Chapter 2

In silent anguish they now awaited the close now so surely approaching (S. 48, N. 6). His speech was becoming less and less distinct. The last words audible were: “More Light!” The final darkness grew apace, and he whose eternal longings had been for more light, gave a parting cry for it as he was passing under the shadow of death.

He continued to express himself by signs, drawing letters with his forefinger in the air, while he had strength, and finally, as life (S. 3, N. 2) ebbed, drawing figures slowly on the shawl which covered his legs. At half-past twelve he composed himself in the corner of the easy chair. His faithful watcher placed a finger on her lips to intimate that he was asleep. It was a sleep in which a life glided from the world. He woke no more.—G. H. LEWES, LIFE OF GOETHE.

they = his friends, +die Seinen+.

In ordinary prose adjectives qualifying a noun should precede it.

final = last.

+Dunkel+ (n.) +stieg hernieder+.

he — death = he who had always longed (+sich sehnen+) for (+nach+) more light, cried still parting for it (+danach+) when the night of death overshadowed him.

=The conjunction +indem+ with a finite verb is frequently employed for rendering the English Participle in -ing used in adverbial clauses of manner=; as—

Supporting himself on her arm he slowly ascended the stairs.

+~Indem~ er sich auf ihren Arm ~stützte~, stieg er langsam die Treppe hinauf.+

+Buchstaben+, which place after ‘forefinger’.

After ‘he’ insert the adverb +noch+.

+dahin´fluten+.

drew he slowly figures (+Zahlen+), etc.

+Um halb eins.+

to compose oneself in the corner, +sich ruhig in die Ecke zurück´legen+.

+Wärterin.+

Use the Present of the Subj. App. § 28 and § 30.

+scheiden+; from, +aus+.

Say ‘Goethe’ instead of ‘he’; woke = awoke; no more, +nicht wieder+.

Section 112.

ON TRAVELLING (S. 3, N. 2).

I wish folks in general would keep their eyes a little more open when they travel by rail. When I see young people rolling along in a luxurious carriage, absorbed (S. 102, N. 3) in a trashy shilling novel, and never lifting up their eyes to look out of the window, unconscious of all that they are passing;—of the reverend antiquities, the admirable agriculture, the rich and peaceful scenery, the like of which no other country upon earth can show (App. § 18); unconscious, too, of how much they might learn of botany and geology, by simply watching the flowers along the railway banks, and the sections in the cuttings;—then it grieves me to see what little use people make of the eyes and the understanding which God has given them. They complain of a dull journey: but it is not the journey which is dull; it is they who are dull. Eyes have they, and see not; ears have they, and hear not; mere dolls in smart clothes, too many of them, like the idols of the heathen.—CHARLES KINGSLEY, TOWN GEOLOGY.

+Ich möchte wohl.+

Say ‘(the) people (+die Leute+) would use (Imperf. Subj. of +brauchen+, App. § 32) in general the eyes a little more’, etc.

+mit der Eisenbahn reisen.+

luxurious = splendid; for the rendering of the verbs in this passage consult S. 78, N. 14, and for their position, App. § 19; to roll along, +dahin´rollen+.

+schlecht.+

Form comp. n. according to S. 76, N. 22, B.

and — eyes = so that they never lift up their eyes. This constr. is necessary to avoid a repetition of participles.

+nichts ahnend.+

+woran sie vorüberfahren.+

Say ‘nothing of’.

excellent.

landscape.

the — which = as, +wie sie+ (grammatical object); comp. S. 51, N. 13.

+auch nicht einmal ahnend.+

I might learn much of botany, +ich könnte viel Botanik lernen+. The subject ‘they’ place after ‘geology’ and before the two verbs.

by — watching = if they would only watch (+beobachten+); along — banks = on (+an+) the sides of the railway.

+Bahnprofil+, n.

+Durchstich+, m. The two verbs must, of course, stand at the end of the whole passage.

+wie wenig+, little (denoting quantity).

+über+, with Acc.

dull = wearisome, +langweilig+.

but — dull = but not the journey is dull.

+sie selbst sind es+ (Comp. S. 104, N. 19).

The inverted constr. would not read well here; use therefore the ordinary constr.

are nothing but (+als+) dolls in fine clothes, and like (+gleich+, with Dat.) the idols (+Götzenbilder+) of the heathens are there too many of them (+sind ihrer zu viele+).

Section 113.

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BODY.

I have nothing new to say upon the management which the body requires. The common rules are the best:—exercise without fatigue; generous living without excess; early rising, and moderation in sleeping. These are the apothegms of old women; but if they are not attended to, happiness becomes (App. § 15) so extremely difficult that very few persons can attain to it. In this point of view, the care of the body becomes a subject of elevation and importance. A walk in the fields, an hour’s less sleep, may remove all these bodily vexations and disquietudes which are such formidable enemies to virtue; they may enable the mind to pursue its own resolves without that constant train of temptations to resist, and obstacles to overcome, which it always experiences from the bad organisation of its companion.—SIDNEY SMITH.

treatment.

+bedürfen+, govern. the Gen.

strengthening food.

+Lebensregeln.+

to attend to, +beobachten+, v. tr.

the acquisition of happiness.

Insert the adv. ‘only’ after ‘that’.

I cannot attain to it, +ich kann es nicht erlangen+ (v. tr.).

In — view, +Von diesem Gesichtspunkte aus betrachtet+, after which follows the verb (App. § 14).

+Pflege+, f.

Say ‘a grand (+erhaben+) and important subject’.

an hour.

can perhaps.

disturbances and troubles, +Störungen und Beschwerden+.

Use the noun with the Gen. of the def. art.

+befähigen+, v. tr.

mind = soul.

+folgen+, with Dat.

‘train’, here = host, +Heer+, n.; of, von; to resist, +widerstehen+, govern. the Dat.

Supply here ‘those’.

the acquaintance of which (+deren+) the soul always owes (+verdanken+, govern. the Dat.) to the defective organisation of its companion.

Section 114.

THE SOURCES OF WATER.

There are many sources of water. The first great source is the ocean, which collects all the water from the earth; this water contains so large a quantity of salt, that none of us can drink it. The sun, however, bears down upon the ocean’s surface, and its heating rays penetrating the water, combine, as it were, with it (S. 4, N. 5, B), and raise it up. The atmosphere (S. 5, N. 2), like a sponge, absorbs the vaporous water, carrying it from the Equator to the Arctic and the Antarctic regions; thus distributing it north and south. It then condenses in the form of rain and of snow. When it sinks into the earth and pours down the mountain sides, it forms springs and rivulets, entering (S. 16, N. 4) the ocean again in the form of rivers. Man catches it in tubs and cisterns, draws it from the rivers, or digs down into the earth, and catches it as it passes along beneath his feet. Thus we have rain water, river water, and spring or well water.—DR. LANKESTER.

Here +Urquellen+.

The water has many sources.

great = chief; form a comp. n.

To render ‘from the’ use the Gen. of the def. art.

none of us = nobody.

bears down upon = shines.

+erwärmend.+

penetrating = penetrate, +durchdrin´gen+, insep. comp. str. v.

as it were, +gleichsam+.

and draw it upward.

+wie.+

+das verdunstete Wasser.+

carries it.

+nach den nördlichen und südlichen Polargegenden.+

and distributes it north and southward. Comp. S. 71, N. 2, the principle stated there applying likewise to other compound expressions besides nouns.

the = on (+an+) the.

to enter again the ocean, +dem Ozean wieder zuströmen+.

in the form of = as, which place after the rel. pron.

+auf´fangen+, sep. c. str. v.

to draw water, +Wasser schöpfen+.

+aus.+

down = deep.

+sammeln.+

‘to pass along’, here +dahin´fließen+.

+Auf diese Weise.+

Section 115.

THE ART OF ORATORY.

I owe my success in life to one single fact, namely:—At the age of twenty-seven I commenced, and continued for years, the process of daily speaking (S. 34, N. 10) upon the contents of some historical or scientific book. These efforts were made sometimes in a corn-field, at others in the forest, and not unfrequently in some distant barn, with the horse and ox for my auditors. It is this early practice in the great art of all arts that I am indebted for the primary and leading impulses that stimulated me forward, and shaped and moulded my entire subsequent destiny. Improve, then, the superior advantages (S. 16, N. 10) you here enjoy. Let not a day pass without exercising (S. 34, N. 10) your powers of speech. There is (S. 82, N. 7) no power like that of oratory. Cæsar controlled men by exciting their fears; Cicero by captivating their affection and swaying their passions. The influence of the one perished with its author; that of the other continues to this day.—HENRY CLAY.

To avoid beginning with the pronoun ‘=I=’, which seldom looks well in German, and is considered bad style in letters, place the object first, and construe according to App. § 14.

=fact = deed or action = +That+=, f.; =fact = event= (as in this instance) = +=Thatsache=+, f.; =the Latin +Factum+=, pl. =+Facta+ or +Facten+ is, however, used in both significations=.

At the, +Im+.

Supply ‘years’, and construe thus: I began the process (+Verfahren+, n.), which I continued for years (+jahrelang+) to speak daily about (+über+, with Acc.), etc.; some = a.

efforts = exercises.

Here place the verb.

+zuweilen.+

+entlegen.+

whereby horse and ox formed my audience (+Zuhörer+).

It — forward = To this early practice ... I owe the first and leading impulses (+Triebfedern+) which urged me forward (+vor´wärtstreiben+, sep. comp. str. v.).

subsequent = later.

Improve = Use, which use in the 2nd pers. pl.; then = therefore; superior = great.

+genießen.+

‘Not’ in connection with the indef. art. must generally be rendered by ‘no’.

+vorü´bergehen.+

+Redetalent+, n.

+welche der der Beredsamkeit gleichkommt.+

+beherrschen.+

+durch Erregung+; render ‘their’ by the Gen. of the def. art.

Supply here ‘controlled them’ (+beherrschte sie dadurch, daß er+ ...). Comp. and read carefully S. 87, N. 6, and also S. 1, N. 3. The verb +beherrschen+ requires the preposition +durch+.

by — passions = that he gained (+sich gewinnen+) their love and guided (+lenken+) their passions.

+erstarb+; its author = the author of the same (to agree with ‘influence’).

+fort´dauern+, sep. c. w. v.; to this day, +bis auf den heutigen Tag+.

+~Henry Clay~ (geb. 1777 in Virginien, 1852 in Washington) war ein amerikanischer Staatsmann, welcher sich als Sohn eines einfachen Landmannes bis zu den höchsten Ämtern des Staats heraufarbeitete; 1824 ward er zum Staatssekretär des Auswärtigen ernannt und 1829 war er unter Jacksons Präsidentschaft im Kongreß Führer der Opposition, als welcher er die Schutzzölle und die Nationalbank verteidigte. Im Jahre 1849 brachte er den Kompromiß zustande, wonach dem Süden das Recht der Verfolgung flüchtiger Sklaven durch das Gebiet der Union eingeräumt ward.+

Section 116.

EARLY PRIVATIONS.

Admiral Jervis, Earl of St. Vincent, tells us the story of his early struggles, and, among other things, of his determination (S. 1, N. 2) to keep out of debt. “My father had a very large family,” said he, “with limited means. He gave me twenty pounds (S. 58, N. 3) at starting, and that was all (S. 3, N. 7) he ever gave me. After I had been a considerable time at the station at sea I drew for twenty more, but the bill came back protested. I was mortified at this rebuke, and made a promise, which I have ever kept, that I would never draw another bill without a certainty of its being paid. I immediately changed my mode of living, quitted my mess, lived alone, and took up the ship’s allowance, which I found quite sufficient; washed and mended my own clothes; made a pair of trousers out of the ticking of my bed, and, having (S. 55, N. 1) by these means saved as much money as would redeem my honour, I took up my bill. From (S. 102, N. 4) that time to this I have taken care to keep within my means.”

Jervis (S. 5, N. 2) for six years endured pinching privation, but preserved his integrity, studied his profession with success, and gradually rose by merit and bravery to the highest rank.—S. SMILES, SELF-HELP.

Early Privations, +Jugendentbehrungen+; the story — struggles. This passage, literally rendered, is not clear in German, and should be turned thus: of (+von+) the struggles with privations, which he had to go through (+bestehen+), when he was a youth (+als Jüngling+, which place after the subject ‘he’).

among other things = +unter anderem+.

+sich von Schulden freihalten.+

at starting, +beim Beginn meiner Laufbahn+; see App. § 9.

+je+; for the position of the pronoun ‘me’ see App. § 9, and use the verb in the Perfect, omitting, however, the auxiliary according to App. § 22.

+auf meinem Posten zur See.+

I — more = I drew another (+noch ein+) bill of twenty pounds. To draw a bill, +einen Wechsel ziehen+.

to come back protested, +mit Protest wieder zurück´kommen+.

I felt (+sich fühlen+).

mortified = humbled, +gedemütigt+; at, +durch+.

‘to make a promise’, here +ein Gelübde ablegen+.

ever = always, +stets+.

that — bill. This clause is best changed into a shortened subordinate clause in form of a supine: never to draw a bill again. Place ‘again’ after ‘never’.

without — paid, +ohne auch sicher zu sein, daß man ihn honorieren würde+.

‘To quit’, here to give up.

+Offizierstisch.+

To live, equivalent to reside or dwell, is generally rendered by +=wohnen=+; but equivalent to exist is rendered by +=leben=+.

+und hielt mich an die Schiffsrationen+; quite, +durchaus+.

here +flicken+.

bed = bed-covering; Comp. n. S. 36, N. 7, A.

by these means = in (+auf+) this manner.

as — honour = in order to redeem (+wieder ein´lösen+) my honour.

to take up one’s bill, +seinen Wechsel bezahlen+.

Say ‘I have always endeavoured’.

to keep within one’s means, +nicht über seine Mittel hinaus leben+; for six years, +sechs Jahre lang+.

We would use the superlative here; pinching, +drückend+.

‘to rise’, here +empor´steigen+; to, +bis zu+, contracted with the Dat. of the def. art.

Section 117.

THE BLESSEDNESS OF FRIENDSHIP.