A Selection from the Comedies of Marivaux

by Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux

[43] IL ME L'A PARU = Cela nil a paru ainsi.

[44] D'OÙ VIENT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.

[45] J'Y METTRAI BON ORDRE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 169.

[46] PLAISANT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 37.

[47] TIMBRÉ COMME CENT, 'As crazy as a loon.' It is difficult to preserve the figure in an idiomatic translation. Compare the colloquial English, "You act like sixty."

[48] CERVELLE BRÛLÉE. A peculiar use of cervelle. Brûlée is used here by Marivaux in the sense troublée, as in the passage from Mme. de Sévigné: "Mme. de Saint-Géran est toute brûlée du départ de son mari."

[49] IL EN EST COMME UN PERDU, 'He is like a man who has lost his reason.' Cf. le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 120.

[50] UN PEU BOUDANT. Nowadays the adverb follows the verb. Here boudant might at first thought be taken for an adjective, but it is a present participle used verbally and consequently invariable.

[51] ON A BIEN AFFAIRE DE, 'I have no use for.' This idiom must not be confounded with avoir affaire à, which means 'to have to deal with.'

[52] ESPRIT RENVERSÉ, 'A crazy man.'