alimenter

M. Thibault qui ne s'alimentait plus, était très faible, et ne cessait pas de souffrir.

Mr Thibault – who had stopped eating by now – was very weak and couldn't stop suffering.

Alimentez-le, Madame, ce malade-là (...) De braves petits plats, œufs frais, bonne viande. Il aime les nouilles ? Oui ? Donnez-lui en.

Madam, feed that patient (...) Nice little meals, fresh eggs, some nice meat. He likes noodles? He does? Give him some.

M. de Norpois rompit enfin le silence pour prononcer ces mots qui devaient pendant vingt ans alimenter la conversation des chancelleries ...

Mr de Norpois finally broke the silence to utter those words that will feed the conversations of chancelleries for twenty years...