Middlemarch — Page 2
The pride of being ladies had something to do with it: the Brooke connections, though not exactly aristocratic, were unquestionably "good:" if you inquired backward for a generation or two, you would not find any yard-measuring or parcel-tying forefathers—anything lower than an admiral or a clergyman; and there was even an ancestor discernible as a Puritan gentleman who served under Cromwell, but afterwards conformed, and managed to come out of all political troubles as the proprietor of a respectable family estate.
La fierté d'être des dames y était pour quelque chose : les relations des Brooke, bien que pas exactement aristocratiques, étaient incontestablement « bonnes » : si l'on remontait d'une génération ou deux, on ne trouverait aucun ancêtre mesureur de tissu ou faiseur de paquets — rien de plus humble qu'un amiral ou un ecclésiastique ; et l'on pouvait même discerner un ancêtre qui était un gentilhomme puritain ayant servi sous Cromwell, mais qui s'était ensuite conformé, et avait réussi à sortir de tous les troubles politiques en tant que propriétaire d'un respectable domaine familial.
Young women of such birth, living in a quiet country-house, and attending a village church hardly larger than a parlor, naturally regarded frippery as the ambition of a huckster's daughter.
De jeunes femmes d'une telle naissance, vivant dans une tranquille maison de campagne et fréquentant une église de village à peine plus grande qu'un salon, considéraient naturellement la frivolité comme l'ambition de la fille d'un camelot.
Then there was well-bred economy, which in those days made show in dress the first item to be deducted from, when any margin was required for expenses more distinctive of rank.
Il y avait aussi l'économie bien élevée, qui en ces temps-là faisait de l'ostentation vestimentaire le premier poste dont on déduisait, lorsqu'il fallait dégager une marge pour des dépenses plus caractéristiques du rang.
Such reasons would have been enough to account for plain dress, quite apart from religious feeling; but in Miss Brooke's case, religion alone would have determined it; and Celia mildly acquiesced in all her sister's sentiments, only infusing them with that common-sense which is able to accept momentous doctrines without any eccentric agitation.
De telles raisons auraient suffi à expliquer la simplicité vestimentaire, indépendamment de tout sentiment religieux ; mais dans le cas de Miss Brooke, la religion seule en aurait décidé ainsi ; et Célia acquiesçait doucement à tous les sentiments de sa sœur, en les tempérant seulement de ce bon sens qui est capable d'accepter des doctrines importantes sans aucune agitation excentrique.
Dorothea knew many passages of Pascal's Pensees and of Jeremy Taylor by heart; and to her the destinies of mankind, seen by the light of Christianity, made the solicitudes of feminine fashion appear an occupation for Bedlam.
Dorothea connaissait par cœur de nombreux passages des Pensées de Pascal et de Jeremy Taylor ; et pour elle, les destins de l'humanité, vus à la lumière du christianisme, faisaient paraître les préoccupations de la mode féminine comme une occupation digne de Bedlam.
Vocabulary
- fierté
- Pride; a feeling of satisfaction or self-respect
- être
- To be; fundamental linking or auxiliary verb
- dames
- Ladies; women of refined or high social standing
- y
- There; pronoun replacing a previously mentioned place
- était
- Was; third-person singular imperfect of 'être'
- quelque
- Some; an indefinite quantity or degree
- chose
- Thing; a general word for any object or matter
- relations
- Relations; connections or ties between people or families
- bien
- Well; used to qualify or affirm a statement
- exactement
- Exactly; precisely or in a perfectly accurate manner
- aristocratiques
- Aristocratic; relating to the nobility or upper class
- étaient
- Were; third-person plural imperfect of 'être'
- incontestablement
- Indisputably; without any possible doubt or challenge
- on
- One; indefinite pronoun referring to people generally
- remontait
- Went back up; traced back through time or lineage
- génération
- Generation; a group of people born in same era
- trouverait
- Would find; conditional of 'trouver', to find
- aucun
- No, none; negative determiner indicating absence
- ancêtre
- Ancestor; a person from whom one is descended
- mesureur
- Measurer; one who measures, especially fabrics
- tissu
- Fabric, cloth; woven or knitted textile material
- faiseur
- Maker; one who makes or produces something
- paquets
- Packages, bundles; wrapped or bundled items
- rien
- Nothing; pronoun indicating complete absence
- humble
- Humble; of low social rank or modest status
- amiral
- Admiral; a high-ranking naval military officer
- ecclésiastique
- Ecclesiastic; relating to the church or clergy
- pouvait
- Could; imperfect of 'pouvoir', to be able
- même
- Even, same; used for emphasis or comparison
- discerner
- To discern; to perceive or distinguish something clearly
- gentilhomme
- Gentleman; a man of noble or gentle birth
- puritain
- Puritan; relating to strict Protestant religious movement
- ayant
- Having; present participle of 'avoir', to have
- servi
- Served; past participle of 'servir', to serve
- sous
- Under; preposition indicating subordination or position below
- ensuite
- Then, afterwards; indicating temporal sequence of events
- conformé
- Conformed; adapted or complied with prevailing norms
- avait
- Had; third-person singular imperfect of 'avoir'
- réussi
- Succeeded; past participle of 'réussir', to succeed
- sortir
- To get out; to emerge from a difficult situation
- tous
- All; masculine plural determiner or pronoun
- troubles
- Troubles; disturbances, conflicts, or periods of unrest
- politiques
- Political; relating to government, power, or politics
- tant
- As; used in expression 'en tant que' meaning as
- propriétaire
- Owner; a person who legally owns property or land
- respectable
- Respectable; worthy of esteem or social regard
- domaine
- Estate, domain; a landed property or area of land
- familial
- Family; relating to or belonging to one's family
- jeunes
- Young; adjective describing people of little age
- femmes
- Women; adult female persons
- telle
- Such; of that kind or degree
- naissance
- Birth; origin or social background of a person
- vivant
- Living; present participle of 'vivre', to live
- tranquille
- Quiet, calm; peaceful and undisturbed in character
- maison
- House; a building used as a human dwelling
- campagne
- Countryside; rural area away from urban centres
- fréquentant
- Attending; regularly visiting a place or institution
- église
- Church; a Christian place of worship
- village
- Village; a small rural settlement or community
- peine
- Hardly; scarcely, with difficulty or barely at all
- salon
- Drawing room; a formal reception room in a house
- considéraient
- Considered; imperfect of 'considérer', to regard or view
- naturellement
- Naturally; of course, in a natural or expected way
- frivolité
- Frivolity; lack of seriousness; trivial behaviour
- ambition
- Ambition; strong desire to achieve something significant
- fille
- Girl, daughter; a young female person
- camelot
- Street vendor; peddler selling cheap or showy goods
- aussi
- Also, too; indicating addition or similarity
- économie
- Economy, thrift; careful management of financial resources
- élevée
- High, elevated; raised to a great level or degree
- temps-là
- Those times; referring to a specific past period
- faisait
- Made, did; imperfect of 'faire', to make or do
- ostentation
- Ostentation; showy display intended to impress others
- vestimentaire
- Relating to clothing; concerning dress or attire
- premier
- First; the earliest or foremost in order or rank
- poste
- Post, item; a budget category or expenditure entry
- dont
- Of which, from which; relative pronoun of possession
- déduisait
- Deducted; imperfect of 'déduire', to subtract or deduct
- lorsqu'
- When; conjunction introducing a temporal clause
- fallait
- Was necessary; imperfect of 'falloir', to be needed
- dégager
- To free up; to release or clear a margin or space
- marge
- Margin; a surplus amount available for extra spending
- dépenses
- Expenses; money spent on goods or services
- caractéristiques
- Characteristic; typical features of a particular group
- rang
- Rank; social position or standing in a hierarchy
- telles
- Such; feminine plural of 'tel', meaning of that kind
- raisons
- Reasons; causes or justifications for an action
- auraient
- Would have; conditional of 'avoir' third-person plural
- suffi
- Sufficed; past participle of 'suffire', to be enough
- expliquer
- To explain; to make something clear or understandable
- simplicité
- Simplicity; the quality of being plain and uncomplicated
- indépendamment
- Independently; without depending on another factor
- tout
- All, any; indicating totality or completeness
- sentiment
- Feeling; an emotional state or attitude
- religieux
- Religious; relating to faith, belief, or worship
- cas
- Case; a particular instance or situation being considered
- religion
- Religion; a system of faith and worship practices
- seule
- Alone, only; singular and without others
- aurait
- Would have; third-person singular conditional of 'avoir'
- décidé
- Decided; past participle of 'décider', to decide
- ainsi
- Thus, so; in this way or manner
- acquiesçait
- Acquiesced; agreed or accepted without objection
- doucement
- Gently, softly; in a mild or quiet manner
- sentiments
- Feelings, sentiments; emotional attitudes or opinions
- sœur
- Sister; a female sibling
- tempérant
- Moderating; present participle of 'tempérer', to temper
- seulement
- Only, merely; limiting quantity or scope
- sens
- Sense; practical judgement or reasonable understanding
- capable
- Capable; having the ability or capacity to do something
- accepter
- To accept; to receive or agree to something willingly
- doctrines
- Doctrines; sets of beliefs or principles taught formally
- importantes
- Important; of great significance or consequence
- sans
- Without; indicating absence or lack of something
- aucune
- No, none; feminine negative determiner indicating absence
- agitation
- Agitation; a state of anxiety or restless excitement
- excentrique
- Eccentric; unconventional or odd in behaviour
- connaissait
- Knew; imperfect of 'connaître', to know someone or something
- cœur
- Heart; used figuratively in 'par cœur' meaning by memory
- nombreux
- Numerous; existing in large numbers
- passages
- Passages; excerpts from a written text or book
- Pensées
- Thoughts; title of Pascal's famous philosophical writings
- destins
- Destinies; the fates or outcomes of people's lives
- humanité
- Humanity; all human beings collectively
- vus
- Seen; past participle of 'voir', to see
- lumière
- Light; illumination, also used figuratively for enlightenment
- christianisme
- Christianity; the religion based on teachings of Christ
- faisaient
- Made; imperfect of 'faire', third-person plural form
- paraître
- To seem, appear; to give a certain impression
- préoccupations
- Preoccupations; matters that dominate one's thoughts
- mode
- Fashion; prevailing style or trend in clothing
- féminine
- Feminine; relating to women or female characteristics
- occupation
- Occupation; an activity one engages in regularly
- digne
- Worthy; deserving respect or a particular treatment
- Bedlam
- Bedlam; a place of uproar, historically a London asylum
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