War and Peace — Page 1

English → Fr CHAPTER I Level 8/10

"Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the Buonapartes.

« Eh bien, Prince, Gênes et Lucques ne sont plus que des apanages de la famille Buonaparte.

But I warn you, if you don't tell me that this means war, if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist—I really believe he is Antichrist—I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer my 'faithful slave,' as you call yourself!

Mais je vous préviens, si vous ne me dites pas que nous avons la guerre, si vous osez encore défendre les infamies et les horreurs perpétrées par cet Antéchrist—je crois vraiment qu'il est l'Antéchrist—je ne vous connais plus, vous n'êtes plus mon ami, vous n'êtes plus mon « fidèle esclave », comme vous dites !

But how do you do?

Mais comment vous portez-vous ?

I see I have frightened you—sit down and tell me all the news."

Je vois que je vous ai effrayé—asseyez-vous et racontez-moi toutes les nouvelles. »

It was in July, 1805, and the speaker was the well-known Anna Pávlovna Schérer, maid of honor and favorite of the Empress Márya Fëdorovna.

C'était en juillet 1805, et celle qui parlait ainsi était la bien connue Anna Pavlovna Schérer, demoiselle d'honneur et favorite de l'impératrice Maria Feodorovna.

With these words she greeted Prince Vasíli Kurágin, a man of high rank and importance, who was the first to arrive at her reception.

C'est par ces mots qu'elle accueillit le prince Vassili Kouraguine, un homme de haut rang et d'importance, qui était le premier arrivé à sa soirée.

Anna Pávlovna had had a cough for some days.

Anna Pavlovna toussait depuis quelques jours.

She was, as she said, suffering from la grippe; grippe being then a new word in St. Petersburg, used only by the elite.

Elle souffrait, disait-elle, de la grippe ; la grippe étant alors un mot nouveau à Saint-Pétersbourg, employé seulement par les gens du grand monde.

All her invitations without exception, written in French, and delivered by a scarlet-liveried footman that morning, ran as follows:

Toutes ses invitations sans exception, rédigées en français et remises le matin même par un laquais en livrée écarlate, étaient ainsi conçues :

"If you have nothing better to do, Count (or Prince), and if the prospect of spending an evening with a poor invalid is not too terrible, I shall be very charmed to see you tonight between 7 and 10—Annette Schérer."

« Si vous n'avez rien de mieux à faire, Monsieur le Comte (ou Monsieur le Prince), et si la perspective de passer une soirée avec une pauvre malade ne vous semble pas trop redoutable, je serai très charmée de vous voir ce soir entre 7 et 10 heures. — Annette Schérer. »

"Heavens! what a virulent attack!" replied the prince, not in the least disconcerted by this reception.

« Grands dieux ! quelle virulente attaque ! » répondit le prince, nullement déconcerté par cet accueil.

Vocabulary

Eh: Interjection expressing surprise or emphasis.
bien: Well; good; used as an interjection or adverb.
Prince: A male member of a royal or noble family.
et: And; conjunction connecting words or phrases.
ne: Negative particle used with pas or other negatives.
sont: Are; third-person plural of the verb être.
plus: More; no longer; used in comparisons or negation.
que: That; than; only; conjunction or relative pronoun.
des: Some; of the; plural indefinite or partitive article.
apanages: Territories or privileges granted to a ruler's relatives.
de: Of; from; preposition indicating possession or origin.
la: The; feminine singular definite article.
famille: Family; a group of related people.
Mais: But; conjunction introducing a contrast or objection.
je: I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
vous: You; second-person formal or plural pronoun.
préviens: I warn; first-person singular of prévenir.
si: If; so; conditional conjunction or intensifier.
me: Me; first-person singular object pronoun.
dites: Say; tell; second-person plural imperative of dire.
pas: Not; negation particle used with ne.
nous: We; us; first-person plural pronoun.
avons: Have; first-person plural of avoir.
guerre: War; armed conflict between nations or groups.
osez: Dare; second-person plural of oser.
encore: Still; again; yet; adverb of continuation or repetition.
défendre: To defend; to protect or justify something.
les: The; plural definite article for all genders.
infamies: Infamies; extremely wicked or shameful acts.
horreurs: Horrors; things causing great shock or disgust.
perpétrées: Perpetrated; committed, referring to crimes or atrocities.
par: By; through; preposition indicating agent or means.
cet: This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective before vowel.
Antéchrist: Antichrist; a figure of great evil opposing Christianity.
crois: Believe; think; first-person singular of croire.
vraiment: Really; truly; adverb expressing sincerity or emphasis.
qu': That; elided form of que before a vowel.
il: He; it; third-person masculine singular pronoun.
est: Is; third-person singular present of être.
l': The; elided definite article before a vowel.
connais: Know; first-person singular of connaître.
n': Not; elided negative particle before a vowel.
êtes: Are; second-person plural of être.
mon: My; first-person singular masculine possessive adjective.
ami: Friend; a person one has a bond with.
fidèle: Faithful; loyal; trustworthy in relationships or duties.
esclave: Slave; a person held in servitude by another.
comme: As; like; how; conjunction or preposition of comparison.
comment: How; what; adverb asking about manner or state.
portez: Carry; bear; second-person plural of porter.
Je: I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
vois: See; first-person singular of voir.
ai: Have; first-person singular of avoir.
effrayé: Frightened; scared; past participle of effrayer.
asseyez: Sit down; second-person plural imperative of s'asseoir.
racontez: Tell; recount; second-person plural imperative of raconter.
moi: Me; I; stressed first-person singular pronoun.
toutes: All; every; feminine plural form of tout.
nouvelles: News; short stories; feminine plural of nouveau or nouvelle.
C': It; this; elided form of ce before est.
était: Was; were; third-person singular imperfect of être.
en: In; on; at; preposition of place or time.
juillet: July; the seventh month of the year.
celle: She; the one; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun.
qui: Who; which; that; relative or interrogative pronoun.
parlait: Was speaking; third-person singular imperfect of parler.
ainsi: Thus; in this way; so; adverb of manner.
connue: Known; well-known; feminine past participle of connaître.
demoiselle: Young lady; unmarried woman; lady-in-waiting at court.
d': Of; from; elided preposition before a vowel.
honneur: Honor; respect and dignity accorded to someone.
favorite: Favorite; most favored or preferred person by someone.
impératrice: Empress; a female ruler or wife of an emperor.
ces: These; those; plural demonstrative adjective.
mots: Words; units of language conveying meaning.
elle: She; her; third-person feminine singular pronoun.
accueillit: Welcomed; greeted; third-person singular simple past of accueillir.
le: The; masculine singular definite article.
prince: Prince; a male member of a royal family.
un: A; an; one; masculine singular indefinite article.
homme: Man; an adult male human being.
haut: High; tall; of great status or elevation.
rang: Rank; position in a social or official hierarchy.
importance: Importance; the quality of being significant or notable.
premier: First; foremost; primary in order or importance.
arrivé: Arrived; past participle of arriver, to arrive.
à: To; at; in; preposition of place or direction.
sa: His; her; its; third-person singular possessive adjective.
soirée: Evening party; a social gathering held at night.
toussait: Was coughing; third-person singular imperfect of tousser.
depuis: Since; for; preposition indicating duration or starting point.
quelques: Some; a few; indicating a small unspecified number.
jours: Days; plural of jour, a 24-hour period.
Elle: She; third-person feminine singular subject pronoun.
souffrait: Was suffering; third-person singular imperfect of souffrir.
disait: Was saying; third-person singular imperfect of dire.
grippe: Flu; influenza; a contagious respiratory illness.
étant: Being; present participle of être.
alors: Then; at that time; so; adverb of time or consequence.
mot: Word; a single unit of language or speech.
nouveau: New; novel; recently introduced or unfamiliar.
Saint: Saint; a holy person; used in place names.
employé: Used; employed; past participle of employer.
seulement: Only; merely; just; adverb of restriction.
gens: People; persons; a group of individuals.
du: Of the; from the; contracted masculine definite article.
grand: Great; large; big; adjective of size or importance.
monde: World; society; people; tout le monde means everyone.
Toutes: All; every one; feminine plural of tout.
ses: His; her; its; third-person plural possessive adjective.
invitations: Invitations; requests asking someone to attend an event.
sans: Without; lacking; preposition of absence.
exception: Exception; something excluded from a general rule.
rédigées: Written; drafted; feminine plural past participle of rédiger.
français: French; relating to France or its language.
remises: Delivered; handed over; feminine plural past participle of remettre.
matin: Morning; the early part of the day.
même: Same; even; itself; adjective or adverb of identity.
laquais: Footman; lackey; a male servant in livery.
livrée: Livery; a uniform worn by servants or staff.
écarlate: Scarlet; a bright red color.
étaient: Were; third-person plural imperfect of être.
conçues: Conceived; worded; feminine plural past participle of concevoir.
Si: If; whether; conditional conjunction.
avez: Have; second-person plural of avoir.
rien: Nothing; not anything; used in negation.
mieux: Better; comparative adverb or adjective of bien.
faire: To do; to make; a very common French verb.
Monsieur: Mister; sir; a formal title for a man.
Comte: Count; a European nobleman of a certain rank.
ou: Or; conjunction presenting an alternative choice.
perspective: Prospect; outlook; the possibility of a future event.
passer: To spend time; to pass; to go by.
une: A; an; one; feminine singular indefinite article.
avec: With; in the company of; preposition of accompaniment.
pauvre: Poor; unfortunate; lacking money or evoking pity.
malade: Sick; ill; a person who is unwell.
semble: Seems; appears; third-person singular of sembler.
trop: Too; too much; excessively; adverb of excess.
redoutable: Formidable; dreadful; inspiring fear or great respect.
serai: Will be; first-person singular future of être.
très: Very; extremely; adverb intensifying adjectives or adverbs.
charmée: Delighted; charmed; feminine past participle of charmer.
voir: To see; to visit; a common French verb.
ce: This; that; it; demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
soir: Evening; the latter part of the day.
entre: Between; among; preposition indicating a range or position.
heures: Hours; o'clock; unit of time.
Grands: Great; grand; masculine plural adjective of grandeur.
dieux: Gods; plural of dieu; used in exclamations.
quelle: What; what a; feminine singular interrogative adjective.
virulente: Virulent; bitterly hostile; intensely severe or aggressive.
attaque: Attack; an aggressive act or critical assault.
répondit: Replied; answered; third-person singular simple past of répondre.
nullement: Not at all; in no way; adverb of total negation.
déconcerté: Disconcerted; unsettled; past participle of déconcerter.
accueil: Welcome; reception; the greeting given to someone.

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