The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 3
"Oh, good heavens! who ever heard of such an idea?"
« Oh, grand Dieu ! qui a jamais entendu parler d'une telle idée ? »
"A little too self-evident."
« Un peu trop évidente. »
"Ha! ha! ha—ha! ha! ha!—ho! ho! ho!" roared our visitor, profoundly amused, "oh, Dupin, you will be the death of me yet!"
« Ha ! ha ! ha — ha ! ha ! ha ! — ho ! ho ! ho ! » rugit notre visiteur, profondément amusé, « oh, Dupin, vous serez ma mort à la fin ! »
"And what, after all, is the matter on hand?" I asked.
« Et quelle est, après tout, l'affaire en question ? » demandai-je.
"Why, I will tell you," replied the Prefect, as he gave a long, steady and contemplative puff, and settled himself in his chair.
« Eh bien, je vais vous le dire, » répondit le Préfet, tout en tirant une longue bouffée lente et méditative, et en s'installant dans son fauteuil.
"I will tell you in a few words; but, before I begin, let me caution you that this is an affair demanding the greatest secrecy, and that I should most probably lose the position I now hold, were it known that I confided it to any one."
« Je vais vous le dire en quelques mots ; mais, avant de commencer, permettez-moi de vous avertir qu'il s'agit d'une affaire exigeant le plus grand secret, et que je perdrais très probablement le poste que j'occupe actuellement, s'il était su que je l'ai confié à qui que ce soit. »
"Proceed," said I.
« Continuez, » dis-je.
"Or not," said Dupin.
« Ou non, » dit Dupin.
"Well, then; I have received personal information, from a very high quarter, that a certain document of the last importance has been purloined from the royal apartments.
« Eh bien donc ; j'ai reçu des informations personnelles, de très haut lieu, qu'un certain document de la plus haute importance a été dérobé des appartements royaux.
The individual who purloined it is known; this beyond a doubt; he was seen to take it.
L'individu qui l'a dérobé est connu ; cela ne fait aucun doute ; on l'a vu le prendre.
It is known, also, that it still remains in his possession."
On sait également qu'il se trouve toujours en sa possession. »
"How is this known?" asked Dupin.
« Comment le sait-on ? » demanda Dupin.
"It is clearly inferred," replied the Prefect, "from the nature of the document, and from the non-appearance of certain results which would at once arise from its passing out of the robber's possession; that is to say, from his employing it as he must design in the end to employ it.
« Cela se déduit clairement, » répondit le Préfet, « de la nature du document, et de la non-apparition de certains résultats qui découleraient immédiatement de sa sortie des mains du voleur ; c'est-à-dire, de l'usage qu'il doit avoir l'intention d'en faire en fin de compte.
Vocabulary
- Oh
- Exclamation expressing surprise or emotion.
- grand
- Large, great, or important in size or degree.
- Dieu
- God; the supreme divine being.
- qui
- Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning who or that.
- a
- Third-person singular form of avoir, meaning has.
- jamais
- Never, or ever; used in negation or questions.
- entendu
- Past participle of entendre; heard or understood.
- parler
- To speak or talk about something.
- d'
- Contracted preposition de meaning of or from.
- une
- Feminine indefinite article meaning a or an.
- telle
- Such; used to indicate a particular kind or degree.
- idée
- An idea or thought conceived in the mind.
- Un
- Masculine indefinite article meaning a or one.
- peu
- A little; a small quantity or degree.
- trop
- Too much; exceeding the appropriate amount or degree.
- évidente
- Obvious or clear; easily perceived or understood.
- rugit
- Roared; third-person singular past of rugir.
- notre
- Our; first-person plural possessive adjective.
- visiteur
- A visitor; someone who comes to see another.
- profondément
- Deeply or profoundly; to a great extent.
- amusé
- Amused; entertained or diverted by something funny.
- oh
- Exclamation of surprise, wonder, or realization.
- vous
- You; second-person plural or formal singular pronoun.
- serez
- Will be; second-person plural future of être.
- ma
- My; first-person singular feminine possessive adjective.
- mort
- Death; the end of life.
- à
- Preposition meaning to, at, or in.
- la
- Feminine definite article meaning the.
- fin
- The end or conclusion of something.
- Et
- Coordinating conjunction meaning and.
- quelle
- What or which; feminine interrogative adjective.
- est
- Is; third-person singular present of être.
- après
- After; following in time or order.
- tout
- All, everything, or quite; very common adverb.
- l'
- Contracted definite article le or la before vowel.
- affaire
- A matter, affair, or business concern.
- en
- Preposition or pronoun meaning in, on, or some.
- question
- The matter being discussed or considered.
- demandai-
- I asked; first-person singular simple past of demander.
- je
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
- Eh
- Interjection used to attract attention or express hesitation.
- bien
- Well; good; used as adverb or interjection.
- vais
- I am going; first-person singular present of aller.
- le
- Masculine definite article or pronoun meaning the or it.
- dire
- To say or to tell something to someone.
- répondit
- Replied; third-person singular simple past of répondre.
- Préfet
- Prefect; a high-ranking French administrative official.
- tirant
- Drawing or pulling; present participle of tirer.
- longue
- Long; feminine adjective describing extended length or duration.
- bouffée
- A puff; a short burst of smoke or air.
- lente
- Slow; feminine adjective indicating reduced speed or pace.
- et
- And; basic coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses.
- méditative
- Meditative; thoughtful and deeply reflective in manner.
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun se contracted before a vowel.
- installant
- Setting oneself; present participle of s'installer, to settle.
- dans
- In or inside; preposition indicating location within something.
- son
- His, her, or its; third-person singular possessive adjective.
- fauteuil
- An armchair; a comfortable upholstered seat with armrests.
- Je
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
- quelques
- A few; a small number of something.
- mots
- Words; plural of mot, a unit of language.
- mais
- But; conjunction expressing contrast or exception.
- avant
- Before; in advance of in time or order.
- de
- Of, from, or about; very common French preposition.
- commencer
- To begin or start doing something.
- permettez-
- Allow or permit; imperative of permettre, second plural.
- moi
- Me; stressed first-person singular pronoun.
- avertir
- To warn or notify someone about something.
- qu'
- Contracted conjunction que meaning that, before vowel.
- il
- He or it; third-person masculine singular pronoun.
- agit
- It deals with; third-person singular of agir, to act.
- exigeant
- Requiring or demanding; present participle of exiger.
- plus
- More; comparative adverb indicating greater quantity or degree.
- secret
- Secrecy or a secret; something kept hidden from others.
- que
- That, than, or what; versatile conjunction or pronoun.
- perdrais
- Would lose; first-person singular conditional of perdre.
- très
- Very; adverb intensifying an adjective or another adverb.
- probablement
- Probably; in all likelihood, with reasonable certainty.
- poste
- Post or position; a job or official role held.
- j'
- Contracted first-person pronoun je before a vowel.
- occupe
- Occupy or hold; first-person singular present of occuper.
- actuellement
- Currently; at the present time, not formerly.
- était
- Was; third-person singular imperfect of être.
- su
- Known; past participle of savoir, to know.
- ai
- Have; first-person singular present of avoir.
- confié
- Entrusted or confided; past participle of confier.
- ce
- This or that; demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
- soit
- Be; third-person singular present subjunctive of être.
- Continuez
- Continue; imperative second-person plural of continuer.
- dis-
- Say or tell; imperative of dire, first person.
- Ou
- Or; disjunctive conjunction presenting an alternative choice.
- non
- No; negation word expressing refusal or disagreement.
- dit
- Said; third-person singular simple past of dire.
- donc
- So, therefore, or then; indicates logical consequence.
- reçu
- Received; past participle of recevoir.
- des
- Some or of the; plural indefinite or partitive article.
- informations
- Information; pieces of knowledge or news received.
- personnelles
- Personal; relating to or affecting a particular individual.
- haut
- High or upper; adjective indicating elevated rank or position.
- lieu
- Place or location; also used in expressions like haut lieu.
- un
- A or one; masculine indefinite article.
- certain
- A certain; specific but unspecified, or sure.
- document
- A document; an official or written record.
- haute
- High; feminine form of haut, indicating great importance.
- importance
- Importance; the quality of being significant or valuable.
- été
- Been; past participle of être.
- dérobé
- Stolen; past participle of dérober, to steal stealthily.
- appartements
- Apartments or rooms; private residential or royal quarters.
- royaux
- Royal; plural masculine adjective relating to a monarch.
- L'
- Contracted definite article le or la before vowel.
- individu
- An individual; a particular person, often suspect.
- connu
- Known; past participle of connaître, to know someone.
- cela
- That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something mentioned.
- ne
- Not; negative particle used with pas or jamais.
- fait
- Fact or does; noun or third-person present of faire.
- aucun
- No, none, or not any; negative indefinite adjective.
- doute
- Doubt; uncertainty about a fact or situation.
- on
- One or they; impersonal subject pronoun widely used.
- vu
- Seen; past participle of voir, to see.
- prendre
- To take; to seize or grab something.
- On
- One or they; impersonal subject pronoun widely used.
- sait
- Knows; third-person singular present of savoir.
- également
- Also or equally; in addition, likewise.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun meaning himself, herself, or itself.
- trouve
- Finds or is located; third-person singular of trouver.
- toujours
- Always or still; at all times or continuing now.
- sa
- His or her; feminine singular possessive adjective.
- possession
- Possession; the state of having or owning something.
- Comment
- How; interrogative adverb asking about manner or way.
- sait-
- Knows; inverted third-person singular of savoir for questions.
- demanda
- Asked; third-person singular simple past of demander.
- Cela
- That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something previously mentioned.
- déduit
- Deduced; past participle of déduire, to infer logically.
- clairement
- Clearly; in a clear and understandable manner.
- nature
- Nature or character; the inherent quality of something.
- du
- Of the; contraction of de and le.
- non-
- Non- or not; prefix indicating negation or absence.
- apparition
- Appearance or apparition; the act of coming into view.
- certains
- Certain; some specific ones among a larger group.
- résultats
- Results or outcomes; effects following from a cause.
- découleraient
- Would follow or result; conditional of découler, to flow.
- immédiatement
- Immediately; at once, without any delay.
- sortie
- Exit or departure; leaving a place or someone's hands.
- mains
- Hands; plural of main, the body part.
- voleur
- Thief; a person who steals from others.
- c'
- Contracted demonstrative ce before est, meaning it or this.
- est-
- Is; inverted form of est used in questions.
- à-
- To or at; preposition in the phrase c'est-à-dire.
- usage
- Use or usage; the act or manner of using.
- doit
- Must or owes; third-person singular present of devoir.
- avoir
- To have; fundamental auxiliary and lexical verb.
- intention
- Intention; a planned purpose or aim in mind.
- faire
- To do or make; very common and versatile verb.
- compte
- Account or count; also used in faire compte, to intend.
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