The King in Yellow — Page 5
"Is it nonsense," I asked, managing to suppress what I felt, "is it nonsense when he says that the tassets and cuissards of the enamelled suit of armour commonly known as the 'Prince's Emblazoned' can be found among a mass of rusty theatrical properties, broken stoves and ragpicker's refuse in a garret in Pell Street?"
« Est-ce un non-sens, » demandai-je, parvenant à réprimer ce que je ressentais, « est-ce un non-sens quand il affirme que les tassettes et les cuissards de la suite d'armure émaillée communément connue sous le nom de 'l'Emblazoned du Prince' peuvent être trouvés parmi une masse de vieilles ferrailles théâtrales, de poêles cassés et de déchets de chiffonnier dans un grenier de Pell Street ? »
Hawberk's hammer fell to the ground, but he picked it up and asked, with a great deal of calm, how I knew that the tassets and left cuissard were missing from the "Prince's Emblazoned."
Le marteau de Hawberk tomba à terre, mais il le ramassa et demanda, avec beaucoup de calme, comment je savais que les tassettes et le cuissard gauche manquaient à l'« Emblazoned du Prince ».
"I did not know until Mr. Wilde mentioned it to me the other day. He said they were in the garret of 998 Pell Street."
« Je ne le savais pas avant que M. Wilde me l'ait mentionné l'autre jour. Il a dit qu'ils se trouvaient dans le grenier du 998 Pell Street. »
"Nonsense," he cried, but I noticed his hand trembling under his leathern apron.
« Sottises, » s'écria-t-il, mais je remarquai sa main qui tremblait sous son tablier de cuir.
"Is this nonsense too?" I asked pleasantly, "is it nonsense when Mr. Wilde continually speaks of you as the Marquis of Avonshire and of Miss Constance—"
« Est-ce également un non-sens ? » demandai-je aimablement, « est-ce un non-sens quand M. Wilde vous désigne continuellement sous le nom de Marquis d'Avonshire et parle de Mlle Constance— »
I did not finish, for Constance had started to her feet with terror written on every feature.
Je n'achevai pas, car Constance s'était levée d'un bond, la terreur inscrite sur chacun de ses traits.
Hawberk looked at me and slowly smoothed his leathern apron.
Hawberk me regarda et lissa lentement son tablier de cuir.
"That is impossible," he observed, "Mr. Wilde may know a great many things—"
« C'est impossible, » observa-t-il, « M. Wilde peut connaître beaucoup de choses— »
"About armour, for instance, and the 'Prince's Emblazoned,'" I interposed, smiling.
« Sur les armures, par exemple, et l''Emblazoned du Prince', » interposai-je en souriant.
"Yes," he continued, slowly, "about armour also—may be—but he is wrong in regard to the Marquis of Avonshire, who, as you know, killed his wife's traducer years ago, and went to Australia where he did not long survive his wife."
« Oui, » continua-t-il, lentement, « sur les armures aussi—peut-être—mais il a tort en ce qui concerne le Marquis d'Avonshire, qui, comme vous le savez, a tué le calomniateur de sa femme il y a des années, et est parti en Australie où il n'a pas longtemps survécu à sa femme. »
"Mr.
« M.
Vocabulary
- Est
- Is; third person singular of être (to be)
- ce
- This; that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- un
- A; an; indefinite article or number one
- non
- No; not; negation or refusal
- sens
- Sense; direction; meaning or feeling
- demandai
- I asked; first person singular past tense of demander
- je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- parvenant
- Managing; succeeding; present participle of parvenir
- réprimer
- To suppress; to restrain; to hold back
- que
- That; which; what; relative or subordinate conjunction
- ressentais
- I felt; I experienced; imperfect tense of ressentir
- quand
- When; at what time; temporal conjunction
- il
- He; it; third person masculine singular pronoun
- affirme
- Affirms; asserts; third person singular of affirmer
- les
- The; definite article plural or object pronoun
- et
- And; conjunction joining words or clauses
- de
- Of; from; preposition indicating possession or origin
- la
- The; definite article feminine singular
- suite
- Following; continuation; result or sequence
- armure
- Armor; protective suit worn by knights
- communément
- Commonly; usually; in a common manner
- connue
- Known; recognized; past participle of connaître
- sous
- Under; beneath; preposition indicating position below
- le
- The; definite article masculine singular
- nom
- Name; title; noun or designation
- grenier
- Attic; loft; storage space in upper building
- marteau
- Hammer; tool for striking or pounding
- tomba
- Fell; dropped; past tense of tomber
- terre
- Earth; ground; land or soil substance
- mais
- But; however; conjunction expressing contrast
- ramassa
- Picked up; gathered; past tense of ramasser
- avec
- With; accompanied by; preposition showing association
- beaucoup
- Much; many; a large amount or quantity
- calme
- Calm; peaceful; tranquil or composed
- comment
- How; in what way; interrogative adverb
- savais
- I knew; I was aware; imperfect of savoir
- gauche
- Left; awkward; direction or clumsy manner
- manquaient
- Were missing; lacked; imperfect of manquer
- ne
- Not; negation particle in French
- pas
- Not; step; negation or footstep
- avant
- Before; in front of; preposition or adverb
- me
- Me; myself; first person object pronoun
- ait
- Has; subjunctive form of avoir (to have)
- mentionné
- Mentioned; stated; past participle of mentionner
- autre
- Other; another; different person or thing
- jour
- Day; daylight; twenty-four hour period
- dit
- Says; said; past tense or third person of dire
- qu
- That; which; abbreviated form of que
- ils
- They; third person masculine plural pronoun
- se
- Themselves; reflexive pronoun for third person
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