Anna Karenina — Chapter 137 in French
By Leo Tolstoy
Lévine était marié depuis deux mois. Levin had been married three months. Il était heureux mais autrement qu’il ne l’avait pensé. He was happy, but in a different way from what he had anticipated. À chaque pas, c’était le désenchantement de ses anciens rêves mais aussi un nouvel enchantement imprévu. At every step he had found that his former expectations were illusory, and that his joy lay in what he had not anticipated. Il était heureux mais la vie conjugale, telle qu’il la découvrait à chaque instant, n’était pas du tout ce qu’il s’était imaginé. He was happy, but as he went on in his married existence he discovered at each step that it was utterly different from what he had imagined it would be. À chaque instant il éprouvait ce qu'éprouverait un homme qui, ayant admiré la marche gracieuse et joyeuse d'un bateau sur la mer, se trouverait tout à coup dans le bateau. At each step he experienced what a man would experience who had been charmed with the graceful and joyful motion of a boat on the sea, and afterwards should find himself in the boat. À chaque instant il éprouvait ce qu’éprouverait un homme qui, ayant admiré la marche calme et régulière d’un bateau sur un lac, voudrait le diriger lui-même ; il sentait qu’il ne suffisait pas d’être assis dans le bateau, immobile, mais qu’il ne faut pas perdre de vue un moment la direction, que l’eau est là, sous l’embarcation, et qu’il faut ramer, ce qui est dur pour des mains qui n’en ont pas l’habitude. He saw that it was not enough to sit still and not rock; it was necessary to be on the lookout, never for a moment forgetful of the course, to think of the water under his feet, to row,—and rowing for unaccustomed arms is hard; easy enough it is to look on, but it is hard, very hard, to work, even though it be very agreeable.
Étant célibataire, il lui était arrivé de rire intérieurement des petites misères de la vie conjugale : querelles, jalousies, mesquines préoccupations. When still a bachelor, looking at the conjugal life of others, at their little miseries, quarrels, jealousies, he had often laughed scornfully in his heart of hearts. Il était persuadé que rien de pareil ne se produirait dans son futur ménage, il lui semblait même que jamais sa vie de famille ne ressemblerait à aucune autre. In his future married life never should any such thing happen; even all the external forms of his private life should be in every respect absolutely different from that of others. Et voilà qu’au lieu de cela sa vie de famille était remplie de ces mêmes petites choses qu’il méprisait tant auparavant et qui maintenant prenaient pour lui une importance extraordinaire et indiscutable. And lo, and behold, instead of that, his life with his wife not only refused to arrange itself peculiarly, but, on the contrary, was wholly made up of those very same insignificant trifles which he had formerly so despised, but which now, in spite of him, assumed an extraordinary and irrefutable importance. Et Lévine voyait que toutes ces petites choses n’étaient pas aussi faciles à arranger qu’il se l’imaginait autrefois. And Levin saw that the regulation of all these trifles was not nearly so easy as he had supposed it would be. Lévine croyait posséder les idées les plus exactes sur la vie de famille ; comme tous les hommes il s’était imaginé y rencontrer les satisfactions de l’amour exempt de tous soucis mesquins. Notwithstanding the fact that Levin supposed he had the most delicate comprehension of family life, he, like all men, had imagined that it was only meant as the gratification of his love, and that nothing should prevent it and that no petty details ought to interfere with it. Il s’imaginait qu’il n’aurait qu’à faire son travail et trouverait le repos dans l’amour ; sa femme devait se contenter d’être aimée. According to his idea, he was to do his work, and rest from it in the delights of love. Sa femme devait être son amour, et c'était tout. His wife was to be his love, and that was all.
Mais, comme tous les hommes, il oubliait qu'elle aussi avait du travail. But, like all men, he forgot that she, too, had to work. Il oubliait absolument qu’elle aussi avait des droits à une certaine activité personnelle, et grande fut sa surprise de voir cette poétique et charmante Kitty, capable de songer dès les premiers jours de leur mariage aux soins du ménage, de veiller au linge, aux meubles, à la literie pour les chambres d’amis, au service, à la cuisine, etc. His surprise was great to find how this charming and poetic Kitty, in the first weeks, even in the first days, of their married life, could be thinking, planning, taking charge of the table-cloths, the furniture, the mattresses, the table service, the kitchen. Quand ils étaient encore fiancés, il avait été frappé de la façon dont elle avait refusé de faire un voyage à l’étranger et décidé d’aller à la campagne comme si elle avait à songer à autre chose qu’à leur amour. Even during their engagement he was dumfounded at the decided way in which she refused to travel abroad and at her determination to go immediately to their country home, as if she knew what was needful, and could think of other things besides her love. Il en avait été froissé alors, et maintenant encore, parfois, toutes ces petites préoccupations l’offensaient aussi. It vexed him then, and now many times he still felt vexed, to find that she took upon herself these petty cares and labors.
Mais il voyait que c’était nécessaire et il avait beau se moquer de tout cela, il l’aimait et ne pouvait s’empêcher de l’admirer. But he saw that it was unavoidable; and, as he loved her, although he could not see why she did such things, and although he laughed at her for doing them, he could not help admiring. Il riait de la voir installer les meubles apportés de Moscou, arranger sa chambre, son ancienne chambre à lui, faire poser les rideaux, organiser les chambres d’amis, de Dolly, celle de sa nouvelle femme de chambre, commander le menu au vieux cuisinier, discuter avec Agafia Mikhaïlovna, à qui elle avait retiré la garde des provisions. He laughed to see how she disposed the new furniture which came from Moscow, how she rearranged everything in her room and his, how she hung the curtains, provided for the guest-rooms and the rooms that Dolly would have, directed her new chambermaid, how she ordered the old cook to provide for dinner, how she discussed with Agafya Mikhaïlovna, whom she removed from the charge of the provisions.