David Copperfield — Chapter 50 in French
By Charles Dickens
PEGGOTTY se réalise. Mr. PEGGOTTY's DREAM COMES TRUE.
À cette époque, plusieurs mois s'étaient écoulés depuis notre entrevue sur la rive du fleuve avec Martha. By this time, some months had passed, since our interview on the bank of the river with Martha. Je ne l’avais jamais revue depuis, mais elle avait eu diverses communications avec M. Peggotty. I had never seen her since, but she had communicated with Mr. Peggotty on several occasions. Son zèle avait été en pure perte, et je ne voyais dans ce qu’il me disait rien qui nous mît sur la voie du destin d’Émilie. Nothing had come of her zealous intervention; nor could I infer, from what he told me, that any clue had ever been obtained, for a moment, to Emily's fate. J'avoue que je commençais à désespérer de sa guérison, et que je m'enfonçais chaque jour davantage dans la conviction qu'elle était morte. I confess that I began to despair of her recovery, and gradually to sink deeper and deeper into the belief that she was dead.
Sa conviction resta inchangée. His conviction remained unchanged. Autant que je le sache—et je crois que son cœur honnête m'était transparent—il n'a jamais faibli dans sa certitude solennelle de la retrouver. So far as I know—and I believe his honest heart was transparent to me—he never wavered again, in his solemn certainty of finding her. Sa patience ne s'est jamais lassée. His patience never tired. Sa patience était infatigable, et quand parfois je tremblais à l’idée de son désespoir si un jour cette assurance positive recevait un coup funeste, je ne pouvais cependant m’empêcher d’estimer et de respecter tous les jours davantage cette foi si solide, si religieuse, qui prenait sa source dans un cœur pur et élevé. And, although I trembled for the agony it might one day be to him to have his strong assurance shivered at a blow, there was something so religious in it, so affectingly expressive of its anchor being in the purest depths of his fine nature, that the respect and honor in which I held him were exalted every day.
Il n’était pas de ceux qui s’endorment dans une espérance et dans une confiance oisives. His was not a lazy trustfulness that hoped, and did no more. Il avait été toute sa vie un homme d'action énergique, et il savait que dans tout ce où il avait besoin d'aide, il devait faire fidèlement sa part et s'aider lui-même. He had been a man of sturdy action all his life, and he knew that in all things wherein he wanted help he must do his own part faithfully, and help himself. Je l’ai vu partir la nuit, à pied, pour Yarmouth, dans la crainte qu’on n’oubliât d’allumer le flambeau qui éclairait son bateau. I have known him set out in the night, on a misgiving that the light might not be, by some accident, in the window of the old boat, and walk to Yarmouth. Je l’ai vu, si par hasard il lisait dans un journal quelque chose qui pût se rapporter à Émilie, prendre son bâton de voyage et entreprendre une nouvelle course de trente ou quarante lieues. I have known him, on reading something in the newspaper that might apply to her, take up his stick, and go forth on a journey of three or four score miles. Lorsque je lui eus raconté ce que j’avais appris par l’entremise de miss Dartle, il se rendit à Naples par mer. He made his way by sea to Naples, and back, after hearing the narrative to which Miss Dartle had assisted me. Tous ces voyages étaient très-pénibles, car il économisait tant qu’il pouvait pour l’amour d’Émilie. All his journeys were ruggedly performed; for he was always steadfast in a purpose of saving money for Emily's sake, when she should be found. Mais jamais je ne l’entendis se plaindre, jamais je ne l’entendis avouer qu’il fût fatigué ou découragé. In all this long pursuit, I never heard him repine; I never heard him say he was fatigued, or out of heart.