Джон Голсуорси - Лучшее из «Саги о Форсайтах» / The Best of The Forsyte Saga

Black Week– 10–15 December 1899, when at the beginning of the Boer War the British suffered three humiliating defeats.

‘Elle est ton rêve! Elle est ton rêve! –She is your dream! She is your dream! ( French ).

lotus-eating –living a lazy life full of pleasures.

how-de-do – a sudden awkward or unusual or even dangerous situation.

a fire-eater – the name given to a politician who supported slavery and extremist ideas.

‘Bombe aux fraises’ —Strawberry bomb ( French ).

warrior bold – words used in the poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, (1869–1935), an Americanpoet and playwright.

to don the wild khaki – to put on the uniform (meaning to serve in the army).

En avant – forward ( French ).

Roll, bowl, or pitch – a refrain from the game of skittles.

a cooler – a person who is “cool,” or who “runs the show”.

Vivandière– in the army, a woman who accompanied a regiment, selling provisions and liquor to the soldiers ( French ).

the Iron Duke – Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington( 1769— 1852), an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, a hero of the Napoleonic Wars. He became a national hero in Britainafter the Battle of Waterloo.

steerage – the poorest passengers were placed in the cargo hold or between decks.

Mafeking – the siege of Mafeking that lasted for 217 days. The lifting of the siege was a prominent victory for the British and a crushing defeat for the Boers.

under the rose– privately, in a secret way; rose being the ancient symbol of secrecy.

C’est par ici, Monsieur? –This way, sir? ( French ).

screw it up a peg– here: to put a final dot, to finish successfully.

a mare’s nest– an illusory discovery, a situation of great disorder or confusion.

ça – mais nous avons le temps – that… But we have time ( French ).

cock-a-hoop– boastful, over-excited.

decree nisi –legal document meaning the end of marriage from a fixed date unless some new important piece of evidence is produced.

Elle est très distinguée! – She is very distinguished! ( French ).

je n’aime pas ce type-là – I don’t like this type. ( French ).

comme vous êtes sage – how you behave ( French ).

Et vous êtes ma belle femme. – And you are my beautiful wife. ( French ).

ne parlez pas Français – Don’t speak French ( French ).

de Wet – Christiaan Rudolf de Wet (1854–1922), a Boer generaland political leader.

Canute’s waves– Canute (Cnut) – a king who was so proud that he thought his order could hold back the tide.

Tiens, quel malheur! –Oh, what a tragedy! ( French ).

Mais la petite est adorable. Du café? —But the baby is admirable. Some coffee? ( French ).

Elle vous attend. – She’s waiting for you. ( French ).

Ma petite fleur! –My little flower! ( French ).

mainmast, foremost, top-gallant mast – mainmast is the tallest mast of a ship; foremast is the first mast of a ship; top-gallant mast is a mast consisting of three sections.

chère patrie –dear motherland ( French ).

braves poilus –brave soldiers ( French ).

La Vendimia –The Vintage ( Spanish ).

O. B. E –Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Cela se voit – It is seen. ( French ).

Ribbandry – It seems that Soames invented this word from “ribband” (ribbon), meaning that his wife was fond of buying unnecessary things.

Que tu es grossier –But you are rough. ( French ).

Frith – William Powell Frith (1819–1909), an English painterof the Victorian era.

Jaeger – kind of woolen cloth.

donzellas – donzella = a girl ( archaic, Italian ).

Verbum sapientibus –One word is enough (for a clever person) ( Latin ).

Hogarthian, Manetesque– William Hogarth (1697–1764), a great English-born painter. Édouard Manet (1832–1883) was a French painter, one of the first 19th-century artists to move from Realismto Impressionism.

Demain – tomorrow ( French ).

In off the red! – Possibly from a game of billiards, when a ball scores a wicket off another ball.

Quitasol –Parasol (famous picture of Francisco de Goya, 1777).

Je m’en fiche – I don’t care ( French ).

dum casta– a provision in a will, by which a divorced wife or widow would be paid maintenance if she led a chaste life.

set the Thames on fire – a dull or not a distinguished person will never do it (an idiom).

during coverture – the status of a married woman.

rather cottons – he likes this idea very much.

live it down– to get over an embarrassing event.

J’ai la migraine. –I have a headache. ( French ).