IMPORTANT:
The French-English short story parallel text below is usable but incomplete. Try some of my others which I've actually finished:
Un Scandale en Bohème [A Scandal in Bohemia] ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Le Matelot D'Amsterdam [The Sailor from Amsterdam] GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE
Un Incident Au Pont D'Owl Creek [An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge] AMBROSE BIERCE
L'invité de Dracula [Dracula's Guest] BRAM STOKER
Boule de Suif [Dumpling] GUY DE MAUPASSANT
For the rest, please go to the menu page of my parallel texts.
For beginners I would recommend some of my Lyrics Translation French Lessons.
For some useful info + links please go to my Home Page
Thankyou, you may now continue...
The French-English short story parallel text below is usable but incomplete. Try some of my others which I've actually finished:
Un Scandale en Bohème [A Scandal in Bohemia] ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Le Matelot D'Amsterdam [The Sailor from Amsterdam] GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE
Un Incident Au Pont D'Owl Creek [An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge] AMBROSE BIERCE
L'invité de Dracula [Dracula's Guest] BRAM STOKER
Boule de Suif [Dumpling] GUY DE MAUPASSANT
For the rest, please go to the menu page of my parallel texts.
For beginners I would recommend some of my Lyrics Translation French Lessons.
For some useful info + links please go to my Home Page
Thankyou, you may now continue...
French Intermediate Bilingual Story-Lesson
Quatrième Etage [Fourth Floor]
PART ONE
(SCROLL DOWN BELOW FOR PARALLEL TEXT)
SECTION (A)
Here will be found the first part of a short story written by Jean Hougron made into a traditional French-English parallel text, the paragraphs being aligned individually in a horizontal fashion so that the beginning of each paragraph starts on the same line in both the languages. Personally, I can't see the point of a Parallel text that does not atleast have it's paragraphs aligned in this way as otherwise it takes forever to locate your position when referring from one to the other. The French column is the original text and the English column is my own translation. This translation was created specifically to match as much as possible the syntax of the French version without ending up with grammatically bad English, so forgive me if it lacks artistic merit!
SECTION (B)
Here the same French text is split into 20 one or two sentence snippets with the English translation aligned below each individual snippet. Cross referencing is thus made even easier
.
SECTION (C)
Here, those same 20 snippets of bilingual text are broken down into separate stages of translation which includes the most usefull part for language learning: word for word translations. There are no footnotes or formal lessons: you learn through observing the said translation process. If this is too difficult than I suggest going directly to the beginner version which is the same story and translation process but with in-depth footnoting.
Here will be found the first part of a short story written by Jean Hougron made into a traditional French-English parallel text, the paragraphs being aligned individually in a horizontal fashion so that the beginning of each paragraph starts on the same line in both the languages. Personally, I can't see the point of a Parallel text that does not atleast have it's paragraphs aligned in this way as otherwise it takes forever to locate your position when referring from one to the other. The French column is the original text and the English column is my own translation. This translation was created specifically to match as much as possible the syntax of the French version without ending up with grammatically bad English, so forgive me if it lacks artistic merit!
SECTION (B)
Here the same French text is split into 20 one or two sentence snippets with the English translation aligned below each individual snippet. Cross referencing is thus made even easier
.
SECTION (C)
Here, those same 20 snippets of bilingual text are broken down into separate stages of translation which includes the most usefull part for language learning: word for word translations. There are no footnotes or formal lessons: you learn through observing the said translation process. If this is too difficult than I suggest going directly to the beginner version which is the same story and translation process but with in-depth footnoting.
SECTION A ~ BILINGUAL SHORT STORY
French/English
Traditional Paragraph By Paragraph (side by side) Aligned Parallel Text
ORIGINAL FRENCH TEXT
By Jean Hougron |
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
By Simpetweb (that's me!) |
Je partirai demain. Je suis en France depuis huit ans. Je suis né dans ce pays et, pourtant, j’y ai vécu en exil. Ces huit années-là ont été longues, très longue, car je n’ai jamais cessé d’attendre le jour ou je bouclerais ma valise pour revenir a Bactriang.
|
I will leave tomorrow. I have been in france for 8 years. I was born in this country and yet I have lived here in exile. These past eight years have been long, very long, because I have never ceased to await the day that I would buckle my suitcase and return to Bactriang.
|
Ce matin, je me suis regardé dans la glace du lavabo. J’ai vieilli. Le poil, la peau, le regard. Surtout le regard, et je me demande si, là-bas, Ils me reconnaîtront. Je me demande aussi si cela vaut vraiment la peine de reprendre la route. Il y a tellement de chose qui ont changé en huit ans, à commencer par moi. Malgré tout, il faut que je règle cette vieille histoire, ne serait-ce que pour apprendre à De Soto qu’il n’a pas gagné la partie.
|
This morning, I looked at myself in the mirror of the bathroom sink. I have aged. The hair, the skin, the gaze. Above all the gaze and I asked myself if, over there, they will recognize me. I asked myself as well if it was worth the effort to go back on the road. There are so many things which have changed in eight years, starting with me. Inspite of everything, I’ll have to sort out this old situation, if only to teach De Soto who’s the boss.
|
Je crois que, si je n’avais pas rencontré Perdrier sur le port, je ne serais jamais retourné a Bactriang. Nous nous sommes un peu bousculés a la porte du Chien-bleu. Il entrait et moi je sortais, et nous étions aussi pressé l’un que l’autre. Il m’a dit:
|
I believe that, if I had not encountered Perdrier in the port, I would have never returned to Bactriang. We bumped into each other by the door of the Chien-blue. He was entering and I was leaving, and we were as much in a hurry as one another. He said to me:
|
“oh! Kergain, je te croyais mort et enterré depuis un bout de temps.”
|
“oh! Kergain, I thought you was dead and buried for a while now”
|
C’était le premier employé de la concession que je rencontrais depuis mon arrivé en France. Nous sommes entré au Chien-bleu pour prendre un verre et nous avons parlé d’autrefois. Perdrier avait quitté Bactraing deux ans auparavant. A cause de la dégringolade du cours de l’étain après la guerre. A cause de ses poumons aussi, qui étaient en mauvais état tout les deux. Je lui ai dit:
|
He was the first employee of the concession that I had encountered since my arrival in France. We entered the Chien-blue to have a drink and we talked of times gone past. Perdrier had left Bactraing two years ago as a result of the fall in price of tin after the war. Because of his lungs as well which were in a bad state, the both of them. I said to him:
|
“De Soto m’a écrit il y a cinq ou six mois. Il m’explique que ça ne marche pas fort. A son avis, il vaut mieux que je reste encore en France. Là-bas je me ferais tout de suite épingler.”
|
“De Soto wrote to me five or six months ago. He expained to me that things are not going well. In his opinion, it’s better if I rest in France. Over there I’d get myself nabbed straight away.”
|
Pedrier a paru surpris. Il a répété,
“épingler et pourquoi?” “Mon histoire avec Cumming” Pedrier a fait un grand geste: |
Pedrier appeared surprised. He repeated,
“nabbed, and why?” “My history with cumming” Pedrier made a big gesture: ((as in gesticulation)) |
SECTION B ~ BILINGUAL SHORT STORY
French-English
Sentence By Sentence (line under line) aligned Parallel Text
Je partirai demain. Je suis en France depuis huit ans.
I will leave tomorrow. I have been in france for 8 years.
Je suis né dans ce pays et, pourtant, j’y ai vécu en exil.
I was born in this country and yet I have lived here in exile
Ces huit années-la ont été longues, très longue, car je n’ai jamais cessé d’attendre le jour ou je bouclerais ma valise pour revenir a Bactriang.
These past eight years have been long, very long, because I have never ceased to await the day that I would boucle my suitcase and return to Bactriang.
Ce matin, je me suis regardé dans la glace du lavabo.
This morning, I looked at myself in the mirror of the bathroom sink.
J’ai vieilli. Le poil, la peau, le regard. Surtout le regard, et je me demande si, là-bas, Ils me reconnaîtront.
I have aged. The hair, the skin, the gaze. Above all the gaze and I asked myself if, over there, they will recognize me.
Je me demande aussi si cela vaut vraiment la peine de reprendre la route. Il y a tellement de chose qui ont changé en huit ans, a commencer par moi.
I asked myself as well if it was worth the effort to go back on the road. There are so many things which have changed in eight years, starting with me.
Malgré tout, il faut que je règle cette vieille histoire, ne serait-ce que pour apprendre a De Soto qu’il n’a pas gagné la partie.
Inspite of everything, I’ll have to sort out this old situation, if only to teach De Soto who’s the boss.
Je crois que, si je n’avais pas rencontré Perdrier sur le port, je ne serais jamais retourné a Bactriang.
I believe that, if I had not encountered Perdrier in the port, I would have never returned to Bactriang.
Nous nous sommes un peu bousculés a la porte du Chien-bleu
We bumped into each other by the door of the Chien-blue
Il entrait et moi je sortais, et nous étions aussi pressé l’un que l’autre.
He was entering and I was leaving, and we were as much in a hurry as one another.
Il m’a dit, “oh! Kergain, je te croyais mort et enterré depuis un bout de temps.”
He said to me “oh! Kergain, I thought you was dead and buried for a while now”
C’était le premier employé de la concession que je rencontrais depuis mon arrivé en France.
He was the first employee of the concession that I had encountered since my arrival in France
Nous sommes entré au Chien-bleu pour prendre un verre et nous avons parlé d’autrefois.
We entered the Chien-blue to have a drink and we talked of times gone past..
Perdrier avait quitté Bactraing deux ans auparavant. A cause de la dégringolade du cours de l’étain après la guerre.
Perdrier had left Bactraing two years ago as a result of the fall in price of tin after the war.
A cause de ses poumons aussi, qui étaient en mauvais état tout les deux.
Because of his lungs as well which were in a bad state, the both of them.
Je lui ai dit:
I said to him.
“De Soto m’a écrit il y a cinq ou six mois. Il m’explique que ça ne marche pas fort. A son avis, il vaut mieux que je reste encore en France.
“De Soto wrote to me five or six months ago. He expained to me that it’s not going well. In his opinion, it’s better if I rest in France
Là-bas je me ferais tout de suite épingler.”
Over there I’d get myself nabbed straight away.”
Pedrier a paru surpris. Il a répété, “épingler et pourquoi?”
Pedrier appeared surprised. He repeated, “nabbed, and why?”
“Mon histoire avec Cumming”
Pedrier a fait un grand geste:
“My history with cumming”
Pedrier made a big gesture:
SECTION C ~ BILINGUAL SHORT STORY
French-English
Word For Word Translations: Stages of Translation Shown
Je partirai demain. Je suis en France depuis huit ans.
Je[I] partirai[will.leave] demain[tomorrow]. Je[I] Suis[am] en[in] france[France] depuis[since] huit[eight] ans[years].
I will.leave tomorrow. I am in France since 8 years.
I will leave tomorrow. I have been in France for 8 years.
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
Je suis né dans ce pays et, pourtant, j’y ai vécu en exil.
Je[I] suis[am] né[born] dans[in] ce[this] pays[country], et[and] pourtant[yet], j[I]’ y[there] ai[have] vécu [lived] en[in] exil[exile].
I am born in this country and, yet, I there have lived in exile.
I was born in this country and yet I have lived here in exile.
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
Ces huit années-la ont été longues, très longue, car je n’ai jamais cessé d’attendre le jour ou je bouclerais ma valise pour revenir a Bactriang.
Ces[These] huit[eight] années[years]-la[there] ont[have] été[been] longues[long], très[very] longue[long], car[because] je[I] n’[no] ai[have] jamais[never] cessé[ceased] d’[to] attendre[await] le[the] jour[day] ou[where] je[I] bouclerais[would.buckle] ma[my] valise[suitcase] pour[in.order.to] revenir[return] a[to] Bactriang[name of a town].
These eight years there have been long, very long, because I no have never ceased to await the day where I would.buckle my suitcaise in.order.to return to Bactriang
These past eight years have been long, very long, because I have never ceased to await the day that I would boucle my suitcase and return to Bactriang.
..................................................................................................................................................................................
Ce matin, je me suis regardé dans la glace du lavabo.
Ce[This] matin[morning], je[I] me[myself] suis regardé[looked] dans[in] la[the] glace[mirror] du[of.the] lavabo[small.basin].
This morning, I myself looked in the mirror of the bathroom.sink.
This morning, I looked at myself in the mirror of the bathroom sink.
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
J’ai vieilli. Le poil, la peau, le regard. Surtout le regard, et je me demande si, là-bas, Ils me reconnaitront.
J’[I] ai[have] vieilli[aged]. Le[the] poil[body.hair], la[the] peau[skin], le[the] regard[gaze/stare]. Surtout[above.all] le[the] regard[gaze/stare], et[and] je[I] me[myself] demande[asl] si[if], là-bas[over.there], Ils[they] me[me] reconnaitront[will.recognise]
I have aged. The body.hair, the skin, the gaze. Above.all the gaze, and I myself ask if, over.there. they me will recognize.
I have aged. The hair, the skin, the gaze. Above all the gaze and I asked myself if, over there, they will recognize me.
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
Je me demande aussi si cela vaut vraiment la peine de reprendre la route. Il y a tellement de chose qui ont changé en huit ans, à commencer par moi.
Je[i] me[myself] demande[ask] aussi[as.well] si[if] cela[that.there] vaut[deserves] vraiment[really] la[the] peine[pain] de[to] reprendre[retake] la[the] route[road]. Il[It] y[there] a[has] tellement[so.many] de[of] chose[thing] qui[which] ont[have] change[changed] en[in] huit[eight] ans[years], à[to] commencer[start.with] par[by] moi[me].
I myself ask as.well if that.there deserves (is worth) the pain to retake the road. It there has so.many of thing which have changed in three years, to start.with by me.
I asked myself as well if it was worth the effort to go back on the road. There are so many things which have changed in eight years, starting with me.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
Malgré tout, il faut que je règle cette vieille histoire, ne serait-ce que pour apprendre à De Soto qu’il n’a pas gagné la partie.
Malgré[despite] tout[all], il[it] faut[needs] que[that] je[I] règle[sort.out] cette[this] vieille[old] histoire[history/story], ne[no] serait[would.be]-ce[it] que[than] pour[in.order.to] apprendre[teach] à[to] De Soto[De Soto] qu’[that] il[he] n’[no] a[has] pas[not] gagné[won] la[the] partie[part].
Despite all, it needs that I sort.out. this old history/story, no would.be it than in.order.to teach to De Soto that he no has not won the part.
Inspite of everything, I’ll have to sort out this old situation, if only to teach De Soto who’s the boss.
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
Je crois que, si je n’avais pas rencontré Perdrier sur le port, je ne serais jamais retourné a Bactriang.
Je[I] crois[believe] que[that], si[if] je[I] n’[no] avais[had] pas[not] rencontré[encountered] Perdrier[Perdrier(name)] sur[on] le[the] port[port], je[I] ne[no] serais[would.be] jamais[never] retourné[returned] a[to] Bactriang[Bactriang(name)].
I believe that, if I no had not encountered Perdrier on the port, I no would.be never returned to Batriang.
I believe that, if I had not encountered Perdrier in the port, I would have never returned to Bactriang.
……………………………………………………………………………………..........................................................
Nous nous sommes un peu bousculés à la porte du Chien-bleu
Nous[we] nous[ourselves] sommes[are] un[a] peu[litte] bousculés[bumped.one.against.the.other] à[at] la[the] porte[door] du[of.the] Chien-bleu[Chien-bleu(name)]
We ourselves are(have) a little bumped.one.against.the.other at the door of.the Chien-blue.
We bumped into each other by the door of the Chien-blue
...................................................................................................................................................................................
Il entrait et moi je sortais, et nous étions aussi pressé l’un que l’autre.
Il[he] entrait[was.entering] et[and] moi[me] je[i] sortais[was.exiting], et[and] nous[we] étions[were] aussi[as] pressé[pressed] l’[the] un[one] que[as (much.as)] l’[the] autre[other].
He was.entering and I was.exiting , and we were as pressed (for time) the one as.much.as the other
He was entering and I was leaving, and we were as much in a hurry as one another.
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
Il m’a dit, “oh! Kergain, je te croyais mort et enterré depuis un bout de temps.”
Il[he] m’[to.me] a dit[said], “oh![oh] Kergain[kergain (name)], je[I] te[you] croyais[was.believing] mort[dead] et[and] enterré[buried] depuis[since] un[a] bout[piece] de[of] temps[time].”
He to.me said, “oh! Kergain, I you was.believing dead and buried since a piece of time”
He said to me “oh! Kergain, I thought you was dead and buried for a while now”
……………………………………………………………………………………..........................................................
C’était le premier employé de la concession que je rencontrais depuis mon arrivé en France.
C’[he] était[was] le[the] premier[first] employé[employee] de[of] la[the] concession[concession] que[that] je[I] rencontrais[was.encountering] depuis[since] mon[my] arrive[arrival] en[in] France[France].
He was the first employee of the concession that I was encountering since my arrival in France.
He was the first employee of the concession that I had encountered since my arrival in France
....................................................................................................................................................................................
Nous sommes entré au Chien-bleu pour prendre un verre et nous avons parlé d’autrefois.
Nous[we] sommes entré[entered] au[at.the] Chien-bleu[Chien-blue(name)] pour[in.order.to] prendre[take] un[a] verre[glass] et[and] nous[we] avons parlé[talked] d’[of] autrefois[other.time].
We entered.the (in.the) Chien-bleu in.order.to take a glass (of drink) and we talked of other.time.
We entered the Chien-bleu to have a drink and we talked of times gone past..
………………………………………………………………………………………..
Perdrier avait quitté Bactraing deux ans auparavant. A cause de la dégringolade du cours de l’étain après la guerre.
Perdrier[perdrier(name)] avait[had] quitté[quit] Bactraing[Bactraing(name)] deux[two] ans[years] auparavant[previously]. A[at] cause[cause] de[of] la[the] dégringolade[tumbling.down] du[of.the] cours[price/rate.of.exchange] de[of] l’[the] étain[tin] après[after[ la[the] guerre[war].
Perdrier had quitted Bactraing two years previously. At cause of the down.tumbling of.the price/rate.of.exchange of the tin after the war.
Perdrier had left Bactraing two years ago as a result of the fall in price of tin after the war.
....................................................................................................................................................................................
A cause de ses poumons aussi, qui étaient en mauvais état tout les deux.
A[at] cause[cause] de[of] ses[his] poumons[lungs] aussi[as.well], qui[who] étaient [were] en[in] mauvais[bad] état[state] tout[all] les[the] deux[two].
At cause of his lungs as.well, who were in (a) bad state all the two.
Because of his lungs as well which were in a bad state, the both of them.
...................................................................................................................................................................................
Je lui ai dit:
Je[I] lui[to.him] ai dit[said].
I to him said
I said to him.
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
“De Soto m’a écrit il y a cinq ou six mois. Il m’explique que ca ne marche pas fort. A son avis, il vaut mieux que je reste encore en France.
“De Soto[De Soto(name)] m’[to.me] a écrit[wrote] il[it] y[there] a[has] cinq[five] o[or] six[six] mois[months]. Il[he] m’[to.me] explique[explains] que[that] ca[that] ne[no] marche[works[ pas[not] fort[strong]. A[at] son[his] avis[opinion], il[it] vaut[is.worth] mieux[better] que[that] je[I] reste[stay] encore[still] en[in] france[france].
“De Soto to.me has written it there has five or six months. He to.me explains that that no works not strong. At his opinion, it worths better that I rest still.more in france.
“De Soto wrote to me five or six months ago. He expained to me that it’s not going well. In his opinion, it’s better if I rest in France
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
Là-bas je me ferais tout de suite épingler.”
Là -bas[over.there] je[I] me[myself] ferais[would.make] tout de suite[Straight away] épingler[pinned(nabbed)].”
Over.there I myself would.make straight.away pinned.”
Over there I’d get myself nabbed straight away.”
..................................................................................................................................................................................
Pedrier a paru surpris. Il a répété, “épingler et pourquoi?”
Pedrier[Pedrier(name)] a paru[appeared] surprise[surprised]. Il[he] a répété[repeated], “épingler[pinned] et[and] pourquoi[why]?”
Pedrier appeared surprised. He repeated, “pinned, and why?”
Pedrier appeared surprised. He repeated, “nabbed, and why?”
………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
“Mon histoire avec Cumming”
Pedrier a fait un grand geste:
“Mon[my] histoire[history] avec[with] Cumming[Cumming(name)]”
Pedrier[Pedrier] a fait[made] un[a] grand[big] geste[gesture]:
“My history with cumming”
Pedrier made a big gesture:
“My history with cumming”
Pedrier made a big gesture:
...................................................................................................................................................................................