The Scarlet Letter — Page 6
In my native town of Salem, at the head of what, half a century ago, in the days of old King Derby, was a bustling wharf,—but which is now burdened with decayed wooden warehouses, and exhibits few or no symptoms of commercial life; except, perhaps, a bark or brig, half-way down its melancholy length, discharging hides; or, nearer at hand, a Nova Scotia schooner, pitching out her cargo of firewood,—at the head, I say, of this dilapidated wharf, which the tide often overflows, and along which, at the base and in the rear of the row of buildings, the track of many languid years is seen in a border of unthrifty grass,—here, with a view from its front windows adown this not very enlivening prospect, and thence across the harbor, stands a spacious edifice of brick.
Dans ma ville natale de Salem, à l'extrémité de ce qui était, il y a un demi-siècle, au temps du vieux roi Derby, un quai animé,—mais qui est maintenant encombré d'entrepôts en bois délabrés, et ne présente que peu ou pas de signes de vie commerciale ; excepté, peut-être, une barque ou un brick, à mi-chemin de sa longueur mélancolique, déchargeant des peaux ; ou, plus proche, une goélette de Nouvelle-Écosse, déversant sa cargaison de bois de chauffage,—à l'extrémité, dis-je, de ce quai délabré, que la marée submerge souvent, et le long duquel, à la base et à l'arrière de la rangée de bâtiments, le passage de nombreuses années languissantes se lit dans une bordure d'herbe chétive,—ici, avec une vue depuis ses fenêtres de façade sur cette perspective peu réjouissante, et de là sur tout le port, s'élève un vaste édifice de brique.
From the loftiest point of its roof, during precisely three and a half hours of each forenoon, floats or droops, in breeze or calm, the banner of the republic; but with the thirteen stripes turned vertically, instead of horizontally, and thus indicating that a civil, and not a military post of Uncle Sam's government is here established.
Du point le plus élevé de son toit, pendant précisément trois heures et demie de chaque matinée, flotte ou s'affaisse, par brise ou par calme, la bannière de la république ; mais avec les treize bandes disposées verticalement, au lieu d'horizontalement, indiquant ainsi qu'un poste civil, et non militaire, du gouvernement de l'Oncle Sam est ici établi.
Its front is ornamented with a portico of half a dozen wooden pillars, supporting a balcony, beneath which a flight of wide granite steps descends towards the street.
Sa façade est ornée d'un portique d'une demi-douzaine de piliers en bois, soutenant un balcon, sous lequel un perron de larges marches en granit descend vers la rue.
Vocabulary
- ville
- A town or city where people live
- natale
- Relating to the place of one's birth
- extrémité
- The far end or outermost tip of something
- y
- Pronoun meaning 'there' or replacing a place phrase
- demi-siècle
- A period of fifty years; half a century
- temps
- Time, era, or weather depending on context
- vieux
- Adjective meaning old, aged, or ancient
- roi
- A male monarch who rules a kingdom
- quai
- A wharf or platform beside water for loading ships
- animé
- Lively, busy, or full of activity
- maintenant
- Adverb meaning 'now' or 'at the present time'
- encombré
- Cluttered, congested, or blocked by obstacles
- entrepôts
- Warehouses used for storing goods or merchandise
- bois
- Wood as a material, or a small forest
- délabrés
- Dilapidated, run-down, or in a state of disrepair
- présente
- To present, show, or display something to someone
- peu
- A small amount or few; not much or many
- signes
- Signs, signals, or indicators of something
- vie
- Life, existence, or the state of being alive
- commerciale
- Related to trade, business, or commerce
- excepté
- Except for, excluding, or with the exception of
- peut-être
- Adverb meaning 'perhaps,' 'maybe,' or 'possibly'
- barque
- A small sailing boat or bark vessel
- brick
- A two-masted sailing ship with square rigging
- mi-chemin
- Halfway along a distance or journey
- longueur
- The length or extent of something measured linearly
- mélancolique
- Sad, melancholic, or expressing deep sorrow
- déchargeant
- Unloading cargo or goods from a vehicle or vessel
- peaux
- Plural of 'peau'; skins, hides, or pelts
- proche
- Nearby, close in distance or relationship
- goélette
- A schooner; a two-masted sailing vessel
- déversant
- Pouring out or unloading a large quantity
- cargaison
- Cargo or freight carried by a ship or vehicle
- chauffage
- Heating; fuel or system used to warm a space
- dis-je
- 'Say I'; first-person interjection in narration
- délabré
- Rundown, decayed, or falling into disrepair
- marée
- The tide; the rise and fall of sea level
- submerge
- To flood or cover completely with water
- souvent
- Adverb meaning 'often' or 'frequently'
- long
- Long in extent; also used in 'le long de' (along)
- duquel
- Relative pronoun meaning 'of which' or 'from which'
- base
- The bottom part or foundation supporting a structure
- arrière
- The back or rear part of something
- rangée
- A row or line of objects or people
- bâtiments
- Buildings or structures used for various purposes
- passage
- A passageway, corridor, or act of passing through
- nombreuses
- Numerous, many, or a large number of things
- années
- Years; plural of 'année,' a unit of time
- languissantes
- Languishing, sluggish, or lacking energy and vigor
- lit
- A bed for sleeping; also third-person of 'lire' (reads)
- bordure
- A border, edge, or strip along something
- herbe
- Grass or an herb; green plant growth
- chétive
- Weak, feeble, or puny in appearance or growth
- ici
- Adverb meaning 'here,' referring to this place
- vue
- A view, sight, or the act of seeing
- depuis
- Preposition meaning 'since' or 'from' in time or place
- fenêtres
- Windows; openings in a wall fitted with glass
- façade
- The front face or exterior of a building
- perspective
- A view or outlook; visual scene seen from a point
- réjouissante
- Cheerful, delightful, or making one feel joyful
- là
- Adverb meaning 'there,' referring to that place
- tout
- All, every, or entirely; a word of totality
- port
- A harbor where ships dock and load cargo
- élève
- Rises or ascends; also means 'student' as a noun
- vaste
- Vast, large, or extensive in size or scope
- édifice
- A large impressive building or structure
- brique
- Brick; a rectangular block used in construction
- point
- A point, spot, or specific location
- élevé
- High, elevated, or raised up above a surface
- toit
- A roof; the top covering of a building
- pendant
- During; also 'hanging' as an adjective
- précisément
- Precisely, exactly, or specifically at a stated moment
- heures
- Hours; units of time or times of day
- demie
- Half; used in time expressions like 'half past'
- chaque
- Each or every individual item in a group
- matinée
- Morning; the early part of the day
- flotte
- Floats; also means 'fleet' of ships or aircraft
- affaisse
- Sags, droops, or collapses under its own weight
- brise
- A gentle breeze or light wind
- calme
- Calm, quiet, or peaceful; absence of agitation
- bannière
- A banner or flag displayed as a symbol
- république
- A republic; a state governed by elected representatives
- bandes
- Stripes, bands, or strips of color or material
- disposées
- Arranged, placed, or set in a particular order
- verticalement
- Vertically; in an upright or perpendicular direction
- lieu
- Place, location; used in 'au lieu de' (instead of)
- horizontalement
- Horizontally; in a flat, level direction
- indiquant
- Indicating or showing a fact or direction
- ainsi
- Thus, so, or in this manner
- poste
- A post, position, or office of duty
- civil
- Civil; relating to citizens or non-military affairs
- militaire
- Military; related to armed forces or soldiers
- gouvernement
- Government; the body that rules a country
- Oncle
- Uncle; the brother of one's parent
- établi
- Established, set up, or put in place officially
- ornée
- Adorned or decorated with ornamental details
- portique
- A portico; a porch with columns at an entrance
- demi-douzaine
- Half a dozen; a group of six items
- piliers
- Pillars or columns supporting a structure above
- soutenant
- Supporting or holding up something structurally
- balcon
- A balcony; a platform projecting from a building's exterior
- sous
- Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath' something
- lequel
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom' (masculine)
- perron
- A flight of steps at a building's main entrance
- larges
- Wide, broad, or large in extent or size
- marches
- Steps of a staircase; also means 'marches' (walking)
- granit
- Granite; a hard stone used in construction
- descend
- Goes down, descends, or leads downward
- vers
- Toward or in the direction of something
- rue
- A street or road in a town or city
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