The Yellow Wallpaper — Page 11

English → Fr Full Text Level 6/10

I know a little of the principle of design, and I know this thing was not arranged on any laws of radiation, or alternation, or repetition, or symmetry, or anything else that I ever heard of.

Je connais un peu les principes du design, et je sais que cette chose n'a été arrangée selon aucune loi de radiation, d'alternance, de répétition, de symétrie, ni de quoi que ce soit d'autre dont j'aie jamais entendu parler.

It is repeated, of course, by the breadths, but not otherwise.

Elle se répète, bien sûr, par les lés, mais pas autrement.

Looked at in one way each breadth stands alone, the bloated curves and flourishes—a kind of "debased Romanesque" with delirium tremens—go waddling up and down in isolated columns of fatuity.

Considéré d'une certaine façon, chaque lé se tient seul, les courbes boursouflées et les fioritures — une sorte de « roman dégradé » avec delirium tremens — se dandinent de haut en bas dans des colonnes isolées de fatuité.

But, on the other hand, they connect diagonally, and the sprawling outlines run off in great slanting waves of optic horror, like a lot of wallowing seaweeds in full chase.

Mais, d'un autre côté, ils se connectent en diagonale, et les contours tentaculaires filent en grandes vagues obliques d'horreur optique, comme un tas d'algues se vautrant en pleine course.

The whole thing goes horizontally, too, at least it seems so, and I exhaust myself in trying to distinguish the order of its going in that direction.

Le tout va aussi horizontalement, du moins il me le semble, et je m'épuise à essayer de distinguer l'ordre de sa progression dans cette direction.

They have used a horizontal breadth for a frieze, and that adds wonderfully to the confusion.

Ils ont utilisé un lé horizontal comme frise, et cela ajoute merveilleusement à la confusion.

There is one end of the room where it is almost intact, and there, when the cross-lights fade and the low sun shines directly upon it, I can almost fancy radiation after all,—the interminable grotesques seem to form around a common centre and rush off in headlong plunges of equal distraction.

Il y a un bout de la pièce où il est presque intact, et là, quand les lumières croisées s'estompent et que le soleil bas y brille directement, je peux presque imaginer une radiation après tout, — les interminables grotesques semblent se former autour d'un centre commun et s'élancer en plongeons précipités d'égale distraction.

It makes me tired to follow it. I will take a nap, I guess.

Cela me fatigue de le suivre. Je vais faire une sieste, je crois.

I don't know why I should write this.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi je devrais écrire ceci.

I don't want to.

Je n'en ai pas envie.

I don't feel able.

Je ne m'en sens pas capable.

And I know John would think it absurd.

Et je sais que John trouverait cela absurde.

Vocabulary

Je: First person singular pronoun; I.
connais: Know; am acquainted with (present tense).
un: Indefinite article; a, an, one.
peu: A little; a small amount or quantity.
les: Definite article (plural); the.
principes: Principles; fundamental rules or guidelines.
du: Contraction of de + le; of the.
design: Design; artistic or decorative arrangement.
et: And; conjunction linking words or clauses.
sais: Know; understand (present tense).
que: That; which; what (conjunction/relative pronoun).
cette: This; that (feminine demonstrative adjective).
chose: Thing; object or matter.
été: Been; past participle of être.
arrangée: Arranged; organized or settled (feminine).
selon: According to; in accordance with.
aucune: No; not any; none (feminine).
loi: Law; rule or principle.
alternance: Alternation; occurrence of things in turns.
répétition: Repetition; repeating something again.
symétrie: Symmetry; balanced proportion in design.
ni: Neither; nor (conjunction).
quoi: What; which thing (interrogative/relative).
ce: This; that (demonstrative pronoun).
soit: Be; subjunctive form of être.
autre: Other; different; another.
dont: Whose; of which (relative pronoun).
aie: Have; subjunctive form of avoir.
jamais: Never; at no time ever.
entendu: Heard; understood (past participle).
parler: To speak; to talk.
Elle: She; it (feminine third person pronoun).
se: Reflexive pronoun; oneself.
répète: Repeats; happens again (present tense).
bien: Well; certainly; indeed.
sûr: Sure; certain; definitely.
par: By; through; per.
pas: Not; step (negation/noun).
autrement: Otherwise; in another way.
Considéré: Considered; viewed or thought (masculine).
une: A; an (feminine indefinite article).
certaine: Certain; a particular (feminine).
façon: Way; manner; fashion.
chaque: Each; every one.
tient: Holds; keeps; maintains (present tense).
seul: Alone; only; sole (masculine).
courbes: Curves; bends or arches.
sorte: Sort; kind or type.
roman: Novel; Romanesque or relating to Rome.
avec: With; in company or association.
haut: High; top or upper part.
en: In; on; at; from.
bas: Low; bottom or lower part.
dans: In; inside; within.
des: Of the; some (plural article).
colonnes: Columns; vertical supporting structures.
isolées: Isolated; separated or alone (feminine).
Mais: But; however; yet.
côté: Side; direction or aspect.
ils: They (masculine plural pronoun).
connectent: Connect; link or join together.
diagonale: Diagonal; line across at angles.
contours: Contours; outlines or boundaries.
filent: Spin; rush or move quickly.
grandes: Great; large or big (feminine).
vagues: Waves; vague or unclear (noun/adj).

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →