Spoon River Anthology — Page 8

English → Fr Full Text Level 4/10

For the Protestants bought this lot,

Car les Protestants ont acheté ce terrain,

And buried my body here,

Et ont enterré mon corps ici,

Close to the grave of the banker Nicholas,

Près de la tombe du banquier Nicholas,

And of his wife Priscilla.

Et de sa femme Priscilla.

Take note, ye prudent and pious souls,

Prenez note, vous les âmes prudentes et pieuses,

Of the cross—currents in life

Des contre-courants de la vie

Which bring honor to the dead, who lived in shame

Qui apportent l'honneur aux morts, qui vécurent dans la honte

Harry Carey Goodhue

You never marveled, dullards of Spoon River,

Vous ne vous êtes jamais émerveillés, esprits obtus de Spoon River,

When Chase Henry voted against the saloons

Quand Chase Henry a voté contre les saloons

To revenge himself for being shut off.

Pour se venger d'en avoir été exclu.

But none of you was keen enough

Mais aucun de vous n'était assez perspicace

To follow my steps, or trace me home

Pour suivre mes pas, ou me retrouver chez moi

As Chase's spiritual brother.

En tant que frère spirituel de Chase.

Do you remember when I fought

Vous souvenez-vous quand j'ai combattu

The bank and the courthouse ring,

La banque et la clique du tribunal,

For pocketing the interest on public funds?

Pour s'être mis en poche les intérêts des fonds publics ?

And when I fought our leading citizens

Et quand j'ai combattu nos citoyens éminents

For making the poor the pack-horses of the taxes?

Pour avoir fait des pauvres les bêtes de somme des impôts ?

And when I fought the water works

Et quand j'ai combattu la compagnie des eaux

For stealing streets and raising rates?

Pour avoir accaparé les rues et augmenté les tarifs ?

And when I fought the business men

Et quand j'ai combattu les hommes d'affaires

Who fought me in these fights?

Qui m'ont combattu dans ces luttes ?

Then do you remember:

Alors vous souvenez-vous :

That staggering up from the wreck of defeat,

Que chancelant hors des décombres de la défaite,

And the wreck of a ruined career,

Et des décombres d'une carrière ruinée,

I slipped from my cloak my last ideal,

J'ai glissé de mon manteau mon dernier idéal,

Hidden from all eyes until then,

Caché à tous les regards jusqu'alors,

Like the cherished jawbone of an ass,

Comme la précieuse mâchoire d'un âne,

And smote the bank and the water works,

Et j'ai frappé la banque et la compagnie des eaux,

And the business men with prohibition,

Et les hommes d'affaires avec la prohibition,

And made Spoon River pay the cost

Et j'ai fait payer à Spoon River le prix

Of the fights that I had lost.

Des combats que j'avais perdus.

Vocabulary

Car: Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
les: Definite plural article meaning 'the'
Protestants: Members of Protestant Christian denominations
ont: Third person plural of 'avoir', meaning 'have'
acheté: Past participle of 'acheter', meaning 'bought'
ce: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'
terrain: Noun meaning a plot of land or ground
Et: Conjunction meaning 'and'
enterré: Past participle of 'enterrer', meaning 'buried'
mon: Possessive adjective meaning 'my'
corps: Noun meaning 'body'
ici: Adverb meaning 'here'
Près: Preposition meaning 'near' or 'close to'
de: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
la: Definite feminine singular article meaning 'the'
tombe: Noun meaning a grave or tomb
du: Contracted article meaning 'of the'
banquier: Noun meaning a banker or financial professional
sa: Possessive adjective meaning 'his' or 'her'
femme: Noun meaning 'woman' or 'wife'
Prenez: Imperative form of 'prendre', meaning 'take' or 'note'
note: Noun meaning a note or observation
vous: Personal pronoun meaning 'you' (formal or plural)
âmes: Noun meaning 'souls'
prudentes: Adjective meaning 'prudent' or 'cautious', feminine plural
et: Conjunction meaning 'and'
pieuses: Adjective meaning 'pious' or 'devout', feminine plural
Des: Indefinite plural article meaning 'some' or 'of the'
contre-courants: Noun meaning undercurrents or countercurrents in life
vie: Noun meaning 'life'
Qui: Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'
apportent: Third person plural of 'apporter', meaning 'bring'
l': Elided definite article meaning 'the'
honneur: Noun meaning 'honor' or 'dignity'
aux: Contracted preposition meaning 'to the' or 'for the'
morts: Noun meaning 'the dead' or those who have died
qui: Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'that'
vécurent: Simple past of 'vivre', meaning 'lived'
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'within'
honte: Noun meaning 'shame' or 'disgrace'
ne: Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs
êtes: Second person plural of 'être', meaning 'are'
jamais: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever'
émerveillés: Adjective meaning 'amazed' or 'filled with wonder'
esprits: Noun meaning 'minds' or 'spirits'
obtus: Adjective meaning 'dull-witted' or 'obtuse'
Quand: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'
a: Third person singular of 'avoir', meaning 'has'
voté: Past participle of 'voter', meaning 'voted'
contre: Preposition meaning 'against'
Pour: Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'himself'
venger: Verb meaning 'to avenge' or 'to take revenge'
d': Elided preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
en: Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in', 'of it', or 'from there'
avoir: Infinitive meaning 'to have'
été: Past participle of 'être', meaning 'been'
exclu: Past participle of 'exclure', meaning 'excluded'
Mais: Conjunction meaning 'but'
aucun: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'none' or 'not any'
n': Elided negative particle used before vowels
était: Imperfect of 'être', meaning 'was'
assez: Adverb meaning 'enough' or 'sufficiently'
perspicace: Adjective meaning 'perceptive' or 'shrewd'
suivre: Verb meaning 'to follow'
mes: Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (plural)
pas: Noun meaning 'steps' or negative particle 'not'
ou: Conjunction meaning 'or'
me: Personal pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
retrouver: Verb meaning 'to find again' or 'to meet up'
chez: Preposition meaning 'at the home of'
moi: Stressed personal pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I'
En: Preposition meaning 'in', 'as', or 'while'
tant: Used in 'en tant que' meaning 'as' or 'in the capacity of'
que: Conjunction meaning 'that', 'than', or 'as'
frère: Noun meaning 'brother'
spirituel: Adjective meaning 'spiritual' or 'witty'
souvenez-vous: Reflexive imperative meaning 'remember' (formal)
quand: Conjunction meaning 'when'
j': Elided first person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
ai: First person singular of 'avoir', meaning 'have'
combattu: Past participle of 'combattre', meaning 'fought'
La: Definite feminine article meaning 'the'
banque: Noun meaning 'bank' (financial institution)
clique: Noun meaning a clique or exclusive group
tribunal: Noun meaning a court or tribunal
s': Elided reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself'
être: Infinitive meaning 'to be'
mis: Past participle of 'mettre', meaning 'put' or 'placed'
poche: Noun meaning 'pocket'; 'mettre en poche' means to pocket
intérêts: Noun meaning 'interests' or financial interest charges
fonds: Noun meaning 'funds' or financial resources
publics: Adjective meaning 'public', masculine plural form
nos: Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (plural)
citoyens: Noun meaning 'citizens'
éminents: Adjective meaning 'eminent' or 'distinguished'
fait: Past participle of 'faire', meaning 'made' or 'done'
pauvres: Adjective or noun meaning 'poor' or 'the poor'
bêtes: Noun or adjective meaning 'animals' or 'stupid'
somme: Noun meaning 'sum' or 'amount' of money
impôts: Noun meaning 'taxes'
compagnie: Noun meaning 'company' (business or social group)
eaux: Noun meaning 'waters', plural of 'eau'
accaparé: Past participle of 'accaparer', meaning 'monopolized' or 'seized'
rues: Noun meaning 'streets'
augmenté: Past participle of 'augmenter', meaning 'increased'
tarifs: Noun meaning 'rates', 'tariffs', or 'prices'
hommes: Noun meaning 'men' or 'people'
affaires: Noun meaning 'business' or 'affairs'
m': Elided personal pronoun meaning 'me' or 'to me'
ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'
luttes: Noun meaning 'struggles' or 'fights'
Alors: Adverb meaning 'then', 'so', or 'at that time'
Que: Conjunction meaning 'that' or 'as'
chancelant: Adjective meaning 'staggering' or 'tottering'
hors: Preposition meaning 'outside of' or 'out of'
décombres: Noun meaning 'rubble' or 'debris'
défaite: Noun meaning 'defeat'
une: Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'one'
carrière: Noun meaning 'career' or 'quarry'
ruinée: Adjective meaning 'ruined' or 'destroyed', feminine form
glissé: Past participle of 'glisser', meaning 'slipped' or 'slid'
manteau: Noun meaning 'coat' or 'cloak'
dernier: Adjective meaning 'last' or 'final'
idéal: Noun or adjective meaning 'ideal'
Caché: Past participle of 'cacher', meaning 'hidden'
à: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'
tous: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'everyone'
regards: Noun meaning 'gazes' or 'looks'
jusqu': Elided preposition meaning 'until' or 'up to'
Comme: Conjunction or preposition meaning 'like' or 'as'
précieuse: Adjective meaning 'precious' or 'valuable', feminine form
mâchoire: Noun meaning 'jaw' or 'jawbone'
un: Indefinite masculine article meaning 'a' or 'one'
âne: Noun meaning 'donkey' or 'ass'
frappé: Past participle of 'frapper', meaning 'struck' or 'hit'
avec: Preposition meaning 'with'
prohibition: Noun meaning the legal ban on alcohol
payer: Verb meaning 'to pay'
le: Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'
prix: Noun meaning 'price' or 'prize'
combats: Noun meaning 'fights' or 'battles'
avais: First person imperfect of 'avoir', meaning 'had'
perdus: Past participle of 'perdre', meaning 'lost'

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