The Hound of the Baskervilles — Page 1

English → Fr Chapter 1. Level 7/10

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

M. Sherlock Holmes

Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table.

M. Sherlock Holmes, qui se levait habituellement très tard le matin, sauf dans ces occasions assez fréquentes où il avait passé toute la nuit debout, était assis à la table du petit-déjeuner.

I stood upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night before.

Je me tenais debout sur le tapis de foyer et ramassai la canne que notre visiteur avait oubliée la veille au soir.

It was a fine, thick piece of wood, bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as a "Penang lawyer."

C'était un beau morceau de bois épais, à tête renflée, du genre connu sous le nom de « Penang lawyer ».

Just under the head was a broad silver band nearly an inch across.

Juste sous la tête se trouvait un large anneau d'argent de près d'un pouce de largeur.

"To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the C.C.H.," was engraved upon it, with the date "1884."

« À James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., de la part de ses amis du C.C.H. », y était gravé, avec la date « 1884 ».

It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used to carry—dignified, solid, and reassuring.

C'était exactement le genre de canne que portait autrefois le médecin de famille à l'ancienne mode — digne, solide et rassurante.

"Well, Watson, what do you make of it?"

« Alors, Watson, qu'en pensez-vous ? »

Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I had given him no sign of my occupation.

Holmes était assis le dos tourné vers moi, et je ne lui avais donné aucun signe de ce que je faisais.

"How did you know what I was doing? I believe you have eyes in the back of your head."

« Comment saviez-vous ce que je faisais ? Je crois que vous avez des yeux derrière la tête. »

"I have, at least, a well-polished, silver-plated coffee-pot in front of me," said he.

« J'ai, du moins, une cafetière bien polie et argentée devant moi », dit-il.

"But, tell me, Watson, what do you make of our visitor's stick?

« Mais dites-moi, Watson, que pensez-vous de la canne de notre visiteur ?

Since we have been so unfortunate as to miss him and have no notion of his errand, this accidental souvenir becomes of importance.

Puisque nous avons eu le malheur de le manquer et que nous n'avons aucune idée de l'objet de sa visite, ce souvenir fortuit prend de l'importance.

Let me hear you reconstruct the man by an examination of it.

Permettez-moi de vous entendre reconstituer le personnage par un examen de celle-ci.

Vocabulary

qui: Relative pronoun meaning who, which, or that.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning himself, herself, or itself.
levait: Imperfect tense of lever; was getting up or rising.
habituellement: Adverb meaning usually or habitually in daily routine.
très: Adverb meaning very, used to intensify adjectives or adverbs.
tard: Adverb meaning late in time or later than expected.
matin: Noun meaning morning, the early part of the day.
sauf: Preposition or conjunction meaning except or unless something applies.
dans: Preposition meaning in or inside a place or context.
ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning these or those before a noun.
occasions: Noun meaning occasions or opportunities when something takes place.
assez: Adverb meaning quite, enough, or rather in degree.
fréquentes: Adjective meaning frequent or happening often on many occasions.
où: Relative adverb or conjunction meaning where or when.
avait: Imperfect tense of avoir; had, used in past descriptions.
passé: Past participle of passer; spent time or passed a period.
toute: Adjective meaning all or the whole of something feminine.
nuit: Noun meaning night, the dark period after sunset.
debout: Adverb meaning standing up or awake and out of bed.
était: Imperfect tense of être; was, describing a past state.
assis: Past participle or adjective meaning seated or sitting down.
à: Preposition meaning at, to, or in various contexts.
table: Noun meaning table, a piece of furniture with a flat surface.
du: Contracted article meaning of the for masculine singular nouns.
petit-déjeuner: Noun meaning breakfast, the first meal of the day.
me: Reflexive or object pronoun meaning me or myself.
tenais: Imperfect tense of tenir; was standing or holding a position.
sur: Preposition meaning on or upon a surface or location.
tapis: Noun meaning rug or carpet covering a floor surface.
de: Preposition meaning of or from, indicating origin or belonging.
foyer: Noun meaning hearth, fireplace area, or entrance lobby.
ramassai: Simple past of ramasser; picked up an object from ground.
canne: Noun meaning cane or walking stick used for support.
que: Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning that, which, or whom.
notre: Possessive adjective meaning our, belonging to us.
visiteur: Noun meaning visitor, a person who comes to see someone.
oubliée: Past participle of oublier; forgotten or left behind by someone.
veille: Noun meaning the eve or the day before an event.
au: Contracted article meaning at the or to the masculine.
soir: Noun meaning evening, the later part of the day.
C': Contraction of ce before a vowel, meaning it or this.
beau: Adjective meaning beautiful, handsome, or fine in appearance.
morceau: Noun meaning piece or chunk of a material or substance.
bois: Noun meaning wood, the hard material from trees.
épais: Adjective meaning thick or dense in width or depth.
tête: Noun meaning head, the upper part of the body.
renflée: Adjective meaning bulging or swollen outward in shape.
genre: Noun meaning type, kind, or style of something.
connu: Past participle of connaître; known or well recognized by people.
sous: Preposition meaning under or beneath a surface or category.
nom: Noun meaning name given to a person, place, or thing.
Juste: Adverb or adjective meaning just, right, or exactly in place.
trouvait: Imperfect tense of trouver; was found or located somewhere.
large: Adjective meaning wide or broad in measurement or extent.
anneau: Noun meaning ring or band, typically circular in shape.
d': Contraction of de before a vowel, meaning of or from.
argent: Noun meaning silver the metal, or money in general use.
près: Preposition or adverb meaning near or close to something.
pouce: Noun meaning thumb or inch as a unit of measurement.
largeur: Noun meaning width or breadth of an object or space.
À: Preposition meaning to or at, indicating direction or dedication.
part: Noun meaning part or share; also used in expressions like de la part.
ses: Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its for plural nouns.
amis: Noun meaning friends, people with whom one has a friendship.
y: Pronoun meaning there or to it, replacing a place or thing.
gravé: Past participle of graver; engraved or inscribed on a surface.
avec: Preposition meaning with, indicating accompaniment or association.
date: Noun meaning date, a specific point in time or calendar day.
exactement: Adverb meaning exactly or precisely without any deviation.
portait: Imperfect tense of porter; was carrying or wearing something.
autrefois: Adverb meaning formerly or in the past, in earlier times.
médecin: Noun meaning doctor or physician, a medical professional.
famille: Noun meaning family, a group of related people living together.
ancienne: Adjective meaning old, ancient, or former in a historical sense.
mode: Noun meaning fashion, style, or manner of doing something.
digne: Adjective meaning dignified, worthy, or deserving of respect.
solide: Adjective meaning solid, strong, or sturdy in construction or character.
rassurante: Adjective meaning reassuring or comforting, instilling confidence in others.
Alors: Adverb or conjunction meaning so, then, or well in discourse.
qu': Contraction of que before a vowel, meaning that or what.
en: Preposition or pronoun meaning in, of it, or some of it.
pensez-vous: Inverted question form of penser; what do you think about it?
dos: Noun meaning back, the rear part of the human body.
tourné: Past participle of tourner; turned toward or away from something.
vers: Preposition meaning toward or in the direction of something.
moi: Stressed pronoun meaning me, used for emphasis or after prepositions.
ne: Negation particle used with pas or other words to negate verbs.
lui: Pronoun meaning him or her, used as indirect object pronoun.
avais: First-person imperfect of avoir; I had, describing past possession.
donné: Past participle of donner; given something to someone else.
aucun: Negative adjective or pronoun meaning no or none at all.
signe: Noun meaning sign or signal indicating something to someone.
ce: Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning this or that thing.
faisais: First-person imperfect of faire; I was doing or making something.
Comment: Interrogative adverb meaning how, asking about manner or method.
saviez-vous: Inverted question form of savoir; did you know something already?
crois: First-person present of croire; I believe or I think something.
vous: Second-person pronoun meaning you, formal or plural in French.
avez: Second-person plural present of avoir; you have something.
des: Indefinite article meaning some or of the for plural nouns.
yeux: Noun meaning eyes, the organs of sight on a face.
derrière: Preposition or adverb meaning behind or at the back of.
ai: First-person present of avoir; I have, indicating possession or auxiliary.
moins: Adverb meaning less or fewer, indicating a smaller degree or amount.
cafetière: Noun meaning coffee pot, a container used for brewing coffee.
bien: Adverb meaning well or very, indicating quality or degree.
polie: Adjective meaning polished, shiny, or courteous in manner.
argentée: Adjective meaning silver-colored or made of silver material.
devant: Preposition or adverb meaning in front of or before something.
dit-il: Inverted form of dire; he said, used in narrative dialogue.
Mais: Conjunction meaning but, used to introduce a contrasting idea.
dites-moi: Imperative form of dire with pronoun; tell me, an invitation to speak.
Puisque: Conjunction meaning since or because, introducing a known reason.
nous: First-person plural pronoun meaning we or us in French.
avons: First-person plural present of avoir; we have something together.
eu: Past participle of avoir; had, used in perfect tense constructions.
malheur: Noun meaning misfortune or bad luck causing unhappiness or trouble.
manquer: Infinitive meaning to miss or to lack something important.
n': Contraction of ne before a vowel, part of negation in French.
aucune: Negative adjective meaning no or none for feminine nouns.
idée: Noun meaning idea or notion, a thought or concept in mind.
objet: Noun meaning object or purpose, a thing or aim of something.
sa: Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its for feminine nouns.
visite: Noun meaning visit, the act of going to see someone.
souvenir: Noun meaning memory or souvenir; also infinitive to remember something.
fortuit: Adjective meaning chance, accidental, or happening without prior planning.
prend: Third-person present of prendre; takes or assumes importance or form.
importance: Noun meaning importance or significance of something in context.
Permettez-moi: Imperative phrase meaning allow me or permit me to do something.
entendre: Infinitive meaning to hear or to understand what is said.
reconstituer: Infinitive meaning to reconstruct or piece together from available clues.
personnage: Noun meaning character or person, especially a notable individual.
par: Preposition meaning by or through, indicating means or agency.
examen: Noun meaning examination or inspection, a careful study of something.
celle-ci: Demonstrative pronoun meaning this one, referring to a nearby feminine noun.

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