The Great Gatsby — Page 13
"
«
"I'm a bond man."
« Je suis courtier en obligations.
"Who with?"
« Chez qui ? »
I told him.
Je le lui dis.
"Never heard of them," he remarked decisively.
« Jamais entendu parler d'eux », remarqua-t-il avec décision.
This annoyed me.
Cela m'agaça.
"You will," I answered shortly. "You will if you stay in the East."
« Vous en entendrez parler », répondis-je sèchement. « Vous en entendrez parler si vous restez dans l'Est. »
"Oh, I'll stay in the East, don't you worry," he said, glancing at Daisy and then back at me, as if he were alert for something more. "I'd be a God damned fool to live anywhere else."
« Oh, je resterai dans l'Est, ne vous en faites pas », dit-il, jetant un coup d'œil à Daisy puis à moi, comme s'il était aux aguets de quelque chose de plus. « Je serais un sacré idiot de vivre ailleurs. »
At this point Miss Baker said: "Absolutely!" with such suddenness that I started—it was the first word she had uttered since I came into the room.
À ce moment, Miss Baker dit : « Absolument ! » avec une telle soudaineté que je tressaillis — c'était le premier mot qu'elle avait prononcé depuis que j'étais entré dans la pièce.
Evidently it surprised her as much as it did me, for she yawned and with a series of rapid, deft movements stood up into the room.
Cela la surprit manifestement autant que moi, car elle bâilla et, par une série de mouvements rapides et habiles, se leva pour se dresser dans la pièce.
"I'm stiff," she complained, "I've been lying on that sofa for as long as I can remember."
« Je suis tout ankylosée », se plaignit-elle, « j'ai été allongée sur ce canapé depuis une éternité. »
"Don't look at me," Daisy retorted, "I've been trying to get you to New York all afternoon."
« Ne me regardez pas comme ça », rétorqua Daisy, « j'ai essayé de vous emmener à New York tout l'après-midi. »
"No, thanks," said Miss Baker to the four cocktails just in from the pantry. "I'm absolutely in training."
« Non, merci », dit Miss Baker aux quatre cocktails qui venaient d'arriver du garde-manger. « Je suis en plein entraînement. »
Her host looked at her incredulously.
Son hôte la regarda d'un air incrédule.
"You are!" He took down his drink as if it were a drop in the bottom of a glass. "How you ever get anything done is beyond me."
« Vraiment ! » Il avala son verre comme si c'était une goutte au fond d'un verre. « Comment vous arrivez à faire quoi que ce soit me dépasse. »
I looked at Miss Baker, wondering what it was she "got done." I enjoyed looking at her.
Je regardai Miss Baker, me demandant ce qu'elle « faisait ». J'aimais la regarder.
Vocabulary
- Je
- First person singular subject pronoun meaning I
- suis
- First person singular of être, meaning am
- courtier
- A broker or agent who arranges financial deals
- en
- Preposition meaning in, on, or by
- obligations
- Bonds or financial securities; also duties or obligations
- Chez
- Preposition meaning at the home or place of
- qui
- Interrogative or relative pronoun meaning who or whom
- le
- Masculine singular definite article meaning the
- lui
- Third person singular pronoun meaning him or her
- dis
- First or second person singular of dire, meaning say
- Jamais
- Adverb meaning never or ever in negation
- entendu
- Past participle of entendre, meaning heard
- parler
- Infinitive verb meaning to speak or talk
- d'
- Contracted preposition de before a vowel, meaning of
- eux
- Third person plural stressed pronoun meaning them
- remarqua
- Third person singular past tense of remarquer, meaning noted
- il
- Third person masculine singular subject pronoun meaning he
- avec
- Preposition meaning with
- décision
- Noun meaning decision or decisiveness, firmness of manner
- Cela
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning that or this thing
- m'
- Contracted first person object pronoun me before a vowel
- agaça
- Third person singular past tense of agacer, meaning irritated
- Vous
- Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning you
- entendrez
- Second person plural future of entendre, meaning will hear
- répondis
- First person singular simple past of répondre, meaning replied
- je
- First person singular subject pronoun meaning I
- sèchement
- Adverb meaning dryly or curtly, in a curt manner
- si
- Conjunction meaning if; also adverb meaning so or yes
- vous
- Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning you
- restez
- Second person plural of rester, meaning stay or remain
- dans
- Preposition meaning in or inside
- l'
- Contracted definite article le or la before a vowel
- Est
- Noun meaning East; a geographical direction
- Oh
- Exclamation expressing surprise or emotion
- resterai
- First person singular future of rester, meaning will stay
- ne
- Negative particle used with pas or jamais for negation
- faites
- Second person plural imperative of faire, meaning do or make
- pas
- Negative adverb used with ne to form negation not
- dit
- Third person singular past tense of dire, meaning said
- jetant
- Present participle of jeter, meaning throwing or casting
- un
- Masculine indefinite article meaning a or one
- coup
- Noun meaning blow, strike, or glance depending on context
- œil
- Noun meaning eye; coup d'œil means a quick glance
- à
- Preposition meaning to, at, or in
- puis
- Adverb meaning then or next in a sequence
- moi
- First person singular stressed pronoun meaning me or I
- comme
- Conjunction or preposition meaning as, like, or as if
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun se contracted before a vowel
- était
- Third person singular imperfect of être, meaning was
- aux
- Contracted preposition à and les meaning at the or to the
- aguets
- Noun used in être aux aguets meaning to be on the lookout
- de
- Preposition meaning of, from, or about
- quelque
- Adjective or adverb meaning some or a certain
- chose
- Noun meaning thing or something
- plus
- Adverb meaning more, most, or no longer in negation
- serais
- First person singular conditional of être, meaning would be
- sacré
- Adjective meaning sacred; colloquially damn or total
- idiot
- Noun or adjective meaning idiot or foolish person
- vivre
- Infinitive verb meaning to live
- ailleurs
- Adverb meaning elsewhere or somewhere else
- À
- Preposition meaning at, to, or in
- ce
- Demonstrative adjective meaning this or that
- moment
- Noun meaning moment or instant in time
- Absolument
- Adverb meaning absolutely or completely, expressing agreement
- une
- Feminine indefinite article meaning a or one
- telle
- Adjective meaning such or so great, feminine form
- soudaineté
- Noun meaning suddenness or abruptness of an action
- que
- Conjunction meaning that, than, or which
- tressaillis
- First person singular past tense of tressaillir, meaning flinched
- c'
- Contracted demonstrative pronoun ce before a vowel meaning it
- premier
- Adjective meaning first in order or sequence
- mot
- Noun meaning word
- qu'
- Contracted conjunction que before a vowel meaning that
- elle
- Third person feminine singular pronoun meaning she or her
- avait
- Third person singular imperfect of avoir, meaning had
- prononcé
- Past participle of prononcer, meaning spoken or uttered
- depuis
- Preposition or conjunction meaning since or for a duration
- j'
- Contracted first person subject pronoun je before a vowel
- étais
- First person singular imperfect of être, meaning was
- entré
- Past participle of entrer, meaning entered
- la
- Feminine singular definite article meaning the
- pièce
- Noun meaning room or piece; here refers to a room
- surprit
- Third person singular simple past of surprendre, meaning surprised
- manifestement
- Adverb meaning obviously or evidently, clearly apparent
- autant
- Adverb meaning as much, as many, or equally
- car
- Conjunction meaning because or for, giving a reason
- bâilla
- Third person singular simple past of bâiller, meaning yawned
- et
- Conjunction meaning and
- par
- Preposition meaning by, through, or per
- série
- Noun meaning series or sequence of related items
- mouvements
- Noun plural meaning movements or motions
- rapides
- Adjective plural meaning fast, quick, or rapid
- habiles
- Adjective plural meaning skillful, dexterous, or clever
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning himself, herself, or themselves
- leva
- Third person singular simple past of lever, meaning stood up
- pour
- Preposition meaning for, in order to, or to
- dresser
- Infinitive meaning to straighten up or stretch oneself out
- tout
- Adjective or adverb meaning all, whole, or completely
- ankylosée
- Adjective meaning stiff or numb from staying still too long
- plaignit
- Third person singular simple past of plaindre, meaning complained
- ai
- First person singular present of avoir, meaning have
- été
- Past participle of être, meaning been; also noun summer
- allongée
- Past participle of allonger, meaning lying down or stretched out
- sur
- Preposition meaning on or upon
- canapé
- Noun meaning sofa or couch; also a type of appetizer
- éternité
- Noun meaning eternity or a very long time
- Ne
- Negative particle used with pas for negation meaning not
- me
- First person singular object pronoun meaning me
- regardez
- Second person plural imperative of regarder, meaning look at
- ça
- Informal demonstrative pronoun meaning that or it
- rétorqua
- Third person singular simple past of rétorquer, meaning retorted
- essayé
- Past participle of essayer, meaning tried or attempted
- emmener
- Infinitive verb meaning to take someone along somewhere
- après
- Preposition or adverb meaning after or afterwards
- midi
- Noun meaning noon or midday; also the South of France
- Non
- Adverb meaning no, used to refuse or deny
- merci
- Noun or interjection meaning thank you or mercy
- quatre
- Number meaning four
- cocktails
- Noun plural meaning cocktails, mixed alcoholic drinks
- venaient
- Third person plural imperfect of venir, meaning were coming
- arriver
- Infinitive meaning to arrive or to happen
- du
- Contracted article de and le meaning of the or from the
- garde
- Noun meaning guard or pantry; used in garde-manger
- manger
- Infinitive meaning to eat; garde-manger is a pantry or larder
- plein
- Adjective meaning full, in the middle of, or deep in
- entraînement
- Noun meaning training, practice, or athletic conditioning
- Son
- Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its
- hôte
- Noun meaning host or guest depending on context
- regarda
- Third person singular simple past of regarder, meaning looked at
- air
- Noun meaning air, look, or expression on one's face
- incrédule
- Adjective meaning incredulous or disbelieving
- Vraiment
- Adverb meaning really or truly, expressing genuine surprise
- Il
- Third person masculine singular subject pronoun meaning he
- avala
- Third person singular simple past of avaler, meaning swallowed
- verre
- Noun meaning glass or a glassful of liquid
- goutte
- Noun meaning drop; last drop or trace of liquid
- au
- Contracted preposition à and le meaning at the or to the
- fond
- Noun meaning bottom, back, or depth of something
- Comment
- Interrogative adverb meaning how or what
- arrivez
- Second person plural of arriver, meaning manage or arrive
- faire
- Infinitive verb meaning to do or to make
- quoi
- Interrogative pronoun meaning what, used in informal speech
- soit
- Third person singular present subjunctive of être, meaning be
- dépasse
- Third person singular of dépasser, meaning surpasses or exceeds
- regardai
- First person singular simple past of regarder, meaning looked at
- demandant
- Present participle of demander, meaning wondering or asking
- faisait
- Third person singular imperfect of faire, meaning was doing
- J'
- Contracted first person pronoun je before a vowel meaning I
- aimais
- First person singular imperfect of aimer, meaning used to like
- regarder
- Infinitive verb meaning to look at or to watch
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