The Hound of the Baskervilles — Page 3
I confess, my dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt."
J'avoue, mon cher ami, que je vous dois beaucoup."
He had never said as much before, and I must admit that his words gave me keen pleasure, for I had often been piqued by his indifference to my admiration and to the attempts which I had made to give publicity to his methods.
Il n'avait jamais dit autant auparavant, et je dois admettre que ses paroles me firent un vif plaisir, car j'avais souvent été piqué par son indifférence à mon admiration et aux tentatives que j'avais faites pour donner de la publicité à ses méthodes.
I was proud, too, to think that I had so far mastered his system as to apply it in a way which earned his approval.
J'étais fier, aussi, de penser que j'avais suffisamment maîtrisé son système pour l'appliquer d'une manière qui avait gagné son approbation.
He now took the stick from my hands and examined it for a few minutes with his naked eyes.
Il prit alors la canne de mes mains et l'examina pendant quelques minutes à l'œil nu.
Then with an expression of interest he laid down his cigarette, and carrying the cane to the window, he looked over it again with a convex lens.
Puis, avec une expression d'intérêt, il posa sa cigarette, et portant la canne vers la fenêtre, il l'examina de nouveau avec une lentille convexe.
"Interesting, though elementary," said he as he returned to his favourite corner of the settee.
« Intéressant, bien qu'élémentaire », dit-il en retournant à son coin favori du canapé.
"There are certainly one or two indications upon the stick.
« Il y a certainement une ou deux indications sur la canne.
It gives us the basis for several deductions."
Cela nous donne la base de plusieurs déductions. »
"Has anything escaped me?" I asked with some self-importance.
« M'a-t-on échappé quelque chose ? » demandai-je avec une certaine suffisance.
"I trust that there is nothing of consequence which I have overlooked?"
« J'espère qu'il n'y a rien d'important que j'aie négligé ? »
"I am afraid, my dear Watson, that most of your conclusions were erroneous.
« Je crains, mon cher Watson, que la plupart de vos conclusions n'aient été erronées.
When I said that you stimulated me I meant, to be frank, that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided towards the truth.
Quand j'ai dit que vous me stimuliez, je voulais dire, pour être franc, qu'en notant vos erreurs j'étais parfois guidé vers la vérité.
Not that you are entirely wrong in this instance.
Non pas que vous ayez entièrement tort dans ce cas.
The man is certainly a country practitioner.
L'homme est certainement un praticien de campagne.
And he walks a good deal."
Et il marche beaucoup. »
"Then I was right.
« Alors j'avais raison.
Vocabulary
- J'
- Contraction of 'je' (I) before a vowel
- avoue
- I admit or confess something
- mon
- My, masculine singular possessive adjective
- cher
- Dear or beloved, used in address
- ami
- Friend, a person one knows well
- que
- That, which, or what; conjunction or pronoun
- je
- First person singular subject pronoun: I
- vous
- You, formal or plural second person pronoun
- dois
- I owe or I must; from devoir
- beaucoup
- A lot, much, or many in quantity
- Il
- He or it, third person singular subject pronoun
- n'
- Contraction of 'ne', used in negation
- avait
- Had; third person singular imperfect of avoir
- jamais
- Never, or ever in a negative context
- dit
- Said; past participle or third person of dire
- autant
- As much or so much, indicating equal quantity
- auparavant
- Before, previously, or earlier in time
- et
- And, coordinating conjunction linking elements
- admettre
- To admit or acknowledge something as true
- ses
- His, her, or its; plural possessive adjective
- paroles
- Words or speech spoken by someone
- me
- Me, first person singular object pronoun
- firent
- Made or did; third person plural passé simple of faire
- un
- A, an; indefinite article or number one
- vif
- Keen, lively, or intense; vivid feeling
- plaisir
- Pleasure or delight experienced by someone
- car
- Because or for; causal coordinating conjunction
- j'
- Contraction of 'je' before a vowel sound
- avais
- Had; first person singular imperfect of avoir
- souvent
- Often, frequently occurring or repeated
- été
- Been; past participle of être (to be)
- piqué
- Stung or irritated; feeling of wounded pride
- par
- By or through; preposition indicating agent or means
- son
- His, her, its; masculine singular possessive adjective
- indifférence
- Indifference, lack of interest or concern
- à
- To, at, or in; common French preposition
- admiration
- Admiration, strong approval or respect felt
- aux
- To the or at the; contraction of à + les
- tentatives
- Attempts or tries made toward a goal
- faites
- Made or done; feminine plural past participle of faire
- pour
- For or in order to; purpose preposition
- donner
- To give something to someone
- de
- Of, from, or some; very common preposition
- la
- The, feminine singular definite article
- publicité
- Publicity or advertising; public attention given
- méthodes
- Methods, systematic ways of doing something
- étais
- Was; first person singular imperfect of être
- fier
- Proud, feeling satisfaction in an achievement
- aussi
- Also, too, or as well; additive adverb
- penser
- To think or consider something mentally
- suffisamment
- Sufficiently or enough, to an adequate degree
- maîtrisé
- Mastered or controlled; having full command of
- système
- System, an organized method or set of rules
- l'
- The; contraction of le or la before vowel
- appliquer
- To apply or put into practice a method
- d'
- Of or from; contraction of de before vowel
- une
- A, an; feminine indefinite article
- manière
- Manner or way in which something is done
- qui
- Who or which; relative or interrogative pronoun
- gagné
- Won or earned; past participle of gagner
- approbation
- Approval or favorable opinion from someone
- prit
- Took; third person singular passé simple of prendre
- alors
- Then, so, or at that time
- canne
- Cane or walking stick carried by a person
- mes
- My; plural possessive adjective first person
- mains
- Hands, the body part at the end of arms
- examina
- Examined; third person singular passé simple of examiner
- pendant
- During or for a period of time
- quelques
- A few or some; small indefinite quantity
- minutes
- Minutes, units of time equal to sixty seconds
- œil
- Eye, the organ used for seeing
- nu
- Naked or bare; unassisted, as in naked eye
- Puis
- Then or next, indicating sequence of events
- avec
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or manner
- expression
- Expression, look or appearance on someone's face
- intérêt
- Interest, attention or curiosity toward something
- il
- He or it; third person singular pronoun
- posa
- Put down or placed; passé simple of poser
- sa
- His or her; feminine singular possessive adjective
- cigarette
- Cigarette, a small rolled tobacco product
- portant
- Carrying or bringing; present participle of porter
- vers
- Toward or towards; preposition of direction
- fenêtre
- Window, an opening in a wall for light
- nouveau
- New or again; masculine adjective meaning new
- lentille
- Lens or lentil; here an optical magnifying lens
- convexe
- Convex, curving outward like a magnifying glass
- Intéressant
- Interesting, arousing curiosity or attention
- bien
- Well or very; adverb indicating degree or manner
- qu'
- That or although; contraction of que before vowel
- élémentaire
- Elementary or basic; relating to fundamental principles
- dit-il
- Said he; inverted subject after direct speech
- en
- In, on, or while; preposition or gerund marker
- retournant
- Returning to; present participle of retourner
- coin
- Corner or spot; a particular place or nook
- favori
- Favorite or preferred; most liked of options
- du
- Of the; contraction of de + le
- canapé
- Sofa or couch, a piece of seating furniture
- y
- There, or to it; adverbial pronoun of place
- a
- Has or there is; third person singular of avoir
- certainement
- Certainly or definitely, without doubt
- ou
- Or; coordinating conjunction offering alternatives
- deux
- Two; the cardinal number 2
- indications
- Indications or clues pointing toward a conclusion
- sur
- On or about; preposition of position or topic
- Cela
- That or this; demonstrative pronoun for something
- nous
- We or us; first person plural pronoun
- donne
- Gives; third person singular present of donner
- base
- Base or foundation; starting point for reasoning
- plusieurs
- Several or multiple; more than two
- déductions
- Deductions or conclusions drawn from evidence
- M'
- Me; object pronoun contraction before vowel
- a-t-on
- Has one; inverted interrogative with impersonal on
- échappé
- Escaped or missed; past participle of échapper
- quelque
- Some or any; indefinite adjective singular
- chose
- Thing; a general object or matter
- demandai-je
- Asked I; inverted form after direct speech
- certaine
- Certain or particular; feminine form of certain
- suffisance
- Self-sufficiency or smugness; self-satisfied attitude
- espère
- Hope or expect; first person singular of espérer
- rien
- Nothing; used with ne to negate completely
- important
- Important, of great significance or consequence
- aie
- Have; first person singular present subjunctive of avoir
- négligé
- Neglected or overlooked; failed to notice something
- Je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- crains
- Fear or worry; first person singular of craindre
- plupart
- Most or the majority of something
- vos
- Your; plural formal possessive adjective
- conclusions
- Conclusions, judgments reached after reasoning
- aient
- Have; third person plural present subjunctive of avoir
- erronées
- Erroneous or mistaken; incorrect conclusions made
- Quand
- When; temporal conjunction or interrogative adverb
- ai
- Have; first person singular present of avoir
- stimuliez
- Were stimulating; second person plural imperfect of stimuler
- voulais
- Wanted; first person singular imperfect of vouloir
- dire
- To say or to tell someone something
- être
- To be; fundamental French infinitive verb
- franc
- Frank or honest, straightforwardly truthful in speech
- notant
- Noting or observing; present participle of noter
- erreurs
- Errors or mistakes made in reasoning
- parfois
- Sometimes or occasionally, not always
- guidé
- Guided or led; directed toward the right answer
- vérité
- Truth, what is real or factually correct
- Non
- No; negation or disagreement
- pas
- Not; part of French negation with ne
- ayez
- Have; second person plural imperative of avoir
- entièrement
- Entirely or completely, without exception
- tort
- Wrong; to be mistaken or incorrect about something
- dans
- In or inside; preposition of location or time
- ce
- This or that; demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- cas
- Case or instance; a particular situation or example
- L'
- The; contraction of le or la before vowel
- homme
- Man or human being, adult male person
- est
- Is; third person singular present of être
- praticien
- Practitioner or general practitioner; working doctor
- campagne
- Countryside or rural area; outside the city
- Et
- And; coordinating conjunction linking two elements
- marche
- Walks; third person singular present of marcher
- Alors
- So or then; drawing a conclusion or consequence
- raison
- Right or reason; to be correct about something
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