Le Voyage de Monsieur PerrichonPart 7 of 12

2: ça ne lui a pas réussi: he didn't make a success of it, i.e. it made him feel sick.

3: en plein soleil: in the blazing sun. Cf. en plein air, en pleine mer, «in the open air,» «in mid ocean.»

4: nous avons: supply: as a precedent. The allusion is to the well-known story of the race won by the slow tortoise against the swift hare.

5: si haut: at such an elevation, with possibly a play on the word haut, which also means «loud.»

6: la belle écriture: the excellent penmanship (of special advantage in business) and the inane remark of Mr. Malaquais, show him up as an uncultivated tradesman.—Rentier: after his name is the technical term for a business man who has retired and lives on his income. Tr., no profession.

ACTE II, SCÈNE III

1: n'y sont pour rien: have nothing to do with it.

2: tu l'auras piquée: for this use of the future past, see acte I, scène VIII, note 5.

3: disparaissait: the imperfect for greater vividness, instead of theconditional past. Cf. in English, «Another step and he was (= would havebeen) a dead man.»

4: A mon tour: supply, to thank Armand. A = «(It has come round) to.»

5: Comment donc: see List of Exclamations.

6: vous ferez reconduire le cheval: the horse is to be led down to Chamouny: Perrichon will not ride it. The whole party will drive down.

7: j'ai trop serré: supply: sa main.

ACTE II, SCÈNE IV

1: Que voulez-vous: very frequent in conversation to express helpless resignation to the inevitable. The meaning is: «What do you wish me to do in the matter?» or «What was I to do?» or «How can I help it?» The translation must vary with the context.

2: vous cultivez le précipice: you go in for precipices, i.e. you workthem into your schemes, make them help you.

3: vous céder la place; disappear. Lit., «yield the position to you.»

4: vous retrouverez: the force of re- is «on your return.»

5: Voilà… coeur: That was genuine! i.e. straight from the heart.

6: aussi: at the beginning of a clause, aussi means «and consequently,»although the translation may vary («so,» «then,» etc.).

7: faire la demande: offers in marriage are very generally, in France, made by a third party.

8: Mon ami: it is difficult to translate some of these effusions. Dear old fellow! might do duty here.

9: Soyez tranquille: Don't be afraid. Unlike restez tranquille, whichmeans «sit still.»—Chez lui: obviously not «at his house,» but in him. I'll twang the string of gratitude in his heart.

ACTE II, SCÈNE V

1: Mais… sauvé: Why, to be sure he saved my life! Observe the cleverly graded symptoms of Perrichon's growing coolness towards Armand.

2: d'une modestie: so modest!

3: Dites donc: see List of Exclamations.

4: enfin: shows that Daniel is alive to Mr. Perrichon's change of feeling towards Armand. Tr., after all, or, as a matter of fact.

5: gentil: the absurdity of so weak a word in the circumstances makes him repeat it in amazement.

6: Par exemple: see List of Exclamations.

7: ça: for quant à ça! = as for that!

8: une tasse de thé: Daniel sneers at this handsome reward for saving a life.

9: mauvais pas: the technical name for several «dangerous places» in the Alps.

10: a beau dire: may say what she pleases. This idiom should be clearlyunderstood. It always means «to do a thing in vain,» to have «a fine time»doing it, but without achieving any result.—ça ne tient pas à, it is notthe fault of… Lit, «It does not depend upon,» «result from.»

11. on s'en retire parfaitement: it is easy to get out again. Observe the ingenuity with which Perrichon uses a form that leaves out all reference to help received from others.

12. Je le crois bien: I should think so!—ce que ça vaut: a very fairprice. Lit., «what it is worth.»

13. Je ne pars pas: Daniel sees the chance he spoke of, see acte I, scène IX.

14. être des nôtres: join our party. Note the change from «Armand» to «Mister Desroches.»

15. il paraît: it appears, or I am told. His own accident is actuallyfading into unreality. In the next sentence he shows the sameunconsciousness.

16. rêver: a poetical word. His affectations reappear: he is feeling better.

ACTE II, SCÈNE VI

1: article 716 du Code civil: the 716th paragraph of the French Code of Civil Law reads: «Treasure-trove belongs one-half to the finder, and one-half to the owner of the ground on which it is found.»

ACTE II, SCÈNE VII

1: plus vrai que nature: an expression, not infrequent in French, for which we have no ready equivalent. It means: «He is a truer example (of ideal ingratitude) than nature (usually) affords.» If that does not beat all!

2: ne vous gênez pas: Do as you please. Lit., «Do not put yourself out (for us).»

3: r, e, re; just as we might say: «S, e, e: see.»

ACTE II, SCÈNE VIII

1: sortir: i.e. from their room.

2: Faîtes-moi servir: observe the great politeness that characterizes the Major throughout. He begs the innkeeper to «have a cherry-brandy served him,» not to bring it himself.

3: tout: before en and the present participle, merely emphasizes the fact that the two actions are simultaneous.

4: Vous n'auriez pas: You do not happen to have? This idiomatic use of the conditional present implies that a less favorable answer is expected than if the indicative had been used.

5: Aussi: see acte II, scène IV, note 6.

6: Clichy: the Clichy prison in Paris was the place of confinement for insolvent debtors (like the Marshalsea in London) until 1867, when imprisonment for debt was abolished in France.

7: garçon; the Major thinks an unmarried man is likely to lend a more sympathetic ear to his love affairs.

8: Ne vous gênez pas: Don't mind me! Cf. acte II, scène VII, note 2.

9: voyez-vous: this, like the colloquial, «don't you know,» is not a real question, and therefore does not require a question-mark.

10: du tout: = Pas du tout!

11: pour moi: on my side.

ACTE II, SCÈNE IX

1: la Beauce: one of the old districts of France, between the river Loire and Paris, a very flat and well-to-do, rather than intellectualregion.—Étampes: a small commercial center for grain and vegetable produce, south of Paris.

2: C'est donc… lettres: Armand can be facetious too.

3: souvent… attribue: Mrs. Perrichon first repeats mechanically, then realizes that there is point to Armand's speech.

4: jouer… la comédie du hasard: keep up this fiction of mere chance.

5: quel bonheur: How delightful! girlish «gush,» but indicative of her real feelings towards Armand.

6: comme tu es coiffée: How untidy your hair is!—Tiens-toi droite! Don't stoop! Mrs. Perrichon is suddenly alive to her daughter'spersonal appearance; Henriette, who knows nothing of Armand's offer, cannottell why.

ACTE II, SCÈNE X

1: Le récit de Théramène: a famous piece of classical narrative in Racine's tragedy Phèdre, where Théramène relates the death of his master Hippolyte. Similar humor in English would make Perrichon say possibly, «Tocross or not to cross, that was the question!» when Daniel would contributeas an aside: «Hamlet's soliloquy!»

2: crevasses… de glace: the ridiculous rhyme, crevasse… de glace, is very funny in the French.

3: monsieur: this gentleman, i.e. Daniel.

4: Mon ami: she says this impatiently here because she wants him to get on with his story; lower down, in pure admiration.

5: à la face… à tous: into the light of the sun, the giver of all life! The delightful magniloquence of the peroration must be preserved at any cost. Notre père à tous, lit., «the father of us all.»

6: c'est juste: That's so. Juste here = «correct,» «true.»

7: Quoi donc: Wrote what?

8: un dévergondage grammatical: a piece of grammatical impertinence.

9: Combien tient-on… voiture: _How many is there room for in your carriage? Tient-on = sont tenus, «can be held, seated.»

10: Ah: this is the Oh! of indignation = «Fie!»

11: la corde: is here the rope marking the «infield» or «inside track» of a race-course, and therefore = «the better position.» I knew Ishould get the inside track again!

ACTE TROISIÈME

SCÈNE PREMIÈRE

1: appartement: i.e. door leading to the rest of the flat.

2: Grenoble: a beautiful city in southeastern France, about sixty miles southeast of Lyons, and consequently not much out of the way on the return trip from Chamouny.

3: mettra le pot au feu: will boil a piece of beef. Boiled beef is a standard middle-class dish in France. It is very economical, since the boiled meat (bouilli) is eaten and the water it has been boiled in(bouillon) makes soup.

4: barbue: brill, a European flat-fish.—Bien fraîche: nice and fresh.Mr. Perrichon's culinary details are characteristic of his bourgeoisie: no «gentleman» in France meddles with such things.

5: par exemple: see List of Exclamations. The meaning here is: «I have everything in good shape… but, for an instance of a thing I have not got straight, there is this morning's call from a gentleman I donot know, and who did not leave his card.»

ACTE III, SCÈNE II

1: les Darinel: Note that proper names do aot take the mark of the plural in French. See acte IV, scène III.

2: Ah: This is an exclamation of joy: Ah! not the usual «Oh!» Henriette hereby shows her sympathies again, while Perrichon's are evidencedby his comments and silence respectively after the names of each of the young men.

3: Allons donc: as usual means «nonsense.» Tr., You, sir? No, sir! … which Mr. Perrichon resents: What does he mean by «No, sir!» What a fool this idiot is! Bête repeats the same idea as animal comically enough, bête meaning an «animal» primarily.

ACTE III, SCÈNE III

1: Il ne manquerait plus que ça: I should think not, indeed! Lit., «There would be lacking nothing but that (for the height ofabsurdity, etc.).»

2: un petit air pincé: a little look of conscious superiority. Pincé because of the «pinched lips» of a person who does not wish to speak what heknows. «Perrichon accuses Armand of betraying in his face an ever presentconsciousness of the service he has rendered although Armand never méntionsit.

ACTE III, SCÈNE IV

1: Du tout: see acte II, scène VIII, note 10.

2: te voilà éclairée: Now you know. Lit., «You are enlightened.»

3: permets, chère amie: excuse me, my dear.—abdiquer: i.e. forege his paternal rights.

4: mes renseignements: proper inquiries; mes, i.e. that it is my duty to make.

ACTE III, SCÈNE V

1: de garde: see acte I, scène I, note 7.

2: si ce… indiscret: if I am not in the way.

3: Ah: Oh, is it?—Allons: Very well then. He does not care to invite Majorin to a homely dish of stewed veal, so pretends to have understood him to decline.

4: (montre) à répétition: a repeating watch, i.e. one that strikes the hour, quarters, and even minutes, when a spring is pressed.

5: cravate: the high «choker» worn by the elderly half a century ago consisted of several folds of silk wrapped round the collar, and in it many small things might readily be concealed.

6: un mouvement: he shook his head while saying no, and in so doing pressed the spring.

7: méchant gabelou: nasty shark. Gabelou (from the old salt-tax, la gabelle) is now only used as the special insult to custom-house officers.—entendre parler de: to hear from.

ACTE III, SCÈNE VI

1: Allons bien: see List of Exclamations.

2: Toujours: see acte I, scène I, p. note 10.

ACTE III, SCÈNE VII

1: Second: Second edition of.

2: je suis tombé du jury: I have been drawn for jury-duty. Tomber frequently expresses the result of lot, chance, or accident.—On nous écrit de Chamouny. Tr., From, our special correspondent in Chamouny.

3: Comment… permets: I should think I would allow it! Si = «(he asks) if.»

4: les gens de coeur, etc.: noble hearts in every land.

5: Trois francs la ligne: the price Daniel had to pay to get this puff into the paper.

6: la corde: see acte II, scène X, note 11.

7: révolutionnaire: during the reign of Napoleon III the daily press was largely opposed to the Emperor, and sought to overthrow him by a revolution. Perrichon disclaims any revolutionary tendencies, but must proclaim his approval of the press in the present circumstances.—la presse a du bon: ther's much to be said for the papers! du bon, lit.,«some good qualities.»

8: papier timbré: official paper. Government stamped paper has to be used for all legal documents, summons, warrants, etc.

9: agent de la force publique: public servant.

10: vu… dressé au: on complaint lodged with.—le sieur: technical in France, and not to be translated; lit., «the man,» «one.» Note Majorin's mean behavior throughout this scene: first, he walks away instead of standing by his friend; next, he makes things out as black as he can, emphasizing his pronouncement of the gravity of the case by taking up a position behind the table like a judge on the bench.

11: j'ai été trop vif: I lost my temper.

12: Injures qualifiées: specific abuse; lit., abuse legally qualified to be used as ground for prosecution.

13: le banc de l'infamie: a stock phrase in French for the «prisoners' dock.»

14: C'est bien fait: Serves him right! In the next sentence English idiom would omit the negation.

15: Daniel: observe this delightful slip of the tongue. Perrichon has Daniel on the brain. Cf. the slip he makes in the last words of the play.

16: je tombe sur un terre-neuve: I strike a regular Newfoundland dog (for rescuing people).

17: en ville: out. Majorin tells this lie to «save his face» after Perrichon's withdrawn invitation to dinner (see acte III, scène V.)

18: c'est-à-dire que: I say that.

19: je te retrouve: now you are yourself again! Lit., «I find you again (as I have always known you).»

20: l'envoi… part: till the wedding cards are out. French people mail notices of weddings, deaths, and even births to all their friends. Such notices are called billets de faire-part, or «cards of notification.»

ACTE III, SCÈNE VIII

1: mes actions baissent: a stock-exchange metaphor.

2: ça me… peine: I hate to do it. Peine is never physical pain.

3: Nous y voilà: Now we're in for it, or Now it's coming!

4: on a beau dire: acte II, scène V, note 10.

5: brûle le pavé: a stock phrase for «driving furiously,» striking sparks from the paving-stones: is dashing round the city.

6: Aussi: see acte II, scène IV, note 6.

7: Musée de Versailles: there is, in the famous palace of Versailles (a town some fifteen miles southwest of Paris), a celebrated gallery ofhistorical paintings and portraits.—L'exposition: the annual Paris Salon, or exhibition of paintings.

8: Adieu: Farewell; very different from au revoir.

9: Allons donc: see List of Exclamations.

ACTE III, SCÈNE IX

1: Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça: this redundant expression implies surprise: What on earth have we here?—ça: again contemptuous. Perrichondoes not know the man, and is unfavorably impressed by a name which is, as a matter of fact, more frequently found among the peasantry than in the upper classes in France, and which is more closely connected with the gospels than with the army.

2: plus que vive: which could hardly be called complimentary. Lit., «more than sharp.»

3: un peu cruelle: because she gets people into trouble; exacting.

4: Loin de moi cette pensée: a very dignified phrase: Perish the thought!

5: ce n'est pas malheureux: and a good thing, too! Cf. acte I, scène VIII, note 2.

6: Mathieu: for the inference from the name, see acte III, scène IX.

7: moustaches: Napoleon III set the fashion, compulsory in the army, of wearing no other hair on the face than a mustache and a small chin tuft called impériale. Of course, an army man might wear none at all, but such a thing was unusual.

8: la Malmaison: a village and pretty park, close to and southwest of Paris.

9: des meubles: this implies that the Major has made it up with Anita, and is about to set up housekeeping.—J'ai bien l'honneur (de vous saluer): a courteous formula of leave-taking: I beg to bid you.

ACTE III, SCÈNE X

1: raide en affaires: mighty peremptory. Lit., «stiff, unbending in your dealings.»

2: à la cheminée: before electric bells came into general use, there was in most parlors a bell-rope hanging on each side of the fireplace, one ringing upstairs, the other ringing in the kitchen.

3: un zouave: the zouaves were originally a troop of natives from the French colony of Algeria, who speedily got a name for fearlessness. The modern zouaves are Frenchmen, but still enjoy the same reputation as dare-devils and fire-eaters. Hence Perrichon's exclamation, semi-humorous because he does not yet fully realize his perilous position.

4: un notaire gradé: a lawyer with a commission in the National Guard. A notaire is, by profession, the very opposite of a military man. In the National Guard (for which see acte I, scène I, note 7, 14.) many acivilian would have a «rank,» or grade.

5: vous comprenez: that I may be killed and must leave all my papers in order.

ACTE III, SCÈNE XI

1: c'est qu'il a… beau père: Isn't father-in-law plucky, though! C'est que introduces a reason for something that must be supplied. Here:«(All this is) because he,» «the fact is that.»—de son côté = and on the other hand.

2: au fait: after all; lit., «coming down to facts.»