Pride and Prejudice — Page 3
It is the larger, the more varied, the more popular; the author had by the time of its composition seen rather more of the world, and had improved her general, though not her most peculiar and characteristic dialogue; such figures as Miss Bates, as the Eltons, cannot but unite the suffrages of everybody.
Il est plus grand, plus varié, plus populaire ; l'auteur avait, au moment de sa composition, quelque peu plus vu le monde, et avait amélioré son dialogue général, bien que non son dialogue le plus particulier et le plus caractéristique ; des personnages tels que Miss Bates, tels que les Elton, ne peuvent que rallier les suffrages de tout le monde.
On the other hand, I, for my part, declare for Pride and Prejudice unhesitatingly.
D'un autre côté, moi, pour ma part, je me prononce pour Orgueil et Préjugé sans hésitation.
It seems to me the most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author's works; and for this contention in such narrow space as is permitted to me, I propose here to show cause.
Il me semble le plus parfait, le plus caractéristique, le plus éminemment quintessentiel des œuvres de son auteur ; et pour soutenir cette thèse dans l'espace aussi restreint qui m'est accordé, je me propose ici d'en apporter la démonstration.
In the first place, the book (it may be barely necessary to remind the reader) was in its first shape written very early, somewhere about 1796, when Miss Austen was barely twenty-one; though it was revised and finished at Chawton some fifteen years later, and was not published till 1813, only four years before her death.
En premier lieu, le livre (il est peut-être à peine nécessaire de le rappeler au lecteur) fut dans sa première forme rédigé très tôt, aux alentours de 1796, alors que Miss Austen avait à peine vingt et un ans ; bien qu'il ait été révisé et achevé à Chawton quelque quinze ans plus tard, et ne fut publié qu'en 1813, seulement quatre ans avant sa mort.
I do not know whether, in this combination of the fresh and vigorous projection of youth, and the critical revision of middle life, there may be traced the distinct superiority in point of construction, which, as it seems to me, it possesses over all the others.
Je ne sais pas si, dans cette combinaison de la projection fraîche et vigoureuse de la jeunesse et de la révision critique de l'âge mûr, on peut déceler la nette supériorité en termes de construction, laquelle, à ce qu'il me semble, le distingue de tous les autres.
The plot, though not elaborate, is almost regular enough for Fielding; hardly a character, hardly an incident could be retrenched without loss to the story.
L'intrigue, bien que non élaborée, est presque assez régulière pour Fielding ; à peine un personnage, à peine un incident pourrait être retranché sans nuire à l'histoire.
The elopement of Lydia and Wickham is not, like that of Crawford and Mrs.
La fuite de Lydia et Wickham n'est pas, comme celle de Crawford et Mme
Vocabulary
- plus
- Means 'more' or 'most' in comparisons.
- grand
- Adjective meaning tall, large, or great.
- varié
- Adjective meaning varied, diverse, or assorted.
- populaire
- Adjective meaning popular or widely liked.
- auteur
- Noun meaning author or writer of a work.
- moment
- Noun meaning moment, time, or instant.
- composition
- Noun meaning composition or act of composing something.
- quelque
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'a few'.
- peu
- Adverb meaning 'a little' or 'not much'.
- vu
- Past participle of 'voir' meaning 'seen'.
- monde
- Noun meaning world or people in general.
- amélioré
- Past participle of 'améliorer' meaning improved or enhanced.
- dialogue
- Noun meaning dialogue or conversation between characters.
- général
- Adjective meaning general or broad in scope.
- bien
- Adverb meaning 'well' or 'very'; also 'good'.
- particulier
- Adjective meaning particular, specific, or individual.
- caractéristique
- Noun/adjective meaning characteristic or distinctive feature.
- personnages
- Noun meaning characters in a story or play.
- tels
- Adjective meaning 'such' or 'like' in comparisons.
- rallier
- Verb meaning to rally, win over, or gather support.
- suffrages
- Noun meaning votes, approval, or favorable opinions.
- tout
- Adjective/pronoun meaning 'all', 'every', or 'whole'.
- autre
- Adjective/pronoun meaning 'other' or 'another'.
- côté
- Noun meaning side, direction, or aspect.
- part
- Noun meaning part, share, or side; 'de ma part' means on my part.
- prononce
- Verb 'prononcer' meaning to declare or express a preference.
- Orgueil
- Noun meaning pride; title word in French Austen translation.
- Préjugé
- Noun meaning prejudice or bias against someone.
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without'.
- hésitation
- Noun meaning hesitation or pause before deciding.
- semble
- Verb 'sembler' meaning 'seems' or 'appears'.
- parfait
- Adjective meaning perfect, flawless, or complete.
- éminemment
- Adverb meaning eminently or in a highly notable degree.
- quintessentiel
- Adjective meaning quintessential or most perfect representative example.
- œuvres
- Noun meaning works, especially artistic or literary creations.
- soutenir
- Verb meaning to support, uphold, or maintain an argument.
- thèse
- Noun meaning thesis, argument, or academic dissertation.
- espace
- Noun meaning space, area, or available room.
- aussi
- Adverb meaning 'also', 'too', or 'as' in comparisons.
- restreint
- Adjective meaning restricted, limited, or narrow in scope.
- accordé
- Past participle of 'accorder' meaning granted or allowed.
- propose
- Verb meaning to propose, suggest, or intend to do.
- ici
- Adverb meaning 'here' indicating this place or context.
- apporter
- Verb meaning to bring, provide, or contribute something.
- démonstration
- Noun meaning demonstration or proof of an argument.
- premier
- Adjective meaning first or primary in order.
- lieu
- Noun meaning place; 'en premier lieu' means first of all.
- livre
- Noun meaning book or literary volume.
- peut-être
- Adverb meaning 'perhaps' or 'maybe'.
- peine
- Noun/adverb meaning barely, hardly, or difficulty.
- nécessaire
- Adjective meaning necessary or essential.
- rappeler
- Verb meaning to remind or recall to someone's memory.
- lecteur
- Noun meaning reader, one who reads a text.
- fut
- Simple past of 'être' meaning 'was' (literary tense).
- première
- Feminine adjective meaning first or initial.
- forme
- Noun meaning form, shape, or version of something.
- rédigé
- Past participle of 'rédiger' meaning written or drafted.
- tôt
- Adverb meaning early or soon.
- alentours
- Noun meaning surroundings or vicinity; 'aux alentours de' means around.
- alors
- Adverb/conjunction meaning 'then', 'at that time', or 'so'.
- vingt
- Number word meaning twenty.
- ans
- Noun meaning years, used for expressing age.
- ait
- Subjunctive form of 'avoir' meaning 'has' or 'have'.
- été
- Past participle of 'être' meaning 'been'.
- révisé
- Past participle of 'réviser' meaning revised or reviewed.
- achevé
- Past participle of 'achever' meaning completed or finished.
- quinze
- Number word meaning fifteen.
- tard
- Adverb meaning late or later in time.
- publié
- Past participle of 'publier' meaning published or released.
- seulement
- Adverb meaning only, merely, or just.
- quatre
- Number word meaning four.
- avant
- Preposition/adverb meaning before in time or order.
- mort
- Noun meaning death or the end of life.
- sais
- First person singular of 'savoir' meaning 'I know'.
- si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'whether'; adverb meaning 'so'.
- combinaison
- Noun meaning combination or blend of elements.
- projection
- Noun meaning projection or imaginative outward expression.
- fraîche
- Adjective meaning fresh, cool, or new.
- vigoureuse
- Adjective meaning vigorous, energetic, or forceful.
- jeunesse
- Noun meaning youth or the period of being young.
- révision
- Noun meaning revision or the act of reviewing and correcting.
- critique
- Noun/adjective meaning critical analysis or critique.
- âge
- Noun meaning age or a period in a person's life.
- mûr
- Adjective meaning mature or ripe.
- on
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one', 'we', or 'people'.
- déceler
- Verb meaning to detect, discern, or uncover something.
- nette
- Adjective meaning clear, distinct, or net.
- supériorité
- Noun meaning superiority or state of being superior.
- termes
- Noun meaning terms or aspects in a given context.
- construction
- Noun meaning construction, structure, or literary composition.
- laquelle
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom' (feminine).
- distingue
- Verb 'distinguer' meaning to distinguish or set apart.
- tous
- Adjective/pronoun meaning all or every (masculine plural).
- autres
- Adjective/pronoun meaning others or the remaining ones.
- intrigue
- Noun meaning plot of a story or literary intrigue.
- élaborée
- Adjective meaning elaborate, carefully developed or crafted.
- presque
- Adverb meaning almost or nearly.
- assez
- Adverb meaning enough, quite, or fairly.
- régulière
- Adjective meaning regular, consistent, or well-ordered.
- personnage
- Noun meaning character in a story or notable person.
- incident
- Noun meaning incident or minor event within a narrative.
- pourrait
- Conditional of 'pouvoir' meaning 'could' or 'might'.
- retranché
- Past participle of 'retrancher' meaning removed or cut out.
- nuire
- Verb meaning to harm, damage, or be detrimental to.
- histoire
- Noun meaning story, history, or narrative.
- fuite
- Noun meaning flight, escape, or elopement.
- comme
- Conjunction/adverb meaning 'like', 'as', or 'how'.
- celle
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the one' or 'that one' (feminine).
- Mme
- Abbreviation of 'Madame', title used for married women.
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