The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 7
The first division contains the married men, who in their dances frequently exhibit feats of arms, and the representation of a battle.
La première division contient les hommes mariés, qui dans leurs danses exhibent fréquemment des exploits d'armes, et la représentation d'une bataille.
To these succeed the married women, who dance in the second division.
Viennent ensuite les femmes mariées, qui dansent dans la deuxième division.
The young men occupy the third; and the maidens the fourth.
Les jeunes hommes occupent la troisième ; et les jeunes filles la quatrième.
Each represents some interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and as the subject is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new.
Chacune représente quelque scène intéressante de la vie réelle, telle qu'un grand exploit, une occupation domestique, une histoire pathétique, ou quelque divertissement champêtre ; et comme le sujet est généralement fondé sur quelque événement récent, il est donc toujours nouveau.
This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen elsewhere[B].
Cela confère à nos danses un esprit et une variété que je n'ai guère vus ailleurs[B].
We have many musical instruments, particularly drums of different kinds, a piece of music which resembles a guitar, and another much like a stickado.
Nous avons de nombreux instruments de musique, notamment des tambours de différentes sortes, un instrument qui ressemble à une guitare, et un autre qui ressemble beaucoup à un stickado.
These last are chiefly used by betrothed virgins, who play on them on all grand festivals.
Ces derniers sont principalement utilisés par les jeunes filles fiancées, qui en jouent lors de toutes les grandes fêtes.
As our manners are simple, our luxuries are few.
Comme nos mœurs sont simples, nos luxes sont peu nombreux.
The dress of both sexes is nearly the same.
La tenue des deux sexes est presque la même.
It generally consists of a long piece of callico, or muslin, wrapped loosely round the body, somewhat in the form of a highland plaid.
Elle consiste généralement en un long morceau de calicot, ou de mousseline, enroulé lâchement autour du corps, un peu à la manière d'un plaid des Highlands.
This is usually dyed blue, which is our favourite colour.
Celui-ci est généralement teint en bleu, qui est notre couleur favorite.
It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and richer than any I have seen in Europe.
Il est extrait d'une baie, et est plus éclatant et plus riche que tout ce que j'ai vu en Europe.
Besides this, our women of distinction wear golden ornaments; which they dispose with some profusion on their arms and legs.
Outre cela, nos femmes de distinction portent des ornements en or ; qu'elles disposent avec quelque profusion sur leurs bras et leurs jambes.
Vocabulary
- première
- First; feminine form of 'premier'
- division
- Division; a separated group or section
- contient
- Contains; holds within itself
- hommes
- Men; adult male human beings
- mariés
- Married; legally united in matrimony
- leurs
- Their; possessive adjective for plural owners
- danses
- Dances; rhythmic movements performed to music
- exhibent
- Exhibit; display or show something publicly
- fréquemment
- Frequently; happening often or repeatedly
- exploits
- Feats; remarkable or heroic achievements
- armes
- Arms; weapons used in combat or warfare
- représentation
- Representation; depiction or portrayal of something
- bataille
- Battle; a fight between opposing armed forces
- Viennent
- Come; third-person plural of 'venir'
- ensuite
- Then; next in sequence or order
- femmes
- Women; adult female human beings
- mariées
- Married women; females united in matrimony
- dansent
- Dance; third-person plural present of 'danser'
- deuxième
- Second; the ordinal number following first
- jeunes
- Young people; those who are youthful
- occupent
- Occupy; take up or fill a position
- troisième
- Third; ordinal number following second
- filles
- Girls; young female persons or daughters
- quatrième
- Fourth; ordinal number following third
- Chacune
- Each one; feminine pronoun referring to every individual
- représente
- Represents; depicts or stands for something
- quelque
- Some; an unspecified or indefinite amount
- scène
- Scene; a depicted moment or setting
- intéressante
- Interesting; capturing attention or curiosity
- vie
- Life; the state of being alive
- réelle
- Real; actually existing, not imaginary
- telle
- Such; of that kind or degree
- grand
- Great; large in size, scale, or importance
- exploit
- Feat; a notable or heroic achievement
- occupation
- Occupation; an activity or task one performs
- domestique
- Domestic; relating to the home or household
- histoire
- Story or history; a narrative of events
- pathétique
- Pathetic; evoking sadness, pity, or emotion
- divertissement
- Entertainment; amusement or recreational activity
- champêtre
- Rural; relating to the countryside or pastoral life
- sujet
- Subject; the main topic or theme of something
- généralement
- Generally; in most cases or usually
- fondé
- Founded or based; established on a particular basis
- événement
- Event; something that happens or takes place
- récent
- Recent; having happened not long ago
- donc
- Therefore; indicating a logical conclusion or result
- toujours
- Always; at all times or still ongoing
- nouveau
- New; recently made, different from before
- Cela
- That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something
- confère
- Confers; grants or bestows a quality
- esprit
- Spirit or mind; intellect or mental liveliness
- variété
- Variety; diversity or range of different things
- guère
- Hardly; scarcely or barely at all
- vus
- Seen; past participle of 'voir'
- ailleurs
- Elsewhere; in or to another place
- nombreux
- Numerous; existing in large numbers
- instruments
- Instruments; tools or devices used for music
- musique
- Music; organized sound for artistic expression
- notamment
- Notably; in particular or especially
- tambours
- Drums; percussion instruments struck to make sound
- différentes
- Different; not the same, varied in kind
- sortes
- Sorts or kinds; types or varieties of things
- instrument
- Instrument; a tool or device producing music
- ressemble
- Resembles; looks or seems similar to something
- guitare
- Guitar; a stringed musical instrument
- beaucoup
- Much or many; a large amount or number
- derniers
- The latter; the last-mentioned ones
- principalement
- Mainly; chiefly or above all else
- utilisés
- Used; employed for a particular purpose
- fiancées
- Fiancées; women engaged to be married
- jouent
- Play; third-person plural of 'jouer'
- lors
- During; at the time of an event
- grandes
- Great or large; feminine plural of 'grand'
- fêtes
- Festivals or celebrations; festive gatherings
- mœurs
- Customs or morals; social habits and practices
- simples
- Simple; not complicated or elaborate
- luxes
- Luxuries; things beyond basic necessities
- peu
- Little or few; a small amount
- tenue
- Attire or dress; clothing worn by a person
- sexes
- Sexes; the two biological categories, male and female
- presque
- Almost; nearly but not quite entirely
- même
- Same; identical or not different
- consiste
- Consists; is made up of particular elements
- long
- Long; extended in length or duration
- morceau
- Piece; a portion or fragment of material
- calicot
- Calico; a plain woven cotton fabric
- mousseline
- Muslin; a lightweight, loosely woven cotton fabric
- enroulé
- Wrapped or rolled; wound around something
- lâchement
- Loosely; in a slack or not tight manner
- autour
- Around; encircling or surrounding something
- corps
- Body; the physical structure of a person
- manière
- Manner; the way in which something is done
- plaid
- Plaid; a large checked woolen cloth or wrap
- Celui-
- That one; demonstrative pronoun referring to masculine noun
- teint
- Dyed or tinted; colored with a particular hue
- bleu
- Blue; the color of the sky or sea
- couleur
- Color; visual property produced by light wavelengths
- favorite
- Favorite; most preferred or liked above others
- extrait
- Extracted; derived or obtained from a source
- baie
- Berry; a small, fleshy fruit from a plant
- éclatant
- Brilliant or vivid; strikingly bright or dazzling
- riche
- Rich; having great wealth or deep intensity
- tout
- All or everything; the entirety of something
- vu
- Seen; past participle of 'voir'
- Outre
- Beyond or besides; in addition to something
- cela
- That; demonstrative pronoun for something previously mentioned
- distinction
- Distinction; a mark of difference or special honor
- portent
- Wear; third-person plural of 'porter'
- ornements
- Ornaments; decorative objects worn or displayed
- or
- Gold; a precious yellow metal used in jewelry
- disposent
- Arrange or place; distribute something in a manner
- profusion
- Profusion; an abundance or large quantity of something
- bras
- Arms; the upper limbs of the human body
- jambes
- Legs; the lower limbs used for walking
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