White nights, and other stories — Page 2
For though I had been living almost eight years in Petersburg I had hardly an acquaintance.
Car bien que j'eusse vécu presque huit ans à Pétersbourg, je n'avais presque aucune connaissance.
But what did I want with acquaintances?
Mais que voulais-je faire de connaissances ?
I was acquainted with all Petersburg as it was; that was why I felt as though they were all deserting me when all Petersburg packed up and went to its summer villa.
Je connaissais tout Pétersbourg tel qu'il était ; c'est pourquoi j'avais l'impression qu'ils m'abandonnaient tous quand tout Pétersbourg faisait ses bagages et partait dans sa villa d'été.
I felt afraid of being left alone, and for three whole days I wandered about the town in profound dejection, not knowing what to do with myself.
J'avais peur d'être laissé seul, et pendant trois jours entiers j'errai dans la ville dans un profond abattement, ne sachant que faire de moi-même.
Whether I walked in the Nevsky, went to the Gardens or sauntered on the embankment, there was not one face of those I had been accustomed to meet at the same time and place all the year.
Que je me promenasse sur le Nevski, que j'allasse aux Jardins ou que je flânasse sur le quai, il n'y avait pas un seul visage de ceux que j'avais eu l'habitude de rencontrer à la même heure et au même endroit tout au long de l'année.
They, of course, do not know me, but I know them.
Eux, bien sûr, ne me connaissent pas, mais moi je les connais.
I know them intimately, I have almost made a study of their faces, and am delighted when they are gay, and downcast when they are under a cloud.
Je les connais intimement, j'ai presque fait une étude de leurs visages, et je suis ravi quand ils sont joyeux, et abattu quand ils ont l'air sombre.
I have almost struck up a friendship with one old man whom I meet every blessed day, at the same hour in Fontanka.
J'ai presque noué une amitié avec un vieux monsieur que je rencontre chaque jour que Dieu fait, à la même heure sur la Fontanka.
Such a grave, pensive countenance; he is always whispering to himself and brandishing his left arm, while in his right hand he holds a long gnarled stick with a gold knob.
Un visage si grave et pensif ; il chuchote toujours pour lui-même et agite son bras gauche, tandis que dans sa main droite il tient une longue canne noueuse à pommeau d'or.
He even notices me and takes a warm interest in me.
Il me remarque même et s'intéresse chaleureusement à moi.
If I happen not to be at a certain time in the same spot in Fontanka, I am certain he feels disappointed.
S'il m'arrive de ne pas être à une certaine heure au même endroit sur la Fontanka, je suis certain qu'il en éprouve de la déception.
Vocabulary
- Car
- kar — Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
- bien
- byɛ̃ — Well; very; indeed; used for emphasis
- que
- kə — That; which; than; used as conjunction or pronoun
- j'
- ʒ — Contracted form of 'je' meaning 'I'
- vécu
- veky — Past participle of 'vivre'; lived, resided
- presque
- prɛsk — Almost; nearly; not quite
- huit
- ɥit — The number eight
- ans
- ɑ̃ — Years; used when referring to age or duration
- à
- a — Preposition meaning 'at', 'to', or 'in'
- je
- ʒə — First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- n'
- n — Contracted negation particle used before vowels
- avais
- avɛ — Imperfect tense of 'avoir'; I had
- aucune
- okyn — No, none, not any (feminine form)
- connaissance
- kɔnɛsɑ̃s — Knowledge; acquaintance; familiarity with someone or something
- Mais
- mɛ — But; however; used to introduce contrast
- voulais
- vulɛ — Imperfect of 'vouloir'; I wanted, I wished
- faire
- fɛr — To do; to make; general-purpose action verb
- de
- də — Of; from; some; a preposition with many uses
- connaissances
- kɔnɛsɑ̃s — Acquaintances; people one knows socially
- connaissais
- kɔnɛsɛ — Imperfect of 'connaître'; I knew (someone or something)
- tout
- tu — Everything; all; completely; every
- tel
- tɛl — Such; like; as it is; of that kind
- qu'
- k — Contracted form of 'que' before vowel sounds
- il
- il — He; it; third person masculine singular pronoun
- était
- etɛ — Imperfect of 'être'; was, used to be
- c'
- s — Contracted 'ce'; it, this (before vowel)
- est
- ɛ — Third person singular of 'être'; is
- pourquoi
- purkwa — Why; the reason for something
- l'
- l — Contracted definite article 'le' or 'la' before vowel
- impression
- ɛ̃prɛsjɔ̃ — Impression; feeling; effect produced on the mind
- ils
- il — They; third person masculine plural pronoun
- m'
- m — Contracted 'me'; me, myself (before vowel)
- abandonnaient
- abɑ̃dɔnɛ — Imperfect of 'abandonner'; they were abandoning, leaving
- tous
- tus — All; everyone; every one of them
- faisait
- fəzɛ — Imperfect of 'faire'; he/she was doing or making
- ses
- se — His, her, its (plural possessive adjective)
- bagages
- bagaʒ — Luggage; bags; belongings packed for travel
- et
- e — And; coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses
- partait
- partɛ — Imperfect of 'partir'; was leaving, was departing
- dans
- dɑ̃ — In; into; inside; preposition of location or time
- sa
- sa — His; her; its (feminine singular possessive adjective)
- villa
- vila — Country house; summer residence; private detached home
- d'
- d — Contracted preposition 'de' before vowel sounds
- été
- ete — Summer; the warmest season of the year
- peur
- pœr — Fear; dread; feeling of being frightened
- être
- ɛtr — To be; fundamental verb of existence or identity
- laissé
- lɛse — Past participle of 'laisser'; left, allowed, let alone
- seul
- søl — Alone; sole; only; by oneself
- pendant
- pɑ̃dɑ̃ — During; for (a period of time)
- trois
- trwa — The number three
- jours
- ʒur — Days; plural of 'jour'
- entiers
- ɑ̃tje — Entire; whole; complete (masculine plural)
- errai
- ɛre — Simple past of 'errer'; I wandered, roamed aimlessly
- la
- la — The (feminine singular definite article)
- ville
- vil — City; town; urban area
- un
- œ̃ — A; an; one (masculine indefinite article)
- profond
- prɔfɔ̃ — Deep; profound; intense; deeply felt
- abattement
- abatmɑ̃ — Dejection; despondency; low spirits; depression
- ne
- nə — Negation particle; used with 'pas' to negate
- sachant
- saʃɑ̃ — Present participle of 'savoir'; knowing
- moi
- mwa — Me; I; stressed first person singular pronoun
- même
- mɛm — Even; same; myself; used for emphasis
- sur
- syr — On; upon; over; preposition of position
- le
- lə — The (masculine singular definite article)
- aux
- o — Contraction of 'à les'; to the, at the (plural)
- Jardins
- ʒardɛ̃ — Gardens; parks; outdoor green spaces (plural)
- ou
- u — Or; conjunction offering an alternative
- quai
- ke — Quay; embankment; riverbank walkway
- y
- i — There; to it; pronoun replacing a place already mentioned
- avait
- avɛ — Imperfect of 'avoir'; there was, he/she had
- pas
- pɑ — Not; negation particle used with 'ne'
- visage
- vizaʒ — Face; the front part of a person's head
- ceux
- sø — Those; the ones; demonstrative pronoun (masculine plural)
- eu
- y — Past participle of 'avoir'; had
- habitude
- abityd — Habit; custom; usual practice or routine
- rencontrer
- rɑ̃kɔ̃tre — To meet; to encounter; to come across someone
- heure
- œr — Hour; time; o'clock; a unit of time
- au
- o — Contraction of 'à le'; to the, at the
- endroit
- ɑ̃drwa — Place; spot; location; specific point in space
- long
- lɔ̃ — Long; lengthy; along; over a distance or time
- année
- ane — Year; a full calendar year
- Eux
- ø — Them; they; stressed third person masculine plural pronoun
- sûr
- syr — Sure; certain; safe; confident about something
- connaissent
- kɔnɛs — Third person plural of 'connaître'; they know (someone)
- mais
- mɛ — But; however; introduces contrast or objection
- les
- le — The (plural definite article); them (direct object)
- connais
- kɔnɛ — First person singular of 'connaître'; I know (someone)
- intimement
- ɛ̃timmɑ̃ — Intimately; closely; in a deeply personal way
- ai
- e — First person singular of 'avoir'; I have
- fait
- fɛ — Past participle of 'faire'; done, made
- une
- yn — A; an; one (feminine indefinite article)
- étude
- etyd — Study; analysis; close examination of something
- leurs
- lœr — Their (plural possessive adjective)
- visages
- vizaʒ — Faces; plural of 'visage'
- suis
- sɥi — First person singular of 'être'; I am
- ravi
- ravi — Delighted; thrilled; very pleased
- sont
- sɔ̃ — Third person plural of 'être'; they are
- joyeux
- ʒwajø — Joyful; happy; cheerful; in good spirits
- abattu
- abaty — Downcast; dejected; discouraged; low in spirit
- ont
- ɔ̃ — Third person plural of 'avoir'; they have
- air
- ɛr — Air; appearance; look; manner of a person
- sombre
- sɔ̃br — Dark; gloomy; somber; sad in appearance or mood
- noué
- nwe — Past participle of 'nouer'; formed, tied, established
- amitié
- amitje — Friendship; bond of affection between people
- avec
- avɛk — With; together with; in the company of
- vieux
- vjø — Old; elderly; aged (masculine adjective)
- monsieur
- məsjø — Mister; sir; a polite title for a man
- rencontre
- rɑ̃kɔ̃tr — Meeting; encounter; chance meeting with someone
- chaque
- ʃak — Each; every; used with singular nouns
- jour
- ʒur — Day; daytime; a 24-hour period
- Dieu
- djø — God; the divine being; used in expressions
- Un
- œ̃ — A; an; one (masculine indefinite article)
- si
- si — So; such; if; very (intensifier or conjunction)
- grave
- grav — Serious; grave; solemn; of serious demeanor
- pensif
- pɑ̃sif — Pensive; thoughtful; lost in thought
- chuchote
- ʃyʃɔt — Third person singular of 'chuchoter'; whispers softly
- toujours
- tuʒur — Always; still; ever; at all times
- pour
- pur — For; in order to; preposition of purpose
- lui
- lɥi — Him; himself; stressed third person masculine pronoun
- agite
- aʒit — Third person singular of 'agiter'; waves, shakes, gestures
- son
- sɔ̃ — His; her; its (masculine singular possessive adjective)
- bras
- brɑ — Arm; the upper limb of the human body
- gauche
- goʃ — Left; the left side; also means awkward
- tandis
- tɑ̃di — While; whereas; used in 'tandis que' (while)
- main
- mɛ̃ — Hand; the end part of the arm
- droite
- drwat — Right; the right side (feminine adjective)
- tient
- tjɛ̃ — Third person singular of 'tenir'; holds, keeps
- longue
- lɔ̃g — Long; lengthy (feminine form of 'long')
- canne
- kan — Cane; walking stick; rod used for support
- noueuse
- nwøz — Knotty; gnarled; full of knots (feminine form)
- or
- ɔr — Gold; the precious yellow metal
- Il
- il — He; third person masculine singular subject pronoun
- remarque
- rəmark — Notices; observes; remarks; third person singular
- s'
- s — Contracted reflexive pronoun 'se' before vowel
- intéresse
- ɛ̃terɛs — Interests; concerns; third person singular of 'intéresser'
- chaleureusement
- ʃalørøzmɑ̃ — Warmly; in a warm and friendly manner
- arrive
- ariv — Arrives; happens; third person singular of 'arriver'
- certaine
- sɛrtɛn — Certain; a certain; particular (feminine form)
- certain
- sɛrtɛ̃ — Certain; a particular; some (masculine form)
- en
- ɑ̃ — In; of it; from there; preposition or pronoun
- éprouve
- epruve — Feels; experiences; third person singular of 'éprouver'
- déception
- desɛpsjɔ̃ — Disappointment; letdown; feeling of unmet expectations
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