The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Page 14
The geniality, as was the way of the man, was somewhat theatrical to the eye; but it reposed on genuine feeling.
La cordialité, comme c'était la manière de cet homme, était quelque peu théâtrale aux yeux ; mais elle reposait sur un sentiment sincère.
For these two were old friends, old mates both at school and college, both thorough respectors of themselves and of each other, and what does not always follow, men who thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.
Car ces deux hommes étaient de vieux amis, de vieux camarades à la fois à l'école et à l'université, tous deux profondément respectueux d'eux-mêmes et l'un de l'autre, et ce qui ne va pas toujours de pair, des hommes qui appréciaient sincèrement la compagnie l'un de l'autre.
After a little rambling talk, the lawyer led up to the subject which so disagreeably preoccupied his mind.
Après quelques propos décousus, l'avocat en vint au sujet qui préoccupait si désagréablement son esprit.
"I suppose, Lanyon," said he, "you and I must be the two oldest friends that Henry Jekyll has?"
« Je suppose, Lanyon, dit-il, que vous et moi devons être les deux plus vieux amis qu'ait Henry Jekyll ? »
"I wish the friends were younger," chuckled Dr. Lanyon.
« Je souhaiterais que ces amis fussent plus jeunes », ricana le Dr Lanyon.
"But I suppose we are. And what of that? I see little of him now."
« Mais je suppose que nous le sommes. Et qu'importe ? Je le vois peu désormais. »
"Indeed?" said Utterson. "I thought you had a bond of common interest."
« Vraiment ? » dit Utterson. « Je croyais que vous aviez un lien d'intérêt commun. »
"We had," was the reply.
« C'était le cas », fut la réponse.
"But it is more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me.
« Mais il y a plus de dix ans qu'Henry Jekyll est devenu trop fantasque pour moi.
He began to go wrong, wrong in mind; and though of course I continue to take an interest in him for old sake's sake, as they say, I see and I have seen devilish little of the man.
Il a commencé à dérailler, à dérailler de l'esprit ; et bien que je continue naturellement à m'intéresser à lui par égard pour le passé, comme on dit, je vois et n'ai vu que diablement peu cet homme.
Such unscientific balderdash," added the doctor, flushing suddenly purple, "would have estranged Damon and Pythias."
De telles sottises peu scientifiques », ajouta le docteur, rougissant soudainement jusqu'au pourpre, « auraient brouillé Damon et Pythias. »
This little spirit of temper was somewhat of a relief to Mr. Utterson.
Ce petit accès de mauvaise humeur fut quelque peu un soulagement pour M. Utterson.
Vocabulary
- cordialité
- Warmth and friendliness in manner or attitude
- comme
- As, like; used for comparisons or manner
- était
- Past imperfect of 'être': was, used to be
- manière
- Way, manner, or style of doing something
- homme
- Man; adult male human being
- quelque
- Some, a little, somewhat; used before adjectives
- peu
- Little, not much; indicates small quantity or degree
- théâtrale
- Theatrical; exaggeratedly dramatic in style or behavior
- yeux
- Eyes; plural of œil
- mais
- But; conjunction expressing contrast or opposition
- reposait
- Rested, was based upon; imperfect of reposer
- sentiment
- Feeling, emotion, or inner sense
- sincère
- Sincere, genuine, honest in feeling or expression
- Car
- For, because; conjunction giving a reason
- hommes
- Men; plural of homme
- étaient
- Were; imperfect plural of être
- vieux
- Old; having lived or existed for a long time
- amis
- Friends; people with whom one has a bond
- camarades
- Companions, comrades, fellow members of a group
- fois
- Time, instance; à la fois means at once
- école
- School; institution of learning and education
- université
- University; higher education institution
- tous
- All, every; masculine plural of tout
- profondément
- Deeply, profoundly; to a great degree
- respectueux
- Respectful; showing esteem or deference toward others
- eux-mêmes
- Themselves; emphatic reflexive pronoun for masculine plural
- autre
- Other, another; different from the one mentioned
- toujours
- Always, still; at all times or continuously
- pair
- Pair, peer; aller de pair means to go hand in hand
- appréciaient
- Appreciated, valued; imperfect of apprécier
- sincèrement
- Sincerely, genuinely, in an honest manner
- compagnie
- Company; presence of another person or group
- Après
- After; following in time or order
- quelques
- A few, some; small number of something
- propos
- Remarks, words, comments spoken in conversation
- décousus
- Disjointed, rambling; lacking logical connection or order
- avocat
- Lawyer, attorney; legal professional
- vint
- Came; simple past (passé simple) of venir
- sujet
- Subject, topic; matter being discussed
- préoccupait
- Was preoccupying, worrying; imperfect of préoccuper
- si
- So, if; used for conditions or emphasis
- désagréablement
- Unpleasantly, disagreeably; in a bothersome manner
- esprit
- Mind, spirit, wit; intellectual or mental faculty
- suppose
- Suppose, assume; to think something is likely
- dit-il
- Said he; inverted form used in narration
- devons
- Must, owe; first-person plural present of devoir
- être
- To be; fundamental linking verb in French
- plus
- More, most; comparative or superlative marker
- ait
- Has; third-person singular subjunctive of avoir
- souhaiterais
- Would wish; conditional of souhaiter
- fussent
- Were; imperfect subjunctive plural of être
- jeunes
- Young; plural of jeune
- ricana
- Sneered, sniggered; passé simple of ricaner
- Mais
- But; conjunction marking contrast
- importe
- Matters; n'importe means it doesn't matter
- vois
- See; first-person singular present of voir
- désormais
- From now on, henceforth; indicating future habit
- Vraiment
- Really, truly; expressing surprise or emphasis
- dit
- Said; third-person singular passé simple of dire
- croyais
- Believed, thought; imperfect of croire
- aviez
- Had; second-person plural imperfect of avoir
- lien
- Bond, link, tie connecting people or things
- intérêt
- Interest; attraction to or stake in something
- commun
- Common, shared; belonging to or involving all
- cas
- Case, instance; particular situation or circumstance
- fut
- Was; third-person singular passé simple of être
- réponse
- Answer, reply; response to a question or statement
- y
- There, it; pronoun replacing location or indirect object
- ans
- Years; unit of time for age or duration
- devenu
- Become; past participle of devenir
- trop
- Too, too much; excess beyond acceptable degree
- fantasque
- Whimsical, erratic; behaving in unpredictable odd ways
- commencé
- Begun, started; past participle of commencer
- dérailler
- To go off the rails; to lose one's mind
- bien
- Well, good; adverb of manner or degree
- continue
- Continues; third-person singular present of continuer
- naturellement
- Naturally, of course; in a natural manner
- intéresser
- To interest, to concern; to capture one's attention
- égard
- Regard, respect; consideration shown toward someone
- passé
- Past; time that has already gone by
- on
- One, we, they; indefinite subject pronoun
- vu
- Seen; past participle of voir
- diablement
- Devilishly, damnably; used as strong intensifier
- telles
- Such; feminine plural demonstrative adjective
- sottises
- Foolishness, nonsense; stupid or absurd ideas
- scientifiques
- Scientific; relating to science or scientific method
- ajouta
- Added; passé simple of ajouter
- docteur
- Doctor; person holding medical or academic doctorate
- rougissant
- Blushing, reddening; present participle of rougir
- soudainement
- Suddenly, all at once; in an abrupt manner
- jusqu'
- Until, up to; contracted preposition before vowel
- pourpre
- Purple, crimson; deep red-violet color
- auraient
- Would have; conditional plural of avoir
- brouillé
- Estranged, fallen out; past participle of brouiller
- petit
- Small, little; of reduced size or degree
- accès
- Fit, outburst; sudden episode of emotion
- mauvaise
- Bad, poor; feminine form of mauvais
- humeur
- Mood, humor; emotional state at a given time
- soulagement
- Relief; lessening of pain, worry, or burden
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