White nights, and other stories — Page 14
I make up regular romances in my dreams.
Je compose de véritables romans dans mes rêves.
Ah, you don't know me!
Ah, vous ne me connaissez pas !
It's true, of course, I have met two or three women, but what sort of women were they?
Il est vrai, bien sûr, que j'ai rencontré deux ou trois femmes, mais quelles sortes de femmes étaient-elles ?
They were all landladies, that....
C'étaient toutes des logeuses, voilà....
But I shall make you laugh if I tell you that I have several times thought of speaking, just simply speaking, to some aristocratic lady in the street, when she is alone, I need hardly say; speaking to her, of course, timidly, respectfully, passionately; telling her that I am perishing in solitude, begging her not to send me away; saying that I have no chance of making the acquaintance of any woman; impressing upon her that it is a positive duty for a woman not to repulse so timid a prayer from such a luckless man as me.
Mais je vais vous faire rire si je vous dis que j'ai plusieurs fois pensé à adresser la parole, simplement la parole, à quelque dame aristocratique dans la rue, quand elle est seule, cela va sans dire ; lui parler, bien sûr, timidement, respectueusement, passionnément ; lui dire que je me consume dans la solitude, la supplier de ne pas me renvoyer ; lui dire que je n'ai aucune chance de faire la connaissance d'aucune femme ; lui faire comprendre qu'il est un devoir absolu pour une femme de ne pas repousser une prière aussi timide d'un homme aussi malheureux que moi.
That, in fact, all I ask is, that she should say two or three sisterly words with sympathy, should not repulse me at first sight; should take me on trust and listen to what I say; should laugh at me if she likes, encourage me, say two words to me, only two words, even though we never meet again afterwards!...
Que, en fait, tout ce que je demande, c'est qu'elle me dise deux ou trois mots fraternels avec sympathie, qu'elle ne me repousse pas à première vue ; qu'elle me fasse confiance et écoute ce que je dis ; qu'elle se moque de moi si elle le souhaite, qu'elle m'encourage, qu'elle me dise deux mots, seulement deux mots, même si nous ne nous revoyons jamais ensuite !...
But you are laughing; however, that is why I am telling you...."
Mais vous riez ; c'est pourtant pour cela que je vous le dis...."
"Don't be vexed; I am only laughing at your being your own enemy, and if you had tried you would have succeeded, perhaps, even though it had been in the street; the simpler the better....
"Ne vous fâchez pas ; je ris seulement de ce que vous êtes votre propre ennemi, et si vous aviez essayé vous auriez peut-être réussi, même si cela avait été dans la rue ; plus c'est simple, mieux c'est....
Vocabulary
- compose
- To compose or create something, like music or writing
- véritables
- True, genuine, or real in nature
- romans
- Novels or long works of fiction
- rêves
- Dreams, visions experienced during sleep or imagination
- connaissez
- To know a person or place through familiarity
- vrai
- True, correct, or in accordance with reality
- sûr
- Sure, certain, or confident about something
- rencontré
- Met or encountered someone for the first time
- femmes
- Women or wives, plural of femme
- sortes
- Sorts, kinds, or types of things or people
- logeuses
- Female landlords who rent out rooms
- voilà
- Expression meaning 'there it is' or 'that's it'
- rire
- To laugh or the act of laughing
- plusieurs
- Several, more than two but not many
- fois
- Times, instances, or occurrences of something
- pensé
- Thought about or considered something carefully
- adresser
- To address or speak directly to someone
- parole
- Speech, word, or the act of speaking
- simplement
- Simply, plainly, or without complexity
- quelque
- Some, a certain, used before singular nouns
- dame
- A lady or refined woman of social standing
- aristocratique
- Of or relating to the aristocracy or nobility
- rue
- A street or road in a town or city
- seule
- Alone, solitary, or by oneself (feminine form)
- timidement
- Timidly, shyly, in a hesitant or reserved manner
- respectueusement
- Respectfully, with deference and consideration for others
- passionnément
- Passionately, with intense emotion or feeling
- consume
- Consumes or devours, often used for intense feelings
- solitude
- The state of being alone or isolated
- supplier
- To beg or implore someone earnestly
- renvoyer
- To send away or dismiss someone
- aucune
- No, none, not any (feminine form)
- chance
- Luck or probability of something happening
- connaissance
- Knowledge or acquaintance with a person or subject
- femme
- A woman or wife
- comprendre
- To understand or grasp the meaning of something
- devoir
- Duty, obligation, or to have to do something
- absolu
- Absolute, complete, unconditional in nature
- repousser
- To push away or reject someone or something
- prière
- A prayer or earnest request made to someone
- timide
- Shy, timid, or lacking confidence socially
- homme
- A man or human being
- malheureux
- Unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable in situation
- demande
- Asks for or requests something from someone
- dise
- Subjunctive form of dire meaning 'say'
- mots
- Words, units of language used in speech or writing
- fraternels
- Brotherly, fraternal, relating to fellowship and kinship
- sympathie
- Sympathy or fellow feeling toward another person
- repousse
- Rejects, pushes away, or turns someone down
- première
- First, foremost (feminine form of premier)
- vue
- View, sight, or the act of seeing
- fasse
- Subjunctive form of faire meaning 'make' or 'do'
- confiance
- Trust or confidence placed in someone or something
- écoute
- Listens to or pays attention to someone speaking
- moque
- Mocks, makes fun of, or laughs at someone
- souhaite
- Wishes for or desires something to happen
- encourage
- Encourages or gives support and confidence to someone
- seulement
- Only, merely, or just a small amount
- même
- Even, same, or very (used as intensifier)
- revoyons
- See each other again, first person plural of revoir
- jamais
- Never or ever, depending on context in sentence
- ensuite
- Then, afterwards, or following that in sequence
- riez
- You laugh, second person plural of rire
- pourtant
- Yet, however, or nevertheless despite the circumstances
- fâchez
- Get angry, second person plural of fâcher
- ris
- Laugh, first or second person singular of rire
- propre
- Own (before noun) or clean (after noun)
- ennemi
- An enemy or adversary, someone opposed to you
- essayé
- Tried or attempted to do something
- auriez
- Second person plural conditional of avoir, 'you would have'
- réussi
- Succeeded or accomplished something desired
- simple
- Simple, easy, or uncomplicated in nature
- mieux
- Better, an improvement over a previous state
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