Pride and Prejudice — Page 11
Indeed, fantastic as it may seem, I should put Miss Austen as near to Swift in some ways, as I have put her to Addison in others.
En effet, aussi fantastique que cela puisse paraître, je placerais Miss Austen aussi près de Swift à certains égards, que je l'ai placée près d'Addison à d'autres égards.
This Swiftian quality appears in the present novel as it appears nowhere else in the character of the immortal, the ineffable Mr. Collins.
Cette qualité swiftienne apparaît dans le présent roman comme elle n'apparaît nulle part ailleurs dans le personnage de l'immortel, de l'ineffable M. Collins.
Mr. Collins is really great; far greater than anything Addison ever did, almost great enough for Fielding or for Swift himself.
M. Collins est vraiment grand ; bien plus grand que tout ce qu'Addison ait jamais fait, presque assez grand pour Fielding ou pour Swift lui-même.
It has been said that no one ever was like him.
On a dit que personne ne lui a jamais ressemblé.
But in the first place, he was like him; he is there--alive, imperishable, more real than hundreds of prime ministers and archbishops, of "metals, semi-metals, and distinguished philosophers."
Mais en premier lieu, il lui ressemblait ; il est là — vivant, impérissable, plus réel que des centaines de premiers ministres et d'archevêques, de « métaux, semi-métaux et philosophes distingués ».
In the second place, it is rash, I think, to conclude that an actual Mr. Collins was impossible or non-existent at the end of the eighteenth century.
En second lieu, il est téméraire, je crois, de conclure qu'un véritable M. Collins était impossible ou inexistant à la fin du dix-huitième siècle.
It is very interesting that we possess, in this same gallery, what may be called a spoiled first draught, or an unsuccessful study of him, in John Dashwood.
Il est très intéressant que nous possédions, dans cette même galerie, ce que l'on pourrait appeler une première ébauche manquée, ou une étude ratée de lui, en la personne de John Dashwood.
The formality, the under-breeding, the meanness, are there; but the portrait is only half alive, and is felt to be even a little unnatural.
La formalité, le manque d'éducation, la mesquinerie, y sont bien présents ; mais le portrait n'est qu'à moitié vivant, et paraît même légèrement artificiel.
Mr. Collins is perfectly natural, and perfectly alive.
M. Collins est parfaitement naturel, et parfaitement vivant.
In fact, for all the "miniature," there is something gigantic in the way in which a certain side, and more than one, of humanity, and especially eighteenth-century humanity, its Philistinism, its well-meaning but hide-bound morality, its formal pettiness, its grovelling respect for rank, its materialism, its selfishness, receives exhibition.
En fait, malgré tout le caractère « miniature », il y a quelque chose de gigantesque dans la manière dont un certain aspect, et même plusieurs, de l'humanité, et particulièrement de l'humanité du dix-huitième siècle, son philistinisme, sa morale bien intentionnée mais étroite d'esprit, sa petitesse formaliste, son respect servile du rang, son matérialisme, son égoïsme, se trouve mis en lumière.
Vocabulary
- En
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'by'
- effet
- Effect; 'en effet' means 'indeed' or 'in fact'
- aussi
- Also, too, or as (in comparisons)
- fantastique
- Fantastic, extraordinary, or remarkable
- que
- That, which, or as; a versatile conjunction
- cela
- That, this; a demonstrative pronoun
- puisse
- May, might; subjunctive form of 'pouvoir'
- paraître
- To appear, to seem, to look like
- je
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun
- placerais
- Would place; conditional form of 'placer'
- près
- Near, close to; a preposition of place
- de
- Of, from; a very common French preposition
- à
- To, at, in; a fundamental French preposition
- certains
- Certain, some; indefinite plural adjective
- égards
- Respects, regards; consideration or aspects
- l'
- The; contracted definite article before vowel
- ai
- Have; first-person singular of 'avoir'
- placée
- Placed, positioned; past participle of 'placer'
- d'
- Of, from; contracted preposition before vowel
- autres
- Others, other; plural adjective or pronoun
- Cette
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- qualité
- Quality, characteristic, or virtue
- apparaît
- Appears, shows up; third-person singular present
- dans
- In, inside, within; a common preposition
- le
- The; masculine singular definite article
- présent
- Present, current; referring to something now
- roman
- Novel; a long work of fiction
- comme
- As, like, such as; a conjunction
- elle
- She, it; third-person feminine singular pronoun
- n'
- Not; contracted negation particle before vowel
- nulle
- No, none; feminine form of 'nul'
- part
- Part; 'nulle part' means 'nowhere'
- ailleurs
- Elsewhere, anywhere else, in other places
- personnage
- Character, figure; a person in a story
- immortel
- Immortal; living or lasting forever
- ineffable
- Ineffable; too great to be expressed in words
- M.
- Mr.; abbreviation for 'Monsieur'
- est
- Is; third-person singular of 'être'
- vraiment
- Truly, really, genuinely; an adverb
- grand
- Great, big, tall; important or significant
- bien
- Well, very; an adverb of degree or manner
- plus
- More, most; used in comparisons
- tout
- All, everything; a very common adjective
- ce
- This, that, it; a demonstrative pronoun
- qu'
- That, which; contracted form of 'que'
- ait
- Has; subjunctive form of 'avoir'
- jamais
- Ever, never; used in negative or superlative
- fait
- Done, made; past participle of 'faire'
- presque
- Almost, nearly; an adverb of approximation
- assez
- Enough, quite, rather; an adverb
- pour
- For, in order to; a preposition
- ou
- Or; a coordinating conjunction
- lui
- Him, her, it; a stressed or indirect pronoun
- même
- Same, even, self; used for emphasis
- On
- One, we, people; an indefinite subject pronoun
- a
- Has; third-person singular of 'avoir'
- dit
- Said, told; past participle of 'dire'
- personne
- Person; or 'nobody' in negative contexts
- ne
- Not; first part of French negation
- ressemblé
- Resembled; past participle of 'ressembler'
- Mais
- But; a coordinating conjunction of contrast
- en
- In, on, by; a very common preposition
- premier
- First; ordinal adjective indicating priority
- lieu
- Place; 'en premier lieu' means 'firstly'
- il
- He, it; third-person masculine singular pronoun
- ressemblait
- Resembled, looked like; imperfect of 'ressembler'
- là
- There; adverb of place or emphasis
- vivant
- Living, alive; present participle of 'vivre'
- impérissable
- Imperishable; unable to decay or be destroyed
- réel
- Real, actual, genuine; an adjective
- des
- Some, of the; plural indefinite article
- centaines
- Hundreds; a noun indicating large numbers
- premiers
- First; plural of 'premier'
- ministres
- Ministers; government officials or clergy
- et
- And; a basic coordinating conjunction
- archevêques
- Archbishops; senior church officials
- métaux
- Metals; plural of 'métal'
- semi
- Semi, half; a prefix indicating partial degree
- philosophes
- Philosophers; thinkers of logic and ideas
- distingués
- Distinguished, eminent; refined and respected
- second
- Second; ordinal adjective indicating second place
- téméraire
- Reckless, rash; bold to the point of foolishness
- crois
- Believe, think; first-person of 'croire'
- conclure
- To conclude, to deduce; to reach a final point
- un
- A, an, one; masculine indefinite article
- véritable
- True, genuine, real; an emphatic adjective
- était
- Was, were; imperfect tense of 'être'
- impossible
- Impossible; not able to occur or exist
- inexistant
- Nonexistent; not existing or present
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- fin
- End, close; the conclusion of something
- du
- Of the; contracted masculine definite article
- dix
- Ten; the number 10
- huitième
- Eighth; ordinal form of the number eight
- siècle
- Century; a period of one hundred years
- Il
- He, it; third-person masculine singular pronoun
- très
- Very; an adverb of high degree
- intéressant
- Interesting; capturing attention or curiosity
- nous
- We, us; first-person plural pronoun
- possédions
- Possessed, had; imperfect of 'posséder'
- cette
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- galerie
- Gallery; a space displaying art or portraits
- on
- One, we; indefinite subject pronoun
- pourrait
- Could; conditional form of 'pouvoir'
- appeler
- To call, to name; to give a designation
- une
- A, an; feminine singular indefinite article
- première
- First; feminine ordinal adjective
- ébauche
- Sketch, draft, rough outline of something
- manquée
- Missed, failed; past participle of 'manquer'
- étude
- Study, examination; an in-depth analysis
- ratée
- Failed, botched; past participle of 'rater'
- La
- The; feminine singular definite article
- formalité
- Formality; strict adherence to rules or protocol
- manque
- Lack, absence; shortage of something
- éducation
- Education, upbringing; process of learning
- mesquinerie
- Pettiness, meanness; small-minded selfishness
- y
- There, it; a pronoun replacing a place or idea
- sont
- Are; third-person plural of 'être'
- présents
- Present, here; plural adjective indicating presence
- mais
- But; conjunction indicating contrast or exception
- portrait
- Portrait; a depiction or description of someone
- moitié
- Half; one of two equal parts
- paraît
- Appears, seems; third-person singular of 'paraître'
- légèrement
- Slightly, lightly; to a small degree
- artificiel
- Artificial, unnatural; not genuine or spontaneous
- parfaitement
- Perfectly, completely; to an ideal degree
- naturel
- Natural, unaffected; in accordance with nature
- malgré
- Despite, in spite of; a preposition of contrast
- caractère
- Character, nature; the distinctive quality of someone
- miniature
- Miniature; very small in scale or size
- quelque
- Some, a certain; an indefinite adjective
- chose
- Thing; an object or matter
- gigantesque
- Gigantic, enormous; of immense size or scope
- manière
- Manner, way; how something is done
- dont
- Whose, of which; a relative pronoun
- certain
- Certain, a particular; specific but unnamed
- aspect
- Aspect, facet; a particular side of something
- plusieurs
- Several, many; more than two
- humanité
- Humanity; the human race or human nature
- particulièrement
- Particularly, especially; to a notable degree
- son
- His, her, its; third-person possessive adjective
- philistinisme
- Philistinism; indifference to culture and intellect
- sa
- His, her, its; feminine possessive adjective
- morale
- Morality, ethics; principles of right and wrong
- intentionnée
- Intentioned; having a particular purpose or aim
- étroite
- Narrow, strict; limited in scope or breadth
- esprit
- Mind, spirit, wit; intellectual quality
- petitesse
- Pettiness, smallness; narrowness of mind
- formaliste
- Formalistic; excessively attached to rules
- respect
- Respect, regard; esteem for authority or rank
- servile
- Servile, obsequious; excessively submissive
- rang
- Rank, standing; social or hierarchical position
- matérialisme
- Materialism; excessive concern with wealth
- égoïsme
- Selfishness, egoism; excessive focus on oneself
- se
- Himself, herself; reflexive pronoun
- trouve
- Finds, is found; third-person of 'trouver'
- mis
- Put, placed; past participle of 'mettre'
- lumière
- Light; illumination or clarity
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