The Picture of Dorian Gray

Introduction
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), great Irish writer, drama turge and poet,
but also renowned aesthete and dandy, wrote only one novel that became a classic
of Gothic and Fantastic Literature: The Picture of Dorian Gray (in French, Le Portrait
de Dorian Gray) en 1890. Mixing duplicity, decadence and horror, he made the
portrait of Dorian, a young man of great beauty, under the influence of Lord Henry,
will become a superfluous and cruel being, and express the wish to see the portrait,
that his friend the painter Basil Hallward made him, grow old and lose its beauty in
its place. But the portrait, hidden in the eyes of all, will also bear the marks
of his crimes. Dorian falls in love with an actress, Sybil Vane, and promises marriage.

Model answers
a. The Picture of Dorian Gray must be a story about a supernatural picture that is the
double of the eponymous character, Dorian. As Dorian is proudly posing in front of
his portrait, we can deduce he loves it but he may hate it later as the portrait could
enact dreadful things or show certain things Dorian had rather people did not see.
b. Dorian realised that his picture had changed and that it was now showing him in a
different light: depicted with a touch of cruelty that could mirror his evil action of
suddenly breaking up with Sybil, the woman he said he loved, just because she had
played poorly, which meant that HE was the one who was “shallow” (l. 34) and
unfaithful. The readers understand the picture acts as “a mirror,” a double of Dorian.
c. His “mad wish” (l. 25) was to have the portrait age in his place so that he could
preserve his youth and beauty. It is a Faustian pact (definition: an agreement in
which somebody agrees to do something bad in return for success or power. The
reference is Faust who, according to the German legend, sold his soul to the Devil in
return for many years of power and pleasure). This deal is against the rules of nature
and life – and in this respect, Dorian is close to Victor Frankenstein who crossed
ethical and biological boundaries. They will both fall victims to their hubris
(definition: when a character, too proud, ignores warnings and laws, which results in
their downfall and death).
d. The picture could take power over Dorian or show the monster in Dorian / the one
he could turn out to be and it may live a life of its own as in a horror movie. In the
extract, “beauty” and “soul” are opposed, therefore we can deduce there will be no
happy ending for Dorian who also thinks the picture ‘’held the secret of his life, and
told his story” (l. 41- 42): he may thus want to put an end to that by destroying the
picture.
 Translation workshop

1. a. La relation qui unit le personnage principal, Dorian, et son portrait est d’ordre
surnaturel. Le portrait est un double, un miroir de Dorian, plus «  vrai  » en quelque
sorte qu’un simple reflet de lui car il livre ce qu’il est vraiment, le portrait de son
âme.
b. Le portrait change au fur et à mesure que Dorian change moralement et montre
ce qu’il est vraiment. Ici, pour un acte commis avec égoïsme, vanité et cruauté, il
laisse apparaître une expression de cruauté dans le tableau même.
c. On emploiera l’imparfait et le passé simple.

2. a. C’est la préposition «back» qui donne son sens à la traduction et se retrouve

traduite par le verbe « recula » en français alors que le verbe anglais «started»
donne l’idée de « bond ».
b. La traduction 2 est la traduction appropriée  : «  qui traversait difficilement les
stores de soie couleur crème ». Elle donne en effet l’idée contenue dans la
préposition «through» (« à travers ») par un verbe, alors que l’idée de lutte et donc
de difficulté contenue dans le verbe «struggle» est rendue par l’adverbe
« difficilement ».
c. Non, on n’a pas utilisé une traduction de mot à mot. Dans le 2e exemple, on
comprend bien que la lumière ne lutte pas (ce qui ne voudrait rien dire en français)
mais a du mal à passer à travers les stores. C’est la préposition qui donne son sens à
la traduction.
3. Proposition de traduction : Alors qu’il tournait la poignée de la porte, ses yeux
tombèrent sur le portrait que Basil Hallward avait peint de lui. Il recula d’un bond
sous le coup de la surprise. Puis il se rendit dans sa chambre, l’air quelque peu
perplexe. Après qu’il eut retiré la fleur de la boutonnière de sa veste, il sembla
hésiter. Finalement, il revint sur ses pas, s’approcha du tableau, et l’examina. Dans la
faible lumière qui, retenue, traversait avec difficulté les stores en soie de couleur
crème, le visage lui sembla avoir quelque peu changé. L’expression paraissait
différente. On aurait dit que la bouche laissait voir une touche de cruauté. C’était
étrange à n’en pas douter.