The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck — Page 3
I would teach it to mind its own business!"
Je lui apprendrais à se mêler de ses affaires !"
"But as to a nest--there is no difficulty: I have a sackful of feathers in my wood-shed.
« Mais quant à un nid, il n'y a aucune difficulté : j'ai un sac plein de plumes dans mon hangar à bois.
No, my dear madam, you will be in nobody's way.
Non, chère madame, vous ne dérangerez personne.
You may sit there as long as you like," said the bushy long-tailed gentleman.
Vous pouvez vous y installer aussi longtemps que vous le souhaitez », dit le gentleman à la longue queue touffue.
He led the way to a very retired, dismal-looking house amongst the fox-gloves.
Il montra le chemin vers une maison très isolée et d'aspect lugubre, parmi les digitales.
It was built of faggots and turf, and there were two broken pails, one on top of another, by way of a chimney.
Elle était construite de fagots et de tourbe, et il y avait deux seaux cassés, l'un sur l'autre, en guise de cheminée.
"This is my summer residence; you would not find my earth--my winter house--so convenient," said the hospitable gentleman.
« Voici ma résidence d'été ; vous ne trouveriez pas mon terrier — ma maison d'hiver — aussi commode », dit le gentleman hospitalier.
There was a tumble-down shed at the back of the house, made of old soap-boxes.
Il y avait une remise délabrée à l'arrière de la maison, faite de vieilles caisses à savon.
The gentleman opened the door, and showed Jemima in.
Le gentleman ouvrit la porte et fit entrer Jemima.
The shed was almost quite full of feathers--it was almost suffocating; but it was comfortable and very soft.
La remise était presque entièrement remplie de plumes — c'était presque suffocant ; mais c'était confortable et très doux.
Jemima Puddle-duck was rather surprised to find such a vast quantity of feathers.
Jemima Flaque-de-canard fut assez surprise de trouver une si grande quantité de plumes.
But it was very comfortable; and she made a nest without any trouble at all.
Mais c'était très confortable ; et elle fit un nid sans aucune difficulté.
When she came out, the sandy whiskered gentleman was sitting on a log reading the newspaper--at least he had it spread out, but he was looking over the top of it.
Quand elle sortit, le gentleman aux favoris couleur sable était assis sur une bûche à lire le journal — du moins il l'avait déplié, mais il regardait par-dessus.
He was so polite, that he seemed almost sorry to let Jemima go home for the night.
Il était si poli qu'il semblait presque désolé de laisser Jemima rentrer chez elle pour la nuit.
He promised to take great care of her nest until she came back again next day.
Il promit de prendre grand soin de son nid jusqu'à ce qu'elle revienne le lendemain.
Vocabulary
- lui
- Third person singular pronoun meaning 'him' or 'her'.
- apprendrais
- Conditional form of 'apprendre': would teach or learn.
- mêler
- To mix or meddle in something; interfere.
- affaires
- Business, matters, or personal affairs.
- quant
- Used in 'quant à', meaning 'as for' or 'regarding'.
- nid
- A nest built by a bird for laying eggs.
- aucune
- No, not any; negative adjective indicating absence.
- difficulté
- A difficulty, problem, or obstacle encountered.
- sac
- A bag or sack used for carrying items.
- plein
- Full, filled, or complete with something.
- plumes
- Feathers, or writing quills used for writing.
- hangar
- A shed or hangar used for storing things.
- bois
- Wood as a material, or a small forest.
- chère
- Dear, beloved; used as an affectionate address.
- madame
- Polite form of address for a woman, meaning 'ma'am'.
- dérangerez
- Future tense of 'déranger': will disturb or bother someone.
- personne
- A person, or in negation, nobody at all.
- y
- Pronoun meaning 'there' or 'in it', replacing a place.
- installer
- To settle in, set up, or install oneself somewhere.
- longtemps
- For a long time; indicating extended duration.
- souhaitez
- Second person plural of 'souhaiter': you wish or desire.
- gentleman
- An English loanword referring to a refined, polite man.
- longue
- Adjective meaning long in length or duration.
- queue
- A tail of an animal, or a waiting line.
- touffue
- Bushy, thick, or densely covered with hair or foliage.
- montra
- Simple past of 'montrer': showed or pointed out.
- chemin
- A path, road, or way leading somewhere.
- vers
- Preposition meaning 'towards' or 'around' a time.
- isolée
- Isolated, remote, or separated from other places or people.
- d'aspect
- Of appearance; used to describe how something looks.
- lugubre
- Gloomy, dismal, or mournful in appearance or atmosphere.
- parmi
- Preposition meaning 'among' or 'amongst' a group.
- digitales
- Foxglove plants with tall spikes of tubular flowers.
- construite
- Past participle of 'construire': built or constructed.
- fagots
- Bundles of sticks or twigs used for fuel.
- tourbe
- Peat, a type of soil used as fuel.
- seaux
- Plural of 'seau': buckets or pails for carrying liquid.
- cassés
- Broken, cracked, or damaged objects.
- l'un
- One of them; used in 'l'un sur l'autre' (stacked).
- guise
- In the guise of; serving as a substitute for something.
- cheminée
- A chimney or fireplace used for heating a home.
- Voici
- Here is or here are; used to present something.
- résidence
- A residence or dwelling place where someone lives.
- d'été
- Of summer; relating to the summer season.
- trouveriez
- Conditional of 'trouver': you would find something.
- terrier
- A burrow or underground den used by animals.
- d'hiver
- Of winter; relating to the winter season.
- commode
- Convenient, comfortable, or suitable for a purpose.
- hospitalier
- Hospitable, welcoming, or generous to guests.
- remise
- A shed or outbuilding used for storing equipment.
- délabrée
- Dilapidated, run-down, or in a state of disrepair.
- l'arrière
- The back or rear part of a place or object.
- vieilles
- Old, aged; feminine plural adjective describing older things.
- caisses
- Crates, boxes, or crates used for storage or transport.
- savon
- Soap used for washing and cleaning.
- ouvrit
- Simple past of 'ouvrir': opened a door or object.
- fit
- Simple past of 'faire': made or caused something.
- entrer
- To enter or go inside a place.
- presque
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'.
- entièrement
- Entirely, completely, or wholly without exception.
- remplie
- Filled or full; past participle of 'remplir'.
- suffocant
- Suffocating, stifling, or extremely hot and airless.
- confortable
- Comfortable, cozy, and pleasant to be in.
- doux
- Soft, gentle, or mild in texture or manner.
- fut
- Simple past of 'être': was (literary past tense).
- assez
- Quite, rather, or enough; modifying degree of something.
- surprise
- Surprised or astonished by an unexpected event or thing.
- trouver
- To find or discover something or someone.
- si
- Adverb meaning 'so' or 'such'; also 'if' as conjunction.
- quantité
- A quantity or amount of something measured.
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without', indicating absence of something.
- sortit
- Simple past of 'sortir': went out or exited.
- favoris
- Sideburns; facial hair grown on the sides of the face.
- couleur
- Color or hue of something visible.
- sable
- Sand; also used to describe a sandy, beige color.
- assis
- Seated, sitting down; past participle of 'asseoir'.
- bûche
- A log of wood, often used as fuel for fire.
- lire
- To read a text, book, or document.
- journal
- A newspaper or daily journal for reading news.
- moins
- Less or fewer; used in comparisons or expressions.
- déplié
- Unfolded or spread open; past participle of 'déplier'.
- regardait
- Imperfect of 'regarder': was looking at or watching.
- par-dessus
- Over or above something; looking over the top.
- poli
- Polite, courteous, or well-mannered in behavior.
- semblait
- Imperfect of 'sembler': seemed or appeared to be.
- désolé
- Sorry, regretful, or saddened by a situation.
- laisser
- To let, allow, or leave someone or something.
- rentrer
- To return home or go back inside.
- chez
- At or to the home of someone.
- nuit
- Night; the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
- promit
- Simple past of 'promettre': promised something to someone.
- prendre
- To take, grab, or pick something up.
- soin
- Care or attention given to someone or something.
- jusqu'à
- Until or up to a certain point in time.
- revienne
- Subjunctive of 'revenir': that she come back.
- lendemain
- The next day or the day after a reference point.
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