Little Women — Page 14
Tell them I think of them by day, pray for them by night, and find my best comfort in their affection at all times.
Dites-leur que je pense à eux le jour, que je prie pour eux la nuit, et que je trouve mon meilleur réconfort dans leur affection en tout temps.
A year seems very long to wait before I see them, but remind them that while we wait we may all work, so that these hard days need not be wasted.
Une année semble bien longue à attendre avant de les revoir, mais rappelez-leur que pendant que nous attendons, nous pouvons tous travailler, afin que ces jours difficiles ne soient pas gaspillés.
I know they will remember all I said to them, that they will be loving children to you, will do their duty faithfully, fight their bosom enemies bravely, and conquer themselves so beautifully that when I come back to them I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women."
Je sais qu'elles se souviendront de tout ce que je leur ai dit, qu'elles seront pour vous des enfants aimantes, qu'elles accompliront fidèlement leur devoir, combattront courageusement leurs ennemis intérieurs, et se vaincront elles-mêmes si admirablement que lorsque je reviendrai parmi elles, je serai plus attachée et plus fière que jamais de mes petites femmes."
Everybody sniffed when they came to that part.
Tout le monde renifla en arrivant à ce passage.
Jo wasn't ashamed of the great tear that dropped off the end of her nose, and Amy never minded the rumpling of her curls as she hid her face on her mother's shoulder and sobbed out, "I am a selfish girl!
Jo n'avait pas honte de la grosse larme qui coulait au bout de son nez, et Amy ne se souciait guère du froissement de ses boucles tandis qu'elle cachait son visage sur l'épaule de sa mère en sanglotant : « Je suis une fille égoïste !
But I'll truly try to be better, so he mayn't be disappointed in me by-and-by."
Mais je vais vraiment essayer de m'améliorer, pour qu'il ne soit pas déçu de moi plus tard. »
"We all will," cried Meg.
« Nous ferons toutes de même », s'écria Meg.
"I think too much of my looks and hate to work, but won't any more, if I can help it.
« Je me préoccupe trop de mon apparence et je déteste travailler, mais je n'agirai plus ainsi, si je puis m'en empêcher.
Vocabulary
- Dites
- Say or tell (imperative, plural/formal form)
- leur
- Their; or to them (indirect object pronoun)
- que
- That; conjunction linking clauses together
- je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- pense
- Think; first person singular of penser
- à
- To, at, in; common preposition with many uses
- eux
- Them; stressed pronoun referring to males/mixed group
- le
- The; masculine singular definite article
- jour
- Day; a 24-hour period of time
- prie
- Pray; first person singular of prier
- pour
- For; preposition indicating purpose or benefit
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- nuit
- Night; the dark period after sunset
- et
- And; conjunction joining words or clauses
- trouve
- Find; first person singular of trouver
- mon
- My; masculine singular possessive adjective
- meilleur
- Best; superlative form of bon (good)
- réconfort
- Comfort, solace; emotional support or consolation
- dans
- In, inside; preposition indicating location or time
- affection
- Affection; warm feeling of fondness toward someone
- en
- In, on, by; versatile preposition or pronoun
- tout
- All, every, whole; indicating totality or entirety
- temps
- Time; also means weather depending on context
- Une
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- année
- Year; a full calendar year of twelve months
- semble
- Seems, appears; third person singular of sembler
- bien
- Well, very; adverb intensifying or qualifying adjectives
- longue
- Long; feminine adjective describing extended duration
- attendre
- To wait; infinitive verb meaning to await someone
- avant
- Before; preposition or adverb indicating prior time
- de
- Of, from; very common French preposition
- les
- The; plural definite article for both genders
- revoir
- To see again; infinitive meaning to meet again
- mais
- But; conjunction expressing contrast or contradiction
- rappelez
- Remember or remind (imperative, plural/formal form)
- pendant
- During, while; preposition indicating a time period
- nous
- We, us; first person plural pronoun
- attendons
- We wait; first person plural of attendre
- pouvons
- We can; first person plural of pouvoir
- tous
- All, everyone; masculine plural form of tout
- travailler
- To work; infinitive of the verb travailler
- afin
- So that, in order to; conjunction of purpose
- ces
- These, those; plural demonstrative adjective
- jours
- Days; plural of jour, periods of 24 hours
- difficiles
- Difficult, hard; plural adjective describing challenges
- ne
- Not; first part of French negation ne...pas
- soient
- Be; subjunctive form of être (third plural)
- pas
- Not; second part of the negation ne...pas
- gaspillés
- Wasted, squandered; past participle of gaspiller
- Je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- sais
- Know; first person singular of savoir
- qu'
- That; contracted form of que before vowel
- elles
- They; feminine third person plural subject pronoun
- se
- Themselves; reflexive pronoun for third person
- souviendront
- Will remember; future tense of se souvenir
- ce
- This, that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- ai
- Have; first person singular of avoir
- dit
- Said; past participle of dire (to say)
- seront
- Will be; future tense of être (third plural)
- vous
- You; second person plural or formal singular pronoun
- des
- Some; plural indefinite article or de+les contraction
- enfants
- Children; plural noun referring to young people
- aimantes
- Loving, affectionate; feminine plural adjective
- accompliront
- Will accomplish; future tense of accomplir
- fidèlement
- Faithfully, loyally; adverb derived from fidèle
- devoir
- Duty; also infinitive meaning must or to owe
- combattront
- Will fight; future tense of combattre
- courageusement
- Courageously, bravely; adverb derived from courageux
- leurs
- Their; plural possessive adjective for multiple nouns
- ennemis
- Enemies; plural noun referring to opponents or foes
- intérieurs
- Inner, internal; plural adjective referring to inside
- vaincront
- Will conquer, overcome; future tense of vaincre
- mêmes
- Same, themselves; plural adjective or pronoun
- si
- If, so; conditional conjunction or intensifying adverb
- admirablement
- Admirably, wonderfully; adverb from admirable
- lorsque
- When; conjunction indicating time of an action
- reviendrai
- Will come back; future tense first person of revenir
- parmi
- Among, amongst; preposition indicating being within a group
- serai
- Will be; future tense first person singular of être
- plus
- More; comparative adverb or part of negation
- attachée
- Attached, devoted; feminine past participle of attacher
- fière
- Proud; feminine form of the adjective fier
- jamais
- Never; adverb of negation or ever in questions
- mes
- My; plural possessive adjective for multiple nouns
- petites
- Little, small; feminine plural adjective of petit
- femmes
- Women; plural of femme, meaning woman or wife
- Tout
- All, every; indicating totality, used as adjective
- monde
- World; tout le monde means everyone or everybody
- renifla
- Sniffled; past tense third singular of renifler
- arrivant
- Arriving; present participle of arriver
- passage
- Passage; a section of text or act of passing
- n'
- Not; contracted ne before vowel, part of negation
- avait
- Had; third person singular imperfect of avoir
- honte
- Shame; feeling of embarrassment or disgrace
- grosse
- Big, large; feminine adjective from gros
- larme
- Tear; a drop of liquid from the eye
- qui
- Who, which, that; relative or interrogative pronoun
- coulait
- Was flowing; imperfect tense of couler
- au
- To the, at the; contraction of à + le
- bout
- End, tip; au bout de means at the end of
- son
- His, her, its; singular possessive adjective
- nez
- Nose; the facial feature used for smelling
- souciait
- Cared, worried; imperfect tense of se soucier
- guère
- Hardly, scarcely; adverb used in negation
- du
- Of the; contraction of de + le
- froissement
- Crumpling, rumpling; the act of creasing something
- ses
- His, her, its; plural possessive adjective
- boucles
- Curls; referring to curly locks of hair
- tandis
- While, whereas; used in tandis que construction
- elle
- She, her; third person singular feminine pronoun
- cachait
- Was hiding; imperfect tense of cacher
- visage
- Face; the front part of a person's head
- sur
- On, upon; preposition indicating position above something
- l'
- The; contracted article le or la before vowel
- épaule
- Shoulder; the joint connecting arm to torso
- sa
- His, her, its; feminine singular possessive adjective
- mère
- Mother; a female parent
- sanglotant
- Sobbing; present participle of sangloter
- suis
- Am; first person singular of être (to be)
- une
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- fille
- Girl, daughter; young female person or child
- égoïste
- Selfish; adjective describing self-centered behavior
- Mais
- But; conjunction expressing contrast or contradiction
- vais
- Going; first person singular of aller (to go)
- vraiment
- Really, truly; adverb emphasizing sincerity or truth
- essayer
- To try; infinitive meaning to attempt something
- m'
- Me, myself; contracted reflexive pronoun before vowel
- améliorer
- To improve; infinitive meaning to make better
- il
- He, it; third person singular masculine pronoun
- soit
- Be; subjunctive form of être (third singular)
- déçu
- Disappointed; past participle of décevoir
- moi
- Me, I; stressed first person singular pronoun
- tard
- Late; adverb indicating a later point in time
- Nous
- We, us; first person plural pronoun
- ferons
- Will do; future tense first person plural of faire
- toutes
- All; feminine plural form of tout
- même
- Same, even; adjective or adverb for emphasis
- s'
- Oneself; contracted reflexive pronoun before vowel
- écria
- Exclaimed, cried out; past tense of s'écrier
- me
- Me, myself; first person singular object pronoun
- préoccupe
- Preoccupies, worries; first singular of préoccuper
- trop
- Too much, too; adverb indicating excess
- apparence
- Appearance; the way something or someone looks
- déteste
- Hate, detest; first person singular of détester
- agirai
- Will act; future tense first person singular of agir
- ainsi
- Thus, so; adverb meaning in this way
- puis
- Then, next; adverb of sequence or I can
- empêcher
- To prevent, stop; infinitive meaning to hinder something
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