Piccolissima — Page 11

English → Fr Full Text Level 3/10

replied Piccolissima, with an air which probably appeared to the fly not very sensible; for, shrugging up his right wing disdainfully, he returned to his sugar candy.

répondit Piccolissima, avec un air qui parut probablement à la mouche peu raisonnable ; car, haussant dédaigneusement son aile droite, il retourna à son sucre d'orge.

After a little reflection, she looked down again, and perceived, to her great astonishment, upon the stick of candy, which was of an amber color, a drop of water.

Après un moment de réflexion, elle baissa de nouveau les yeux, et aperçut, à son grand étonnement, sur le bâton de sucre, qui était d'une couleur ambrée, une goutte d'eau.

She was sure, however, that she had done the civil thing to the flies, and given it to them first.

Elle était sûre, pourtant, d'avoir été polie envers les mouches, et de le leur avoir offert en premier.

How, then, was the candy moist? thought she; but she did not dare again to ask questions which excited such a rude buzzing in reply.

Comment donc le sucre était-il humide ? pensa-t-elle ; mais elle n'osa plus poser des questions qui provoquaient un bourdonnement si grossier en guise de réponse.

So she rested her two little elbows on her knees, and her small head upon one of her hands, and continued to examine the fly.

Alors elle posa ses deux petits coudes sur ses genoux, et sa petite tête sur l'une de ses mains, et continua d'examiner la mouche.

"Is it his nose?" said she, in a low voice, (for, having very rarely any one to talk with, she had a habit of talking to herself,) "is it his nose that he stretches out thus upon my sugar?

« Est-ce son nez ? » dit-elle à voix basse, (car, n'ayant que très rarement quelqu'un à qui parler, elle avait l'habitude de se parler à elle-même,) « est-ce son nez qu'il étend ainsi sur mon sucre ?

I have heard papa say that there are animals, much larger than he, and which they call elephants, I think, who take up with their noses all the food they put in their mouths, and that they call this nose a trunk.

J'ai entendu papa dire qu'il existe des animaux, bien plus grands que lui, et qu'on appelle des éléphants, je crois, qui saisissent avec leur nez toute la nourriture qu'ils mettent dans leur bouche, et que l'on appelle ce nez une trompe.

Perhaps this is a little person of the family of elephants."

Peut-être est-ce là un petit personnage de la famille des éléphants. »

Piccolissima had hardly uttered these words, when the fly, whose antennae were longer than usual, and were turned towards the little prattler, gave such a leap that Mademoiselle Tom Thumb trembled.

Piccolissima avait à peine prononcé ces mots, que la mouche, dont les antennes étaient plus longues que d'habitude, et tournées vers la petite babillarde, fit un tel bond que Mademoiselle Tom Pouce en trembla.

Vocabulary

répondit: ray-pon-dee — Replied or answered, past tense of répondre.
avec: ah-vek — Preposition meaning 'with' indicating accompaniment.
un: uhn — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (masculine).
air: air — Expression or manner; also means 'air' or 'tune'.
qui: kee — Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'.
parut: pah-roo — Appeared or seemed, past tense of paraître.
probablement: proh-bah-bluh-mahn — Adverb meaning 'probably' or 'most likely'.
à: ah — Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'.
la: lah — Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular).
mouche: moosh — A fly, a small flying insect of the order Diptera.
peu: puh — Adverb or adjective meaning 'little' or 'few'.
raisonnable: ray-zoh-nahbl — Adjective meaning 'reasonable' or 'sensible'.
car: kar — Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for' explaining reason.
haussant: oh-sahn — Raising or shrugging, present participle of hausser.
dédaigneusement: day-day-nyuhz-mahn — Adverb meaning 'disdainfully' or 'scornfully' with contempt.
son: sohn — Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'.
aile: el — Wing of a bird, insect, or aircraft.
droite: drwaht — Right side; adjective meaning 'right' or 'straight'.
il: eel — Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
retourna: ruh-toor-nah — Returned or turned back, past tense of retourner.
sucre: sookr — Sugar, a sweet crystalline substance used in food.
d': d — Contracted form of 'de' meaning 'of' or 'from'.
orge: orzh — Barley, a cereal grain used in food and drink.
Après: ah-preh — Preposition or adverb meaning 'after' or 'afterwards'.
moment: moh-mahn — A moment or brief period of time.
de: duh — Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'.
réflexion: ray-flex-ee-ohn — Reflection or thought; act of careful consideration.
elle: el — Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she' or 'it'.
baissa: bay-sah — Lowered or cast down, past tense of baisser.
nouveau: noo-voh — New; here used as 'again' in expression 'de nouveau'.
les: lay — Definite article meaning 'the' (plural, masculine or feminine).
yeux: yuh — Eyes, plural of œil; organs of vision.
et: ay — Conjunction meaning 'and' connecting words or clauses.
aperçut: ah-pair-soo — Noticed or caught sight of, past tense of apercevoir.
grand: grahn — Large or great; adjective indicating size or importance.
étonnement: ay-ton-mahn — Astonishment or surprise at something unexpected.
sur: soor — Preposition meaning 'on,' 'upon,' or 'over'.
le: luh — Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular).
bâton: bah-tohn — Stick or rod; also a type of French candy stick.
était: ay-tay — Was, imperfect tense of être; indicates past state.
une: oon — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine).
couleur: koo-lur — Color or hue of an object or substance.
ambrée: ahm-bray — Amber-colored; having a warm golden-brown color.
goutte: goot — A drop of liquid; small quantity of fluid.
eau: oh — Water, the essential liquid for life.
Elle: el — Third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'.
sûre: soor — Sure or certain; feminine adjective expressing confidence.
pourtant: poor-tahn — However or yet; adverb indicating contrast or concession.
avoir: ah-vwar — To have; infinitive of the auxiliary verb avoir.
été: ay-tay — Been, past participle of être; also means 'summer'.
polie: poh-lee — Polite or courteous; feminine adjective for well-mannered.
envers: ahn-vair — Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'with regard to'.
mouches: moosh — Flies, plural of mouche; small flying insects.
leur: lur — Their (possessive) or them (indirect object pronoun).
offert: oh-fair — Offered or given, past participle of offrir.
en: ahn — Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'some'.
premier: pruh-myay — First; adjective indicating the earliest or foremost.
Comment: koh-mahn — Adverb meaning 'how' or 'why'; used in questions.
donc: dohnk — Therefore or so; conjunction indicating consequence or emphasis.
humide: oo-meed — Moist or damp; adjective describing wetness or humidity.
pensa: pahn-sah — Thought, past tense of penser; to think or consider.
mais: may — Conjunction meaning 'but' indicating contrast or opposition.
n': n — Contracted negation particle 'ne' used before vowels.
osa: oh-zah — Dared, past tense of oser; to dare or venture.
plus: ploo — More; adverb of comparison or addition in French.
poser: poh-zay — To put, place, or ask; infinitive of poser.
des: day — Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
questions: kes-tyohn — Questions; inquiries seeking information or clarification.
provoquaient: proh-voh-kay — Provoked or caused, imperfect tense of provoquer.
bourdonnement: boor-don-mahn — Buzzing or humming sound made by insects.
si: see — If or so; conjunction for conditions or intensification.
grossier: groh-syay — Rude or coarse; adjective describing crude behavior or manner.
guise: geez — Manner or way; used in expression 'en guise de'.
réponse: ray-pohns — Response or answer to a question or statement.
Alors: ah-lor — Then or so; adverb indicating consequence or transition.
posa: poh-zah — Placed or put down, past tense of poser.
ses: say — Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its' (plural).
deux: duh — The number two; cardinal numeral in French.
petits: puh-tee — Small or little; plural masculine adjective for size.
coudes: kood — Elbows; plural of coude, the joint of the arm.
genoux: zhuh-noo — Knees; plural of genou, the joint of the leg.
sa: sah — Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its' (feminine).
petite: puh-teet — Small or little; feminine adjective indicating small size.
tête: tet — Head; the upper part of the human body.
l': l — Contracted definite article 'le' or 'la' before vowels.
mains: mahn — Hands; plural of main, used for grasping and touching.
continua: kohn-tee-noo-ah — Continued, past tense of continuer; to carry on.
examiner: eg-zah-mee-nay — To examine or inspect carefully; to look at closely.
Est: ay — Is; third-person singular present of être (to be).
ce: suh — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this,' 'that,' or 'it'.
nez: nay — Nose; the facial organ used for smelling and breathing.
dit: dee — Said, past tense of dire; to say or tell.
voix: vwah — Voice; the sound produced by speaking or singing.
basse: bahs — Low; feminine adjective for low pitch, level, or position.
ayant: ay-yahn — Having; present participle of avoir used in compound forms.
que: kuh — That or only; conjunction or relative pronoun in French.
très: treh — Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or other adverbs.
rarement: rahr-mahn — Rarely or seldom; adverb indicating infrequent occurrence.
quelqu': kel-k — Contracted form of quelque; meaning 'some' or 'someone'.
parler: par-lay — To speak or talk; infinitive of the verb parler.
avait: ah-vay — Had, imperfect tense of avoir; used for past states.
habitude: ah-bee-tood — Habit or custom; a regular practice or behavior.
se: suh — Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself,' 'himself,' or 'herself'.
même: mem — Same or even; adjective or adverb for emphasis.
est: ay — Is; third-person singular present indicative of être.
qu': k — Contracted form of 'que' meaning 'that' before vowels.
étend: ay-tahn — Extends or stretches; third-person singular of étendre.
ainsi: an-see — Thus or so; adverb meaning 'in this way'.
mon: mohn — Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine singular).
J': zh — Contracted first-person pronoun 'je' meaning 'I'.
ai: ay — Have; first-person singular present of avoir.
entendu: ahn-tahn-doo — Heard, past participle of entendre; to hear or understand.
papa: pah-pah — Dad or papa; informal word for father.
dire: deer — To say or tell; infinitive of a common French verb.
existe: eg-zeest — Exists; third-person singular present of exister.
animaux: ah-nee-moh — Animals; plural of animal, living organisms that move.
bien: byahn — Well or very; adverb indicating quality or intensification.
grands: grahn — Large or tall; plural adjective indicating great size.
lui: lwee — Him, her, or it; stressed or indirect object pronoun.
on: ohn — One or we; indefinite pronoun used generally in French.
appelle: ah-pel — Calls or names; third-person singular present of appeler.
éléphants: ay-lay-fahn — Elephants; large mammals with trunks and tusks.
je: zhuh — First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
crois: krwah — Believe or think; first-person singular present of croire.
saisissent: say-zees — Seize or grasp; third-person plural present of saisir.
toute: toot — All or every; feminine singular form of tout.
nourriture: noo-ree-toor — Food or nourishment; substances consumed to sustain life.
ils: eel — They; third-person plural masculine subject pronoun.
mettent: met — Put or place; third-person plural present of mettre.
dans: dahn — Preposition meaning 'in,' 'inside,' or 'within'.
bouche: boosh — Mouth; the oral cavity used for eating and speaking.
trompe: tronp — Trunk of an elephant; also means 'horn' or 'trumpet'.
Peut: puh — Can or may; third-person singular present of pouvoir.
être: etr — To be; infinitive of the fundamental French linking verb.
là: lah — There; adverb indicating a place or pointing something out.
personnage: pair-soh-nahzh — Character or person; someone of importance in a story.
famille: fah-mee — Family; a group of related individuals living together.
peine: pen — Hardly or barely; used in 'à peine' meaning scarcely.
prononcé: proh-non-say — Pronounced or uttered, past participle of prononcer.
ces: say — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those' (plural).
mots: moh — Words; plural of mot, units of spoken or written language.
dont: dohn — Whose or of which; relative pronoun replacing 'de + qui'.
antennes: ahn-ten — Antennae; sensory appendages on the head of insects.
étaient: ay-tay — Were; imperfect tense plural of être for past states.
longues: lohng — Long; feminine plural adjective indicating great length.
tournées: toor-nay — Turned or directed, past participle of tourner (feminine plural).
vers: vair — Toward or about; preposition indicating direction or approximation.
babillarde: bah-bee-yard — Chatterbox; feminine noun for someone who talks too much.
fit: fee — Made or did, past tense of faire; to do or make.
tel: tel — Such; adjective meaning 'such a' or 'so great'.
bond: bohn — A leap or jump; a sudden springing movement.
Mademoiselle: mad-mwah-zel — Miss; title for an unmarried woman or young girl.
Pouce: poos — Thumb; also an old unit of measure; name meaning 'Thumbelina'.
trembla: trahm-blah — Trembled or shook, past tense of trembler.

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