War and Peace — Page 6
She added that Her Majesty had deigned to show Baron Funke beaucoup d'estime, and again her face clouded over with sadness.
Elle ajouta que Sa Majesté avait daigné témoigner beaucoup d'estime au baron Funke, et de nouveau son visage se rembrunit de tristesse.
The prince was silent and looked indifferent.
Le prince se tut et parut indifférent.
But, with the womanly and courtierlike quickness and tact habitual to her, Anna Pávlovna wished both to rebuke him (for daring to speak as he had done of a man recommended to the Empress) and at the same time to console him, so she said:
Mais, avec la promptitude et le tact féminins et courtisans qui lui étaient habituels, Anna Pavlovna voulut à la fois le réprimander (pour avoir osé parler comme il l'avait fait d'un homme recommandé à l'Impératrice) et en même temps le consoler, aussi dit-elle :
"Now about your family. Do you know that since your daughter came out everyone has been enraptured by her? They say she is amazingly beautiful."
« Parlons maintenant de votre famille. Savez-vous que depuis que votre fille a fait son entrée dans le monde, tout le monde est sous son charme ? On dit qu'elle est d'une beauté extraordinaire. »
The prince bowed to signify his respect and gratitude.
Le prince s'inclina pour marquer son respect et sa gratitude.
"I often think," she continued after a short pause, drawing nearer to the prince and smiling amiably at him as if to show that political and social topics were ended and the time had come for intimate conversation—"I often think how unfairly sometimes the joys of life are distributed.
« Je pense souvent, » continua-t-elle après une courte pause, se rapprochant du prince et lui souriant aimablement comme pour montrer que les sujets politiques et mondains étaient épuisés et que le moment était venu d'une conversation intime — « je pense souvent combien les joies de la vie sont parfois distribuées inégalement.
Why has fate given you two such splendid children?
Pourquoi le destin vous a-t-il donné deux enfants aussi remarquables ?
I don't speak of Anatole, your youngest.
Je ne parle pas d'Anatole, votre cadet.
I don't like him," she added in a tone admitting of no rejoinder and raising her eyebrows.
Je ne l'aime pas, » ajouta-t-elle d'un ton qui n'admettait pas de réplique, en haussant les sourcils.
"Two such charming children. And really you appreciate them less than anyone, and so you don't deserve to have them."
« Deux enfants aussi charmants. Et vraiment vous les appréciez moins que quiconque, et donc vous ne méritez pas de les avoir. »
And she smiled her ecstatic smile.
Et elle sourit de son sourire extatique.
"I can't help it," said the prince. "Lavater would have said I lack the bump of paternity."
« Je n'y puis rien, » dit le prince. « Lavater aurait dit que je manque de la bosse de la paternité. »
"Don't joke; I mean to have a serious talk with you.
« Ne plaisantez pas ; j'entends avoir avec vous une conversation sérieuse.
Vocabulary
- ajouta
- Past tense of ajouter; she/he added in speech
- Majesté
- Title of honor meaning 'Majesty' for royalty
- daigné
- Past participle of daigner; deigned or condescended to do
- témoigner
- To show, express, or bear witness to something
- estime
- Esteem, regard, or high opinion of someone
- baron
- Noble title ranking below viscount, a baron
- visage
- The face or facial expression of a person
- rembrunit
- Past tense of se rembrunir; face darkened with sadness
- tristesse
- Sadness, melancholy, or a state of sorrow
- prince
- A male member of royalty ranked below king
- tut
- Past tense of se taire; he fell silent or quiet
- parut
- Past tense of paraître; appeared or seemed a certain way
- indifférent
- Adjective meaning indifferent, unconcerned, or uninterested
- promptitude
- Promptness, swiftness, or quickness in action or response
- tact
- Sensitivity and skill in dealing with people diplomatically
- féminins
- Adjective meaning 'feminine' or relating to women
- courtisans
- Courtiers; people attending a royal court seeking favor
- habituels
- Adjective meaning usual, habitual, or customary
- voulut
- Past tense of vouloir; wanted or wished to do something
- fois
- Noun meaning 'time' or 'instance,' as in 'at once'
- réprimander
- To reprimand, scold, or rebuke someone for wrongdoing
- osé
- Past participle of oser; dared to do something bold
- recommandé
- Past participle of recommander; recommended or endorsed by someone
- Impératrice
- Noun meaning 'Empress,' female ruler or emperor's wife
- temps
- Noun meaning 'time' or 'weather'; en même temps: simultaneously
- consoler
- To console or comfort someone who is sad or distressed
- dit-elle
- Inverted form of she said; used in narrative speech tags
- Parlons
- First person plural imperative of parler; 'let us talk'
- Savez-vous
- Inverted question form of savoir; 'do you know?'
- depuis
- Preposition or conjunction meaning 'since' or 'for' in time
- entrée
- Noun or past participle; entry or having entered a place
- monde
- Noun meaning 'world' or 'society'; le monde: high society
- sous
- Preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath something'
- charme
- Charm, enchantment, or captivating appeal of a person
- beauté
- Noun meaning 'beauty,' attractiveness of a person or thing
- extraordinaire
- Adjective meaning extraordinary, exceptional, or remarkable
- inclina
- Past tense of s'incliner; bowed or inclined as gesture
- marquer
- To mark, show, or express a feeling or attitude
- respect
- Noun meaning respect, esteem, or deference toward someone
- gratitude
- Noun meaning gratitude or thankfulness toward someone
- souvent
- Adverb meaning 'often' or 'frequently'
- continua-t-elle
- Inverted narrative tag; 'she continued' speaking
- courte
- Feminine adjective meaning 'short' in length or duration
- pause
- Noun meaning a brief pause or break in activity
- rapprochant
- Present participle of rapprocher; drawing closer or approaching
- souriant
- Present participle of sourire; smiling in a pleasant manner
- aimablement
- Adverb meaning kindly, amiably, or in a friendly manner
- montrer
- To show, demonstrate, or point out something to someone
- sujets
- Noun meaning subjects, topics, or themes of discussion
- politiques
- Adjective or noun meaning political or relating to politics
- mondains
- Adjective meaning worldly, social, or relating to society
- épuisés
- Past participle of épuiser; exhausted, used up, or depleted
- conversation
- Noun meaning conversation or exchange of spoken words
- intime
- Adjective meaning intimate, close, or personal in nature
- combien
- Adverb or pronoun meaning 'how much' or 'how many'
- joies
- Plural noun meaning joys or feelings of happiness
- parfois
- Adverb meaning 'sometimes' or 'at times'
- distribuées
- Past participle of distribuer; distributed or allocated among people
- inégalement
- Adverb meaning unequally or in an uneven distribution
- destin
- Noun meaning fate, destiny, or one's predetermined life course
- remarquables
- Adjective meaning remarkable, notable, or worthy of attention
- cadet
- Noun or adjective meaning the younger or youngest child
- ajouta-t-elle
- Inverted narrative tag; 'she added' while speaking
- ton
- Noun meaning tone, manner of speaking, or voice quality
- admettait
- Imperfect of admettre; admitted or allowed something to occur
- réplique
- Noun meaning reply, retort, or a sharp response in conversation
- haussant
- Present participle of hausser; raising, as in raising eyebrows
- sourcils
- Plural noun meaning eyebrows on a person's face
- charmants
- Adjective meaning charming, delightful, or very pleasant
- appréciez
- Second person plural of apprécier; appreciate or value something
- quiconque
- Pronoun meaning 'whoever,' 'anyone who,' or 'whomever'
- donc
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'therefore,' 'so,' or 'thus'
- méritez
- Second person plural of mériter; deserve or merit something
- sourire
- Noun or verb meaning 'smile' or 'to smile'
- extatique
- Adjective meaning ecstatic, rapturous, or filled with ecstasy
- rien
- Pronoun meaning 'nothing' or 'anything' in negation
- aurait
- Conditional of avoir; 'would have' in hypothetical statements
- manque
- Noun or verb meaning lack, absence, or missing something
- bosse
- Noun meaning bump, hump, or protuberance on a surface
- paternité
- Noun meaning paternity or the state of being a father
- plaisantez
- Second person plural of plaisanter; joke or jest about something
- entends
- First person singular of entendre; hear or intend something
- sérieuse
- Feminine adjective meaning serious, earnest, or solemn
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