The Hound of the Baskervilles — Page 10
Recognizing, as I do, that you are the second highest expert in Europe—"
Reconnaissant, comme je le fais, que vous êtes le deuxième expert en Europe—"
"Indeed, sir! May I inquire who has the honour to be the first?" asked Holmes with some asperity.
« En effet, monsieur ! Puis-je vous demander qui a l'honneur d'être le premier ? » demanda Holmes avec quelque âcreté.
"To the man of precisely scientific mind the work of Monsieur Bertillon must always appeal strongly."
« Pour l'homme à l'esprit précisément scientifique, l'œuvre de Monsieur Bertillon doit toujours exercer un grand attrait. »
"Then had you not better consult him?"
« N'auriez-vous pas mieux fait de le consulter, alors ? »
"I said, sir, to the precisely scientific mind. But as a practical man of affairs it is acknowledged that you stand alone.
« J'ai dit, monsieur, pour l'esprit précisément scientifique. Mais en tant qu'homme pratique des affaires, il est reconnu que vous êtes sans égal.
I trust, sir, that I have not inadvertently—"
J'espère, monsieur, que je n'ai pas par inadvertance— »
"Just a little," said Holmes.
« Juste un peu », dit Holmes.
"I think, Dr. Mortimer, you would do wisely if without more ado you would kindly tell me plainly what the exact nature of the problem is in which you demand my assistance.
« Je pense, Dr Mortimer, que vous agiriez sagement si, sans plus de cérémonie, vous vouliez bien me dire clairement quelle est la nature exacte du problème pour lequel vous sollicitez mon aide.
Vocabulary
- Reconnaissant
- ruh-koh-neh-sahn — Grateful or thankful toward someone
- comme
- kohm — As, like, or how
- je
- zhuh — First person singular pronoun meaning I
- le
- luh — Masculine definite article meaning the
- fais
- feh — First person singular of faire meaning do or make
- que
- kuh — That, which, or than in various contexts
- vous
- voo — Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning you
- êtes
- eht — Second person plural of être meaning are
- deuxième
- duh-zyem — Ordinal number meaning second in a sequence
- expert
- ex-pehr — A person with great skill or knowledge
- en
- ahn — Preposition meaning in, on, or by
- Europe
- uh-rohp — The continent of Europe
- En
- ahn — Preposition meaning in, on, or by
- effet
- eh-feh — Effect; used in en effet meaning indeed
- monsieur
- muh-syuh — Polite title for a man meaning mister or sir
- Puis
- pwee — Then or next indicating sequence of events
- demander
- duh-mahn-day — To ask or request something from someone
- qui
- kee — Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning who or which
- a
- ah — Third person singular of avoir meaning has
- l'
- l — Elided definite article before vowel sounds
- honneur
- oh-nur — Honor or distinction bestowed upon someone
- d'
- d — Elided preposition de meaning of or from
- être
- eh-truh — Infinitive of the verb to be
- premier
- pruh-myay — First or foremost in rank or order
- demanda
- duh-mahn-dah — Past tense of demander meaning asked
- avec
- ah-vek — Preposition meaning with
- quelque
- kel-kuh — Some or a certain amount of something
- âcreté
- ah-kruh-tay — Sharpness or bitterness of tone or manner
- Pour
- poor — Preposition meaning for or in order to
- homme
- ohm — A man or human being
- à
- ah — Preposition meaning to, at, or in
- esprit
- es-pree — Mind, wit, or spirit of a person
- précisément
- pray-see-zay-mahn — Precisely or exactly as stated
- scientifique
- syahn-tee-feek — Scientific or relating to science
- œuvre
- uh-vruh — Work or body of artistic or intellectual output
- de
- duh — Preposition meaning of, from, or about
- Monsieur
- muh-syuh — Polite title for a man meaning mister or sir
- doit
- dwah — Third person singular of devoir meaning must or should
- toujours
- too-zhoor — Always or still in time expressions
- exercer
- ex-ehr-say — To exercise, exert, or practice something
- un
- uhn — Masculine indefinite article meaning a or an
- grand
- grahn — Large, great, or significant in degree
- attrait
- ah-treh — Attraction or appeal toward something
- N'
- n — Elided negation particle ne before vowels
- auriez
- oh-ryay — Second person plural conditional of avoir meaning would have
- pas
- pah — Negation word meaning not in French sentences
- mieux
- myuh — Better or best comparative adverb
- fait
- feh — Past participle of faire meaning done or made
- consulter
- kohn-suhl-tay — To consult or seek advice from someone
- alors
- ah-lor — Then, so, or at that time
- J'
- zh — Elided first person pronoun je before vowels
- ai
- ay — First person singular of avoir meaning have
- dit
- dee — Past participle of dire meaning said
- pour
- poor — Preposition meaning for or in order to
- Mais
- meh — Conjunction meaning but indicating contrast
- tant
- tahn — So much or as long as in clauses
- qu'
- k — Elided conjunction que before vowels meaning that
- pratique
- prah-teek — Practice or practical application of something
- des
- day — Plural indefinite article meaning some or of the
- affaires
- ah-fehr — Affairs, matters, or business dealings
- il
- eel — Third person masculine singular pronoun meaning he or it
- est
- eh — Third person singular of être meaning is
- reconnu
- ruh-koh-nü — Recognized or acknowledged as something
- sans
- sahn — Preposition meaning without
- égal
- ay-gahl — Equal or without equal meaning unmatched
- espère
- es-pehr — First person singular of espérer meaning hope
- n'
- n — Elided negation particle ne before vowels
- par
- pahr — Preposition meaning by, through, or per
- inadvertance
- ee-nahd-vehr-tahns — Inadvertence or an unintentional oversight or mistake
- Juste
- zhüst — Just, fair, or exactly right
- peu
- puh — A little or a small amount of something
- Je
- zhuh — First person singular pronoun meaning I
- pense
- pahns — First person singular of penser meaning think
- agiriez
- ah-zhee-ryay — Second person plural conditional of agir meaning would act
- sagement
- sahzh-mahn — Wisely or sensibly in behavior or judgment
- si
- see — If or so in conditional or emphatic clauses
- plus
- plü — More or no longer depending on context
- cérémonie
- say-ray-moh-nee — Ceremony or formality in behavior or protocol
- vouliez
- voo-lyay — Second person plural imperfect of vouloir meaning wanted
- bien
- byahn — Well or good used as adverb or adjective
- me
- muh — First person singular object pronoun meaning me
- dire
- deer — Infinitive meaning to say or to tell
- clairement
- klehr-mahn — Clearly or in a clear and understandable manner
- quelle
- kel — Feminine interrogative adjective meaning what or which
- la
- lah — Feminine definite article meaning the
- nature
- nah-tür — Nature or the essential character of something
- exacte
- ex-ahkt — Exact or precise in detail or description
- du
- dü — Contraction of de le meaning of the
- problème
- proh-blem — Problem or difficulty requiring a solution
- lequel
- luh-kel — Relative pronoun meaning which or for which
- sollicitez
- soh-lee-see-tay — Second person plural of solliciter meaning request or seek
- mon
- mohn — First person singular masculine possessive meaning my
- aide
- ehd — Help or assistance given to someone
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