Treasure Island — Page 12
I had always my eye open for seafaring men, with one leg or two, and I remember this one puzzled me.
J'avais toujours l'œil ouvert pour les gens de mer, qu'ils aient une jambe ou deux, et je me souviens que celui-ci m'intrigua.
He was not sailorly, and yet he had a smack of the sea about him too.
Il n'avait pas l'air marin, et pourtant il avait lui aussi quelque chose de la mer.
I asked him what was for his service, and he said he would take rum; but as I was going out of the room to fetch it, he sat down upon a table and motioned me to draw near.
Je lui demandai ce qu'il désirait, et il dit qu'il prendrait du rhum ; mais comme je sortais de la pièce pour aller le chercher, il s'assit sur une table et me fit signe d'approcher.
I paused where I was, with my napkin in my hand.
Je m'arrêtai où j'étais, ma serviette à la main.
"Come here, sonny," says he.
« Viens ici, fiston », dit-il.
"Come nearer here."
« Approche-toi davantage. »
I took a step nearer.
Je fis un pas de plus vers lui.
"Is this here table for my mate Bill?" he asked with a kind of leer.
« Est-ce que cette table est réservée à mon camarade Bill ? » demanda-t-il avec une sorte de regard en coin.
I told him I did not know his mate Bill, and this was for a person who stayed in our house whom we called the captain.
Je lui dis que je ne connaissais pas son camarade Bill, et que cette table était pour une personne qui logeait chez nous et que nous appelions le capitaine.
"Well," said he, "my mate Bill would be called the captain, as like as not.
« Eh bien », dit-il, « mon camarade Bill serait volontiers appelé le capitaine, c'est fort probable.
He has a cut on one cheek and a mighty pleasant way with him, particularly in drink, has my mate Bill.
Il a une balafre sur une joue et des manières fort agréables, surtout quand il a bu, mon camarade Bill.
We'll put it, for argument like, that your captain has a cut on one cheek--and we'll put it, if you like, that that cheek's the right one.
Mettons, à titre d'hypothèse, que votre capitaine ait une balafre sur une joue — et mettons, si vous voulez, que cette joue soit la droite.
Ah, well! I told you.
Ah, bien ! Je vous l'avais dit.
Now, is my mate Bill in this here house?"
Maintenant, est-ce que mon camarade Bill est dans cette maison ? »
I told him he was out walking.
Je lui dis qu'il était sorti se promener.
"Which way, sonny? Which way is he gone?
« Par où, fiston ? Par où est-il parti ?
Vocabulary
- avais
- Past imperfect of 'avoir'; I/he/she had
- toujours
- Always; still; at all times
- œil
- Eye; the organ of sight
- ouvert
- Open; not closed or shut
- gens
- People; persons in general
- mer
- Sea; large body of saltwater
- aient
- Subjunctive form of 'avoir'; (that they) have
- jambe
- Leg; the lower limb of the body
- souviens
- Remember; recall (first-person singular present)
- celui
- This one; that one (masculine demonstrative pronoun)
- ci
- Here; used with demonstratives to mean 'this one here'
- intrigua
- Intrigued; aroused curiosity or interest (past tense)
- avait
- Had; third-person singular imperfect of 'avoir'
- air
- Air; appearance; look; manner
- marin
- Marine; nautical; relating to the sea or sailors
- pourtant
- Yet; however; nevertheless; despite that
- aussi
- Also; too; as well; likewise
- quelque
- Some; a certain; a few; an indefinite adjective
- chose
- Thing; object; matter; something
- demandai
- Asked; inquired (first-person singular simple past)
- désirait
- Desired; wanted; wished for (imperfect tense)
- dit
- Said; told (third-person singular simple past of 'dire')
- prendrait
- Would take; conditional of 'prendre'
- rhum
- Rum; a distilled alcoholic spirit from sugar cane
- comme
- As; like; while; since; a conjunction or preposition
- sortais
- Was leaving; went out (imperfect tense of 'sortir')
- pièce
- Room; piece; coin; a part of a building
- aller
- To go; to move toward a destination
- chercher
- To look for; to search; to fetch
- assit
- Sat down; simple past of 's'asseoir'
- table
- Table; a flat-surfaced piece of furniture
- fit
- Made; did; simple past of 'faire'
- signe
- Sign; signal; gesture; indication
- approcher
- To approach; to come near; to get closer
- arrêtai
- Stopped; halted (first-person singular simple past)
- où
- Where; at which; in which (relative/interrogative adverb)
- étais
- Was; were (imperfect of 'être', first/second person)
- serviette
- Towel; napkin; briefcase; cloth for drying or wiping
- main
- Hand; the body part at the end of the arm
- Viens
- Come; imperative or present of 'venir'
- ici
- Here; in this place; at this location
- fiston
- Son; boy; kid; informal term of address for a boy
- Approche
- Approach; come closer (imperative of 'approcher')
- davantage
- More; further; to a greater degree or extent
- fis
- Did; made; simple past of 'faire', first-person singular
- plus
- More; plus; additionally; a step further
- vers
- Toward; in the direction of; a preposition
- cette
- This; that (feminine singular demonstrative adjective)
- réservée
- Reserved; set aside; kept for a specific person
- camarade
- Comrade; companion; fellow; close friend or colleague
- demanda
- Asked; inquired (third-person singular simple past)
- sorte
- Sort; kind; type; a particular manner or way
- regard
- Look; gaze; glance; the act of looking
- coin
- Corner; nook; angle; a small or hidden spot
- dis
- Said; told (first-person singular simple past of 'dire')
- connaissais
- Knew; was acquainted with (imperfect of 'connaître')
- était
- Was; were (third-person singular imperfect of 'être')
- personne
- Person; someone; nobody (depending on context)
- logeait
- Was staying; was lodging (imperfect of 'loger')
- chez
- At the home of; at the place of someone
- appelions
- Called; named (imperfect of 'appeler', first-person plural)
- capitaine
- Captain; leader; commander of a ship or military unit
- Eh
- Hey; well; an interjection expressing surprise or emphasis
- bien
- Well; good; fine; an adverb or interjection
- serait
- Would be; conditional of 'être', third-person singular
- volontiers
- Gladly; willingly; with pleasure
- appelé
- Called; named; past participle of 'appeler'
- fort
- Strong; very; loud; highly (adjective or adverb)
- probable
- Probable; likely; expected to happen
- balafre
- Scar; slash; a long cut mark on the face
- joue
- Cheek; the side of the face; also plays
- manières
- Manners; ways; behavior; social conduct
- agréables
- Pleasant; agreeable; enjoyable; nice to experience
- surtout
- Especially; above all; particularly; most importantly
- quand
- When; at what time; a conjunction or adverb
- bu
- Drunk; past participle of 'boire' (to drink)
- Mettons
- Let's say; let's put; suppose (imperative of 'mettre')
- titre
- Title; heading; on the basis of; by way of
- hypothèse
- Hypothesis; assumption; a proposed explanation or premise
- votre
- Your (formal or plural possessive adjective)
- ait
- Has; present subjunctive of 'avoir' (third-person singular)
- mettons
- Let's say; let's suppose (first-person plural present/imperative)
- si
- If; so; yes (contradiction); a conjunction or adverb
- voulez
- Want; wish (second-person plural present of 'vouloir')
- soit
- Be; let it be (subjunctive of 'être'); so be it
- droite
- Right; the right side; straight (adjective or noun)
- Maintenant
- Now; at the present moment; currently
- maison
- House; home; a building where people live
- sorti
- Gone out; left; past participle of 'sortir'
- promener
- To walk; to stroll; to take a leisurely walk
- parti
- Left; gone; departed; past participle of 'partir'
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