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    Gobseck: Bilingual Edition (English – French)
    Gobseck: Bilingual Edition (English – French)
    Gobseck: Bilingual Edition (English – French)
    Ebook185 pages2 hours

    Gobseck: Bilingual Edition (English – French)

    By Honoré de Balzac

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    About this ebook

    Instead of memorizing vocabulary words, work your way through an actual well-written novel. Even novices can follow along as each individual English paragraph is paired with the corresponding French paragraph. It won't be an easy project, but you'll learn a lot.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPublishdrive
    Release dateJul 16, 2018
    Gobseck: Bilingual Edition (English – French)
    Author

    Honoré de Balzac

    Honoré de Balzac (Tours, 1799-París, 1850), el novelista francés más relevante de la primera mitad del siglo XIX y uno de los grandes escritores de todos los tiempos, fue autor de una portentosa y vasta obra literaria, cuyo núcleo central, la Comedia humana, a la que pertenece Eugenia Grandet, no tiene parangón en ninguna otra época anterior o posterior.

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      Book preview

      Gobseck - Honoré de Balzac

      GOBSECK

      Bilingual Edition

      English - French

      Honoré de Balzac

      translated by

      Ellen Marriage

      GOBSECK

      GOBSECK

      It was one o’clock in the morning, during the winter of 1829-30, but in the Vicomtesse de Grandlieu’s salon two persons stayed on who did not belong to her family circle.

      À une heure du matin, pendant l’hiver de 1829 à 1830, il se trouvait encore dans le salon de la vicomtesse de Grandlieu deux personnes étrangères à sa famille.

      A young and good-looking man heard the clock strike, and took his leave. When the courtyard echoed with the sound of a departing carriage, the Vicomtesse looked up, saw that no one was present save her brother and a friend of the family finishing their game of piquet, and went across to her daughter. The girl, standing by the chimney-piece, apparently examining a transparent fire-screen, was listening to the sounds from the courtyard in a way that justified certain maternal fears.

      Un jeune et joli homme sortit en entendant sonner la pendule. Quand le bruit de la voiture retentit dans la cour, la vicomtesse ne voyant plus que son frère et un ami de la famille qui achevaient leur piquet, s’avança vers sa fille qui, debout devant la cheminée du salon, semblait examiner un garde-vue en lithophanie, et qui écoutait le bruit du cabriolet de manière à justifier les craintes de sa mère.

      «Camille,» said the Vicomtesse, «if you continue to behave to young Comte de Restaud as you have done this evening, you will oblige me to see no more of him here. Listen, child, and if you have any confidence in my love, let me guide you in life.

       — Camille, si vous continuez à tenir avec le jeune comte de Restaud la conduite que vous avez eue ce soir, vous m’obligerez à ne plus le recevoir. Écoutez, mon enfant, si vous avez confiance

      en ma tendresse, laissez-moi vous guider dans la vie.

      At seventeen one cannot judge of past or future, nor of certain social considerations. I have only one thing to say to you. M.de Restaud has a mother, a mother who would waste millions of francs; a woman of no birth, a Mlle. Goriot; people talked a good deal about her at one time.

      A dix-sept ans l’on ne sait juger ni de l’avenir, ni du passé, ni de certaines considérations sociales. Je ne vous ferai qu’une seule observation. Monsieur de Restaud a une mère qui mangerait des millions, une femme mal née, une demoiselle Goriot qui jadis a fait beaucoup parler d’elle.

      She behaved so badly to her own father, that she certainly does not deserve to have so good a son. The young Count adores her, and maintains her in her position with dutifulness worthy of all praise, and he is extremely good to his brother and sister.

      Elle s’est si mal comportée avec son père qu’elle ne mérite certes pas d’avoir un si bon fils. Le jeune comte l’adore et la soutient avec une piété filiale digne des plus grands éloges; il a surtout de son frère et de sa sœur un soin extrême.

       — But however admirable his behavior may be,» the Vicomtesse added with a shrewd expression, «so long as his mother lives, any family would take alarm at the idea of intrusting a daughter’s fortune and future to young Restaud.»

      «I overheard a word now and again in your talk with Mlle. de Grandlieu,» cried the friend of the family, «and it made me anxious to put in a word of my own. — I have won, M.le Comte,» he added, turning to his opponent. «I shall throw you over and go to your niece’s assistance.»

      «See what it is to have an attorney’s ears!» exclaimed the Vicomtesse.

       — Quelque admirable que soit cette conduite, ajouta la comtesse d’un air fin, tant que sa mère existera, toutes les familles trembleront de confier à ce petit Restaud l’avenir et la fortune d’une jeune fille.

       — J’ai entendu quelques mots qui me donnent envie d’intervenir entre vous et mademoiselle de Grandlieu, s’écria l’ami de la famille. — J’ai gagné, monsieur le comte, dit-il en s’adressant à son adversaire. Je vous laisse pour courir au secours de votre nièce.

       — Voilà ce qui s’appelle avoir des oreilles d’avoué, s’écria la vicomtesse.

      «My dear Derville, how could you know what I was saying to Camille in a whisper?»

      «I knew it from your looks,» answered Derville, seating himself in a low chair by the fire.

      Camille’s uncle went to her side, and Mme.de Grandlieu took up her position on a hearth stool between her daughter and Derville.

      Mon cher Derville, comment avez-vous pu entendre ce que je disais tout bas à Camille?

       — J’ai compris vos regards, répondit Derville en s’asseyant dans une bergère au coin de la cheminée.

      L’oncle se mit à côté de sa nièce, et madame de Grandlieu prit place sur une chauffeuse, entre sa fille et Derville.

      «The time has come for telling a story, which should modify your judgment as to Ernest de Restaud’s prospects.»

      «A story?» cried Camille. «Do begin at once, monsieur.»

      The glance that Derville gave the Vicomtesse told her that this tale was meant for her.

       — Il est temps, madame la vicomtesse, que je vous conte une histoire qui vous fera modifier le jugement que vous portez sur la fortune du comte Ernest de Restaud.

       — Une histoire? s’écria Camille. Commencez donc vite, monsieur.

      Derville jeta sur madame de Grandlieu un regard qui lui fit comprendre que ce récit devait l’intéresser.

      The Vicomtesse de Grandlieu, be it said, was one of the greatest ladies in the Faubourg Saint-Germain, by reason of her fortune and her ancient name;

      La vicomtesse de Grandlieu était par sa fortune et par l’antiquité de son nom, une des femmes les plus remarquables du faubourg Saint-Germain;

      and though it may seem improbable that a Paris attorney should speak so familiarly to her, or be so much at home in her house, the fact is nevertheless easily explained.

      When Mme.de Grandlieu returned to France with the Royal family, she came to Paris, and at first lived entirely on the pension allowed her out of the Civil List by Louis XVIII. — an intolerable position. The Hotel de Grandlieu had been sold by the Republic. It came to Derville’s knowledge that there were flaws in the title, and he thought that it ought to return to the Vicomtesse. He instituted proceedings for nullity of contract, and gained the day.

      et, s’il ne semble pas naturel qu’un avoué de Paris pût lui parler si familièrement et se comportât chez elle d’une manière si cavalière, il est néanmoins facile d’expliquer ce phénomène. Madame de Grandlieu, rentrée en France avec la famille royale, était venue habiter Paris, où elle n’avait d’abord vécu que de secours accordés par Louis XVIII sur les fonds de la Liste Civile, situation insupportable. L’avoué eut l’occasion de découvrir quelques vices de forme dans la vente que la république avait jadis faite de l’hôtel de Grandlieu, et prétendit qu’il devait être restitué à la vicomtesse. Il entreprit ce procès moyennant un forfait, et le gagna.

      Encouraged by this success, he used legal quibbles to such purpose that he compelled some institution or other to disgorge the Forest of Liceney. Then he won certain lawsuits against the Canal d’Orleans, and recovered a tolerably large amount of property, with which the Emperor had endowed various public institutions.

      Encouragé par ce succès, il chicana si bien je ne sais quel hospice, qu’il en obtint la restitution de la forêt de Grandlieu. Puis, il fit encore recouvrer quelques actions sur le canal d’Orléans, et certains immeubles assez importants que l’empereur avait donnés en dot à des établissements publics.

      So it fell out that, thanks to the young attorney’s skilful management, Mme.de Grandlieu’s income reached the sum of some sixty thousand francs, to say nothing of the vast sums returned to her by the law of indemnity. And Derville, a man of high character, well informed, modest, and pleasant in company, became the house-friend of the family.

      Ainsi rétablie par l’habileté du jeune avoué, la fortune de madame de Grandlieu s’était élevée à un revenu de soixante mille francs environ, lors de la loi sur l’indemnité qui lui avait rendu des sommes énormes. Homme de haute probité, savant, modeste et de bonne compagnie, cet avoué devint alors l’ami de la famille.

      By his conduct of Mme.de Grandlieu’s affairs he had fairly earned the esteem of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, and numbered the best families among his clients; but he did not take advantage of his popularity, as an ambitious man might have done. The Vicomtesse would have had him sell his practice and enter the magistracy, in which career advancement would have been swift and certain with such influence at his disposal; but he persistently refused all offers. He only went into society to keep up his connections, but he occasionally spent an evening at the Hotel de Grandlieu.

      Quoique sa conduite envers madame de Grandlieu lui eût mérité l’estime et la clientèle des meilleures maisons du faubourg Saint-Germain, il ne profitait pas de cette faveur comme en aurait pu profiter un homme ambitieux. Il résistait aux offres de la vicomtesse qui voulait lui faire vendre sa charge et le jeter dans la magistrature, carrière où, par ses protections, il aurait obtenu le plus rapide avancement. A l’exception de l’hôtel de Grandlieu, où il passait quelquefois la soirée, il n’allait dans le monde que pour y entretenir ses relations.

      It was a very lucky thing for him that his talents had been brought into the light by his devotion to Mme.de Grandlieu, for his practice otherwise might have gone to pieces.

      Il était fort heureux que ses talents eussent été mis en lumière par son dévouement à madame de Grandlieu, car il aurait couru le risque de laisser dépérir son étude.

      Derville had not an attorney’s soul. Since Ernest de Restaud had appeared at the Hotel de Grandlieu, and he had noticed that Camille felt attracted to the young man, Derville had been as assiduous in his visits as any dandy of the Chausee-d’Antin newly admitted to the noble Faubourg. At a ball only a few days before, when he happened to stand near Camille, and said, indicating the Count:

      Derville n’avait pas une âme d’avoué.

      Depuis que le comte Ernest de Restaud s’était introduit chez la vicomtesse, et que Derville avait découvert la sympathie de Camille pour ce jeune homme, il était devenu aussi assidu chez madame de Grandlieu que l’aurait été un dandy de la Chaussée-d’Antin nouvellement admis dans les cercles du noble faubourg. Quelques jours auparavant, il s’était trouvé dans un bal auprès de Camille, et lui avait dit en montrant le jeune comte:

      «It is a pity that yonder youngster has not two or three million francs, is it not?»

      «Is it a pity?

       — Il est dommage que ce garçon-là n’ait pas deux ou trois millions, n’est-ce pas?

       — Est-ce un malheur?

      I do not think so,» the girl answered. «M. de Restaud has plenty of ability; he is well educated, and the Minister, his chief, thinks well of him.

      Je ne le crois pas, avait-elle répondu. Monsieur de Restaud a beaucoup de talent, il est instruit, et bien vu du ministre auprès duquel il a été placé.

      He will be a remarkable man, I have no doubt. ‘Yonder youngster’ will have as much money as he wishes when he comes into power.»

      Je ne doute pas qu’il ne devienne un homme très-remarquable. Ce garçon-là trouvera tout autant de fortune qu’il en voudra, le jour où il sera parvenu au pouvoir.

      «Yes, but suppose that he were rich already?»

      «Rich already?» repeated Camille, flushing red. «Why all the girls in the room would be quarreling for him,» she said, glancing at the quadrilles.

      «And then,» retorted the attorney, «Mlle. de Grandlieu might not be the one towards whom his eyes are always turned? That is what that red color means! You like him, do you not? Come, speak out.»

      Camille suddenly rose to go.

      «She loves him,» Derville thought.

       — Oui, mais s’il était déjà riche?

       — S’il était riche, dit Camille en rougissant. Mais toutes les jeunes personnes qui sont ici se le disputeraient, ajouta-t-elle en montrant les quadrilles.

       — Et alors, avait répondu l’avoué, mademoiselle de Grandlieu ne serait plus la seule vers laquelle il tournerait les yeux. Voilà pourquoi vous rougissez! Vous vous sentez du goût pour lui, n’est-ce pas? Allons, dites.

      Camille s’était brusquement levée. — Elle l’aime, avait pensé Derville.

      Since that evening, Camille had been unwontedly attentive to the attorney, who approved of her liking for Ernest de Restaud. Hitherto, although she knew well that her family lay under great obligations to Derville, she had felt respect rather than real friendship for him, their relation was more a matter of politeness than of warmth of feeling;

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