The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete — Page 13
In chronicling the latter meteoric career, Smollett had already observed the peculiarity of his countrymen which Thackeray was fond of harping on in the next century—"the maxim which universally prevails among the English people . . to overlook, . . on their return to the metropolis, all the connexions they may have chanced to acquire during their residence at any of the medical wells.
En retraçant cette dernière carrière fulgurante, Smollett avait déjà observé la particularité de ses compatriotes sur laquelle Thackeray aimait tant insister au siècle suivant — « la maxime qui prévaut universellement parmi le peuple anglais . . de passer sous silence, . . à leur retour dans la métropole, toutes les relations qu'ils ont pu nouer par hasard durant leur séjour auprès de l'une quelconque des stations thermales.
And this social disposition is so scrupulously maintained, that two persons who live in the most intimate correspondence at Bath or Tunbridge, shall, in four-and-twenty hours . . meet in St. James's Park, without betraying the least token of recognition."
Et cette disposition sociale est si scrupuleusement entretenue que deux personnes qui vivent dans la plus intime familiarité à Bath ou à Tunbridge se retrouveront, en vingt-quatre heures . . dans le parc Saint-James, sans trahir le moindre signe de reconnaissance. »
And good, too, is the way in which, as Dr. Fathom goes rapidly down the social hill, he makes excuses for his declining splendour.
Il est également remarquable de voir comment, tandis que le Dr Fathom dégringole rapidement l'échelle sociale, il trouve des excuses à son lustre déclinant.
His chariot was overturned "with a hideous crash" at such danger to himself, "that he did not believe he should ever hazard himself again in any sort of wheel carriage."
Son carrosse avait été renversé « avec un fracas horrible » au péril de sa vie, « au point qu'il ne croyait pas devoir jamais se risquer à nouveau dans quelque voiture à roues que ce fût. »
He turned off his men for maids, because "men servants are generally impudent, lazy, debauched, or dishonest."
Il renvoya ses domestiques masculins au profit de servantes, car « les serviteurs de sexe masculin sont généralement impudents, paresseux, dissolus ou malhonnêtes. »
To avoid the din of the street, he shifted his lodgings into a quiet, obscure court.
Pour fuir le vacarme de la rue, il déménagea dans une cour tranquille et peu fréquentée.
And so forth and so on, in the true Smollett vein.
Et ainsi de suite, dans le pur style de Smollett.
But, after all, such of the old sparks are struck only occasionally.
Mais, somme toute, de telles étincelles de l'ancienne manière ne jaillissent qu'occasionnellement.
Vocabulary
- retraçant
- Retracing or recounting a story or path
- dernière
- Adjective meaning 'last' or 'most recent'
- carrière
- Career or professional path of a person
- fulgurante
- Dazzling, meteoric, or strikingly rapid
- déjà
- Adverb meaning 'already' or 'previously'
- observé
- Observed or noticed something carefully
- particularité
- A distinctive characteristic or peculiarity
- compatriotes
- Fellow countrymen or people from same nation
- laquelle
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' (feminine)
- tant
- Adverb meaning 'so much' or 'so many'
- insister
- To insist or emphasize a point repeatedly
- siècle
- A century; a period of one hundred years
- suivant
- Adjective or verb meaning 'following' or 'next'
- maxime
- A maxim or general principle guiding behavior
- prévaut
- Prevails or is widely accepted; third-person singular
- universellement
- Universally; accepted or practiced by everyone
- parmi
- Preposition meaning 'among' a group
- peuple
- The people or population of a nation
- anglais
- Adjective or noun meaning 'English'
- passer
- To pass over or omit something intentionally
- sous
- Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'
- silence
- Silence; the absence of sound or mention
- retour
- Return; the act of coming back somewhere
- métropole
- The metropolis or home country's capital city
- relations
- Relationships or acquaintances formed with others
- nouer
- To form or tie; to establish a relationship
- hasard
- Chance or coincidence; an accidental occurrence
- durant
- Preposition meaning 'during' a period of time
- séjour
- A stay or sojourn at a particular place
- auprès
- Near or close to; in the vicinity of
- quelconque
- Any whatsoever; ordinary or unspecified one
- stations
- Resorts or stations; places for rest or treatment
- thermales
- Thermal; relating to hot spring spa resorts
- disposition
- A disposition or tendency in social behavior
- sociale
- Adjective meaning 'social'; relating to society
- scrupuleusement
- Scrupulously; with great care and conscientiousness
- entretenue
- Maintained or kept up carefully over time
- intime
- Intimate; characterized by close personal familiarity
- familiarité
- Familiarity; a close or informal relationship
- retrouveront
- Future tense; will meet or find each other again
- parc
- A park; a public outdoor green space
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- trahir
- To betray or reveal something unintentionally
- moindre
- The slightest or least; smallest degree possible
- signe
- A sign or gesture indicating something
- reconnaissance
- Recognition; acknowledgment of knowing someone
- également
- Adverb meaning 'also' or 'equally'
- remarquable
- Remarkable; worthy of notice or attention
- voir
- To see or observe something
- comment
- Adverb meaning 'how'; asking in what manner
- tandis
- Used in 'tandis que' meaning 'while' or 'whereas'
- dégringole
- Tumbles down or falls rapidly in status
- rapidement
- Adverb meaning 'quickly' or 'rapidly'
- échelle
- A ladder or scale; social hierarchy implied
- excuses
- Excuses or justifications for one's behavior
- lustre
- Luster or prestige; brilliance and social shine
- déclinant
- Declining; gradually decreasing in strength or prestige
- carrosse
- A horse-drawn carriage; old-fashioned coach
- renversé
- Overturned or knocked over; upset violently
- fracas
- A loud crash or uproar; violent noise
- horrible
- Horrible; causing horror or extreme unpleasantness
- péril
- Peril or danger; risk to one's safety
- vie
- Life; the existence of a living being
- point
- Used in negation 'ne...point' meaning 'not at all'
- croyait
- Imperfect of 'croire'; believed or thought
- devoir
- To have to or must; to owe something
- jamais
- Never; at no time (used with negation)
- risquer
- To risk or take a chance on something
- nouveau
- New or again; masculine adjective for 'new'
- quelque
- Some or any; an indefinite small quantity
- voiture
- A vehicle; car or carriage for transportation
- roues
- Wheels; circular components enabling vehicle movement
- fût
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'être'; were (formal)
- renvoya
- Dismissed or sent away; past tense of 'renvoyer'
- domestiques
- Domestic servants or household staff members
- masculins
- Masculine; relating to men or male gender
- profit
- Benefit or profit; advantage gained from something
- servantes
- Female servants or maids employed in household
- car
- Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
- serviteurs
- Male servants; those who serve in a household
- sexe
- Sex or gender; biological category of male/female
- masculin
- Masculine; of or relating to the male sex
- généralement
- Generally; in most cases or usually
- impudents
- Impudent; shamelessly bold or disrespectful
- paresseux
- Lazy; unwilling to work or exert effort
- dissolus
- Dissolute; living without moral restraint or discipline
- malhonnêtes
- Dishonest; lacking integrity or moral principles
- fuir
- To flee or escape from something unpleasant
- vacarme
- A loud uproar or din; noisy commotion
- rue
- A street or road in a town or city
- déménagea
- Moved out or relocated to another place
- cour
- A courtyard; enclosed space within a building
- tranquille
- Calm, quiet, or peaceful; free from disturbance
- peu
- Adverb meaning 'little' or 'few'
- fréquentée
- Frequented; visited often by people
- ainsi
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'
- suite
- Continuation or sequence; 'et ainsi de suite' means 'and so on'
- pur
- Pure; unmixed or genuine in nature
- style
- Style; a particular manner or way of doing
- somme
- Sum; used in 'somme toute' meaning 'all in all'
- telles
- Such; of that kind (feminine plural form)
- étincelles
- Sparks; small flashes of light or brilliance
- ancienne
- Ancient or former; belonging to a past time
- manière
- A manner or way of doing something
- jaillissent
- Gush or spring forth; burst out suddenly
- occasionnellement
- Occasionally; from time to time, not regularly
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