Emma — Chapter 1 in French
By Jane Austen
Emma Woodhouse, belle, intelligente, douée d’un heureux naturel, disposant de larges revenus, semblait réunir sur sa tête les meilleurs dons de l’existence ; elle allait atteindre sa vingt et unième année sans qu’une souffrance même légère l’eût effleurée. Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.
Fille cadette d’un père très affectueux et indulgent, elle s’était trouvée de bonne heure, à la suite du mariage de sa sœur aînée, investie du rôle de maîtresse de maison. She was the youngest of the two daughters of a most affectionate, indulgent father, and had, in consequence of her sister's marriage, been mistress of his house from a very early period. Encore en bas âge elle avait perdu sa mère et ne conservait d’elle qu’un souvenir indistinct de lointaines caresses ; la place de Mme Woodhouse fut occupée par une gouvernante qui avait entouré l’enfant d’une affection quasi maternelle. Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses, and her place had been supplied by an excellent woman as governess, who had fallen little short of a mother in affection.
Mlle Taylor était restée seize ans dans la maison de M. Woodhouse, moins en qualité d’institutrice que d’amie ; très attachée aux deux jeunes filles, elle chérissait particulièrement Emma. Sixteen years had Miss Taylor been in Mr. Woodhouse's family, less as a governess than a friend, very fond of both daughters, but particularly of Emma. Entre elles, c'était plutôt l'intimité de sœurs. Between them it was more the intimacy of sisters. Avant même que Mlle Taylor eût cessé de tenir officiellement le rôle de gouvernante, la douceur de son caractère lui permettait difficilement d’inspirer quelque contrainte ; cette ombre d’autorité s’était vite évanouie et les deux femmes vivaient depuis longtemps sur un pied d’égalité. Even before Miss Taylor had ceased to hold the nominal office of governess, the mildness of her temper had hardly allowed her to impose any restraint; and the shadow of authority being now long passed away, they had been living together as friend and friend very mutually attached, and Emma doing just what she liked; highly esteeming Miss Taylor's judgment, but directed chiefly by her own.
Tout en ayant une grande considération pour le jugement de Mlle Taylor, Emma se reposait exclusivement sur le sien ! The real evils indeed of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself; these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments. Néanmoins, pour l’instant, elle n’avait aucunement conscience des désavantages qui menaçaient de ternir un jour son bonheur. The danger, however, was at present so unperceived, that they did not by any means rank as misfortunes with her.