The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete — Page 4
He was eating an apple, and giving a long, melodious whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned ding-dong-dong, ding-dong-dong, for he was personating a steamboat.
Il mangeait une pomme, et poussait par intervalles un long cri mélodieux, suivi d'un ding-dong-dong, ding-dong-dong aux sons graves, car il personnifiait un bateau à vapeur.
As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street, leaned far over to starboard and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance—for he was personating the Big Missouri, and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water.
En approchant, il ralentit sa marche, prit le milieu de la rue, se pencha fortement sur tribord et vira de bord pesamment avec un faste laborieux et solennel — car il personnifiait le Grand Missouri, et se considérait comme tirant neuf pieds d'eau.
He was boat and captain and engine-bells combined, so he had to imagine himself standing on his own hurricane-deck giving the orders and executing them:
Il était à la fois le bateau, le capitaine et les cloches des machines, de sorte qu'il devait s'imaginer debout sur son propre pont supérieur, donnant les ordres et les exécutant :
"Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling!" The headway ran almost out, and he drew up slowly toward the sidewalk.
« Stoppez, monsieur ! Drelin-drelin-drelin ! » L'élan s'épuisa presque, et il s'avança lentement vers le trottoir.
"Ship up to back! Ting-a-ling-ling!" His arms straightened and stiffened down his sides.
« En arrière toute ! Drelin-drelin-drelin ! » Ses bras s'allongèrent et se raidirent le long de ses flancs.
"Set her back on the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow! ch-chow-wow! Chow!" His right hand, mean-time, describing stately circles—for it was representing a forty-foot wheel.
« Arrière tribord ! Drelin-drelin-drelin ! Cha ! ch-cha-cha ! Cha ! » Sa main droite, pendant ce temps, décrivait de majestueuses rotations — car elle représentait une roue de quarante pieds.
"Let her go back on the labboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ch-chow-chow!" The left hand began to describe circles.
« Arrière bâbord ! Drelin-drelin-drelin ! Cha-ch-cha-cha ! » La main gauche commença à décrire des cercles.
"Stop the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Stop the labboard! Come ahead on the stabboard! Stop her! Let your outside turn over slow! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ow-ow! Get out that head-line! _lively_ now! Come—out with your spring-line—what're you about there! Take a turn round that stump with the bight of it! Stand by that stage, now—let her go! Done with the engines, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling! SH'T! S'H'T! SH'T!" (trying the gauge-cocks).
« Stoppez tribord ! Drelin-drelin-drelin ! Stoppez bâbord ! En avant tribord ! Stoppez ! Laissez tourner doucement la roue extérieure ! Drelin-drelin-drelin ! Cha-oa-oa ! Sortez cette amarre de proue ! _Vivement_ maintenant ! Allons — sortez votre amarre de retenue — qu'est-ce que vous faites là-bas ! Faites un tour autour de cette souche avec la boucle ! Tenez-vous prêt près de la passerelle, maintenant — lâchez ! Les machines sont arrêtées, monsieur ! Drelin-drelin-drelin ! CHHHH ! CHHHH ! CHHHH ! » (en essayant les robinets de jauge).
Tom went on whitewashing—paid no attention to the steamboat.
Tom continua à badigeonner — sans prêter la moindre attention au bateau à vapeur.
Ben stared a moment and then said: "_Hi-Yi!
Ben le regarda un moment, puis dit : « _Ohé !
Vocabulary
- Il
- He; third person singular masculine pronoun.
- mangeait
- Was eating; imperfect tense of manger.
- une
- A; indefinite article feminine singular.
- pomme
- Apple; common fruit.
- et
- And; conjunction.
- poussait
- Was pushing; imperfect tense of pousser.
- par
- By; through; preposition.
- intervalles
- Intervals; spaces between things.
- un
- A; indefinite article masculine singular.
- long
- Long; adjective describing extended length.
- cri
- Cry; shout or loud sound.
- suivi
- Followed; past participle of suivre.
- aux
- To the; contraction of à+les.
- sons
- Sounds; plural of son.
- graves
- Grave; serious or deep in pitch.
- car
- Because; conjunction introducing reason.
- bateau
- Boat; vessel for water travel.
- vapeur
- Steamship; boat powered by steam.
- En
- While; upon; used with present participle.
- approchant
- Approaching; present participle of approcher.
- ralentit
- Slowed down; past tense of ralentir.
- sa
- His; her; possessive adjective feminine.
- marche
- March; pace or movement forward.
- prit
- Took; past tense of prendre.
- le
- The; definite article masculine singular.
- milieu
- Middle; center or midst.
- de
- Of; from; preposition.
- la
- The; definite article feminine singular.
- rue
- Street; public road in city.
- se
- Himself; herself; reflexive pronoun.
- pencha
- Leaned; past tense of pencher.
- fortement
- Strongly; with great force or intensity.
- sur
- On; upon; preposition.
- bord
- Side; edge or border of boat.
- avec
- With; preposition.
- solennel
- Solemn; serious and formal in manner.
- Grand
- Great; big or important.
- considérait
- Considered; imperfect tense of considérer.
- comme
- Like; as; conjunction or preposition.
- tirant
- Drawing; present participle of tirer.
- neuf
- Nine; number.
- pieds
- Feet; plural of pied.
- eau
- Water; H₂O liquid.
- était
- Was; imperfect tense of être.
- fois
- Time; occasion or instance.
- capitaine
- Captain; officer in command of ship.
- cloches
- Bells; ringing devices.
- machines
- Machines; mechanical devices or engines.
- sorte
- Sort; kind or type of thing.
- qu
- That; shortened form of que.
- devait
- Had to; imperfect of devoir.
- imaginer
- Imagine; to picture in mind.
- debout
- Standing; on one's feet.
- propre
- Own; belonging to oneself.
- pont
- Bridge; structure spanning over water.
- supérieur
- Superior; higher in rank or position.
- donnant
- Giving; present participle of donner.
- ordres
- Orders; commands or instructions.
- Stoppez
- Stop; command form of stopper.
- monsieur
- Mister; form of polite address.
- élan
- Enthusiasm; vigor or enthusiasm.
- épuisa
- Exhausted; past tense of épuiser.
- presque
- Almost; nearly; nearly all.
- avança
- Advanced; past tense of avancer.
- lentement
- Slowly; at a slow pace or speed.
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