The Yellow Wallpaper — Page 3
That spoils my ghostliness, I am afraid; but I don't care—there is something strange about the house—I can feel it.
Cela gâche mon côté fantomatique, j'en ai peur ; mais je m'en moque — il y a quelque chose d'étrange dans cette maison — je le sens.
I even said so to John one moonlight evening, but he said what I felt was a draught, and shut the window.
Je l'ai même dit à John un soir de clair de lune, mais il a dit que ce que je ressentais n'était qu'un courant d'air, et il a fermé la fenêtre.
I get unreasonably angry with John sometimes. I'm sure I never used to be so sensitive. I think it is due to this nervous condition.
Je me mets parfois en colère contre John sans raison valable. Je suis certaine de n'avoir jamais été aussi sensible autrefois. Je pense que c'est dû à cet état nerveux.
But John says if I feel so I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to control myself,—before him, at least,—and that makes me very tired.
Mais John dit que si je ressens cela, je vais négliger la maîtrise de moi-même qui s'impose ; alors je m'efforce de me contrôler, — devant lui, du moins, — et cela me fatigue beaucoup.
I don't like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza and had roses all over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings! but John would not hear of it.
Notre chambre ne me plaît pas du tout. Je voulais une pièce en bas qui donnait sur la véranda et dont la fenêtre était couverte de roses, avec de si jolis rideaux de chintz à l'ancienne mode ! mais John n'a rien voulu entendre.
He said there was only one window and not room for two beds, and no near room for him if he took another.
Il a dit qu'il n'y avait qu'une seule fenêtre et pas assez de place pour deux lits, et pas de chambre à proximité pour lui s'il en prenait une autre.
He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction.
Il est très attentionné et affectueux, et ne me laisse presque pas bouger sans instructions particulières.
I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me, and so I feel basely ungrateful not to value it more.
J'ai une ordonnance planifiée pour chaque heure de la journée ; il me décharge de tout souci, et je me sens donc bassement ingrate de ne pas l'apprécier davantage.
He said we came here solely on my account, that I was to have perfect rest and all the air I could get. "Your exercise depends on your strength, my dear," said he, "and your food somewhat on your appetite; but air you can absorb all the time.
Il a dit que nous étions venus ici uniquement pour moi, que je devais avoir un repos complet et prendre tout l'air possible. « Votre exercice dépend de vos forces, ma chère, » dit-il, « et votre nourriture dépend quelque peu de votre appétit ; mais l'air, vous pouvez en absorber tout le temps.
Vocabulary
- Cela
- That; used to refer to something previously mentioned
- gâche
- Wastes or ruins something
- mon
- My; masculine singular possessive adjective
- côté
- Side; aspect or direction of something
- fantomatique
- Ghostly; resembling or relating to a ghost
- j'en
- I of it; contracted pronoun form
- ai
- Have; first person singular of avoir
- peur
- Fear; feeling of anxiety or dread
- mais
- But; conjunction introducing contrast or exception
- je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- m'en
- Of it to me; contracted reflexive pronoun form
- moque
- Mock or care nothing about something
- il
- He or it; third person singular subject pronoun
- y
- There; pronoun replacing a place or thing
- a
- Has; third person singular of avoir
- quelque
- Some; indefinite adjective indicating an unspecified amount
- chose
- Thing; a general object or matter
- d'étrange
- Strange; something odd or unusual about it
- dans
- In; preposition indicating location inside something
- cette
- This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective
- maison
- House; a building used as a home
- le
- The; masculine singular definite article
- sens
- Feel or sense; perceive something intuitively
- Je
- I; first person singular subject pronoun
- l'ai
- Have it; contracted object pronoun with avoir
- même
- Even or same; emphasizes similarity or inclusion
- dit
- Said; past participle of dire
- à
- To or at; preposition indicating direction or location
- un
- A or one; masculine indefinite article
- soir
- Evening; the later part of the day
- de
- Of or from; very common French preposition
- clair
- Clear or bright; used to describe light
- lune
- Moon; the natural satellite of the Earth
- que
- That or which; conjunction or relative pronoun
- ce
- This or that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- ressentais
- Was feeling; imperfect tense of ressentir
- n'était
- Was not; negated imperfect of être
- qu'un
- Only a; contraction of que and un
- courant
- Draft or current; flow of air or water
- d'air
- Of air; relating to airflow or draft
- et
- And; conjunction joining words or clauses
- fermé
- Closed; past participle of fermer
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- fenêtre
- Window; an opening in a wall for light
- me
- Me or myself; first person reflexive pronoun
- mets
- Put or place; first person of mettre
- parfois
- Sometimes; occasionally, not always
- en
- In or into; preposition indicating state or location
- colère
- Anger; strong feeling of displeasure or rage
- contre
- Against; preposition indicating opposition or contact
- sans
- Without; preposition indicating absence of something
- raison
- Reason; cause or justification for an action
- valable
- Valid or valid; acceptable or justifiable reason
- suis
- Am; first person singular of être
- certaine
- Certain or sure; confident about something
- n'avoir
- Not to have; negated infinitive of avoir
- jamais
- Never; at no time, not ever
- été
- Been; past participle of être
- aussi
- Also or so; equally or additionally
- sensible
- Sensitive; easily affected emotionally or physically
- autrefois
- Formerly; in times past or previously
- pense
- Think; first person singular of penser
- c'est
- It is; contracted form of ce and est
- dû
- Due to; past participle of devoir, owed
- cet
- This; masculine singular demonstrative before vowel
- état
- State or condition; situation of being something
- nerveux
- Nervous; relating to anxiety or the nerves
- Mais
- But; conjunction introducing contrast or exception
- si
- If or so; conditional conjunction or intensifier
- ressens
- Feel; first person singular of ressentir
- vais
- Going; first person singular of aller
- négliger
- Neglect; fail to give proper attention to
- maîtrise
- Mastery or self-control; control over oneself
- moi-même
- Myself; emphatic reflexive first person pronoun
- qui
- Who or which; relative or interrogative pronoun
- s'impose
- Is required; imposes itself as necessary
- alors
- Then or so; conjunction indicating consequence
- m'efforce
- Strive or make an effort for myself
- contrôler
- Control; to manage or restrain something
- devant
- In front of or before; spatial preposition
- lui
- Him or her; third person indirect pronoun
- du
- Of the; masculine singular contracted article
- moins
- Less or at least; comparative of peu
- fatigue
- Tires or exhausts; causes weariness
- beaucoup
- A lot; indicates a large quantity or degree
- Notre
- Our; first person plural possessive adjective
- chambre
- Bedroom or room; private sleeping space
- ne
- Not; negative particle used with pas or other words
- plaît
- Pleases; third person singular of plaire
- pas
- Not; negative adverb paired with ne
- tout
- All or everything; totality or entirely
- voulais
- Wanted; imperfect tense of vouloir
- une
- A or one; feminine indefinite article
- pièce
- Room or piece; a space within a building
- bas
- Low or downstairs; at a lower level
- donnait
- Gave or opened onto; imperfect of donner
- sur
- On or over; preposition indicating position above
- véranda
- Veranda; a roofed porch along a building
- dont
- Whose or of which; relative pronoun
- était
- Was; imperfect tense of être
- couverte
- Covered; feminine past participle of couvrir
- roses
- Roses; plural of rose, a flowering plant
- avec
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- jolis
- Pretty or nice; plural of joli
- rideaux
- Curtains; plural of rideau, window coverings
- l'ancienne
- The old or former; feminine definite with adjective
- mode
- Fashion or style; a prevailing custom or trend
- n'a
- Has not; negated third person of avoir
- rien
- Nothing; no thing at all
- voulu
- Wanted; past participle of vouloir
- entendre
- Hear or listen; to perceive sound
- Il
- He; third person masculine singular pronoun
- qu'il
- That he; conjunction with pronoun contracted
- n'y
- There not; negated locative pronoun y
- avait
- There was or had; imperfect of avoir
- seule
- Only or alone; feminine of seul
- assez
- Enough or quite; sufficient amount or degree
- place
- Space or room; available area for something
- pour
- For or in order to; preposition of purpose
- deux
- Two; the number 2
- lits
- Beds; plural of lit, furniture for sleeping
- proximité
- Proximity; nearness to medical help or amenities
- s'il
- If he; contraction of si and il
- prenait
- Took; imperfect tense of prendre
- autre
- Other; different or additional thing or person
- est
- Is; third person singular of être
- très
- Very; adverb intensifying an adjective or adverb
- attentionné
- Attentive or caring; showing consideration for others
- affectueux
- Affectionate; showing warmth and fondness
- laisse
- Lets or allows; third person of laisser
- presque
- Almost; nearly but not quite
- bouger
- Move; to change position or stir
- instructions
- Instructions; directions or orders to follow
- particulières
- Particular or specific; feminine plural of particulier
- J'ai
- I have; contracted first person of avoir
- ordonnance
- Prescription or schedule; doctor's written instructions
- planifiée
- Planned or scheduled; feminine past participle of planifier
- chaque
- Each or every; indefinite adjective for individuals
- heure
- Hour; a unit of time equal to 60 minutes
- journée
- Day; the duration of an entire day
- décharge
- Relieves or discharges; removes a burden or worry
- souci
- Worry or concern; a source of anxiety
- donc
- Therefore or so; conjunction indicating logical consequence
- bassement
- Basely or ungratefully; in a low or mean manner
- ingrate
- Ungrateful; not showing appreciation for kindness
- l'apprécier
- To appreciate him or it; value properly
- davantage
- More; to a greater degree or extent
- nous
- We or us; first person plural pronoun
- étions
- Were; first person plural imperfect of être
- venus
- Come; plural past participle of venir
- ici
- Here; in this place
- uniquement
- Only or solely; exclusively for one purpose
- moi
- Me or I; emphatic first person pronoun
- devais
- Had to; imperfect of devoir indicating obligation
- avoir
- Have; infinitive of the verb to have
- repos
- Rest; relaxation or a period of inactivity
- complet
- Complete or full; total and without omission
- prendre
- Take; to grasp or make use of something
- l'air
- The air; the atmosphere or fresh air outside
- possible
- Possible; able to be done or achieved
- Votre
- Your; second person plural possessive adjective
- exercice
- Exercise; physical activity or practice
- dépend
- Depends; relies on a condition or factor
- vos
- Your; plural possessive adjective second person
- forces
- Strengths or forces; physical or mental capacities
- ma
- My; feminine singular possessive adjective
- chère
- Dear; term of affection, feminine form
- dit-il
- Said he; inverted verb-subject after direct speech
- votre
- Your; second person possessive adjective
- nourriture
- Food or nourishment; what one eats
- peu
- Little; a small amount or degree
- appétit
- Appetite; desire or capacity to eat
- vous
- You; second person plural or formal pronoun
- pouvez
- Can; second person plural of pouvoir
- absorber
- Absorb or consume; to take in food or liquid
- temps
- Time or weather; duration or atmospheric conditions
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