French translations in Part 2 of Giovanni’s Room
Part 1 linked at the bottom.
So glad I have been able to help and my buddies at the Quarantine Book Club. Thank you, South Mecklenburg and Providence High Schools, NCSU, and Duolingo; refresh.
Quais: docks
Torero: bullfighter
Et puis: and then
Quelle rigolade: what a joke
Chez toi: at your place, at your house — chez Giovanni would be Giovanni’s place, so his apartment room
Mon cher: my dear; la vie pratique: the practical life — ‘To arrange, mon cher, la vie pratique”
Vrai: true (vraiment, in case it pops up later, is “truly”)
Mais ca m’empêche que Paris est toujours ma ville préférée: But it keeps (prevents) me from the fact that Paris is still my favorite city p. 93
Métros: subways
Chagrin d’amour: unhappy love affair (literally “embarrassment of love”)
Joie de vivre: livelihood (literarlly “joy of life”)
Deux ricards avec beacoup de la glace: two ricards with lots of ice — a ricard is an anise and licorice apéritif, created by Marseille, France native Paul Ricard.
À la vôtre v. À la tienne: p. 101 They are saying “cheers”, but he says it in the formal, polite French, and she corrects him and says it in in the informal, between friends, French, which is the appropriate form considering what has happened.
Sou: penny
A whole bunch from p. 105:
Il sont sale, les gens, tu sais?: They are dirty, people, you know?
Tous sauf toi.: All but you.
Ne me laisse pas tomber, je t’en prie.: Don’t let me down, please (I plead this of you).
Il m’a mis à la porte.: He put me out the door.
A près l’amour. Merde!: After the love(making). Shit!
And p. 106:
Pied-à-terre: walk up apartment/flat
Bien sûr: of course
Et il a fait ceci et il a fait cela: and he did this and he did that
Parce qu’il m’adorait: because he adored me
Je te jure!: I swear to you!
And then pp. 107-109:
Mais à ce moment là je m’avais pas un copain: But at that time I didn’t have a boyfriend
Je suis avec un gars maintentant: I have a lad now
Tapette: back to a slur for someone with perceived overly effeminate air or qualities
Mais tu le sais, salop!: But you know it, scoundrel!
Les enculles!: the motherfuckers!
Les gonzesses!: this means “chick magnets”, but in this context, it’s uglier; here, it means the same as tapette.
Je t’aime, tu sais?: I love you, you know?
Je le sais, mon vieux.: I know that, my old man
N’est-ce pas?: of course
Je m’excuse: I apologize
ça ne manque pas, les chambres.: There’s no shortage of rooms.
Dis-moi: tell me
Peut-être: maybe
Comme tu es méchant!: How mean you are!
J’espère bien.: I hope so.
Viens m’embrasser: Come and kiss me.
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Part 1:
Carla Pettigrew Hufstedler
And then:
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin at Bookshop
James Baldwin Reading Challenge at The Story Graph (read at your own pace)
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Carla Pettigrew Hufstedler
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