The Count of Monte Cristo — Page 7
"
«
Danglars retreated a step or two. "I wished to inquire why you stopped at the Island of Elba?"
Danglars recula d'un pas ou deux. « Je voulais vous demander pourquoi vous vous êtes arrêté à l'île d'Elbe ? »
"I do not know, sir; it was to fulfil the last instructions of Captain Leclere, who, when dying, gave me a packet for Marshal Bertrand."
« Je ne sais pas, monsieur ; c'était pour exécuter les dernières instructions du capitaine Leclère, qui, en mourant, m'a remis un paquet pour le maréchal Bertrand. »
"Then did you see him, Edmond?"
« Alors vous l'avez vu, Edmond ? »
"Who?"
« Qui ? »
"The marshal."
« Le maréchal. »
"Yes."
« Oui. »
Morrel looked around him, and then, drawing Dantès on one side, he said suddenly—
Morrel regarda autour de lui, puis, entraînant Dantès à l'écart, il dit soudainement :
"And how is the emperor?"
« Et comment va l'empereur ? »
"Very well, as far as I could judge from the sight of him."
« Très bien, autant que j'ai pu en juger à sa vue. »
"You saw the emperor, then?"
« Vous avez donc vu l'empereur ? »
"He entered the marshal's apartment while I was there."
« Il est entré dans l'appartement du maréchal pendant que j'y étais. »
"And you spoke to him?"
« Et vous lui avez parlé ? »
"Why, it was he who spoke to me, sir," said Dantès, with a smile.
« C'est lui qui m'a parlé, monsieur », dit Dantès avec un sourire.
"And what did he say to you?"
« Et que vous a-t-il dit ? »
"Asked me questions about the vessel, the time she left Marseilles, the course she had taken, and what was her cargo. I believe, if she had not been laden, and I had been her master, he would have bought her. But I told him I was only mate, and that she belonged to the firm of Morrel & Son. 'Ah, yes,' he said, 'I know them. The Morrels have been shipowners from father to son; and there was a Morrel who served in the same regiment with me when I was in garrison at Valence.'"
« Il m'a posé des questions sur le navire, l'heure à laquelle il avait quitté Marseille, la route qu'il avait suivie, et quelle était sa cargaison. Je crois que, s'il n'avait pas été chargé et que j'en avais été le capitaine, il l'aurait acheté. Mais je lui ai dit que je n'étais que second, et que le navire appartenait à la maison Morrel et Fils. « Ah, oui », dit-il, « je les connais. Les Morrel ont été armateurs de père en fils ; et il y avait un Morrel qui a servi dans le même régiment que moi quand j'étais en garnison à Valence. » »
"_Pardieu!_ and that is true!" cried the owner, greatly delighted.
« Pardieu ! et c'est vrai ! » s'écria l'armateur, tout à fait ravi.
Vocabulary
- recula
- Moved or stepped backward away from something.
- pas
- Step; also used in negation meaning 'not'.
- voulais
- Imperfect tense of 'vouloir'; meant or wanted something.
- demander
- To ask or request something from someone.
- arrêté
- Stopped or halted; also past participle of 'arrêter'.
- île
- A piece of land surrounded by water; island.
- sais
- First-person singular present of 'savoir'; means 'know'.
- monsieur
- Formal title of address for a man; 'sir' or 'mister'.
- était
- Third-person imperfect of 'être'; 'was' or 'were'.
- exécuter
- To carry out, execute, or fulfill an instruction or order.
- dernières
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'last' or 'final'.
- instructions
- Directions or orders given to be followed carefully.
- capitaine
- Military or naval rank; captain in command of vessel.
- mourant
- Present participle of 'mourir'; dying or in act of death.
- remis
- Past participle of 'remettre'; handed over or delivered something.
- paquet
- A package or bundle of items wrapped together.
- maréchal
- High military rank equivalent to field marshal.
- Alors
- Adverb meaning 'then', 'so', or 'at that time'.
- vu
- Past participle of 'voir'; seen or witnessed something.
- regarda
- Simple past of 'regarder'; looked at or gazed around.
- autour
- Adverb meaning 'around' or 'surrounding' something.
- puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next' in a sequence.
- entraînant
- Present participle; leading or drawing someone aside forcefully.
- écart
- Distance or gap; 'à l'écart' means 'aside' or 'apart'.
- dit
- Simple past of 'dire'; said or told something.
- soudainement
- Adverb meaning 'suddenly' or 'all at once'.
- empereur
- Title for a supreme ruler; emperor of a large empire.
- autant
- Adverb meaning 'as much' or 'as many'.
- pu
- Past participle of 'pouvoir'; been able to do something.
- juger
- To judge, assess, or evaluate a situation or person.
- vue
- Sight or view; act of seeing or visual perception.
- donc
- Conjunction meaning 'therefore', 'so', or 'then'.
- entré
- Past participle of 'entrer'; entered a place or room.
- appartement
- A residential flat or suite of rooms; apartment.
- pendant
- Preposition meaning 'during' or 'while' a period of time.
- y
- Pronoun meaning 'there' or referring to a previously mentioned place.
- étais
- First-person imperfect of 'être'; 'I was' in the past.
- parlé
- Past participle of 'parler'; spoken or talked to someone.
- sourire
- A smile; the act of smiling at someone.
- posé
- Past participle of 'poser'; asked or placed something down.
- questions
- Inquiries or queries asked to obtain information.
- navire
- A large ship used for sea travel or transport.
- heure
- A unit of time; one hour; also means 'time' generally.
- laquelle
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' (feminine singular form).
- avait
- Third-person imperfect of 'avoir'; 'had' in past context.
- quitté
- Past participle of 'quitter'; left or departed from a place.
- route
- A road or path taken to travel from one place.
- suivie
- Past participle of 'suivre' (feminine); followed a path or route.
- quelle
- Interrogative adjective meaning 'what' or 'which' (feminine).
- cargaison
- The cargo or freight carried aboard a ship.
- crois
- First-person singular of 'croire'; believe or think something.
- été
- Past participle of 'être'; been; also means summer.
- chargé
- Loaded or charged; past participle of 'charger'.
- avais
- First-person imperfect of 'avoir'; 'I had' in past.
- aurait
- Third-person conditional of 'avoir'; 'would have'.
- acheté
- Past participle of 'acheter'; bought or purchased something.
- second
- Adjective meaning 'second'; the one after the first.
- appartenait
- Imperfect of 'appartenir'; belonged to someone or something.
- maison
- A house or firm; building used as home or business.
- Fils
- Son; male offspring; also used in firm names meaning 'and Son'.
- connais
- First-person singular of 'connaître'; know or am familiar with.
- armateurs
- Shipowners who own and operate commercial vessels.
- père
- A male parent; father of a family or household.
- fils
- Son; a male child in relation to his parents.
- servi
- Past participle of 'servir'; served in the military or otherwise.
- même
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'same' or 'even'.
- régiment
- A military unit composed of several battalions.
- quand
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'when'.
- garnison
- A garrison; troops stationed in a town or fortification.
- Pardieu
- Old French exclamation of surprise or emphasis; 'by God'.
- vrai
- Adjective meaning 'true', 'real', or 'genuine'.
- écria
- Simple past of 'écrier'; exclaimed or cried out loudly.
- armateur
- A shipowner who finances and manages maritime vessels.
- tout
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'all', 'whole', or 'completely'.
- fait
- Past participle of 'faire'; done or made; also 'fact'.
- ravi
- Adjective meaning 'delighted', 'thrilled', or very pleased.
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