Page 44 29. Grande Poste: the central post office. Page 45 1. Charles-Quint: cf. note p. 33, 1. 26. 3. Soignies: a town in Belgium twenty-four miles southwest of Brussels. 17. couper... des balais: i.e. brooms made of twigs. Page 47 1. Lord Chesterfield: Philip Dormer Stanhope, fourth Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773). He was an English writer and politician, and famous as a man of fashion. 20. le Sound: Long Island Sound. Page 48 26. cardinal Dubois (1656-1723): a French cardinal, and one of the most prominent statesmen of his time in Europe. Page 50 19. chemin de la ville: road to the city. 29. un garde de mes amis: compare, un médecin de mes amis, a doctor, a friend of mine. Page 51 11. que la pluie tombait: que is used here for comme, as. 23. seriez-vous: the conditional tense in French expresses at times probability or possibility. Page 52 5. Catherine II: empress of Russia 1762-1796. Page 53 24. Frédéric: Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. Page 54 14. troisième examen de doctorat: perhaps his third trial and last chance. 26. plantes on ne peut plus connues: very well-known plants. Page 55 17. je ferais abattre bien des têtes à quantité, etc.: I should cut off the heads of a number of Frenchmen. Page 56 5. achevait: was putting the finishing touches on. Note the force of the imperfect tense. 18. t'avais-je pas, etc.: in colloquial speech ne is sometimes omitted in a negative sentence. Page 57 4. Opéra: the Opera House in Paris. Page 60 6. toutes les peines du monde: the greatest difficulty. Page 61 23. Tours: a town of central France on the Loire. Page 62 3. Berry (or Berri): a former province of France (central part). Page 63 12. le coup ne partit pas: the gun missed fire. Page 66 1. s'enfuit avec. Avec is used here colloquially for with it. The pronoun, to be supplied, is unemphatic. Page 68 5. de trop forcer la note: to be overanxious, too eager. Page 70 20. empereur: Leopold I, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, 1658-1705. He was a Hapsburger. Page 71 17. acheva de démonter: completely disconcerted, greatly embarrassed. PART TWO FAMILIAR PHRASES AND IDIOMS The principal word in the French idiom is in full-face type, and regulates the alphabetical order. à la française, in the French fashion. à la mode, in fashion. tout à l'heure, a while ago, in a little while. à merveille, marvelously, wonderfully well. à moi! help! ce n'est pas à moi, that is not mine. à partir d'aujourd'hui, from this day. d'ici à quelques jours, within a few days. bon à rien, good for nothing. à savoir, namely, to wit. il n'arriva pas à temps, he did not arrive in time. c'est à vous de . . ., it is your turn (your duty) to ... je suis à vous, I am at your service. parler d'abondance, to speak extempore. d'abord, at first, first. d'accord, agreed. le piano n'est pas d'accord, the piano is out of tune. à ce qu'on dit, from what they say. à ce qu'il paraît, as it appears, apparently. par manière d'acquit, for form's sake. advienne que pourra, happen what may. voilà mon affaire, that is what I want. pour affaires, on business. quel âge avez-vous? how old are you? il s'agit de son mariage, it concerns his marriage. j'aime mieux rester ici, I prefer to remain here. s'il en est ainsi, if such is the case. je suis bien aise de vous voir, I am very glad to see you. il est à son aise, he is well off. vous en parlez à votre aise, it is easy for you to speak. allez, monsieur, ce n'est pas vrai, come now, sir, that is not true. il est à plaindre, allez, he is to be pitied, I assure you. comment allez-vous? how are you? allons! come! well! indeed! allons donc! nonsense! alors comme alors, we shall see when the time comes. qu'a-t-on arrêté? what has been decided? il veut arrêter un domestique, he desires to hire a servant. ne me faites pas attendre, don't keep me waiting. je vous attends depuis une heure, I have been waiting for you an hour. faites attention! pay attention! ah! je vous attrape, now I have caught you. au feu! au secours! au voleur! fire! help! stop thief! au delà de toute attente, beyond all expectation. vous allez au-devant de mes pensées, you anticipate me. on l'a augmenté, his salary has been raised. aujourd'hui même, this very day. c'est aujourd'hui samedi, to-day is Saturday. aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait, no sooner said than done. une fois autant, just as much or as many more. d'autant plus, all the more. autant que je sache, as far as I know. autant qu'il m'en souvient, as far as I remember. à d'autres! nonsense! faut-il payer d'avance? must one pay in advance? à l'avenir, in the future. qu'avez-vous? what is the matter with you? à mon avis, in my opinion. j'ai changé d'avis, I have changed my mind. il y a, there is, there are. il y a cinq ans, five years ago. qu'y a-t-il? what is the matter? B c'est une bagatelle, it is a trifle. il rit dans sa barbe, he laughs in his sleeve. à bas les chapeaux! hats off! la pendule est au bas, the clock has run down. la voiture est en bas, the carriage is waiting. par une pluie battante, in a pelting rain. bouche béante, with mouth wide open. le temps se remet au beau, the weather is clearing. il fait beau (temps), it is fair weather. vous avez beau dire et beau faire, no matter what you say or do. vous l'avez échappé belle, you have had a narrow escape, you have got off finely. au besoin, in case of need, if necessary. que je suis bête! how foolish (or stupid) I am! quelle bêtise! what nonsense! un billet de faire part, an announcement. un billet de faveur, a complimentary ticket. billet d'aller et retour, round-trip ticket. à quoi bon? for what purpose? pour tout de bon, seriously. |