The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 4

English → Fr Preface Level 8/10

Although nothing could be more ludicrous and unnatural than the figures they drew, they did not want patrons and admirers; and the world actually began to be infected with the spirit of knight-errantry, when Cervantes, by an inimitable piece of ridicule, reformed the taste of mankind, representing chivalry in the right point of view, and converting romance to purposes far more useful and entertaining, by making it assume the sock, and point out the follies of ordinary life.

Bien que rien ne pût être plus ridicule et plus contre nature que les personnages qu'ils dépeignaient, ils ne manquaient pas de mécènes ni d'admirateurs ; et le monde commençait effectivement à être infecté par l'esprit de la chevalerie errante, lorsque Cervantes, par un inimitable trait de dérision, réforma le goût de l'humanité, représentant la chevalerie sous son vrai jour, et convertissant le roman à des fins bien plus utiles et divertissantes, en lui faisant revêtir la socque, et en signalant les folies de la vie ordinaire.

The same method has been practised by other Spanish and French authors, and by none more successfully than by Monsieur Le Sage, who, in his Adventures of Gil Blas, has described the knavery and foibles of life, with infinite humour and sagacity.

La même méthode a été pratiquée par d'autres auteurs espagnols et français, et par nul plus avec succès que par Monsieur Le Sage, qui, dans ses Aventures de Gil Blas, a décrit la fourberie et les faiblesses de la vie, avec un humour et une sagacité infinis.

The following sheets I have modelled on his plan, taking me liberty, however, to differ from him in the execution, where I thought his particular situations were uncommon, extravagant, or peculiar to the country in which the scene is laid.

Les feuilles suivantes ont été modelées sur son plan, me permettant toutefois de m'en écarter dans l'exécution, lorsque j'estimais que ses situations particulières étaient insolites, extravagantes, ou propres au pays dans lequel la scène se déroule.

The disgraces of Gil Blas are, for the most part, such as rather excite mirth than compassion; he himself laughs at them; and his transitions from distress to happiness, or at least ease, are so sudden, that neither the reader has time to pity him, nor himself to be acquainted with affliction.

Les disgrâces de Gil Blas sont, pour la plupart, de nature à exciter davantage la gaieté que la compassion ; il en rit lui-même ; et ses passages de la détresse au bonheur, ou du moins à l'aise, sont si soudains, que le lecteur n'a pas le temps de le plaindre, ni lui-même de se familiariser avec l'affliction.

This conduct, in my opinion, not only deviates from probability, but prevents that generous indignation, which ought to animate the reader against the sordid and vicious disposition of the world.

Cette conduite, à mon avis, non seulement s'écarte de la vraisemblance, mais empêche cette indignation généreuse qui devrait animer le lecteur contre les dispositions sordides et vicieuses du monde.

Vocabulary

Bien: byɛ̃ — Well; used to affirm or emphasize something positively
que: kə — That; conjunction connecting clauses or introducing subordinate clauses
rien: rjɛ̃ — Nothing; used in negative constructions to mean nothing
ne: nə — Negative particle used with pas, rien, jamais, etc.
pût: py — Past subjunctive of pouvoir; could, was able to
être: ɛtʁ — To be; fundamental linking or auxiliary verb
plus: ply/plys — More; also used in negation meaning no longer
ridicule: ʁidikyl — Ridiculous; deserving mockery or contempt
et: e — And; basic coordinating conjunction joining elements
contre: kɔ̃tʁ — Against; in opposition to something or someone
nature: natyʁ — Nature; the natural world or inherent character
les: le — The; definite article for plural nouns
personnages: pɛʁsɔnaʒ — Characters; people depicted in a story or play
qu': k — That/who; elided form of que before a vowel
ils: il — They; third-person plural masculine pronoun
dépeignaient: depeɲɛ — Were depicting; imperfect of dépeindre, to portray
manquaient: mɑ̃kɛ — Were lacking; imperfect tense of manquer, to lack
pas: pɑ — Not; negative particle used with ne
de: də — Of/from; preposition indicating possession or origin
mécènes: mesɛn — Patrons; wealthy supporters of artists or writers
ni: ni — Nor; negative conjunction linking alternatives
d': d — Of; elided form of de before a vowel
admirateurs: admiʁatœʁ — Admirers; people who admire someone or something
le: lə — The; definite article for masculine singular nouns
monde: mɔ̃d — World/people; the world or people in general
commençait: kɔmɑ̃sɛ — Was beginning; imperfect tense of commencer, to begin
effectivement: efɛktivmɑ̃ — Indeed/effectively; truly, in fact, as a matter of fact
à: a — To/at; preposition indicating direction, location, or purpose
infecté: ɛ̃fɛkte — Infected; contaminated or corrupted by something harmful
par: paʁ — By/through; preposition indicating agent or means
l': l — The; elided definite article before a vowel
esprit: ɛspʁi — Spirit/mind; intellect, mindset, or guiding spirit
la: la — The; definite article for feminine singular nouns
chevalerie: ʃəvalʁi — Chivalry; medieval knightly code of honor and conduct
errante: ɛʁɑ̃t — Wandering/errant; roaming without fixed destination
lorsque: lɔʁskə — When; conjunction indicating a specific point in time
un: œ̃ — A/an; indefinite article for masculine singular nouns
inimitable: inimitabl — Inimitable; impossible to imitate, uniquely excellent
trait: tʁɛ — Stroke/trait; a characteristic feature or artistic stroke
dérision: deʁizjɔ̃ — Derision; scornful mockery or ridicule
réforma: ʁefɔʁma — Reformed; past tense of réformer, to reform or correct
goût: gu — Taste; sense of aesthetic judgment or preference
humanité: ymanite — Humanity; human beings collectively or human nature
représentant: ʁəpʁezɑ̃tɑ̃ — Representing; showing or depicting something accurately
sous: su — Under/beneath; preposition indicating position below
son: sɔ̃ — His/her/its; possessive adjective for masculine singular nouns
vrai: vʁɛ — True/real; genuine, authentic, corresponding to reality
jour: ʒuʁ — Day/light; a day or the light by which things are seen
convertissant: kɔ̃vɛʁtisɑ̃ — Converting; transforming something into a different form
roman: ʁɔmɑ̃ — Novel; a long work of prose fiction
des: de — Some/of the; partitive or plural definite article
fins: fɛ̃ — Ends/purposes; goals or intended outcomes
utiles: ytil — Useful; serving a practical purpose or benefit
divertissantes: divɛʁtisɑ̃t — Entertaining; amusing and pleasantly engaging
en: ɑ̃ — In/by; preposition or gerund marker indicating manner
lui: lɥi — Him/it; third-person singular indirect or stressed pronoun
faisant: fəzɑ̃ — Making/doing; present participle of faire
revêtir: ʁəvetɪʁ — To put on/assume; to don a garment or take on a form
signalant: siɲalɑ̃ — Pointing out; drawing attention to something notable
folies: fɔli — Follies/madnesses; foolish acts or absurd behaviors
vie: vi — Life; existence or the course of living
ordinaire: ɔʁdinɛʁ — Ordinary; common, usual, not exceptional
La: la — The; definite article for feminine singular nouns
même: mɛm — Same/even; identical or used for emphasis
méthode: metɔd — Method; a systematic way of doing something
a: a — Has; third-person singular of avoir, to have
été: ete — Been; past participle of être, to be
pratiquée: pʁatike — Practiced; applied or carried out regularly
autres: otʁ — Other; different or additional people or things
auteurs: otœʁ — Authors; writers of literary or other works
espagnols: ɛspaɲɔl — Spanish; relating to Spain or its people
français: fʁɑ̃sɛ — French; relating to France or its language
nul: nyl — None/no; not any, no one, or of no value
avec: avɛk — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
succès: syksɛ — Success; a favorable outcome or achievement
Monsieur: məsjø — Mister/Sir; formal title for a man
Le: lə — The; definite article for masculine singular nouns
qui: ki — Who/which; relative or interrogative pronoun
dans: dɑ̃ — In/within; preposition indicating location or context
ses: se — His/her/its; possessive adjective for plural nouns
Aventures: avɑ̃tyʁ — Adventures; exciting or remarkable experiences and events
décrit: dekʁi — Describes; third-person singular of décrire, to describe
fourberie: fuʁbəʁi — Trickery; cunning deceit or roguish scheming
faiblesses: fɛblɛs — Weaknesses; lack of strength, flaws or failings
humour: ymœʁ — Humor; the quality of being funny or amusing
une: yn — A/an; indefinite article for feminine singular nouns
sagacité: sagasite — Sagacity; keen mental discernment and good judgment
infinis: ɛ̃fini — Infinite; boundless, without limit or end
Les: le — The; definite article for plural nouns
feuilles: fœj — Leaves/pages/sheets; pages of a book or leaves of a tree
suivantes: sɥivɑ̃t — Following; coming next in sequence
ont: ɔ̃ — Have; third-person plural of avoir, to have
modelées: mɔdle — Modeled; shaped or fashioned after a pattern
sur: syʁ — On/upon; preposition indicating position or basis
plan: plɑ̃ — Plan; a scheme, outline, or structural arrangement
me: mə — Me; first-person singular object pronoun
permettant: pɛʁmɛtɑ̃ — Allowing; present participle of permettre, to permit
toutefois: tutfwa — However/nevertheless; a transitional concessive adverb
m': m — Me; elided first-person singular object pronoun
écarter: ekaʁte — To deviate/set aside; to move away from a path or plan
exécution: egzekysjɔ̃ — Execution; the carrying out or performance of a plan
j': ʒ — I; elided first-person singular subject pronoun
estimais: ɛstimɛ — Considered/estimated; imperfect of estimer, to deem
situations: situasjɔ̃ — Situations; particular circumstances or sets of conditions
particulières: paʁtikyljɛʁ — Particular; specific, distinctive, or individual circumstances
étaient: etɛ — Were; imperfect tense of être, third-person plural
insolites: ɛ̃sɔlit — Unusual; strange, uncommon, or out of the ordinary
extravagantes: ɛkstʁavagɑ̃t — Extravagant; excessive, wildly unusual or exaggerated
ou: u — Or; conjunction presenting an alternative
propres: pʁɔpʁ — Proper/own; belonging to or characteristic of something
au: o — To the/at the; contraction of à + le
pays: pei — Country; a nation or region
lequel: ləkɛl — Which; relative pronoun referring to a specific thing
scène: sɛn — Scene; a setting or episode in a narrative or drama
se: Itself/oneself; reflexive pronoun for third person
déroule: deʁul — Unfolds/takes place; the scene unfolds or occurs
disgrâces: disgʁɑs — Misfortunes; unfortunate events or falls from favor
sont: sɔ̃ — Are; third-person plural of être, to be
pour: puʁ — For/in order to; preposition of purpose or benefit
plupart: plypaʁ — Most/majority; the greater part of something
exciter: ɛksite — To excite/arouse; to stir up a feeling or reaction
davantage: davɑ̃taʒ — More; to a greater degree or extent
gaieté: gɛte — Gaiety; cheerfulness, lighthearted merriment
compassion: kɔ̃pasjɔ̃ — Compassion; sympathetic concern for others' suffering
il: il — He/it; third-person singular masculine subject pronoun
rit: ʁi — Laughs; third-person singular of rire, to laugh
lui-même: lɥimɛm — Himself; emphatic reflexive pronoun for third person
passages: pasaʒ — Passages; sections of a text or moments in a narrative
détresse: detʁɛs — Distress; a state of great pain or suffering
bonheur: bɔnœʁ — Happiness; a state of well-being and contentment
du: dy — Of the/some; contraction of de + le
moins: mwɛ̃ — Less; to a smaller degree or extent
aise: ɛz — Ease/comfort; a state of comfort or relief
si: si — So/if; adverb of degree or conditional conjunction
soudains: sudɛ̃ — Sudden; happening unexpectedly and quickly
lecteur: lɛktœʁ — Reader; a person who reads a text
n': n — Not; elided negative particle before a vowel
temps: tɑ̃ — Time; duration, period, or the right moment
plaindre: plɛ̃dʁ — To pity/complain; to feel sorry for someone
familiariser: familjɑʁize — To familiarize; to make oneself accustomed to something
affliction: afliksjɔ̃ — Affliction; great suffering or distress
Cette: sɛt — This; demonstrative adjective for feminine singular nouns
conduite: kɔ̃dɥit — Conduct/behavior; the way someone behaves or acts
mon: mɔ̃ — My; first-person singular possessive adjective
avis: avi — Opinion; a personal view or judgment on something
non: nɔ̃ — No/not; negation or disagreement
seulement: sœlmɑ̃ — Only/merely; exclusively or just to that extent
s': s — Oneself; elided reflexive pronoun before a vowel
écarte: ekaʁt — Deviates; moves away from a norm or expected path
vraisemblance: vʁɛsɑ̃blɑ̃s — Verisimilitude; the appearance of being true or real
mais: mɛ — But; coordinating conjunction indicating contrast
empêche: ɑ̃pɛʃ — Prevents; stops something from happening
cette: sɛt — This; demonstrative adjective for feminine singular nouns
indignation: ɛ̃diɲasjɔ̃ — Indignation; anger aroused by injustice or unworthiness
généreuse: ʒeneʁøz — Generous; nobly giving or morally magnanimous
devrait: dəvʁɛ — Should; conditional of devoir, indicating obligation
animer: anime — To animate/inspire; to give life or energy to something
dispositions: dispozɪsjɔ̃ — Dispositions; tendencies of character or inclinations
sordides: sɔʁdid — Sordid; morally ignoble, filthy, or despicably mean
vicieuses: visjøz — Vicious/corrupt; morally depraved or deeply flawed

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