Middlemarch — Page 8

English → Fr CHAPTER I. Level 9/10

This was the Reverend Edward Casaubon, noted in the county as a man of profound learning, understood for many years to be engaged on a great work concerning religious history; also as a man of wealth enough to give lustre to his piety, and having views of his own which were to be more clearly ascertained on the publication of his book.

C'était le révérend Edward Casaubon, connu dans le comté comme un homme d'un savoir profond, que l'on croyait depuis de nombreuses années occupé à une grande œuvre concernant l'histoire religieuse ; également comme un homme assez riche pour donner de l'éclat à sa piété, et ayant des opinions personnelles qui devaient être plus clairement établies lors de la publication de son livre.

His very name carried an impressiveness hardly to be measured without a precise chronology of scholarship.

Son nom seul portait une majesté qu'on ne pouvait guère mesurer sans une chronologie précise de l'érudition.

Early in the day Dorothea had returned from the infant school which she had set going in the village, and was taking her usual place in the pretty sitting-room which divided the bedrooms of the sisters, bent on finishing a plan for some buildings (a kind of work which she delighted in), when Celia, who had been watching her with a hesitating desire to propose something, said—

Tôt dans la journée, Dorothea était revenue de l'école maternelle qu'elle avait fondée dans le village, et prenait sa place habituelle dans le joli salon qui séparait les chambres des deux sœurs, résolue à terminer un plan pour quelques bâtiments (un genre de travail qui la ravissait), lorsque Célia, qui l'observait avec un désir hésitant de lui proposer quelque chose, dit :

"Dorothea, dear, if you don't mind—if you are not very busy—suppose we looked at mamma's jewels to-day, and divided them? It is exactly six months to-day since uncle gave them to you, and you have not looked at them yet."

« Dorothea, chérie, si cela ne te dérange pas — si tu n'es pas très occupée — et si nous regardions les bijoux de maman aujourd'hui, pour les partager ? Cela fait exactement six mois aujourd'hui que notre oncle te les a donnés, et tu ne les as pas encore regardés. »

Celia's face had the shadow of a pouting expression in it, the full presence of the pout being kept back by an habitual awe of Dorothea and principle; two associated facts which might show a mysterious electricity if you touched them incautiously.

Le visage de Célia portait l'ombre d'une expression boudeuse, la moue complète étant retenue par une crainte habituelle envers Dorothea et par principe ; deux faits associés qui auraient pu révéler une électricité mystérieuse si on les avait effleurés avec imprudence.

To her relief, Dorothea's eyes were full of laughter as she looked up.

À son grand soulagement, les yeux de Dorothea étaient pleins de rires lorsqu'elle leva la tête.

"What a wonderful little almanac you are, Celia!

« Quel merveilleux petit almanach tu fais, Célia !

Vocabulary

C': Contraction of 'ce'; used before vowel sounds
était: Was; third person singular imperfect of 'être'
le: The; masculine singular definite article
révérend: Reverend; honorific title for a clergyman
connu: Known; recognized or familiar to others
dans: In; preposition indicating location or context
comté: County; an administrative territorial division
comme: As or like; used to compare or describe
un: A or an; masculine singular indefinite article
homme: Man; an adult male human being
d': Of or from; contraction of 'de' before vowel
savoir: Knowledge or learning; to know something
profond: Deep or profound; of great depth or intensity
que: That or which; conjunction or relative pronoun
l': The; contracted definite article before a vowel
on: One or people; impersonal subject pronoun
croyait: Believed; imperfect tense of 'croire'
depuis: Since or for; indicates duration of time
de: Of or from; very common French preposition
nombreuses: Many or numerous; a large quantity of things
années: Years; plural of 'année', a unit of time
occupé: Occupied or busy; engaged in an activity
à: At, to, or in; fundamental French preposition
une: A or an; feminine singular indefinite article
grande: Great or large; feminine form of 'grand'
œuvre: Work or opus; a significant creative or scholarly work
concernant: Concerning or regarding; relating to a subject
histoire: History or story; account of past events
religieuse: Religious; relating to religion or faith
également: Also or equally; in addition to what was said
assez: Enough or quite; sufficiently or moderately
riche: Rich or wealthy; having abundant financial resources
pour: For or in order to; indicates purpose or reason
donner: To give; to transfer something to someone
éclat: Brilliance or splendor; impressive radiance or distinction
sa: His or her; feminine singular possessive adjective
piété: Piety; devout religious devotion and reverence
et: And; conjunction connecting words or clauses
ayant: Having; present participle of 'avoir'
des: Some; plural indefinite article in French
opinions: Opinions; personal views or judgments on matters
personnelles: Personal; relating to one's own individual views
qui: Who or which; relative or interrogative pronoun
devaient: Were supposed to; imperfect of 'devoir'
être: To be; fundamental French infinitive verb
plus: More; indicates greater degree or quantity
clairement: Clearly; in a clear and understandable manner
établies: Established; set firmly in place or confirmed
lors: At the time of; used before 'de' for timing
la: The; feminine singular definite article
publication: Publication; the act of publishing a written work
son: His or her; masculine singular possessive adjective
livre: Book; a written or printed literary work
Son: His or her; masculine singular possessive adjective
nom: Name; a word identifying a person or thing
seul: Alone or only; by itself without others
portait: Carried or bore; imperfect tense of 'porter'
majesté: Majesty; impressive greatness or dignity
qu': That or which; contraction of 'que' before vowel
ne: Not; first part of French negation construction
pouvait: Could; imperfect tense of 'pouvoir'
guère: Hardly or scarcely; used in negative constructions
mesurer: To measure; to determine the extent or degree
sans: Without; lacking or in the absence of
chronologie: Chronology; the arrangement of events in time order
précise: Precise or exact; accurate and clearly defined
érudition: Erudition; extensive scholarly knowledge and learning
Tôt: Early; at an early time in the day
journée: Day; the period from morning to evening
revenue: Returned; past participle of 'revenir', to come back
école: School; an institution for teaching and learning
maternelle: Nursery or infant school; elementary early education
elle: She or her; third person feminine singular pronoun
avait: Had; third person singular imperfect of 'avoir'
fondée: Founded; established or set up an institution
village: Village; a small rural settlement or community
prenait: Was taking; imperfect tense of 'prendre'
place: Place or seat; a specific spot or position
habituelle: Usual or habitual; done regularly as a custom
joli: Pretty or nice; pleasant in appearance
salon: Living room or sitting room; main reception room
séparait: Separated; imperfect tense of 'séparer'
les: The; plural definite article for all genders
chambres: Rooms or bedrooms; enclosed spaces in a dwelling
deux: Two; the number 2
sœurs: Sisters; female siblings sharing the same parents
résolue: Resolved or determined; firmly decided to do something
terminer: To finish; to bring something to its completion
plan: Plan or blueprint; a detailed scheme or design
quelques: Some or a few; a small number of things
bâtiments: Buildings; structures constructed for habitation or use
genre: Type or kind; a category or sort of thing
travail: Work; an activity involving effort or labor
ravissait: Delighted; imperfect tense of 'ravir', to enchant
lorsque: When; conjunction indicating a point or period in time
observait: Was observing or watching; imperfect of 'observer'
avec: With; indicating accompaniment or manner
désir: Desire or wish; a strong feeling of wanting something
hésitant: Hesitant; uncertain or reluctant to act decisively
lui: Him or her; indirect object or stress pronoun
proposer: To propose or suggest; to put forward an idea
quelque: Some or a certain; an indefinite quantity or thing
chose: Thing; an object, matter, or subject in general
dit: Said; past tense of 'dire', to say
chérie: Darling or dear; affectionate term of endearment
si: If; conditional conjunction used in hypotheses
cela: That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something distant
te: You; informal second person singular object pronoun
dérange: Bothers or disturbs; third person of 'déranger'
pas: Not; second part of French negation construction
tu: You; informal second person singular subject pronoun
n': Not; contracted negation particle before a vowel
es: Are; second person singular present of 'être'
très: Very; adverb intensifying an adjective or adverb
occupée: Busy or occupied; feminine form, engaged in activity
nous: We or us; first person plural pronoun
regardions: We looked at; imperfect of 'regarder'
bijoux: Jewels or jewelry; decorative ornamental accessories
maman: Mom or mama; informal word for mother
aujourd'hui: Today; on this present day
partager: To share; to divide something among people
Cela: That; demonstrative pronoun for something previously mentioned
fait: Makes or does; third person singular of 'faire'
exactement: Exactly; precisely and without any deviation
six: Six; the number 6
mois: Month or months; a unit of time, 30 days
notre: Our; first person plural possessive adjective
oncle: Uncle; a parent's brother or brother-in-law
a: Has; third person singular present of 'avoir'
donnés: Given; plural past participle of 'donner'
as: Have; second person singular present of 'avoir'
encore: Still or yet; indicating continuation of a state
regardés: Looked at; plural past participle of 'regarder'
Le: The; masculine singular definite article
visage: Face; the front part of a person's head
ombre: Shadow or shade; darkness caused by blocking light
expression: Expression; a look conveying a feeling or mood
boudeuse: Sulky or pouting; showing displeasure in a sullen way
moue: Pout; a pursing of the lips showing discontent
complète: Complete or full; total and lacking nothing
étant: Being; present participle of 'être'
retenue: Restrained or held back; kept under control
par: By or through; preposition indicating means or agent
crainte: Fear or apprehension; a feeling of anxiety or dread
envers: Toward; a preposition indicating attitude or direction
principe: Principle; a fundamental rule or guiding belief
faits: Facts; things known to be true or real
associés: Associated; linked or connected to something else
auraient: Would have; conditional of 'avoir'
pu: Been able; past participle of 'pouvoir'
révéler: To reveal; to make something hidden known
électricité: Electricity; energy from charged particles, here metaphorical
mystérieuse: Mysterious; difficult to understand or explain
effleurés: Grazed or barely touched; lightly brushed against
imprudence: Imprudence; lack of caution or careful judgment
À: To or at; preposition indicating direction or location
grand: Great or big; large in size or degree
soulagement: Relief; a feeling of comfort after stress or worry
yeux: Eyes; the organs of sight, plural of 'œil'
étaient: Were; third person plural imperfect of 'être'
pleins: Full; filled completely with something
rires: Laughter; the sound or act of laughing
lorsqu': When; contraction of 'lorsque' before a vowel
leva: Raised or lifted; past tense of 'lever'
tête: Head; the upper part of the human body
Quel: What a or which; exclamatory or interrogative adjective
merveilleux: Wonderful or marvelous; causing wonder and admiration
petit: Small or little; of limited size or extent
almanach: Almanac; a yearly calendar with useful information
fais: Make or do; second person singular present of 'faire'

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