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Won from the Waves — Page 8

English → Fr CHAPTER ONE. Level 6/10

She was already on a wind when again the mist closed over the ocean, and she was hidden from sight.

Elle était déjà sous voile quand le brouillard se referma de nouveau sur l'océan, et elle disparut aux regards.

"We will keep the _Nancy_ where she is," said Halliburt; "we don't know what may happen.

« Nous garderons le _Nancy_ là où il est, » dit Halliburt ; « nous ne savons pas ce qui peut arriver.

If yonder ship drives on the sands--and she has but a poor chance of keeping off them, I fear--we cannot let her people perish without trying to save them;

Si ce navire là-bas s'échoue sur les bancs de sable — et il n'a guère de chance de les éviter, je le crains — nous ne pouvons pas laisser ses gens périr sans essayer de les sauver ;

and though it may be a hard job to get alongside the wreck, yet some of the poor fellows may be drifted away from her on rafts or spars, and we may be able to pick them up.

et bien que ce soit une tâche difficile d'accoster l'épave, certains des pauvres malheureux auront peut-être dérivé loin d'elle sur des radeaux ou des esparres, et nous pourrons peut-être les recueillir.

Whatever happens, we must do our best."

Quoi qu'il arrive, nous devons faire de notre mieux. »

"Ay, ay, Adam," answered several of his hardy crew, who stood around him; "where you think fit to go we are ready to go too."

« Oui, oui, Adam, » répondirent plusieurs membres de son équipage endurci, qui se tenaient autour de lui ; « là où vous jugerez bon d'aller, nous sommes prêts à y aller aussi. »

The party had not long to wait before their worst apprehensions were realised.

Le groupe n'eut pas longtemps à attendre avant que leurs pires craintes ne se réalisent.

The dull report of a gun, which their practised ears told them came from Norton Sands, was heard;

Le bruit sourd d'un coup de canon, que leurs oreilles exercées leur indiquèrent comme venant des Norton Sands, se fit entendre ;

in another minute the sound of a second gun boomed over the waters;

une minute plus tard, le son d'un deuxième coup de canon retentit sur les eaux ;

a third followed even before the same interval had elapsed.

un troisième suivit avant même que le même intervalle se fût écoulé.

Vocabulary

était
Was; third-person singular imperfect of être
déjà
Already; used to indicate something happened before
sous
Under; preposition indicating position below something
voile
Sail or veil; fabric used to propel a ship
quand
When; conjunction introducing a time clause
brouillard
Fog; thick mist reducing visibility outdoors
referma
Closed again; past tense of refermer, to shut again
nouveau
New/again; adjective or adverb meaning once more
océan
Ocean; vast body of saltwater covering Earth
disparut
Disappeared; past tense of disparaître, to vanish
regards
Gazes; looks or glances directed toward something
garderons
Will keep; future tense of garder, to keep
There; adverb indicating a place or position
Where; relative or interrogative adverb of place
dit
Said; past tense of dire, to say or tell
savons
Know; first-person plural present of savoir
ce
This/that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
peut
Can/may; third-person singular present of pouvoir
arriver
To arrive/happen; infinitive meaning to occur
Si
If; conjunction introducing a conditional clause
navire
Ship; large vessel for sailing on water
là-bas
Over there; adverb indicating a distant location
échoue
Runs aground; present tense of échouer, to strand
bancs
Banks/shoals; shallow underwater ridges of sand
sable
Sand; fine granular material found on shores
guère
Hardly/scarcely; negative adverb meaning barely at all
chance
Chance/luck; probability or opportunity to succeed
éviter
To avoid; infinitive meaning to escape or prevent
crains
Fear; first-person singular present of craindre
pouvons
Can; first-person plural present tense of pouvoir
laisser
To let/leave; infinitive meaning to allow something
gens
People; noun referring to a group of persons
périr
To perish; infinitive meaning to die or be destroyed
sans
Without; preposition indicating absence or lack
essayer
To try; infinitive meaning to attempt something
sauver
To save; infinitive meaning to rescue from danger
bien
Well/good; adverb indicating a positive manner
soit
Be; third-person singular present subjunctive of être
tâche
Task; a piece of work to be accomplished
difficile
Difficult; adjective meaning hard or challenging
accoster
To come alongside; to approach or board a wreck
épave
Wreck; remains of a wrecked or stranded vessel
certains
Some/certain; indefinite adjective referring to some people
pauvres
Poor; adjective meaning unfortunate or impoverished
malheureux
Unfortunate ones; noun or adjective meaning unhappy people
auront
Will have; third-person plural future of avoir
peut-être
Perhaps/maybe; adverb expressing possibility or uncertainty
dérivé
Drifted; past participle of dériver, to drift away
loin
Far; adverb indicating a great distance away
radeaux
Rafts; flat floating structures used for rescue
esparres
Spars; wooden poles or beams from a ship
pourrons
Will be able; first-person plural future of pouvoir
recueillir
To gather/collect; to rescue or take in survivors
Quoi
What; interrogative pronoun used in exclamations
arrive
Happens/arrives; third-person singular present of arriver
devons
Must/owe; first-person plural present of devoir
faire
To do/make; common infinitive for doing or making
mieux
Better/best; comparative adverb meaning more well
répondirent
Replied; third-person plural past tense of répondre
plusieurs
Several; indefinite adjective meaning more than two
membres
Members; people belonging to a group or crew
équipage
Crew; the team of people working on a ship
endurci
Hardened; adjective describing someone toughened by experience
tenaient
Held/stood; imperfect tense of tenir, to hold
autour
Around; preposition indicating surrounding position
jugerez
Will judge/decide; second-person plural future of juger
bon
Good; adjective expressing quality or appropriateness
aller
To go; infinitive meaning to move toward a place
prêts
Ready; adjective meaning prepared to do something
y
There/it; adverbial pronoun replacing a place or idea
aussi
Also/too; adverb meaning likewise or in addition
groupe
Group; a number of people gathered together
eut
Had; third-person singular simple past of avoir
longtemps
A long time; adverb indicating an extended duration
attendre
To wait; infinitive meaning to wait for something
avant
Before; preposition or adverb indicating earlier time
pires
Worst; superlative adjective meaning most bad or severe
craintes
Fears; noun meaning worries or apprehensions about danger
réalisent
Come true/realize; third-person plural present of réaliser
bruit
Noise/sound; any audible sound or disturbance
sourd
Muffled/deaf; adjective meaning dull or low sound
coup
Blow/shot; a strike or discharge of a weapon
canon
Cannon; large heavy gun used on ships
oreilles
Ears; the organs used for hearing sounds
exercées
Trained/practiced; adjective meaning skilled through experience
indiquèrent
Indicated; third-person plural past tense of indiquer
comme
As/like; conjunction or preposition of comparison
venant
Coming; present participle of venir, to come
fit
Made/did; third-person singular simple past of faire
entendre
To hear; infinitive meaning to perceive sound
minute
Minute; a unit of time equal to sixty seconds
plus
More/no more; adverb of quantity or negation
tard
Late/later; adverb indicating a later point in time
deuxième
Second; ordinal adjective meaning number two in order
retentit
Rang out; past tense of retentir, to resound
eaux
Waters; plural of eau, referring to bodies of water
troisième
Third; ordinal adjective meaning number three in order
suivit
Followed; third-person singular simple past of suivre
même
Same/even; adjective or adverb of identity or emphasis
intervalle
Interval; a gap or pause between two events
fût
Had been; imperfect subjunctive of être, to be
écoulé
Elapsed/passed; past participle of s'écouler, to flow by
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