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The Brothers Karamazov — Page 5

English → Fr Chapter I. Level 8/10

In the intervals he used to drive all over the province, complaining tearfully to each and all of Adelaïda Ivanovna's having left him, going into details too disgraceful for a husband to mention in regard to his own married life.

Dans les intervalles, il parcourait toute la province en voiture, se plaignant en larmes à chacun et à tous qu'Adelaïda Ivanovna l'avait quitté, entrant dans des détails trop honteux pour qu'un mari les mentionne concernant sa propre vie conjugale.

What seemed to gratify him and flatter his self-love most was to play the ridiculous part of the injured husband, and to parade his woes with embellishments.

Ce qui semblait le satisfaire et flatter le plus son amour-propre était de jouer le rôle ridicule du mari offensé, et d'étaler ses malheurs avec des enjolivements.

"One would think that you'd got a promotion, Fyodor Pavlovitch, you seem so pleased in spite of your sorrow," scoffers said to him.

« On croirait que vous avez obtenu une promotion, Fiodor Pavlovitch, vous semblez si content malgré votre chagrin », lui disaient les railleurs.

Many even added that he was glad of a new comic part in which to play the buffoon, and that it was simply to make it funnier that he pretended to be unaware of his ludicrous position.

Beaucoup ajoutaient même qu'il se réjouissait d'un nouveau rôle comique pour jouer au bouffon, et que c'était simplement pour rendre la chose plus drôle qu'il feignait d'ignorer sa position ridicule.

But, who knows, it may have been simplicity.

Mais, qui sait, c'était peut-être de la naïveté.

At last he succeeded in getting on the track of his runaway wife.

Il finit par réussir à retrouver la trace de sa femme fugitive.

The poor woman turned out to be in Petersburg, where she had gone with her divinity student, and where she had thrown herself into a life of complete emancipation.

La pauvre femme se trouvait à Pétersbourg, où elle s'était rendue avec son étudiant en théologie, et où elle s'était lancée dans une vie de complète émancipation.

Fyodor Pavlovitch at once began bustling about, making preparations to go to Petersburg, with what object he could not himself have said.

Fiodor Pavlovitch se mit aussitôt à s'agiter, faisant des préparatifs pour se rendre à Pétersbourg, dans quel but il n'aurait pu le dire lui-même.

He would perhaps have really gone; but having determined to do so he felt at once entitled to fortify himself for the journey by another bout of reckless drinking.

Il serait peut-être vraiment parti ; mais ayant pris cette décision, il se sentit aussitôt le droit de se fortifier pour le voyage par une nouvelle série de beuveries effrénées.

And just at that time his wife's family received the news of her death in Petersburg.

Et c'est précisément à ce moment-là que la famille de sa femme reçut la nouvelle de sa mort à Pétersbourg.

Vocabulary

intervalles
ɛ̃tɛʁval — Intervals; periods of time between events.
parcourait
paʁkuʁɛ — Was traveling through or covering an area extensively.
province
pʁɔvɛ̃s — A regional area or district outside the capital.
voiture
vwatyʁ — A car or carriage used for transportation.
plaignant
plɛɲɑ̃ — Complaining or lamenting about one's misfortunes.
larmes
laʁm — Tears shed from crying or strong emotion.
chacun
ʃakœ̃ — Each one or every person individually.
quitté
kite — Left or abandoned someone or a place definitively.
entrant
ɑ̃tʁɑ̃ — Entering into; going into detail or a place.
détails
detaj — Specific pieces of information or particulars about something.
trop
tʁo — Adverb meaning 'too much' or 'excessively'.
honteux
ɔ̃tø — Shameful or disgraceful; causing embarrassment or dishonor.
mari
maʁi — A husband; a man in a marital relationship.
mentionne
mɑ̃sjɔn — Mentions or refers to something in speech or writing.
concernant
kɔ̃sɛʁnɑ̃ — Concerning or regarding a specific subject or matter.
propre
pʁɔpʁ — Own; belonging specifically to oneself; also means 'clean'.
vie
vi — Life; the period of existence of a person.
conjugale
kɔ̃ʒygal — Relating to marriage or the relationship between spouses.
semblait
sɑ̃blɛ — Seemed or appeared to be in a certain way.
satisfaire
satisfɛʁ — To satisfy or fulfill someone's needs or desires.
flatter
flatɛ — To flatter or please someone with praise or attention.
amour
amuʁ — Love; strong affection or romantic feeling toward someone.
jouer
ʒwe — To play a role or perform an action.
rôle
ʁol — A role or part played in a situation or performance.
ridicule
ʁidikyl — Ridiculous or laughable; deserving mockery or contempt.
offensé
ɔfɑ̃se — Offended person; one who has been wronged or hurt.
étaler
etale — To display or spread out openly for others to see.
malheurs
malœʁ — Misfortunes or unhappy events affecting someone's life.
enjolivements
ɑ̃ʒɔlivmɑ̃ — Embellishments or decorative exaggerations added to a story.
croirait
kʁwaʁɛ — Would believe or think; conditional of 'croire'.
obtenu
ɔbtəny — Obtained or achieved something after effort or request.
promotion
pʁomɔsjɔ̃ — A promotion; advancement in rank, status, or position.
semblez
sɑ̃ble — Second-person plural of 'sembler', meaning 'you seem'.
content
kɔ̃tɑ̃ — Happy or satisfied; pleased with a situation or outcome.
malgré
malɡʁe — Despite or in spite of something unfavorable.
chagrin
ʃaɡʁɛ̃ — Grief or sorrow; deep emotional distress or sadness.
railleurs
ʁajœʁ — Mockers or scoffers; people who tease or ridicule others.
Beaucoup
boku — Many or a lot; indicating a large quantity or number.
ajoutaient
aʒutɛ — Were adding; third-person plural imperfect of 'ajouter'.
même
mɛm — Even; also meaning 'same', emphasizing a point made.
réjouissait
ʁeʒwisɛ — Was rejoicing or delighting in something pleasurable.
nouveau
nuvo — New; something recently introduced or just discovered.
comique
kɔmik — Comic or funny; relating to humor or comedic effect.
bouffon
bufɔ̃ — A buffoon or jester; a clownish, ridiculous person.
simplement
sɛ̃pləmɑ̃ — Simply or merely; in a plain and uncomplicated manner.
rendre
ʁɑ̃dʁ — To make or render something in a certain state.
chose
ʃoz — A thing or object; something unspecified or general.
drôle
dʁol — Funny or amusing; causing laughter or amusement.
feignait
fɛɲɛ — Was pretending or feigning; acting as if something were true.
ignorer
iɲɔʁe — To ignore or be unaware of something deliberately.
position
pozisjɔ̃ — Position or situation; one's place or standing socially.
naïveté
naivte — Naivety; the quality of being innocent or unsophisticated.
finit
fini — Ended or finished; past tense of 'finir', to finish.
réussir
ʁeysiʁ — To succeed or manage to accomplish something.
retrouver
ʁətʁuve — To find again or rediscover someone or something lost.
trace
tʁas — A trace or track; a sign left by someone's passage.
femme
fam — A woman or wife; an adult female person.
fugitive
fyʒitiv — A fugitive; a person who has fled or run away.
pauvre
povʁ — Poor; lacking resources or deserving of sympathy.
trouvait
tʁuvɛ — Was found; imperfect tense of 'trouver', to find.
rendue
ʁɑ̃dy — Gone or made her way to a specific place or destination.
étudiant
etydjɑ̃ — A student; someone studying at a school or university.
théologie
teɔlɔʒi — Theology; the study of religion and religious beliefs.
lancée
lɑ̃se — Launched or thrown into something with enthusiasm.
complète
kɔ̃plɛt — Complete or full; lacking nothing, entirely whole.
émancipation
emɑ̃sipasjɔ̃ — Emancipation; freedom from social or legal restrictions.
mit
mi — Put or placed; simple past of 'mettre', to put.
aussitôt
osito — Immediately or right away; without any delay.
agiter
aʒite — To agitate or stir up; to move busily or restlessly.
préparatifs
pʁepaʁatif — Preparations; actions taken in advance for something planned.
but
by — Goal or purpose; the aim of an action or plan.
dire
diʁ — To say or tell; expressing something in words.
vraiment
vʁɛmɑ̃ — Really or truly; used to emphasize sincerity or truth.
parti
paʁti — Left or departed; past participle of 'partir', to leave.
ayant
ejɑ̃ — Having; present participle of 'avoir', to have.
pris
pʁi — Taken; past participle of 'prendre', to take.
décision
desisjɔ̃ — A decision; a choice made after careful consideration.
sentit
sɑ̃ti — Felt; simple past of 'sentir', to feel or sense.
droit
dʁwa — A right or entitlement; something one is legally owed.
fortifier
fɔʁtifje — To strengthen or reinforce; to make something more robust.
voyage
vwajaʒ — A journey or trip to a distant place.
nouvelle
nuvɛl — New (feminine); also a short piece of news or story.
série
seʁi — A series; a sequence of related events or items.
beuveries
bøvʁi — Drinking binges; episodes of excessive alcohol consumption.
effrénées
efʁene — Unbridled or unrestrained; wild and without any control.
précisément
pʁesizémɑ̃ — Precisely or exactly; used to emphasize accuracy or specificity.
moment
mɔmɑ̃ — A moment or instant; a brief period of time.
famille
famij — Family; a group of people related by blood or marriage.
reçut
ʁəsy — Received; simple past of 'recevoir', to receive.
mort
mɔʁ — Death; the end of life of a person or creature.
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