Sense and Sensibility — Page 3
Something must be done for them whenever they leave Norland and settle in a new home."
Il faut faire quelque chose pour elles chaque fois qu'elles quitteront Norland et s'établiront dans un nouveau foyer."
"Well, then, _let_ something be done for them; but _that_ something need not be three thousand pounds.
« Eh bien, alors, qu'on fasse quelque chose pour elles ; mais ce quelque chose n'a pas besoin d'être trois mille livres.
Consider," she added, "that when the money is once parted with, it never can return.
Considérez, ajouta-t-elle, que lorsque l'argent est une fois dépensé, il ne peut jamais revenir.
Your sisters will marry, and it will be gone for ever.
Vos sœurs se marieront, et il sera parti pour toujours.
If, indeed, it could be restored to our poor little boy—"
Si, en effet, il pouvait être rendu à notre pauvre petit garçon… »
"Why, to be sure," said her husband, very gravely, "that would make great difference.
« Eh bien, certainement, dit son mari, très gravement, cela ferait une grande différence.
The time may come when Harry will regret that so large a sum was parted with.
Le temps pourrait venir où Harry regretterait qu'une si grande somme ait été dépensée.
If he should have a numerous family, for instance, it would be a very convenient addition."
S'il devait avoir une famille nombreuse, par exemple, ce serait un ajout fort commode. »
"To be sure it would."
« Assurément. »
"Perhaps, then, it would be better for all parties, if the sum were diminished one half.—Five hundred pounds would be a prodigious increase to their fortunes!"
« Peut-être, alors, vaudrait-il mieux pour toutes les parties que la somme soit réduite de moitié. — Cinq cents livres constitueraient une augmentation prodigieuse de leur fortune ! »
"Oh! beyond anything great!
« Oh ! c'est prodigieux !
What brother on earth would do half so much for his sisters, even if _really_ his sisters!
Quel frère au monde ferait la moitié autant pour ses sœurs, même si elles étaient vraiment ses sœurs !
And as it is—only half blood!—But you have such a generous spirit!"
Et comme c'est le cas — seulement demi-sang ! — Mais vous avez un esprit si généreux ! »
"I would not wish to do any thing mean," he replied.
« Je ne voudrais pas faire quoi que ce soit de mesquin, répondit-il.
"One had rather, on such occasions, do too much than too little.
On préfère, en pareilles occasions, faire trop que trop peu.
No one, at least, can think I have not done enough for them: even themselves, they can hardly expect more.
Personne, du moins, ne peut penser que je n'ai pas fait assez pour elles : elles-mêmes peuvent difficilement en espérer davantage.
Vocabulary
- faut
- fo — Impersonal verb form meaning 'it is necessary'
- faire
- fɛʁ — To do or to make something
- quelque
- kɛlkə — Some or a certain amount of something
- chose
- ʃoz — A thing or an object
- chaque
- ʃak — Each or every individual item or instance
- fois
- fwa — A time or an occurrence of an event
- quitteront
- kitəʁɔ̃ — They will leave a place in the future
- établiront
- etabliʁɔ̃ — They will establish or settle themselves somewhere
- nouveau
- nuvo — New or recently created place or thing
- foyer
- fwaje — Home, hearth, or domestic household
- Eh
- e — Interjection expressing mild surprise or emphasis
- alors
- alɔʁ — Then, so, or at that moment
- fasse
- fas — Subjunctive form of faire, that one do
- besoin
- bəzwɛ̃ — Need or necessity for something
- mille
- mil — The number one thousand
- livres
- livʁ — Pounds, an old unit of currency or weight
- Considérez
- kɔ̃sideʁe — Imperative: consider or take into account something
- ajouta
- aʒuta — Added or said in addition, past tense
- lorsque
- lɔʁskə — When, at the moment that something occurs
- argent
- aʁʒɑ̃ — Money or the metal silver
- dépensé
- depɑ̃se — Spent, used up money or resources
- jamais
- ʒamɛ — Never or ever, negation of frequency
- revenir
- ʁəvəniʁ — To come back or return to a place
- sœurs
- sœʁ — Sisters, female siblings
- marieront
- maʁjəʁɔ̃ — They will marry, future tense of se marier
- parti
- paʁti — Gone away, departed, past participle of partir
- toujours
- tuʒuʁ — Always or still, indicating continuity or permanence
- effet
- efɛ — Effect or indeed, used in en effet meaning indeed
- rendu
- ʁɑ̃dy — Returned or given back, past participle of rendre
- pauvre
- povʁ — Poor, unfortunate, or lacking resources
- garçon
- ɡaʁsɔ̃ — Boy or young male, also waiter informally
- certainement
- sɛʁtɛnmɑ̃ — Certainly, definitely, without doubt
- mari
- maʁi — Husband, a married male partner
- gravement
- ɡʁavmɑ̃ — Gravely or seriously, in a solemn manner
- cela
- səla — That, a demonstrative pronoun referring to something
- ferait
- fəʁɛ — Would make or do, conditional of faire
- différence
- diferɑ̃s — Difference, a distinction between two things
- temps
- tɑ̃ — Time or weather, a common noun
- pourrait
- puʁɛ — Could or might, conditional of pouvoir
- venir
- vəniʁ — To come, a fundamental verb of motion
- regretterait
- ʁəɡʁɛtəʁɛ — Would regret, conditional tense of regretter
- somme
- sɔm — Sum or amount of money
- ait
- ɛ — Subjunctive present of avoir, that one has
- dépensée
- depɑ̃se — Spent, feminine past participle of dépenser
- devait
- dəvɛ — Had to or was supposed to, imperfect of devoir
- famille
- famij — Family, a group of related individuals
- nombreuse
- nɔ̃bʁøz — Numerous or large, feminine adjective describing family
- exemple
- ɛɡzɑ̃plə — Example, an instance used to illustrate a point
- serait
- səʁɛ — Would be, conditional tense of être
- ajout
- aʒu — Addition or something added to something else
- fort
- fɔʁ — Very or strongly, an intensifying adverb
- commode
- kɔmɔd — Convenient or handy, easy to use
- Assurément
- asyʁemɑ̃ — Assuredly, certainly, without any doubt at all
- vaudrait
- vodʁɛ — Would be worth, conditional of valoir
- mieux
- mjø — Better, comparative adverb of bien
- parties
- paʁti — Parties or parts, groups of people involved
- soit
- swa — Subjunctive present of être, that it be
- réduite
- ʁedɥit — Reduced, feminine past participle of réduire
- moitié
- mwatje — Half, one of two equal parts
- constitueraient
- kɔ̃stitɥəʁɛ — Would constitute or form something, conditional tense
- augmentation
- oɡmɑ̃tasjɔ̃ — Increase or rise in amount or value
- prodigieuse
- pʁɔdiʒjøz — Prodigious or enormous, remarkably large amount
- fortune
- fɔʁtyn — Fortune or wealth, a large amount of money
- prodigieux
- pʁɔdiʒjø — Prodigious or extraordinary, remarkably impressive
- Quel
- kɛl — What or which, interrogative or exclamatory adjective
- frère
- fʁɛʁ — Brother, a male sibling
- monde
- mɔ̃d — World or everyone, used in tout le monde
- autant
- otɑ̃ — As much or as many, indicating equivalent quantity
- même
- mɛm — Same or even, used for emphasis or comparison
- vraiment
- vʁɛmɑ̃ — Really or truly, an intensifying adverb
- comme
- kɔm — As, like, or how, a comparison conjunction
- cas
- kɑ — Case or situation, a specific instance
- seulement
- sølmɑ̃ — Only or just, limiting a quantity or condition
- demi
- dəmi — Half, indicating one of two equal portions
- sang
- sɑ̃ — Blood, the fluid in the body's veins
- esprit
- ɛspʁi — Mind, spirit, or wit of a person
- généreux
- ʒeneʁø — Generous, giving freely without hesitation
- voudrais
- vudʁɛ — Would like or would want, conditional of vouloir
- quoi
- kwa — What, an interrogative or relative pronoun
- mesquin
- mɛskɛ̃ — Mean or petty, stingy and small-minded
- répondit
- ʁepɔ̃di — Replied or answered, simple past of répondre
- préfère
- pʁefɛʁ — Prefers, third person singular present of préférer
- pareilles
- paʁɛj — Such or similar, feminine plural adjective
- occasions
- ɔkazjɔ̃ — Occasions or opportunities, specific moments or chances
- trop
- tʁo — Too or too much, exceeding the right amount
- peu
- pø — Little or few, indicating a small amount
- Personne
- pɛʁsɔn — Nobody when used with ne, or a person
- moins
- mwɛ̃ — Less or least, comparative or superlative of peu
- penser
- pɑ̃se — To think or to believe something
- assez
- ase — Enough or quite, indicating sufficiency
- mêmes
- mɛm — Same or themselves, plural form of même
- difficilement
- difisilmɑ̃ — With difficulty, hardly able to do something
- espérer
- ɛspeʁe — To hope for or expect something better
- davantage
- davɑ̃taʒ — More, a greater quantity or degree than before
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