****** NEW LESSON BASED ON ALORS ON DANSE BY STROMAE: BEST WORK YET *******
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Section A is for advanced learners for it is just a normal parallel text (although the original english text has been re-written to more closely resemble the french translation) Section B is for intermediate learners. Here the French text has been broken down into twenty sentences and directly below each French sentence you will find the English equivalent. This makes the task of referring from french text to english text all that more easier. Section C is for beginner learners. Here, every word is translated individually and grammar notes are included. |
SECTION C ~ Bilingual Short Story
FRENCH-ENGLISH
Word For Word Translations With Grammar Notes
(1)
Pour Sherlock Holmes c’est toujours « la femme ».
For Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman.
Pour ~ [for]
Sherlock Holmes ~ [NAME]
c’est ~ [it is/he is/she is]
toujours ~ [always]
la femme ~ [the woman]
(2)
Il ne parle jamais d’elle que sous cette dénomination.
He never speaks of her other than under that denomination.
Il ~ [it/he]
ne parle jamais ~ [never (talks/speaks)(talk/speak)] JE/(IL/ELLE/ON) - PARLER(to talk/speak) PRÉSENT
'PARLER' - PRESENT
- je parle
- tu parles
- il/elle/on parle
- vous parlez
- nous parlons
- ils/elles parlent
que ~ [than]
sous ~ [under]
cette ~ [that]
dénomination []
(3)
à ses yeux elle éclipse le sexe faible tout entier.
In his eyes she eclipses completely the weaker sex.
à ~ [at/in/to/on/by/for/till] This is a preposition and for any one who has studied more than one language will know, prepositions from one language rarely match up neatly with those of another. You can either accept, for example, that à means all the English prepositions in the square brackets just seen OR you can assign to it it's main English alternative (i.e. at) and just accept that the French use at in weird places i.e. donne cela à moi [give that at me] (give that to me)
ses ~ [his/hers]
yeux ~ [eyes]
elle ~ [she]
éclipse ~ [eclipses]
le ~ [the]
sexe ~ [sex]
faible ~[weak]
tout ~ [all/whole/entire]
entier ~ [whole/entire]
tout entier ~ [complete entirety]
(4)
Ne croyez pourtant pas qu’il ait eu de l’amour, voire même de l’affection pour Irène Adler.
Don’t believe however that he had love, even affection for Irene Adler.
Ne croyez pas ~ [do not believe(no believe not)] VOUS - CROIRE(to believe) PRÉSENT
'CROIRE' - PRÉSENT
- je/tu crois [I/you(sing/fam) believe]
- il/elle/on croit [he(it)/she(it)/one believes]
- vous croyez [you(plur/form) believe]
- nous croyons [we believe]
- ils/elles croient [they believe]
qu’il ~ [that he] i.e. contraction of que il which is neither heard nor seen like this.
ait eu ~ [had] IL/ELLE/ON - AVOIR(to have) - PASSÉ DU SUBJONCTIF This form of a verb is dam rare. In speech you will never hear it unless someone is trying to be very pompous. However you will see it in literature but even then quite rare. I will explain what the subjunctive is later and until I do so I won't even dare try explaining this particular form of the subjunctive
de l’amour ~ [love(of the love)]
voire même ~ [even]
This is a tautology i.e. voire can be used without meme to mean the same thing and vice versa. Considered a fault but commonly done.
de l’affection ~ [affection(of the affection)]
pour ~ [for]
Irène Adler ~ [NAME]
(5)
Tous les sentiments violents et celui-là en particulier sont contraires à son caractère froid, méthodique et admirablement équilibré.
All violent sentiments, and that one particularly, were contradictory to his cold, methodical, and admirably balanced character..
tous ~ [all]
les ~ [the]
sentiments violent [violent sentiments/emotions]
et ~ [and]
celui-là [that-one-there]
en particulier [in particular]
sont ~ [are] ILS/ELLES - ETRE(to be) - PRÉSENT
'ETRE' - PRÉSENT
- je suis [I am]
- tu es [you(sing/fam) are]
- il/elle/on est [he(it)/she(it)/one is]
- vous etes [you(plur/form) are]
- nous sommes [we are]
- ils/elles sont [they are]
à ~ [at/in/to/on/by/for/till]
son ~ [his/her]
caractère ~ [character]
froid ~ [cold]
méthodique ~ [methodic]
et admirablement équilibré ~ [and admirably balanced]
(6)
Holmes est bien la machine animée et observatrice la plus parfaite qu’on puisse rencontrer, mais je ne vois pas mon personnage dans le rôle d’amoureux.
Holmes is truly the animated observing machine the most perfected that one may encounter; but I do not see my character in the role of an amorous person.
Holmes ~ [NAME]
est ~ [is] IL/ELLE/ON - ETRE(to be) - PRÉSENT
'ETRE' IN DIFFERENT TENSES in the IL/ELLE/ON FORM (i.e. 3rd pers sing) (using IL as the example)
- Present; il est [he/it is]
- Imparfait; il était [he/it was]
- Passé simple; il fut [he/it was
- Futur; il sera [he/it will be]
- Conditional; il serait [he/it would be]
- Present du subjonctif; qu'il soit [that he be]
- Imparfait du subjonctif: qu'il fût [that he was]
la machine animée et observatrice ~ [the animated and observing machine]
la plus parfaite [the most perfect]
qu’~ [that]
on ~ [one] ok, this is a big topic. You learn nous [we/us] but when you get to France you are bombarded with on [one/we/they]. This is just my impression but it seems to me to be the personal pronoun the most used. When I first went to work I used to ask my boss qu'est-ce que nous allons faire aujourd'hui (what are we going to do today) but he would never reply using the nous form (neve ever!) He'd say on va... (one is going to/we are going to). Eventually I adapted and would say the morning on va faire quoi ce matin!
So, on is the more common form of we but there are other reasons for it's popularity. For instance, as seen in the bilingual story it is also used where the english used to use one. However, the main reason why you hear on so often is that it is used as a passive voice avoidance tool. Ok, that sounded complicated but it's not, trust me. The passive voice is where the verb is central and the actor of the verb is either not known or not important; I was hit on the head; My car has been stolen; we were shown the house. In each of these examples someone or something has fulfilled the verb i.e. someone hit, stole, showed but this is either not known or not essential to the conversation. Now, the French don't like using the passive voice if they don't have to. One of the ways they avoid it (when the subject does not need to be mentioned - yes, the passive voice CAN have a subject e.g. this house was built by my father) is by using on; on m'a frappé sur la tete [someone/one has hit me on the head]; on m'a volé ma caisse [someone/one has stole my car]; on nous a montré la maison [someone/one has shown us the house]. NOTE: in the last example you are forced to use nous instead of on as here nous stands for us rather than we. NOTE: the other way the French avoid using the passive voice when the subject need not be mentioned is by the use of the passive reflexive: ça se ne fait pas [that is not the done thing] literally- that itself no does not. We shall talk about the passive reflexive later.
puisse ~ [may]
rencontrer ~ [encounter]
mais ~ [but]
je ne vois pas [ I don't see] [lit: I no see not]
mon ~ [my]
personnage
dans [in]
le [the]
rôle [role]
d’amoureux. []
(7)
Il ne m’a jamais parlé d’amour qu’avec un geste de mépris et un sourire railleur.
He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a scornful jest and a mocking smile.
Il ~ [he]
ne ~ [no]
m’ ~ [to.me]
a ~ [has]
jamais ~ [ever/never]
parlé ~ [spoken/talked]
d’~ [of]
amour ~ [love]
qu’~ [than]
avec ~ [with]
un ~ [a]
geste ~ [gesture/jest]
de ~ [of]
mépris ~ [contempt/disregard/scorn]
et ~ [and]
un ~ [a]
sourire ~ [smile]
railleur ~ [mocking]
(8)
Pour lui qui a mission d’observer et de déduire, la passion chez les autres est un secours puissant ; elle détermine sans cesse les mobiles secrets qui ont porté l’accusé à son crime
For he who has the mission to observe and deduce, the passion among others is a powerful assistance; It ceaselessly determines the secret motives which have brought the accused to his crime.
Pour ~ [for]
lui ~ [him (the one)]
qui ~ [who]
a ~ [has]
mission ~ [mission]
d’~ [of/ to]
observer ~ [to.observe]
et ~ [and]
de ~ [of/ to]
déduire, ~ [to.deduce]
la ~ [the]
passion ~ [passion]
chez ~ [among ((in this context))]
les ~ [the]
autres ~ [others]
est ~ [is]
un ~ [a]
secours ~ [help/ assistance/ aid/ rescue]
puissant ~ [powerful]
elle ~ [it(she)]
détermine ~ [determines]
sans ~ [without]
cesse ~ [cease (as in incessantly)]
les ~ [the]
mobiles ~ [motives]
secrets ~ [secret]
qui ~ [which]
ont ~ [have]
porté ~ [brought ((technically the verb porter means 'to carry/ to wear'))]
l’~ [the]
accusé ~ [accused]
à ~ [to/ at]
son ~ [his]
crime ~ [crime]
(9)
mais le logicien de profession aurait grand tort de se laisser envahir par le sentiment ; cela équivaudrait à introduire dans des rouages fins et délicats un facteur étranger qui y porterait la plus grande perturbation; le sentiment pourrait influer sur ses déductions.
But the professional reasoner would be greatly mistaken to let himself be invaded by emotions; that would equate to introducing into fine and delicate cogs an extraneous factor which would bring a major perturbation; the emotion could bear influence upon his deductions.
mais ~ [but]
le ~ [the]
logicien ~ [reasoner]
de ~ [of]
profession ~ [profession] ((professional reasoner))
aurait ~ [would.have] avoir in the 3rd pers sing conditionnel
grand ~ [big/great]
tort ~ [wrong/ fault]
de ~ [of/ to]
se ~ [himself/ herself]
laisser ~ [to.let]
envahir ~ [to invade ('to be invaded' sounds better]
par ~ [by]
le ~ [the]
sentiment ; ~ [emotion(s)/ feeling (s)]
cela ~ [that]
équivaudrait ~ [would.equate]
à ~ [at/ to]
introduire ~ [to.introducing)]
dans ~ [in]
des ~ [the]
rouages ~ [cogs]
fins ~ [fine]
et ~ [and]
délicats ~ [delicate]
un ~ [an]
facteur ~ [element/ factor]
étranger ~ [foreign]
qui ~ [which]
y ~ [there (in that actual place)]
porterait ~ [would.bring (technicallly: would.carry)]
la ~ [the]
plus ~ [most]
grande ~ [big/ great]
perturbation; ~ [perturbation],
le ~ [the]
sentiment ~ [emotion]
pourrait ~ [could]
influer ~ [influence]
sur ~ [on]
ses ~ [his/ her]
déductions. ~ [deductions]
(10)
Une émotion violente pour une nature comme la sienne équivaudrait à un grain de sable dans un instrument de précision ou à une fêlure sur un de ses microscopes les plus puissants.
A violent emotion for a nature such as his equated to a grain of sand in an instrument of precision or a fissure on one of his more powerful microscopes.
Une ~ [an]
émotion ~ [emotion]
violente ~ [violent]
pour ~ [for]
une ~ [a]
nature ~ [nature]
comme ~ [like]
la sienne ~ [his]
équivaudrait ~ [would.equate]
à ~ [to/ at]
un ~ [a]
grain ~ [grain] NOTE: pronunciation of the French word is gra with a nasal stop at the end. A bit like saying gran in grandad but trying to say it with a heavy cold (not forgetting that the r is pronounced like a scouser 'k'
de ~ [of]
sable ~ [sand]
dans ~ [in]
un ~ [an]
instrument ~ [instrument]
de ~ [of]
précision ~ [precision]
ou ~ [or]
à ~ [to/ at] ((this is the alternative that also follows equivaudrait))
une ~ [a]
fêlure ~ [crack/ fissure]
sur ~ [on]
un ~ [one]
de ~ [of]
ses ~ [his/ her]
microscopes ~ [microscopes]
les ~ [the]
plus ~ [most/ more]
puissants ~ [powerful]
(11)
Et cependant pour lui il n’y avait qu’une femme au monde et cette femme était feue Irène Adler, de mémoire douteuse.
And yet for him there was but one woman in the world, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of doubtful remembrance.
Et ~ [and]
cependant ~ [yet/ nonetheless/ however/ nevertheless]
pour ~ [for]
lui ~ [him]
il n’ y avait qu’ ~ [there was only] NOTE: literally 'it no there had than'
une ~ [one]
femme ~ [woman]
au ~ [in.the/ at.the]
monde ~ [world]
et ~ [and]
cette ~ [that]
femme ~ [woman]
était ~ [was]
feue ~ [the.late]
Irène Adler ~ [NAME]
de ~ [of]
mémoire ~ [remembrance]
douteuse~ [doubtful]
(12)
Je n’avais pas vu Holmes depuis quelque temps.
I had not seen Holmes since a while.
Je ~ [I]
n’ ~ [no]
avais ~ [had]
pas ~ [not]
vu ~ [seen]
Holmes ~ [Holmes]
depuis ~ [since]
quelque ~ [some]
temps ~ [time]
(13)
Mon mariage nous avait forcément séparés l’un de l’autre ;
My marriage had inevitably separated us one from the other.
Mon ~ [my]
mariage ~ [marriage]
nous ~ [us]
avait ~ [had]
forcément ~ [inevitably/ naturally]
séparés ~ [separated]
l’un ~ [the.one]
de ~ [of/ from]
l’autre ; ~ [the.other]
(14)
le bonheur parfait dont je jouissais, les nouveaux devoirs et les occupations inséparables d’une entrée en ménage absorbaient tous mes instants.
The perfect happiness of which I was enjoying, the new duties and the occupations inseparable from an entry into household management, were absorbing all my moments/time
le = [the]
bonheur = [hapiness]
parfait = [perfect]
dont = [of.which]
je = [I]
jouissais, = [was.enjoying]
les = [the]
nouveaux = [new]
devoirs = [duties]
et = [and]
les = [the]
occupations = [occupations]
inséparables = [inseparable]
d’une = [of.an/of.a]
entrée = [entry
en = [in(to)]
ménage = [household.management]
absorbaient = [was.absorbing]
tous = [all]
mes = [my]
instants = [moments]
(15)
De son côté, Holmes, dont la nature bohème répugnait à tout ce qui avait l’apparence du monde, continuait à résider dans son appartement de Baker street, enfoui sous ses vieux bouquins, étudiant sur lui-même les effets de la cocaïne ou se livrant à des rêves d’ambition ; en somme tantôt engourdi par le poison et tantôt dévoré par l’activité extraordinaire de son ardente nature.
From his side, Holmes, of which the bohemian nature revolted at all which had the appearance of the world, continued to reside in his apartments at Baker Street, buried among his old books, studying on himself the effects of cocaine or delivering himself to his dreams of ambition; in sum, at times numb by the poison and at other times devoured by the extraordinary activity of his ardent nature
De son côté =
Holmes, =
dont la nature bohème =
répugnait =
à tout ce qui avait =
l’apparence du monde, =
continuait à résider =
dans son appartement =
de Baker street, =
enfoui =
sous ses vieux bouquins, =
étudiant sur lui-même =
les effets de la cocaïne =
ou se livrant =
à des rêves d’ambition ; =
en somme =
tantôt =
engourdi par le poison =
et tantôt =
dévoré par =
l’activité extraordinaire =
de son ardente nature. =
(16)
Il était comme toujours particulièrement attiré par les enquêtes criminelles et il mettait ses merveilleuses facultés d’observation au service de ces crimes mystérieux que la police renonçait à éclaircir.
He was, as ever, particularly attracted by criminal inquiries, and was putting his wonderful faculties of observation in service of these mysterious crimes that the police had renounced to clear up.
(17)
De temps en temps les échos de ses exploits me parvenaient vaguement ;
From time to time the echoes of his exploits would vaguely come to me :
(18)
je savais qu’il avait été appelé à Odessa pour étudier le meurtre de Trepoff, qu’il avait jeté la lumière sur la singulière tragédie des frères Atkinson à Trincomalee et enfin qu’il s’était acquitté avec beaucoup de tact et de succès d’une mission délicate pour le compte de la maison régnante de Hollande.
I knew that he had been called to Odessa in order to study the murder of Trepoff, that he had thrown light on the singular tragedy of the the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee and, lastly, that he had acquitted himself, with much tact and success, of a delicate mission for the count of the reigning house of Holland.
(19)
À part ces nouvelles que je partageais avec tous les lectures de la presse quotidienne, je ne savais presque rien de mon vieux camarade et ami.
A part from these snippets of news which I shared with all the readers of the daily press, I knew almost nothing of my old comrade and friend.
(20)
Un soir, je me rappelle que c’était le 20 mars 1888, je revenais de voir un malade (car je m’étais consacré à la clientèle civile) quand mon chemin me diriga au travers de Baker Street.
One evening—I remember that it was the 20th of March, 1888—I was returning from having seen a patient (for I had dedicated myself to civil practice), when my way led me through Baker-street.