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)
Little Lord Fauntleroy Vol.1
Le Petit Lord Vol.1
Chapter I
Chapitre I
Cedric knew nothing of his past.
Cédric ne
connaissait rien de son histoire.
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.
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.
When his father was ill, Cedric had been sent away, and when he had
returned, everything was over.
Pendant la maladie
de son père, on avait emmené Cédric, et quand il revint, tout était fini.
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.
Mme Errol, qui
avait été très malade aussi, commençait seulement à s’asseoir, vêtue de noir,
dans son fauteuil près de la fenêtre.
She was pale, and all the dimples had gone from her pretty face.
Elle était pâle, et
toutes les fossettes avaient disparu de sa jolie figure.
Her large brown eyes stared mournfully into empty space.
Ses grands yeux
bruns se fixaient tristement dans le vide.
“‘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?”
«Chérie, dit
Cédric, — son père l’avait toujours appelée ainsi, et l’enfant faisait de même,
— Chérie, father va-t-il mieux?»
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.
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.
“‘Dearest’,” he said again, “how is father getting on?”
«Chérie,
répéta-t-il, comment va papa?»
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
«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.»
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.
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.
Seeing that his mother always cried when he said his name, he secretly
made the resolution to no longer speak about him very often.
Voyant que sa mère
pleurait toujours quand il prononçait son nom, il prit secrètement la
résolution de ne plus en parler si souvent.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
However it happened that nature, which does not take into account social
divisions, granted the youngest son the gifts she had denied the others.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It was a very bitter subject of contemplation for the old lord.
C’était une pensée
très amère pour le vieux lord.
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.
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.
However, in the depths of his heart, he could not stop himself from
feeling favourably inclined towards this son, for he flattered his pride.
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.
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.
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.
However, after around six months, he began to feel lonely, and secretly
longed to see him; so he ordered him to return home.
Mais au bout de six
mois, commençant à se sentir isolé et désireux en secret de le revoir, il lui
ordonna de revenir.
His letter crossed (on its way) a letter in which the captain announced
his desire to marry.
Sa lettre se croisa
avec celle où le capitaine lui annonçait son désir de se marier.
When the count received this letter he went into a furious rage.
Quand le Comte
reçut cette lettre, il entra dans une furieuse colère.
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 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 added that he now regarded him as cut off from the family, and to
never expect anything from him.
Il ajouta qu’il le
regardait désormais comme retranché de la famille et qu’il n’avait rien à
attendre de lui.
The Captain was very sad when he received this letter.
Le capitaine fut
très affligé à la réception de cette lettre.
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.
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.
Still, he knew the old lord well enough to know that his resolution was
irrevocable.
Cependant il
connaissait assez le vieux lord pour savoir que sa résolution était
irrévocable.
After some time he managed to find a job, got himself married, and
settled in a quiet neighbourhood.
Au bout de quelque
temps, il parvint à trouver un emploi, se maria et s’établit dans un quartier
tranquille.
It was there that Cedric was born.
C’est là que Cédric
vint au monde.
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.
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.
Never was there a child more talented than Cedric.
Jamais enfant ne
fut mieux doué que Cédric.
Like his mother, he had big brown eyes, fringed with long lashes, and
his blond hair fell in natural curls on his shoulders.
Comme sa mère, il
avait de grands yeux bruns, bordés de longs cils, et ses cheveux blonds tombaient
en boucles naturelles sur ses épaules.
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.
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.
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.
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.
His charm mainly seemed to come from his open and confident air.
Son charme
principal venait de son air ouvert et confiant.
One had the feeling that his good little heart sympathised with
everyone: he wanted the same for others as he did himself.
On sentait que son
bon petit cœur sympathisait avec chacun et croyait qu’il en était de même des
autres.
Perhaps the kind and natural disposition was augmented by the life he
led.
Peut-être ces
aimables dispositions naturelles se trouvaient-elles augmentées par la vie
qu’il menait.
He had always been pampered and treated with tenderness; he had never
heard a harsh word — or even an impolite one.
Il avait toujours
été choyé et traité avec tendresse; jamais il n’avait entendu un mot dur ou
même impoli.
His father always used affectionate names in referring to his wife, and
the child imitated him.
Son père usait
toujours avec sa femme d’appellations affectueuses, et l’enfant l’imitait.
The old captain watched over her with tender solicitude, and so Cedric
strove to do the same.
Le capitaine
veillait sur elle avec une tendre sollicitude, et Cédric s’efforçait de faire
de même.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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!”
«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!»
Indeed, Cedric continued to be his mother’s little companion — going
out, chatting, and playing with her.
Et en effet, Cédric
continua à être le petit compagnon de sa mère, sortant, causant, jouant avec
elle.
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.
Quand il sut lire,
il lui lut tous les livres qui formaient sa bibliothèque enfantine, et de plus
des livres sérieux ou les journaux.
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.
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.
“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.
«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!
Did not he come into my kitchen, the night the new President was
nominated, to talk politics with me!
N’est-il pas venu
dans ma cuisine, le jour où le président fut nommé, pour parler politique avec
moi!
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?’
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?
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.”
Depuis ce moment il
n’a jamais été sans me parler des affaires du gouvernement, et toujours de son
air de petit homme.»
The old woman was quite strongly attached to the child — and very proud
too.
La vieille bonne
était fort attachée à l’enfant dont elle était très fière.
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.
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.
“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.”
«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.»
Cedric had never asked if he resembled a young lord; primarily because
he did not know what a lord was.
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.
His greatest friend was the grocery man on the corner — the cantankerous
grocer, who was never cranky with him.
Son plus grand ami
était l’épicier du coin, le revêche épicier, qui n’était pas du tout revêche
pour lui.
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