Middlemarch — Page 1
Who that cares much to know the history of man, and how the mysterious mixture behaves under the varying experiments of Time, has not dwelt, at least briefly, on the life of Saint Theresa, has not smiled with some gentleness at the thought of the little girl walking forth one morning hand-in-hand with her still smaller brother, to go and seek martyrdom in the country of the Moors?
Qui, parmi ceux qui tiennent à connaître l'histoire de l'homme, et à savoir comment le mystérieux mélange se comporte sous les expériences variées du Temps, ne s'est pas attardé, au moins brièvement, sur la vie de sainte Thérèse, n'a pas souri avec quelque douceur à la pensée de la petite fille qui s'en allait un matin, main dans la main avec son frère encore plus petit, pour aller chercher le martyre au pays des Maures ?
Out they toddled from rugged Avila, wide-eyed and helpless-looking as two fawns, but with human hearts, already beating to a national idea; until domestic reality met them in the shape of uncles, and turned them back from their great resolve.
Ils s'éloignèrent à pas chancelants de la rude Ávila, les yeux grands ouverts et l'air aussi désemparé que deux faons, mais avec des cœurs humains, battant déjà pour une idée nationale ; jusqu'à ce que la réalité domestique vînt à leur rencontre sous les traits d'oncles, et les ramenât loin de leur grand dessein.
That child-pilgrimage was a fit beginning.
Ce pèlerinage d'enfants était un début bien approprié.
Theresa's passionate, ideal nature demanded an epic life: what were many-volumed romances of chivalry and the social conquests of a brilliant girl to her?
La nature passionnée et idéale de Thérèse réclamait une vie épique : que lui importaient les romans de chevalerie en plusieurs volumes et les conquêtes mondaines d'une fille brillante ?
Her flame quickly burned up that light fuel; and, fed from within, soared after some illimitable satisfaction, some object which would never justify weariness, which would reconcile self-despair with the rapturous consciousness of life beyond self.
Sa flamme consuma rapidement ce combustible léger ; et, nourrie de l'intérieur, s'élança vers quelque satisfaction sans limites, vers quelque objet qui ne justifierait jamais la lassitude, qui réconcilierait le désespoir de soi avec la conscience ravie d'une vie au-delà de soi.
She found her epos in the reform of a religious order.
Elle trouva son épopée dans la réforme d'un ordre religieux.
That Spanish woman who lived three hundred years ago, was certainly not the last of her kind.
Cette femme espagnole qui vécut il y a trois cents ans n'était certes pas la dernière de son espèce.
Vocabulary
- parmi
- par-mi — Preposition meaning 'among' or 'amongst'
- ceux
- sø — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' referring to people
- tiennent
- tjɛn — Third-person plural of 'tenir'; they hold or keep
- connaître
- kɔ-nɛtr — To know or be familiar with someone or something
- histoire
- is-twar — Noun meaning 'history' or 'story'
- homme
- ɔm — Noun meaning 'man' or referring to humankind generally
- savoir
- sa-vwar — To know a fact or how to do something
- comment
- kɔ-mɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'how,' used in questions or clauses
- mystérieux
- mis-te-rjø — Adjective meaning 'mysterious' or 'enigmatic'
- mélange
- me-lɑ̃ʒ — Noun meaning 'mixture' or 'blend' of elements
- comporte
- kɔ̃-pɔrt — Third-person singular of 'comporter'; behaves or contains
- sous
- su — Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'
- expériences
- ɛk-spe-rjɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'experiences' or 'experiments'
- variées
- va-rje — Adjective meaning 'varied' or 'diverse' (feminine plural)
- Temps
- tɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'Time,' here personified as a proper noun
- attardé
- a-tar-de — Past participle of 'attarder'; lingered or delayed oneself
- moins
- mwɛ̃ — Adverb meaning 'less' or 'at least' in expressions
- brièvement
- brjɛv-mɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'briefly' or 'for a short time'
- vie
- vi — Noun meaning 'life' or 'lifetime'
- sainte
- sɛ̃t — Feminine adjective or title meaning 'saint' or 'holy'
- souri
- su-ri — Past participle of 'sourire'; smiled at something
- quelque
- kɛlk — Determiner meaning 'some' or 'a certain' amount
- douceur
- du-sœr — Noun meaning 'sweetness,' 'gentleness,' or 'softness'
- pensée
- pɑ̃-se — Noun meaning 'thought' or 'idea' in the mind
- petite
- pə-tit — Feminine adjective meaning 'small' or 'little'
- fille
- fij — Noun meaning 'girl' or 'daughter'
- allait
- a-lɛ — Imperfect of 'aller'; was going or used to go
- matin
- ma-tɛ̃ — Noun meaning 'morning,' the early part of the day
- main
- mɛ̃ — Noun meaning 'hand,' the body part at the arm's end
- frère
- frɛr — Noun meaning 'brother,' a male sibling
- encore
- ɑ̃-kɔr — Adverb meaning 'still,' 'yet,' or 'even more'
- petit
- pə-ti — Adjective meaning 'small,' 'little,' or 'young'
- aller
- a-le — Infinitive verb meaning 'to go' somewhere
- chercher
- ʃɛr-ʃe — Verb meaning 'to look for' or 'to seek'
- martyre
- mar-tir — Noun meaning 'martyrdom' or 'martyr'; dying for beliefs
- pays
- pe-i — Noun meaning 'country,' 'land,' or 'region'
- éloignèrent
- e-lwa-ɲɛr — Past tense of 'éloigner'; they moved away or departed
- chancelants
- ʃɑ̃s-lɑ̃ — Adjective meaning 'tottering,' 'staggering,' or 'unsteady'
- rude
- ryd — Adjective meaning 'harsh,' 'rough,' or 'rugged'
- yeux
- jø — Noun meaning 'eyes,' the plural of 'œil'
- grands
- grɑ̃ — Adjective meaning 'large,' 'big,' or 'wide' (plural)
- ouverts
- u-vɛr — Adjective meaning 'open' or 'wide open' (masculine plural)
- air
- ɛr — Noun meaning 'air,' 'appearance,' or 'look' about someone
- aussi
- o-si — Adverb meaning 'also,' 'too,' or 'as' in comparisons
- désemparé
- de-zɑ̃-pa-re — Adjective meaning 'helpless,' 'lost,' or 'bewildered'
- faons
- fɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'fawns,' young deer (plural)
- cœurs
- kœr — Noun meaning 'hearts,' the plural of 'cœur'
- humains
- y-mɛ̃ — Adjective meaning 'human' (masculine plural form)
- battant
- ba-tɑ̃ — Present participle of 'battre'; beating or pulsing strongly
- déjà
- de-ʒa — Adverb meaning 'already' or 'yet'
- idée
- i-de — Noun meaning 'idea' or 'notion'
- nationale
- na-sjɔ-nal — Adjective meaning 'national,' relating to a nation
- jusqu'
- ʒys-kə — Preposition meaning 'until' or 'up to,' elided form
- réalité
- re-a-li-te — Noun meaning 'reality' or 'actuality'
- domestique
- dɔ-mɛs-tik — Adjective meaning 'domestic,' relating to home or household
- vînt
- vɛ̃ — Imperfect subjunctive of 'venir'; might come or arrive
- rencontre
- rɑ̃-kɔ̃tr — Noun meaning 'encounter' or 'meeting'
- traits
- trɛ — Noun meaning 'features,' 'traits,' or 'characteristics'
- oncles
- ɔ̃kl — Noun meaning 'uncles,' the plural of 'oncle'
- ramenât
- ra-mə-na — Imperfect subjunctive of 'ramener'; brought them back home
- loin
- lwɛ̃ — Adverb meaning 'far' or 'far away'
- grand
- grɑ̃ — Adjective meaning 'great,' 'large,' or 'grand'
- dessein
- də-sɛ̃ — Noun meaning 'design,' 'plan,' or 'intent'
- pèlerinage
- pɛl-ri-naʒ — Noun meaning 'pilgrimage,' a journey to a sacred place
- enfants
- ɑ̃-fɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'children' (plural of 'enfant')
- début
- de-by — Noun meaning 'beginning' or 'start'
- approprié
- a-prɔ-prje — Adjective meaning 'appropriate,' 'fitting,' or 'suitable'
- nature
- na-tyr — Noun meaning 'nature,' inherent character or disposition
- passionnée
- pa-sjɔ-ne — Adjective meaning 'passionate' or 'fervent' (feminine form)
- idéale
- i-de-al — Adjective meaning 'ideal' or 'perfect' (feminine form)
- réclamait
- re-kla-mɛ — Imperfect of 'réclamer'; was demanding or calling for
- épique
- e-pik — Adjective meaning 'epic,' of grand heroic scale
- importaient
- ɛ̃-pɔr-tɛ — Imperfect of 'importer'; mattered or were important to her
- romans
- rɔ-mɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'novels' or 'romances' (plural)
- chevalerie
- ʃə-val-ri — Noun meaning 'chivalry' or 'tales of knighthood'
- plusieurs
- plyz-jœr — Adjective meaning 'several' or 'multiple'
- volumes
- vɔ-lym — Noun meaning 'volumes,' large books or tomes (plural)
- conquêtes
- kɔ̃-kɛt — Noun meaning 'conquests,' victories over lands or people
- mondaines
- mɔ̃-dɛn — Adjective meaning 'worldly' or 'of high society' (plural)
- brillante
- bri-jɑ̃t — Adjective meaning 'brilliant,' 'bright,' or 'dazzling'
- flamme
- flam — Noun meaning 'flame' or 'fire,' often used figuratively
- consuma
- kɔ̃-sy-ma — Past tense of 'consumer'; consumed or burned up quickly
- rapidement
- ra-pid-mɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'quickly' or 'rapidly'
- combustible
- kɔ̃-bys-tibl — Noun meaning 'fuel' or adjective meaning 'combustible'
- léger
- le-ʒe — Adjective meaning 'light,' 'slight,' or 'not heavy'
- nourrie
- nu-ri — Past participle of 'nourrir'; fed or nourished (feminine)
- intérieur
- ɛ̃-te-rjœr — Noun or adjective meaning 'interior,' 'inner,' or 'inside'
- élança
- e-lɑ̃-sa — Past tense of 'élancer'; rushed or darted forward eagerly
- vers
- vɛr — Preposition meaning 'towards' or 'in the direction of'
- satisfaction
- sa-tis-fak-sjɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'satisfaction' or 'fulfillment'
- sans
- sɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'without'
- limites
- li-mit — Noun meaning 'limits' or 'boundaries' (plural)
- objet
- ɔb-ʒɛ — Noun meaning 'object,' 'thing,' or 'purpose'
- justifierait
- ʒys-ti-fje-rɛ — Conditional of 'justifier'; would justify or warrant
- jamais
- ʒa-mɛ — Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever'
- lassitude
- la-si-tyd — Noun meaning 'weariness,' 'lassitude,' or 'fatigue'
- réconcilierait
- re-kɔ̃-si-lje-rɛ — Conditional of 'réconcilier'; would reconcile or make peace
- désespoir
- de-zɛs-pwar — Noun meaning 'despair' or 'hopelessness'
- soi
- swa — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' used with impersonal subjects
- conscience
- kɔ̃-sjɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'conscience' or 'consciousness,' moral awareness
- ravie
- ra-vi — Adjective meaning 'delighted,' 'enraptured,' or 'carried away'
- delà
- də-la — Adverb meaning 'beyond,' used in 'au-delà' (beyond)
- trouva
- tru-va — Past tense of 'trouver'; found or discovered something
- épopée
- e-pɔ-pe — Noun meaning 'epic,' a grand heroic narrative or endeavor
- réforme
- re-fɔrm — Noun meaning 'reform,' a movement for improvement or change
- ordre
- ɔrdr — Noun meaning 'order,' as in a religious order
- religieux
- rə-li-ʒjø — Adjective meaning 'religious' or relating to religion
- femme
- fam — Noun meaning 'woman' or 'wife'
- espagnole
- ɛs-pa-ɲɔl — Feminine adjective meaning 'Spanish,' relating to Spain
- vécut
- ve-ky — Past tense of 'vivre'; lived or existed at a time
- ans
- ɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'years,' referring to a period of time
- certes
- sɛrt — Adverb meaning 'certainly,' 'admittedly,' or 'indeed'
- dernière
- dɛr-njɛr — Adjective meaning 'last' or 'latest' (feminine form)
- espèce
- ɛs-pɛs — Noun meaning 'species,' 'kind,' or 'sort'
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