Moby Dick; Or, The Whale — Page 10

English → Fr CHAPTER 135. The Chase.—Third Day. Level 9/10

"The aorta of a whale is larger in the bore than the main pipe of the water-works at London Bridge, and the water roaring in its passage through that pipe is inferior in impetus and velocity to the blood gushing from the whale's heart." —_Paley's Theology_.

« L'aorte d'une baleine est plus large dans son calibre que la conduite principale des travaux hydrauliques du London Bridge, et l'eau qui rugit dans son passage à travers cette conduite est inférieure en impulsion et en vitesse au sang jaillissant du cœur de la baleine. » —_Théologie de Paley_.

"The whale is a mammiferous animal without hind feet." —_Baron Cuvier_.

« La baleine est un animal mammifère sans pattes postérieures. » —_Baron Cuvier_.

"In 40 degrees south, we saw Spermacetti Whales, but did not take any till the first of May, the sea being then covered with them." —_Colnett's Voyage for the Purpose of Extending the Spermaceti Whale Fishery_.

« Par 40 degrés de latitude sud, nous vîmes des baleines à spermaceti, mais n'en prîmes aucune avant le premier mai, la mer en étant alors couverte. » —_Voyage de Colnett dans le but d'étendre la pêche à la baleine à spermaceti_.

"In the free element beneath me swam, Floundered and dived, in play, in chace, in battle, Fishes of every colour, form, and kind; Which language cannot paint, and mariner Had never seen; from dread Leviathan To insect millions peopling every wave: Gather'd in shoals immense, like floating islands, Led by mysterious instincts through that waste And trackless region, though on every side Assaulted by voracious enemies, Whales, sharks, and monsters, arm'd in front or jaw, With swords, saws, spiral horns, or hooked fangs." —_Montgomery's World before the Flood_.

« Dans le libre élément sous moi nageaient, se débattaient et plongeaient, en jeu, en chasse, en bataille, des poissons de toute couleur, forme et espèce ; que le langage ne peut dépeindre, et que le marin n'avait jamais vus ; depuis le redoutable Léviathan jusqu'aux millions d'insectes peuplant chaque vague : rassemblés en bancs immenses, tels des îles flottantes, guidés par de mystérieux instincts à travers cette région déserte et sans chemins, bien que de toutes parts assaillis par de voraces ennemis, baleines, requins et monstres, armés en avant ou aux mâchoires, d'épées, de scies, de cornes spiralées ou de crochets acérés. » —_Le Monde avant le Déluge de Montgomery_.

"Io! Paean! Io! sing. To the finny people's king. Not a mightier whale than this In the vast Atlantic is; Not a fatter fish than he, Flounders round the Polar Sea." —_Charles Lamb's Triumph of the Whale_.

« Io ! Péan ! Io ! chantons. Au roi du peuple à nageoires. Nulle baleine plus puissante que celle-ci Ne se trouve dans le vaste Atlantique ; Nul poisson plus gras que lui Ne se débat autour de la mer Polaire. » —_Le Triomphe de la Baleine de Charles Lamb_.

Vocabulary

L': Contracted definite article meaning 'the'.
aorte: Main artery carrying blood from the heart.
d': Contracted preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'.
une: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine).
baleine: Large marine mammal; whale.
est: Third-person singular of 'être'; means 'is'.
plus: Means 'more' or 'most'; used in comparisons.
large: Wide or broad in measurement.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'.
son: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
calibre: Diameter or internal width of a tube or vessel.
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that' or 'than'.
la: Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular).
conduite: Pipe or duct conveying water or fluid.
principale: Main or primary; most important.
des: Plural indefinite article or contraction of 'de les'.
travaux: Works or construction projects; plural of travail.
hydrauliques: Relating to water flow or hydraulic engineering.
du: Contraction of 'de le', meaning 'of the'.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and'.
l': Contracted definite article meaning 'the'.
eau: Water; essential liquid for life.
qui: Relative pronoun meaning 'who', 'which', or 'that'.
rugit: Roars or rushes loudly; third-person singular past.
passage: Act of passing through; a corridor or channel.
à: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
travers: Through; used in expression 'à travers'.
cette: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (feminine).
inférieure: Lower or inferior; below in position or rank.
en: Preposition meaning 'in', 'on', or 'by'.
impulsion: Impulse or driving force; sudden push of energy.
vitesse: Speed or velocity of movement.
au: Contraction of 'à le', meaning 'to the' or 'at the'.
sang: Blood circulating through the body.
jaillissant: Gushing or spurting forth with force.
cœur: Heart; the organ pumping blood through the body.
de: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
Théologie: Theology; the study of religion and divine matters.
La: Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular).
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (masculine).
animal: Living creature; a member of the animal kingdom.
mammifère: Mammal; warm-blooded vertebrate nursing young with milk.
sans: Preposition meaning 'without'.
pattes: Paws or legs of an animal.
postérieures: Hind or rear; situated at the back.
Par: Preposition meaning 'by', 'through', or 'per'.
degrés: Degrees; units of measurement for angles or temperature.
latitude: Geographic coordinate measuring distance north or south.
sud: South; one of the four cardinal directions.
nous: Personal pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'.
vîmes: Past historic of 'voir'; we saw.
baleines: Whales; large marine mammals; plural of baleine.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but'.
n': Contracted negative particle; part of 'ne...pas'.
prîmes: Past historic of 'prendre'; we took or caught.
aucune: None or not any; negative indefinite pronoun (feminine).
avant: Preposition meaning 'before' in time or order.
le: Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular).
premier: First; ordinal number indicating the beginning.
mai: May; the fifth month of the year.
mer: Sea; large body of salt water.
étant: Present participle of 'être'; being.
alors: Adverb meaning 'then' or 'at that time'.
couverte: Covered; past participle of couvrir (feminine).
Voyage: Journey or travel; trip to a distant place.
but: Goal or purpose; aim of an action.
étendre: To extend, stretch, or expand something further.
pêche: Fishing; the activity of catching fish.
Dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'within'.
libre: Free; unrestrained or not confined.
élément: Element or natural environment; one's natural domain.
sous: Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'.
moi: Stressed pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I'.
nageaient: Imperfect tense of 'nager'; they were swimming.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself', 'himself', 'herself'.
débattaient: Were struggling or thrashing about; imperfect tense.
plongeaient: Were diving or plunging; imperfect tense of plonger.
jeu: Play or game; playful activity or amusement.
chasse: Hunt or chase; pursuit of prey.
bataille: Battle or fight; armed conflict or struggle.
poissons: Fish; aquatic vertebrates living in water.
toute: All or every; feminine singular of 'tout'.
couleur: Color; visual property perceived by the eye.
forme: Shape or form; the outline of something.
espèce: Species or kind; a category of living organisms.
langage: Language or speech; system of communication.
ne: Negative particle used with 'pas' or 'jamais'.
peut: Third-person singular of 'pouvoir'; can or is able.
dépeindre: To depict or describe vividly in words.
marin: Sailor or mariner; relating to the sea.
avait: Imperfect of 'avoir'; had (third-person singular).
jamais: Never or ever; used in negative or emphatic contexts.
vus: Past participle of 'voir'; seen (masculine plural).
depuis: Since or from; indicating a starting point in time.
redoutable: Formidable or fearsome; inspiring dread or awe.
jusqu': Until or as far as; contracted form of jusqu'à.
aux: Contraction of 'à les', meaning 'to the' (plural).
millions: Millions; a very large number.
insectes: Insects; small six-legged invertebrate animals.
peuplant: Populating or inhabiting; present participle of peupler.
chaque: Each or every; referring to individual items.
vague: Wave; undulation of water on the sea surface.
rassemblés: Gathered or assembled together; past participle (masculine plural).
bancs: Shoals or schools of fish; also benches.
immenses: Immense or enormous; very large in size.
tels: Such; resembling or like something mentioned.
îles: Islands; land masses surrounded by water.
flottantes: Floating; drifting on the surface of water.
guidés: Guided or led; directed toward a destination.
par: Preposition meaning 'by', 'through', or 'per'.
mystérieux: Mysterious; unknown or difficult to explain.
instincts: Instincts; innate natural impulses guiding behavior.
région: Region or area; a defined geographic zone.
déserte: Deserted or uninhabited; empty of people.
chemins: Paths or ways; routes taken to reach a destination.
bien: Well or good; adverb indicating quality or affirmation.
toutes: All or every; feminine plural of 'tout'.
parts: Places or sides; directions from a location.
assaillis: Assailed or attacked; past participle of assaillir.
voraces: Voracious or ravenous; extremely hungry and greedy.
ennemis: Enemies or foes; those who are hostile.
requins: Sharks; large predatory fish of the ocean.
monstres: Monsters; frightening or enormous creatures.
armés: Armed; equipped with weapons or natural defenses.
ou: Conjunction meaning 'or'.
mâchoires: Jaws; bony structures forming the mouth.
épées: Swords; bladed weapons used in combat.
scies: Saws; tools or natural features with serrated edges.
cornes: Horns; pointed projections on an animal's head.
spiralées: Spiraled or twisted in a helical shape.
crochets: Hooks or fangs; curved pointed structures.
acérés: Sharp or pointed; having a keen cutting edge.
Le: Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular).
Monde: World; the earth or human society.
Déluge: Flood or deluge; great biblical or catastrophic flood.
Péan: Paean; a song of praise or triumph.
chantons: Let us sing; first-person plural imperative of chanter.
Au: Contraction of 'à le'; meaning 'to the' or 'for the'.
roi: King; a male monarch ruling a kingdom.
peuple: People or nation; a group sharing common identity.
nageoires: Fins; limb-like appendages used by fish to swim.
Nulle: None or no; feminine negative adjective.
puissante: Powerful or mighty; having great strength or force.
celle: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the one' (feminine).
ci: Here; used in combination like 'celle-ci' meaning 'this one'.
Ne: Negative particle used with verbs to negate.
trouve: Finds or encounters; third-person singular of trouver.
vaste: Vast or immense; very large in extent.
Atlantique: Atlantic; the ocean between the Americas and Europe.
Nul: No or none; masculine form of negative adjective.
poisson: Fish; aquatic animal living in water.
gras: Fat or fatty; having a large amount of body fat.
lui: Personal pronoun meaning 'him', 'her', or 'it'.
débat: Debate or struggle; contest or dispute around something.
autour: Around; in a circle surrounding something.
Polaire: Polar; relating to the North or South Pole region.
Triomphe: Triumph; a great victory or achievement.
Baleine: Whale; large marine mammal of the ocean.

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →