He went up to the captain, a tall thin young man of scarcely twenty-eight years, with a despairing, resolute face. He explained things to him; he tried to win him over, watching the effect of his words.
Il s'était approché du capitaine, un grand jeune homme mince, de vingt-huit ans a peine, a la face désespérée et résolue; et il lui expliquait les choses, il tâchait de le gagner, guettant l'effet de ses paroles.