White nights, and other stories — Page 3
That is how it is that we almost bow to each other, especially when we are both in good humour.
C'est ainsi que nous nous saluons presque mutuellement, surtout quand nous sommes tous les deux de bonne humeur.
The other day, when we had not seen each other for two days and met on the third, we were actually touching our hats, but, realizing in time, dropped our hands and passed each other with a look of interest.
L'autre jour, comme nous ne nous étions pas vus depuis deux jours et que nous nous rencontrions le troisième, nous portions déjà la main à nos chapeaux, mais, nous ravisant à temps, nous laissâmes retomber nos bras et nous nous croisâmes en nous regardant avec intérêt.
I know the houses too.
Je connais aussi les maisons.
As I walk along they seem to run forward in the streets to look out at me from every window, and almost to say:
Quand je me promène, elles semblent s'avancer dans les rues pour me regarder de chaque fenêtre, et presque me dire :
"Good-morning! How do you do? I am quite well, thank God, and I am to have a new storey in May,"
« Bonjour ! Comment allez-vous ? Je vais très bien, Dieu merci, et je dois avoir un nouvel étage en mai, »
or, "How are you? I am being redecorated to-morrow;"
ou bien : « Comment vous portez-vous ? On me redécore demain ; »
or, "I was almost burnt down and had such a fright," and so on.
ou encore : « J'ai failli brûler et j'ai eu une telle peur, » et ainsi de suite.
I have my favourites among them, some are dear friends; one of them intends to be treated by the architect this summer.
J'ai mes favorites parmi elles, certaines sont de chères amies ; l'une d'elles doit être traitée par l'architecte cet été.
I shall go every day on purpose to see that the operation is not a failure.
J'irai chaque jour exprès pour m'assurer que l'opération ne soit pas un échec.
God forbid!
À Dieu ne plaise !
But I shall never forget an incident with a very pretty little house of a light pink colour.
Mais je n'oublierai jamais un incident survenu avec une très jolie petite maison d'un rose pâle.
It was such a charming little brick house, it looked so hospitably at me, and so proudly at its ungainly neighbours, that my heart rejoiced whenever I happened to pass it.
C'était une si charmante petite maison de briques, elle me regardait avec tant d'hospitalité, et regardait ses voisines disgracieuses avec tant de fierté, que mon cœur se réjouissait chaque fois que je passais devant elle.
Suddenly last week I walked along the street, and when I looked at my friend I heard a plaintive, "They are painting me yellow!"
Soudain, la semaine dernière, je me promenais dans la rue, et lorsque je regardai mon amie, j'entendis une plainte : « On me peint en jaune ! »
The villains! The barbarians!
Les scélérats ! Les barbares !
Vocabulary
- est
- Third person singular of être; is
- ainsi
- In this way; thus; so
- que
- That; which; as; conjunction or relative pronoun
- nous
- We; us; first person plural pronoun
- saluons
- We greet; we wave hello to each other
- presque
- Almost; nearly; not quite
- mutuellement
- Mutually; reciprocally; in a mutual way
- surtout
- Especially; above all; most importantly
- quand
- When; at the time that
- sommes
- We are; first person plural of être
- tous
- All; every one; both (masculine plural)
- deux
- Two; the number two
- bonne
- Good; fine; feminine form of bon
- humeur
- Mood; temper; state of mind
- autre
- Other; another; different one
- jour
- Day; daytime; a 24-hour period
- comme
- As; like; since; because
- ne
- Not; first part of French negation
- étions
- We were; imperfect of être
- pas
- Not; second part of negation; step
- vus
- Seen; past participle of voir (plural)
- depuis
- Since; for; from a point in time
- jours
- Days; plural of jour
- rencontrions
- We were meeting; imperfect of rencontrer
- troisième
- Third; ordinal number following second
- portions
- We were raising; imperfect of porter (here lifting)
- déjà
- Already; by this time; previously
- main
- Hand; the hand of a person
- nos
- Our; first person plural possessive adjective
- chapeaux
- Hats; plural of chapeau
- mais
- But; however; conjunction of opposition
- ravisant
- Thinking better of it; changing one's mind
- temps
- Time; weather; duration or moment
- laissâmes
- We let; we allowed; passé simple of laisser
- retomber
- To fall back down; to drop again
- bras
- Arms; plural of bras, body limb
- croisâmes
- We crossed; passé simple of croiser
- en
- In; on; while; preposition or pronoun
- regardant
- Looking; watching; present participle of regarder
- avec
- With; together with; preposition
- intérêt
- Interest; curiosity; concern or attention
- connais
- I know; first person of connaître
- aussi
- Also; too; as well
- maisons
- Houses; homes; plural of maison
- Quand
- When; at what time; conjunction of time
- promène
- Walk; stroll; present tense of se promener
- elles
- They; feminine third person plural pronoun
- semblent
- Seem; appear; third person plural of sembler
- avancer
- To move forward; to advance; to approach
- dans
- In; inside; within; preposition of location
- rues
- Streets; plural of rue
- pour
- For; in order to; preposition of purpose
- regarder
- To look at; to watch; to observe
- chaque
- Each; every; each individual one
- fenêtre
- Window; opening in a wall for light
- dire
- To say; to tell; to express in words
- Bonjour
- Hello; good morning; standard French greeting
- Comment
- How; in what way; interrogative adverb
- allez-vous
- Are you; how are you doing (formal)
- vais
- I am going; first person of aller
- très
- Very; extremely; intensifying adverb
- bien
- Well; good; in a satisfactory manner
- Dieu
- God; the divine being; deity
- merci
- Thank you; thanks; expression of gratitude
- dois
- Must; I must; first person of devoir
- avoir
- To have; infinitive of the verb avoir
- nouvel
- New; masculine form before vowel sound
- étage
- Floor; story of a building
- mai
- May; fifth month of the year
- ou
- Or; either; coordinating conjunction of choice
- vous
- You; formal or plural second person pronoun
- portez-vous
- Are you; how are you (comment vous portez-vous)
- On
- One; we; people; indefinite subject pronoun
- redécore
- Redecorates; redoes the decor; present tense
- demain
- Tomorrow; the day after today
- encore
- Again; still; yet; once more
- ai
- Have; first person singular of avoir
- failli
- Nearly; almost; past participle of faillir
- brûler
- To burn; to catch fire; to be destroyed by fire
- eu
- Had; past participle of avoir
- telle
- Such; so great; feminine form of tel
- peur
- Fear; fright; strong feeling of danger
- suite
- Following; in the wake of; continuation
- mes
- My; first person plural possessive adjective
- favorites
- Favorites; preferred ones; feminine plural
- parmi
- Among; amongst; in the middle of
- certaines
- Certain; some; particular feminine plural ones
- sont
- Are; third person plural of être
- chères
- Dear; beloved; feminine plural of cher
- amies
- Friends; feminine plural of ami
- doit
- Must; has to; third person singular of devoir
- être
- To be; infinitive of the verb être
- traitée
- Treated; dealt with; feminine past participle of traiter
- par
- By; through; preposition of agency or means
- architecte
- Architect; person who designs buildings
- cet
- This; masculine demonstrative adjective before vowel
- été
- Summer; the warmest season of the year
- irai
- I will go; future tense of aller
- exprès
- On purpose; deliberately; intentionally
- assurer
- To ensure; to make sure; to guarantee
- opération
- Operation; procedure; action carried out
- soit
- Be; subjunctive of être; whether or
- échec
- Failure; defeat; unsuccessful outcome
- plaise
- Please; may it please; subjunctive of plaire
- Mais
- But; however; conjunction of contrast
- oublierai
- I will forget; future tense of oublier
- jamais
- Never; ever; at no time
- incident
- Incident; event; unexpected occurrence
- survenu
- Occurred; happened; past participle of survenir
- jolie
- Pretty; lovely; attractive in appearance
- petite
- Small; little; feminine form of petit
- maison
- House; home; residential building
- rose
- Pink; light red color; also rose flower
- pâle
- Pale; light; not bright in color
- était
- Was; third person singular imperfect of être
- si
- So; such; if; intensifying adverb or conjunction
- charmante
- Charming; delightful; attractive feminine adjective
- briques
- Bricks; rectangular building material blocks
- elle
- She; it; third person feminine singular pronoun
- regardait
- Was looking; imperfect tense of regarder
- tant
- So much; so many; to such a degree
- hospitalité
- Hospitality; warm welcome; friendliness to guests
- ses
- His; her; its; third person possessive adjective
- voisines
- Neighbors; nearby ones; feminine plural of voisin
- disgracieuses
- Ungraceful; unattractive; lacking elegance
- fierté
- Pride; sense of satisfaction and dignity
- mon
- My; first person masculine possessive adjective
- cœur
- Heart; center of emotion; cardiac organ
- réjouissait
- Rejoiced; was delighted; imperfect of se réjouir
- fois
- Time; occasion; each time; instance
- passais
- Was passing; used to pass; imperfect of passer
- devant
- In front of; before; ahead of
- Soudain
- Suddenly; all at once; without warning
- semaine
- Week; a period of seven days
- dernière
- Last; most recent; final feminine adjective
- promenais
- Was walking; used to stroll; imperfect of se promener
- rue
- Street; road in a town or city
- lorsque
- When; at the moment that; conjunction of time
- regardai
- I looked; passé simple of regarder
- amie
- Friend; female friend; feminine singular of ami
- entendis
- I heard; passé simple of entendre
- plainte
- Complaint; groan; expression of pain or sorrow
- peint
- Painted; past participle of peindre
- jaune
- Yellow; the color between green and orange
- scélérats
- Scoundrels; villains; wicked people
- barbares
- Barbarians; savages; cruel or uncivilized people
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