wolf - loup, tombeur, dévorer, engloutir
My father was not born, or originally a resident, in the Hartz Mountains; he was the serf of an Hungarian nobleman, of great possessions, in Transylvania; but, although a serf, he was not by any means a poor or illiterate man.
originally - a l'origine
resident - résident, résidente, habitant, habitante
serf - serf
Hungarian - hongrois, Hongroise
nobleman - noble
possessions - possessions, bien, possession, propriété, possessions-p
although - bien que, combien que, encore que, nonobstant que
illiterate - analphabete, illettré, illettrée, analphabete
In fact, he was rich, and his intelligence and respectability were such, that he had been raised by his lord to the stewardship; but, whoever may happen to be born a serf, a serf must he remain, even though he become a wealthy man; such was the condition of my father.
intelligence - l'intelligence, intelligence, renseignements
respectability - respectabilité
such - tel, tellement, ainsi
raised - soulevée, (sou)lever
Lord - châtelain, seigneur, monsieur
stewardship - l'intendance, intendant
Whoever - quiconque, qui que ce soit qui
remain - reste, rester, demeurer
though - mais, néanmoins, cependant, malgré, bien que
wealthy - riches, riche, nanti
condition - condition
My father had been married for about five years; and, by his marriage, had three children-my eldest brother Cćsar, myself (Hermann), and a sister named Marcella. Latin is still the language spoken in that country; and that will account for our high-sounding names.
marriage - mariage, noces
myself - moi-meme, me, m'
Latin - latine
account - compte, supputation, demande
My mother was a very beautiful woman, unfortunately more beautiful than virtuous: she was seen and admired by the lord of the soil; my father was sent away upon some mission; and, during his absence, my mother, flattered by the attentions, and won by the assiduities, of this nobleman, yielded to his wishes. It so happened that my father returned very unexpectedly, and discovered the intrigue.
unfortunately - malheureusement, malencontreusement
more beautiful - plus belle
virtuous - vertueux
admired - admiré, admirer
soil - sol, terre, barbouillons, barbouiller, foncierere
sent away - renvoyé
upon - sur, a
mission - mission
absence - absence, manque, absence du fer
flattered - flattée, flatter
attentions - attentions, attention, attentions-p
yielded - cédé, céder
wishes - souhaits, souhait, souhaiter, espérer
unexpectedly - de maniere inattendue, surprenamment
discovered - découvert, découvrir
intrigue - intrigue, intriguer, conspirer
The evidence of my mother's shame was positive: he surprised her in the company of her seducer! carried away by the impetuosity of his feelings, he watched the opportunity of a meeting taking place between them, and murdered both his wife and her seducer.
evidence - des preuves, preuve, prouver, démontrer
shame - la honte, honte, vergogne
surprised - surpris, surprise, surprendre, étonner
seducer - séducteur, séductrice
carried away - emportée
impetuosity - l'impétuosité
feelings - sentiments
opportunity - occasion, opportunité, occasion favorable, chance
murdered - assassiné, meurtre, homicide, assassinat, occire
Conscious that, as a serf, not even the provocation which he had received would be allowed as a justification of his conduct, he hastily collected together what money he could lay his hands upon, and, as we were then in the depth of winter, he put his horses to the sleigh, and taking his children with him, he set off in the middle of the night, and was far away before the tragical circumstance had transpired. Aware that he would be pursued, and that he had No chance of escape if he remained in any portion of his native country (in which the authorities could lay hold of him), he continued his flight without intermission until he had buried himself in the intricacies and seclusion of the Hartz Mountains. Of course, all that I have now told you I learned afterwards. My oldest recollections are knit to a rude, yet comfortable cottage, in which I lived with my father, brother, and sister. It was on the confines of one of those vast forests which cover the northern part of Germany; around it were a few acres of ground, which, during the summer months, my father cultivated, and which, though they yielded a doubtful harvest, were sufficient for our support. In the winter we remained much in doors, for, as my father followed the chase, we were left alone, and the wolves, during that season, incessantly prowled about. My father had purchased the cottage, and land about it, of one of the rude foresters, who gain their livelihood partly by hunting, and partly by burning charcoal, for the purpose of smelting the ore from the neighbouring mines; it was distant about two miles from any other habitation. I can call to mind the whole landscape now: the tall pines which rose up on the mountain above us, and the wide expanse of forest beneath, on the topmost boughs and heads of whose trees we looked down from our cottage, as the mountain below us rapidly descended into the distant valley. In summer time the prospect was beautiful; but during the severe winter, a more desolate scene could not well be imagined.
conscious - conscient
provocation - provocation
received - reçu, recevoir
allowed - autorisé, laisser, accorder, permettre
justification - justification
conduct - comportement, conduite, se comporter, conduire, mener
hastily - hâtivement, précipitamment, a la hâte
collected - collectés, (se) rassembler
lay - laique, pondre, pose
depth - profondeur, épaisseur
sleigh - traîneau, patiner, luge
set - set, Seth
Middle - au milieu, milieu, moyen, central
tragical - tragique
circumstance - circonstances, circonstance
transpired - s'est déroulée, s'avérer
aware - conscient, attentif, vigilant, en éveil, en alerte
pursued - poursuivie, poursuivre, rechercher
No chance - Aucune chance
escape - échapper, s'échapper, éviter, échapper (a quelqu'un), évasion
remained - est restée, reste, rester, demeurer
portion - part, portion
native country - pays d'origine
authorities - autorités, autorité
hold - tenir, stopper, tiens, tiennent, tenons
continued - suite, continuer
intermission - l'entracte, intermede, interlude, entracte
buried - enterré, enterrer
seclusion - l'isolement, isolement, séclusion
knit - tricot, tricoter, souder, unir, se souder
rude - grossier, impoli, malpoli
comfortable - confortable
cottage - chalet, cottage
confines - les limites de l'espace, confiner, limite
those - ceux-ci, ces, celles-la, ceux-la
vast - vaste
Forests - les forets, foret, t+brousse, t+sylve, t+bois, t+bosquet
cover - une couverture
Northern - nord, septentrional, boréal, bise
Germany - l'allemagne, Allemagne
acres - acres, acre
ground - sol, foncierere, terre, terrain, (grind) sol
summer months - les mois d'été
cultivated - cultivé, cultiver
doubtful - douteux, douteuse
harvest - la récolte, récolte, moisson, récolter, moissonner, recueillir
sufficient - suffisante, suffisant
support - soutien, soutenez, appuyez, appuyons, appuyent, soutiens
alone - seul
wolves - loups, loup, tombeur, dévorer, engloutir
season - saison
incessantly - sans cesse
prowled - rôdé, rôder
purchased - achetée, achat, acquisition, acheter
foresters - les forestiers, forestier, forestiere, sylviculteur
gain - gain, gagner, produit
livelihood - moyens de subsistance, gagneain, subsistance
partly - en partie
hunting - la chasse, (hunt), chasser, chercher, chasse
burning - bruler, brulant, ardent, brulage, (burn) bruler
charcoal - charbon de bois, fusain
purpose - objectif, dgssein, dessein, finalité, but
smelting - la fonte, fonte, fonderie, (smelt) la fonte
mines - mines, mien/-ienne, les miens/-iennes
distant - distante, distant, lointain, éloigné
mind - l'esprit, esprit, raison, intelligence, mémoire
landscape - paysage
pines - des pins, pin
rose - Rose, (rise)
wide - large
beneath - dessous
boughs - rameaux, branche
whose - a qui, de qui, dont, duquel (de + lequel), duquel
rapidly - rapidement
descended - descendu, descendre
Valley - la vallée, vallée, val
prospect - prospect, perspective, prospecter
severe - sévere, grave, sévere
desolate - désolée, ravager, désoler
scene - scene, scene, scene de ménage
I said that, in the winter, my father occupied himself with the chase; every day he left us, and often would he lock the door, that we might not leave the cottage.
occupied - occupée, occuper, habiter
chase - poursuite, chassez, chassons, poursuivre, pousser, chasser
lock - serrure, clôturer, cerrure, arret, obturer, pene
He had no one to assist him, or to take care of us-indeed, it was not easy to find a female servant who would live in such a solitude; but, could he have found one, my father would not have received her, for he had imbibed a horror of the sex, as a difference of his conduct toward us, his two boys, and my poor little sister, Marcella, evidently proved.
assist - assister, aider, passe décisive
care - soins, s'occuper, soin, souci
indeed - certainement, vraiment, en effet, bien sur, certes
female - femelle
servant - serviteur, domestique, servante, checkserviteur
solitude - la solitude, solitude
imbibed - imbibé, boire, absorber
horror - l'horreur, horreur, effroi, dégout, aversion
sex - le sexe, sexe
toward - vers, envers, pour, pres de
evidently - évidemment, de toute évidence, manifestement
proved - prouvé, prouver
You may suppose we were sadly neglected; indeed, we suffered much, for my father, fearful that we might come to some harm, would not allow us fuel, when he left the cottage; and we were obliged, therefore, to creep under the heaps of bears'-skins, and there to keep ourselves as warm as we could until he returned in the evening, when a blazing fire was our delight.
suppose - supposer, imaginer
sadly - tristement, malheureusement
neglected - négligé, négliger, négligence
suffered - souffert, souffrir, souffrir de, pâtir de, endurer
fearful - effrayant, redoutable, peureux, craintif, terrible, affreux
harm - le mal, mal, tort, dommage, nuire a, faire du mal a
allow - laisser, accorder, permettre
fuel - carburant, combustible, alimenter, attiser
obliged - obligée, imposer, obliger, rendre service
therefore - par conséquent, en conséquence, donc, pour ça
creep - rampant, ramper, rampement, fatigue, fluage, reptation
heaps - tas, pile, monceau
bears - ours, supporter
skins - peaux, peau, apparence, écorcher, égratigner
ourselves - nous-memes, nous-meme
blazing - flamboyant, feu, embrasement
delight - plaisir, délice, joie, enchanter, ravir
That my father chose this restless sort of life may appear strange, but the fact was that he could not remain quiet; whether from remorse for having committed murder, or from the misery consequent on his change of situation, or from both combined, he was never happy unless he was in a state of activity.
restless - inquiet, agité, checkimpatient
sort - tri, assortir, esrece, assortis, sorte
appear strange - semblent étranges
whether - si, que, soit, si oui ou non
remorse - des remords, remords, componction
committed - engagé, confier, commettre, remettre, consigner
murder - meurtre, homicide, assassinat, occire
misery - la misere, misere
consequent - conséquent
combined - combinés, combiner
Unless - a moins que, a moins que, sauf si
state - l'État
Children, however, when left much to themselves, acquire a thoughtfulness not common to their age. So it was with us; and during the short cold days of winter we would sit silent, longing for the happy hours when the snow would melt, and the leaves burst out, and the birds begin their songs, and when we should again be set at liberty.
themselves - eux-memes, se, eux-memes, elles-memes
acquire - acquérir
thoughtfulness - de la réflexion, prévenance, attention, sollicitude, réflexion
silent - silencieux
longing for - Avoir envie de
melt - la fonte, fondre (1), se dissoudre (2)
burst - l'éclatement, éclater, faire éclater, rompre, briser
liberty - liberté
Such was our peculiar and savage sort of life until my brother Cćsar was nine, myself seven, and my sister five, years old, when the circumstances occurred on which is based the extraordinary narrative which I am about to relate.
peculiar - particulier, extraordinaire, bizarre, curieux
savage - barbare, féroce, sauvage
circumstances - circonstances, circonstance
occurred - s'est produite, produire
based - sur la base, base
extraordinary - extraordinaire
narrative - narratif, récit
relate - se rapporter, concerner
One evening my father returned home rather later than usual; he had been unsuccessful, and, as the weather was very severe, and many feet of snow were upon the ground, he was not only very cold, but in a very bad humour.
returned home - est rentré chez lui
usual - habituel/habituelle
unsuccessful - sans succes
humour - l'humour, humour, humeur, disposition, amadouer
He had brought in wood, and we were all three of us gladly assisting each other in blowing on the embers to create the blaze, when he caught poor little Marcella by the arm and threw her aside; the child fell, struck her mouth, and bled very much. My brother ran to raise her up. Accustomed to ill usage, and afraid of my father, she did not dare to cry, but looked up in his face very piteously.
wood - du bois, (de) bois
gladly - heureusement, volontiers
assisting - l'assistance, assister, aider, passe décisive
blowing - souffler, coup
blaze - flamme, feu, embrasement
caught - pris, prise, touche, loquet, loqueteau, verrou, hic, couille
threw - jeté, jeter, lancer
aside - a part, a côté, en passant, aparté
struck - frappé, biffer, rayer, barrer, frapper, battre
bled - bled, saigner, purger, prélever, fond perdu
raise - augmenter, levent, arborent, entonner, levez, élever, levons
accustomed - habitué, accoutumer
ill - malade, écouré, écourée
usage - l'utilisation, usage, coutume
dare - oser, aventurer
cry - pleurer, crier, hurler, gueuler, pleur, cri
piteously - piteusement
My father drew his stool nearer to the hearth, muttered something in abuse of women, and busied himself with the fire, which both my brother and I had deserted when our sister was so unkindly treated. A cheerful blaze was soon the result of his exertions; but we did not, as usual, crowd round it.
stool - tabouret
hearth - âtre, foyer, foyers
muttered - marmonné, marmonner
abuse - abus, défaut, abuser, insulter, tourmenter, abusons
deserted - désertée, abandonner
unkindly - sans coeur
treated - traité, négocier, traiter, régaler, guérir
cheerful - joyeux, content, de bonne humeur
exertions - des efforts, effort, dépense
crowd round - tour de foule
Marcella, still bleeding, retired to a corner, and my brother and I took our seats beside her, while my father hung over the fire gloomily and alone. Such had been our position for about half-an-hour, when the howl of a wolf, close under the window of the cottage, fell on our ears.
bleeding - des saignements, saignant, saignement
retired - a la retraite, prendre sa retraite
corner - coin, rencogner, piéger, acculer, négocier un prix de gros
seats - sieges, place, siege, assise, séant, fond
beside - a côté, aupres
hung over - La gueule de bois
position - position, poste
howl - hurlement, hurler
My father started up, and seized his gun; the howl was repeated, he examined the priming, and then hastily left the cottage, shutting the door after him.
started up - a démarré
seized - saisi, saisir
gun - pistolet, as, rigolo, fusil
examined - examinés, examiner
priming - amorcage, (prim) amorcage
shutting - la fermeture, fermer
We all waited (anxiously listening), for we thought that if he succeeded in shooting the wolf, he would return in a better humour; and although he was harsh to all of us, and particularly so to our little sister, still we loved our father, and loved to see him cheerful and happy, for what else had we to look up to?
anxiously - avec anxiété, anxieusement
succeeded - a réussi, succéder, réussir, avoir du succes
shooting - le tir, tir, fusillade, (shoot) le tir
harsh - sévere, sévere, rude, cruel, dur, checkdure
particularly - en particulier
And I may here observe, that perhaps there never were three children who were fonder of each other; we did not, like other children, fight and dispute together; and if, by chance, any disagreement did arise between my elder brother and me, little Marcella would run to us, and kissing us both, seal, through her entreaties, the peace between us.
observe - observer, remarquer, respecter, garder
Perhaps - peut-etre, peut-etre, possiblement
fonder - plus affectueux, tendre, amoureux
fight - combattre, combattons, rixe, combattez, combattent
dispute - dispute, litige, discuter, argumenter, évaluer, contester
by chance - par hasard
disagreement - désaccord
arise - se lever, surgir, apparaitre, naitre
kissing - s'embrasser, (s')embrasser
seal - sceau
entreaties - des supplications, supplication
peace - la paix, paix, tranquillité
Marcella was a lovely, amiable child; I can recall her beautiful features even now-Alas! poor little Marcella.
lovely - charmant, beau, cher, irritant, amene, délicieux
amiable - aimable, avenant, affable
recall - rappeler
features - caractéristiques, caractéristique, particularité, spécialité
Alas - hélas, hélas!, (ala) hélas
We waited for some time, but the report of the gun did not reach us, and my elder brother then said, "Our father has followed the wolf, and will not be back for some time. Marcella, let us wash the blood from your mouth, and then we will leave this corner, and go to the fire and warm ourselves."
reach - atteindre, parviens, allonge, parvenir, préhension
We did so, and remained there until near midnight, every minute wondering, as it grew later, why our father did not return. We had no idea that he was in any danger, but we thought that he must have chased the wolf for a very long time. "I will look out and see if father is coming," said my brother Cćsar, going to the door.
wondering - se demander, (wonder), merveille, conjecturer
danger - danger, péril
chased - poursuivis, poursuivre, courir apres
"Take care," said Marcella, "the wolves must be about now, and we cannot kill them, brother." My brother opened the door very cautiously, and but a few inches; he peeped out.-"I see nothing," said he, after a time, and once more he joined us at the fire.
kill - tuer, tuent, tuons, dézinguer, tuez
cautiously - avec prudence, précautionneusement
inches - pouces, pouce
peeped - épié, regarder qqch a la dérobée
"We have had no supper," said I, for my father usually cooked the meat as soon as he came home; and during his absence we had nothing but the fragments of the preceding day.
supper - dîner, souper
fragments - fragments, fragment, fragmenter
preceding - précédent, précéder
"And if our father comes home after his hunt, Cćsar," said Marcella, "he will be pleased to have some supper; let us cook it for him and for ourselves." Cćsar climbed upon the stool, and reached down some meat-I forget now whether it was venison or bear's meat; but we cut off the usual quantity, and proceeded to dress it, as we used to do under our father's superintendence.
hunt - chasser, chercher, chasse
reached - atteint, arriver/parvenir a
venison - du chevreuil, viande de biche, venaison, gibier
bear - ours, endurer, naîs, produire, souffrir, subir
quantity - quantité
proceeded - a procédé, avancer, procéder
superintendence - superintendance
We were all busied putting it into the platters before the fire, to await his coming, when we heard the sound of a horn. We listened-there was a noise outside, and a minute afterwards my father entered, ushering in a young female, and a large dark man in a hunter's dress.
platters - plateaux, plat
await - attendre, s'attendre a, servir, guetter
horn - corne, cor, klaxon, cuivres
noise - bruit, vacarme, brouhaha, boucan
entered - a pénétré, entrer, rench: -neededr, taper, saisir
ushering - l'huissier, ouvreur, escorte, garçon d'honneur, huissier
Hunter - hunter, chasseur, chien de chasse, cheval de chasse, chercheur
Perhaps I had better now relate, what was only known to me many years afterwards. When my father had left the cottage, he perceived a large white wolf about thirty yards from him; as soon as the animal saw my father, it retreated slowly, growling and snarling.
perceived - perçue, percevoir
retreated - s'est retirée, battre en retraite
slowly - lentement
growling - grognement, (growl), feulement, borborygme
My father followed; the animal did not run, but always kept at some distance; and my father did not like to fire until he was pretty certain that his ball would take effect: thus they went on for some time, the wolf now leaving my father far behind, and then stopping and snarling defiance at him, and then again, on his approach, setting off at speed.
distance - distance, éloigner, checks'éloigner
Certain - certain, quelconque
effect - effet, effets, effectuer
thus - donc, ainsi, tellement, pour cette raison, également
defiance - défiance, défi
approach - approche, approchons, abordent, abordez, rapprochons
setting off - en train de partir
Speed - la vitesse, galoper, vitesse
Anxious to shoot the animal (for the white wolf is very rare), my father continued the pursuit for several hours, during which he continually ascended the mountain.
anxious - anxieux, désireux
shoot - tirer, larguer, tirent, tirons, tirez
rare - rares, rare
pursuit - poursuite
several - plusieurs
ascended - ascensionné, monter
You must know that there are peculiar spots on those mountains which are supposed, and, as my story will prove, truly supposed, to be inhabited by the evil influences; they are well known to the huntsmen, who invariably avoid them. Now, one of these spots, an open space in the pine forests above us, had been pointed out to my father as dangerous on that account.
spots - taches, tache, bouton, peu, endroit, zone, détecter, trouver
supposed - supposé, supposer, imaginer
Prove - prouver, éprouvent, éprouvons, éprouvez, prouvent
truly - vraiment
inhabited - habité, habiter
evil - le mal, mauvais, torve
influences - influences, influence, influencer, influer
invariably - invariablement
avoid - éviter, fuir
pine - pin
on that account - sur ce compte
But, whether he disbelieved these wild stories, or whether, in his eager pursuit of the chase, he disregarded them, I know not; certain, however, it is that he was decoyed by the white wolf to this open space, when the animal appeared to slacken her speed. My father approached, came close up to her, raised his gun to his shoulder, and was about to fire, when the wolf suddenly disappeared.
disbelieved - incrédules, croire
wild - sauvage, pétulant, grose
eager - enthousiaste, désireux
disregarded - ignorée, mépris, ignorer, mépriser
decoyed - leurré, leurre, appât, appâter, leurrer, piéger
approached - approché, (s')approcher (de)
close up - de pres
suddenly - soudain, soudainement, tout d'un coup
disappeared - a disparu, disparaître
He thought that the snow on the ground must have dazzled his sight, and he let down his gun to look for the beast-but she was gone; how she could have escaped over the clearance, without his seeing her, was beyond his comprehension. Mortified at the ill success of his chase, he was about to retrace his steps, when he heard the distant sound of a horn.
dazzled - éblouie, éblouir
sight - vue, quelque chose a voir, truc a voir, mire, viseur
let down - déçu
beast - bete, bete, bete sauvage
escaped - s'est échappé, échapper, s'échapper, éviter, tirer
clearance - l'autorisation, tolérance, gabarit, autorisation, braderie
beyond - au-dela, au-dela, par-dela
comprehension - compréhension, entendement
mortified - mortifié, mortifier, macérer, tuer
steps - étapes, pas
Astonishment at such a sound-at such an hour-in such a wilderness, made him forget for the moment his disappointment, and he remained riveted to the spot. In a minute the horn was blown a second time, and at no great distance; my father stood still, and listened: a third time it was blown.
astonishment - l'étonnement, étonnement
wilderness - la nature sauvage, désert, naturalité, nature sauvage
disappointment - déception
riveted - rivetés, rivet, riveter
spot - spot, tache, bouton, peu, endroit, zone, détecter, trouver
blown - soufflé, coup
third - troisieme, troisieme, trois, tiers, tierce
I forget the term used to express it, but it was the signal which, my father well knew, implied that the party was lost in the woods. In a few minutes more my father beheld a man on horseback, with a female seated on the crupper, enter the cleared space, and ride up to him.
term - terme, ajournement, listing
express - express, exprimons, exprimez, exprimer, expriment
signal - signal, signaler
implied - implicite, impliquer, insinuer, sous-entendre
woods - bois, (de) bois
beheld - a été observée, regarder, voir, observer, voici, voila
on horseback - a cheval
seated - assis, place, siege, assise, séant, fond
crupper - crupper, croupiere
enter - entrer, rench: t-needed r, taper, saisir
cleared - autorisé, clair, transparent, libre, dégagé
At first, my father called to mind the strange stories which he had heard of the supernatural beings who were said to frequent these mountains; but the nearer approach of the parties satisfied him that they were mortals like himself. As soon as they came up to him, the man who guided the horse accosted him.
strange - étrange, anormal, inconnu, étranger
supernatural - surnaturel, surnaturelle
beings - etres, etre, créature, existence
frequent - fréquents, fréquenter
satisfied - satisfaits, satisfaire
mortals - mortels, mortel, mortelle
guided - guidé, guider
accosted - accosté, accoster
"Friend Hunter, you are out late, the better fortune for us: we have ridden far, and are in fear of our lives, which are eagerly sought after. These mountains have enabled us to elude our pursuers; but if we find not shelter and refreshment, that will avail us little, as we must perish from hunger and the inclemency of the night.
Fortune - la fortune, destin, bonne chance, fortune
fear - peur, angoisse, craignent, crainte, crains, craignons
eagerly - avec empressement, avidement
sought - recherchée, chercher
enabled - activée, autoriser, permettre, activer
elude - éluder
pursuers - poursuivants, poursuivant
shelter - l'abri, abri, refuge, abriter
refreshment - un rafraîchissement, rafraîchissement
avail - avail, profiter, saisir, servir
perish - périr
hunger - la faim, faim
inclemency - inclémence
My daughter, who rides behind me, is now more dead than alive-say, can you assist us in our difficulty?"
dead - morts, mort, milieu, cour, profondeurs
alive - en vie, vivant
difficulty - difficulté
"My cottage is some few miles distant," replied my father, "but I have little to offer you besides a shelter from the weather; to the little I have you are welcome. May I ask whence you come?"
replied - a répondu, répondre, réponse
besides - d'ailleurs, aupres
whence - pourquoi, d'ou
"Yes, friend, it is no secret now; we have escaped from Transylvania, where my daughter's honour and my life were equally in jeopardy!"
secret - secret
honour - l'honneur, honorer
equally - également
jeopardy - en péril, danger, péril, risque
This information was quite enough to raise an interest in my father's heart. He remembered his own escape: he remembered the loss of his wife's honour, and the tragedy by which it was wound up. He immediately, and warmly, offered all the assistance which he could afford them.
heart - cour
Loss - perte, déperdition, perdition, déchet, coulage
tragedy - tragédie
wound - blessons, blessent, blessez, blessure, blesser
immediately - immédiatement, tout de suite, aussitôt
warmly - chaleureusement, chaudement
offered - proposé, offrir, proposer
assistance - l'assistance, assistance
afford - se permettre, offrir
"There is no time to be lost, then, good sir," observed the horseman; "my daughter is chilled with the frost, and cannot hold out much longer against the severity of the weather."
be lost - etre perdue
observed - observée, observer, remarquer, respecter, garder
horseman - cavalier
chilled - réfrigéré, froid
frost - givre, gel
hold out - tenir le coup
against - contre, face a, pour
severity - la sévérité, sévérité, gravité
"Follow me," replied my father, leading the way towards his home.
leading - dirigeante, (lead) dirigeante
towards - vers, envers, pour, pres de
"I was lured away in pursuit of a large white wolf," observed my father; "it came to the very window of my hut, or I should not have been out at this time of night."
lured - attiré, lur
hut - hutte, chaumiere, cabane
"The creature passed by us just as we came out of the wood," said the female in a silvery tone.
creature - créature, etre
passed - passé, passer (devant), dépasser
silvery - argenté, argentin
tone - ton, tonalité, tonale
"I was nearly discharging my piece at it," observed the hunter; "but since it did us such good service, I am glad that I allowed it to escape."
nearly - presque
discharging - la décharge, licenciement, débit
Since - depuis lors, depuis, depuis que, puisque, vu que
service - service, messe
Glad - heureux, heureuse
In about an hour and a half, during which my father walked at a rapid pace, the party arrived at the cottage, and, as I said before, came in.
rapid - rapide, rapides
pace - rythme, pas
"We are in good time, apparently," observed the dark hunter, catching the smell of the roasted meat, as he walked to the fire and surveyed my brother and sister, and myself. "You have young cooks here, Mynheer." "I am glad that we shall not have to wait," replied my father. "Come, mistress, seat yourself by the fire; you require warmth after your cold ride.
in good time - en temps voulu
apparently - apparemment, évidemment, en apparence
catching - de capture, attrapant, (catch), prise, touche, loquet
smell - odeur, parfum, gout, odorat, sentir, humer
Roasted - rôti, rôtir, incendier, bien-cuit
surveyed - enquetés, sondage, arpentage, reconnaissance, enquete
Mynheer - Mynheer
shall - doit, rench: 'shall' followed by the infinitive is translated using the future tense'
Mistress - madame, maîtresse, amante
seat - siege, place, siege, assise, séant, fond
require - exiger, demander, avoir besoin de, requérir, nécessiter
warmth - chaleur
" "And where can I put up my horse, Mynheer?" observed the huntsman. "I will take care of him," replied my father, going out of the cottage door.
huntsman - chasseur
The female must, however, be particularly described. She was young, and apparently twenty years of age. She was dressed in a travelling dress, deeply bordered with white fur, and wore a cap of white ermine on her head. Her features were very beautiful, at least I thought so, and so my father has since declared.
deeply - profondément
bordered - bordé, frontiere, bord, bordure, délimiter, border
fur - fourrure, peau
cap - cap, bonnet, calotte, casquette, toque, képi
ermine - l'hermine, hermine
declared - déclarée, expliquer, déclarer
Her hair was flaxen, glossy and shining, and bright as a mirror; and her mouth, although somewhat large when it was open, showed the most brilliant teeth I have ever beheld.
flaxen - de lin
glossy - luisant, brillant
shining - brillant, briller, éclairer
bright - lumineux, éclatant, clair
mirror - glace, miroir, copie, refléter
somewhat - en quelque sorte, assez, quelque peu
most brilliant - le plus brillant
But there was something about her eyes, bright as they were, which made us children afraid; they were so restless, so furtive; I could not at that time tell why, but I felt as if there was cruelty in her eye; and when she beckoned us to come to her, we approached her with fear and trembling. Still she was beautiful, very beautiful.
furtive - furtif, subreptice
cruelty - la cruauté, cruauté
beckoned - fait signe, faire signe
She spoke kindly to my brother and myself, patted our heads, and caressed us; but Marcella would not come near her; on the contrary, she slunk away, and hid herself in the bed, and would not wait for the supper, which half an hour before she had been so anxious for.
kindly - avec bienveillance
patted - tapoté, petite tape
caressed - caressé, caresser
come near - s'approcher
contrary - contraire, contrepied
hid - caché, (hide) caché
My father, having put the horse into a close shed, soon returned, and supper was placed upon the table. When it was over, my father requested that the young lady would take possession of his bed, and he would remain at the fire, and sit up with her father.
shed - hangar, verser, stand, kiosque, échoppe
requested - demandée, demander, prier, requete, demande
lady - dame, madame, lady
take possession of - Prendre possession de
sit up - s'asseoir
After some hesitation on her part, this arrangement was agreed to, and I and my brother crept into the other bed with Marcella, for we had as yet always slept together.
hesitation - hésitation
arrangement - arrangement, disposition, composition, préparatifs, accord
crept - rampé, ramper, rampement, fatigue, fluage, reptation
as yet - a ce jour
But we could not sleep; there was something so unusual, not only in seeing strange people, but in having those people sleep at the cottage, that we were bewildered. As for poor little Marcella, she was quiet, but I perceived that she trembled during the whole night, and sometimes I thought that she was checking a sob.
unusual - inhabituel, insolite, inusuel
bewildered - déconcertés, abasourdir, confondre, déconcerter, dérouter
trembled - tremblait, trembler, vibrer, tremblement, vibration
sob - sanglot, fdp
My father had brought out some spirits, which he rarely used, and he and the strange hunter remained drinking and talking before the fire. Our ears were ready to catch the slightest whisper-so much was our curiosity excited.
brought out - Mis en évidence
spirits - les esprits, esprit, moral, élan
rarely - rarement
catch - attraper, prise, touche, loquet, loqueteau, verrou, hic
slightest - le moins du monde, insignifiant, léger
whisper - chuchotement, chuchoter, susurrer, murmurer
curiosity - curiosité
"You said you came from Transylvania?" observed my father.
"Even so, Mynheer," replied the hunter. "I was a serf to the noble house of--; my master would insist upon my surrendering up my fair girl to his wishes; it ended in my giving him a few inches of my hunting-knife."
noble - noble, aristocrate, aristocratique
Master - maître, patron, maîtriser, maitre, maîtrisent
insist - insister
surrendering - se rendre, capituler, rendre
fair - équitable, blond, exposition, foire, marché, kermesse, juste
hunting-knife - (hunting-knife) couteau de chasse
"We are countrymen, and brothers in misfortune," replied my father, taking the huntsman's hand, and pressing it warmly.
countrymen - compatriotes, citoyen, citoyenne, habitant, habitante
misfortune - malchance, mésaventure, malheur
pressing - pressant, (pres) pressant
"Indeed! Are you, then, from that country?"
"Yes; and I too have fled for my life. But mine is a melancholy tale."
fled - fui, s'enfuir, prendre la fuite, fuir, échapper
mine - la mienne, mienne, miniere
melancholy - mélancolie
Tale - conte, récit
"Your name?" inquired the hunter.
inquired - a demandé, enqueter, renseigner
"Krantz."
"What! Krantz of-I have heard your tale; you need not renew your grief by repeating it now. Welcome, most welcome, Mynheer, and, I may say, my worthy kinsman. I am your second cousin, Wilfred of Barnsdorf," cried the hunter, rising up and embracing my father.
renew - renouveler
grief - le chagrin, douleur, peine
most welcome - sont les bienvenues
worthy - digne
kinsman - parenté, parent
cried - pleuré, pleurer, crier, hurler, gueuler, pleur, cri
embracing - embrasser, étreindre, accolade
They filled their horn mugs to the brim, and drank to one another, after the German fashion. The conversation was then carried on in a low tone; all that we could collect from it was, that our new relative and his daughter were to take up their abode in our cottage, at least for the present. In about an hour they both fell back in their chairs, and appeared to sleep.
mugs - mugs, mug, tasse
brim - bord
German - Allemand, Allemande, Germain, Germaine
fashion - la mode, mode, vogue, façon, façonner
low - faible, inférieure
collect - collecter, recueillir, recuellir, recueillez, encaisser
relative - relative, relatif, parent, géniteur, génitrice
abode - domicile, demeure, (abide), endurer, tolérer
appeared - est apparu, apparaître, paraître, sembler
"Marcella, dear, did you hear?" said my brother in a low tone.
"Yes," replied Marcella, in a whisper; "I heard all. Oh! brother, I cannot bear to look upon that woman-I feel so frightened."
frightened - effrayé, effrayer, redouter, terrifier
My brother made no reply, and shortly afterwards we were all three fast asleep.
reply - répondre, réponse
shortly - dans peu de temps, rapidement, brievement
asleep - endormi
When we awoke the next morning, we found that the hunter's daughter had risen before us. I thought she looked more beautiful than ever. She came up to little Marcella and caressed her; the child burst into tears, and sobbed as if her heart would break.
awoke - s'est réveillé, (se) réveiller, (s')éveiller
risen - ressuscité, augmenter, monter, lever
Tears - des larmes, larme
sobbed - sangloté, fdp-p
But, not to detain you with too long a story, the huntsman and his daughter were accommodated in the cottage. My father and he went out hunting daily, leaving Christina with us. She performed all the household duties; was very kind to us children; and, gradually, the dislike even of little Marcella wore away.
detain - détenir, arreter
accommodated - accommodé, héberger, accommoder, s'accommoder
daily - quotidien, journellement
performed - réalisée, exécuter, performer, jouer ('actor')
household - foyer, ménage, maisonnée, domestique
duties - fonctions, devoir, obligation, service, travail, taxe
gradually - progressivement
dislike - l'aversion, antipathie, ne pas aimer
But a great change took place in my father; he appeared to have conquered his aversion to the sex, and was most attentive to Christina. Often, after her father and we were in bed, would he sit up with her, conversing in a low tone by the fire.
conquered - conquis, conquérir
aversion - l'aversion, aversion
most attentive - Le plus attentif
conversing - en train de converser, converser
I ought to have mentioned, that my father and the huntsman Wilfred, slept in another portion of the cottage, and that the bed which he formerly occupied, and which was in the same room as ours, had been given up to the use of Christina. These visitors had been about three weeks at the cottage, when, one night, after we children had been sent to bed, a consultation was held.
mentioned - mentionnée, mentionner
Formerly - auparavant, autrefois, anciennement
consultation - consultation
held - détenus, (main)tenir
My father had asked Christina in marriage, and had obtained both her own consent and that of Wilfred; after this a conversation took place, which was, as nearly as I can recollect, as follows:
obtained - obtenu, obtenir, se procurer, réussir, avoir succes, avoir
consent - consentir, approuver, agréer, consentement, approbation
recollect - se souvenir, se ressaisir
"You may take my child, Mynheer Krantz, and my blessing with her, and I shall then leave you and seek some other habitation-it matters little where."
blessing - la bénédiction, bénédiction, grâce, troupeau, harde
seek - chercher
matters - questions, matiere, affaire, question, cause
"Why not remain here, Wilfred?"
"No, no, I am called elsewhere; let that suffice, and ask no more questions. You have my child."
elsewhere - ailleurs
suffice - suffisent, suffire, suffire 2
"I thank you for her, and will duly value her; but there is one difficulty."
duly - dument, dument, ponctuellement
value - valeur, évaluer, valoriser
"I know what you would say; there is no priest here in this wild country: true, neither is there any law to bind; still must some ceremony pass between you, to satisfy a father. Will you consent to marry her after my fashion? if so, I will marry you directly."
priest - pretre, pretre, pretresse, sacrificateur
neither - ni l'un ni l'autre, aucun des deux, ni X ni Y, non plus
law - loi
bind - lier, attacher, nouer, connecter, coupler
ceremony - cérémonie
pass - passer, doubler, passe, dépasser, passez, passons, passage
satisfy - satisfaire
marry - se marier, marions, marient, épousez, mariez
directly - directement, checktout droit
"I will," replied my father.
"Then take her by the hand. Now, Mynheer, swear."
swear - jurer, blasphémer, jurez, jurons, jurent
"I swear," repeated my father.
"By all the spirits of the Hartz Mountains--"
"Nay, why not by Heaven?" interrupted my father.
Nay - nay, ou plutôt, voire, que dis-je
Heaven - le paradis, ciel, paradis, au-dela, cieux
interrupted - interrompu, interrompre, couper
"Because it is not my humour," rejoined Wilfred; "if I prefer that oath, less binding perhaps, than another, surely you will not thwart me."
oath - serment, juron, jurer
binding - contraignante, contraignant, reliure, liaison, (bind), lier
surely - surement, surement, assurément
thwart - contrecarrer, contrarier, banc
"Well, be it so then; have your humour. Will you make me swear by that in which I do not believe?"
"Yet many do so, who in outward appearance are Christians," rejoined Wilfred; "say, will you be married, or shall I take my daughter away with me?"
outward appearance - l'apparence extérieure
Christians - les chrétiens, chrétien, chrétienne, Christian
"Proceed," replied my father, impatiently.
proceed - avancer, procéder
impatiently - avec impatience
"I swear by all the spirits of the Hartz Mountains, by all their power for good or for evil, that I take Christina for my wedded wife; that I will ever protect her, cherish her, and love her; that my hand shall never be raised against her to harm her."
power - pouvoir, puissance, électricité, courant, alimenter
wedded - marié(e), marier, épouser
protect - protéger
cherish - chérir
My father repeated the words after Wilfred.
"And if I fail in this, my vow, may all the vengeance of the spirits fall upon me and upon my children; may they perish by the vulture, by the wolf, or other beasts of the forest; may their flesh be torn from their limbs, and their bones blanch in the wilderness; all this I swear."
fail - échouer
vow - vou, vou, jurer
vengeance - vengeance
vulture - vautour, carencro, charognard
beasts - betes, bete, bete sauvage
forest - foret, foret, brousse, sylve, bois, (fore) foret
flesh - de la chair, chair, peau, viande, corps, pulpe
torn - déchiré, larme
limbs - membres, membre
bones - os
blanch - blanchir
My father hesitated, as he repeated the last words; little Marcella could not restrain herself, and as my father repeated the last sentence, she burst into tears. This sudden interruption appeared to discompose the party, particularly my father; he spoke harshly to the child, who controlled her sobs, burying her face under the bed-clothes.
hesitated - hésité, hésiter
Last - derniere, dernier, durer, dernierere, durez, passé, durent
restrain - retenir, contraignez, contraignons, gouverner, contrains
sudden - soudain, soudaine, subit
interruption - interruption
discompose - énerver
controlled - contrôlé, contrôler, maîtrise, contrôle, commandes-p
sobs - sanglots, fdp-p
burying - l'enfouissement, enterrer
Such was the second marriage of my father. The next morning, the hunter Wilfred mounted his horse and rode away.
mounted - monté, monter
My father resumed his bed, which was in the same room as ours; and things went on much as before the marriage, except that our new mother-in-law did not show any kindness towards us; indeed, during my father's absence, she would often beat us, particularly little Marcella, and her eyes would flash fire, as she looked eagerly upon the fair and lovely child.
resumed - reprise, reprendre
as before - comme avant
Except - sauf, faire une exception
kindness - la gentillesse, bonté
beat - battre
flash - flash, clignoter
One night, my sister awoke me and my brother.
"What is the matter?" said Cćsar.
matter - matiere, matiere, affaire, question, cause, substance
"She has gone out," whispered Marcella.
gone out - sorti
whispered - chuchoté, chuchotement, chuchoter, susurrer, murmurer
"Gone out!"
"Yes, gone out at the door, in her night-clothes," replied the child; "I saw her get out of bed, look at my father to see if he slept, and then she went out at the door."
What could induce her to leave her bed, and all undressed to go out, in such bitter wintry weather, with the snow deep on the ground, was to us incomprehensible; we lay awake, and in about an hour we heard the growl of a wolf, close under the window.
induce - induire
undressed - déshabillé, déshabiller
Bitter - amere, amer, saumâtre
wintry - hivernal, hibernal
deep - profond, épais, grave, foncé, foncée, profondeurs
incomprehensible - incompréhensible
awake - éveillé, (se) réveiller, (s')éveiller
growl - feulement, grognement, borborygme, gargouillement, grincement
"There is a wolf," said Cćsar, "she will be torn to pieces."
"Oh, no!" cried Marcella.
In a few minutes afterwards our mother-in-law appeared; she was in her night-dress, as Marcella had stated. She let down the latch of the door, so as to make no noise, went to a pail of water, and washed her face and hands, and then slipped into the bed where my father lay.
stated - a déclaré, état, Etat, déclarer
latch - le loquet, loquet
pail - seau
slipped - a glissé, glisser
We all three trembled, we hardly knew why, but we resolved to watch the next night: we did so-and not only on the ensuing night, but on many others, and always at about the same hour, would our mother-in-law rise from her bed, and leave the cottage-and after she was gone, we invariably heard the growl of a wolf under our window, and always saw her, on her return, wash herself before she retired to bed. We observed, also, that she seldom sat down to meals, and that when she did, she appeared to eat with dislike; but when the meat was taken down, to be prepared for dinner, she would often furtively put a raw piece into her mouth.
hardly - a peine, dur, durement, guere, a peine
resolved - résolu, prendre la résolution de
ensuing - qui s'ensuit, résulter, découler
rise - hausse, remonte, élévation, débout, surcroît
seldom - rarement
taken down - enlevé
furtively - furtivement
raw - cru, brut, nu
My brother Cćsar was a courageous boy; he did not like to speak to my father until he knew more. He resolved that he would follow her out, and ascertain what she did.
ascertain - vérification, constater, définir
Marcella and I endeavoured to dissuade him from this project; but he would not be controlled, and, the very next night he lay down in his clothes, and as soon as our mother-in-law had left the cottage, he jumped up, took down my father's gun, and followed her.
endeavoured - s'est efforcé, s'efforcer (de)
dissuade - dissuader
jumped up - a sauté
You may imagine in what a state of suspense Marcella and I remained, during his absence. After a few minutes, we heard the report of a gun. It did not awaken my father, and we lay trembling with anxiety. In a minute afterwards we saw our mother-in-law enter the cottage-her dress was bloody. I put my hand to Marcella's mouth to prevent her crying out, although I was myself in great alarm.
state - l'état, état, Etat, déclarer, indiquer
suspense - suspension, suspense, angoisse, anxiété, appréhension
awaken - réveiller, se réveiller
anxiety - l'anxiété, anxiété, inquiétude, angoisse
bloody - sanglante
prevent - prévenir, empecher
crying out - crier
alarm - alarme, réveille-matin, réveil, alarmer, donner/sonner l'alerte
Our mother-in-law approached my father's bed, looked to see if he was asleep, and then went to the chimney, and blew up the embers into a blaze.
chimney - cheminée
blew up - a explosé
"Who is there?" said my father, waking up.
waking up - se réveiller
"Lie still, dearest," replied my mother-in-law, "it is only me; I have lighted the fire to warm some water; I am not quite well."
lie - mentir, mensonge, mentez, gésir, gis, mentons
My father turned round and was soon asleep; but we watched our mother-in-law. She changed her linen, and threw the garments she had worn into the fire; and we then perceived that her right leg was bleeding profusely, as if from a gun-shot wound. She bandaged it up, and then dressing herself, remained before the fire until the break of day.
round - ronde, cyclo, arrondissent, arrondis, arrondir
linen - le linge, toile, lin, linge
garments - vetements, vetement
profusely - a profusion
shot - tir, tirai, tiré, tirâmes, tirerent, tira
bandaged - bandé, bandage, pansement, panser
Poor little Marcella, her heart beat quick as she pressed me to her side-so indeed did mine. Where was our brother, Cćsar? How did my mother-in-law receive the wound unless from his gun? At last my father rose, and then, for the first time I spoke, saying, "Father, where is my brother, Cćsar?"
beat - battre, abats, battement, battirent, battent, abattîmes
pressed - pressé, appuyer sur, presser
side - côté, parti, flanc
receive - recevoir
"Your brother!" exclaimed he, "why, where can he be?"
exclaimed - s'est exclamé, exclamer
"Merciful Heaven! I thought as I lay very restless last night," observed our mother-in-law, "that I heard somebody open the latch of the door; and, Dear me, husband, what has become of your gun?"
merciful - miséricordieux
Dear me - Cher moi
My father cast his eyes up above the chimney, and perceived that his gun was missing. For a moment he looked perplexed, then seizing a broad axe, he went out of the cottage without saying another word.
cast - casting, jeter, diriger, lancer, additionner, sommer, muer
perplexed - perplexe, déconcerter, troubler, dérouter
seizing - la saisie, emparant, (seize), saisir, emparer
broad - large
axe - hache
He did not remain away from us long: in a few minutes he returned, bearing in his arms the mangled body of my poor brother; he laid it down, and covered up his face.
bearing - naissant, coussinet, (bear) naissant
mangled - mutilée, écraser, mutiler
laid - posé, poser
covered up - couvert
My mother-in-law rose up, and looked at the body, while Marcella and I threw ourselves by its side wailing and sobbing bitterly.
wailing - gémissements, (wail) gémissements
sobbing - sanglots, sanglotement, sanglotant, sanglotante, (sob), fdp
bitterly - amerement, amerement
"Go to bed again, children," said she sharply. "Husband," continued she, "your boy must have taken the gun down to shoot a wolf, and the animal has been too powerful for him. Poor boy! He has paid dearly for his rashness."
sharply - brusquement
powerful - puissant
Dearly - cherement
rashness - témérité, irréflexion
My father made no reply; I wished to speak-to tell all-but Marcella, who perceived my intention, held me by the arm, and looked at me so imploringly, that I desisted.
wished - souhaité, souhait, souhaiter, espérer
intention - intention
imploringly - de maniere implorante
My father, therefore, was left in his error; but Marcella and I, although we could not comprehend it, were conscious that our mother-in-law was in some way connected with my brother's death.
error - erreur, vice, etre en erreur, planter
comprehend - comprendre
connected - connecté, accoupler, connecter, brancher
Death - mort, déces, camarde, la mort, l'arcane sans nom
That day my father went out and dug a grave, and when he laid the body in the earth, he piled up stones over it, so that the wolves should not be able to dig it up. The shock of this catastrophe was to my poor father very severe; for several days he never went to the chase, although at times he would utter bitter anathemas and vengeance against the wolves.
dug - creusée, creusâmes, creusé, creusa, creuserent, (dig) creusée
grave - tombe
earth - terre, terrier, relier a la terre, tmettre a la terre, enterrer
piled up - empilés
stones - des pierres, pierre, t+roche, t+caillou, t+roc
dig - creuser, creusez, creusons, creusent
shock - choc, choquons, offusquer, choquez, choquer, secouer
catastrophe - catastrophe
utter - l'utérus, émettre
anathemas - anathemes, anatheme
But during this time of mourning on his part, my mother-in-law's nocturnal wanderings continued with the same regularity as before.
mourning - le deuil, deuil, (mourn), déplorer, porter le deuil
nocturnal - nocturne
wanderings - errances, errement, errance, divagation
regularity - régularité
At last, my father took down his gun, to repair to the forest; but he soon returned, and appeared much annoyed.
repair - réparation, dépannage, réparent, rhabiller, dépanner, réparer
annoyed - agacé, gener, ennuyer, embeter, agacer, asticoter
"Would you believe it, Christina, that the wolves-perdition to the whole race-have actually contrived to dig up the body of my poor boy, and now there is nothing left of him but his bones?"
perdition - la perdition, enfer
race - course, race
actually - en fait
contrived - artificiel, combiner, inventer
dig up - déterrer
"Indeed!" replied my mother-in-law. Marcella looked at me, and I saw in her intelligent eye all she would have uttered.
intelligent - intelligent
uttered - prononcée, complet, total
"A wolf growls under our window every night, father," said I.
growls - grogne, feulement, grognement, borborygme, gargouillement
"Aye, indeed?-why did you not tell me, boy?-wake me the next time you hear it."
Aye - oui
I saw my mother-in-law turn away; her eyes flashed fire, and she gnashed her teeth.
turn away - se détourner
flashed - flashé, éclair, lueur
gnashed - grincé, serrer les dents, grincer
My father went out again, and covered up with a larger pile of stones the little remnants of my poor brother which the wolves had spared. Such was the first act of the tragedy.
covered - couverts, couvercle, couverture, couvert
pile - pile, tapée, pilotis, foule, amas
remnants - des vestiges, reste
spared - épargnée, espar
act - acte, loi, action, agir, faire, jouer, se comporter, faire (1)
The spring now came on: the snow disappeared, and we were permitted to leave the cottage; but never would I quit, for One moment, my dear little sister, to whom, since the death of my brother, I was more ardently attached than ever; indeed I was afraid to leave her alone with my mother-in-law, who appeared to have a particular pleasure in ill-treating the child.
permitted - autorisé, permettre
quit - démissionner, quittons, quittez, démissioner, quittent
One moment - Un moment
whom - que, qui
ardently - généreuxse, véhément
attached - attachée, attacher
particular - particulier
pleasure - plaisir, volupté, désir
treating - traiter, traitant, (treat), négocier, régaler, guérir
My father was now employed upon his little farm, and I was able to render him some assistance.
employed - employés, employer, embaucher, recruter
render - l'équarrissage, rendre
Marcella used to sit by us while we were at work, leaving my mother-in-law alone in the cottage. I ought to observe that, as the spring advanced, so did my mother decrease her nocturnal rambles, and that we never heard the growl of the wolf under the window after I had spoken of it to my father.
advanced - avancé, élever, avancer, avancée, progression, progres
decrease - diminution, diminuer, réduire
rambles - divagations, flâner, se balader, divaguer, radoter
One day, when my father and I were in the field, Marcella being with us, my mother-in-law came out, saying that she was going into the forest, to collect some herbs my father wanted, and that Marcella must go to the cottage and watch the dinner.
field - champ, campo, terrain, corps, rubrique, attraper
herbs - des herbes, herbe, herbes-p, plante médicinale
Marcella went, and my mother-in-law soon disappeared in the forest, taking a direction quite contrary to that in which the cottage stood, and leaving my father and I, as it were, between her and Marcella.
direction - direction
About an hour afterwards we were startled by shrieks from the cottage, evidently the shrieks of little Marcella. "Marcella has burnt herself, father," said I, throwing down my spade. My father threw down his, and we both hastened to the cottage. Before we could gain the door, out darted a large white wolf, which fled with the utmost celerity.
startled - surpris, sursauter, surprendre
shrieks - des cris, hurlement, crier
burnt - brulé, brulé, (burn) brulé
throwing down - a se jeter par terre
spade - beche, creuser, palette
hastened to - s'est empressé de faire
darted - dardé, dard, fleche
utmost - le plus important, extreme, plus grand, supreme, maximum
celerity - célérité
My father had no weapon; he rushed into the cottage, and there saw poor little Marcella expiring; her body was dreadfully mangled, and the blood pouring from it had formed a large pool on the cottage floor.
weapon - arme
rushed - précipité, se précipiter, emmener d'urgence
expiring - qui expire, expirer
dreadfully - terriblement
pouring - versant, (pour) versant
My father's first intention had been to seize his gun and pursue, but he was checked by this horrid spectacle; he knelt down by his dying child, and burst into tears: Marcella could just look kindly on us for a few seconds, and then her eyes were closed in death.
seize - saisir, emparer
pursue - poursuivre, rechercher
horrid - horribles, affreux, horrible, exécrable, désagréable
spectacle - spectacle
knelt - a genoux, agenouiller
dying - teignant, mourant, (dye) teignant
My father and I were still hanging over my poor sister's body, when my mother-in-law came in. At the dreadful sight she expressed much concern, but she did not appear to recoil from the sight of blood, as most women do.
hanging over - en suspens
dreadful - épouvantable, redoutable, affreux, terrible
expressed - exprimée, exprimer
concern - inquiétude, souci, soin, préoccupation, concerner
appear - apparaître, sembler
recoil - recul, reculer
"Poor child!" said she, "it must have been that great white wolf which passed me just now, and frightened me so-she's quite dead, Krantz."
"I know it-I know it!" cried my father in agony.
agony - l'agonie, agonie, angoisse
I thought my father would never recover from the effects of this second tragedy: he mourned bitterly over the body of his sweet child, and for several days would not consign it to its grave, although frequently requested by my mother-in-law to do so.
recover from - se remettre
effects - effets, effet, effets-p, effectuer
mourned - en deuil, déplorer, porter le deuil
sweet - doux, doucement, friandise, bonbon, sucreries
consign - consigner, consignent, consignez, consignons
frequently - fréquemment
At last he yielded, and dug a grave for her close by that of my poor brother, and took every precaution that the wolves should not violate her remains.
precaution - précaution
violate - violer, transgresser
remains - reste, rester, demeurer
I was now really miserable, as I lay alone in the bed which I had formerly shared with my brother and sister. I could not help thinking that my mother-in-law was implicated in both their deaths, although I could not account for the manner; but I no longer felt afraid of her: my little heart was full of hatred and revenge.
miserable - misérable
implicated - impliqué, impliquer
deaths - déces, mort, déces, camarde, la mort, l'arcane sans nom
manner - maniere, maniere, façon, mode
hatred - la haine, haine
revenge - la vengeance, vengeance, revanche, venger
The night after my sister had been buried, as I lay awake, I perceived my mother-in-law get up and go out of the cottage. I waited for some time, then dressed myself, and looked out through the door, which I half-opened.
The moon shone bright, and I could see the spot where my brother and my sister had been buried; and what was my horror, when I perceived my mother-in-law busily removing the stones from Marcella's grave.
moon - lune
shone - briller, éclairer
busily - avec activité
removing - l'enlevement, enlever
She was in her white night-dress, and the moon shone full upon her. She was digging with her hands, and throwing away the stones behind her with all the ferocity of a wild beast. It was some time before I could collect my senses and decide what I should do. At last, I perceived that she had arrived at the body, and raised it up to the side of the grave.
digging - creusant, (dig) creusant
throwing away - a jeter
ferocity - férocité, acharnement
senses - sens, acception, sentir
I could bear it no longer; I ran to my father and awoke him.
"Father! father!" cried I, "dress yourself, and get your gun."
"What!" cried my father, "the wolves are there, are they?"
He jumped out of bed, threw on his clothes, and in his anxiety did not appear to perceive the absence of his wife. As soon as he was ready, I opened the door, he went out, and I followed him.
jumped out - a sauté
perceive - percevoir
Imagine his horror, when (unprepared as he was for such a sight) he beheld, as he advanced towards the grave, not a wolf, but his wife, in her night-dress, on her hands and knees, crouching by the body of my sister, and tearing off large pieces of the flesh, and devouring them with all the avidity of a wolf. She was too busy to be aware of our approach.
crouching - accroupi, s'accroupir
tearing off - arracher
devouring - dévorant, dévorer
My father dropped his gun, his hair stood on end; so did mine; he breathed heavily, and then his breath for a time stopped. I picked up the gun and put it into his hand. Suddenly he appeared as if concentrated rage had restored him to double vigour; he levelled his piece, fired, and with a loud shriek, down fell the wretch whom he had fostered in his bosom.
dropped - a déposé, goutte
breathed - respiré, respirer, inspirer, expirer
heavily - lourdement
picked - choisi, pioche, passe-partout, choix, écran, prendre, cueillir
concentrated - concentré, concentrer
rage - rage, furie, fureur, courroux, rager, faire rage
restored - restaurée, restaurer, rétablir, rendre, restituer
double - double, sosie, doublon, doubler
vigour - force, vigueur, énergie
levelled - nivelé, plat, a ras, au meme niveau, constant, niveau
loud - bruyante, fort
shriek - cri, hurlement, crier
wretch - malheureux, malheureux/-euse
fostered - en famille d'accueil, élever
bosom - poitrine, sein, intime
"God of Heaven!" cried my father, sinking down upon the earth in a swoon, as soon as he had discharged his gun.
God - dieu, idolâtrer, déifier
sinking down - s'enfoncer
swoon - se pâmer, s'évanouir
discharged - déchargée, licenciement, débit
I remained some time by his side before he recovered. "Where am I?" said he, "what has happened?-Oh!-yes, yes! I recollect now. Heaven forgive me!"
recovered - récupéré, recouvrer (la santé)
forgive - pardonner
He rose and we walked up to the grave; what again was our astonishment and horror to find that instead of the dead body of my mother-in-law, as we expected, there was lying over the remains of my poor sister, a large, white she wolf.
instead - a la place, a la place, au lieu de
dead body - un corps
expected - attendue, attendre, s'attendre a
lying - gisant, sis, mentant, (lie) gisant
"The white wolf!" exclaimed my father, "the white wolf which decoyed me into the forest-I see it all now-I have dealt with the spirits of the Hartz Mountains."
dealt - traité, marché, affaire
For some time my father remained in silence and deep thought. He then carefully lifted up the body of my sister, replaced it in the grave, and covered it over as before, having struck the head of the dead animal with the heel of his boot, and raving like a madman. He walked back to the cottage, shut the door, and threw himself on the bed; I did the same, for I was in a stupor of amazement.
silence - le silence, silence
carefully - attentivement, soigneusement
lifted - soulevée, soulever
replaced - remplacés, remplacer
heel - talon, alinéa
raving - divagations
madman - fou, insensé
shut - fermé, fermer
stupor - stupeur
amazement - l'étonnement, stupéfaction, stupeur
Early in the morning we were both roused by a loud knocking at the door, and in rushed the hunter Wilfred.
roused - réveillé, réveiller
knocking at - a frapper
"My daughter!-man-my daughter!-where is my daughter!" cried he in a rage.
"Where the wretch, the fiend, should be, I trust," replied my father, starting up and displaying equal choler; "where she should be-in hell!-Leave this cottage or you may fare worse."
fiend - fieffé, démon, monstre, addict
trust - confiance, trust, faire confiance, avoir foi en quelqu’un
displaying - l'affichage, représentation, spectacle, moniteur, écran
Equal - l'égalité, égal, égaler a, égale
hell - l'enfer, enfer
fare - tarif, aller, tarifaire
"Ha-ha!" replied the hunter, "would you harm a potent spirit of the Hartz Mountains? Poor mortal, who must needs wed a were wolf."
ha - HA
potent - puissant
spirit - l'esprit, esprit, moral, élan, spiritueux
mortal - mortel, mortelle
wed - mariage, marier, épouser
"Out, demon! I defy thee and thy power."
demon - démon, diable
defy - défier, désobéir a
thee - toi
thy - de l'homme, ton/ta, tes
"Yet shall you feel it; remember your oath-your solemn oath-never to raise your hand against her to harm her."
solemn - solennel
"I made no compact with evil spirits."
compact - compact, compacter
"You did; and if you failed in your vow, you were to meet the vengeance of the spirits. Your children were to perish by the vulture, the wolf--"
failed - a échoué, échouer (a)
"Out, out, demon!"
"And their bones blanch in the wilderness. Ha!-ha!"
My father, frantic with rage, seized his axe, and raised it over Wilfred's head to strike.
frantic - éperdu, paniqué, frénétique
strike - greve, biffer, rayer, barrer, frapper, battre, faire greve
"All this I swear," continued the huntsman, mockingly.
mockingly - en se moquant
The axe descended; but it passed through the form of the hunter, and my father lost his balance, and fell heavily on the floor.
passed through - Passé a travers
balance - l'équilibre, contrepoids, équilibre, solde, balancier, apurer
"Mortal!" said the hunter, striding over my father's body, "we have power over those only who have committed murder. You have been guilty of a double murder-you shall pay the penalty attached to your marriage vow. Two of your children are gone; the third is yet to follow-and follow them he will, for your oath is registered. Go-it were kindness to kill thee-your punishment is-that you live!"
striding - a grandes enjambées, marcher a grands pas
guilty - coupable
penalty - pénalité, penalisation, peine
registered - enregistré, registre, inscription
punishment - punition, châtiment