Sense and Sensibility — Page 4
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«
"There is no knowing what _they_ may expect," said the lady, "but we are not to think of their expectations: the question is, what you can afford to do."
« On ne peut pas savoir ce qu'*elles* peuvent espérer, dit la dame, mais nous ne devons pas nous préoccuper de leurs attentes : la question est de savoir ce que vous pouvez vous permettre de faire. »
"Certainly—and I think I may afford to give them five hundred pounds a-piece. As it is, without any addition of mine, they will each have about three thousand pounds on their mother's death—a very comfortable fortune for any young woman."
« Certainement — et je crois pouvoir me permettre de leur donner cinq cents livres chacune. Tel que c'est, sans aucun ajout de ma part, elles auront chacune environ trois mille livres à la mort de leur mère — une fortune très confortable pour toute jeune femme. »
"To be sure it is; and, indeed, it strikes me that they can want no addition at all. They will have ten thousand pounds divided amongst them. If they marry, they will be sure of doing well, and if they do not, they may all live very comfortably together on the interest of ten thousand pounds."
« Certes ; et, en effet, il me semble qu'elles n'ont besoin d'aucun ajout. Elles auront dix mille livres partagées entre elles. Si elles se marient, elles s'en tireront certainement bien, et si elles ne se marient pas, elles pourront toutes vivre très confortablement ensemble avec les intérêts de dix mille livres. »
"That is very true, and, therefore, I do not know whether, upon the whole, it would not be more advisable to do something for their mother while she lives, rather than for them—something of the annuity kind I mean.—My sisters would feel the good effects of it as well as herself. A hundred a year would make them all perfectly comfortable."
« C'est très juste, et, par conséquent, je ne sais pas si, tout bien considéré, il ne serait pas plus judicieux de faire quelque chose pour leur mère de son vivant, plutôt que pour elles — quelque chose dans le genre d'une rente, je veux dire. — Mes sœurs en ressentiraient les bons effets tout autant qu'elle-même. Cent livres par an les rendraient toutes parfaitement à l'aise. »
His wife hesitated a little, however, in giving her consent to this plan.
Sa femme hésita un peu, cependant, à donner son accord à ce projet.
"To be sure," said she, "it is better than parting with fifteen hundred pounds at once. But, then, if Mrs. Dashwood should live fifteen years we shall be completely taken in."
« Certes, dit-elle, c'est mieux que de se séparer de quinze cents livres d'un seul coup. Mais, alors, si Mme Dashwood venait à vivre quinze ans, nous serions complètement floués. »
"Fifteen years! my dear Fanny; her life cannot be worth half that purchase.
« Quinze ans ! ma chère Fanny ; sa vie ne peut pas valoir la moitié de cette mise.
Vocabulary
- On
- Indefinite pronoun meaning one, we, or people.
- ne
- Negative particle used with pas or other negatives.
- peut
- Third person singular of pouvoir; can or is able.
- pas
- Negation word meaning not, used with ne.
- savoir
- To know a fact or how to do something.
- ce
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning this or that.
- qu'
- Contracted form of que meaning that or what.
- elles
- Third person feminine plural pronoun meaning they.
- peuvent
- Third person plural of pouvoir; they can or are able.
- espérer
- To hope or to expect something desired.
- dit
- Past tense of dire; said or says.
- la
- Feminine definite article meaning the.
- dame
- A lady or woman of social standing.
- mais
- Conjunction meaning but, introducing a contrast.
- nous
- First person plural pronoun meaning we or us.
- devons
- First person plural of devoir; we must or owe.
- préoccuper
- To concern oneself with or worry about something.
- de
- Preposition meaning of, from, or about.
- leurs
- Plural possessive adjective meaning their.
- attentes
- Expectations or things waited and hoped for.
- question
- A query or matter to be discussed or resolved.
- est
- Third person singular of être; is.
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning that or which.
- vous
- Second person pronoun meaning you, singular formal or plural.
- pouvez
- Second person plural of pouvoir; you can or are able.
- permettre
- To allow or permit someone to do something.
- faire
- To do or to make something.
- Certainement
- Certainly or definitely, expressing strong agreement.
- et
- Conjunction meaning and, linking words or clauses.
- je
- First person singular pronoun meaning I.
- crois
- First person singular of croire; I believe or think.
- pouvoir
- To be able to; the verb expressing ability or possibility.
- me
- First person singular reflexive or object pronoun meaning me.
- leur
- Indirect object pronoun meaning to them.
- donner
- To give something to someone.
- cinq
- The number five.
- cents
- Plural of cent; hundreds as a quantity.
- livres
- Pounds, referring to currency or units of weight.
- chacune
- Each one, feminine form referring to individual members.
- Tel
- Such or such a, expressing comparison or degree.
- c'
- Contracted form of ce before a vowel; it or that.
- sans
- Preposition meaning without.
- aucun
- No or not any, expressing negation of a noun.
- ajout
- An addition or something added to an amount.
- ma
- Feminine singular possessive adjective meaning my.
- part
- Part or share; also used in de ma part meaning on my part.
- auront
- Third person plural future of avoir; they will have.
- environ
- Approximately or about a given quantity.
- trois
- The number three.
- mille
- One thousand as a number.
- à
- Preposition meaning to, at, or in.
- mort
- Death; also used in expressions about inheritance.
- mère
- Mother, a female parent.
- une
- Feminine indefinite article meaning a or one.
- fortune
- A large amount of wealth or financial assets.
- très
- Adverb meaning very, intensifying an adjective.
- confortable
- Comfortable, providing ease and financial security.
- pour
- Preposition meaning for or in order to.
- toute
- Feminine form of tout meaning every or any.
- jeune
- Young or youthful in age.
- femme
- A woman or wife.
- Certes
- Admittedly or certainly, conceding a point.
- en
- Preposition or pronoun meaning in, on, or of it.
- effet
- Effect or result; en effet means indeed or in fact.
- il
- Third person masculine singular pronoun meaning he or it.
- semble
- Third person of sembler; it seems or appears.
- n'
- Contracted negative particle ne before a vowel.
- ont
- Third person plural of avoir; they have.
- besoin
- Need; avoir besoin de means to need something.
- d'
- Contracted preposition de before a vowel; of or from.
- Elles
- Third person feminine plural pronoun meaning they.
- dix
- The number ten.
- partagées
- Shared or divided among several people.
- entre
- Preposition meaning between or among.
- Si
- Conjunction meaning if, introducing a conditional clause.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning oneself or themselves.
- marient
- Third person plural of se marier; they get married.
- s'
- Contracted reflexive pronoun se before a vowel.
- tireront
- Future of tirer; they will manage or pull through.
- certainement
- Certainly or surely, with confidence.
- bien
- Well; adverb expressing good result or quality.
- si
- If, introducing a conditional; also means so very.
- pourront
- Third person plural future of pouvoir; they will be able.
- toutes
- Feminine plural of tout meaning all or every one.
- vivre
- To live or to exist.
- confortablement
- Comfortably, in a comfortable manner.
- ensemble
- Together, as a group sharing the same space.
- avec
- Preposition meaning with.
- les
- Plural definite article meaning the.
- intérêts
- Interest earned on capital or investments.
- C'
- Contracted form of ce before a vowel; it or that.
- juste
- Fair, just, or exact; reasonable.
- par
- Preposition meaning by, through, or per.
- conséquent
- Par conséquent means therefore or consequently.
- sais
- First person singular of savoir; I know.
- tout
- All or everything; used as pronoun or adjective.
- considéré
- Considered or taken into account; past participle.
- serait
- Conditional of être; would be.
- plus
- More, comparative adverb increasing degree.
- judicieux
- Judicious or wise in making sound decisions.
- quelque
- Some or a certain amount of something.
- chose
- A thing or object or matter.
- son
- Masculine possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its.
- vivant
- Living or alive; de son vivant means during one's lifetime.
- plutôt
- Rather or instead, expressing a preference.
- dans
- Preposition meaning in or inside.
- le
- Masculine singular definite article meaning the.
- genre
- A type, kind, or sort of something.
- rente
- An annuity or fixed yearly income from investments.
- veux
- First person singular of vouloir; I want or wish.
- dire
- To say or to tell; c'est-à-dire means that is to say.
- Mes
- Plural possessive adjective meaning my.
- sœurs
- Sisters, female siblings.
- ressentiraient
- Conditional of ressentir; they would feel the effects.
- bons
- Masculine plural of bon meaning good or beneficial.
- effets
- Effects or results produced by a cause.
- autant
- As much or as many; to the same extent.
- elle
- Third person feminine singular pronoun meaning she.
- même
- Same or even; elle-même means she herself.
- Cent
- One hundred as a number.
- an
- A year as a unit of time.
- rendraient
- Conditional of rendre; they would make or render.
- parfaitement
- Perfectly or completely, in an ideal manner.
- l'
- Contracted definite article le or la before a vowel.
- aise
- Ease or comfort; à l'aise means at ease financially.
- Sa
- Feminine singular possessive adjective meaning his or her.
- hésita
- Third person singular past of hésiter; he hesitated.
- un
- Masculine indefinite article meaning a or one.
- peu
- A little or a small amount of something.
- cependant
- However or nevertheless, introducing a contrast.
- accord
- Agreement; d'accord means agreed or okay.
- projet
- A plan or project intended to be carried out.
- mieux
- Better, comparative of bien meaning well.
- séparer
- To separate or divide into distinct parts.
- quinze
- The number fifteen.
- seul
- Alone or only; single without others present.
- coup
- A blow or stroke; d'un seul coup means all at once.
- Mais
- But, conjunction introducing opposition or contrast.
- alors
- Then or so, indicating time or consequence.
- Mme
- Abbreviation of Madame, title for a woman.
- venait
- Imperfect of venir; was coming or used to come.
- ans
- Years as units of age or time duration.
- serions
- First person plural conditional of être; we would be.
- complètement
- Completely or entirely, without exception.
- floués
- Cheated or swindled out of something expected.
- Quinze
- The number fifteen.
- chère
- Dear or beloved, used as a term of address.
- sa
- Feminine singular possessive adjective meaning his or her.
- vie
- Life or lifetime of a person.
- valoir
- To be worth a certain value or amount.
- moitié
- Half of a total quantity or amount.
- cette
- Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning this or that.
- mise
- A sum staked or invested; an outlay of money.
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