The Yellow Wallpaper — Page 8
I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have!
Je n'avais jamais vu autant d'expression dans une chose inanimée auparavant, et nous savons tous combien d'expression elles peuvent avoir !
I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy-store.
Enfant, je restais éveillée la nuit et je tirais plus de divertissement et de terreur de murs vides et de meubles ordinaires que la plupart des enfants n'en trouvaient dans un magasin de jouets.
I remember what a kindly wink the knobs of our big old bureau used to have, and there was one chair that always seemed like a strong friend.
Je me souviens du clin d'œil bienveillant que semblaient faire les boutons de notre grand vieux secrétaire, et il y avait une chaise qui avait toujours l'air d'un solide ami.
I used to feel that if any of the other things looked too fierce I could always hop into that chair and be safe.
J'avais l'impression que si l'un ou l'autre des objets prenait un air trop menaçant, je pouvais toujours me glisser dans cette chaise et être en sécurité.
The furniture in this room is no worse than inharmonious, however, for we had to bring it all from downstairs.
Les meubles de cette pièce ne sont guère que discordants, cependant, car nous avons dû tous les monter du bas.
I suppose when this was used as a playroom they had to take the nursery things out, and no wonder!
Je suppose que lorsque cette pièce servait de salle de jeux, ils ont dû en retirer le mobilier de nurserie, et ce n'est guère étonnant !
I never saw such ravages as the children have made here.
Je n'avais jamais vu de tels ravages que ceux que les enfants ont faits ici.
The wallpaper, as I said before, is torn off in spots, and it sticketh closer than a brother—they must have had perseverance as well as hatred.
Le papier peint, comme je l'ai dit auparavant, est arraché par endroits, et il colle plus qu'un frère — ils ont dû faire preuve d'autant de persévérance que de haine.
Then the floor is scratched and gouged and splintered, the plaster itself is dug out here and there, and this great heavy bed, which is all we found in the room, looks as if it had been through the wars.
Le plancher est rayé, creusé et fendu, le plâtre lui-même est arraché çà et là, et ce grand lit massif, le seul meuble que nous ayons trouvé dans la pièce, a l'air d'avoir traversé bien des batailles.
But I don't mind it a bit—only the paper.
Mais cela ne me dérange pas le moins du monde — sauf le papier.
There comes John's sister.
Voici la sœur de John.
Such a dear girl as she is, and so careful of me!
Quelle charmante fille elle est, et comme elle prend soin de moi !
Vocabulary
- avais
- had (imperfect tense of avoir)
- jamais
- never; ever (temporal adverb)
- vu
- seen (past participle of voir)
- autant
- as much; so much (quantity adverb)
- expression
- expression; facial look or appearance
- dans
- in; inside (preposition indicating location)
- chose
- thing; object (noun)
- inanimée
- inanimate; not living or alive
- auparavant
- before; previously; in the past
- savons
- know (first person plural of savoir)
- tous
- all; everyone (pronoun or adjective)
- combien
- how much; how many (interrogative adverb)
- peuvent
- can; are able to (third person plural of pouvoir)
- avoir
- to have (infinitive verb)
- Enfant
- child; as a child (noun)
- restais
- stayed; remained (imperfect tense of rester)
- éveillée
- awake; alert (feminine adjective)
- nuit
- night; the nighttime (noun)
- tirais
- drew; pulled (imperfect tense of tirer)
- plus
- more; plus (comparative adverb or conjunction)
- de
- of; from; some (preposition or article)
- divertissement
- entertainment; amusement (noun)
- terreur
- terror; great fear (noun)
- murs
- walls (plural noun)
- vides
- empty; vacant (adjective)
- meubles
- furniture; movable items (plural noun)
- ordinaires
- ordinary; common; usual (adjective)
- que
- that; which; than (conjunction or pronoun)
- plupart
- most; the majority (noun)
- enfants
- children (plural of enfant)
- en
- in; some; there (preposition or pronoun)
- trouvaient
- found; discovered (imperfect tense of trouver)
- magasin
- store; shop (noun)
- jouets
- toys; playthings (plural noun)
- souviens
- remember; recall (first person singular of se souvenir)
- clin
- wink; blink (noun)
- œil
- eye (noun)
- bienveillant
- benevolent; kind; well-meaning (adjective)
- semblaient
- seemed; appeared (imperfect tense of sembler)
- faire
- to do; to make (infinitive verb)
- boutons
- buttons; knobs (plural noun)
- notre
- our (possessive adjective)
- grand
- big; large; great (adjective)
- vieux
- old; aged (adjective)
- secrétaire
- secretary; writing desk (noun)
- avait
- had (imperfect tense of avoir)
- chaise
- chair; seat (noun)
- qui
- who; which; that (relative pronoun)
- toujours
- always; ever; still (adverb)
- air
- air; appearance; look (noun)
- solide
- solid; sturdy; strong (adjective)
- ami
- friend (masculine noun)
- impression
- impression; feeling; sense (noun)
- si
- if; so (conjunction or adverb)
- ou
- or (conjunction)
- autre
- other; another (adjective or pronoun)
- objets
- objects; items; things (plural noun)
- prenait
- took; was taking (imperfect tense of prendre)
- trop
- too much; too (adverb)
- menaçant
- threatening; menacing (adjective)
- pouvais
- could; was able to (imperfect tense of pouvoir)
- glisser
- to slip; to slide (infinitive verb)
- cette
- this; that (feminine demonstrative adjective)
- être
- to be (infinitive verb)
- sécurité
- security; safety (noun)
- pièce
- room; piece (noun)
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