaînes: Plural noun meaning chains or shackles.
mourut: Died (third person singular simple past of mourir).
affres: Plural noun meaning pangs, throes, or anguish.
du: Contraction of de le meaning of the.
remords: Noun meaning remorse or deep guilt.
arsenic: Noun meaning arsenic, a toxic chemical substance.
retentissant: Adjective meaning resounding, loud, or thunderous.
meilleur: Adjective meaning best or better (superlative form).
nous: First person plural pronoun meaning we or us.
ayons: Subjunctive form of avoir meaning that we have.
eu: Past participle of avoir meaning had.
jusqu': Preposition meaning until or up to (before vowel).
ici: Adverb meaning here or in this place.
dit: Said (third person singular simple past of dire).
méchant: Adjective or noun meaning wicked, mean, or villain.
mort: Noun or adjective meaning death or dead.
redressa: Straightened up or sat up (simple past of se redresser).
frotta: Rubbed (simple past of frotter).
coudes: Plural noun meaning elbows.
Je: First person singular pronoun meaning I.
comprends: Understand (first person singular present of comprendre).
comment: Adverb meaning how or in what way.
tu: Second person singular pronoun meaning you (informal).
peux: Can (first or second person singular present of pouvoir).
écrire: Verb meaning to write.
jouer: Verb meaning to play or to perform.
belles: Adjective plural feminine meaning beautiful or lovely.
Tu: Second person singular informal pronoun meaning you.
es: Second person singular present of être meaning are.
véritable: Adjective meaning true, real, or genuine.
exclama: Exclaimed (simple past of exclamer).
qui: Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning who or which.
croyait: Believed or thought (imperfect tense of croire).
fermement: Adverb meaning firmly or strongly.
sœurs: Plural noun meaning sisters.
étaient: Were (third person plural imperfect of être).
dotées: Endowed or gifted (past participle, feminine plural).
d': Contraction of de before a vowel sound.
génie: Noun meaning genius or exceptional talent.
merveilleux: Adjective meaning marvellous, wonderful, or extraordinary.
toutes: Pronoun or adjective meaning all (feminine plural form).
Pas: Negative particle meaning not or not quite.
tout: Adjective or pronoun meaning all, every, or quite.
fait: Done or made (past participle of faire).
répondit: Replied or answered (simple past of répondre).
modestement: Adverb meaning modestly or humbly.
pense: Think (first person singular present of penser).
La: Definite feminine singular article meaning the.
Malédiction: Noun meaning curse or malediction.
sorcières: Plural noun meaning witches or sorceresses.
tragédie: Noun meaning tragedy (literary or theatrical genre).
lyrique: Adjective meaning lyrical or operatic.
assez: Adverb meaning quite, rather, or enough.
belle: Adjective meaning beautiful or lovely (feminine form).
œuvre: Noun meaning work, piece, or artistic creation.
j': Contraction of je before a vowel sound meaning I.
aimerais: Would like or would love (conditional of aimer).
essayer: Verb meaning to try or to attempt.
seulement: Adverb meaning only, just, or merely.
avions: Had (first person plural imperfect of avoir).
trappe: Noun meaning trapdoor or hatch.
pour: Preposition meaning for, in order to, or to.
J': Contraction of je before vowel meaning I.
ai: Have (first person singular present of avoir).
toujours: Adverb meaning always or still.
voulu: Wanted (past participle of vouloir).
meurtre: Noun meaning murder or killing.
Est: Is (third person singular present of être).
ce: Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning this or that.
poignard: Noun meaning dagger or short stabbing blade.
je: First person singular pronoun meaning I.
vois: See (first person singular present of voir).
moi: Stressed first person pronoun meaning me or myself.

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