Little Lord Fauntleroy
Le Petit Lord
(English & French)
English
partly translated anew from French.
Copyright © 2013 Nik
Marcel
All rights reserved.
2Language
Books
(A
Bilingual Dual-Language Project)
Le Petit Lord Vol.1
Little Lord Fauntleroy Vol.1
Chapitre I
Chapter I
Cédric ne connaissait rien de son histoire.
Cedric knew nothing
of his past.
Quoiqu’il habitait New-York, il savait, parce que sa mère le lui avait
dit, que son père était Anglais; mais quand le capitaine Errol était mort,
Cédric était encore si petit qu’il ne se rappelait rien de lui, si ce n’est
qu’il était grand, qu’il avait des yeux bleus, de longues moustaches, et qu’il
n’y avait pas de plus grand bonheur au monde pour lui, petit garçon de quatre
ou cinq ans, que de faire le tour de la chambre sur son épaule.
Although he lived
in New York, he knew — because his mother had told him — that his father had
been English. However, when Captain Errol had died, Cedric was so little that
now he cannot remember very much about him, except that he was big, had blue
eyes and a long moustache, and that there was no great happiness in the world
for him — a little boy four or five years old — than to be carried around the
room on his shoulders.
Pendant la maladie de son père, on avait emmené Cédric, et quand il
revint, tout était fini.
When his father was
ill, Cedric had been sent away, and when he had returned, everything was over.
Mme Errol, qui avait été très malade aussi, commençait seulement à
s’asseoir, vêtue de noir, dans son fauteuil près de la fenêtre.
His mother (Mrs
Errol), who had also been very ill, was only just beginning to sit, dressed all
in black, in her chair by the window.
Elle était pâle, et toutes les fossettes avaient disparu de sa jolie
figure.
She was pale, and
all the dimples had gone from her pretty face.
Ses grands yeux bruns se fixaient tristement dans le vide.
Her large brown
eyes stared mournfully into empty space.
«Chérie, dit Cédric, — son père l’avait toujours appelée ainsi, et
l’enfant faisait de même, — Chérie, father va-t-il mieux?»
“‘Dearest’,” said
Cedric — his father had always called her that, and so the little boy did the
same — “‘dearest’, is father going to get better?”
Il sentit les bras de sa mère trembler autour de son cou. Alors il
tourna vers elle sa tête bouclée, et, la regardant en face, il se sentit prêt à
pleurer.
He felt her arms
tremble as they lay around his neck. Then he turned his curly head and, looking
in her face, he felt that he was going to cry.
«Chérie, répéta-t-il, comment va papa?»
“‘Dearest’,” he
said again, “how is father getting on?”
Puis, tout à coup, son tendre petit cœur lui dit que ce qu’il avait de
mieux à faire, c’était de grimper sur les genoux de sa maman, de lui jeter les
bras autour du cou et de la baiser et baiser encore, et d’appuyer sa petite
joue contre la sienne.
Then his tender
little heart suddenly told him what he had better do. He climbed onto the lap
of his mother, threw his arms around her neck, and kissed her again and again,
and kept his soft cheek close to hers.
Alors sa mère cacha sa figure dans la chevelure de son petit garçon et
pleura amèrement en le tenant serré contre elle. Il semblait qu’elle ne
pourrait jamais s’en séparer.
She buried her face
in her little boy’s hair, and wept bitterly, holding him tightly against her.
It seemed as if she would never let him go.
«Il est bien maintenant, sanglota-t-elle enfin; il est bien, tout à fait
bien; mais nous, nous n’avons plus que nous au monde; nous sommes tout l’un
pour l’autre.»
“Yes, he is well
now,” she finally sobbed; “he is quite a lot better; but we… we no longer have
anyone left but each other. All we have is each other.”
Alors, tout petit qu’il était, Cédric comprit que son papa, si grand, si
beau, si fort, était parti pour toujours, qu’il ne le reverrait plus jamais,
qu’il était mort, comme il avait entendu dire que d’autres personnes l’étaient,
quoiqu’il ne pût comprendre exactement ce que ce mot voulait dire.
Then, little as he
was, Cedric understood that his big, handsome and strong father was gone
forever; that he would never see him again; that he was dead, as he had heard
it said of other people, although he could not comprehend exactly what the word
meant.
Voyant que sa mère pleurait toujours quand il prononçait son nom, il
prit secrètement la résolution de ne plus en parler si souvent.
Seeing that his
mother always cried when he said his name, he secretly made the resolution to no
longer speak about him very often.
Il se dit aussi qu’il valait mieux ne pas la laisser s’asseoir, muette
et immobile, devant le feu ou à la fenêtre, et que ce silence et cette
immobilité ne lui valaient rien.
He also said to
himself that he had better not let her sit, silent and immobile, in front of
the fire or by the window — and that this silence and stillness was not worth
much to him.
Sa mère et lui connaissaient très peu de monde et menaient une vie très
retirée: Mme Errol était orpheline et n’avait pas un seul parent quand le
capitaine l’avait épousée.
He and his mother
knew very few people, and lived very reclusive lives. Mrs Errol was an orphan,
and did not have any family when the captain married her.
Le père de celui-ci, le comte de Dorincourt, était un vieux gentilhomme
anglais, très riche et d’un caractère dur, qui détestait l’Amérique et les
Américains.
The captain’s
father, the count of Dorincourt, was an old English gentleman; he was very
rich, of a hard constitution, and detested America and Americans.
Il avait deux fils plus âgés que le capitaine, et, d’après la loi
anglaise, l’aîné seul devait hériter de ses titres et de ses propriétés, qui
étaient considérables.
He had two sons
older than the captain, and according to English law, the elder alone would
inherit the family title and all its properties, which was considerable.
Si le fils aîné venait à mourir, le second devait prendre sa place et
récolter tout l’héritage, si bien que, quoique membre d’une riche et puissante
famille, il y avait peu de chances pour le capitaine Errol de devenir riche et
puissant lui-même.
If the eldest son
died, the second one would take his place, and so collect the entire
inheritance; so, although he was a member of a rich and powerful family, there
was little chance that Captain Errol would himself become rich and powerful.
Mais il arriva que la nature, qui ne tient pas compte des distinctions
sociales, avait accordé au plus jeune fils des dons qu’elle avait refusés aux
autres.
However it happened
that nature, which does not take into account social divisions, granted the
youngest son the gifts she had denied the others.
Il était grand, beau, brave, intelligent et généreux. Il possédait le
meilleur cœur du monde et semblait doué du pouvoir de se faire aimer de tous,
tandis que ses frères aînés n’étaient l’un et l’autre ni beaux, ni aimables, ni
intelligents.
He was tall,
handsome, brave, intelligent and generous. He possessed the kindest heart in
the world, and seemed gifted with the capacity to make himself loved by all,
while both his older brothers were neither handsome, nor loving, nor intelligent.
Pendant leur vie d’écoliers et d’étudiants, à Éton ou ailleurs, ils
n’avaient su s’attirer ni l’affection de leurs camarades ni l’estime de leurs
maîtres.
During their school
life, including in their studies at Eton and elsewhere, they had not been able
to win the affections of their fellow students, nor the respect of their
teachers.
Le comte de Dorincourt était sans cesse humilié à leur sujet. Son
héritier, il le voyait avec dépit, ne ferait pas honneur à son noble nom et ne
serait autre chose qu’un être égoïste et insignifiant.
The count of
Dorincourt was incessantly humiliated by them. His heir, he saw with chagrin,
would not bring honour to his noble name, and would not become other than an
insignificant and egoistic being.
C’était une pensée très amère pour le vieux lord.
It was a very
bitter subject of contemplation for the old lord.
Quelquefois il semblait en vouloir à son troisième fils de ce qu’il eût
reçu tous les dons et qu’il possédât les qualités s’assortissant si bien à la
haute position qui attendait l’aîné.
Sometimes he almost
seemed to resent his third son: he had received all the talents, and possessed
all the qualities that so well fitted with the high position that awaited the
eldest brother.
Cependant, dans les profondeurs de son cœur, il ne pouvait, sans le lui
témoigner toutefois, s’empêcher de se sentir porté vers ce fils qui flattait
son orgueil.
However, in the
depths of his heart, he could not stop himself from feeling favourably inclined
towards this son, for he flattered his pride.
C’est dans un accès de colère causé par ces sentiments opposés qu’il
l’avait envoyé en Amérique, de manière à n’avoir pas sans cesse sous les yeux
le contraste que formait son jeune fils avec ses deux aînés, dont la conduite
lui donnait de plus en plus de soucis et de chagrin.
It was in a fit of
rage — caused by these conflicting feelings — that he sent him to America. That
way, he would not ceaselessly have to witness the contrast between his youngest
son and the two eldest, whose conduct was giving him more and more worries and
grief.
Mais au bout de six mois, commençant à se sentir isolé et désireux en
secret de le revoir, il lui ordonna de revenir.
However, after
around six months, he began to feel lonely, and secretly longed to see him; so
he ordered him to return home.
Sa lettre se croisa avec celle où le capitaine lui annonçait son désir
de se marier.
His letter crossed
(on its way) a letter in which the captain announced his desire to marry.
Quand le Comte reçut cette lettre, il entra dans une furieuse colère.
When the count
received this letter he went into a furious rage.
Il écrivit de nouveau à son fils, lui défendant de reparaître jamais en
sa présence, et même de jamais lui écrire, à lui ou à ses frères.
He wrote another
letter to his son, forbidding him to appear in his presence, and even to never
write to him or his brothers.
Il ajouta qu’il le regardait désormais comme retranché de la famille et
qu’il n’avait rien à attendre de lui.
He added that he
now regarded him as cut off from the family, and to never expect anything from
him.
Le capitaine fut très affligé à la réception de cette lettre.
The Captain was
very sad when he received this letter.
Il aimait l’Angleterre et la vieille maison où il était né, surtout son
père, quelque rude qu’il se fût montré à son égard; la pensée de ne jamais les
revoir lui causait un profond chagrin.
He loved England
and the old house where he was born, and he especially loved his father,
despite how harsh he was in this regard; the thought of never seeing him again
caused a profound sorrow.
Cependant il connaissait assez le vieux lord pour savoir que sa
résolution était irrévocable.
Still, he knew the
old lord well enough to know that his resolution was irrevocable.
Au bout de quelque temps, il parvint à trouver un emploi, se maria et
s’établit dans un quartier tranquille.
After some time he
managed to find a job, got himself married, and settled in a quiet neighbourhood.
C’est là que Cédric vint au monde.
It was there that
Cedric was born.
Quoique leur intérieur fût très modeste, Mme Errol était si douce si
gaie et si aimable que le jeune homme se sentait heureux en dépit des
évènements.
Although the
interior of the house was very modest, Mrs Errol was so sweet, joyful, and
loving, that the young man felt happy in spite of the turn of events.
Jamais enfant ne fut mieux doué que Cédric.
Never was there a
child more talented than Cedric.
Comme sa mère, il avait de grands yeux bruns, bordés de longs cils, et
ses cheveux blonds tombaient en boucles naturelles sur ses épaules.
Like his mother, he
had big brown eyes, fringed with long lashes, and his blond hair fell in
natural curls on his shoulders.
Il avait de plus des manières si gracieuses, une taille si souple et si
élégante, il envoyait à tous ceux qui lui parlaient un si doux regard,
accompagné d’un si aimable sourire, qu’il était impossible de le voir sans être
séduit.
He had the most
gracious manners, such a supple and elegant frame, and he gave all those who
spoke to him such a sweet look, accompanied by such a lovely smile, that it was
impossible to see him without being seduced.
Aussi n’y avait-il personne dans le quartier qu’ils habitaient, pas même
M. Hobbs, l’épicier du coin de la rue, l’être le plus grincheux du monde, qui
ne fût heureux de le voir et de lui parler.
Also, there was no
person in the suburb where they lived — not even Mr Hobbs, the grocer at the
corner of the street, and the grumpiest person in the world — who was not happy
to see and speak with him.
Son charme principal venait de son air ouvert et confiant.
His charm mainly
seemed to come from his open and confident air.
On sentait que son bon petit cœur sympathisait avec chacun et croyait
qu’il en était de même des autres.
One had the feeling
that his good little heart sympathised with everyone: he wanted the same for
others as he did himself.
Peut-être ces aimables dispositions naturelles se trouvaient-elles
augmentées par la vie qu’il menait.
Perhaps the kind
and natural disposition was augmented by the life he led.
Il avait toujours été choyé et traité avec tendresse; jamais il n’avait
entendu un mot dur ou même impoli.
He had always been
pampered and treated with tenderness; he had never heard a harsh word — or even
an impolite one.
Son père usait toujours avec sa femme d’appellations affectueuses, et
l’enfant l’imitait.
His father always
used affectionate names in referring to his wife, and the child imitated him.
Le capitaine veillait sur elle avec une tendre sollicitude, et Cédric
s’efforçait de faire de même.
The old captain
watched over her with tender solicitude, and so Cedric strove to do the same.
Aussi, quand il comprit que son cher father ne reviendrait plus et qu’il
vit combien sa maman était triste, il se dit, dans sa bonne petite âme, que,
puisqu’elle n’avait plus que lui au monde, il devait faire tout ce qu’il
pouvait pour la rendre heureuse.
So, when he
realised that his dear father would never come back, and when he saw how sad
his mother was, he said to himself — in his good little soul — that since she
no longer had him in the world, he would do everything he could to make her
happy.
Cette pensée était dans son esprit d’enfant le jour où il revint chez sa
mère, qu’il grimpa sur ses genoux, qu’il l’embrassa et qu’il mit sa tête
bouclée sur sa poitrine; elle y était quand il apporta ses jouets et ses livres
d’images pour les lui montrer, et quand il se pelotonna à côté d’elle, sur le
sofa où elle avait coutume de se reposer.
This thought was in
the child’s mind the day he returned to his mother’s place — when he climbed on
her knee, kissed her, and put his curly head on her chest, when he brought his
toys and picture-books to show her, and when he curled up quietly by her side,
when she used to lie on the sofa.
Il n’était pas assez grand pour imaginer autre chose; mais c’était plus
pour le confort et la consolation de sa mère qu’il ne pouvait le savoir.
He was not old
enough to conceive of anything else to do, but he was more of a comfort and a
consolation to his mother than he could have understood.
«Oh! Mary, disait Mme Errol à la vieille bonne qui les servait depuis
longtemps, je suis sûre que, tout petit qu’il est, il me comprend, qu’il devine
tout ce que je souffre et qu’il veut me soulager. Il a un si brave petit cœur!
si tendre et si courageux!»
“Oh! Mary,” Mrs
Errol once said to the faithful old woman who had been her servant for a long
time, “as little as he is, I am sure that he understands me, that he perceives
everything that I suffer, and that he wants to bring me some relief. He has a
brave little heart: so tender and so courageous!”
Et en effet, Cédric continua à être le petit compagnon de sa mère,
sortant, causant, jouant avec elle.
Indeed, Cedric
continued to be his mother’s little companion — going out, chatting, and
playing with her.
Quand il sut lire, il lui lut tous les livres qui formaient sa
bibliothèque enfantine, et de plus des livres sérieux ou les journaux.
When he learnt to
read, he read all the books that made up his children’s library, and then he
read more serious books, and newspapers.
Peu à peu, les couleurs reparurent sur les joues de Mme Errol, et de
temps en temps Mary, de sa cuisine, l’entendit rire des remarques et des
raisonnements de Cédric.
Little by little,
the colour reappeared in the cheeks of Mrs Errol; and from time to time, as
Mary was working in the kitchen, she would hear Mrs Errol laughing at Cedric’s
remarks and arguments.
«C’est qu’aussi, disait de son côté Mary à M. Hobbs, il a de si drôles
de petites manières et il vous tient des discours si sérieux!
“It is like so,”
said Mary, when she was standing beside Mr Hobbs; “he has such funny little
ways, and he can maintain such serious conversations.
N’est-il pas venu dans ma cuisine, le jour où le président fut nommé,
pour parler politique avec moi!
Did not he come
into my kitchen, the night the new President was nominated, to talk politics
with me!
Il s’arrêta devant le feu, les mains dans ses petites poches, et, son
innocente petite figure aussi grave que celle d’un juge, il me dit: «Mary, je
m’intéresse beaucoup à l’élection: je suis un républicain; Chérie aussi. Et
vous, Mary, êtes-vous républicaine?
He stopped in front
of the fire, with his hands in his little pockets, and, with his innocent
little face looking as solemn as a judge, he said to me, ‘Mary, I am very much
interested in the election. I am a Republican; ‘dearest’ is too. And you, Mary,
are you a Republican?’
Depuis ce moment il n’a jamais été sans me parler des affaires du
gouvernement, et toujours de son air de petit homme.»
Ever since then, he
has never let up on talking to me about the affairs of the government, and
always with the air of a little man.”
La vieille bonne était fort attachée à l’enfant dont elle était très
fière.
The old woman was
quite strongly attached to the child — and very proud too.
Elle était fière de sa gracieuse petite personne, de ses jolies
manières, fière surtout des boucles dorées et brillantes qui tombaient autour
de son aimable visage.
She was proud of
this graceful little person, of his quaint manners — though most of all she was
proud of his golden curls, which shone and fell down over his lovely face.
«Il n’y a pas un enfant dans la Cinquième Avenue, disait-elle (la
Cinquième Avenue est le quartier aristocratique de New-York), non, il n’y en a
pas un qui soit moitié aussi beau que lui. Tout le monde le regarde quand il a
son habit de velours noir, taillé dans la vieille robe de madame. Avec ses
cheveux bouclés, il a l’air d’un jeune lord.»
“There is not a
child on Fifth Avenue,” she said — Fifth Avenue is the aristocratic district in
New York —; “no, there is not a single one that is half as distinguished as
him. Everyone looks at him when he wears his black velvet outfit, sewn from the
mistress’s old gown. With his curly hair, he has the look of a young lord.”
Cédric ne se demandait pas s’il ressemblait à un jeune lord; d’abord il
ne savait pas ce que c’était qu’un lord.
Cedric had never
asked if he resembled a young lord; primarily because he did not know what a
lord was.
Son plus grand ami était l’épicier du coin, le revêche épicier, qui
n’était pas du tout revêche pour lui.
His greatest friend
was the grocery man on the corner — the cantankerous grocer, who was never
cranky with him.
End of Preview
No comments:
Post a Comment