Pride and Prejudice — Page 4

English → Fr Preface Level 7/10

Rushworth, a_ coup de théâtre; _it connects itself in the strictest way with the course of the story earlier, and brings about the denouement with complete propriety.

Rushworth, un coup de théâtre ; _il se rattache de la manière la plus étroite au cours de l'histoire antérieure, et amène le dénouement avec une parfaite convenance.

All the minor passages--the loves of Jane and Bingley, the advent of Mr. Collins, the visit to Hunsford, the Derbyshire tour--fit in after the same unostentatious, but masterly fashion.

Tous les passages secondaires — les amours de Jane et Bingley, l'arrivée de M. Collins, la visite à Hunsford, l'excursion dans le Derbyshire — s'insèrent selon la même manière discrète mais magistrale.

There is no attempt at the hide-and-seek, in-and-out business, which in the transactions between Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax contributes no doubt a good deal to the intrigue of_ Emma, _but contributes it in a fashion which I do not think the best feature of that otherwise admirable book.

Il n'y a aucune tentative de ce jeu de cache-cache, d'entrées et de sorties, qui dans les relations entre Frank Churchill et Jane Fairfax contribue sans doute beaucoup à l'intrigue d'_Emma_, mais y contribue d'une façon que je ne considère pas comme le meilleur aspect de ce livre par ailleurs admirable.

Although Miss Austen always liked something of the misunderstanding kind, which afforded her opportunities for the display of the peculiar and incomparable talent to be noticed presently, she has been satisfied here with the perfectly natural occasions provided by the false account of Darcy's conduct given by Wickham, and by the awkwardness (arising with equal naturalness) from the gradual transformation of Elizabeth's own feelings from positive aversion to actual love.

Bien que Miss Austen ait toujours aimé quelque chose du genre malentendu, ce qui lui offrait des occasions de déployer le talent particulier et incomparable dont il sera question bientôt, elle s'est contentée ici des occasions parfaitement naturelles fournies par le faux récit de la conduite de Darcy fait par Wickham, et par la gêne (surgissant avec une égale naturel) résultant de la transformation graduelle des propres sentiments d'Elizabeth, passant d'une aversion prononcée à un amour véritable.

I do not know whether the all-grasping hand of the playwright has ever been laid upon_ Pride and Prejudice; _and I dare say that, if it were, the situations would prove not startling or garish enough for the footlights, the character-scheme too subtle and delicate for pit and gallery.

Je ne sais pas si la main avide du dramaturge s'est jamais posée sur _Orgueil et Préjugés_ ; et j'ose dire que, si tel était le cas, les situations se révéleraient insuffisamment saisissantes ou tapageuses pour les feux de la rampe, et le schéma des personnages trop subtil et délicat pour le parterre et les galeries.

Vocabulary

un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
coup: A sudden, impactful action or blow.
de: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'.
théâtre: tay-AH-truh — Theater; a place or art form for dramatic performance.
_il: Personal pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself,' 'herself,' or 'itself'.
rattache: rah-TASH — Connects or links back to something previously mentioned.
la: Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'.
manière: mah-NYAIR — Manner or way in which something is done.
plus: More; used in comparisons or to indicate greater degree.
étroite: ay-TRWAHT — Close, tight, or narrow in connection or space.
au: Contraction of 'à le,' meaning 'to the' or 'at the'.
cours: koor — Course or progression of events over time.
l': Contracted definite article meaning 'the' before a vowel.
histoire: ees-TWAHR — History or story; narrative of past or fictional events.
antérieure: ahn-tay-RYUR — Previous or prior; referring to something that came before.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and,' connecting words or clauses.
amène: ah-MEN — Brings about or leads to a result or conclusion.
le: Definite article meaning 'the' for masculine nouns.
dénouement: day-noo-MAHN — The final resolution or outcome of a plot.
avec: ah-VEK — Preposition meaning 'with,' indicating accompaniment or manner.
une: Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
parfaite: par-FET — Perfect; completely flawless or ideally suited.
convenance: kon-vuh-NAHNS — Propriety or suitability; appropriateness of manner or circumstance.
Tous: too — All; referring to every member of a group.
les: Definite article meaning 'the' for plural nouns.
passages: pah-SAHZH — Passages or sections within a text or narrative.
secondaires: suh-kon-DAIR — Secondary; of lesser importance or subordinate role.
amours: ah-MOOR — Love affairs or romantic relationships between characters.
arrivée: ah-ree-VAY — Arrival; the act of coming or reaching a destination.
M.: Abbreviation for 'Monsieur,' meaning 'Mr.' in French.
visite: vee-ZEET — A visit; the act of going to see someone or somewhere.
à: Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in' a location.
excursion: ex-kur-SYOHN — A short trip or outing to a particular place.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside' a place or context.
s': Reflexive pronoun 's',' used before a vowel sound.
insèrent: an-SAIR — Insert or fit themselves naturally into the narrative structure.
selon: suh-LON — According to; in conformity with a rule or principle.
même: mem — Same; identical; also used for emphasis meaning 'even'.
discrète: dees-KRET — Discreet; subtle and careful not to attract attention.
mais: meh — Conjunction meaning 'but,' introducing a contrasting idea.
magistrale: mah-zhees-TRAL — Masterly; displaying exceptional skill or authoritative command.
Il: Personal pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it' in French.
n': Contracted negative particle used before a vowel sound.
y: ee — Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or 'in it'.
a: Third-person singular form of 'avoir,' meaning 'has'.
aucune: oh-KUN — No; not any; used for negation with a feminine noun.
tentative: tahn-tah-TEEV — Attempt or endeavor to do something specific.
ce: suh — Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
jeu: zhuh — Game or play; a playful or strategic activity.
cache-cache: kash-KASH — Hide-and-seek game; playful concealment and discovery.
d': Contracted preposition 'de' used before a vowel sound.
entrées: ahn-TRAY — Entrances; the act of entering a scene or location.
sorties: sor-TEE — Exits; the act of leaving or departing a scene.
qui: kee — Relative pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'that'.
relations: ruh-lah-SYOHN — Relationships or connections between people or things.
entre: AHN-truh — Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among' multiple things.
contribue: kon-tree-BU — Contributes; adds or provides something to a whole.
sans: sahn — Preposition meaning 'without,' indicating absence or lack.
doute: doot — Doubt; uncertainty about truth or a conclusion.
beaucoup: boh-KOO — Much or a lot; indicating a large degree or quantity.
intrigue: an-TREEG — Plot or scheme; a complex and engaging narrative storyline.
façon: fah-SOHN — Way or manner in which something is done or presented.
que: kuh — Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'than'.
je: zhuh — First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' in French.
ne: nuh — Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate a verb.
considère: kon-see-DAIR — Consider; to regard or think about something carefully.
pas: pah — Negative particle used with 'ne' to negate verbs.
comme: kom — As or like; used for comparison or equivalence.
meilleur: meh-YUR — Best or better; indicating superior quality or excellence.
aspect: as-PEK — Aspect or feature; a particular part or element.
livre: LEE-vruh — Book; a written or printed literary work or volume.
par: par — Preposition meaning 'by,' 'through,' or 'per'.
ailleurs: ah-YUR — Elsewhere; in other respects or in another place.
admirable: ad-mee-RAH-bluh — Admirable; deserving great praise and high regard.
Bien: byahn — Well or although; used here as a concessive conjunction.
ait: eh — Subjunctive form of 'avoir,' meaning 'has' in subordinate clauses.
toujours: too-ZHOOR — Always or still; indicating continuity or persistence over time.
aimé: eh-MAY — Loved or liked; past participle of the verb 'aimer'.
quelque: KEL-kuh — Some; a vague or unspecified amount or kind.
chose: shohz — Thing; an object or matter of unspecified nature.
du: Contraction of 'de le,' meaning 'of the' or 'some'.
genre: zhahn-ruh — Genre or kind; a category or type of something.
malentendu: mah-lahn-tahn-DU — Misunderstanding; a failure to correctly interpret something said.
lui: lwee — Pronoun meaning 'him,' 'her,' or 'to him/her'.
offrait: of-REH — Offered; imperfect tense of 'offrir,' to offer or provide.
des: Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
occasions: oh-kah-ZYOHN — Opportunities or occasions to do something particular.
déployer: day-plwah-YAY — To deploy or display; to use or show fully.
talent: tah-LAHN — Talent; a natural ability or skill in a domain.
particulier: par-tee-kul-YAY — Particular or special; specific and distinct from others.
incomparable: an-kom-pah-RAH-bluh — Incomparable; without equal, matchless in quality or skill.
dont: dohn — Relative pronoun meaning 'of which,' 'whose,' or 'from which'.
il: Personal pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it' in French.
sera: suh-RAH — Future tense of 'être,' meaning 'will be' in French.
question: kes-TYOHN — Question or matter; a topic under discussion or consideration.
bientôt: byahn-TOH — Soon; in a short time or in the near future.
elle: el — Personal pronoun meaning 'she' or 'it' for feminine nouns.
est: eh — Third-person singular of 'être,' meaning 'is' in French.
contentée: kon-tahn-TAY — Satisfied or contented; pleased with what has been done.
ici: ee-SEE — Here; in this place or at this point in discussion.
parfaitement: par-fet-MAHN — Perfectly; in a completely flawless or fully adequate manner.
naturelles: nah-tu-REL — Natural; occurring naturally without artifice or contrivance.
fournies: foor-NEE — Provided or supplied; furnished by some source or circumstance.
faux: foh — False; incorrect or misleading in nature or content.
récit: ray-SEE — Account or narrative; a story told about events.
conduite: kon-DWEET — Conduct or behavior; the way someone acts or behaves.
fait: feh — Makes or does; third-person singular of 'faire'.
gêne: zhen — Embarrassment or awkwardness; a feeling of discomfort or constraint.
surgissant: sur-zhee-SAHN — Arising or emerging suddenly from an unexpected situation.
égale: ay-GAL — Equal; of the same level, degree, or naturalistic quality.
naturel: nah-tu-REL — Natural; spontaneous and unforced in character or appearance.
résultant: ray-zul-TAHN — Resulting; arising as a consequence of previous events or actions.
transformation: trans-for-mah-SYOHN — Transformation; a thorough change in form, character, or condition.
graduelle: grah-du-EL — Gradual; happening slowly and by degrees over time.
propres: propr — Own; belonging specifically to oneself; also means clean.
sentiments: sahn-tee-MAHN — Feelings or sentiments; emotional states or personal opinions.
passant: pah-SAHN — Passing; transitioning from one state to another gradually.
aversion: ah-vair-SYOHN — Aversion; a strong dislike or disinclination toward something.
prononcée: pro-non-SAY — Pronounced or strong; clearly marked or decided in character.
amour: ah-MOOR — Love; a deep romantic or emotional attachment to someone.
véritable: vay-ree-TAH-bluh — True or genuine; real and authentic rather than apparent.
Je: zhuh — First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' in French.
sais: seh — Know; first-person singular of 'savoir,' to know.
si: see — If; introduces a conditional clause or expresses whether.
main: man — Hand; the body part used for grasping or writing.
avide: ah-VEED — Greedy or eager; intensely desirous of gaining something.
dramaturge: drah-mah-TURZH — Playwright or dramatist; someone who writes dramatic works.
jamais: zhah-MEH — Never or ever; indicating absence or negation in time.
posée: poh-ZAY — Placed or laid; past participle of 'poser,' to place.
sur: soor — Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon' a surface or topic.
_Orgueil: or-GUY — Pride; the title word from Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Préjugés_: pray-zhu-ZHAY — Prejudices; biased opinions forming the novel's second title word.
j': Contracted first-person pronoun 'je' before a vowel sound.
ose: ohz — Dare; first-person of 'oser,' to venture to do something.
dire: deer — To say or tell; an infinitive verb of speaking.
tel: tel — Such or like; indicating a similar or previously described thing.
était: ay-TEH — Was; imperfect tense of 'être,' describing a past state.
cas: kah — Case; a specific instance or circumstance under discussion.
situations: see-tu-ah-SYOHN — Situations; particular circumstances or states of affairs.
révéleraient: ray-vay-luh-REH — Would reveal; conditional tense of 'révéler,' to reveal.
insuffisamment: an-su-fee-zah-MAHN — Insufficiently; not adequately or strongly enough for the purpose.
saisissantes: seh-zee-SAHNT — Striking or gripping; powerfully capturing attention or emotion.
ou: oo — Or; a conjunction presenting an alternative between two options.
tapageuses: tah-pah-ZHUZ — Noisy or showy; excessively loud or ostentatiously conspicuous.
pour: poor — For; preposition indicating purpose, destination, or intended recipient.
feux: fuh — Fires or lights; plural of 'feu,' here meaning stage lights.
rampe: rahmp — Footlights; the row of lights at the front of a stage.
schéma: shay-MAH — Scheme or diagram; an outline or structural plan.
personnages: pair-so-NAHZH — Characters; the persons represented in a literary work.
trop: troh — Too or too much; exceeding a desirable degree or amount.
subtil: sub-TEEL — Subtle; delicately complex and difficult to perceive or analyze.
délicat: day-lee-KAH — Delicate; requiring careful, nuanced handling or fine perception.
parterre: par-TAIR — The ground floor of a theater; stalls or pit area.
galeries: gah-luh-REE — Galleries; upper seating tiers in a theater or playhouse.

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