Le Petit Chose Part 24

7. bon . . sages, 'kind . . good.'

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

13. grands yeux: cf. _les fenetres sont grandes ouvertes_, 'the windows are wide open.'

14. a leur intention, 'especially for them.' Cf. _a mon intention_, p. 51 l. 2.

18. n'entendait pas, 'did not want.'

de la sorte, 'in this way.'

Page 44.

9. a la recreation 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 manque le train_, 'I have missed the train, _il manque d'esprit_, 'he is wanting in brains.'

_j'ai manque de tomber_, 'I nearly fell.'

18. quartiers, 'departments.'

les grands, les moyens, les pet.i.ts, '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 la que . ., 'that was where . .'

14. crible 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. pa.s.ser licencie, 'pa.s.s my Master of Arts degree.'

All university students in France, who wish to become teachers in a _lycee_ or _college_, or professors in a university, must pa.s.s several examinations before becoming qualified for such posts. The _Baccalaureat_ -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 _lycee_ or _college_.

Upon those who have pa.s.sed these examinations the t.i.tles of _Bachelier_ and _Licencie es lettres_ or _es sciences_ (_es=en les_) are respectively conferred. The _Agregation_ and _Doctorat_, the pa.s.sing of which confers the t.i.tles of _agrege_ and _docteur_, are very stiff. The former is compet.i.tive, 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 pa.s.sed this examination.

Page 46.

1. sur les bras, 'on my hands.'

6. emboitaient le pas a merveille, 'fell into step splendidly.'

8. jaca.s.saient le long de la route, 'chattered the whole way along.'

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

14. marmaille folle, 'unruly gang of ragam.u.f.fins.'

17. diablotine ebouriffes, '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 manquat, 'to crown all.'

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

Page 47.

2. a nos trousses, 'at our heels.'

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

5. bonnes singeries, 'silly monkey-tricks.'

8. circonstancie, 'detailed.'

16. dans un etat 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'etait, '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.'