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Ulysses

Ulysse

by James Joyce

par James Joyce

Contents

Table des matières

Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.

Imposant et replet, Buck Mulligan venait du haut de l'escalier, portant un bol de mousse à raser sur lequel reposaient en croix un miroir et un rasoir.

A yellow dressinggown, ungirdled, was sustained gently behind him on the mild morning air.

Une robe de chambre jaune, sans ceinture, flottait doucement derrière lui dans l'air tiède du matin.

He held the bowl aloft and intoned:

Il leva le bol en l'air et entonna :

—_Introibo ad altare Dei_.

—_Introibo ad altare Dei_.

Halted, he peered down the dark winding stairs and called out coarsely:

S'arrêtant, il scruta du regard le sombre escalier en colimaçon et cria grossièrement :

—Come up, Kinch! Come up, you fearful jesuit!

—Monte, Kinch ! Monte donc, espèce de jésuite apeurant !

Solemnly he came forward and mounted the round gunrest.

Solennellement, il s'avança et monta sur le support d'affût circulaire.

He faced about and blessed gravely thrice the tower, the surrounding land and the awaking mountains.

Il fit volte-face et bénit gravement par trois fois la tour, la terre alentour et les montagnes qui s'éveillaient.

Then, catching sight of Stephen Dedalus, he bent towards him and made rapid crosses in the air, gurgling in his throat and shaking his head.

Puis, apercevant Stephen Dedalus, il se pencha vers lui et traça rapidement des croix dans l'air, gargouillant dans la gorge et secouant la tête.

Stephen Dedalus, displeased and sleepy, leaned his arms on the top of the staircase and looked coldly at the shaking gurgling face that blessed him, equine in its length, and at the light untonsured hair, grained and hued like pale oak.

Stephen Dedalus, mécontent et ensommeillé, appuya ses bras sur le haut de l'escalier et regarda froidement le visage tremblant et gargouillis qui le bénissait, équin dans sa longueur, et les cheveux clairs non tonsurés, grainés et teintés comme du chêne pâle.

Buck Mulligan peeped an instant under the mirror and then covered the bowl smartly.

Buck Mulligan jeta un coup d'œil un instant sous le miroir, puis recouvrit le bol prestement.

—Back to barracks!

—Retour à la caserne !

Vocabulary

par
Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'
Table
Noun meaning 'table' or flat surface
des
Contracted article meaning 'of the' or 'some'
matières
Noun meaning 'subjects' or 'matters'; table of contents
Imposant
Adjective meaning 'imposing' or 'impressive in appearance'
et
Conjunction meaning 'and'
replet
Adjective meaning 'chubby' or 'plump in figure'
venait
Imperfect tense of 'venir,' meaning 'was coming'
du
Contracted article meaning 'of the' or 'from the'
haut
Adjective or noun meaning 'high' or 'top'
de
Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about'
l'
Contracted definite article 'le' or 'la' before vowel
escalier
Noun meaning 'staircase' or 'flight of stairs'
portant
Present participle of 'porter,' meaning 'carrying'
un
Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'
bol
Noun meaning 'bowl,' a rounded container
mousse
Noun meaning 'foam' or 'lather,' also moss
à
Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'for'
raser
Verb meaning 'to shave' or 'to graze a surface'
sur
Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon'
lequel
Relative pronoun meaning 'on which' or 'which'
reposaient
Imperfect tense of 'reposer,' meaning 'were resting'
en
Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'as'
croix
Noun meaning 'cross,' a crossed or X shape
miroir
Noun meaning 'mirror,' a reflective surface
rasoir
Noun meaning 'razor,' tool used for shaving
Une
Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'
robe
Noun meaning 'dress' or 'robe,' a garment
chambre
Noun meaning 'room' or 'bedroom'
jaune
Adjective meaning 'yellow,' a bright warm color
sans
Preposition meaning 'without'
ceinture
Noun meaning 'belt' or 'waistband'
flottait
Imperfect tense of 'flotter,' meaning 'was floating'
doucement
Adverb meaning 'gently,' 'softly,' or 'slowly'
derrière
Preposition or adverb meaning 'behind' or 'after'
lui
Pronoun meaning 'him' or 'to him'
dans
Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'
air
Noun meaning 'air,' the invisible gaseous atmosphere
tiède
Adjective meaning 'lukewarm' or 'mildly warm'
matin
Noun meaning 'morning,' the early part of day
Il
Subject pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'
leva
Passé simple of 'lever,' meaning 'raised' or 'lifted'
le
Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'it'
entonna
Passé simple of 'entonner,' meaning 'intoned' or 'sang out'
S'
Reflexive pronoun 'se' contracted before a vowel
arrêtant
Present participle of 'arrêter,' meaning 'stopping'
il
Subject pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'
scruta
Passé simple of 'scruter,' meaning 'scrutinized' or 'scanned'
regard
Noun meaning 'look,' 'gaze,' or 'glance'
sombre
Adjective meaning 'dark,' 'gloomy,' or 'somber'
colimaçon
Noun meaning 'snail' or 'spiral staircase'
cria
Passé simple of 'crier,' meaning 'shouted' or 'cried out'
grossièrement
Adverb meaning 'rudely,' 'coarsely,' or 'roughly'
Monte
Imperative of 'monter,' meaning 'come up' or 'climb'
donc
Conjunction or adverb meaning 'so,' 'therefore,' 'then'
espèce
Noun meaning 'species,' 'sort,' or 'type'; used as insult
jésuite
Noun meaning 'Jesuit,' member of the Society of Jesus
apeurant
Present participle meaning 'frightening' or 'scaring someone'
Solennellement
Adverb meaning 'solemnly' or 'in a solemn manner'
s'
Reflexive pronoun 'se' elided before a vowel sound
avança
Passé simple of 'avancer,' meaning 'moved forward'
monta
Passé simple of 'monter,' meaning 'climbed' or 'went up'
support
Noun meaning 'support,' 'stand,' or 'base structure'
d'
Preposition 'de' contracted before a vowel sound
affût
Noun meaning 'gun carriage' or 'lying in wait'
circulaire
Adjective meaning 'circular' or 'round in shape'
fit
Passé simple of 'faire,' meaning 'did' or 'made'
volte
Noun meaning 'turn' or 'about-face' movement
face
Noun meaning 'face' or 'front'; faire volte-face means turn around
bénit
Past tense of 'bénir,' meaning 'blessed' ritually
gravement
Adverb meaning 'gravely,' 'seriously,' or 'solemnly'
trois
Number meaning 'three'
fois
Noun meaning 'times,' indicating repetition or frequency
la
Feminine definite article meaning 'the'
tour
Noun meaning 'tower' or 'turn'; a tall structure
terre
Noun meaning 'earth,' 'land,' or 'ground'
alentour
Adverb meaning 'around,' 'in the surrounding area'
les
Plural definite article meaning 'the'
montagnes
Noun meaning 'mountains,' large elevated landforms
qui
Relative pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'that'
éveillaient
Imperfect of 'éveiller,' meaning 'were awakening'
Puis
Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next,' indicating sequence
apercevant
Present participle of 'apercevoir,' meaning 'noticing'
se
Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself,' 'herself,' or 'itself'
pencha
Passé simple of 'pencher,' meaning 'leaned' or 'bent over'
vers
Preposition meaning 'toward' or 'in the direction of'
traça
Passé simple of 'tracer,' meaning 'traced' or 'drew'
rapidement
Adverb meaning 'quickly' or 'rapidly'
gargouillant
Present participle meaning 'gurgling' or 'making gargling sounds'
gorge
Noun meaning 'throat' or 'gorge,' narrow passage
secouant
Present participle of 'secouer,' meaning 'shaking'
tête
Noun meaning 'head,' the topmost part of the body
mécontent
Adjective meaning 'displeased,' 'dissatisfied,' or 'unhappy'
ensommeillé
Adjective meaning 'sleepy,' 'drowsy,' or 'half-asleep'
appuya
Passé simple of 'appuyer,' meaning 'leaned' or 'pressed'
ses
Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'
bras
Noun meaning 'arms,' upper limbs of the body
regarda
Passé simple of 'regarder,' meaning 'looked at' or 'watched'
froidement
Adverb meaning 'coldly,' 'coolly,' or 'without warmth'
visage
Noun meaning 'face,' the front of one's head
tremblant
Present participle meaning 'trembling' or 'shaking'
gargouillis
Noun meaning 'gurgling' or 'bubbling sound in throat'
bénissait
Imperfect of 'bénir,' meaning 'was blessing' ritually
équin
Adjective meaning 'equine,' relating to horses
sa
Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'
longueur
Noun meaning 'length,' the measurement of something long
cheveux
Noun meaning 'hair,' strands growing on the head
clairs
Adjective meaning 'light,' 'fair,' or 'pale in color'
non
Adverb meaning 'no' or 'not'
tonsurés
Adjective meaning 'tonsured,' having the crown of head shaved
grainés
Adjective meaning 'grained' or 'having a grainy texture'
teintés
Adjective meaning 'tinted' or 'lightly colored'
comme
Conjunction or adverb meaning 'like,' 'as,' or 'how'
chêne
Noun meaning 'oak,' a large hardwood tree
pâle
Adjective meaning 'pale,' lacking color or intensity
jeta
Passé simple of 'jeter,' meaning 'threw' or 'cast'
coup
Noun meaning 'blow,' 'hit'; jeter un coup d'œil means glance
œil
Noun meaning 'eye'; coup d'œil means a quick glance
instant
Noun meaning 'instant' or 'moment,' a brief time
sous
Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath'
puis
Adverb meaning 'then' or 'afterwards'
recouvrit
Passé simple of 'recouvrir,' meaning 'covered again'
prestement
Adverb meaning 'swiftly,' 'nimbly,' or 'quickly'
Retour
Noun meaning 'return' or 'going back'
caserne
Noun meaning 'barracks,' a military housing facility
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