The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — Page 6
For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room."
Par exemple, vous avez fréquemment vu les marches qui mènent du couloir à cette pièce."
"Frequently."
« Fréquemment. »
"How often?"
« Combien de fois ? »
"Well, some hundreds of times."
« Eh bien, quelques centaines de fois. »
"Then how many are there?"
« Alors combien y en a-t-il ? »
"How many? I don't know."
« Combien ? Je ne sais pas. »
"Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point.
« Exactement ! Vous n'avez pas observé. Et pourtant vous avez vu. C'est justement ce que je veux dire.
Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed.
Or, je sais qu'il y a dix-sept marches, parce que je les ai à la fois vues et observées.
By the way, since you are interested in these little problems, and since you are good enough to chronicle one or two of my trifling experiences, you may be interested in this."
À propos, puisque vous vous intéressez à ces petits problèmes, et puisque vous avez la bonté de consigner une ou deux de mes modestes expériences, ceci pourrait vous intéresser. »
He threw over a sheet of thick, pink-tinted notepaper which had been lying open upon the table.
Il lança par-dessus la table une feuille de papier à lettres épais, teinté de rose, qui était restée ouverte sur la table.
"It came by the last post," said he. "Read it aloud."
« Elle est arrivée par le dernier courrier », dit-il. « Lisez-la à voix haute. »
The note was undated, and without either signature or address.
Le billet n'était pas daté, et ne comportait ni signature ni adresse.
"There will call upon you to-night, at a quarter to eight o'clock," it said, "a gentleman who desires to consult you upon a matter of the very deepest moment.
« Ce soir, à huit heures moins le quart, vous recevrez la visite », disait-il, « d'un gentleman qui désire vous consulter sur une affaire de la plus haute importance.
Your recent services to one of the royal houses of Europe have shown that you are one who may safely be trusted with matters which are of an importance which can hardly be exaggerated.
Vos récents services rendus à l'une des maisons royales d'Europe ont démontré que vous êtes quelqu'un à qui l'on peut confier en toute sécurité des affaires d'une importance que l'on peut à peine exagérer.
This account of you we have from all quarters received.
Ce témoignage en votre faveur nous est parvenu de toutes parts.
Be in your chamber then at that hour, and do not take it amiss if your visitor wear a mask."
Soyez donc dans votre chambre à cette heure, et ne prenez pas en mauvaise part si votre visiteur porte un masque. »
"This is indeed a mystery," I remarked.
« C'est là en effet un mystère », fis-je remarquer.
Vocabulary
- Par
- By, through, or per; used in many expressions
- exemple
- Example; a representative instance or case
- vous
- You; second person plural or formal pronoun
- avez
- You have; second person plural of avoir
- fréquemment
- Frequently; happening often or repeatedly
- vu
- Seen; past participle of voir
- les
- The; definite article plural form
- marches
- Steps or stairs; also markets or marches
- qui
- Who or which; relative or interrogative pronoun
- mènent
- Lead or take; third person plural of mener
- du
- Of the; contracted form of de + le
- couloir
- Corridor or hallway connecting rooms
- à
- To, at, or in; common preposition
- cette
- This; feminine demonstrative adjective
- pièce
- Room in a building; also a piece or coin
- Fréquemment
- Frequently; happening often or repeatedly
- Combien
- How many or how much; quantity question word
- de
- Of or from; very common preposition
- fois
- Times; occurrences or instances of something
- Eh
- Hey or well; interjection to get attention
- bien
- Well or good; common adverb or adjective
- quelques
- A few or several; indefinite small quantity
- centaines
- Hundreds; groups of approximately one hundred
- Alors
- Then, so, or well; discourse connector word
- combien
- How many or how much; quantity question word
- y
- There or it; pronoun referring to a place
- en
- Of it, some, or in; pronoun and preposition
- a
- Has; third person singular of avoir
- il
- He or it; third person singular pronoun
- Je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- ne
- Not; first part of French negation structure
- sais
- Know; first person singular of savoir
- pas
- Not; second part of French negation ne...pas
- Exactement
- Exactly; precisely or that is correct
- Vous
- You; second person plural or formal pronoun
- n'avez
- You have not; negated avez contracted with ne
- observé
- Observed; noticed carefully and attentively
- Et
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- pourtant
- Yet or nevertheless; introduces a contrast
- C'est
- It is or this is; common identifying expression
- justement
- Precisely or exactly; emphasizes a point
- ce
- This or that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- que
- That, what, or which; conjunction and pronoun
- je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- veux
- Want; first person singular of vouloir
- dire
- To say or to mean; common verb of speech
- Or
- Now or but; conjunction introducing new point
- qu'il
- That he or that it; contraction of que + il
- dix
- Ten; the number 10
- sept
- Seven; the number 7
- parce
- Because; used in parce que construction
- ai
- Have; first person singular of avoir
- la
- The; feminine definite article
- vues
- Seen; feminine plural past participle of voir
- et
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- observées
- Observed; feminine plural past participle
- À
- To, at, or in; common preposition
- propos
- Subject or topic; à propos means by the way
- puisque
- Since or because; causal conjunction
- intéressez
- Interest; you are interested in something
- ces
- These or those; plural demonstrative adjective
- petits
- Small or little; masculine plural adjective
- problèmes
- Problems or puzzles requiring a solution
- bonté
- Kindness or goodness; kind quality of character
- consigner
- To record or note down in writing
- une
- A or one; feminine indefinite article
- ou
- Or; coordinating conjunction presenting alternatives
- deux
- Two; the number 2
- mes
- My; first person plural possessive adjective
- modestes
- Modest or humble; not boastful or grand
- expériences
- Experiences or experiments encountered or conducted
- ceci
- This; demonstrative pronoun referring to nearby thing
- pourrait
- Could or might; conditional of pouvoir
- intéresser
- To interest or appeal to someone
- Il
- He or it; third person singular pronoun
- lança
- Threw or launched; past simple of lancer
- par
- By, through, or per; common preposition
- dessus
- Over or above; par-dessus means over the top
- table
- Table; flat-surfaced furniture for eating or working
- feuille
- Sheet of paper or a leaf
- papier
- Paper; material for writing or printing
- lettres
- Letters; written characters or correspondence
- épais
- Thick; having considerable depth or density
- teinté
- Tinted or colored with a slight hue
- rose
- Pink; light red color
- était
- Was; third person singular imperfect of être
- restée
- Stayed or remained; feminine past participle of rester
- ouverte
- Open; feminine past participle of ouvrir
- sur
- On or upon; common preposition of position
- Elle
- She or it; third person feminine singular pronoun
- est
- Is; third person singular of être
- arrivée
- Arrived; feminine past participle of arriver
- le
- The; masculine definite article
- dernier
- Last or latest; most recent in a series
- courrier
- Mail or post; letters and packages received
- dit
- Said; third person singular past simple of dire
- Lisez
- Read; imperative form of lire for vous
- voix
- Voice; sound produced when speaking
- haute
- High or loud; à voix haute means aloud
- Le
- The; masculine definite article
- billet
- Note or ticket; a short written message
- n'était
- Was not; negated imperfect of être
- daté
- Dated; bearing a written date
- comportait
- Contained or included; imperfect of comporter
- ni
- Nor; used in negative neither...nor construction
- signature
- Signature; a person's written name mark
- adresse
- Address; location or written direction for correspondence
- Ce
- This or that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- soir
- Evening; the time after afternoon and before night
- huit
- Eight; the number 8
- heures
- Hours or o'clock; units of time
- moins
- Less or minus; used in telling time
- quart
- Quarter; one fourth, as in quarter to the hour
- recevrez
- Will receive; second person plural future of recevoir
- visite
- Visit; an act of coming to see someone
- disait
- Said or stated; third person imperfect of dire
- d'un
- Of a; contraction of de + un
- gentleman
- Gentleman; a well-mannered and refined man
- désire
- Wishes or desires; third person singular of désirer
- consulter
- To consult or seek advice from someone
- affaire
- Matter or affair; a business or personal concern
- plus
- More or most; comparative and superlative marker
- importance
- Importance; the quality of being significant
- Vos
- Your; second person plural possessive adjective
- récents
- Recent; happening not long ago
- services
- Services; helpful acts performed for others
- rendus
- Rendered or provided; past participle of rendre
- l'une
- One of; refers to one among several options
- des
- Of the or some; plural partitive or preposition
- maisons
- Houses or families; households or dynasties
- royales
- Royal; pertaining to a king or queen
- d'Europe
- Of Europe; belonging to the European continent
- ont
- Have; third person plural of avoir
- démontré
- Demonstrated or shown; past participle of démontrer
- êtes
- Are; second person plural of être
- quelqu'un
- Someone; an unspecified person
- l'on
- One or we; impersonal pronoun with liaison l
- peut
- Can or may; third person singular of pouvoir
- confier
- To entrust or confide; share secrets safely
- toute
- All or entire; feminine singular of tout
- sécurité
- Security or safety; state of being protected
- affaires
- Affairs or matters; business or personal concerns
- d'une
- Of a; contraction of de + une feminine
- peine
- Difficulty or trouble; hardship or effort
- exagérer
- To exaggerate; overstate beyond the truth
- témoignage
- Testimony or evidence; a statement or attestation
- votre
- Your; second person singular or plural possessive
- faveur
- Favor; approval or a kind helpful act
- nous
- We or us; first person plural pronoun
- parvenu
- Reached or arrived; past participle of parvenir
- toutes
- All; feminine plural form of tout
- parts
- Parts or places; de toutes parts means from everywhere
- Soyez
- Be; imperative form of être for vous
- donc
- Therefore or so; logical consequence connector
- dans
- In or inside; preposition of location or time
- chambre
- Room or bedroom; a private sleeping space
- heure
- Hour or time; a unit of sixty minutes
- prenez
- Take; second person plural imperative of prendre
- mauvaise
- Bad or poor; feminine adjective of mauvais
- part
- Part or share; prendre en mauvaise part means take badly
- si
- If or so; conditional conjunction or intensifier
- visiteur
- Visitor; someone who comes to see another
- porte
- Wears or carries; also door; third person of porter
- un
- A or one; masculine indefinite article
- masque
- Mask; a covering worn over the face
- là
- There; adverb indicating a place
- effet
- Effect; result or outcome; en effet means indeed
- mystère
- Mystery; something unknown or puzzling
- fis
- Did or made; first person past simple of faire
- remarquer
- To notice or remark; to observe and comment
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