The Great Gatsby — Page 11
She was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall.
Elle était allongée de tout son long à son bout du divan, complètement immobile, et le menton légèrement relevé, comme si elle équilibrait quelque chose dessus qui risquait fort de tomber.
If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it—indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in.
Si elle m'apercevait du coin de l'œil, elle n'en laissait rien paraître — à vrai dire, je me surpris presque à murmurer des excuses pour l'avoir dérangée en entrant.
The other girl, Daisy, made an attempt to rise—she leaned slightly forward with a conscientious expression—then she laughed, an absurd, charming little laugh, and I laughed too and came forward into the room.
L'autre jeune femme, Daisy, fit mine de se lever — elle se pencha légèrement en avant avec une expression appliquée — puis elle rit, d'un petit rire absurde et charmant, et je ris aussi en avançant dans la pièce.
"I'm p-paralysed with happiness."
« Je suis p-paralysée de bonheur. »
She laughed again, as if she said something very witty, and held my hand for a moment, looking up into my face, promising that there was no one in the world she so much wanted to see.
Elle rit de nouveau, comme si elle venait de dire quelque chose de très spirituel, et me tint la main un instant, les yeux levés vers mon visage, me promettant qu'il n'y avait personne au monde qu'elle désirait autant voir.
That was a way she had.
C'était une façon qu'elle avait.
She hinted in a murmur that the surname of the balancing girl was Baker.
Elle laissa entendre dans un murmure que le nom de famille de la jeune femme en équilibre était Baker.
(I've heard it said that Daisy's murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming.)
(J'ai entendu dire que le murmure de Daisy n'avait d'autre but que de faire pencher les gens vers elle ; une critique sans fondement qui ne le rendait pas moins charmant.)
At any rate, Miss Baker's lips fluttered, she nodded at me almost imperceptibly, and then quickly tipped her head back again—the object she was balancing had obviously tottered a little and given her something of a fright.
Quoi qu'il en soit, les lèvres de Miss Baker frémirent, elle me fit un signe de tête presque imperceptible, puis inclina rapidement la tête en arrière — l'objet qu'elle équilibrait avait manifestement vacillé un peu et lui avait causé une certaine frayeur.
Again a sort of apology arose to my lips.
De nouveau, une sorte d'excuse me monta aux lèvres.
Almost any exhibition of complete self-sufficiency draws a stunned tribute from me.
Presque toute manifestation d'une totale autosuffisance me soutire un hommage émerveillé.
Vocabulary
- était
- Past tense of 'être'; she/he/it was
- allongée
- Lying stretched out, extended at full length
- tout
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'all' or 'completely'
- long
- Adjective meaning 'long'; full extent of something
- bout
- End or tip of something; extremity
- divan
- A long low couch or sofa without back
- complètement
- Adverb meaning 'completely' or 'entirely'
- immobile
- Not moving; perfectly still and motionless
- menton
- The chin; lower part of the face
- légèrement
- Adverb meaning 'slightly' or 'lightly'
- relevé
- Raised or lifted upward slightly
- équilibrait
- Was balancing something carefully on a surface
- quelque
- Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'a certain'
- dessus
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'on top' or 'above'
- risquait
- Was at risk of; was likely to do something
- fort
- Adverb meaning 'very' or 'strongly'; greatly
- tomber
- To fall down from a position or height
- m'apercevait
- Noticed me; caught sight of me
- coin
- Corner; a small angle or edge of something
- œil
- Eye; the organ of sight
- laissait
- Was letting; was allowing something to show
- rien
- Pronoun meaning 'nothing'; used in negation
- paraître
- To appear or seem; to become visible
- vrai
- Adjective meaning 'true' or 'real'
- surpris
- Surprised; caught oneself doing something unexpected
- presque
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'
- murmurer
- To murmur or whisper softly under one's breath
- excuses
- Apologies or justifications offered for an action
- dérangée
- Disturbed or bothered someone who was at rest
- entrant
- Entering; coming into a room or place
- fit
- Past tense of 'faire'; made or did something
- mine
- Appearance or expression; pretense of doing something
- lever
- To get up; to rise from a seated position
- pencha
- Leaned or bent forward toward something
- expression
- Facial look conveying a feeling or attitude
- appliquée
- Concentrated or earnest; showing focused effort
- puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'afterwards'
- rit
- Past tense of 'rire'; laughed
- rire
- Laugh or laughter; the act of laughing
- absurde
- Adjective meaning 'absurd' or 'ridiculous'
- charmant
- Charming; delightfully attractive or pleasing
- ris
- First person past tense of 'rire'; I laughed
- avançant
- Moving forward; advancing into a space
- pièce
- Room in a building or house
- p-paralysée
- Stuttered form of 'paralysée'; paralyzed, unable to move
- bonheur
- Happiness; a state of joy and contentment
- nouveau
- Adjective meaning 'new'; again (de nouveau)
- venait
- Past tense of 'venir'; was coming or had just done
- spirituel
- Witty; clever and amusing in expression
- tint
- Past tense of 'tenir'; held something in place
- instant
- A very short moment; an instant of time
- yeux
- Eyes; plural of 'œil'
- levés
- Raised upward; lifted eyes toward someone
- vers
- Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'towards'
- visage
- Face; the front part of a person's head
- promettant
- Promising; implying something wonderful was assured
- personne
- No one; used in negation to mean nobody
- désirait
- Was desiring or wishing for something strongly
- autant
- Adverb meaning 'as much' or 'so much'
- façon
- Way or manner of doing something
- laissa
- Left or allowed; let something be understood
- entendre
- To hear; to understand something implied
- murmure
- A soft whisper or low indistinct sound
- équilibre
- Balance; a stable state between opposing forces
- entendu
- Past participle of 'entendre'; heard something
- but
- Goal or aim; purpose of an action
- pencher
- To lean or tilt to one side
- gens
- People; persons in general
- critique
- Criticism; a negative judgment or evaluation
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- fondement
- Foundation or basis; groundless if used with 'sans'
- rendait
- Was making or rendering something a certain way
- moins
- Adverb meaning 'less'
- Quoi
- What; interrogative or exclamatory pronoun
- soit
- Subjunctive of 'être'; whatever it may be
- lèvres
- Lips; the fleshy parts around the mouth
- frémirent
- Trembled or quivered slightly; subtle involuntary movement
- signe
- Sign or gesture indicating something nonverbally
- imperceptible
- So slight as to be barely noticeable
- inclina
- Tilted or leaned back in a direction
- rapidement
- Adverb meaning 'quickly' or 'rapidly'
- arrière
- Back or backward; toward the rear
- objet
- Object; a material thing that can be touched
- manifestement
- Adverb meaning 'obviously' or 'evidently'
- vacillé
- Wavered or wobbled unsteadily; nearly fallen
- causé
- Caused or produced a particular effect
- certaine
- Adjective meaning 'a certain' or 'some'
- frayeur
- Fright or sudden fear; a brief scare
- sorte
- Sort or kind; 'de sorte que' means so that
- excuse
- Apology or pardon offered for an error
- monta
- Rose or came up; went upward to something
- Presque
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'
- manifestation
- Display or expression of a quality or feeling
- totale
- Adjective meaning 'total' or 'complete'
- autosuffisance
- Self-sufficiency; state of needing no one else
- soutire
- Draws out or extracts something from someone
- hommage
- Tribute or respectful acknowledgment paid to someone
- émerveillé
- Filled with wonder; amazed or marveled at something
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