← The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 8

English → Fr THE PURLOINED LETTER Level 8/10

, "but then he's a poet, which I take to be only one remove from a fool."

, « mais il est poète, ce qui, à mon avis, n'est qu'un degré au-dessus du fou. »

"True," said Dupin, after a long and thoughtful whiff from his meerschaum, "although I have been guilty of certain doggrel myself."

« C'est vrai, » dit Dupin, après avoir tiré une longue et méditative bouffée de sa pipe d'écume, « bien que je me sois moi-même rendu coupable de certaines rimes de mirliton. »

"Suppose you detail," said I, "the particulars of your search."

« Veuillez détailler, » dis-je, « les circonstances de votre perquisition. »

"Why the fact is, we took our time, and we searched _everywhere_.

« Le fait est que nous avons pris notre temps, et nous avons cherché _partout_.

I have had long experience in these affairs.

J'ai une longue expérience dans ces affaires.

I took the entire building, room by room; devoting the nights of a whole week to each.

J'ai parcouru le bâtiment entier, pièce par pièce, consacrant les nuits d'une semaine entière à chacune.

We examined, first, the furniture of each apartment.

Nous avons examiné, d'abord, les meubles de chaque appartement.

We opened every possible drawer; and I presume you know that, to a properly trained police agent, such a thing as a secret drawer is impossible.

Nous avons ouvert tous les tiroirs possibles ; et je présume que vous savez que, pour un agent de police convenablement entraîné, une chose telle qu'un tiroir secret est impossible.

Any man is a dolt who permits a 'secret' drawer to escape him in a search of this kind.

Tout homme est un sot qui laisse échapper un tiroir « secret » lors d'une perquisition de ce genre.

The thing is so plain.

La chose est si évidente.

There is a certain amount of bulk—of space—to be accounted for in every cabinet.

Il y a une certaine quantité de volume — d'espace — à prendre en compte dans chaque meuble.

Then we have accurate rules.

Nous avons ensuite des règles précises.

The fiftieth part of a line could not escape us.

La cinquantième partie d'une ligne ne pouvait nous échapper.

After the cabinets we took the chairs.

Après les meubles, nous avons examiné les chaises.

The cushions we probed with the fine long needles you have seen me employ.

Les coussins, nous les avons sondés avec les longues et fines aiguilles que vous m'avez vu employer.

From the tables we removed the tops."

Des tables, nous avons retiré les plateaux. »

"Why so?"

« Pourquoi donc ? »

"Sometimes the top of a table, or other similarly arranged piece of furniture, is removed by the person wishing to conceal an article; then the leg is excavated, the article deposited within the cavity, and the top replaced.

« Parfois le plateau d'une table, ou d'un autre meuble disposé de façon similaire, est retiré par la personne souhaitant dissimuler un objet ; puis le pied est évidé, l'objet déposé dans la cavité, et le plateau remis en place.

Vocabulary

mais: mɛ — Conjunction meaning 'but,' used to contrast ideas.
il: il — Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
est: ɛ — Third-person singular form of 'être,' meaning 'is'.
poète: pwɛt — A person who writes poetry; a poet.
ce: sə — Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
qui: ki — Relative pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'that'.
à: a — Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'.
mon: mɔ̃ — First-person singular masculine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
avis: avi — An opinion, view, or piece of advice.
n': n — Negation particle used before a vowel with 'pas'.
qu': k — Conjunction 'que' elided before vowel; means 'that' or 'than'.
un: œ̃ — Indefinite article or number meaning 'a,' 'an,' or 'one'.
degré: dəɡʁe — A degree or level of measurement or intensity.
au: o — Contraction of 'à le,' meaning 'to the' or 'at the'.
dessus: dəsy — Preposition or adverb meaning 'above,' 'over,' or 'on top'.
du: dy — Contraction of 'de le,' meaning 'of the' or 'from the'.
fou: fu — Adjective or noun meaning 'mad,' 'crazy,' or 'fool'.
vrai: vʁɛ — Adjective meaning 'true,' 'real,' or 'genuine'.
dit: di — Past tense of 'dire'; means 'said' or 'told'.
après: apʁɛ — Preposition or adverb meaning 'after' or 'afterward'.
avoir: avwaʁ — Infinitive of 'to have'; also used as an auxiliary verb.
tiré: tiʁe — Past participle of 'tirer'; meaning 'pulled,' 'drawn,' or 'fired'.
une: yn — Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
longue: lɔ̃ɡ — Feminine adjective meaning 'long' in duration or length.
et: e — Coordinating conjunction meaning 'and'.
méditative: meditativ — Adjective describing a thoughtful, reflective, or contemplative state.
bouffée: bufe — A puff of smoke or a sudden gust of air.
de: də — Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'.
sa: sa — Third-person singular possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'.
pipe: pip — A pipe used for smoking tobacco.
écume: ekym — Foam or froth; also refers to meerschaum (pipe material).
bien: bjɛ̃ — Adverb meaning 'well,' 'very,' or 'indeed'.
que: kə — Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that,' 'which,' or 'than'.
je: ʒə — First-person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'.
me: mə — First-person singular reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'.
sois: swa — Subjunctive form of 'être'; means 'be' (first/second person).
moi: mwa — Stressed first-person pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'.
même: mɛm — Adverb or adjective meaning 'even,' 'same,' or 'itself'.
rendu: ʁɑ̃dy — Past participle of 'rendre'; meaning 'rendered,' 'returned,' or 'made'.
coupable: kupabl — Adjective or noun meaning 'guilty' or 'culpable'.
certaines: sɛʁtɛn — Feminine plural adjective meaning 'certain,' 'some,' or 'particular'.
rimes: ʁim — Plural noun meaning 'rhymes' in poetry.
Veuillez: vœje — Polite imperative of 'vouloir'; means 'please' or 'kindly'.
détailler: detaje — To detail or describe thoroughly in specific terms.
dis: di — First/second-person singular of 'dire'; means 'say' or 'tell'.
les: le — Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' (plural).
circonstances: siʁkɔ̃stɑ̃s — Plural noun meaning 'circumstances' or 'conditions surrounding an event'.
votre: vɔtʁ — Second-person plural possessive adjective meaning 'your'.
perquisition: pɛʁkizisjɔ̃ — An official search or investigation of a premises.
Le: lə — Masculine singular definite article meaning 'the'.
fait: fɛ — Noun meaning 'fact' or third-person form of 'faire' meaning 'does'.
nous: nu — First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'.
avons: avɔ̃ — First-person plural of 'avoir'; means 'we have'.
pris: pʁi — Past participle of 'prendre'; meaning 'taken' or 'seized'.
notre: nɔtʁ — First-person plural possessive adjective meaning 'our'.
temps: tɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'time' or 'weather'.
cherché: ʃɛʁʃe — Past participle of 'chercher'; meaning 'searched' or 'looked for'.
partout: paʁtu — Adverb meaning 'everywhere' or 'all over'.
ai: e — First-person singular of 'avoir'; means 'I have'.
expérience: ɛksperjɑ̃s — Noun meaning 'experience' or 'experiment'.
dans: dɑ̃ — Preposition meaning 'in,' 'inside,' or 'within'.
ces: se — Plural demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'.
affaires: afɛʁ — Plural noun meaning 'affairs,' 'matters,' or 'business'.
parcouru: paʁkuʁy — Past participle of 'parcourir'; meaning 'covered,' 'traversed,' or 'scanned'.
le: lə — Masculine singular definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'it'.
bâtiment: batimɑ̃ — A building or structure; also refers to a ship.
entier: ɑ̃tje — Adjective meaning 'entire,' 'whole,' or 'complete'.
pièce: pjɛs — A room in a building or a piece of something.
par: paʁ — Preposition meaning 'by,' 'through,' or 'per'.
consacrant: kɔ̃sakʁɑ̃ — Present participle of 'consacrer'; meaning 'devoting' or 'dedicating'.
nuits: nɥi — Plural noun meaning 'nights'.
semaine: səmɛn — Noun meaning 'week'.
entière: ɑ̃tjɛʁ — Feminine form of 'entier'; meaning 'entire' or 'whole'.
chacune: ʃakyn — Feminine indefinite pronoun meaning 'each one' or 'every one'.
Nous: nu — First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we'.
examiné: ɛɡzamine — Past participle of 'examiner'; meaning 'examined' or 'inspected'.
abord: abɔʁ — Used in 'd'abord,' meaning 'first' or 'at first'.
meubles: mœbl — Plural noun meaning 'furniture' or 'furnishings'.
chaque: ʃak — Adjective meaning 'each' or 'every'.
appartement: apaʁtəmɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'apartment' or 'flat'.
ouvert: uvɛʁ — Past participle of 'ouvrir'; meaning 'opened' or 'open'.
tous: tu — Masculine plural of 'tout'; meaning 'all' or 'every'.
tiroirs: tiʁwaʁ — Plural noun meaning 'drawers' (furniture).
possibles: posibl — Plural adjective meaning 'possible' or 'conceivable'.
présume: pʁezym — First/third-person of 'présumer'; means 'presume' or 'assume'.
vous: vu — Second-person plural pronoun meaning 'you' (formal or plural).
savez: save — Second-person plural of 'savoir'; means 'you know'.
pour: puʁ — Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'because of'.
agent: aʒɑ̃ — Noun meaning 'agent,' 'officer,' or 'representative'.
police: pɔlis — Noun meaning 'police' or law enforcement organization.
convenablement: kɔ̃vənabləmɑ̃ — Adverb meaning 'properly,' 'suitably,' or 'adequately'.
entraîné: ɑ̃tʁene — Past participle of 'entraîner'; meaning 'trained' or 'led along'.
chose: ʃoz — Noun meaning 'thing' or 'matter'.
telle: tɛl — Feminine form of 'tel'; meaning 'such' or 'such a'.
tiroir: tiʁwaʁ — A drawer in a piece of furniture.
secret: səkʁɛ — Adjective or noun meaning 'secret' or 'hidden'.
impossible: ɛ̃posibl — Adjective meaning 'impossible' or 'not achievable'.
Tout: tu — Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all,' 'every,' or 'whole'.
homme: ɔm — Noun meaning 'man' or 'human being'.
sot: so — Adjective or noun meaning 'foolish,' 'silly,' or 'fool'.
laisse: lɛs — Third-person singular of 'laisser'; means 'leaves' or 'lets'.
échapper: eʃape — To escape, slip away, or elude someone.
lors: lɔʁ — Used in 'lors de,' meaning 'at the time of' or 'during'.
genre: ʒɑ̃ʁ — Noun meaning 'kind,' 'type,' 'sort,' or 'gender'.
La: la — Feminine singular definite article meaning 'the'.
si: si — Adverb meaning 'so,' 'such,' or 'if' (conjunction).
évidente: evidɑ̃t — Feminine adjective meaning 'obvious,' 'evident,' or 'clear'.
Il: il — Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
y: i — Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or replacing a prepositional phrase.
a: a — Third-person singular of 'avoir'; means 'has' or 'there is'.
certaine: sɛʁtɛn — Feminine adjective meaning 'certain,' 'a certain,' or 'specific'.
quantité: kɑ̃tite — Noun meaning 'quantity,' 'amount,' or 'number'.
volume: vɔlym — Noun meaning 'volume,' 'bulk,' or 'amount of space'.
espace: ɛspas — Noun meaning 'space,' 'room,' or 'area'.
prendre: pʁɑ̃dʁ — Infinitive meaning 'to take,' 'to grab,' or 'to catch'.
en: ɑ̃ — Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in,' 'by,' or 'of it'.
compte: kɔ̃t — Noun meaning 'account' or 'count'; used in 'prendre en compte'.
meuble: mœbl — A piece of furniture.
ensuite: ɑ̃sɥit — Adverb meaning 'then,' 'next,' or 'afterward'.
des: de — Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or contraction of 'de les'.
règles: ʁɛɡl — Plural noun meaning 'rules,' 'regulations,' or 'guidelines'.
précises: pʁesis — Feminine plural adjective meaning 'precise,' 'exact,' or 'specific'.
cinquantième: sɛ̃kɑ̃tjɛm — Ordinal number meaning 'fiftieth'.
partie: paʁti — Noun meaning 'part,' 'portion,' or 'game'.
ligne: liɲ — Noun meaning 'line' (as in a ruled line or boundary).
ne: nə — Negation particle used with 'pas,' 'jamais,' etc., meaning 'not'.
pouvait: puvɛ — Imperfect tense of 'pouvoir'; means 'could' or 'was able to'.
Après: apʁɛ — Preposition meaning 'after' or adverb meaning 'afterward'.
chaises: ʃɛz — Plural noun meaning 'chairs'.
coussins: kusɛ̃ — Plural noun meaning 'cushions' or 'pillows'.
sondés: sɔ̃de — Past participle of 'sonder'; meaning 'probed,' 'sounded,' or 'surveyed'.
avec: avɛk — Preposition meaning 'with'.
longues: lɔ̃ɡ — Feminine plural adjective meaning 'long'.
fines: fin — Feminine plural adjective meaning 'fine,' 'thin,' or 'delicate'.
aiguilles: eɡɥij — Plural noun meaning 'needles' or 'pins'.
m': m — Elided form of 'me'; first-person object or reflexive pronoun.
avez: ave — Second-person plural of 'avoir'; means 'you have'.
vu: vy — Past participle of 'voir'; meaning 'seen'.
employer: ɑ̃plwaje — To use, employ, or make use of something.
tables: tabl — Plural noun meaning 'tables'.
retiré: ʁətiʁe — Past participle of 'retirer'; meaning 'removed,' 'withdrawn,' or 'retired'.
plateaux: plato — Plural noun meaning 'trays,' 'plateaus,' or 'tabletops'.
Pourquoi: puʁkwa — Interrogative adverb meaning 'why'.
donc: dɔ̃k — Conjunction or adverb meaning 'so,' 'therefore,' or 'then'.
Parfois: paʁfwa — Adverb meaning 'sometimes' or 'occasionally'.
plateau: plato — A tray, platter, or flat surface; also a plateau.
table: tabl — A table used as furniture for dining or working.
ou: u — Conjunction meaning 'or'.
autre: otʁ — Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'another'.
disposé: dispoze — Past participle of 'disposer'; meaning 'arranged,' 'set up,' or 'willing'.
façon: fasɔ̃ — Noun meaning 'way,' 'manner,' or 'fashion'.
similaire: similɛʁ — Adjective meaning 'similar' or 'alike'.
la: la — Feminine singular definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'.
personne: pɛʁsɔn — Noun meaning 'person'; as pronoun means 'nobody'.
souhaitant: swɛtɑ̃ — Present participle of 'souhaiter'; meaning 'wishing' or 'desiring'.
dissimuler: disimyle — To conceal, hide, or disguise something.
objet: ɔbʒɛ — Noun meaning 'object,' 'item,' or 'thing'.
puis: pɥi — Adverb meaning 'then,' 'next,' or 'afterward'.
pied: pje — Noun meaning 'foot' or 'leg' (of furniture).
évidé: evide — Past participle of 'évider'; meaning 'hollowed out' or 'carved out'.
l': l — Elided definite article or pronoun meaning 'the,' 'him,' or 'her'.
déposé: depoze — Past participle of 'déposer'; meaning 'placed,' 'deposited,' or 'filed'.
cavité: kavite — Noun meaning 'cavity,' 'hollow,' or 'hole'.
remis: ʁəmi — Past participle of 'remettre'; meaning 'put back' or 'handed over'.
place: plas — Noun meaning 'place,' 'spot,' 'square,' or 'seat'.

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