The Great Gatsby — Page 6
It was on that slender riotous island which extends itself due east of New York—and where there are, among other natural curiosities, two unusual formations of land.
C'était sur cette île étroite et turbulente qui s'étend exactement à l'est de New York — et où l'on trouve, parmi d'autres curiosités naturelles, deux formations de terrain inhabituelles.
Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay, jut out into the most domesticated body of salt water in the Western hemisphere, the great wet barnyard of Long Island Sound.
À vingt miles de la ville, deux énormes œufs, identiques en contour et séparés seulement par une baie de courtoisie, s'avancent dans l'étendue d'eau salée la plus apprivoisée de l'hémisphère occidental, la grande basse-cour humide du Long Island Sound.
They are not perfect ovals—like the egg in the Columbus story, they are both crushed flat at the contact end—but their physical resemblance must be a source of perpetual wonder to the gulls that fly overhead.
Ce ne sont pas des ovales parfaits — comme l'œuf de la légende de Colomb, ils sont tous deux écrasés à plat à l'extrémité du contact — mais leur ressemblance physique doit être une source d'émerveillement perpétuel pour les mouettes qui volent au-dessus.
To the wingless a more interesting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size.
Pour ceux qui n'ont pas d'ailes, le phénomène plus intéressant est leur dissemblance en tout point, excepté la forme et la taille.
I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them.
Je vivais à West Egg, le — eh bien, le moins à la mode des deux, bien que ce soit là une étiquette des plus superficielles pour exprimer le contraste bizarre et quelque peu sinistre qui les opposait.
My house was at the very tip of the egg, only fifty yards from the Sound, and squeezed between two huge places that rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season.
Ma maison se trouvait à la pointe même de l'œuf, à seulement cinquante mètres du Sound, coincée entre deux immenses propriétés qui se louaient douze ou quinze mille dollars par saison.
The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard—it was a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden.
Celle qui se trouvait à ma droite était une affaire colossale à tous égards — c'était une imitation fidèle d'un hôtel de ville normand, avec une tour d'un côté, flambant neuve sous une mince barbe de lierre vierge, une piscine en marbre, et plus de quarante acres de pelouse et de jardin.
It was Gatsby's mansion.
C'était la demeure de Gatsby.
Or, rather, as I didn't know Mr.
Ou plutôt, comme je ne connaissais pas M.
Vocabulary
- C'
- Contraction of 'ce'; used before vowels meaning 'it'
- était
- Past tense of 'être'; was, used to describe past states
- sur
- Preposition meaning on, upon, or over something
- cette
- Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning this or that
- île
- A piece of land surrounded entirely by water
- étroite
- Feminine adjective meaning narrow, slim, or tight
- et
- Basic conjunction meaning and, linking words or clauses
- turbulente
- Feminine adjective meaning turbulent, restless, or agitated
- qui
- Relative pronoun meaning who, which, or that
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun contraction of 'se' before a vowel
- étend
- Third-person singular of 'étendre'; stretches or extends
- exactement
- Adverb meaning exactly, precisely, or accurately
- à
- Preposition meaning at, to, or in a location
- l'
- Contracted definite article used before a vowel sound
- est
- Cardinal direction meaning east; also third-person 'is'
- de
- Preposition meaning of, from, or belonging to something
- où
- Relative adverb meaning where or in which place
- on
- Indefinite pronoun meaning one, we, they, or people
- trouve
- Third-person singular of 'trouver'; finds or encounters something
- parmi
- Preposition meaning among or in the midst of
- d'
- Contracted preposition 'de' used before a vowel sound
- autres
- Plural adjective or pronoun meaning other or others
- curiosités
- Plural noun meaning curiosities, unusual or interesting things
- naturelles
- Feminine plural adjective meaning natural, occurring in nature
- deux
- Cardinal number meaning two, the number after one
- formations
- Plural noun meaning formations, structured arrangements of elements
- terrain
- Noun meaning land, ground, or a plot of earth
- inhabituelles
- Feminine plural adjective meaning unusual, uncommon, or extraordinary
- À
- Preposition meaning at, to; introduces distance or location
- vingt
- Cardinal number meaning twenty, the number after nineteen
- la
- Feminine definite article meaning the before a noun
- ville
- Noun meaning city or town, an urban settlement
- énormes
- Plural adjective meaning enormous, very large in size
- œufs
- Plural noun meaning eggs, oval objects laid by birds
- identiques
- Plural adjective meaning identical, exactly alike in every way
- en
- Preposition or pronoun meaning in, of it, or some
- contour
- Noun meaning contour, outline, or shape of something
- séparés
- Masculine plural adjective meaning separated, set apart from each other
- seulement
- Adverb meaning only, just, or merely in quantity
- par
- Preposition meaning by, through, or per in context
- une
- Feminine indefinite article meaning a or an
- baie
- Noun meaning bay, a body of water partly enclosed by land
- courtoisie
- Noun meaning courtesy, polite and respectful behavior toward others
- avancent
- Third-person plural of 'avancer'; advance or move forward
- dans
- Preposition meaning in, inside, or within a space
- étendue
- Noun meaning expanse, a wide stretch of land or water
- eau
- Noun meaning water, the liquid essential for life
- salée
- Feminine adjective meaning salty, containing or tasting of salt
- plus
- Adverb meaning more, most, or no longer in context
- apprivoisée
- Feminine adjective meaning tamed, domesticated, or made gentle
- hémisphère
- Noun meaning hemisphere, half of the Earth or a sphere
- occidental
- Adjective meaning western, relating to the western hemisphere
- grande
- Feminine adjective meaning large, great, or big in size
- basse-cour
- Noun meaning farmyard, an enclosed yard for domestic animals
- humide
- Adjective meaning humid, damp, or moist in atmosphere
- du
- Contracted article meaning of the or from the
- Ce
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning this, that, or it
- ne
- Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate a verb
- sont
- Third-person plural of 'être'; are, to describe plural subjects
- pas
- Negation word used with 'ne' meaning not
- des
- Plural indefinite article meaning some or of the
- ovales
- Plural noun or adjective meaning ovals, egg-shaped forms
- parfaits
- Masculine plural adjective meaning perfect, flawless, or ideal
- comme
- Conjunction or preposition meaning like, as, or such as
- œuf
- Singular noun meaning egg, an oval object laid by birds
- légende
- Noun meaning legend, a traditional story or famous tale
- ils
- Third-person plural masculine pronoun meaning they
- tous
- Masculine plural pronoun or adjective meaning all or everyone
- écrasés
- Masculine plural adjective meaning crushed, flattened, or squashed
- plat
- Adjective meaning flat, level, or having no elevation
- extrémité
- Noun meaning extremity, the farthest or outermost end of something
- contact
- Noun meaning contact, the state of touching or meeting
- mais
- Conjunction meaning but, introducing a contrast or exception
- leur
- Possessive adjective meaning their, belonging to them
- ressemblance
- Noun meaning resemblance, a likeness or similarity between things
- physique
- Adjective meaning physical, relating to the body or matter
- doit
- Third-person singular of 'devoir'; must, has to, or owes
- être
- Infinitive verb meaning to be; fundamental auxiliary verb
- source
- Noun meaning source, an origin or cause of something
- émerveillement
- Noun meaning wonder, amazement, or a feeling of astonishment
- perpétuel
- Adjective meaning perpetual, never-ending or continuously occurring
- pour
- Preposition meaning for, intended for, or in order to
- les
- Plural definite article meaning the before plural nouns
- mouettes
- Plural noun meaning seagulls, coastal birds that soar above water
- volent
- Third-person plural of 'voler'; fly, move through the air
- au-dessus
- Adverb or preposition meaning above, overhead, or over something
- Pour
- Preposition meaning for or as far as concerns someone
- ceux
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning those or the ones (masculine)
- n'
- Contracted negative particle 'ne' before a vowel sound
- ont
- Third-person plural of 'avoir'; have, to possess something
- ailes
- Plural noun meaning wings, the limbs birds use to fly
- le
- Masculine definite article meaning the before a singular noun
- phénomène
- Noun meaning phenomenon, a remarkable or observable occurrence
- intéressant
- Adjective meaning interesting, engaging, or capturing one's attention
- dissemblance
- Noun meaning dissimilarity, a difference or lack of resemblance
- tout
- Adjective or pronoun meaning all, every, or entirely
- point
- Noun meaning point, aspect, or specific detail of something
- excepté
- Preposition or adjective meaning except, excluding, or apart from
- forme
- Noun meaning form, shape, or the structure of something
- taille
- Noun meaning size, height, or waistline of a person
- Je
- First-person singular subject pronoun meaning I
- vivais
- First-person imperfect of 'vivre'; was living, used to live
- eh
- Interjection meaning well or hey, used for emphasis
- bien
- Adverb or adjective meaning well, good, or quite correctly
- moins
- Adverb meaning less or fewer in degree or quantity
- mode
- Noun meaning fashion, trend, or prevailing style of the time
- que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning that, than, or which
- ce
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning this, that, or it
- soit
- Subjunctive form of 'être'; be, used in subordinate clauses
- là
- Adverb meaning there, in or at that specific place
- étiquette
- Noun meaning label or social etiquette, conventional rules of behavior
- superficielles
- Feminine plural adjective meaning superficial, shallow, or surface-level
- exprimer
- Infinitive verb meaning to express or convey thoughts or feelings
- contraste
- Noun meaning contrast, a striking difference between two things
- bizarre
- Adjective meaning bizarre, strange, odd, or very unusual
- quelque
- Adjective meaning some, a certain, or a few in number
- peu
- Adverb meaning a little, slightly, or not very much
- sinistre
- Adjective meaning sinister, ominous, or threatening in nature
- opposait
- Third-person imperfect of 'opposer'; was opposing or contrasting
- Ma
- Feminine possessive adjective meaning my before a singular noun
- maison
- Noun meaning house, a residential building or dwelling
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning oneself, himself, herself, or itself
- trouvait
- Third-person imperfect of 'trouver'; was located or found itself
- pointe
- Noun meaning tip, point, or promontory of a piece of land
- même
- Adjective or adverb meaning same, even, or itself for emphasis
- cinquante
- Cardinal number meaning fifty, the number after forty-nine
- mètres
- Plural noun meaning meters, units of length in metric system
- coincée
- Feminine adjective meaning wedged, stuck, or squeezed between things
- entre
- Preposition meaning between or among two or more things
- immenses
- Plural adjective meaning immense, extremely large or vast
- propriétés
- Plural noun meaning properties, pieces of land or real estate
- louaient
- Third-person imperfect plural of 'louer'; were renting or leasing
- douze
- Cardinal number meaning twelve, the number after eleven
- ou
- Conjunction meaning or, presenting an alternative choice
- quinze
- Cardinal number meaning fifteen, the number after fourteen
- mille
- Cardinal number meaning thousand; also a unit of distance
- saison
- Noun meaning season, a division of the year or period
- Celle
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning the one (feminine singular)
- droite
- Noun or adjective meaning right, the direction opposite to left
- affaire
- Noun meaning affair, matter, business, or a notable thing
- colossale
- Feminine adjective meaning colossal, gigantic, or enormously impressive
- égards
- Plural noun meaning respects, considerations, or regards toward something
- c'
- Contraction of 'ce' before a vowel, meaning it or this
- imitation
- Noun meaning imitation, a copy or reproduction of something
- fidèle
- Adjective meaning faithful, accurate, or loyal in representation
- un
- Masculine indefinite article meaning a or an before nouns
- hôtel
- Noun meaning hotel, a building providing paid accommodation
- normand
- Adjective meaning Norman, relating to Normandy in northern France
- avec
- Preposition meaning with, together with, or accompanied by
- tour
- Noun meaning tower, a tall narrow structure; also a trip
- côté
- Noun meaning side, flank, or aspect of something
- flambant
- Adjective used in 'flambant neuf' meaning brand new, absolutely new
- neuve
- Feminine adjective meaning new, recently made or unused
- sous
- Preposition meaning under, beneath, or below something else
- mince
- Adjective meaning thin, slim, or slender in dimension
- barbe
- Noun meaning beard, the facial hair grown on a man's chin
- lierre
- Noun meaning ivy, a climbing evergreen plant on walls
- vierge
- Adjective meaning virgin, untouched, or in its original state
- piscine
- Noun meaning swimming pool, an artificially constructed basin for swimming
- marbre
- Noun meaning marble, a hard decorative stone used in construction
- quarante
- Cardinal number meaning forty, the number after thirty-nine
- pelouse
- Noun meaning lawn, an area of short, well-kept grass
- jardin
- Noun meaning garden, an outdoor area for growing plants
- demeure
- Noun meaning residence, a grand or stately home or dwelling
- Ou
- Conjunction meaning or, used to present an alternative option
- plutôt
- Adverb meaning rather, instead, or more precisely in context
- je
- First-person singular subject pronoun meaning I
- connaissais
- First-person imperfect of 'connaître'; knew or was acquainted with
- M
- Abbreviation for 'Monsieur', meaning Mr. or Sir in French
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