Pride and Prejudice — Page 12

English → Fr Preface Level 7/10

I will not admit that one speech or one action of this inestimable man is incapable of being reconciled with reality, and I should not wonder if many of these words and actions are historically true.

Je n'admettrai pas qu'un seul discours ou une seule action de cet homme inestimable soit incapable d'être réconcilié avec la réalité, et je ne serais pas surpris si beaucoup de ces paroles et actions sont historiquement vraies.

But the greatness of Mr. Collins could not have been so satisfactorily exhibited if his creatress had not adjusted so artfully to him the figures of Mr. Bennet and of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Mais la grandeur de M. Collins n'aurait pas pu être exhibée de manière aussi satisfaisante si sa créatrice n'avait pas ajusté avec tant d'art auprès de lui les figures de M. Bennet et de Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

The latter, like Mr. Collins himself, has been charged with exaggeration.

Cette dernière, comme M. Collins lui-même, a été accusée d'exagération.

There is, perhaps, a very faint shade of colour for the charge; but it seems to me very faint indeed.

Il existe peut-être une très légère apparence de fondement à cette accusation ; mais elle me semble très légère en effet.

Even now I do not think that it would be impossible to find persons, especially female persons, not necessarily of noble birth, as overbearing, as self-centred, as neglectful of good manners, as Lady Catherine.

Même aujourd'hui, je ne pense pas qu'il serait impossible de trouver des personnes, en particulier des femmes, pas nécessairement de naissance noble, aussi autoritaires, aussi égocentrées, aussi négligentes des bonnes manières, que Lady Catherine.

A hundred years ago, an earl's daughter, the Lady Powerful (if not exactly Bountiful) of an out-of-the-way country parish, rich, long out of marital authority, and so forth, had opportunities of developing these agreeable characteristics which seldom present themselves now.

Il y a cent ans, la fille d'un comte, la Dame Puissante (si ce n'est exactement Généreuse) d'une paroisse rurale isolée, riche, longtemps affranchie de l'autorité maritale, et ainsi de suite, avait des occasions de développer ces agréables caractéristiques qui se présentent rarement aujourd'hui.

As for Mr. Bennet, Miss Austen, and Mr. Darcy, and even Miss Elizabeth herself, were, I am inclined to think, rather hard on him for the "impropriety" of his conduct.

Quant à M. Bennet, Miss Austen, et M. Darcy, et même Miss Elizabeth elle-même, étaient, je suis enclin à penser, plutôt sévères envers lui pour l'« inconvenance » de sa conduite.

His wife was evidently, and must always have been, a quite irreclaimable fool; and unless he had shot her or himself there was no way out of it for a man of sense and spirit but the ironic.

Sa femme était manifestement, et devait l'avoir toujours été, une sotte tout à fait incorrigible ; et à moins qu'il ne l'eût abattue ou ne se fût abattu lui-même, il n'y avait pas d'autre issue pour un homme de sens et d'esprit que l'ironie.

Vocabulary

Je: First person singular pronoun; I.
admettrai: Future tense of admettre; will admit.
pas: Negation particle; not.
qu: Contraction of que; that.
un: Indefinite article masculine singular; a, an.
seul: Adjective meaning alone, only, sole.
discours: Noun meaning speech, discourse, talk.
ou: Conjunction meaning or.
une: Indefinite article feminine singular; a, an.
seule: Feminine form of seul; alone, only.
action: Noun meaning action, deed, act.
de: Preposition indicating possession or origin; of, from.
cet: Demonstrative adjective masculine before vowel; this.
homme: Noun meaning man, person, human being.
inestimable: Adjective meaning invaluable, priceless, beyond estimation.
soit: Subjunctive of être; may be, is.
incapable: Adjective meaning incapable, unable, incompetent.
être: Infinitive of être; to be.
réconcilié: Past participle of réconcilier; reconciled, made compatible.
avec: Preposition meaning with.
la: Definite article feminine singular; the.
réalité: Noun meaning reality, actuality, fact.
et: Conjunction meaning and.
je: First person singular pronoun; I.
ne: Negation particle in formal negation; not.
serais: Conditional of être; would be.
surpris: Adjective meaning surprised, astonished.
si: Conjunction meaning if.
beaucoup: Adverb meaning much, many, a lot.
ces: Demonstrative adjective plural; these, those.
paroles: Noun plural meaning words, speech, utterances.
actions: Noun plural meaning actions, deeds, acts.
sont: Third person plural of être; are.
historiquement: Adverb meaning historically, from historical perspective.
vraies: Adjective feminine plural meaning true, authentic.
Mais: Conjunction meaning but, however.
grandeur: Noun meaning greatness, grandeur, magnitude.
aurait: Conditional of avoir; would have.
pu: Past participle of pouvoir; could, been able.
exhibée: Feminine past participle of exhiber; exhibited, displayed.
manière: Noun meaning manner, way, fashion.
aussi: Adverb meaning also, as well, too.
satisfaisante: Adjective feminine meaning satisfactory, satisfying.
sa: Possessive adjective feminine singular; her, its.
créatrice: Noun feminine meaning creator, authoress.
avait: Imperfect of avoir; had.
ajusté: Past participle of ajuster; adjusted, fitted.
tant: Adverb meaning so much, as much.
art: Noun meaning art, skill, craft.
auprès: Preposition meaning near, close to, with.
lui: Pronoun meaning him, her, to him.
les: Definite article plural; the.
figures: Noun plural meaning figures, characters, faces.
Cette: Demonstrative adjective feminine singular; this, that.
dernière: Adjective feminine meaning last, recent.
comme: Conjunction meaning as, like, as if.
même: Adjective meaning same, very, even.
été: Past participle of être; been.
accusée: Feminine past participle of accuser; accused.
exagération: Noun meaning exaggeration, overstatement.
Il: Pronoun meaning he, it.
existe: Third person singular of exister; exists.
peut: Third person singular of pouvoir; can, may.
très: Adverb meaning very, quite.
légère: Adjective feminine meaning light, slight, faint.
apparence: Noun meaning appearance, semblance, look.
fondement: Noun meaning foundation, basis, ground.
accusation: Noun meaning accusation, charge, allegation.
mais: Conjunction meaning but, however.
elle: Pronoun feminine meaning she, it.
me: Pronoun meaning to me, myself.
semble: Third person singular of sembler; seems.
en: Pronoun meaning of it, some, any.
effet: Noun meaning effect, result, impression.

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