Notre-Dame de Paris — Page 11
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Whatever may be thought of this triple explanation, political, physical, and poetical, of the burning of the law courts in 1618, the unfortunate fact of the fire is certain.
Quoi qu'on pense de cette triple explication, politique, physique et poétique, de l'incendie du Palais de Justice en 1618, le malheureux fait de l'incendie est certain.
Very little to-day remains, thanks to this catastrophe,—thanks, above all, to the successive restorations which have completed what it spared,—very little remains of that first dwelling of the kings of France,—of that elder palace of the Louvre, already so old in the time of Philip the Handsome, that they sought there for the traces of the magnificent buildings erected by King Robert and described by Helgaldus.
Il reste aujourd'hui très peu de choses, grâce à cette catastrophe, — grâce surtout aux restaurations successives qui ont achevé ce qu'elle avait épargné, — il reste très peu de choses de cette première demeure des rois de France, — de ce vieux palais du Louvre, déjà si ancien au temps de Philippe le Bel, qu'on y cherchait les traces des magnifiques édifices élevés par le roi Robert et décrits par Helgaldus.
Nearly everything has disappeared.
Presque tout a disparu.
What has become of the chamber of the chancellery, where Saint Louis consummated his marriage?
Qu'est devenue la chambre de la chancellerie, où saint Louis consomma son mariage ?
the garden where he administered justice, "clad in a coat of camelot, a surcoat of linsey-woolsey, without sleeves, and a sur-mantle of black sandal, as he lay upon the carpet with Joinville?"
le jardin où il rendait la justice, « vêtu d'une cotte de camelot, d'un surcot de tiretaine sans manches, et d'un manteau de sandal noir, couché sur des tapis avec Joinville » ?
Where is the chamber of the Emperor Sigismond?
Où est la chambre de l'empereur Sigismond ?
and that of Charles IV.?
et celle de Charles IV ?
that of Jean the Landless?
celle de Jean sans Terre ?
Where is the staircase, from which Charles VI. promulgated his edict of pardon?
Où est l'escalier d'où Charles VI promulgua son édit de grâce ?
the slab where Marcel cut the throats of Robert de Clermont and the Marshal of Champagne, in the presence of the dauphin?
la dalle où Marcel égorgea Robert de Clermont et le maréchal de Champagne, en présence du dauphin ?
the wicket where the bulls of Pope Benedict were torn, and whence those who had brought them departed decked out, in derision, in copes and mitres, and making an apology through all Paris?
le guichet où furent déchirées les bulles du pape Benoît, et d'où ceux qui les avaient apportées repartirent affublés, par dérision, de chapes et de mitres, faisant amende honorable par tout Paris ?
Vocabulary
- Quoi
- kwa — What; used as an interrogative or exclamative pronoun
- qu'
- k — That/what; contraction of 'que' before a vowel
- on
- ɔ̃ — One/we/they; indefinite subject pronoun
- pense
- pɑ̃s — Thinks; third person singular of 'penser'
- de
- də — Of/from; very common preposition in French
- cette
- sɛt — This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- triple
- tʁipl — Triple; consisting of three parts or elements
- explication
- ɛksplikasjɔ̃ — Explanation; a statement clarifying something
- politique
- pɔlitik — Political; relating to government or politics
- physique
- fizik — Physical; relating to the body or material world
- et
- e — And; basic coordinating conjunction
- poétique
- pɔetik — Poetic; relating to or characteristic of poetry
- l'
- l — The; contracted definite article before vowel
- incendie
- ɛ̃sɑ̃di — Fire/blaze; a large destructive burning event
- du
- dy — Of the; contracted article combining 'de' and 'le'
- Palais
- palɛ — Palace; a large grand official or royal building
- Justice
- ʒystis — Justice; fairness or the legal system
- en
- ɑ̃ — In/on; preposition indicating location or time
- le
- lə — The; masculine singular definite article
- malheureux
- malœʁø — Unfortunate/unhappy; describing a sad or unlucky event
- fait
- fɛ — Fact/deed; something that has occurred or been done
- est
- ɛ — Is; third person singular of 'être'
- certain
- sɛʁtɛ̃ — Certain; sure, without doubt or question
- Il
- il — He/it; masculine third person singular pronoun
- reste
- ʁɛst — Remains; what is left after reduction or loss
- aujourd'hui
- oʒuʁdɥi — Today; on this present day
- très
- tʁɛ — Very; adverb of degree intensifying an adjective
- peu
- pø — Few/little; a small quantity or amount
- choses
- ʃoz — Things; objects, matters, or items in general
- grâce
- ɡʁɑs — Thanks to/grace; elegance or thanks attributed to something
- à
- a — To/at; very common French preposition
- catastrophe
- katastrof — Catastrophe; a sudden great disaster or calamity
- surtout
- syʁtu — Above all/especially; used to emphasize a key point
- aux
- o — To the/at the; contracted plural definite article
- restaurations
- ʁɛstɔʁasjɔ̃ — Restorations; acts of returning something to original condition
- successives
- syksɛsiv — Successive; following one after another in sequence
- qui
- ki — Who/which/that; relative or interrogative pronoun
- ont
- ɔ̃ — Have; third person plural of 'avoir'
- achevé
- aʃve — Completed/finished; brought something fully to an end
- ce
- sə — This/that/it; demonstrative or subject pronoun
- elle
- ɛl — She/it; feminine third person singular pronoun
- avait
- avɛ — Had; third person singular imperfect of 'avoir'
- épargné
- epaʁɲe — Spared; left untouched or saved from destruction
- première
- pʁəmjɛʁ — First; feminine adjective indicating the earliest or foremost
- demeure
- dəmœʁ — Dwelling/residence; a place where someone lives
- des
- de — Of the/some; plural indefinite or partitive article
- rois
- ʁwa — Kings; plural of 'roi', male monarchs
- vieux
- vjø — Old; adjective describing something of great age
- palais
- palɛ — Palace; a large impressive official building
- déjà
- deʒa — Already; indicating something has happened before now
- si
- si — So/if; intensifier or conditional conjunction
- ancien
- ɑ̃sjɛ̃ — Ancient/old/former; existing for a very long time
- temps
- tɑ̃ — Time/weather; a period or era in history
- cherchait
- ʃɛʁʃɛ — Was searching; imperfect tense of 'chercher'
- les
- le — The; plural definite article
- traces
- tʁas — Traces/marks; remnants or signs left behind
- magnifiques
- maɲifik — Magnificent; splendid and impressively grand
- édifices
- edifis — Buildings/edifices; large impressive constructed structures
- élevés
- elve — Raised/built; constructed or erected to a height
- par
- paʁ — By/through; preposition indicating agent or means
- roi
- ʁwa — King; a male monarch ruling a kingdom
- décrits
- dekʁi — Described; portrayed or depicted in written words
- Presque
- pʁɛsk — Almost/nearly; very close to but not quite
- tout
- tu — All/everything; indicating total completeness
- a
- a — Has; third person singular present of 'avoir'
- disparu
- dispaʁy — Disappeared; vanished or no longer existing
- devenue
- dəvny — Become; past participle of 'devenir', feminine form
- la
- la — The; feminine singular definite article
- chambre
- ʃɑ̃bʁ — Room/chamber; a private room or official hall
- chancellerie
- ʃɑ̃sɛlʁi — Chancellery; the office of a chancellor or official records
- où
- u — Where; relative or interrogative adverb of place
- saint
- sɛ̃ — Saint; a holy or canonized person in religion
- consomma
- kɔ̃sɔma — Consummated; completed or fulfilled an act formally
- son
- sɔ̃ — His/her/its; possessive adjective, masculine singular
- mariage
- maʁjaʒ — Marriage; the formal union of two people
- jardin
- ʒaʁdɛ̃ — Garden; an outdoor area with plants or greenery
- rendait
- ʁɑ̃dɛ — Was rendering/giving; imperfect of 'rendre'
- justice
- ʒystis — Justice; fair legal judgment and law enforcement
- vêtu
- vety — Dressed/clothed; wearing particular garments
- d'
- d — Of/from; contracted form of 'de' before vowel
- une
- yn — A/an; feminine indefinite article
- un
- œ̃ — A/an; masculine indefinite article
- sans
- sɑ̃ — Without; preposition indicating the absence of something
- manches
- mɑ̃ʃ — Sleeves; the parts of a garment covering the arms
- manteau
- mɑ̃to — Coat/cloak; an outer garment worn over clothing
- noir
- nwaʁ — Black; the darkest color, absence of light
- couché
- kuʃe — Lying down; reclining or resting on a surface
- sur
- syʁ — On/upon; preposition indicating position above something
- tapis
- tapi — Carpet/rug; a floor covering made of woven fabric
- avec
- avɛk — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or inclusion
- Où
- u — Where; interrogative adverb asking about location
- empereur
- ɑ̃pʁœʁ — Emperor; the supreme ruler of an empire
- celle
- sɛl — That one; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun
- Terre
- tɛʁ — Earth/land; also an epithet meaning 'Lackland'
- escalier
- ɛskalje — Staircase; a set of stairs in a building
- promulgua
- pʁɔmylɡa — Promulgated; officially proclaimed or announced a decree
- édit
- edit — Edict; an official order or decree issued by authority
- dalle
- dal — Slab/flagstone; a flat piece of stone used for paving
- maréchal
- maʁeʃal — Marshal; a high-ranking military or court official
- présence
- pʁezɑ̃s — Presence; the state of being in a particular place
- dauphin
- dofɛ̃ — Dauphin; the title of the heir to the French throne
- guichet
- ɡiʃɛ — Wicket/gate; a small door or opening in a gate
- furent
- fyʁ — Were; third person plural simple past of 'être'
- déchirées
- deʃiʁe — Torn apart; ripped or rent into pieces forcefully
- bulles
- byl — Papal bulls; official letters or seals from the pope
- pape
- pap — Pope; the head of the Roman Catholic Church
- ceux
- sø — Those; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun
- avaient
- avɛ — Had; third person plural imperfect of 'avoir'
- apportées
- apɔʁte — Brought; carried or delivered to a place
- repartirent
- ʁəpaʁtiʁ — Left again/departed; went away once more
- dérision
- deʁizjɔ̃ — Derision; contemptuous mockery or ridicule of someone
- faisant
- fəzɑ̃ — Making/doing; present participle of 'faire'
- amende
- amɑ̃d — Fine/amend; a penalty, used in 'amende honorable'
- honorable
- ɔnɔʁabl — Honorable; worthy of respect; used in formal apology
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