Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde est-il l'un des premiers « people » de l'histoire ? A la fin du dix-neuvième siècle, cet esthète, dandy et philosophe est aussi connu pour ses publications littéraires que pour ses scandales, sa brillante conversation, ses larges dépenses et son mode de vie hédoniste choquant la bonne société victorienne britannique. Condamné aux travaux forcés à cause de son homosexualité, la chute de cet auteur irlandais fut aussi rapide que son ascension. Retour sur son parcours à l'occasion de la sortie de son chef-d’oeuvre, Le Portrait de Dorian Gray, en version bilingue.
Early life
Irish writer, Oscar Wilde, was born in Dublin in 1854. A self-proclaimed “genius,” he declared, shortly after his university graduation: “God knows I won’t be a dried up Oxford don, anyhow. I cannot live without desire, fear and pain. I’ll be a poet, a writer, a dramatist. Somehow, or other, I’ll be famous, and if not famous, notorious.” self-proclaimed autoproclamé / graduation (cérémonie de remise) diplôme / dried up ici, aigri / don professeur d’université / anyhow de toute façon / dramatist dramaturge / somehow d’une manière ou d’une autre / notorious tristement célèbre, sulfureux.
A gay icon?
Homosexuality was illegal in England in the 19th century, but despite this, Wilde was as openly gay as late Victorian society allowed him to be: his literary work contained many homoerotic references, he secretly pursued young boys and his longest, stormiest love affair with Lord Alfred Douglas (also known as “Bosie”) was an open secret in society. late (à la) fin (de) / Victorian Victorien, de l’époque victorienne (XIXème) / to pursue ici, courir après, rechercher la compagnie de / stormy orageux, tumultueux / love affair liaison.
A “Wilde” lifestyle
In art as well as in life, Wilde pursued “aestheticism”: art for art’s sake. As a result, he became known for his extravagant lifestyle, which included expensive and stylish clothes – his witty and flamboyant personality was famous even before he had a literary breakthrough. He often struggled to make ends meet, in spite of his earnings. In 1884, he married Constance Lloyd, who offered him a more stable financial situation – and allowed him a reprieve from the gossip surrounding his sexuality. for the sake of au nom/dans le seul but (ici, de faire) de / stylish élégant, chic / witty spirituel, plein d’esprit / flamboyant haut en couleur, extravagant / breakthrough ici, succès / to struggle avoir du mal (à) / to make, made, made ends meet joindre les deux bouts / in spite of en dépit de / earnings revenus / reprieve répit / gossip potins, ragots.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)
Wilde’s novel tells the story of young Dorian Gray who, upon meeting older aesthete Lord Henry Wotton, sells his soul so that his portrait will age and record his sins, rather than his own person. The novel shocked Britain when it was published and was partially censored by its editor. The Picture of Dorian Gray Le Portrait de Dorian Gray / novel roman / soul âme / to age vieillir / to record ici, recueillir / sin péché.
Prison sentence
Wilde’s outspoken lifestyle eventually caught up with him. He was sued for “gross indecency” (a sentence synonymous with homosexuality) by his lover’s father, lost the case at trial and was condemned to two years of hard labour. sentence condamnation, peine / outspoken déclaré, ouvert, franc / eventually finalement / to catch, caught, caught up with rattraper / to sue poursuivre en justice / gross indecency outrage à la pudeur / case affaire / trial procès / hard labour travail forcé.
A sharp downfall
At one point, Wilde was bankrupt and had to sell the rights to his plays and novels to pay his creditors. When he was released from prison, his mental and physical health had suffered greatly. He died of meningitis three years later, in 1900, at the age of 46, as a self-imposed exile in France, never having returned to Ireland or the UK after prison. sharp net / downfall chute / bankrupt en faillite / creditor créancier / to be released sortir, être relâché / greatly ici, fortement.