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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — Page 2

English → Fr Preface Level 3/10

Yet the old time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as "historical" in the children's library; for the time has come for a series of newer "wonder tales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale.

Pourtant, le conte de fées d'autrefois, ayant servi pendant des générations, peut désormais être classé comme « historique » dans la bibliothèque pour enfants ; car le moment est venu pour une série de nouveaux « contes merveilleux » dans lesquels le génie, le nain et la fée stéréotypés sont éliminés, ainsi que tous les incidents horribles et à faire frémir le sang imaginés par leurs auteurs pour donner une morale effrayante à chaque conte.

Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident.

L'éducation moderne inclut la moralité ; par conséquent, l'enfant moderne ne cherche que le divertissement dans ses contes merveilleux et se passe volontiers de tout incident désagréable.

Having this thought in mind, the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written solely to please children of today.

Ayant cette pensée à l'esprit, l'histoire du « Merveilleux Magicien d'Oz » a été écrite uniquement pour plaire aux enfants d'aujourd'hui.

It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.

Il aspire à être un conte de fées modernisé, dans lequel l'émerveillement et la joie sont conservés et les chagrins et les cauchemars sont laissés de côté.

L. Frank Baum Chicago, April, 1900.

L. Frank Baum Chicago, avril 1900.

Vocabulary

Pourtant
However; nevertheless; used to introduce a contrast.
conte
A short tale or story, often fictional.
fées
Fairies; magical female beings in folklore.
autrefois
In the past; formerly; in earlier times.
ayant
Present participle of 'avoir'; having.
servi
Past participle of 'servir'; served or been used.
pendant
Preposition meaning 'during' or 'for' a period.
générations
Generations; successive groups of people over time.
peut
Third person singular of 'pouvoir'; can, may.
désormais
From now on; henceforth; hereafter.
être
Infinitive verb meaning 'to be'.
classé
Classified; categorized; placed in a category.
comme
As; like; in the manner of.
historique
Historical; relating to or from the past.
bibliothèque
Library; a place where books are kept.
enfants
Children; young people not yet adults.
car
Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'.
moment
A moment; a specific point or period in time.
venu
Past participle of 'venir'; come, arrived.
série
A series; a set or sequence of related things.
nouveaux
Plural masculine form of 'nouveau'; new.
contes
Tales; short stories, often with fantastical elements.
merveilleux
Wonderful; marvelous; filled with wonder and magic.
lesquels
Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom' (plural).
génie
Genie; a magical spirit or supernatural being.
nain
Dwarf; a small mythical humanoid creature.
fée
Fairy; a magical winged creature from folklore.
stéréotypés
Stereotyped; conforming to fixed, oversimplified images.
éliminés
Eliminated; removed; gotten rid of entirely.
ainsi
Thus; so; in this way or manner.
tous
All; every one; the entirety of a group.
incidents
Incidents; events or occurrences within a story.
horribles
Horrible; dreadful; causing horror or disgust.
faire
Infinitive meaning 'to do' or 'to make'.
frémir
To shudder; to tremble with fear or horror.
sang
Blood; the red fluid circulating in the body.
imaginés
Imagined; conceived or invented by the mind.
leurs
Possessive adjective meaning 'their' (plural).
auteurs
Authors; writers who create literary works.
donner
To give; to provide or offer something to someone.
morale
Moral; a lesson or ethical message in a story.
effrayante
Frightening; causing fear or fright.
chaque
Each; every one considered individually.
éducation
Education; the process of learning and being taught.
moderne
Modern; relating to the present or recent times.
inclut
Includes; contains or incorporates something within.
moralité
Morality; principles of right and wrong conduct.
conséquent
Consequently; as a result; therefore.
enfant
Child; a young person, not yet an adult.
cherche
Seeks; looks for; searches for something.
divertissement
Entertainment; amusement; recreational activity.
ses
Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its' (plural).
passe
Does without; manages without; passes over.
volontiers
Willingly; gladly; with pleasure.
tout
All; every; entirely; completely.
incident
An incident; an event, often minor or unpleasant.
désagréable
Unpleasant; disagreeable; not enjoyable or comfortable.
Ayant
Having; present participle of 'avoir' starting a clause.
cette
Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (feminine).
pensée
Thought; idea; a mental reflection or consideration.
esprit
Mind; spirit; intellect or mental capacity.
histoire
Story; history; a narrative or account of events.
Merveilleux
Wonderful; marvelous; extraordinary and astonishing.
Magicien
Magician; a person who performs magic tricks.
été
Past participle of 'être'; been.
écrite
Written; past participle of 'écrire' (feminine form).
uniquement
Solely; only; exclusively for one purpose.
plaire
To please; to give pleasure or satisfaction to.
aujourd'hui
Today; at the present time or day.
aspire
Aspires; aims for; strives toward a goal.
modernisé
Modernized; updated to reflect contemporary standards.
lequel
Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom' (masculine).
émerveillement
Wonder; amazement; a feeling of delighted astonishment.
joie
Joy; happiness; a feeling of great pleasure.
conservés
Preserved; kept intact; maintained without alteration.
chagrins
Sorrows; griefs; feelings of sadness or distress.
cauchemars
Nightmares; frightening dreams experienced during sleep.
laissés
Left; set aside; past participle of 'laisser'.
côté
Side; aspect; 'de côté' means set aside.
avril
April; the fourth month of the year.
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