Middlemarch — Page 6
compared with her,
comparée à elle,
the innocent-looking Celia was knowing and worldly-wise; so much subtler is a human mind than the outside tissues which make a sort of blazonry or clock-face for it.
la Célia à l'air innocent était avisée et expérimentée ; tant l'esprit humain est plus subtil que les tissus extérieurs qui en constituent une sorte de blason ou de cadran.
Yet those who approached Dorothea, though prejudiced against her by this alarming hearsay, found that she had a charm unaccountably reconcilable with it.
Pourtant ceux qui approchaient Dorothea, bien que prévenus contre elle par ces rumeurs alarmantes, découvraient qu'elle possédait un charme inexplicablement conciliable avec elles.
Most men thought her bewitching when she was on horseback.
La plupart des hommes la trouvaient ensorcelante quand elle était à cheval.
She loved the fresh air and the various aspects of the country, and when her eyes and cheeks glowed with mingled pleasure she looked very little like a devotee.
Elle aimait l'air frais et les aspects variés de la campagne, et lorsque ses yeux et ses joues rayonnaient d'un plaisir mêlé, elle ressemblait fort peu à une dévote.
Riding was an indulgence which she allowed herself in spite of conscientious qualms; she felt that she enjoyed it in a pagan sensuous way, and always looked forward to renouncing it.
L'équitation était une indulgence qu'elle s'accordait malgré des scrupules de conscience ; elle avait le sentiment d'en jouir d'une manière païenne et sensuelle, et envisageait toujours d'y renoncer.
She was open, ardent, and not in the least self-admiring; indeed, it was pretty to see how her imagination adorned her sister Celia with attractions altogether superior to her own, and if any gentleman appeared to come to the Grange from some other motive than that of seeing Mr. Brooke, she concluded that he must be in love with Celia:
Elle était franche, ardente, et nullement portée à s'admirer elle-même ; il était même charmant de voir comment son imagination parait sa sœur Célia de qualités en tout point supérieures aux siennes, et si quelque gentleman semblait venir au Grange pour un autre motif que celui de voir M. Brooke, elle concluait qu'il devait être amoureux de Célia :
Sir James Chettam, for example, whom she constantly considered from Celia's point of view, inwardly debating whether it would be good for Celia to accept him.
Sir James Chettam, par exemple, qu'elle envisageait constamment du point de vue de Célia, se demandant intérieurement s'il serait bon que Célia l'acceptât.
That he should be regarded as a suitor to herself would have seemed to her a ridiculous irrelevance.
Qu'il pût être considéré comme un prétendant pour elle-même lui aurait semblé d'une absurdité ridicule.
Dorothea, with all her eagerness to know the truths of life, retained very childlike ideas about marriage.
Dorothea, avec tout son empressement à connaître les vérités de la vie, conservait des idées très enfantines sur le mariage.
Vocabulary
- comparée
- compared, as in likened to something else
- à
- to, at, in; common preposition with many uses
- elle
- she, her; third-person feminine singular pronoun
- la
- the; feminine singular definite article
- l'
- the; elided definite article before vowel sound
- air
- air, appearance, look; manner or expression
- innocent
- innocent, naive, guileless in appearance or behavior
- était
- was; third-person singular imperfect of être
- avisée
- shrewd, sensible, prudent; showing good judgment
- et
- and; basic coordinating conjunction
- expérimentée
- experienced, skilled through practice or exposure
- tant
- so much, so many; expresses degree or extent
- esprit
- mind, spirit, wit; inner intellectual capacity
- humain
- human; relating to people or human nature
- est
- is; third-person singular present of être
- plus
- more; used in comparisons or to intensify
- subtil
- subtle, refined, delicate; hard to detect directly
- que
- that, than, which; conjunction or relative pronoun
- les
- the; plural definite article for all genders
- tissus
- fabrics, tissues, materials; woven or bodily matter
- extérieurs
- exterior, outward, external; relating to outside appearance
- qui
- who, which, that; subject relative pronoun
- en
- in, of it, some; versatile pronoun or preposition
- constituent
- constitute, make up; form the components of something
- une
- a, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- sorte
- sort, kind, type; category or variety of something
- de
- of, from; very common French preposition
- blason
- coat of arms, heraldic emblem; symbolic outward sign
- ou
- or; conjunction presenting an alternative choice
- cadran
- dial, face; numbered surface of clock or instrument
- Pourtant
- yet, however, nevertheless; introduces a contrast
- ceux
- those; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun
- approchaient
- approached, drew near; imperfect of approcher
- bien
- well, very, indeed; adverb of manner or emphasis
- prévenus
- forewarned, prejudiced, predisposed; alerted in advance
- contre
- against; preposition expressing opposition or proximity
- par
- by, through, per; preposition of means or agent
- ces
- these, those; plural demonstrative adjective
- rumeurs
- rumors, gossip; unverified stories circulating socially
- alarmantes
- alarming, worrying, disturbing; causing concern or fear
- découvraient
- discovered, found out; imperfect of découvrir
- qu'
- that, than; elided form of que before vowel
- possédait
- possessed, had; imperfect of posséder
- un
- a, an; masculine singular indefinite article
- charme
- charm, appeal; quality that attracts or enchants others
- inexplicablement
- inexplicably, in an unexplainable manner
- conciliable
- reconcilable, compatible; able to be made consistent
- avec
- with; preposition indicating accompaniment or association
- elles
- they, them; third-person feminine plural pronoun
- La
- the; feminine singular definite article
- plupart
- most, the majority; refers to the greater part
- des
- of the, some; contracted partitive or plural article
- hommes
- men, people; adult male human beings
- trouvaient
- found, considered; imperfect of trouver
- ensorcelante
- bewitching, captivating; casting a spell on others
- quand
- when; conjunction or adverb of time
- cheval
- horse; large domesticated riding and working animal
- Elle
- she; third-person feminine singular subject pronoun
- aimait
- liked, loved; imperfect of aimer
- frais
- fresh, cool; pleasantly new or cool in sensation
- aspects
- aspects, features; particular sides or views of something
- variés
- varied, diverse; differing in form or character
- campagne
- countryside, rural landscape; open land outside cities
- lorsque
- when, at the time that; temporal conjunction
- ses
- his, her, its; third-person plural possessive adjective
- yeux
- eyes; organs of sight, plural of œil
- joues
- cheeks; fleshy sides of the face below eyes
- rayonnaient
- radiated, glowed; imperfect of rayonner
- d'
- of, from; elided form of de before vowel
- plaisir
- pleasure, enjoyment; feeling of happiness or satisfaction
- mêlé
- mixed, mingled; combined or blended with something else
- ressemblait
- resembled, looked like; imperfect of ressembler
- fort
- very, strongly, much; adverb intensifying an adjective
- peu
- little, few; small amount or degree
- dévote
- devout, pious; deeply religious and devoted person
- L'
- the; elided definite article before vowel sound
- équitation
- horse riding, equestrianism; sport or skill of riding
- indulgence
- indulgence, leniency; tolerant allowance of pleasure
- s'
- himself, herself, itself; elided reflexive pronoun
- accordait
- granted, allowed; imperfect of accorder
- malgré
- despite, in spite of; regardless of an obstacle
- scrupules
- scruples, moral doubts; feelings of ethical hesitation
- conscience
- conscience, awareness; moral sense of right and wrong
- avait
- had; third-person singular imperfect of avoir
- le
- the; masculine singular definite article
- sentiment
- feeling, sentiment; emotional inner sense or awareness
- jouir
- to enjoy, to experience pleasure; infinitive verb
- manière
- manner, way; method or style of doing something
- païenne
- pagan; relating to non-Christian or non-religious beliefs
- sensuelle
- sensual, voluptuous; relating to bodily pleasure or senses
- envisageait
- envisioned, contemplated; imperfect of envisager
- toujours
- always, still; at all times or continuing state
- y
- there, to it; adverbial pronoun replacing a place
- renoncer
- to renounce, give up; abandon or forgo something willingly
- franche
- frank, honest, open; direct and sincere in character
- ardente
- ardent, passionate, fervent; intensely enthusiastic or eager
- nullement
- not at all, in no way; strong negation adverb
- portée
- inclined, prone; tending toward something naturally
- admirer
- to admire; regard with wonder or approval
- elle-même
- herself; emphatic reflexive feminine pronoun
- il
- he, it; third-person masculine singular pronoun
- même
- even, same, itself; adverb or adjective of identity
- charmant
- charming, delightful; pleasant and attractive in manner
- voir
- to see; perceive with the eyes or understand
- comment
- how; adverb asking about manner or way
- son
- his, her, its; third-person singular possessive adjective
- imagination
- imagination; faculty of forming mental images or ideas
- parait
- adorned, decorated; imperfect of parer
- sa
- his, her, its; feminine singular possessive adjective
- sœur
- sister; female sibling
- qualités
- qualities, virtues; positive characteristics or attributes
- tout
- all, every, quite; adjective or adverb of totality
- point
- point, not at all; negation or specific location
- supérieures
- superior, higher; of greater quality or rank
- aux
- to the, at the; contraction of à and les
- siennes
- hers; feminine plural possessive pronoun
- si
- if, so, yes; conditional conjunction or intensifier
- quelque
- some, a few, any; indefinite adjective of quantity
- semblait
- seemed, appeared; imperfect of sembler
- venir
- to come; move toward a place or person
- au
- to the, at the; contraction of à and le
- pour
- for, in order to; preposition of purpose or benefit
- autre
- other, another; different or additional person or thing
- motif
- motive, reason; underlying cause or purpose for action
- celui
- that one, the one; masculine singular demonstrative pronoun
- M.
- Mr.; abbreviated title for a man, Monsieur
- concluait
- concluded, inferred; imperfect of conclure
- devait
- had to, must have; imperfect of devoir
- être
- to be; fundamental linking or existential verb
- amoureux
- in love, enamored; feeling romantic love for someone
- exemple
- example, instance; case illustrating a general point
- constamment
- constantly, continually; without interruption or change
- du
- of the, some; contraction of de and le
- vue
- view, sight; act of seeing or visual perspective
- se
- himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun
- demandant
- wondering, asking oneself; present participle of demander
- intérieurement
- inwardly, internally; in one's own mind or heart
- serait
- would be; conditional of être
- bon
- good, right; of acceptable or positive quality
- acceptât
- would accept; past subjunctive of accepter
- Qu'
- that, which; elided conjunction or pronoun
- pût
- could; imperfect subjunctive of pouvoir
- considéré
- considered, regarded; past participle of considérer
- comme
- as, like; preposition of comparison or role
- prétendant
- suitor, pretender; man courting a woman for marriage
- lui
- him, her, to him; indirect object or stressed pronoun
- aurait
- would have; conditional of avoir
- semblé
- seemed; past participle of sembler
- absurdité
- absurdity; something illogical or ridiculously unreasonable
- ridicule
- ridiculous, laughable; deserving mockery or derision
- empressement
- eagerness, zeal; enthusiastic haste or attentiveness
- connaître
- to know; be acquainted with a person or subject
- vérités
- truths; facts or realities that are genuinely true
- vie
- life; existence, living experience of a person
- conservait
- kept, maintained; imperfect of conserver
- idées
- ideas, notions; thoughts or concepts held in mind
- très
- very; adverb strongly intensifying an adjective
- enfantines
- childlike, infantile; typical of or suited to children
- sur
- on, about, over; preposition of position or topic
- mariage
- marriage; legal union between two people as spouses
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