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Colette (1873-1954)

Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette was born in the Burgundian village of Saint-Sauveur-en Puisaye. She was the daughter of a retired army captain, Jules-Joseph Colette.
Encouraged to start a career as a writer Colette published in short period four "Claudine" novels (1900-03) under her husband's pen name Willy. According to a famous story, he locked Colette in her room until she had written enough pages. The series of four novels depicted improper adventures of a teenage girl. The series was a huge success and inspired all kinds of side products - a musical stage play, Claudine uniform, Claudine soap, cigars, and perfume. However, Colette's own cosmetics shop went bankrupt. Tired of her husbands unfaithfulness, Colette broke free of him in 1905. After divorce in 1906 Colette became a music-hall performer at such places as La Chatte Amoureuse and L'Oiseau de Nuit.
In 1912 Colette married Henri de Jouvenel des Ursins, the editor of the newspaper Le Matin, for which she wrote theatre chronicles and short stories.
In 1910 Colette published "La Vagabonde", a story about an actress who rejects a man she loves in order to live in an independent way. During World War I Colette converted her husband's St. Malo estate into a hospital for the wounded. After the war she was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (1920).
The 1920s brought Colette enormous fame. She entered the world of modern poetry and paintings, which centered around Jean Cocteau. By 1927 Colette was frequently acclaimed as France's greatest woman writer. Especially Colette's insights into the behavior of women in love gained a sympathetic response from the reading public.
In the 1940s Colette portrayed her later years in "L'étoile vesper" (1946) and "Le fanal bleu" (1949), which constantly questioned the relationship between autobiography and fiction. "Gigi" (1945) was published when the author was 72; the novel was made into a film in 1948.
In the 1930s Colette was made a member of the Belgian Royal Academy. She was the first woman to be admitted to the prestigious Goncourt Academy. In 1953 she became a grand officer of the Legion of Honour. She won also many awards for her work. During the last 20 years of her life Colette suffered from a crippling form of arthritis. Her marriage with Henry de Jouvenal ended in 1924. From 1935 she was married to Maurice Goudaket, whose pearl business had been ruined during the Depression.
Colette died on August 3, 1954 in Paris. Colette was accorded a state funeral despite the refusal of Catholic rites on the grounds that she had been divorced. Her funeral was attended by thousands of mourners.


a fai scimpròrius, ma a dus fai cun prexu
apatalca şeyler yap, ama onları büyük bir şevkle yap
az(e) bovedades, ama azelas kon entuziazmo
činite gluposti, ali činite ih s oduševljenjem
csináljatok hülyeségeket, de csináljátok lelkesedéssel
dari muļķīgas lietas, bet dari to ar entuziasmu
darykite kvailus dalykus, bet darykite juos entuziastingai
dělejte hlouposti, ale dělejte je s nadšením
do stupid things, but do them with enthusiasm
doe domme dingen, maar doe ze met enthousiasme
doen dom dinge, maar doen dit met geesdrif
Eger karî qorrîsh dekey be dillgermîyewe bîke -Colette
egitzazu ergelkeriak, baina, egitzazu gogo biziz
ejaporo vyresa, ejapoke kyre’ỹme
faceţi prostii, dar faceţi-le cu entuziasm
faciate re sciornarìe, ma faciàtele co\' r\'intusiasmu
facite fessarìe, ma facìtele cu ntusiasmo
facìti cosi stùpiti, ma facìtili cu \'ntusiasmu
faciti fissarìe, ma facitile \'ccu entusiasmu
faciti minchiati, ma facìtili cco´piaciri
faghides macchines, ma faghidelos cun entusiasmu
fai fatadas, peru failas cun xeitu
fai parvadas mais fainas con ansia
faites des bêtises, mais faites-les avec enthousiasme - Colette
fasei macacadis, ma faseilis cun entusiasim
fasì cassade ma basta chee fasì co entusiasmo
fate delle schiocchezze, ma fatele con entusiasmo
fate pure fesserie, ma fatele co´ entusiasmo
fati dilli sciocchezzi,ma facitili cu entusiasmu
faz estupidezes, mas fá-las com entusiasmo
fè däl bujarî, mo fèi in SvarZûra
fè dle stupidade ma fele content
fe fatezas, pero fé-las con delera
fè monade, ma fele con entusiasmo
fê pòr dàl cretinêdi, mò còl gôst èd fêrli
féde dâi cavîlye, mâ féde-lè avoué dzé
fes bajanades, però fes-les amb ganes
fì de le stupidade, ma con entusiasmo
gör tokiga saker men gör dem med entusiasm
gra sotonioù, gra anezho gwad berv ennout avat
gwna bethau gwirion, ond gwna nhw\'n frwd
gør dumme ting, men gør det med entusiasme
hasi kosnan bobo, pero hasinan ku entusiasmo
haz estupideces, pero hazlas con entusiasmo
insani, at cum fervore
kàmete anapotìe, ma kametèe me entusiasmo
róbcie głupstwa, lecz róbcie je z entuzjazmem
robte hlúposti, ale robte ich s nadšením
stultaĵojn faru, sed ilin faru entuziasme
Tishtên seyr bike, lê bi dilgermî bike -Colette
uwe mpumbavu lakini kwa shauku
κάνε ηλιθιότητες, αλλά κάνε τις με ενθουσιασμό
като вършите глупости, поне ги вършете с ентусиазъм
радите глупе ствари, али радите их са ентузијазмом
עשו שטויות אך עשו אותן בהתלהבות
ارتكبوا الأخطاء التافهة، ولكن ارتكبوها بسرور
كار هاي احمقانه انجام دهيد ولي با اشتياق
做愚蠢的事情,但要用热情去做
愚蠢的事情不怕做,而且要熱心地去做