RL TERRES
Page 11, line 2 —-airs de petite personne, etc. Personne in French is often used in the sense of femme, dame ; -C'est une belle personne, She is a handsome woman ; une jeune personne que je connais, a young lady I know We may therefore render the passage, ‘putting on the airs of a little lady about to die.”
Page 11, line 2 —elle buvait à la cuiller. ‘She drank from the spoon.” Cf. boire de l’eau à la fontaine, to drink water from the
fountain.
Page 11, line 7.—de te quitter, toi qui. Toi is repeated so as to furnish an immediate antecedent for the relative. It need not be translated.
Page 12, line 1.—les années vinrent qui apportèrent. The relative clause here is better rendered by à participial phrase, ‘bringing —as is often the case.
Page 12, line 4,—]" usure. ‘This word means ‘‘usury,” but also ‘wear and tear”’ (cf. verb user, to wear out, 13, 28). So l'usure des habits, the wearing out of clothes. Render, ‘old age, decrepitude.”
. Page 13, line 2. —coffres, armoires, chaises. The partitive sign des is often omitted in enumerations.
Page 13, line 2. —-rempaillées blanc et noir. ï.e., ex blanc et en noir.
Page 13, linc 4.--buis bénit. The priest on Palm Sunday (see the following note) blesses branches of box, which the members of his con- Cr carry home, and preserve as an omen of good fortune.
énit(e) — ‘ consecrated ” must be distinguished from béni, the past participle of bénir, to bless.
Page 13, line 5 —aux derniers Rameaux. Le dimanche des Rameaux, le jour des Rameaux, Pâques fleuries are all designations of Palm Sunday—the Sunday before Easter—-on which day the members of the Catholic Church commemorate Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, (John xii., 13), by carrying branches (rameaux), if possible of palm.
Page 13, line 11.—cafetière en ruolz. For en see note to 1, 13. Henri-Catherine-Camille, comte de Ruolz, born 1808, is a French musician and chemist. He was one of the first inventors of the art of plating in gold and silver by the use of electricity, and his name still serves to describe articles plated according to his process ;—" silver-plate,
Page 13, line 13.—on aurait dit=on eût dit A frequent phrase—® You would have taken it for, ‘ You would have believed it was.” Cf. ‘On eût dit que la petite avait comprise,” 18, 21.
Page 13, line 32. —nous n'en avons plus que. Literally, ‘“ We have not more than for two years, more.”
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Page 13, line 33. —jours de bureau. ‘Office days.” Note the ease with which the French make adjective phrases with de. Cf. “des mines de voleur,” 17, 4; ‘une expression de....pitié,”” 17, 17 ; ‘‘des yeux d’enfant, 17, 25, etc. IL., 79, note.
Page 14, line 1. -sept cent trente-un jours. More generally trente et un. So also, vingt-un, vingt et un, etc.
Page 14, line 4 —un semblant d'idée. Literally, ‘a pretence of an idea.” ‘Something that seemed like an idea.” The omission of une is regular ; cf. the note to 1, £.
Page 14, line 7.—-cela lui faisait....que de mouler. ‘This construction will be better understood in its simplest form. Cf. Écrire n'est pas agréable, and Ce n'est pas agréable que d'écrier. ‘These sentences have the same meaning, ‘‘ To write is not agreeable,”” “It is not agreeable to write,” but the latter is somewhat more emphatic. So ‘C'était devenu....que de regarder,” 14, 11. Cf. IL., 120, 3 A free rendering is alone possible in English. ‘He found .... in printing....”
Page 14, line 17.—tout de même -néanmois, ‘and yet....?
Page 15, line I.—numéro. The two words in French for ‘ numnber ”’—numéro and nombre—must be carefully distinguished. Numéro marks the separate individuals of a series ; hence we must say, le numéro de la page, le numéro d’une maison, le numéro d’un conducteur de tramway (street-car). But nombre signifies the collective amount : des hommes au nombre de deux cents, un grand nombre de voitures, etc.
Page 15, line 4. —prendre le thé. ‘To take tea (meal) with him”; prendre du thé, to take some tea.
Page 15, line 5.—une fois l’an=une fois par an. ‘Once a year.” Cf. IL, 43, 2.
Page 15, line 11.—]la lumière éclatant sur les femmes. Not éclatante (fem.), because the genuine participle retains its neutral force, and is invariable, IT., 252.
Page 15, line 14. —-partir à l'anglaise. ‘Leave early.” We return the compliment by saying ‘‘ take French leave.” The adjective
angluise is made feminine because it agrees with manière or façon, or
mode understood.
Page 15, line 17. —aussi....aussi grincheux. Note the two meanings of aussi as here illustrated: (1) ‘so,’ ‘ thus,’ (2) ‘as ? (with comparison).
Page 15, line 23.—cordon, s’il vous plait. The houses of Paris are usually in flats occupied by several families, with, however a common entry in charge of the concierge (patron, etc.). ‘The doorkeeper, for his own convenience has a cord (cordon) attached to the bolt of the door, so that he can give entry or exit to the house without leaving his room. The command is really, T'érez (pull) /e cordon (afin que nous sortions).
nn
À ne Pas $
Page 15, line 24.—sans diminutif. ‘Monotonously, that i« ‘ without lowering the stress of the voice,”
Page 16, line 1.—cela pourrait bien finir en neige. Literally, ‘That could well end in snow’; more colloquially, ‘That look;
as if it were going to snow.
Page 16, line 11.—son capuchon pointu. The winter garb of the policeman of Paris includes a pointed hood which may be pulled over the head in severe weather. |
Page 16, line 20.—l'agent. The names of ‘ policemen” in French are agents de police, a general term, including even special officers of police as well as the body of men called gardiens de la paix (see line 24), or sergents de ville.
Page 16, line 24 —qui courait toujours. l'oujours in such constructions is usually best rendered freely, ‘ who kept on running,”
Page 16, line 29.—-mon Dieu. The student must note the difference in the force of God, devil, etc., in Euglish and the corresponding words in French. In the latter Dieu and diable are common conversational terms, even in refined intercourse ; so that Mais, mon Divu, is about = but goodness ! Que diable vas-tu faire? What on earth will you do? Dieu que cela est beau! Well, but that às fine! Qui diable l’a fait? Who in the world did it? Quelle diable d'idée! What a queer notion !
Page 16, line 29.—que faire ? ‘The full expression of this abbrevited phrase would be, que faut-il faire? ‘ What's to be done ? ?
Page 16, line 34.—soit. This word—really the 3rd pers. sing. pres. subj. 1s used—as an adverb-=que cela soit, ‘be it 80,” ‘agreed,’ ‘all right, ‘ well and good.’
Page 17, line 4—des mines de voleur. ‘Looking like robbers.” See the note to 13, 33.
Page 17, line 9.—près du poële ouvert. The distinctions between prés and auprès are as follows :-— Près denotes nearness of space or time. Le temps est près ; Il demeure tout près, He lives quite near ; /lest près de deux heures, It is nearly two o’clock. Auprès denotes (1) nearness of space, as prés does : 17 demeure tout auprès (d: nous), He lives quite near (us) ; but it also signifies (2) assiduity in respect to à person, La mère est heureuse auprès de ses enfants, the mother is happy near her children ; also (3) in the mind of people, —Zl trouve de la faveur auprès des gens d'esprit, He finds favor with witty people ; and (4) in comparison with,—Z1 est heureux auprès de nous, He is happy compared with us.
Page 17, line 11.—y toucher. The verb toucher may have a direct object, —Ne touchez pas cela, Do not touch that ; or an indirect object, usually meaning to lay hands on‘ Ne touchant pas aux viandes,” 19, 12, ‘not touching the meats.” With a few verbs y (—/ui) may be used of persons. This use is rare, and not to be imitated.
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Page 17, line 11.-ne sachant pas. That is, ne sachant pas (y toucher), “not knowing how (to touch her).’
Page 17, line 11.--le cerveau troublé. Not ‘troubled,’ but “ather ‘agitated,’ ‘affected.’
Page 17, line 20. —reçut un coup. Literally, ‘ received a shock, ‘ was startled.”
Page 17, line 27.—comme étonnés. ‘As ÿf astonished.” Cf. comme pour chasser, as if in order to drive away. Si is expressed, however, before a sentence. Cf. ‘ comme si on le déliait,” 8, 26.
Page 17, line 28.--qui se rosa. The verb se roser (—to flush) is not admitted into the Academy Dictionary. It is clearly derived from rose, rose-colored. Our author allows herself great liberty in the use of unauthorized words, cf. “fresque,” 9, 32; ‘‘ensoleiller,” 10, 23 ; ‘* s'était émaciée,”” 12, 5 ; ‘‘embuée,”” 15, 23; ‘‘ensommeiller,”” 17, 23 : ‘‘ensavatée,” 31, 8; ‘‘emplumement,”” 38, 21; ‘embroussailler,” 58, 16. For treatment of these, see the vocabulary.
Page 17, line 34. —faisant de doux yeux. Fuire de doux yeux, * cast soft glances,” ‘look lovingly.’
Page 18, line 6. —ce bon visage ...à l'expression. ‘This kindly face ...with,” ete. Note this construction. Cf. ‘‘ses yeux aux longs cils,” 50, 23 ; ‘‘ deux verres à pied,” 73, 13.
Page 18, line 10.—c'est en bas. In Eng. ‘it was down stairs.’ Fr. prefers the present tense in emphatic sentences with ce+étre, the sense being ‘it is below that that happened.’
Page 18, line 13.—-c'est au cinquième. Usual abbreviation for ‘au cinquième étage,” ‘ on the fifth story.’
Page 18, line 19.—mais non. The use of mais as an intensive particle closely corresponds to the Eng. ‘why ;”’—mais non, why no; mais oui, why yes.
Page 18, line 24.—qu'est-ce qu'il te voulait = que te vouluit-il ? The est-ce que is the usual periphrastic form for asking questions. T'e is indirect, ‘ What did he want of (with) you.’
Page 18, line 31. des petits pains. ‘Rolls The des is used rather than de, since the phrase is regarded as a compound word. Cf. “des petits enfants,”” 108, 19. II., 50, 1.
Page 19, line 1.—dame! From L. domine + : eus, which in O. F. became dame dieu, and finally dame. Cf. note :, :6, 29. It is used colloquially for emphasis ; Mais. dame, oui, Why, yes, indeed! With this cf. the older English, ‘ Why marry,” (4e., by Mary). It here expresses surprise, ‘ gracious !?
Page 19, line 5. —un bruit d'enfer. Cf. note to 16, 29. Render, ‘a frightful noise.”
Page 19. 23. -elle se mettait à penser. The idea ‘to begin,” ‘to set about,” etc., is expressed by commencer, or se mettre, or se
RG S ef
SR
prendre. Here we have se mvettre, but below (19, 29), where Manon begins to weep afresh, we have se reprendre.
Page 20, line 9.—tant et tant. 7'ant et de tels, tant et de si, tant et tant, are almost obsolete phrases with a certain emphasis compared with the single tant. CE. L'hymen nous à joints par tant et tant de næds,” (bonds, knots), Corneille, //orace, 1., 4.
Page 20, line 13. -elle ne savait plus que devenir. ‘She no longer knew what was to become of her.” Note the difference in construction compared with English : French has always the du nnstruction ; English uses the direct, and again the indirect. ,vhat became of him ? He became à soldier. But in French, Qu'est-il devenu ? Il est devenu soldat.
Page 20, line 27.—Ligueux. See 2, 28 ; also 27, 31. Page 20, line 31.—comment ça se trouve, ‘ how lucky that is !?
Page 21. line 6. —de choses oiseuses. The word oiseux corresponds in use to ‘idle ;’—un homme oiseux, an idler, an indolent man one who from habit or inclination does nothing; Voilà un discours oiseux, That is idle talk. Distinguish oëiseuc from oisif in that we homine oisif is one who does nothing at a particular time.
Page 21, line 10. --se faire forcer la main. This metaphor is from horse-riding. When the horse becomes insensible to the efforts of the rider to guide him, he is said to forces the hand of the rider, Forcer
la main à quelqu'un therefore=contraindre quelqu'un à faire lque chose, force one’s hand, constrain anyone to do something. Æ has here its usual meaning when followed by an infinitive ‘to ha,c....
“Se..,.la main’”—"‘his hand,’ cf. 21, 29, note. Hence the whole
phrase—"‘to have his hand forced.?
Page 21, line 11. —rien de plus simple. The de connecting the indefinite pronouns or numerals, etc., with adjectives, is not to be rendered into Eng. See IT., 276, 6. Cf. ‘‘une eorvée de moins,” 23, 18 ; ‘‘en voici une de sauvée, 35, 5; ‘qu'y aurait-il à cela de surprenant,”” 112, 17.
Page 21, line 16. —-une idée. ‘It's a notion of mine.”
Page 21, line 28.--ca se ressemble. Xessembler has the following construction :— Vous ressemblez à M. votre père, you resemble your father ; Qui se ressemble, s'assemble, Birds of a feather flock together. We see from the litter sentence that se in our text is reflective ; hence render, ‘those resemble each other.” This use of ça as collective is not rare ; cf. Comment ça s'amuse, How those children amuse themselves.
Page 21, line 29.—lui traversa le cœur. ‘Passed through his heart.” The indirect pronoun before the verb+the article with a part of the body, etc., corresnonds to the English possessive adjective. C£. Vous me faites mal au bras, You hurt my arm. IlL., 114.
Page 22, line 1.—il n'est pas... .pluie? Render the interrogation by adding ‘is it?” or, frcely, ‘It isn’t spoiled, I hope, by the rain.”
Page 22, line 2-—voyez-vous. For the order of words, see note t |
Tanon 4,33. Render, ‘ you see,” ‘ you know.” | Page 22, line 5. —tu te mets bien. ‘You are rather conceitil , a Of. the colloquial English, ‘ set up” È pare : % Fe : . , . ‘à né de Page 22, line 18.—le bon Dieu. ‘The use of adjectives with the ii name of God is common in French and German. KRender in Eny., qe gl simply. ‘ God,” | fi ÿne : . . qu:
Séons Page 22, line 21.—je suis à l'abri. ‘lu shelter, ‘in safety.” For LE nn- the use of à, cf. ‘au soleil de la beauté,” 49, 11; ‘à l'ombre des ll kb .vhat ramures,” 50, 23 ; ‘il rafraichit son front à l'air,” 51, 11. | 10 ) . . , . } Î est-il Page 22, line 28.—bonsoir. Bonjour and bonsoir are usually qu but not always written as simple words. à Page 22, line 29.—j] n'en voulait pas à. An vouloir à, to wish tis !? something (bad) to ’= ‘to have a grudge against,” ‘to have hard thoushts é tor.
:OTres- Le . , . : . Ar nan Page 23. line 1. -elle n'a rien pour prier. ‘Nothing to ns. NUL, help her with her prayers,’ àe., no erucitix before which she can pray. | oisif Itis the custom in Roman Catholic households to have a crucifix or a (È | picture of Christ on the cross, before which prayers are said, | hor is Page 23, line 6. -]a relique sacrée. Sacred no doubt because it | rts of had rested on the bosom of their m ther at her death. . fi mrio à ï: . | . FA.
forcer Page 23. line 9.—comme en famille. ‘As if she were in her di que own home.” Cf. note to 17, 27. f 1as à d | : l} sn Page 23, line 25. —le parquet ciré. French housekcepers do not whole use carpets as much as English ; inlaid floors of hardwood, which are 4 kept polished with wax, are more usual. Ai ; : : N LR 1g the Page 23, line 26.—salle à manger chaude. Note the syntax, 4 to be —salle à manger being à compound =dtining-room. ‘A M
