The Tale of Benjamin Bunny — Page 4

English → Fr Full Text Level 1/10

[Illustration]

They got amongst flower-pots, and frames, and tubs.

Ils se retrouvèrent parmi des pots de fleurs, des châssis et des bacs.

Peter heard noises worse than ever; his eyes were as big as lolly-pops!

Pierre entendait des bruits pires que jamais ; ses yeux étaient grands comme des sucettes !

He was a step or two in front of his cousin when he suddenly stopped.

Il avait un pas ou deux d'avance sur son cousin lorsqu'il s'arrêta brusquement.

This is what those little rabbits saw round that corner!

Voici ce que ces petits lapins virent au détour de ce coin !

Little Benjamin took one look, and then, in half a minute less than no time, he hid himself and Peter and the onions underneath a large basket....

Le petit Benjamin jeta un coup d'œil, et puis, en moins de temps qu'il n'en faut pour le dire, il se cacha ainsi que Pierre et les oignons sous un grand panier...

[Illustration]

The cat got up and stretched herself, and came and sniffed at the basket.

La chatte se leva et s'étira, puis vint renifler le panier.

Perhaps she liked the smell of onions!

Peut-être aimait-elle l'odeur des oignons !

Anyway, she sat down upon the top of the basket.

Quoi qu'il en soit, elle s'assit sur le dessus du panier.

She sat there for _five hours_.

Elle y resta assise pendant _cinq heures_.

I cannot draw you a picture of Peter and Benjamin underneath the basket, because it was quite dark, and because the smell of onions was fearful; it made Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin cry.

Je ne puis vous dessiner Pierre et Benjamin sous le panier, car il faisait très sombre, et parce que l'odeur des oignons était épouvantable ; elle fit pleurer Pierre Lapin et le petit Benjamin.

The sun got round behind the wood, and it was quite late in the afternoon; but still the cat sat upon the basket.

Le soleil passa derrière le bois, et il était déjà tard dans l'après-midi ; mais la chatte était toujours assise sur le panier.

[Illustration]

At length there was a pitter-patter, pitter-patter, and some bits of mortar fell from the wall above.

Enfin on entendit un trottinement, trottinement, et quelques morceaux de mortier tombèrent du mur au-dessus.

The cat looked up and saw old Mr. Benjamin Bunny prancing along the top of the wall of the upper terrace.

La chatte leva les yeux et vit le vieux Monsieur Benjamin Lapin qui caracolait le long du sommet du mur de la terrasse supérieure.

He was smoking a pipe of rabbit-tobacco, and had a little switch in his hand.

Il fumait une pipe de tabac de lapin, et tenait une petite badine à la main.

He was looking for his son.

Il cherchait son fils.

Old Mr. Bunny had no opinion whatever of cats.

Le vieux Monsieur Lapin n'avait absolument aucune estime pour les chats.

Vocabulary

Ils: Third person plural masculine pronoun meaning 'they'.
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'themselves' or 'each other'.
retrouvèrent: Past tense of 'retrouver'; they found themselves again.
parmi: Preposition meaning 'among' or 'amid'.
des: Indefinite plural article meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
pots: Plural of 'pot'; containers for plants or cooking.
de: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
fleurs: Plural noun meaning 'flowers'.
châssis: Frames or window frames used in gardening or construction.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and'.
bacs: Large tubs or troughs used for plants or storage.
entendait: Imperfect tense of 'entendre'; he was hearing or could hear.
bruits: Plural noun meaning 'noises' or 'sounds'.
pires: Comparative/superlative adjective meaning 'worse' or 'worst'.
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'than', or 'which'.
jamais: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever'.
ses: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its' (plural).
yeux: Plural noun meaning 'eyes'.
étaient: Imperfect tense of 'être'; they were.
grands: Adjective meaning 'big', 'large', or 'wide'.
comme: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'like', 'as', or 'how'.
sucettes: Plural noun meaning 'lollipops' or 'pacifiers'.
Il: Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
avait: Imperfect tense of 'avoir'; he had or there was.
un: Indefinite masculine article or number meaning 'a' or 'one'.
pas: Noun meaning 'step'; also negation particle with 'ne'.
ou: Conjunction meaning 'or'.
deux: Number meaning 'two'.
d': Contracted preposition 'de' meaning 'of' or 'from'.
avance: Noun or verb form meaning 'advance' or 'lead ahead'.
sur: Preposition meaning 'on', 'upon', or 'over'.
son: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
cousin: Noun meaning 'cousin', a relative.
lorsqu': Conjunction meaning 'when', used before a vowel.
il: Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
s': Reflexive pronoun 'se' contracted before a vowel.
arrêta: Past tense of 'arrêter'; he stopped suddenly.
brusquement: Adverb meaning 'abruptly', 'suddenly', or 'sharply'.
Voici: Presentative meaning 'here is' or 'here are'.
ce: Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that'.
ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'.
petits: Adjective meaning 'small' or 'little' in masculine plural.
lapins: Plural noun meaning 'rabbits'.
virent: Past tense of 'voir'; they saw.
au: Contracted article 'à le' meaning 'at the' or 'to the'.
détour: Noun meaning 'bend', 'turn', or 'detour' in a path.
coin: Noun meaning 'corner' or 'nook'.
Le: Definite masculine singular article meaning 'the'.
petit: Adjective meaning 'small', 'little', or 'young'.
jeta: Past tense of 'jeter'; he threw or cast a glance.
coup: Noun meaning 'blow', 'hit', or 'glance' in expressions.
œil: Noun meaning 'eye'; 'coup d'œil' means a quick glance.
puis: Adverb meaning 'then', 'next', or 'afterwards'.
en: Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in', 'on', or 'of it'.
moins: Adverb meaning 'less'; used in comparisons.
temps: Noun meaning 'time' or 'weather'.
qu': Conjunction 'que' contracted before a vowel meaning 'than/that'.
n': Negation particle 'ne' contracted before a vowel.
faut: From 'falloir'; impersonal verb meaning 'it takes' or 'must'.
pour: Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to'.
le: Definite masculine singular article or pronoun meaning 'the/it'.
dire: Infinitive verb meaning 'to say' or 'to tell'.
cacha: Past tense of 'cacher'; he hid or concealed something.
ainsi: Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
les: Definite plural article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'them'.
oignons: Plural noun meaning 'onions'.
sous: Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'.
grand: Adjective meaning 'big', 'large', or 'great'.
panier: Noun meaning 'basket'.
La: Definite feminine singular article meaning 'the'.
chatte: Feminine noun meaning 'female cat'.
leva: Past tense of 'lever'; she lifted or raised herself.
étira: Past tense of 'étirer'; she stretched her body out.
vint: Past tense of 'venir'; she came.
renifler: Infinitive verb meaning 'to sniff' or 'to smell'.
Peut: From 'pouvoir'; 'peut-être' means 'perhaps' or 'maybe'.
être: Infinitive verb meaning 'to be'.
aimait: Imperfect tense of 'aimer'; she liked or loved.
elle: Third person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she' or 'her'.
l': Definite article 'le' or 'la' contracted before a vowel.
odeur: Noun meaning 'smell', 'odor', or 'scent'.
Quoi: Pronoun meaning 'what'; used in questions or exclamations.
soit: Subjunctive of 'être'; meaning 'be' or 'whatever it may be'.
assit: Past tense of 's'asseoir'; she sat down.
dessus: Adverb or preposition meaning 'on top', 'above', or 'on it'.
du: Contracted article 'de le' meaning 'of the' or 'some'.
Elle: Third person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'.
y: Pronoun meaning 'there' or replacing a location phrase.
resta: Past tense of 'rester'; she stayed or remained.
assise: Past participle of 's'asseoir' (feminine); seated or sitting.
pendant: Preposition meaning 'during' or 'for' a period of time.
_cinq heures_: Noun phrase meaning 'five hours', a duration of time.
Je: First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
ne: Negation particle used with 'pas', 'jamais', etc.
vous: Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'.
dessiner: Infinitive verb meaning 'to draw' or 'to sketch'.
car: Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'.
faisait: Imperfect tense of 'faire'; it was or it made.
très: Adverb meaning 'very'.
sombre: Adjective meaning 'dark', 'dim', or 'gloomy'.
parce: Part of 'parce que', conjunction meaning 'because'.
était: Imperfect tense of 'être'; it was or she was.
épouvantable: Adjective meaning 'dreadful', 'terrible', or 'appalling'.
fit: Past tense of 'faire'; he made or caused something.
pleurer: Infinitive verb meaning 'to cry' or 'to weep'.
Lapin: Noun meaning 'rabbit'.
soleil: Noun meaning 'sun'.
passa: Past tense of 'passer'; it passed or went by.
derrière: Preposition meaning 'behind' or 'at the back of'.
bois: Noun meaning 'woods', 'forest', or 'wood' (material).
déjà: Adverb meaning 'already'.
tard: Adverb meaning 'late'.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in', 'inside', or 'within'.
après: Preposition meaning 'after' or 'afterwards'.
midi: Noun meaning 'noon' or 'midday'.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but'.
la: Definite feminine singular article meaning 'the'.
toujours: Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still'.
Enfin: Adverb meaning 'finally', 'at last', or 'well'.
on: Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one', 'we', or 'people'.
entendit: Past tense of 'entendre'; one heard or they heard.
trottinement: Noun meaning 'pattering' or 'the sound of small quick steps'.
quelques: Adjective meaning 'a few' or 'some'.
morceaux: Plural noun meaning 'pieces', 'bits', or 'chunks'.
mortier: Noun meaning 'mortar', used in masonry or cooking.
tombèrent: Past tense of 'tomber'; they fell down.
mur: Noun meaning 'wall'.
vit: Past tense of 'voir'; he/she saw.
vieux: Adjective meaning 'old' (masculine).
Monsieur: Title meaning 'Mister' or 'sir', used for adult men.
qui: Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'.
caracolait: Imperfect of 'caracoler'; he pranced or moved jauntily about.
long: Adjective meaning 'long'; 'le long de' means 'along'.
sommet: Noun meaning 'top', 'summit', or 'peak'.
terrasse: Noun meaning 'terrace' or 'flat raised outdoor area'.
supérieure: Adjective meaning 'upper', 'higher', or 'superior' (feminine).
fumait: Imperfect of 'fumer'; he was smoking.
une: Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
pipe: Noun meaning 'pipe', used for smoking tobacco.
tabac: Noun meaning 'tobacco'.
lapin: Noun meaning 'rabbit'.
tenait: Imperfect of 'tenir'; he was holding or kept.
petite: Adjective meaning 'small' or 'little' (feminine).
badine: Noun meaning 'switch' or 'thin cane' used as a stick.
à: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
main: Noun meaning 'hand'.
cherchait: Imperfect of 'chercher'; he was looking for or seeking.
fils: Noun meaning 'son'.
absolument: Adverb meaning 'absolutely' or 'completely'.
aucune: Negative adjective meaning 'no' or 'none' (feminine).
estime: Noun meaning 'esteem', 'respect', or 'regard'.
chats: Plural noun meaning 'cats'.

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