Buch lesen: «Dix contes modernes des meilleurs auteurs du jour», Seite 6
NOTES
L'AVENTURE DE WALTER SCHNAFFS
2 17. les arrêta net: stopped them short.
2 18. francs-tireurs: the guerrillas, independent military detachments waging the war in their own fashion, and acknowledging no allegiance to the commanding general. The word franc-tireur is used for the individual as well as for the corps to which such individual belongs.
3 2. ornière: rut; here, excavation.
4 16-17. ils en feraient une bouillie, une pâtée: they would make mince-meat or a pie out of him.
4 21. histoire de rire: matter of laughing; just to amuse themselves.
6 5-6. n'entendant rien que les plaintes sourdes de ses entrailles: hearing nothing but the dull gnawing in his stomach.
7 1. qui le crispa: which made him shudder.
8 25. nom d'un nom: a softened form of an oath.
9 3. chamarré d'or: covered with gold lace.
9 19. agenda de commerce: a drummer's note-book; as though he were jotting down an order for merchandise.
10 10. un aïeul: here, an old man.
L'ONCLE SAMBUQ
11 7. trois-mâts: three-masted schooner.
11 14-15. un verre de mastic passé en contrebande: a glass of mastic which had been smuggled into the country.
12 9. un oncle d'Amérique: a common phrase, denoting a rich person or an unforeseen inheritance; according to the Continental idea, all Americans are enormously rich.
12 21. cabanon: hut.
12 25. fouillis: confusion.
12 28. censée: thought, intended.
13 11. pecaïre: a Provençal expression, which can here be rendered dear me. It is a universal exclamation in the south of France to denote surprise, pity, joy, or almost any other emotion.
13 16. quoique ça: nevertheless.
13 19. de but en blanc: without any preliminaries, point blank.
13 28. aïoli: a Provençal dish, composed of oil, garlic, and codfish.
13 29. bouillabaisse: a sort of fish chowder, with garlic; it is the national dish of the inhabitants of Marseilles.
14 1. voir un peu de quoi il retourne à ce New York: just see what is going on in that big New York. Notice the disdain expressed by the ce; compare with the scornful use of iste in Latin.
14 11. Manche: the English Channel, well named Manche, from its sleeve-like form.
14 26. sous-commissaire: assistant purser.
14 28. escogriffe: sharper.
16 3. fourbu: worn out, tired to death.
16 10. filer: to spin, then to spin along, to run fast.
17 7. topez là: let's shake on it.
17 10. leur: cf. note on p. 14, l. I, ce.
L'HISTOIRE LA PLUS DROLE
18 7. que je vous donne telle quelle: which I'll tell you just as it is.
18 10. moblot: soldier of the mobile. The mobile is the reserve force of the French army, called under arms in case of war, and then only to replace on garrison duty the regular soldiers who have gone to the front. The moblots go to battle only as a last extremity, when regular troops no longer exist.
18 16. vieux jeu: of the old school.
19 7. cela me serrait le cœur: the thought of that made my heart ache.
19 11. pension: boarding school; the word also signifies a boarding house.
19 20. jouaient aux billes: were playing (at) marbles.
19 24. un échappé des contes d'Hoffmann: as if he had escaped from one of Hoffmann's stories. Hoffmann, a German writer of fantastic stories, was born Jan. 24, 1776; died June 25, 1822.
19 27. gaillard ayant fait campagne: robust, independent-looking fellow, who had been through the war.
20 19-20. me les sciait à mi-cuisse: sawed into the middle of my thighs.
21 6. je l'ai pas mal oublié: I have forgotten most of it.
LA CHARGE DES MORTS
22 4. tourné: flanked.
26 1. s'ébranla: got under way.
26 15. emballés: running away, on a mad gallop.
26 29. débâcle: rout, confusion.
27 8. tintant le glas: sounding the death knell.
LE PETIT HOMME ROUGE
29 8. torrent: flood, swarm; both the living and the dead are here meant.
29 17. Tuileries: in ancient times the site of brick yards or a tile manufactory; later the very center of Paris and occupied by the magnificent palace, home of the French monarchy, which was burned during the Commune directly after the war of 1870-71. The ground is now laid out as a park.
30 13. Suisse: the Swiss yeomen were, on account of their sturdy character and reliability, entrusted with royal guard duty from early monarchical times; hence the word Suisse has come to mean royal guards.
30 14. maréchaux: the royal title of maréchal, now extinct in the French army, was the highest office in the gift of the king.
30 19. en culs de bouteilles: rounded like bottle ends.
32 6. escaliers en vis: winding stairway.
32 7-8. et qui s'arrêtaient devant des baies d'anciennes portes murées: and which stopped before the walled-up opening of old doors.
32 24-25. des chausses à trousses: balloon breeches.
32 25. casaque tailladée: slashed loose coat.
32 25-26. coiffé d'un chaperon à oreillère et à queue pendante: his head covered with a hood and earlaps, with a tassel hanging from it.
33 19. je suis étrangère: Marie Antoinette, consort of Louis XVI, was of Austrian blood.
LA BATAILLE DE FRŒSCHWILLER
35 2. qui vient de fournir une longue traite: who has just ridden a long distance.
35 14. il piqua des deux: i.e. des deux éperons; he dug both spurs into his horse.
35 14. à fond de train: at the top of his speed.
36 6. qui relevaient de son commandement: who were under him.
36 11. fichées: placées, mises.
37 5-6. contreforts: spurs of a mountain range.
38 13-14. au fur et à mesure: according as.
39 26. hoquets d'agonie: dying gasps.
39 28. nom de nom: an abbreviated and softened form of an oath.
39 30. navrant: painful.
40 13. du jarret: muscle. The jarret is the sinew connecting the thigh and the calf of the leg.
40 23. turcos: a corps of the army.
43 31. échangent une accolade: embrace each other.
45 15. Dame! Well! The derivation of dame is the Latin vocative Domine, O Lord; quite remote from an English expression of similar consonance. It is a choice exclamation, essentially Parisian, and used by all people of education; ladies use the term as the Englishwoman uses "Gracious!"
45 15. soit: the subjunctive here well expresses the doubt in the trooper's mind. The idea of doubt or possibility is the basis of all subjunctive.
LE MAUVAIS ZOUAVE
46 8-9. bonhomme: the fellow; un homme bon is a good man.
46 16. trois petits blondins couleur d'épis brûlés: three little tow-headed children.
46 21. A qui en as-tu? With whom are you vexed? The same construction in his answer: "j'en ai à cinq ou six drôles," I can't stand five or six rascals.
47 1. After the war of 1870-71, the inhabitants of the conquered provinces had the privilege of opter, or choosing between the French and German as their future nationality; this "choice" was made under certain vexatious restrictions, and those who chose to remain French, as the blacksmith in this story, had a disagreeable lot.
47 3. Qu'est-ce qu'on leur a donc fait boire? What on earth have they made them drink?
47 13-14. vous rapetissez tout à la taille de vos marmots: you narrow down everything to the size of your children.
47 20-21. latte de chasseur: his regimental sword.
47 29. descendu: brought down, i.e. killed.
47 32. chopes: large glasses, "schooners."
49 6. la chechia: the cap.
49 28. chevet: the head of the bed.
50 10-11. l'étui de fer-blanc où tient la feuille de route: the tin case which contains his military papers.
UN MARIAGE
51 5-6. au beau milieu d'une affluence: right in the midst of a crowd, etc.
51 22. s'il en fut: as could be; the bridal procession was of the utmost simplicity.
52 8. caraco de mérinos noir: a black wool jacket.
52 30. contre-maître: overseer.
52 33. faut croire: I suppose.
53 4. on se passera bien de moi: they will get along all right without me.
53 8. "boraine de Nimy,"… "vaclette": boraine de Nimy, a kind of pipe; vaclette is explained by the words which follow.
53 11. cogna le sien contre le mien: clinked glasses with me.
53 11. le lampa tout d'une haleine: drank it all in one gulp.
53 20. du fin matin au brun soir: from early morning till late at night.
53 21-22. marteaux-pilons: trip hammers; the immense hammers of the iron works.
54 1. luron: a good fellow.
54 6. Pauvre fieu: (pauvre fils) poor fellow.
54 8-9. Une paille de fer rouge venait de lui crever l'œil droit: a spark of red-hot iron had just put out his right eye.
54 9. Le fourgon de l'hôpital: the hospital ambulance.
54 17. quinquets: lamps; here slang for eyes; "our two blinkers."
54 19. Que l'un s'en aille: que here means if, – if you lose one of them.
54 31. viveur et joueur: a high liver and gambler.
54 33-34. marchait cahin-caha, à la comme-je-te-pousse: got on any which way, just as luck would have it.
55 8. passif: a mercantile term, —liabilities. The assets of a concern are its actif.
55 12. sur le pavé: on the street, without work.
55 13. à tout jamais: forever.
55 17-18. qu'il n'attentât à ses jours: lest he might commit suicide.
56 4. fils d'acier et de laiton: steel and brass wire. Fil is wire, thread; le fils is the son.
56 22. un tronc: a charity box.
56 25. pancartes: notices, inscriptions.
56 34. dentellière de son état: a lace worker by trade.
57 3. au cliquetis de ses fuseaux: by the clicking of her embroidery needles.
57 24. demoiselle de comptoir: cashier.
POUR LE RUBAN
60. Pour le ruban: the ribbon worn in the buttonhole, which shows its wearer to be a member of the Legion of Honor.
60 8. émarger: to receive money from the government.
60 16. instrus: (intrus) an intruder.
62 23. moellon: a rough stone.
62 29. d'antan: (d'autre fois) in former times.
63 4. périgourdin: of Périgord, the old name of a locality in France, near Bordeaux.
63 14-15. Ponson du Terrail: a cheap author of penny dreadfuls and serial stories, many of which deal with antiquity and use the antiquated language of the following lines.
64 5. hobereaux: country squires.
64 6. valetaille: the serving people.
64 10. Bayard: the chevalier sans peur et sans reproche, as he is universally known in history. One of the most sympathetic figures of French history, the type of the nobleman and hero, who was equally adroit at keeping an entire hostile army at bay, alone, stationed at the entrance of the bridge, and at honoring beauty and wit. He died in 1524.
64 23. rallié: this word is perhaps equivalent to the term "Mug-wump."
64 25-26. qui ne semblait pas disposer de la Grande-Chancellerie: who did not claim to boss the whole chancery.
65 2. de relevée: afternoon.
PAROLE D'HONNEUR
66 3. fédérés: the communards, that is, the revolutionary section which fought against the established government, fired the Tuileries and the Cour des Comptes (the Chamber of Deputies) directly after the end of the Franco-Prussian war; the fédérés sought to create political disturbances immediately after the withdrawal of the Prussian troops from Paris.
66 4. armée de Versailles: Paris was in the hands of the Prussians; therefore the French government withdrew to Versailles and from thence directed public affairs; hence the name "Versailles army," equivalent to the government troops.
66 7. arrondissement: ward. Paris is divided into wards, each with its maire, its mairie (city hall), and député (congressman); all the arrondissements are, however, united for civil government under the prefect of the department. The departments (like the counties of an American state) have likewise their arrondissements. There are eighty-six departments in France.
66 9. surseoir = remettre: to delay, to put off.
66 18. les longues stations à la porte des bouchers. During the siege of Paris the people bought bons, or checks, from the government, upon presentation of which their limited rations were supplied; long lines were formed in front of the dealers in food products; as the winter weather was extremely severe, this caused great physical suffering and sickness to many, especially to those of the poorer class, as the mother in the story.
67 2. armée de la Commune: the armée des fédérés; see note on p. 66, l. 3.
67 27. Il en était là de ses funèbres réflexions: he was at that point with his doleful thoughts.
68 4. N'empêche que si: all the same, if, etc.
68 5-6. Prends tes jambes à ton cou: hurry up, pick up your heels.
68 6. fiche-moi le camp: get out of here.
68 13. Oui da! Come now!
68 17. accroire: believe, swallow that.
68 31. en tourmentant sa moustache: twirling his moustache.
70 7-8. ne peut plus que sangloter: could do nothing but sob, broke down completely. The French often uses the present of the verb in vivid narration where the English uses the past.
70 19-20. que le temps finira par nous faire oublier: which time will make us gradually forget.
70 26. s'efforçait… à se ressaisir: tried to regain his composure.
72 15. communard: see note on p. 66, l. 3; a soldier in the army of the commune.
ENGLISH PARAPHRASES
FOR RETRANSLATION INTO FRENCH
L'AVENTURE DE WALTER SCHNAFFS
THE hero of this story was with the German army during the last war between Germany and France. He hated guns and cannon and he missed very much his pretty wife and his children. He preferred to get up late and go to bed early and, above all, to eat lots of good things and drink beer. But now that he was [a] soldier, he was forced to pass the night on the ground, well wrapped up in his military cloak; and he wept often, thinking of the debts which he had contracted. If he was killed there would be no one to bring up his little ones. At the beginning he was afraid of the bullets which whistled close to his head, and he passed his entire time in an extreme terror.
When he was in the north of France, he was sent with a few companies to see if there were any French soldiers in the neighborhood. Everything was calm and he was walking along without thinking of the danger, when suddenly a band of guerrillas came out of the woods and fired at the Germans.
Walter Schnaffs knew that he could not run as fast as the Frenchmen, because he was so fat, and, looking around for a way to retreat, he perceived a ditch almost covered with dry brush-wood. He jumped in and fell to the bottom of what was really a deep hole. Soon all the noise of the struggle stopped, and night came on.
The poor fellow did not know what to do. He was horribly frightened, and he began to be very hungry. He still wore his uniform, and he thought to himself: "If I were only a prisoner of war, then, at least, I should not be hungry, and I could pass my time until the end of the war without any apprehension of bullets and sabres."
But new fears came to him: if he should meet any country people, he was sure that they would kill him with their scythes and pickaxes and their shovels; and the guerrillas would shoot him just to have a good time and see him leaning against the wall.
In the midst of these terrible reflections he fell asleep, and when he awoke he saw the sun shining almost above his head. He was so hungry that his stomach pained him, and the thought of the good sausage which he used to eat as a soldier made his mouth water. The idea came to him to attack a rustic who was alone, take away his shovel from him, and dig the ditch still deeper in order to hide himself better; then he felt that he was going mad, and finally he resolved to start for the château in the distance rather than suffer longer.
In the lower windows, which were open, he saw lights, and he smelt the pleasant odor of cooked meat, and without a moment's reflection he opened the window and entered the room. All the servants were dining around the large table, and seeing the German soldier they uttered horrible cries and rushed toward the door at the end of the hall. The chairs were overturned, and in three seconds the room was empty.
Walter did not know what to think; but hunger spoke louder than his other emotions, and he sat down at the table and began to eat and drink. He emptied all the plates and all the bottles, and he could scarcely breathe; slowly his eyes closed in spite of him, his head dropped on the table, and he fell asleep.
Some hours afterwards a great noise was heard; the windows were broken in and fifty men, armed to the teeth, rushed in, seized the German, and bound him hand and foot. He was scarcely awake, but he was glad to be a prisoner, smiled, and kept on saying, "Ja, ja." The colonel took a notebook from his pocket and wrote: "After a terrible combat the Prussians beat a retreat, leaving many wounded and prisoners in our hands."
They ordered Walter to go with them to the prison in the town, some miles from the château, and the colonel was decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor for his bravery.
L'ONCLE SAMBUQ
THE truth of all this story is that a bad fellow, the black sheep of his family, had embarked as cabin boy on an American schooner, had gone to New York, and there died, poor and unknown. But in the country around Marseilles they thought that he was rich and that his nephew would get his property.
One day a sailor who was returning from the United States met Tréfume, and told him that he had seen Uncle Sambuq on the docks at New York, and that he had lost in a shipwreck the presents which had been entrusted to him. At first people said that Uncle Sambuq was rich; then that he had slaves and gold mines and everything else. Everybody envied Tréfume, and the latter was happy, believing himself rich.
One day they received a letter from the French ambassador in the United States, saying that Uncle Sambuq was dead; that was all; not a word about his property. They cried a little, then the wife asked: "Why does he not speak about the money?" "That would not be proper," answered Tréfume. "He will soon write another letter." The days passed and nothing arrived; at last Tréfume took it into his head (had the idea) to embark at Le Havre and to go to America. The immense ship, with its splendid cabins and its passengers, caused in him a religious awe, and he did not speak for a week; then, toward the end of his voyage, he remembered the object of his journey, and he asked the purser, who was very busy on the eve of landing, where he should go. "Those gentlemen will give you better information than I," said he, "for they are Americans, and are well acquainted with New York." The purser said this to get rid of Tréfume. These gentlemen were always alone and spoke to no one, and did not take kindly to the attempts of Tréfume to speak with them. Every time he approached them they turned him their backs. But they, too, made curious by the appearance of the strange man, asked the purser who he was, and the latter, a practical joker, answered: "You know that he is a detective disguised as a Marseilles fisherman, to get on the track of some robbers."
Thereupon the two Americans shut themselves up in their cabin, and did not even come out to admire the harbor of New York when everybody was on deck. Tréfume sought the French embassy everywhere at New York, but as he did not speak English he could get no information. Suddenly he caught sight of one of the two Americans whom he had seen on the ship. He ran after him, and at last the man took refuge in a saloon. "Good morning, sir," said Tréfume. "Hush," answered the other, who was really a robber, and who thought that Tréfume wanted to arrest him, "hush, here is fifty thousand francs, and if you leave New York by the Bretagne this evening an unknown man will give you fifty thousand more." Tréfume did not understand a word of all this, but he was tired of New York, and he accepted the bargain. When he returned to Marseilles, he said that really the Americans do business very quickly, and that they are the foremost of the nations of the earth.
