The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 5
She was accordingly admitted into his presence, where, discovering herself, she fell at his feet, and in the most affecting manner implored his forgiveness; at the same time representing the danger that threatened not only her life, but that of his own grandchild, which was about to see the light.
Elle fut donc admise en sa présence, où, se faisant reconnaître, elle tomba à ses pieds, et d'une manière des plus touchantes implora son pardon ; représentant en même temps le danger qui menaçait non seulement sa vie, mais celle de son propre petit-enfant, qui était sur le point de voir le jour.
He told her he was sorry that the indiscretion of her and his son had compelled him to make a vow, which put it out of his power to give them any assistance; that he had already imparted his thoughts on that subject to her husband, and was surprised that they should disturb his peace with any farther importunity.
Il lui dit qu'il était désolé que l'indiscrétion d'elle-même et de son fils l'eût contraint à faire un vœu, qui le mettait hors de son pouvoir de leur apporter quelque secours ; qu'il avait déjà communiqué ses pensées à ce sujet à son mari, et qu'il était surpris qu'ils vinssent troubler sa tranquillité par de nouvelles importunités.
This said, he retired.
Cela dit, il se retira.
The violence of my mother's affliction had such an effect on her constitution that she was immediately seized with the pains of childbed; and had not an old maidservant, to whom she was very dear, afforded her pity and assistance, at the hazard of incurring my grandfather's displeasure, she and the innocent fruit of her womb must have fallen miserable victims to his rigour and inhumanity.
La violence de l'affliction de ma mère eut un tel effet sur sa constitution qu'elle fut aussitôt saisie des douleurs de l'enfantement ; et si une vieille servante, à qui elle était très chère, ne lui avait accordé pitié et assistance, au risque d'encourir le mécontentement de mon grand-père, elle et l'innocent fruit de ses entrailles auraient dû tomber en misérables victimes de sa rigueur et de son inhumanité.
By the friendship of this poor woman she was carried up to a garret, and immediately delivered of a man child, the story of whose unfortunate birth he himself now relates.
Grâce à la bienveillance de cette pauvre femme, elle fut conduite dans une mansarde, et accoucha aussitôt d'un enfant mâle, dont lui-même relate à présent l'histoire de la malheureuse naissance.
Vocabulary
- fut
- Simple past tense of 'être'; was
- donc
- Conjunction meaning 'therefore' or 'so'
- admise
- Past participle of 'admettre'; admitted or allowed in
- présence
- Noun meaning 'presence'; being in a place
- faisant
- Present participle of 'faire'; doing or making
- reconnaître
- Verb meaning 'to recognize' or 'to acknowledge'
- tomba
- Simple past of 'tomber'; fell down
- pieds
- Plural noun meaning 'feet'
- manière
- Noun meaning 'manner' or 'way of doing something'
- touchantes
- Adjective meaning 'touching' or 'moving', emotionally affecting
- implora
- Simple past of 'implorer'; begged or implored earnestly
- pardon
- Noun meaning 'forgiveness' or 'pardon'
- représentant
- Present participle of 'représenter'; representing or pointing out
- même
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'same', 'even', or 'itself'
- temps
- Noun meaning 'time' or 'weather'
- danger
- Noun meaning 'danger' or 'risk'
- menaçait
- Imperfect of 'menacer'; was threatening or imperiling
- seulement
- Adverb meaning 'only' or 'merely'
- vie
- Noun meaning 'life'
- celle
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the one' (feminine)
- propre
- Adjective meaning 'own' or 'clean'
- petit-enfant
- Noun meaning 'grandchild'
- point
- Noun used in 'sur le point de' meaning 'about to'
- voir
- Infinitive meaning 'to see'
- jour
- Noun meaning 'day' or 'daylight'; also 'birth' idiomatically
- dit
- Simple past of 'dire'; said or told
- désolé
- Adjective meaning 'sorry' or 'deeply distressed'
- indiscrétion
- Noun meaning 'indiscretion'; a reckless or tactless act
- elle-même
- Reflexive emphatic pronoun meaning 'she herself'
- fils
- Noun meaning 'son'
- eût
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'avoir'; had (in subjunctive mood)
- contraint
- Past participle of 'contraindre'; forced or compelled
- faire
- Infinitive meaning 'to do' or 'to make'
- vœu
- Noun meaning 'vow' or 'wish'
- mettait
- Imperfect of 'mettre'; was placing or putting
- hors
- Preposition meaning 'outside' or 'beyond'
- pouvoir
- Infinitive meaning 'to be able'; also noun 'power'
- apporter
- Infinitive meaning 'to bring' something to someone
- quelque
- Adjective meaning 'some' or 'any'
- secours
- Noun meaning 'help', 'aid', or 'rescue'
- déjà
- Adverb meaning 'already'
- communiqué
- Past participle of 'communiquer'; communicated or shared information
- pensées
- Plural noun meaning 'thoughts' or 'ideas'
- sujet
- Noun meaning 'subject' or 'topic'
- mari
- Noun meaning 'husband'
- surpris
- Past participle of 'surprendre'; surprised or caught off guard
- vinssent
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'venir'; came (subjunctive form)
- troubler
- Infinitive meaning 'to disturb' or 'to trouble'
- tranquillité
- Noun meaning 'tranquility' or 'peace of mind'
- nouvelles
- Plural noun meaning 'news' or 'tidings'
- importunités
- Plural noun meaning 'importunities'; persistent or annoying requests
- Cela
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this thing'
- retira
- Simple past of 'retirer'; withdrew or took away
- violence
- Noun meaning 'violence' or extreme intensity of something
- affliction
- Noun meaning 'affliction'; great grief or distress
- mère
- Noun meaning 'mother'
- eut
- Simple past of 'avoir'; had
- tel
- Adjective meaning 'such' or 'so great'
- effet
- Noun meaning 'effect' or 'result'
- constitution
- Noun meaning 'constitution'; physical condition or health
- aussitôt
- Adverb meaning 'immediately' or 'right away'
- saisie
- Past participle of 'saisir'; seized or overtaken suddenly
- douleurs
- Plural noun meaning 'pains' or 'labor pains'
- enfantement
- Noun meaning 'childbirth' or 'labor'
- vieille
- Adjective meaning 'old' (feminine form)
- servante
- Noun meaning 'maidservant' or 'female domestic servant'
- chère
- Adjective meaning 'dear', 'beloved', or 'expensive'
- accordé
- Past participle of 'accorder'; granted or given
- pitié
- Noun meaning 'pity' or 'compassion'
- assistance
- Noun meaning 'assistance' or 'help'
- risque
- Noun meaning 'risk' or 'danger'
- encourir
- Infinitive meaning 'to incur' or 'to risk bringing upon oneself'
- mécontentement
- Noun meaning 'displeasure' or 'discontent'
- grand-père
- Noun meaning 'grandfather'
- innocent
- Adjective meaning 'innocent' or 'guiltless'
- fruit
- Noun meaning 'fruit'; used figuratively for 'offspring'
- entrailles
- Plural noun meaning 'entrails'; figuratively 'womb' or 'bowels'
- auraient
- Conditional of 'avoir'; would have
- dû
- Past participle of 'devoir'; had to or owed
- tomber
- Infinitive meaning 'to fall'
- misérables
- Adjective meaning 'miserable', 'wretched', or 'pitiable'
- victimes
- Plural noun meaning 'victims'
- rigueur
- Noun meaning 'rigor', 'harshness', or 'severity'
- inhumanité
- Noun meaning 'inhumanity' or 'cruelty'
- Grâce
- Noun meaning 'grace', 'mercy', or 'thanks to'
- bienveillance
- Noun meaning 'benevolence' or 'kindness'
- pauvre
- Adjective meaning 'poor' or 'unfortunate'
- femme
- Noun meaning 'woman' or 'wife'
- conduite
- Past participle of 'conduire'; led or brought somewhere
- mansarde
- Noun meaning 'garret' or 'attic room'
- accoucha
- Simple past of 'accoucher'; gave birth
- enfant
- Noun meaning 'child' or 'infant'
- mâle
- Adjective or noun meaning 'male'
- dont
- Relative pronoun meaning 'whose', 'of which', or 'from whom'
- lui-même
- Emphatic reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself'
- relate
- Verb meaning 'relates' or 'narrates'; tells a story
- présent
- Adjective or noun meaning 'present' or 'current time'
- histoire
- Noun meaning 'story' or 'history'
- malheureuse
- Adjective meaning 'unfortunate' or 'unhappy' (feminine)
- naissance
- Noun meaning 'birth'
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