The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — Page 10
From the lower part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character, with a thick, hanging lip, and a long, straight chin suggestive of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy.
D'après la partie inférieure de son visage, il semblait être un homme de caractère fort, avec une lèvre épaisse et tombante, et un menton long et droit évoquant une résolution poussée jusqu'à l'obstination.
"You had my note?" he asked with a deep harsh voice and a strongly marked German accent.
« Vous avez reçu mon mot ? » demanda-t-il d'une voix grave et rude, avec un accent allemand fortement marqué.
"I told you that I would call."
« Je vous avais dit que je passerais. »
He looked from one to the other of us, as if uncertain which to address.
Il nous regarda l'un après l'autre, comme s'il ne savait pas auquel de nous deux s'adresser.
"Pray take a seat," said Holmes.
« Veuillez vous asseoir », dit Holmes.
"This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cases.
« Voici mon ami et collègue, le Dr Watson, qui a parfois la bonté de m'aider dans mes affaires.
Whom have I the honour to address?"
À qui ai-je l'honneur de m'adresser ? »
"You may address me as the Count Von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman.
« Vous pouvez m'appeler le comte Von Kramm, un noble de Bohême.
I understand that this gentleman, your friend, is a man of honour and discretion, whom I may trust with a matter of the most extreme importance.
Je crois comprendre que ce gentleman, votre ami, est un homme d'honneur et de discrétion, à qui je puis confier une affaire de la plus haute importance.
If not, I should much prefer to communicate with you alone."
Dans le cas contraire, je préférerais de beaucoup m'entretenir avec vous seul. »
I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back into my chair.
Je me levai pour partir, mais Holmes me saisit par le poignet et me repoussa dans mon fauteuil.
"It is both, or none," said he.
« C'est les deux, ou aucun », dit-il.
"You may say before this gentleman anything which you may say to me."
« Vous pouvez dire devant ce gentleman tout ce que vous pourriez me dire. »
The Count shrugged his broad shoulders.
Le comte haussa ses larges épaules.
"Then I must begin," said he, "by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years; at the end of that time the matter will be of no importance.
« Je dois alors commencer », dit-il, « par vous engager tous les deux à un secret absolu pendant deux ans ; à l'issue de ce délai, l'affaire n'aura plus aucune importance.
Vocabulary
- après
- After; according to
- partie
- Part, portion, or section of something
- inférieure
- Lower; inferior in position or rank
- visage
- Face, the front part of the head
- semblait
- Seemed or appeared to be something
- caractère
- Character, personality, or temperament of someone
- fort
- Strong, powerful, or intense
- lèvre
- Lip, the fleshy edge of the mouth
- épaisse
- Thick, dense, or heavy in size
- tombante
- Drooping, hanging down loosely
- menton
- Chin, the lower front of the face
- droit
- Straight, upright, or direct in direction
- évoquant
- Evoking, suggesting, or calling to mind
- résolution
- Determination, firm decision to do something
- poussée
- Pushed, driven, or carried to an extreme
- obstination
- Stubbornness, persistent refusal to change mind
- reçu
- Received, gotten something sent to one
- mot
- Word or short written message
- demanda
- Asked, inquired, or requested something
- voix
- Voice, the sound produced when speaking
- grave
- Deep, serious, or low in tone
- rude
- Rough, harsh, or unrefined in manner
- accent
- Accent, distinctive way of pronouncing words
- allemand
- German, relating to Germany or its language
- fortement
- Strongly, powerfully, or very noticeably
- marqué
- Marked, noticeable, or strongly pronounced
- passerais
- Would pass by or would stop in
- regarda
- Looked at, observed someone or something
- savait
- Knew, was aware of something
- auquel
- To which, to whom (relative pronoun)
- adresser
- To address, to speak or direct oneself to
- Veuillez
- Please (formal imperative of 'vouloir')
- asseoir
- To sit down, to take a seat
- Voici
- Here is, here are (presentative expression)
- collègue
- Colleague, a person one works alongside
- parfois
- Sometimes, occasionally, from time to time
- bonté
- Kindness, goodness, or generosity of heart
- aider
- To help, to assist someone with something
- affaires
- Affairs, matters, or business dealings
- honneur
- Honor, high respect or personal integrity
- appeler
- To call, to name, or to address someone
- comte
- Count, a European nobleman of high rank
- noble
- Noble, of aristocratic birth or high character
- Bohême
- Bohemia, historical region in central Europe
- crois
- Believe, think (first-person singular of 'croire')
- comprendre
- To understand, to grasp the meaning of
- discrétion
- Discretion, ability to keep secrets carefully
- puis
- Then, next, or I can (first-person of 'pouvoir')
- confier
- To entrust, to share something in confidence
- affaire
- Matter, case, or business of importance
- haute
- High, great, or lofty in importance
- importance
- Importance, significance, or consequence of something
- cas
- Case, situation, or circumstance
- contraire
- Contrary, opposite; 'au contraire' means otherwise
- préférerais
- Would prefer, would rather do something else
- beaucoup
- Much, many, a lot of something
- entretenir
- To converse with, to maintain or keep up
- seul
- Alone, only, single, by oneself
- levai
- Rose, got up (first-person past historic of 'lever')
- partir
- To leave, to go away from a place
- saisit
- Grabbed, seized, grasped quickly and firmly
- poignet
- Wrist, the joint connecting hand and arm
- repoussa
- Pushed back, repelled, or shoved away
- fauteuil
- Armchair, a comfortable upholstered chair
- aucun
- No, none, not any (negative adjective/pronoun)
- devant
- Before, in front of (preposition of position)
- pourriez
- Could, would be able to (conditional of 'pouvoir')
- haussa
- Raised, shrugged (past historic of 'hausser')
- larges
- Wide, broad, large in size or extent
- épaules
- Shoulders, the upper joints connecting arms to body
- alors
- Then, so, at that moment
- commencer
- To begin, to start doing something
- engager
- To engage, bind, or commit to something
- secret
- Secret, something kept hidden from others
- absolu
- Absolute, complete, unconditional, total
- pendant
- During, for a period of time
- issue
- Outcome, result, end of a situation
- délai
- Deadline, delay, or allotted period of time
- aucune
- No, none, not any (feminine negative adjective)
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