chapter v

. full=vi)

23. ils ne sentaient pas encore le collège, ‘they were as yet untouched by the moral atmosphere of the school. Cf. note, p. 17 l. 20.

25. pépialent, ‘chirped,’ i.e. ‘chattered.’

Page 43.

3. je vous demande! ‘just think of it!’

7. bon . . sages, ‘kind . . good.’

11. encriers, règles, porte plumes: note the frequent omission of the article in enumerations.

13. grands yeux: cf. _les fenêtres sont grandes ouvertes_, ‘the windows are wide open.’

14. à leur intention, ‘especially for them.’ Cf. _à mon intention_, p. 51 l. 2.

18. n’entendait pas, ‘did not want.’

de la sorte, ‘in this way.’

Page 44.

9. à la récréation de quatre heures, ‘at the 4 o’clock interval.’

16. Jean Lapin leur manquait, ‘they missed Jean Lapin.’ Note carefully—

_vous me manquez_, ‘I miss you.’ _je vous manque_, ‘you miss me.’ _j’ai manqué le train_, ‘I have missed the train, _il manque d’esprit_, ‘he is wanting in brains.’ _j’ai manqué de tomber_, ‘I nearly fell.’

18. quartiers, ‘departments.’

les grands, les moyens, les petits, ‘the senior school, the middle school, the junior school.’

23. avait beau me sourire, ‘might smile at me as much as he liked.’ See note, p. 15 l. 18.

28. le regardaient du haut de leur toque, ‘eyed him up and down.’ _Toque_=‘college cap.’

Page 45.

3. m’en vouloir: see note, p. 3 l. 31.

8. sous les combles, ‘under the roof,’ ‘at the top of the house.’

c’est là que . ., ‘that was where . .’

14. criblé de taches d’encre et d’inscriptions au canif, ‘covered with ink-spots and names carved with a penknife.’

17. pour le quart d’heure: see note, p. 30 l. 29.

18. passer licencié, ‘pass my Master of Arts degree.’ All university students in France, who wish to become teachers in a _lycée_ or _collège_, or professors in a university, must pass several examinations before becoming qualified for such posts. The _Baccalauréat_ —sort of school-leaving certificate—is followed by the _licence_, so-called because it gives the _licence_ or permission to one to teach in a _lycée_ or _collège_. Upon those who have passed these examinations the titles of _Bachelier_ and _Licencié ès lettres_ or _ès sciences_ (_ès=en les_) are respectively conferred. The _Agrégation_ and _Doctorat_, the passing of which confers the titles of _agrégé_ and _docteur_, are very stiff. The former is competitive, the number of places being strictly limited, and allows the successful candidate to take a post in one of the higher schools. For the _Doctorat_ one must write a thesis on some original subject, and no one can obtain a university professorship who has not passed this examination.

Page 46.

1. sur les bras, ‘on my hands.’

6. emboîtaient le pas à merveille, ‘fell into step splendidly.’

8. jacassaient le long de la route, ‘chattered the whole way along.’

13. tunique: a sort of frock-coat formerly worn by _lycéens_.

14. marmaille folle, ‘unruly gang of ragamuffins.’

17. diablotine ébouriffés, ‘dishevelled imps.’

21. avorton, ‘shrimp of a fellow.’

23. sentant le ruisseau, ‘redolent of the gutter.’ See note, p. 17 l. 20.

pour que rien ne lui manquât, ‘to crown all.’

30. paye: used here in the restricted sense of ‘neighbourhood.’

Page 47.

2. à nos trousses, ‘at our heels.’

qui faisaient la roue sur nos derrières, ‘rolling along on their hands and feet like a wheel behind us.’

5. bonnes singeries, ‘silly monkey-tricks.’

8. circonstancié, ‘detailed.’

16. dans un état de toilette tel que . ., ‘looking such a little pickle that . .’

24. je ne sais quoi always denotes the ‘indescribable’ in French. Trans. ‘something about it.’

25. sentait les doigte matornels, ‘spoke loudly of his mother’s fingers.’ Cf. note, p. 17 l. 20.

29. comme si de rien n’était, ‘as if nothing were the matter.’

Page 48.

12. doublez le pas, ‘walk in double-quick time.’

14. filer d’un train d’enfer, ‘to go off at a frightful pace.’

Page 49.

7. sur son compte, ‘about him.’

9. se saignait les quatre membres, ‘was working himself to death.’

13. on lui avait donné un modèle de bâtons, ‘they had set him some pot-hooks and hangers to copy.’

16. grand Dieu! see note, p. 12 l. 22.

22. à pleines mains, ‘tightly in his hand.’ Cf.— _donner à pleines mains_, ‘to give generously.’

Page 50.

6. je serais venu à bout de lui apprendre . ., ‘I should have managed to teach him . .’

11. rhétoricien, ‘sixth-form boy.’

16. à l’œuvre, ‘at their tricks.’

17. me serrait le cœur, ‘depressed me.’

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