Treasure Island — Page 4

English → Fr PART ONE--The Old Buccaneer Level 6/10

When a seaman did put up at the Admiral Benbow (as now and then some did, making by the coast road for Bristol) he would look in at him through the curtained door before he entered the parlour; and he was always sure to be as silent as a mouse when any such was present.

Quand un marin descendait à l'Amiral Benbow (comme il en venait parfois, prenant la route côtière pour Bristol), il regardait par la porte à rideaux avant d'entrer dans le salon ; et il était toujours sûr de se tenir aussi silencieux qu'une souris lorsqu'un tel individu était présent.

For me, at least, there was no secret about the matter, for I was, in a way, a sharer in his alarms.

Pour moi, du moins, il n'y avait aucun secret dans cette affaire, car j'étais, en quelque sorte, un complice de ses alarmes.

He had taken me aside one day and promised me a silver fourpenny on the first of every month if I would only keep my "weather-eye open for a seafaring man with one leg" and let him know the moment he appeared.

Il m'avait pris à part un jour et m'avait promis un quatre-sous en argent le premier de chaque mois si je voulais bien garder l'œil ouvert pour « un homme de mer avec une jambe » et l'avertir à l'instant où il apparaîtrait.

Often enough when the first of the month came round and I applied to him for my wage, he would only blow through his nose at me and stare me down, but before the week was out he was sure to think better of it, bring me my four-penny piece, and repeat his orders to look out for "the seafaring man with one leg."

Souvent, quand le premier du mois arrivait et que je me présentais à lui pour toucher mon salaire, il se contentait de souffler par le nez et de me toiser, mais avant la fin de la semaine il ne manquait pas de se raviser, de m'apporter ma pièce de quatre sous, et de réitérer ses ordres de guetter « l'homme de mer avec une jambe ».

How that personage haunted my dreams, I need scarcely tell you.

Combien ce personnage hantait mes rêves, je n'ai guère besoin de vous le dire.

On stormy nights, when the wind shook the four corners of the house and the surf roared along the cove and up the cliffs, I would see him in a thousand forms, and with a thousand diabolical expressions.

Les nuits de tempête, quand le vent secouait les quatre coins de la maison et que le ressac grondait le long de la crique et au pied des falaises, je le voyais sous mille formes, et avec mille expressions diaboliques.

Vocabulary

Quand: Conjunction meaning 'when', introducing a time clause.
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
marin: A sailor or seaman who works at sea.
descendait: Imperfect tense of 'descendre'; was coming down.
à: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
l': Contracted definite article 'le' or 'la' before vowel.
Amiral: An admiral; high-ranking naval officer or inn name.
comme: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as', 'like', 'since'.
il: Third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'.
en: Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in', 'from there'.
venait: Imperfect of 'venir'; was coming from somewhere.
parfois: Adverb meaning 'sometimes', 'occasionally'.
prenant: Present participle of 'prendre'; taking a route.
la: Feminine definite article meaning 'the'.
route: A road, route, or path for travel.
côtière: Adjective meaning 'coastal', relating to the coast.
pour: Preposition meaning 'for', 'in order to'.
regardait: Imperfect of 'regarder'; was looking or watching through.
par: Preposition meaning 'through', 'by', or 'per'.
porte: A door or gate of a building.
rideaux: Plural of 'rideau'; curtains hung over windows or doors.
avant: Preposition or adverb meaning 'before' in time.
d': Contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel sound.
entrer: Infinitive meaning 'to enter' or 'to go in'.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in', 'into', or 'inside'.
le: Masculine definite article meaning 'the'.
salon: A sitting room, parlor, or lounge area.
et: Coordinating conjunction meaning 'and'.
était: Imperfect of 'être'; was, expressing a past state.
toujours: Adverb meaning 'always' or 'still'.
sûr: Adjective meaning 'sure', 'certain', or 'confident'.
de: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'about'.
se: Reflexive pronoun used with pronominal verbs.
tenir: Infinitive meaning 'to hold', 'to keep', 'to stay'.
aussi: Adverb meaning 'also', 'too', or 'as' in comparisons.
silencieux: Adjective meaning 'silent', 'quiet', or 'noiseless'.
qu': Contracted conjunction 'que' meaning 'as' or 'that'.
une: Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
souris: A mouse; small rodent commonly found in houses.
lorsqu': Contracted conjunction meaning 'when', at a specific moment.
tel: Adjective meaning 'such', 'such a', or 'like this'.
individu: An individual, person, or fellow, sometimes with suspicion.
présent: Adjective meaning 'present', 'here', or 'in attendance'.
Pour: Preposition meaning 'for', 'as for', or 'regarding'.
moi: Stressed first-person pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I'.
du: Contracted article 'de le' meaning 'of the' or 'some'.
moins: Adverb meaning 'less'; used in comparisons or phrases.
n': Contracted negative particle 'ne' before a vowel.
y: Pronoun meaning 'there' or replacing a place phrase.
avait: Imperfect of 'avoir'; there was, expressing past existence.
aucun: Negative adjective meaning 'no', 'none', 'not any'.
secret: A secret; information kept hidden from others.
cette: Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
affaire: A matter, affair, or business situation.
car: Conjunction meaning 'because', 'for', explaining a reason.
j': Contracted first-person subject pronoun 'je' meaning 'I'.
étais: Imperfect of 'être'; was, first-person past state.
quelque: Adjective meaning 'some', 'a certain', or 'a kind of'.
sorte: A sort, kind, or type; used in expressions like 'en quelque sorte'.
complice: An accomplice; someone who shares in another's secret.
ses: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'.
alarmes: Plural of 'alarme'; fears, anxieties, or alarms.
Il: Third-person masculine subject pronoun meaning 'he'.
m': Contracted first-person object pronoun 'me' before vowel.
pris: Past participle of 'prendre'; taken or brought into confidence.
part: A part or share; also used in 'prendre part' meaning to participate.
jour: A day; a period of twenty-four hours.
promis: Past participle of 'promettre'; promised something to someone.
quatre-sous: Four pennies; a small coin amount, a trifling sum.
argent: Money, or the metal silver; currency in general.
premier: Adjective meaning 'first'; the earliest in order.
chaque: Adjective meaning 'each' or 'every', applied individually.
mois: A month; one of twelve divisions of the year.
si: Conjunction meaning 'if'; introduces a conditional clause.
je: First-person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'.
voulais: Imperfect of 'vouloir'; wanted, was willing to do.
bien: Adverb meaning 'well', 'indeed', or intensifying willingness.
garder: Infinitive meaning 'to keep', 'to watch over', 'to guard'.
œil: An eye; the organ of sight; also used figuratively.
ouvert: Past participle of 'ouvrir'; open, not closed.
homme: A man; an adult male human being.
mer: The sea; a large body of salt water.
avec: Preposition meaning 'with', indicating accompaniment or means.
jambe: A leg; the lower limb of a human body.
avertir: Infinitive meaning 'to warn' or 'to notify' someone.
instant: An instant, moment, or very brief period of time.
où: Relative pronoun or adverb meaning 'where' or 'when'.
apparaîtrait: Conditional of 'apparaître'; would appear or show up.
Souvent: Adverb meaning 'often', 'frequently', many times.
quand: Conjunction meaning 'when', introducing a time clause.
arrivait: Imperfect of 'arriver'; was happening or occurring regularly.
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'which', 'whom'.
me: First-person object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'.
présentais: Imperfect of 'se présenter'; was presenting myself to collect.
lui: Stressed pronoun meaning 'him', 'her', or indirect object.
toucher: Infinitive meaning 'to touch' or 'to collect' payment.
mon: Masculine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
salaire: A salary or wage; money earned for work done.
contentait: Imperfect of 'se contenter'; was content to only do.
souffler: Infinitive meaning 'to blow', 'to puff', or 'to snort'.
nez: The nose; the facial organ used for smelling.
toiser: Infinitive meaning 'to eye up', 'to size up' disdainfully.
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrasting idea.
fin: The end; conclusion of a period such as a week.
semaine: A week; a period of seven consecutive days.
ne: Negative particle used with 'pas', 'jamais', etc.
manquait: Imperfect of 'manquer'; failed to do, or was missing.
pas: Negative particle used with 'ne' to negate a verb.
raviser: Infinitive of 'se raviser'; to change one's mind.
apporter: Infinitive meaning 'to bring' something to someone.
ma: Feminine possessive adjective meaning 'my'.
pièce: A coin; a piece of money; also a room.
quatre: The number four; a cardinal number.
sous: Old French coins of little value; also means 'under'.
réitérer: Infinitive meaning 'to reiterate', 'to repeat' instructions again.
ordres: Plural of 'ordre'; orders, instructions, or commands given.
guetter: Infinitive meaning 'to watch for', 'to keep a lookout'.
Combien: Interrogative adverb meaning 'how much' or 'how many'.
ce: Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that'.
personnage: A character, personage, or notable individual figure.
hantait: Imperfect of 'hanter'; was haunting or obsessing someone.
mes: Plural possessive adjective meaning 'my' for plural nouns.
rêves: Plural of 'rêve'; dreams experienced during sleep.
ai: Present tense of 'avoir'; have, first-person singular.
guère: Negative adverb meaning 'hardly', 'scarcely', 'barely'.
besoin: Need or necessity; 'avoir besoin de' means 'to need'.
vous: Second-person pronoun meaning 'you' (plural or formal).
dire: Infinitive meaning 'to say' or 'to tell' something.
Les: Plural definite article meaning 'the' for plural nouns.
nuits: Plural of 'nuit'; nights, the dark hours after sunset.
tempête: A storm, tempest; violent weather with strong winds.
vent: Wind; moving air, especially strong or notable gusts.
secouait: Imperfect of 'secouer'; was shaking or rattling something.
les: Plural definite article or object pronoun meaning 'the' or 'them'.
coins: Plural of 'coin'; corners of a room or building.
maison: A house; a building where people live.
ressac: The surf or backwash; waves breaking back from shore.
grondait: Imperfect of 'gronder'; was rumbling, roaring, or growling.
long: Adjective meaning 'long'; also used in 'le long de' meaning along.
crique: A creek or cove; a small sheltered coastal inlet.
au: Contracted article 'à le' meaning 'at the' or 'to the'.
pied: A foot; the lower extremity; also base of something.
des: Plural article 'de les' meaning 'of the' or 'some'.
falaises: Plural of 'falaise'; cliffs, steep rocky coastal faces.
voyais: Imperfect of 'voir'; was seeing or used to see.
mille: The number one thousand; also can mean 'mile'.
formes: Plural of 'forme'; forms, shapes, or figures perceived.
expressions: Plural of 'expression'; expressions, looks, or faces shown.
diaboliques: Adjective meaning 'diabolical', 'devilish', or 'fiendish'.

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