The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete — Page 7
To one whose idea of Smollett's genius is formed entirely by Random and Pickle and Humphry Clinker, Ferdinand Count Fathom will offer many surprises.
Pour celui dont l'idée du génie de Smollett est formée entièrement par Random et Pickle et Humphry Clinker, Ferdinand comte Fathom offrira bien des surprises.
The first of these is the comparative lifelessness of the book.
La première de ces surprises est la relative absence de vie du livre.
True, here again are action and incident galore, but generally unaccompanied by that rough Georgian hurly-burly, common in Smollett, which is so interesting to contemplate from a comfortable distance, and which goes so far towards making his fiction seem real.
Certes, l'action et les péripéties y abondent de nouveau, mais généralement sans être accompagnées de ce tumulte georgien grossier, habituel chez Smollett, qu'il est si intéressant de contempler à une distance confortable, et qui contribue tant à donner à sa fiction une apparence de réalité.
Nor are the characters, for the most part, life-like enough to be interesting.
Les personnages non plus, pour la plupart, ne sont pas assez vivants pour être intéressants.
There is an apparent exception, to be sure, in the hero's mother, already mentioned, the hardened camp-follower, whom we confidently expect to become vitalised after the savage fashion of Smollett's characters.
Il y a une exception apparente, certes, en la mère du héros, déjà mentionnée, la vivandière endurcie, dont nous attendons avec confiance qu'elle s'anime à la manière sauvage des personnages de Smollett.
But, alas! we have no chance to learn the lady's style of conversation, for the few words that come from her lips are but partially characteristic; we have only too little chance to learn her manners and customs.
Mais, hélas ! nous n'avons pas l'occasion d'apprendre le style de conversation de la dame, car les quelques mots qui sortent de ses lèvres ne sont que partiellement caractéristiques ; nous avons bien trop peu l'occasion de connaître ses manières et ses habitudes.
In the fourth chapter, while she is making sure with her dagger that all those on the field of battle whom she wishes to rifle are really dead, an officer of the hussars, who has been watching her lucrative progress, unfeelingly puts a brace of bullets into the lady's brain, just as she raises her hand to smite him to the heart.
Au quatrième chapitre, tandis qu'elle s'assure avec son poignard que tous ceux sur le champ de bataille qu'elle souhaite dévaliser sont bien morts, un officier de hussards, qui a observé sa lucrative progression, lui loge froidement une paire de balles dans la cervelle, au moment même où elle lève la main pour lui porter un coup fatal au cœur.
Perhaps it is as well that she is thus removed before our disappointment at the non-fulfilment of her promise becomes poignant.
Il est peut-être préférable qu'elle soit ainsi écartée avant que notre déception face à l'inexécution de sa promesse ne devienne poignante.
Vocabulary
- Pour
- For; in order to; towards.
- celui
- The one; that one; he.
- dont
- Of which; whose; from which.
- idée
- Idea; thought; notion; concept.
- du
- Of the; some; from the.
- génie
- Genius; talent; spirit; exceptional ability.
- de
- Of; from; about; by.
- est
- Is; third person singular of être.
- formée
- Formed; shaped; made; constituted.
- entièrement
- Entirely; completely; wholly; altogether.
- par
- By; through; via; per.
- et
- And; plus; as well as.
- comte
- Count; earl; noble title; nobleman.
- offrira
- Will offer; shall offer; will present.
- bien
- Well; very; much; indeed; good.
- des
- Of the; some; any; plural of du.
- surprises
- Surprises; unexpected events; astonishments.
- La
- The; feminine singular article.
- première
- First; premiere; primary; earliest.
- ces
- These; those; such; plural demonstrative.
- la
- The; her; it; feminine pronoun.
- relative
- Relative; comparative; not absolute or complete.
- absence
- Absence; lack; missing; non-presence.
- vie
- Life; living; existence; way of life.
- livre
- Book; pound; to deliver; to hand over.
- action
- Action; deed; share; plot; activity.
- les
- The; plural definite article.
- péripéties
- Vicissitudes; dramatic turns; twists of fate.
- abondent
- Abound; are abundant; exist in plenty.
- nouveau
- New; novel; different; fresh; another.
- mais
- But; however; yet; corn.
- généralement
- Generally; usually; commonly; ordinarily.
- sans
- Without; lacking; minus; unless.
- être
- To be; existence; being.
- accompagnées
- Accompanied; followed; attended; escorted.
- ce
- This; that; it; demonstrative pronoun.
- tumulte
- Tumult; uproar; commotion; noise; disorder.
- grossier
- Coarse; rude; crude; rough; vulgar.
- habituel
- Usual; customary; habitual; typical; ordinary.
- chez
- At; in; at the home of.
- qu
- Abbreviation/contraction of que; that; which.
- il
- He; it; masculine singular pronoun.
- si
- If; so; thus; whether; yes.
- intéressant
- Interesting; engaging; fascinating; compelling.
- contempler
- To contemplate; to observe; to view.
- une
- A; an; one; feminine article.
- distance
- Distance; space; separation; remoteness.
- confortable
- Comfortable; pleasant; convenient; agreeable.
- qui
- Who; which; that; relative pronoun.
- contribue
- Contributes; helps; aids; plays a role.
- tant
- So much; so many; as much.
- donner
- To give; to grant; to provide.
- sa
- His; her; its; possessive adjective.
- fiction
- Fiction; invented story; narrative; imaginative work.
- apparence
- Appearance; look; aspect; impression; seeming.
- réalité
- Reality; actuality; truth; fact.
- Les
- The; plural definite article.
- personnages
- Characters; persons; figures; roles.
- non
- No; not; negative response.
- plus
- More; plus; no longer; greater.
- plupart
- Most; majority; greatest part.
- ne
- Not; no; negative particle.
- sont
- Are; third person plural of être.
- pas
- Not; step; footstep; negative adverb.
- assez
- Enough; rather; fairly; sufficiently.
- vivants
- Living; alive; vivid; lively; animated.
- intéressants
- Interesting; engaging; fascinating; compelling.
- Il
- He; it; masculine singular pronoun.
- exception
- Exception; exclusion; unusual case.
- apparente
- Apparent; evident; obvious; seeming.
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