The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle — Page 3

English → Fr Full Text Level 1/10

The grass was short and green, and there were clothes--props cut from bracken stems, with lines of plaited rushes, and a heap of tiny clothes pins--but no pocket-handkerchiefs!

L'herbe était courte et verte, et il y avait du linge—des supports taillés dans des tiges de fougère, avec des fils de joncs tressés, et un tas de minuscules pinces à linge—mais pas de mouchoirs de poche !

But there was something else--a door! straight into the hill; and inside it some one was singing--

Mais il y avait autre chose—une porte ! droite dans la colline ; et à l'intérieur quelqu'un chantait—

"Lily-white and clean, oh! With little frills between, oh! Smooth and hot--red rusty spot Never here be seen, oh!"

« Blanc comme le lys et propre, oh ! Avec de petits volants entre, oh ! Lisse et chaud—tache rouge et rouillée Jamais ici ne soit vue, oh ! »

Lucie, knocked--once--twice, and interrupted the song.

Lucie frappa—une fois—deux fois, et interrompit la chanson.

A little frightened voice called out "Who's that?"

Une petite voix effrayée s'écria « Qui est là ? »

Lucie opened the door: and what do you think there was inside the hill?--a nice clean kitchen with a flagged floor and wooden beams--just like any other farm kitchen.

Lucie ouvrit la porte : et que pensez-vous qu'il y avait à l'intérieur de la colline ?—une belle cuisine propre avec un sol dallé et des poutres en bois—tout comme n'importe quelle autre cuisine de ferme.

Only the ceiling was so low that Lucie's head nearly touched it; and the pots and pans were small, and so was everything there.

Seulement le plafond était si bas que la tête de Lucie le touchait presque ; et les casseroles et les poêles étaient petites, et il en était de même pour tout ce qui s'y trouvait.

There was a nice hot singey smell; and at the table, with an iron in her hand stood a very stout short person staring anxiously at Lucie.

Il y avait une agréable odeur chaude de brûlé ; et à la table, un fer à la main, se tenait une personne très corpulente et petite qui regardait Lucie avec anxiété.

Her print gown was tucked up, and she was wearing a large apron over her striped petticoat.

Sa robe imprimée était retroussée, et elle portait un grand tablier par-dessus son jupon rayé.

Her little black nose went sniffle, sniffle, snuffle, and her eyes went twinkle, twinkle; and underneath her cap--where Lucie had yellow curls--that little person had PRICKLES!

Son petit nez noir reniflait, reniflait, reniflait, et ses yeux scintillaient, scintillaient ; et sous son bonnet—là où Lucie avait des boucles jaunes—cette petite personne avait des PIQUANTS !

"Who are you?" said Lucie. "Have you seen my pocket-handkins?"

« Qui êtes-vous ? » dit Lucie. « Avez-vous vu mes mouchoirs de poche ? »

The little person made a bob-curtsey--"Oh, yes, if you please'm; my name is Mrs. Tiggy-winkle; oh, yes if you please'm, I'm an excellent clear-starcher!"

La petite personne fit une petite révérence—« Oh, oui, s'il vous plaît madame ; je m'appelle Mme Tiggy-winkle ; oh, oui, s'il vous plaît madame, je suis une excellente amidonneuse ! »

Vocabulary

herbe: Grass or herb; low-growing green plant.
était: Was; third-person singular imperfect of être.
courte: Short; of little length or height.
verte: Green; feminine form of the color green.
y: There; pronoun replacing a previously mentioned place.
avait: Had; third-person singular imperfect of avoir.
linge: Laundry or linen; fabric items to be washed.
supports: Supports or holders; structures that hold things up.
taillés: Cut or carved; shaped by cutting from material.
tiges: Stems or stalks; slender plant supporting structures.
fougère: Fern; a leafy non-flowering vascular plant.
fils: Threads or sons; context here means thin threads.
joncs: Rushes; tall grass-like plants growing near water.
tressés: Braided or woven; interlaced together in a pattern.
tas: Pile or heap; a gathered stack of things.
minuscules: Tiny or minuscule; extremely small in size.
pinces: Pegs or clips; small devices for gripping things.
mouchoirs: Handkerchiefs; small cloths for wiping the nose.
poche: Pocket; small pouch sewn into clothing.
autre: Other or another; indicating a different thing.
chose: Thing; a general object or matter.
porte: Door; an entrance panel that opens and closes.
droite: Right or straight; direction or upright position.
colline: Hill; a raised landform smaller than a mountain.
intérieur: Interior or inside; the inner part of something.
quelqu'un: Someone; an indefinite reference to a person.
chantait: Was singing; imperfect tense of chanter.
Blanc: White; the color white, also means clean.
comme: As or like; comparison conjunction in French.
lys: Lily; a fragrant white flowering plant.
propre: Clean or own; free from dirt or belonging to.
petits: Small or little; plural masculine adjective.
volants: Frills or ruffles; decorative fabric edging on clothing.
entre: Between or among; preposition showing position.
Lisse: Smooth; having an even surface without roughness.
chaud: Warm or hot; having a high temperature.
tache: Stain or spot; a mark of dirt or color.
rouge: Red; the color red.
rouillée: Rusty; covered with or affected by rust.
Jamais: Never; at no time, negation of occurrence.
ici: Here; in this place or location.
soit: Be; subjunctive form of être.
vue: Seen or sight; past participle of voir.
frappa: Knocked or struck; past tense of frapper.
fois: Times; occurrences or instances of an action.
interrompit: Interrupted; past tense of interrompre.
chanson: Song; a musical piece with lyrics and melody.
petite: Small or little; feminine singular adjective.
voix: Voice; the sound produced when speaking or singing.
effrayée: Frightened or scared; feeling or showing fear.
écria: Cried out; past tense of s'écrier.
Qui: Who; interrogative pronoun asking about identity.
là: There; indicating a place or presence.
ouvrit: Opened; past tense of ouvrir.
pensez-vous: Do you think; polite interrogative expression.
belle: Beautiful; feminine adjective meaning pretty or lovely.
cuisine: Kitchen; a room where food is cooked.
sol: Floor or ground; the surface one walks on.
dallé: Flagged or paved; covered with flat stone slabs.
poutres: Beams; large horizontal structural timber supports.
bois: Wood; the hard material from trees.
tout: All or everything; indicating completeness or entirety.
importe: Matters or any; used in n'importe quelle.
quelle: Which or what; feminine interrogative adjective.
ferme: Farm; a property for agricultural activities.
Seulement: Only or however; limiting or contrasting adverb.
plafond: Ceiling; the upper interior surface of a room.
si: So or if; adverb of degree or conditional conjunction.
bas: Low; positioned at a lower level or height.
tête: Head; the upper part of the human body.
touchait: Touched; imperfect tense of toucher.
presque: Almost or nearly; very close to but not quite.
casseroles: Saucepans; cooking pots with handles and lids.
poêles: Frying pans or stoves; cooking vessels or heaters.
étaient: Were; third-person plural imperfect of être.
petites: Small; feminine plural adjective meaning little.
même: Even or same; emphasizing equality or identity.
trouvait: Found or considered; imperfect tense of trouver.
agréable: Pleasant or agreeable; causing enjoyment or satisfaction.
odeur: Smell or odor; a scent perceived by the nose.
chaude: Warm or hot; feminine adjective for warmth.
brûlé: Burned; scorched or singed by heat.
table: Table; a flat-surfaced piece of furniture.
fer: Iron; a metal also used as a clothes iron.
main: Hand; the end part of the arm.
tenait: Was standing or holding; imperfect of tenir.
personne: Person or no one; individual human being.
très: Very; intensifying adverb modifying adjectives.
corpulente: Stout or heavyset; having a large, heavy body.
regardait: Was looking; imperfect tense of regarder.
anxiété: Anxiety; a feeling of worry or nervousness.
robe: Dress; a garment worn by women.
imprimée: Printed; having a pattern printed on fabric.
retroussée: Tucked up; folded or rolled upward.
portait: Was wearing; imperfect tense of porter.
grand: Large or big; considerable in size.
tablier: Apron; a protective garment worn over clothing.
par-dessus: Over; on top of or covering something else.
jupon: Petticoat; an underskirt worn beneath outer clothing.
rayé: Striped; having parallel lines of contrasting color.
petit: Small or little; masculine singular adjective.
nez: Nose; the facial organ used for smelling.
noir: Black; the darkest color.
reniflait: Was sniffing; imperfect tense of renifler.
yeux: Eyes; the organs of sight.
scintillaient: Were twinkling or sparkling; imperfect of scintiller.
sous: Under or beneath; preposition indicating lower position.
bonnet: Bonnet or cap; a cloth hat tied under chin.
où: Where or in which; relative or interrogative adverb.
boucles: Curls or buckles; coiled loops of hair.
jaunes: Yellow; plural adjective for the color yellow.
cette: This; feminine demonstrative adjective.
PIQUANTS: Prickles or spines; sharp pointed projections on skin.
êtes-vous: Are you; inverted interrogative form of être.
dit: Said; past tense of dire.
Avez-vous: Have you; inverted polite interrogative form.
vu: Seen; past participle of voir.
fit: Made or did; past tense of faire.
révérence: Curtsy or bow; a gesture of respectful greeting.
oui: Yes; affirmative response.
plaît: Pleases; used in s'il vous plaît meaning please.
madame: Madam or Mrs.; polite form of address for women.
appelle: Call or am called; first-person singular of appeler.
Mme: Mrs.; abbreviation of Madame, title for women.
suis: Am; first-person singular present of être.
excellente: Excellent; of very high quality or skill.
amidonneuse: Starcher; a person who starches laundry professionally.

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