Le major: the military surgeon

20, 1. s’il venait d’être frappé: if he liad just been struck.

NOTES

The idiom venir de, followed by an infinitive, is translated to hâve just, followed by a past participle.

3. Aussi . . . était-il: Aussi beginning a clause usually means therefore, that is why, and requires the inversion of subject and verb as in a question.

7. Le service accompli = quand le service (du jour) est accompli.

21, 2. en Champagne: a former province in northeastern France, famous for its sparkling wines. The Southern part of Champagne is an immense chalky plain.

5. Reims: Rheims, the largest city in Champagne, northeast of Paris, lt is especially renowned for its beautiful cathédral in which French kings were crowned; hence the term sacrée (sacred).

11. quelle existence que celle des tranchées: more forceful than quelle existence est celle des tranchées!