Lycée Blaise-Cendrars / 3d year / Comprehension

Lycée Blaise-Cendrars / English / reading / ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J. B. Priestley / Reclam Publishing
Vocabulary
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the port
ought to (+inf)
to pride oneself
to be about (to do smt)
tray
to beam
mock (adj)
Wouldn’t dream of it
to wonder
the works
to tease sb.
to get used to smt.
to guffaw
squiffy
to pick up
an ass
quiet
it can’t be helped
cable
so do I
rudely
have done with it
pretences
a tremendous lot
though
may [modal verb]
to look forward to smt.
no longer
to compete
Hear, hear!
Neither do I
this once
congratulations
nasty temper
Chump!
to deserve
to weep
case
the very one
hastily
Steady the Buffs!
sight
had better (do)
rather
to notice
Actually
these days
the miners
on strike
labour trouble
employer
‘le porto’ (in England, at a certain social level, port
is (or was) drunk after the meal, mostly by men.
During this ceremony the ladies used to go to the
drawing room, where the men joined them later.)
should (‘devrais’)
‘se targuer de, être fier de’
‘être sur le point (de faire qqch)’
‘plateau’
‘rayonner’
‘feint, simulé’
‘je n’y songerais pas, même dans mes rêves’
‘se demander’
‘l’usine, la fabrique’
‘taquiner qqn’
‘s’habituer à qqch’
‘rire bruyamment’
‘éméché, ivre’
‘ramasser, apprendre’
an idiot
calm
it can’t be stopped
telegram
me too
impolitely
have finished it (and can do smt else)
‘prétentions’
a lot, a great deal
although (‘bien que’)
can perhaps
‘se réjouir de qqch’
not anymore
‘être en concurrence’
‘Bravo!’
‘Moi non plus’
this time
‘félicitations’
bad temperament
‘Plouc!’
to merit
to cry
box
exactly the one
very quickly
Keep calm!
‘vue, faculté visuelle’
‘ferais mieux (de faire)’
‘plutôt’
‘remarquer’
In fact
at the moment
‘les mineurs (de la mine)’
‘en grève’
‘contestation des ouviers’
‘employeur’
at last
Capital
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finally
‘le Capital’ (allusion aux débuts du système
capitaliste)
properly
well
steadily
continuously, with regularity
to increase
‘augmenter’
the Kaiser
the German Kaiser at the time of the story, i.e. in 1912
fiddlesticks!
‘fadaises, balivernes!’
at stake
‘en jeu’
we will be able to (do)
-> future of ‘can’: ‘nous pourrons’
liner
huge boat transporting passengers
unsinkable
that cannot sink
scaremongers
people who want to scare other people
a fuss
‘des histoires’
by that time
‘d’ici là’
behindhand
‘en retard’
youngsters
young people
Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells two great authors famous for their plays or novels
dealing with social and moral problems
decanter
jug (of wine here)
confidentially
in a confidential manner
dissent
different opinin
to check
here: to stop
old county family
family that’s been there for a long time
landed people
people owning land, property
and so forth
etc.
a fair chance
a good chance
knighthood
‘titre de chevalier’
a hint
‘une allusion’
Lord Mayor
‘titre de Maire’
sound useful
‘sain et capable’
party man
‘homme politique’
gather
think
to behave oneself
‘bien se comporter’
police court
‘poste de police ou tribunal’
complacently
with self-assurance
you might as well
you should
to keep out of trouble
‘éviter les ennuis’
to be potty about smt
to be fussy about smt (‘prendre qqch très au sérieux)
a token
a sign
eagerly
with enthusiasm and impatience
fishy
‘louche’
nowadays
‘de nos jours’
time to spare
free time
short of cash
without any cash money
to break out
to rebel
I’ll bet you did
I’m sure you did
to lecture
‘faire la morale’
fellows
guys, young men
so long as, as long as
‘tant que, aussi longtemps que’
won’t come to much harm
won’t hurt anybody, will remain innocent
cranks
fools, idiots
as if
comme si
(bee) hive
‘ruche’
advice
‘conseil’
to pile
‘entasser, amasser’
to be on the Bench
‘siéger au tribunal’
warrant
‘mandat (sens juridique)’
unless
‘à moins que’
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to be up to smt
awkward
uneasy
defiantly
purposefulness
weightily
disconcerting
to address sb
on duty
an alderman
quite so
Infirmary
to swallow
diray
to convey
several
to stare
coolly
there might be
to apply
enquiry
at a time
muddle
sensible [faux ami!]
restlessly
to discharge sb.
Wouldn’t you rather…?
Incidentally, by the way
So far as I’m concerned
straightforward
obviously
wretched
atferwards
events
Still,
awkward
By Jove
lively
country-bred
I fancy
the foreman
restless
to average
neither… nor…
the rates
shilling
the tone
labour costs
to add
to consider
broke
mostly
pitiful
ringleaders
to clear out
instead of
tough luck
Rubbish!
Chief Constable
wretched
to try for
to sack sb
to be spirited
to brighten
sulkily
gaily
uncalled-for
officious
‘faire des siennes’
‘délicat, embarassant’
‘mal à l’aise’
‘avec un air de défit’
‘détermination’
‘avec poids’
‘déconcertant’
‘s’adresser à qqn’
‘en service’
‘conseiller municipal’
that’s right
‘infirmerie’
‘avaler’
‘journal intime’
to mean
many
to look with intensity
‘froidement’
perhaps, maybe
‘s’appliquer, être valable’
‘enquête’
‘à la fois’
confusion
‘sensé, plein de bon sens’
nervously
to fire, to dismiss sb.
‘Ne préféreriez-vous pas…?’
‘Au fait’
‘En ce qui me concerne’
simple
‘de manière évidente’
poor
later, then
‘événements’
‘Malgré tout,‘
‘délicat’
By God
full of life
raised, born in the country
I imagine
‘le chef d’équipe’
agitated
to earn in average (=gagner en moyenne’)
ni… ni…
the salary
(‘monnaie de l’époque’)
‘le ton’
‘le prix de la main d’oeuvre’
‘ajouter’
to take into consideration, to think about
without any money
‘pour la plupart’
sad
leaders of the strike
to go, to leave
‘à la place de’
bad luck, hard destiny
Nonsense!
Supérieur, Chef de police
poor
to ask for
to dismiss sb (to make sb loose their job)
to have a strong personality
to make clearer => here: to change
‘d’un air boudeur’
joyfully
unnecessary
not official
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I’ve half a mind to
to report
the slightest reason
to be dragged
distressed
Obviously
bewildered
glances
to make the most of smt.
to settle (a problem)
sensibly
mean (adj)
lodgings
half-starved
it’s a rotten shame
factory
warehouse
cheap labour
penny
dingy
I expect it would
archly
influenza
shorthanded
trouble
to settle down
properly
half-stifled sob
speculatively
in amazement
upsetting
nasty mess
steadily
as if
a glance
to retort
Otherwise
opportunity
to burst out
I dare say
headache
to turn in
citizen
to draw the line
for instance
to amount to smt.
to feel rotten
steady
to get rid of
our account
to catch sight
to be ashamed
to settle
to try on (clothes)
it didn’t suit me
silly
rude
plain
harshly
to notice
sternly
startled
to pull oneself together
merely
to nod
tantalus
to give oneself away
guilty
I’m thinking about, I intend to
to denounce
the smallest reason
to be implicated
helpless, stressed
Evidently
perplexed
looks
to exaggerate smt.
to solve (=’résoudre’)
‘de façon sensée’
unpleasant, not nice
room, small flat
without enough food to eat
‘c’est une vraie honte’
‘usine’
‘entrepôt’
‘main d’oeuvre bon marché’
‘centime’
miserable
I think it would
‘malicieusement’
‘grippe’
lacking labour (‘en manque de personnel’)
problem
‘s’installer, trouver un équilibre’
well
‘sanglot à moitié réprimé’
‘d’un air inquisiteur’
in wonder
‘bouleversant’
‘sacré gachis’
‘avec fermeté’
‘comme si’
a look
‘rétorquer, répliquer’
‘Autrement’
occasion
‘éclater’
I can imagine
‘mal de tête’
to go to bed
‘citoyen’
to draw the limit
for example
to be important
to feel bad
permanent
‘se débarasser de’
‘notre compte’
to see
‘avoir honte’
to fix, to arrange
‘essayer (des habits)’
‘ça ne m’allait pas (habits)’
stupid
impolite
common, like everybody else, uninteresting
in a hard way
‘remarquer’
severly
‘que l’on a fait sursauter’
‘se reprendre’
simply
to make an affirmative sign with one’s head
metal tray
‘se trahir’
coupable
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for God’s sake
crushed
ought to
obviously
to stand
bitterly
to sack
to make up one’s mind
selfish
vindictive
neither… nor
massively taking charge
Allow me
no harm => any harm
distressed
eargerly
I’m to blame
sternly
guilt
wonderingly
briskly
self-confidently
out of key
at once
to affect
to be sorry for smt.
confident
coolly
the young ones
to settle a problem
until
nothing but…
in any case
for your own sake
haughtily
I beg your pardon!
plainly
a trifle impertinent
to take offence
I think we’d better
so do I
grandly
you may have to
enquiry, inquiry
peculiar
manner, way
to remind
matter
to be used to doing smt.
enough
trouble
steadily
staggered
apologetically
Actually
to gather
pour l’amour de Dieu
‘accablé’
should [=’devrais’]
‘de manière évidente’
‘supporter’
‘amèrement’
to dismiss (sb from their job)
to decide
egoistic
‘vindicatif’
‘ni… ni’
‘prenant entièrement la situation en mains’
‘Permettez-moi’
‘aucun mal’
‘troublée’
with enthusiasm and impatience
I should be blamed mal’
severly
‘culpabilité’
in a questioning manner
quickly
‘avec assurance’
out of context, inappropriate
immediately
‘affecter, faire semblant’
to regret smt.
‘qui a de l’assurance, confiant’
‘fraîchement, sèchement’
the young, the young people
to solve, to arrange a problem
‘jusqu’à’
nothing except…
‘dans tous les cas’
‘pour ton propre bien’
‘avec arrogance’
‘Je vous demande pardon!’
simply
a little impertinent
‘s’offenser’
I think we had better = ‘je crois que ça serait mieux’
moi aussi
‘avec grandiloquence, solennellement’
maybe you must
‘enquête’
strange
‘manière, façon’
‘rappeler (qqch à qqn)’
problem
‘avoir l’habitude de faire qqch’
‘assez’
‘ennuis, problèmes’
regularly
horrified
‘en s’excusant’
In fact / To tell the truth
to understand, to come to the conclusion
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bitterly
to knock flat
to recover oneself
Though
rather
bothered
Have him in
Get it over
a lad
tone
nor
to handle (an enquiry)
rope
to give sb more rope
anger
to compell
to discharge
to waste
obvious
at once
anyhow
to induce
hardly ever
for worlds (=expression)
rather
dull
show
bright
haunt
to propose
dough-faced
to take in properly
altogether
out of place
goggle-eyed
to wedge
carcase
notorious
womaniser
as well as
sot and rogue
torn => to tear, tore, torn
a glance
she’d better
port
to gather
advances
shaken
as well they (=advances) might
to let slip
though
hard up
actually
accidentally
penny
to turn out
‘amèrement’
‘mettre k.o, démolir’
‘retrouver son calme’
‘Bien que’
‘plutôt’
‘ennuyé’
Make him come in
Do your job
a young boy
ton
‘ni’
‘mener (une enquête)’
‘corde’
’lâcher la bride’
‘colère’
to force
to dismiss
‘perdre, gaspiller’
evident
immediately
in any case
to forceto go, to make go
‘presque jamais’
at all, never ever
‘plutôt’
boring, without any excitement
‘spectacle’
interesting
‘repaire’ (place where people meet discreetly)
to mean
‘au visage plâtré (par le maquillage)’
to understand fully
completely
not in the right place, out of context
‘les yeux exorbités’
‘coincer’
‘carcasse’
famous
‘homme à femmes, séducteur’
ainsi que, et
‘ivrogne et voyou’
‘déchirer’
a look
she had better (‘elle ferait mieux’)
‘porto’
to understand
‘avances’
shocked
‘on le comprend aisément’
to quickly say, to drop a piece of information
‘bien que’
without any money
in fact, in reality
by chance
‘centime’
to evict, to dismiss
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set of rooms
ought to
Somehow
grateful
in the first place
might have done
to drag
small flat
should [=’devrais’]
In a certain way
‘reconnaissant
first
would probably have done
to pull (‘tirer, amener, mêler’)
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affair
to last
to expect
to allow smt to sb
parting gift
to see sb through to
to propose to do smt
rough diary
upset
for a little while
to hand smt
odd
fishy
wretched business
to apologize for smt
massively
to put on airs
wages
to suit
to pretend
jolly well
Women’s Charity…
…Organization
you might as well admit
deserving cases
interviewing committee
I dare say
in the chair
plain words
landings
queer moods
even though
bewildered
astonished
to appeal to
gross
to prejudice sb against
her case
owing to
stung
to have a claim to
to be ashamed
to bear investigation
we are asked
claims
in spite of
duty
short love relationship
‘durer’
‘s’attendre à’
to give some money to sb
goodbye present
to help sb until
to intend to do smt
basic private journal
‘bouleversé’
for a short moment
to give smt
strange
not clear
horrible business
to be sorry for smt
severly
‘faire semblant, prendre de grands airs’
salary
‘convenir, arranger’
‘faire semblant’
very well
Société Féminine…
…Caritative (oeuvres de bienfaisance)
you should admit
‘des cas qui le méritent’
‘comité de sélection (des personnes méritant de l’aide)
I think, I believe
‘sur la chaise => donc qui a pris part à la séance’
simple words
corridors
strange moods
‘bien que’
perplexed
surprised
to ask officially
big and evident
to influence sb against
‘son cas’
because of (=’à cause de’)
‘piqué au vif’
to have a right for
‘avoir honte’
‘qui peut supporter une enquête, innocent’
on nous demande
demandes officielles
‘malgré’
‘devoir’
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bursting in
‘en éclatant’
to be turned out
to be dismiseed out of a job
to be turned down
to be refused, rejected
That doesn’t make it the less yours
That doesn’t make you not responsible
to see to
to make sure
to slam
to shut
dubiously
with doubts
a pack of lies
a lot of lies
he ought to be compelled
he should be forced
to support (financially)
a burn-out
‘une brûlure’
a slab
‘table d’autopsie’
stammer and yammer
‘bégayer et jacasser’
cowed
‘recroquevillé’
some fancy reason
some strange reason
Therefore, so
Donc
to advise
‘conseiller’
to chuck out
to dismiss
to belong
‘appartenir’
idler
young man doing nothing (or very little!)
to be due to
‘être dû à’
a chief culprit
‘un coupable principal’
anyhow
in any case (‘dans tous les cas’)
he ought to be dealt with
we should deal with him
to behave
‘se comporter’
to be compelled
to be forced
instead of
‘à la place de’
grimly
severely
No hushing up, eh?
‘Donc on n’étouffe pas l’affaire, hm?’
sternly
severely
thunderstruck
‘comme frappé par la foudre => abasourdi, stupéfié’
their enquiring stares
‘leurs regards inquisiteurs’
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it’s a good job for him
to blame
to escape
to make an example of sb
besides
it was bound to come out
she might as well know
to adjust
to be obliged
to see him through
to handle the decanter
heavy drinking
chap
squiffy
I stood her a few drinks
I was rather far gone
chiefly
her lodgings
to turn nasty
to threaten
a row
that’s the hellish thing
a fortnight
appointment
though
and a good sport
a tart
either of you
to settle
in a hell of a state
in a way
to treat
as if
nearly
altogether
all told
savagely
to supply sb with smt
to manage
accounts
to collect
the firm’s receipt
to cover up
spoilt
to be able
startled
distressed
it’s better for him
to accuse, to place the responsibility on (sb)
‘s’échapper’
to make sb guilty publically
‘du reste, d’ailleurs’
it had to come out
‘autant qu’elle sache’
to discuss, to settle, to arrange
‘être reconnaissant’
to go through this (questioning)
to hold the (whiskey) container
hard drinking
guy, young man
a little drunk
I made her have a few drinks
I was quite drunk
mainly, above all
her flat
to become unpleasant
‘menacer’
a scandal
that’s the worst thing
a period of two weeks (fourteen days)
‘rendez-vous’
‘bien que’
and nice to sleep with
a stupid woman
‘l’un ou l’autre’
to arrange, to discuss
in a horrible state, in horrible distress
‘d’une certaine façon’
‘traiter’
‘comme si’
almost
‘en tout’
all counted, altogether
‘brutalement’
to give smt to sb
‘réussir’
‘factures’
to go and get
‘le récepissé de la compagnie’
to hide, to disguise (mathematically here)
‘gâté’
can [infinitive]
‘surpris, interloqué’
upset
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she had done with you
to take charge
masterfully
Neither do you
ever
pitiable
to grant
I’m not likely to…
a heavier price still
as if
to survey
sardonically
though
to do some harm, to harm
not… either
intertwined
to brood
gloomily
hastily
to swallow
she had finished with you
‘prendre les choses en main’
‘magistralement’
Toi non plus
one day
‘pitoyable’
to give, to offer
I don’t think I ever will…, it is impossible for me to…
a price which is even heavier (‘encore plus loud’)
‘comme si’
‘passer en revue, embrasser du regard’
ironically, in a mocking way
‘bien que’
‘faire de la peine, blesser’
‘pas non plus’
‘mêlé, lié’
‘ruminer, broyer du noir’
in a gloomy way, in a sinister way
quickly
‘avaler’
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I’ll bet I am
‘c’est ça! (ironique)’
is bound to come out
will necessarily come out
to be ashamed of smt/sb
‘avoir honte de qqch/qqn’
it turned out unfortunately
‘ça a mal tourné’
scornfully
‘avec mépris’
to behave
‘se comporter’
crank
‘un excentrique, qqn qui est à côté de la plaque’
every man for himself
‘chacun pour soi’
queer
strange
to wonder
‘de demander’
it oughtn’t
it shouldn’t (conditional of ‘must’)
to flare up
‘s’enflammer’
to harden
to become hard
rude
impolite
assertive
‘affirmatif’
and so on
etc.
and so forth
etc.
Besides
D’ailleurs
to have dealings with
to deal with
dozen
‘douzaine’
to confess to smt
‘avouer qqch’
theft
‘le vol’
inquest, inquiry
‘enquête’
court
‘tribunal’
to ruin
to destroy
hardly ever
‘presque jamais’
smart guesses
‘déductions futées’
why you all… beats me
‘pourquoi vous avez tous craché le morceau me dépasse’
it’s all right talking…
it’s easy to talk…
plainly
directly
fellow
man, guy, chap
obviously
evidently
a Socialist => so sb who cares about society, about the other people
to stand up to sb
‘tenir tête à qqn’
sulkily
‘d’un air boudeur’
expectantly
‘rempli d’attente’
dubiously
‘plein de doutes’
Had I better go?
‘Ferais-je mieux d’y aller?’
to withdraw
‘se retirer’
warningly
in a warning tone
hastily
quickly
to bother sb
‘ennuyer qqn’
stuff
things
peculiar
strange
suspicious
‘suspect’
astounded
‘ébahi, abasourdi’
almost
‘presque’
lad
young man
chap
man, guy
to swear, swore, sworn
‘jurer’
an argument
‘discussion, débat (argumentatif)’
the point is
the important thing is
dead certain
completely sure
a fake
‘un faux, une mascarde’
we’ve been had
‘on s’est fait avoir’
suspicions
‘soupçons’
staff
(working) team
that settles it
‘ça répond à ma question’
sensible
‘sensé’
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She’s right, though
However she’s right
anyhow
anyway, in any case
hoax
‘canular’
to see though smt
to see the truth
to give in to sb
‘tomber dans le panneau de qqn’
hearty approval
‘approbation enthousiaste’
a fraud
‘une imposture’
we’ve been hoaxed
‘on s’est fait avoir’
that may not be the end of it
maybe there’s more to this
by any means
at all
keenly
impatiently
anything but all right
everything except all right
too feel on edge
to feel angry, bad about smt.
that fellow’s antics
‘le cinéma que ce type nous a fait’
to rattle
‘ébranler’
eagerly
with enthusiasm and impatience
whoever
‘qui que ce soit’
Accordning to
‘Selon’
cosy
comfortable
for God’s sake
‘pour l’amour de Dieu!’
downright
real
to glare at
to look at
an account
‘un acompte’
to alter
to change
dodging and pretending
‘éluder et faire semblant’
evidence
proof
artfully
cleverly
to pick up
to collect
to puzzle smt out
to put pieces together (in order to understand here)
to sack
to dismiss
straightforward
simple
his word
‘sa parole’
upset
‘dans tous ses états’
confident
‘confiant’
to let oneself out nicely
‘bien s’en sortir’
to do sb in
to kill sb
court
‘tribunal’
a put-up job
‘un coup monté’
to work a trick on sb
‘jouer un tour à qqn’
don’t pile it on
‘n’en rajoute pas’
to have the laugh of sb
‘se moquer de qqn’
convinced
‘convaincu’
enquiry, inquiry
‘enquête’
to settle
‘régler’
uneasily
‘mal à l’aise’
queer
strange
tensely
‘de façon tendue’
any like suicide
any similar suicide
to shiver
to shake
to un/clasp (one’s hands)
‘serrer et desserrer ses mains (nervosité)’
a lot moonshine
a lot of nonsense, a pack of lies
an elaborate sell
‘une vente élaborée => un coup bien monté’
sigh of relief
‘soupir de soulagement’
nobody likes to be sold… as that ‘personne n’aime se faire avoir de cette manière’
to argue
‘argumenter, présenter les faits’
most grateful
very grateful (=’très reconnaissant’)
to keep on the run
‘garder sur le grill’
to give a bit of scare
to frighten a little
All over now
All finished now
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But it might have done.
jovially
to point at sb
we’ve been had
to go on
anything but a joke
anguish
to take a joke
panic-stricken fashion
guiltily and dumbfounded
But it could have happened.
joyfully
to designate sb with one’s finger
‘on s’est fait avoir’
to continue
everything except a joke
‘supplice, anxiété’
to appreciate a joke
‘manière paniquée’
‘de façon coupable et sidéré’