War and Peace — Page 7
Do you know I am dissatisfied with your younger son?
Savez-vous que je suis mécontente de votre fils cadet?
Between ourselves" (and her face assumed its melancholy expression), "he was mentioned at Her Majesty's and you were pitied...."
Entre nous" (et son visage prit son expression mélancolique), "il a été mentionné chez Sa Majesté et on vous a plaint...."
The prince answered nothing, but she looked at him significantly, awaiting a reply.
Le prince ne répondit rien, mais elle le regarda d'un air significatif, attendant une réponse.
He frowned.
Il fronça les sourcils.
"What would you have me do?" he said at last.
"Que voulez-vous que j'y fasse?" dit-il enfin.
"You know I did all a father could for their education, and they have both turned out fools.
"Vous savez que j'ai fait pour leur éducation tout ce qu'un père peut faire, et ils sont tous deux devenus des sots.
Hippolyte is at least a quiet fool, but Anatole is an active one.
Hippolyte est au moins un sot tranquille, mais Anatole est un sot remuant.
That is the only difference between them."
C'est la seule différence entre eux."
He said this smiling in a way more natural and animated than usual, so that the wrinkles round his mouth very clearly revealed something unexpectedly coarse and unpleasant.
Il dit cela en souriant d'une manière plus naturelle et plus animée qu'à l'ordinaire, de sorte que les rides autour de sa bouche révélaient très clairement quelque chose d'inattendu de grossier et de déplaisant.
"And why are children born to such men as you?
"Et pourquoi des enfants naissent-ils à des hommes comme vous?
If you were not a father there would be nothing I could reproach you with," said Anna Pávlovna, looking up pensively.
Si vous n'étiez pas père, il n'y aurait rien que je puisse vous reprocher," dit Anna Pavlovna, levant les yeux pensivement.
"I am your faithful slave and to you alone I can confess that my children are the bane of my life.
"Je suis votre esclave fidèle et c'est à vous seule que je peux avouer que mes enfants sont le fléau de ma vie.
It is the cross I have to bear.
C'est la croix que je dois porter.
That is how I explain it to myself.
C'est ainsi que je me l'explique.
It can't be helped!"
On n'y peut rien!"
He said no more, but expressed his resignation to cruel fate by a gesture.
Il n'en dit pas davantage, mais exprima sa résignation à un sort cruel par un geste.
Anna Pávlovna meditated.
Anna Pavlovna médita.
"Have you never thought of marrying your prodigal son Anatole?" she asked.
"N'avez-vous jamais pensé à marier votre fils prodigue Anatole?" demanda-t-elle.
Vocabulary
- Savez
- Second person plural present of 'savoir' (to know)
- vous
- Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'what'
- je
- First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- suis
- First person singular present of 'être' meaning 'am'
- mécontente
- Feminine adjective meaning dissatisfied or displeased
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
- votre
- Possessive adjective meaning 'your' (formal)
- fils
- Noun meaning 'son' or 'sons'
- cadet
- Adjective or noun meaning younger son or junior
- Entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among'
- nous
- First person plural pronoun meaning 'us' or 'we'
- et
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- son
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'
- visage
- Noun meaning 'face' referring to a person's face
- prit
- Third person singular passé simple of 'prendre' (to take)
- expression
- Noun meaning 'expression,' a look on one's face
- mélancolique
- Adjective meaning melancholic or expressing sadness
- il
- Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'
- a
- Third person singular present of 'avoir' meaning 'has'
- été
- Past participle of 'être' meaning 'been'
- mentionné
- Past participle of 'mentionner' meaning 'mentioned'
- chez
- Preposition meaning 'at the home of' someone
- Sa
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its'
- Majesté
- Noun meaning 'Majesty,' a royal title of address
- on
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one,' 'we,' or 'they'
- plaint
- Third person singular present of 'plaindre' meaning 'pities'
- Le
- Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular)
- prince
- Noun meaning 'prince,' a male royal title
- ne
- Negative particle used with 'pas' to negate verbs
- répondit
- Third person singular passé simple of 'répondre' (to answer)
- rien
- Pronoun meaning 'nothing' used in negative constructions
- mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but' introducing contrast
- elle
- Third person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'
- le
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'him'
- regarda
- Third person singular passé simple of 'regarder' (to look at)
- d'
- Contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel
- un
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (masculine)
- air
- Noun meaning 'air' or 'look,' demeanor or expression
- significatif
- Adjective meaning significant or meaningful, conveying intent
- attendant
- Present participle of 'attendre' meaning 'waiting for'
- une
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an' (feminine)
- réponse
- Noun meaning 'response' or 'answer' to a question
- Il
- Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'
- fronça
- Third person singular passé simple of 'froncer' (to furrow)
- les
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' (plural)
- sourcils
- Noun meaning 'eyebrows,' the hair above the eyes
- Que
- Interrogative pronoun meaning 'what'
- voulez
- Second person plural present of 'vouloir' (to want)
- j'
- Contracted first person singular pronoun 'je' before vowel
- y
- Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or 'to it'
- fasse
- First person singular present subjunctive of 'faire' (to do)
- dit
- Third person singular passé simple of 'dire' (to say)
- enfin
- Adverb meaning 'finally' or 'at last'
- Vous
- Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'
- savez
- Second person plural present of 'savoir' meaning 'know'
- ai
- First person singular present of 'avoir' meaning 'have'
- fait
- Past participle of 'faire' meaning 'done' or 'made'
- pour
- Preposition meaning 'for' indicating purpose or beneficiary
- leur
- Possessive adjective or pronoun meaning 'their' or 'them'
- éducation
- Noun meaning 'education' or 'upbringing' of children
- tout
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all,' 'every,' or 'everything'
- ce
- Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'
- qu'
- Contracted relative pronoun 'que' before a vowel
- père
- Noun meaning 'father,' a male parent
- peut
- Third person singular present of 'pouvoir' meaning 'can'
- faire
- Infinitive verb meaning 'to do' or 'to make'
- ils
- Third person plural masculine pronoun meaning 'they'
- sont
- Third person plural present of 'être' meaning 'are'
- tous
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' (masculine plural)
- deux
- Number meaning 'two'
- devenus
- Past participle of 'devenir' meaning 'become' (plural)
- des
- Indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the' (plural)
- sots
- Noun or adjective meaning 'fools' or 'foolish' (plural)
- est
- Third person singular present of 'être' meaning 'is'
- au
- Contracted article meaning 'at the' or 'to the'
- moins
- Adverb meaning 'less' or 'at least'
- sot
- Adjective or noun meaning 'foolish' or 'fool'
- tranquille
- Adjective meaning calm, quiet, or peaceful
- remuant
- Present participle of 'remuer' meaning restless or fidgety
- C'
- Contracted demonstrative pronoun 'ce' before 'est'
- la
- Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular)
- seule
- Adjective meaning 'only' or 'sole' (feminine form)
- différence
- Noun meaning 'difference,' a distinguishing characteristic
- entre
- Preposition meaning 'between' or 'among'
- eux
- Third person plural masculine disjunctive pronoun meaning 'them'
- cela
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this'
- en
- Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'of it'
- souriant
- Present participle of 'sourire' meaning 'smiling'
- manière
- Noun meaning 'manner' or 'way' of doing something
- plus
- Adverb meaning 'more' used in comparisons
- naturelle
- Adjective meaning 'natural' (feminine form)
- animée
- Adjective meaning 'animated' or 'lively' (feminine form)
- à
- Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'
- l'
- Contracted definite article 'le' or 'la' before vowel
- ordinaire
- Adjective or noun meaning 'ordinary' or 'usual'
- sorte
- Noun meaning 'sort,' 'kind,' or 'type'
- rides
- Noun meaning 'wrinkles' on a person's face
- autour
- Adverb or preposition meaning 'around' something
- sa
- Possessive adjective meaning 'his,' 'her,' or 'its' (feminine)
- bouche
- Noun meaning 'mouth,' a facial feature
- révélaient
- Third person plural imperfect of 'révéler' (to reveal)
- très
- Adverb meaning 'very' intensifying adjectives or adverbs
- clairement
- Adverb meaning 'clearly' in a clear or evident manner
- quelque
- Adjective meaning 'some' or 'a certain' thing
- chose
- Noun meaning 'thing' referring to an object or matter
- inattendu
- Adjective meaning unexpected or surprising
- grossier
- Adjective meaning coarse, crude, or rude
- déplaisant
- Adjective meaning unpleasant or disagreeable
- Et
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- pourquoi
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'why'
- enfants
- Noun meaning 'children,' young boys and girls
- naissent
- Third person plural present of 'naître' meaning 'are born'
- hommes
- Noun meaning 'men' or 'humans' (plural)
- comme
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'like,' 'as,' or 'how'
- Si
- Conjunction meaning 'if' introducing a conditional clause
- n'
- Contracted negative particle 'ne' before a vowel
- étiez
- Second person plural imperfect of 'être' meaning 'were'
- pas
- Negative adverb meaning 'not' used with 'ne'
- aurait
- Third person singular conditional of 'avoir' meaning 'would have'
- puisse
- Present subjunctive of 'pouvoir' meaning 'can' or 'may'
- reprocher
- Infinitive meaning 'to reproach' or 'to blame someone'
- levant
- Present participle of 'lever' meaning 'raising' or 'lifting'
- yeux
- Noun meaning 'eyes,' the organs of sight (plural)
- pensivement
- Adverb meaning 'pensively' in a thoughtful manner
- Je
- First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- esclave
- Noun meaning 'slave,' one bound to servitude
- fidèle
- Adjective meaning 'faithful' or 'loyal'
- c'
- Contracted demonstrative pronoun 'ce' before a vowel
- peux
- First person singular present of 'pouvoir' meaning 'can'
- avouer
- Infinitive meaning 'to admit' or 'to confess' something
- mes
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (plural)
- fléau
- Noun meaning 'scourge,' 'plague,' or great nuisance
- ma
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (feminine singular)
- vie
- Noun meaning 'life'
- croix
- Noun meaning 'cross,' a burden one must bear
- dois
- First person singular present of 'devoir' meaning 'must'
- porter
- Infinitive meaning 'to carry' or 'to bear' a burden
- ainsi
- Adverb meaning 'thus,' 'so,' or 'in this way'
- me
- First person singular reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me'
- explique
- First person singular present of 'expliquer' (to explain)
- On
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one,' 'we,' or 'people'
- davantage
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'further' in degree
- exprima
- Third person singular passé simple of 'exprimer' (to express)
- résignation
- Noun meaning 'resignation,' acceptance of hardship
- sort
- Noun meaning 'fate' or 'lot' in life
- cruel
- Adjective meaning 'cruel' or causing great pain
- par
- Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'
- geste
- Noun meaning 'gesture,' a movement expressing something
- médita
- Third person singular passé simple of 'méditer' (to meditate)
- N'
- Contracted negative particle 'ne' before a vowel
- avez
- Second person plural present of 'avoir' meaning 'have'
- jamais
- Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever' in questions
- pensé
- Past participle of 'penser' meaning 'thought'
- marier
- Infinitive meaning 'to marry' or 'to wed' someone
- prodigue
- Adjective or noun meaning 'prodigal,' extravagant spendthrift
- demanda
- Third person singular passé simple of 'demander' (to ask)
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