The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — Page 11
At present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence upon European history."
À présent, il n'est pas exagéré de dire qu'elle est d'un tel poids qu'elle pourrait avoir une influence sur l'histoire européenne."
"I promise," said Holmes.
« Je le promets », dit Holmes.
"And I."
« Moi aussi. »
"You will excuse this mask," continued our strange visitor.
« Vous excuserez ce masque », continua notre étrange visiteur.
"The august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to you, and I may confess at once that the title by which I have just called myself is not exactly my own."
« L'auguste personnage qui m'emploie souhaite que son agent vous soit inconnu, et je puis avouer d'emblée que le titre par lequel je viens de me désigner n'est pas exactement le mien. »
"I was aware of it," said Holmes dryly.
« Je le savais », dit Holmes sèchement.
"The circumstances are of great delicacy, and every precaution has to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense scandal and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of Europe.
« Les circonstances sont d'une grande délicatesse, et toutes les précautions doivent être prises pour étouffer ce qui pourrait devenir un immense scandale et compromettre gravement l'une des familles régnantes d'Europe.
To speak plainly, the matter implicates the great House of Ormstein, hereditary kings of Bohemia."
Pour parler franchement, l'affaire implique la grande Maison d'Ormstein, rois héréditaires de Bohême. »
"I was also aware of that," murmured Holmes, settling himself down in his armchair and closing his eyes.
« Je le savais également », murmura Holmes, en s'installant dans son fauteuil et en fermant les yeux.
Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise at the languid, lounging figure of the man who had been no doubt depicted to him as the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe.
Notre visiteur jeta un regard de surprise apparente sur la silhouette languissante et nonchalante de l'homme qui lui avait sans doute été dépeint comme le raisonneur le plus incisif et l'agent le plus énergique d'Europe.
Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his gigantic client.
Holmes rouvrit lentement les yeux et regarda son gigantesque client avec impatience.
"If your Majesty would condescend to state your case," he remarked, "I should be better able to advise you."
« Si Votre Majesté daignait exposer son affaire », remarqua-t-il, « je serais mieux à même de vous conseiller. »
The man sprang from his chair and paced up and down the room in uncontrollable agitation.
L'homme bondit de son fauteuil et arpenta la pièce de long en large dans une agitation incontrôlable.
Vocabulary
- présent
- pray-zahn — Currently; at the present time or moment.
- exagéré
- eg-zah-zhay-ray — Exaggerated; going beyond what is reasonable or true.
- tel
- tel — Such; of that kind or degree.
- poids
- pwah — Weight; the heaviness or importance of something.
- pourrait
- poo-reh — Conditional form of 'pouvoir'; could or might.
- influence
- an-floo-ahns — Power to affect or shape events and people.
- histoire
- ees-twahr — History or story; narrative of past events.
- européenne
- uh-ro-pay-en — Feminine adjective meaning 'European'.
- promets
- pro-meh — First-person singular of 'promettre'; I promise.
- excuserez
- ex-koo-zuh-ray — Future form of 'excuser'; you will excuse or forgive.
- masque
- mask — Mask; a covering worn to conceal one's face.
- continua
- kon-tee-noo-ah — Past tense of 'continuer'; continued speaking or acting.
- étrange
- ay-trahnzh — Strange, odd; unusual or difficult to explain.
- visiteur
- vee-zee-tuhr — Visitor; someone who comes to see another person.
- auguste
- oh-goost — Auguste; majestic, noble, or worthy of great respect.
- personnage
- pehr-so-nahzh — Person or character of notable importance or distinction.
- emploie
- ahm-plwah — Third-person singular of 'employer'; employs or uses.
- souhaite
- swet — Wishes or desires; expresses a hope or want.
- agent
- ah-zhahn — Agent; person acting on behalf of another person.
- soit
- swah — Subjunctive of 'être'; be; may be or should be.
- inconnu
- an-ko-noo — Unknown; not recognized or not previously encountered.
- avouer
- ah-voo-ay — To admit or confess something openly and honestly.
- emblée
- ahm-blay — Immediately, straightaway; right from the very start.
- titre
- teetr — Title; a name or designation given to someone.
- lequel
- luh-kel — Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who' (masculine).
- désigner
- day-zee-nyay — To designate or refer to; to name or identify.
- exactement
- eg-zakt-mahn — Exactly; precisely, with complete accuracy or correctness.
- mien
- myahn — Mine; possessive pronoun indicating belonging to me.
- sèchement
- sesh-mahn — Dryly; in a curt or abrupt manner of speaking.
- circonstances
- seer-kon-stahns — Circumstances; conditions or facts surrounding a situation.
- délicatesse
- day-lee-kah-tes — Delicacy; sensitivity and care required in handling matters.
- précautions
- pray-koh-syohn — Precautions; measures taken in advance to prevent harm.
- doivent
- dwahv — Third-person plural of 'devoir'; they must or should.
- prises
- preez — Taken; past participle of 'prendre' in feminine plural.
- étouffer
- ay-too-fay — To stifle, smother, or suppress something completely.
- devenir
- duh-vuh-neer — To become; to change into a different state or condition.
- immense
- ee-mahns — Immense; extremely large or vast in scale or degree.
- scandale
- skahn-dahl — Scandal; a disgraceful or shocking event causing public outrage.
- compromettre
- kom-pro-metr — To compromise or jeopardize; to put at risk or embarrass.
- gravement
- grahv-mahn — Seriously or gravely; in a severe or weighty manner.
- régnantes
- ray-nyahnt — Reigning; currently ruling or in power (feminine plural).
- franchement
- frahnsh-mahn — Frankly; honestly and directly, without hesitation or evasion.
- affaire
- ah-fehr — Affair or matter; a business or situation of concern.
- implique
- am-pleek — Involves or implicates; concerns or affects directly.
- Maison
- meh-zohn — House or household; also refers to a royal dynasty.
- rois
- rwah — Kings; plural of 'roi', male monarchs or rulers.
- héréditaires
- ay-ray-dee-tehr — Hereditary; passed down through successive generations by lineage.
- également
- ay-gahl-mahn — Equally or also; in the same way or likewise.
- murmura
- moor-moo-rah — Past tense of 'murmurer'; murmured or spoke softly.
- installant
- an-stah-lahn — Present participle of 'installer'; settling or sitting down.
- fauteuil
- foh-tuhy — Armchair; a comfortable upholstered chair with armrests.
- fermant
- fehr-mahn — Present participle of 'fermer'; closing or shutting something.
- jeta
- zhuh-tah — Past tense of 'jeter'; threw or cast a glance.
- regard
- ruh-gar — Look or glance; the act of looking at someone.
- surprise
- soor-preez — Surprise; an unexpected event or feeling of astonishment.
- apparente
- ah-pah-rahnt — Apparent; seeming or visible but possibly not real.
- silhouette
- see-loo-et — Silhouette; an outline or shadow shape of a figure.
- languissante
- lahn-gwee-sahnt — Languid; weak, slow-moving, and lacking energy or enthusiasm.
- nonchalante
- nohn-shah-lahnt — Nonchalant; casually indifferent or calm without apparent concern.
- doute
- doot — Doubt; uncertainty or lack of conviction about something.
- dépeint
- day-pahn — Past participle of 'dépeindre'; depicted or described vividly.
- raisonneur
- reh-zo-nuhr — Reasoner; someone who argues logically and analytically.
- incisif
- an-see-zeef — Incisive; sharp and direct in thinking or expression.
- énergique
- ay-nehr-zheek — Energetic; vigorous, forceful, and full of active energy.
- rouvrit
- roo-vree — Past tense of 'rouvrir'; reopened something previously closed.
- lentement
- lahnt-mahn — Slowly; at a slow pace or speed.
- gigantesque
- zhee-gahn-tesk — Gigantic; of enormous or extraordinary size and stature.
- client
- klee-ahn — Client or customer; someone using a professional service.
- impatience
- am-pah-syahns — Impatience; restlessness or irritation at delay or slowness.
- Majesté
- mah-zhes-tay — Majesty; title of respect used for a monarch or sovereign.
- daignait
- den-yeh — Imperfect of 'daigner'; deigned or condescended to do.
- exposer
- ex-po-zay — To expose or explain; to set forth facts or details.
- remarqua-t-il
- ruh-mar-kah-teel — Past tense of 'remarquer'; he remarked or pointed out.
- serais
- suh-reh — Conditional of 'être'; I would be in a situation.
- mieux
- myuh — Better; comparative adverb meaning more effectively or suitably.
- même
- mem — Same, even; also used in expressions like 'à même de'.
- conseiller
- kon-sey-yay — To advise or counsel; to offer guidance or recommendations.
- bondit
- bon-dee — Past tense of 'bondir'; leapt or sprang up suddenly.
- arpenta
- ar-pahn-tah — Past tense of 'arpenter'; paced back and forth restlessly.
- pièce
- pyess — Room or piece; a space within a building or dwelling.
- large
- larzh — Wide or broad; of great width from side to side.
- agitation
- ah-zhee-tah-syohn — Agitation; restless, nervous, or excited state of movement.
- incontrôlable
- an-kon-troh-lahbl — Uncontrollable; impossible to restrain or bring under control.
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