Part 2
178. How the Duke of Wellington was Deceived.—Historical Anecdotes 134
179-181. A Letter from Dr. Henry Danson to Mr. John Forster, on Charles Dickens’s School-Life 135-137
182. Sir Joseph Paxton.—S. Smiles 138
183-186. Rebecca describes the Siege of Torquilstone to the wounded Ivanhoe.—Sir Walter Scott 139-143
187-190. The Favourite Hares.—William Cowper 144-146
191. Prince Bismarck’s Home.—The Correspondent of the London “Daily News” 147
192. Royal Benevolence.—W. Buck 148
193. Telegraphy among Birds.—Prof. G. Wilson 149
194-196. The Hanse.—J. H. Fyfe 150-152
197. Coming to Terms.—The “Young Ladies’ Journal” 153
198. False Pride.—The “New York Herald” 155
199. Anecdotes of Great Statesmen:
I. Abraham Lincoln.—The “New York Herald” 156
II. Prince Bismarck and Lord Beaconsfield.—The Correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph” 156
200. The Power of Music.—Manchester “Tit-Bits” 158
201-206. The two Schoolboys, or Eyes and No Eyes.—Dr. Aikin 159-165
207, 208. The King and the Miller.—Chambers’s Short Stories 166, 167
209, 210. A Friend in Need.—Chambers’s Short Stories 168, 169
211. My First Guinea.—The Rev. Dr. Vaughan 169
212. The Green Vaults in Dresden.—Bayard Taylor 171
213. The Death of Little Nell.—Charles Dickens 172
214. The Childhood of Robert Clive.—Lord Macaulay 173
215, 216. An Adventure with a Lion.—Dr. Livingstone 173, 174
217-220. The Burning of Moscow.—Sir Walter Scott 175-177
221-223. Christmas in Germany.—Bayard Taylor 178-180
224. New-Year’s Eve in Germany.—Bayard Taylor 181
225, 226. The Two Robbers.—Dr. Aikin 182
227, 228. A Touching Scene at Sea.—Rev. E. Davies 183, 184
229-232. An Oration on the Power of Habit.—J. B. Gough 185-187
233-242. A Curious Story.—W. J. J. Spry 187-194
243, 244. How the Bank of England was Humbled.—“Tit-Bits” 195, 196
245, 246. Morgan Prussia.—King George the Fourth 197, 198
247. The Terrible Winter of 1784.—After Alexander Dumas 199
248-250. A Story Worth Reading.—St. James’s Magazine 201, 203
Appendix:
A.—Essentials of Construction 205
B.—The Indicative Mood 209
C.—The Subjunctive (or Conjunctive) Mood 210
D.—The Conditional Mood 213
Synopsis of the changes the German Spelling has undergone through the Government Regulations of 1880 215-222
Index to the Grammatical Rules and Idiomatic Renderings 223-228
GERMAN COMPOSITION.
1. Words which, in the English text and in the periphrases of the English text, are printed in _Italics_, must not be translated.
2. When two words are separated by a dash (—) in the Notes, they represent the first and last word of a whole clause in the English text, and the rendering refers to the clause thus indicated.
3. When two or more words are separated by dots (...) in the Notes, the rendering refers to those words only.
4. The sign = is used in the meaning of: ‘is equivalent to’.
5. As a rule, the periphrases are given in correct English construction.
_Section 1._
A GOOD MAXIM[1].
My maxim is: never to begin[2] a book without finishing[3] it, never to consider[4] it finished without[5] knowing it, and to study[6] it with[7] a whole mind.—SIR THOMAS BUXTON.
[1] +Grundsatz+, m.
[2] to begin, +an´fangen+. When the =Infinitive= is used either subjectively or objectively, it is generally preceded by the preposition +=zu=+, and is called =Supine=. Comp. S. 78, N. 14, 1. To form the =Supine Present= of compound separable verbs, like +an´fangen+, we must place the preposition +zu+ between the separable prefix and the verb. The Supine must be used here. See App. § 1.
[3] to finish, +beendigen+. The =Supine= is generally used for rendering the =English Gerund= (i.e. the verbal in -ing) when the latter is governed by a preposition, though, sometimes, this form may be rendered by the help of the subordinative conjunction +~daß~+ and a finite verb (i.e. one with a personal termination); as—
He judges _without understanding_ anything about the matter.
+Er urteilt, ~ohne~ etwas von der Sache ~zu verstehen~+, _or_ +~ohne daß er~ etwas von der Sache ~versteht~.+
Use the Supine, which is always to be placed at the end of the clause.
[4] To consider a thing finished, +eine Sache ~als~ beendigt betrachten+. The pronoun ‘it’ should begin the clause. See App. § 2.
[5] without — it, +ohne mit dem Inhalt desselben vertraut zu sein+.
[6] to study, +studie´ren+.
[7] with — mind = with undivided attention.
_Section 2._
WHAT IS ETERNITY?
_The_ following question was[1] put in writing[2] to a boy[3] in the deaf-and-dumb school[4] at Paris: “What is eternity?” “It is the life-time of the Almighty,” was the answer.—REV. R. K. ARVINE.
[1] Here the verb is in the Passive Voice. Remember that the =German Passive Voice= is formed by the auxiliary +=werden=+. =The verb is in the Passive Voice whenever the subject is suffering the action expressed by the verb=; as—
The castle _was built_ in the year 1609.
+Das Schloß ~wurde~ im Jahre 1609 ~erbaut~.+
To put a question to a person, +einem eine Frage vor´legen+.
[2] in writing, +schriftlich+, which place before the p. p. (App. § 1).
[3] boy = pupil.
[4] +Taubstummenanstalt+, f.; render ‘in the’ by the gen. of the def. art.; at = in.
_Section 3._
THE ACTION[1] OF[2] WATER.
The action of water on[3] our food[4] is very important. There[5] would be no carrying of food into the system but for the agency of water. It dissolves everything[6] that[7] we take[8], and nothing[9] that we take as food can[10] become nutriment that[11] is not dissolved in water.—DR. LANKESTER.
[1] ‘action’, here = operation, +Wirkung+, f.
[2] Use the gen. of the def. art. =The definite article= is always required before nouns representing the whole of a given class, and before abstract nouns taken in a general sense.
[3] on = upon.
[4] food = victuals, +Speisen+, pl.
[5] This sentence must be construed in a somewhat different way; say: ‘Without the agency (+Vermittelung+, f.) of water, no food (+Nahrung+, f.) would be conveyed into the body,’ +würde dem Körper keine Nahrung zu´geführt werden+.
[6] everything = all.
[7] ‘that’, here +~was~+. The indefinite relative pronoun +=was=+ is the pronoun generally required after the indefinite numerals +alles+, +etwas+, +manches+, +nichts+, +viel+, and +wenig+, after the indefinite demonstrative pronoun +~das~+, and also after a superlative used substantively; as +Das Schönste, was ich habe+.
[8] ‘To take’, when used of food, may be rendered by +essen+, +trinken+, or +genießen+, which latter verb should be used here.
[9] ‘nothing — food’, may be briefly rendered by ‘+keine genossene Speise+‘.
[10] can — nutriment = can serve as nutriment (+Ernährung+, f.). The verb +dienen+ requires the prep. +zu+, which governs the dat. and must here be contracted with the def. art. into +zur+: see N. 2.
[11] that — water = before (+ehe+, see App. § 17) the same (f.) is dissolved in water.
_Section 4._
OF[1] WHAT USE IS IT?
When[2] Franklin made his discovery of the identity[3] of lightning[4] and electricity[4], it[4] was sneered at[5], and _people_ asked: “Of what use is it?” To[6] which his apt reply was: “What is the use of a child?—It may[7] become a man!”—S. SMILES.
[1] Of — it, +Wozu nützt es?+
[2] ‘=When=’, referring to definite time of the Past, must always be rendered by ‘+=als=+’.
[3] of the identity, _von der Identität_, f.; see S. 3, N. 2.
[4] When the agent from which the action proceeds is not mentioned, the =English Passive Voice= is often rendered by a =reflective verb=, or by the indefinite pronoun +=man=+ and a verb in the =Active Voice=; as—
At last the book _was found_.
+Endlich {~fand sich~} das Buch.+ +{~fand man~ }+
Say ‘people (+man+) sneered at it.’
[5] _A._ To sneer at something, +über etwas spotten+; _B._ ‘=at it=’ = there at, +=darüber=+. The English pronouns ‘=it=’, ‘=them=’, ‘=that=’, and ‘=those=’, dependent on a preposition governing in German the dative or accusative, are generally to be rendered by the pronominal adverb ‘+=da=+’ in combination with a corresponding preposition. This is always the case when ‘it’ and ‘that’, in connection with a preposition are used indefinitely, and frequently when either of these pronouns refers to a noun representing an inanimate object or an abstract idea. The letter +r+ is inserted between the adverb +da+ and the preposition, whenever the latter begins with a vowel.
[6] To — was = Upon this (+Hierauf+) he (inverted constr., see App. § 14) gave _the_ following striking (+treffend+) answer.
[7] may = can; to become a man, +zum Manne werden+.
_Section 5._
WEALTH[1].
Wealth, after all[2], is[3] but a relative thing: for he who has[4] little, and wants[5] still less, is richer than he who has much, and wants still more.—REV. C. COTTON.
[1] wealth, +Reichtum+, m., see S. 3, N. 2.
[2] after all ... but, +doch immer nur+; a — thing, +etwas Relatives+.
[3] =When the subject, which may be preceded by its attributes, occupies the first place in a principal clause, either the copula or the verb must follow immediately.=
[4] to have = to possess.
[5] ‘to want’, here +bedürfen+.
_Section 6._
MENDELSSOHN IN BIRMINGHAM.
When[1] Mendelssohn, on[2] the first performance of his[3] ‘Elijah’ in Birmingham, was about[4] to enter[5] the orchestra, he[6] said laughingly to one of his friends and critics[7]: “Stick[8] your claws into me! Don’t tell[9] me what you like, but[10] what you don’t like!”—ATHENÆUM.
[1] See S. 4, N. 2.
[2] The preposition ‘on’, signifying ‘on the occasion of’, must be rendered by ‘+bei+’. ‘Performance’, +Aufführung+, f.
[3] Use the gen. of the def. art.; Elijah, +Elias+.
[4] ‘=to be about=’, +~im Begriff sein~+. ‘To be about’ may also be rendered by the auxiliary verb of mood +~wollen~+ and the infinitive of another verb; as—
I _was_ just _about_ to leave, when the letter arrived.
+~Ich war~ gerade ~im~ Begriff abzureisen+ (_or_ +~Ich wollte~ gerade ~abreisen~+), +als der Brief ankam.+
[5] ‘to enter’, +betreten+, see S. 1, N. 2.
[6] Since the subordinate clause precedes the principal clause, the construction of the principal clause must be inverted, see App. § 15.
[7] to — critics, say ‘to a friend and critic’, +Rezensent+, m.
[8] ‘Stick — me!’ This metaphor must be rendered freely by: +Packen Sie mich nur tüchtig an!+
[9] tell = say; to like = to please, with the dat. of the person.
[10] The co-ordinative conjunction ‘=but=’ must be rendered by ‘+=sondern=+’, when, after a negative statement, the subsequent clause expresses an idea altogether contrary to that of its antecedent.
_Section 7._
TO FORGIVE IS[1] TO FORGET.
“I can forgive, but I cannot forget,” is[2] only another way of saying: “I will not forgive.” A wrong _once_ forgiven[3] ought[4] to be like[5] a _cancelled_ note[6], torn in two and burned up, so[7] that it never can be shown against the man.—REV. H. W. BEECHER.
[1] ‘to be’, here = to signify, +heißen+.
[2] is — saying = signifies only in (+mit+) other words. ‘+Das Wort+’ has two plural forms with a different meaning to each: +die Wörter+, single, unconnected words; +die Worte+, words connected into speech.
[3] _A._ Whilst the English Perfect Participle (commonly called Past Participle) is placed both before and after the noun it qualifies, =the German Past Participle used attributively, as a rule, precedes the qualified noun=; as—
We met with a ship _bound for Bremen_.
+Wir trafen =ein nach Bremen bestimmtes Schiff=.+
_B._ Clauses containing a Perfect Participle, however, may also be rendered by the help of a =relative pronoun=. Thus rendered, the preceding sentence would read:
+Wir trafen ein Schiff, =welches nach Bremen bestimmt war=+;
but the first rendering is certainly more concise than the second, and it is to be preferred in all cases where the attributive construction would not be too lengthy. ‘A wrong _once_ forgiven’, say ‘A forgiven wrong’, and mark that: =When Participles are used attributively, and precede the noun they qualify, they must be inflected like adjectives.=
[4] render ‘ought’ by the imperfect of +sollen+.
[5] like, +wie+.
[6] note, +Schuldschein+, m.; to tear in two, +zerrei´ßen+; to burn up, +verbren´nen+. According to the rule given in N. 3, the participles of these two verbs have to be placed before the noun ‘note’, which they qualify.
[7] ‘so — man’, say ‘which never again can be used against the debtor’. According to the hint given in S. 2, N. 1, the verb is in the passive voice, and since the clause is a subordinate one, the verbs must stand at the end of the clause. Place the p. p. first, and the copula (can) last.
_Section 8._
WHAT IS CAPITAL?
What is capital? Is[1] it what a man has? Is[2] it counted (App. § 31) by[3] pounds and pence, stocks[4] and shares[5], by houses and lands[6]? No! Capital[7] is not what a man has, but what a man is. Character[8] is[9] capital; honour[10] is capital.—REV. DR. MACDUFF.
[1] ‘Is — has?’ say ‘Does it consist in that which (see S. 3, N. 7) we possess?’ The prep. ‘in’ here governs the dat. Read again S. 4, N. 5, _B_, and notice that, when the =demonstrative pronouns= ‘that’ and ‘those’ are =followed by a relative pronoun=, they cannot be rendered by the adverb ‘+da+’ in combination with a preceding preposition; as—
We laughed _at that which_ (_or_ at what) you told us.
+Wir lachten ~über das, was~ Sie uns erzählten.+
[2] See S. 2, N. 1; ‘to count’, here +schätzen+.
[3] by = +nach+.
[4] +Wertpapiere.+
[5] +Aktien.+
[6] +Ländereien.+
[7] ‘Capital — is’. The literal translation of this sentence would read very awkwardly in German, say ‘Our capital does not consist in that which we possess, but (S. 6, N. 10) in that which we are.’
[8] Character = A good reputation.
[9] ‘is’, here _ist_.
[10] +Ehrenhaftigkeit+, f.
_Section 9._
A GOOD RULE[1].
A French minister, who was alike[2] remarkable[3] for his[4] despatch of business and _his_ constant[5] attendance at places of public amusement, being[6] asked how he contrived to combine both _objects_, replied: “Simply[7] by never postponing till to-morrow what should be done[8] to-day.”—S. SMILES.
[1] +Lebensregel+, f.
[2] ‘alike ... and’, +sowohl ... wie auch+.
[3] to be remarkable for something, +sich durch etwas aus´zeichnen+.
[4] his — business, +schnelle Erledigung seiner Amtsgeschäfte+.
[5] constant — amusement, +regelmäßiger Besuch öffentlicher Vergnügungsorte+. The prep. +durch+, which requires the acc., must be repeated at the beginning of this clause.
[6] ‘being — replied’; this sentence requires an entirely different construction in German, say ‘answered upon the question, how (App. § 16) he made it possible to combine both (neuter sing.)’. To combine, +vereinigen+. The verb ‘to make’ must be placed in the Present Subjunctive, since the clause contains an indirect question. Read carefully App. §§ 28 and 30.
[7] Simply — to-morrow, +Einfach dadurch, daß ich nie auf morgen verschiebe+.
[8] ‘to do’, here +erledigen+. See S. 2, N. 1, and place the verbs in the order pointed out in S. 7, N. 7.
_Section 10._
ENGLAND UNDER THE RULE[1] OF[2] QUEEN VICTORIA.
The peace, the freedom, the happiness[3], and the order which Victoria’s rule guarantees[4], are[5] part of my birthright as _an_ Englishman, and I bless[6] God for my share[7]! Where else shall[8] I find such liberty[9] of action, thought, speech[10], or[11] laws which protect me so well[12]?—W. M. THACKERAY.
[1] rule = reign.
[2] Use the gen. of the def. art. The definite article is used in German before names of persons when preceded by an adjective or a common name; as—
+Der arme Fritz!+
Poor Fritz!
+Der Kaiser Wilhelm.+
Emperor William.
[3] happiness = well-being, +Wohlfahrt+, f. ‘Victoria’s rule’, say ‘the reign of Queen Victoria’.
[4] to guarantee, +gewähren+.
[5] are part = form a part.
[6] I bless = I thank.
[7] share = lot.
[8] shall = can.
[9] +Freiheit des Handelns.+ Repeat the article before the two following nouns. In German the =articles, possessive adjective pronouns, and other determinative words= must be =repeated= when they are used in reference to several nouns of different gender or number, whilst in English they are only required before the first noun.
[10] Insert ‘and’ before ‘speech’, +Rede+, f., and place the verb +finden+ immediately after that noun.
[11] Substitute the words ‘and where’ for the word ‘or’.
[12] +gut.+
_Section 11._
CONCENTRATION OF POWERS.
The weakest living creature[1], by[2] concentrating his powers on a single object, can[3] accomplish something. The strongest[4], by dispersing his over many, may fail to accomplish anything[5]. The drop, by continually[6] falling[7], bores[8] its passage through the hardest rock. The hasty[9] torrent rushes[10] over it with hideous uproar, and leaves no trace behind.—T. CARLYLE.
[1] creature, +Wesen+, n.; strengthen the superlative of the adjective by placing ‘aller’ before it, forming one compound expression, analogous to: +Die aller schönste Blume+, the finest flower (of all).
[2] ‘by concentrating his powers’, +durch Konzentration seiner Kräfte+; to accomplish something, +etwas zustande bringen+. Use the adverbial expression ‘at least’ before ‘something’, which will give more force to the German rendering.
[3] The copula ‘can’ must be placed immediately after the subject and its attributes, as has been pointed out in S. 5, N. 2.
[4] The strongest — fail, +Dem Stärksten hingegen wird es durch Zersplitterung seiner Kräfte nicht gelingen+.
[5] anything, +auch nur das Geringste+.
[6] continual, +unablässig+, adj.
[7] To render ‘falling’, form a noun of the verb ‘+fallen+’. The German language makes frequent use of the =Infinitive Present= of verbs to form =abstract nouns=, whilst the English language uses the Verbal in -ing for that purpose. Such nouns are always of the neuter gender; as +das Gehen+, going; +das Essen und Trinken+, eating and drinking.
[8] to bore one’s passage, +sich einen Weg bohren+. Place the verb according to S. 5, N. 2; the adverbial clause ‘by continually falling’ must follow it.
[9] hasty, +ungestüm+; torrent, +Strom+, m.
[10] to rush over something, +über etwas hinweg´stürzen+; ‘rushes — uproar’, say ‘rushes with hideous (+entsetzlich+) uproar (+Getöse+) over the same.’
_Section 12._
COOLNESS[1].
Of the Duke of Wellington’s[2] perfect coolness on[3] the most trying occasions. Colonel Gurwood gives[4] this instance. He was[5] once in great danger of suffering[6] ship-wreck. It was bed-time[7] when (S. 4, N. 2) the captain of the vessel came to him, and said: “It will soon be _all_ over[8] with us!” “Very well,” answered the Duke, “then I (App. § 14) need not (App. § 12) take off[9] my boots!”—W. C. HAZLITT.
[1] +Kaltblütigkeit+, f.
[2] Place the genitive after the governing noun, and say: ‘Of (+Von+) the perfect coolness of the Duke of Wellington.’ Perfect = great.
[3] ‘on — occasions’ = in the most dangerous (+gefahrvoll+) situations.
[4] to give = to relate. See App. § 14 for the construction. ‘This instance’ = _the_ following example.
[5] ‘to be’, here +sich befinden+.
[6] Construe according to S. 1, N. 3.
[7] +Schlafenszeit+, f.
[8] +vorüber+.
[9] to take off, +aus´ziehen+, see S. 1, N. 2.
_Section 13._
RELIGIOUS TOLERATION[1].
When[2] certain persons attempted[3] to persuade Stephen[4], King of Poland, to constrain[5] some of his subjects, who[6] were of a different religion, to embrace[7] his, he said[8] to them: “I[9] am king of men, and not of[10] consciences[11]. The[12] dominion of conscience belongs exclusively to God.”—REV. R. K. ARVINE.
[1] +Religionsduldung+, f.
[2] ‘When’, here?
[3] attempted to = would, impf. of +wollen+.
[4] Say ‘the king Stephen of Poland’. +König Stephan von Bathori regierte von+ 1576-1586.
[5] +zwingen+. Place the verb after the relative clause, since =the relative pronoun should follow its antecedent as closely as possible=.
[6] ‘who — religion’, say ‘who belonged to another religion’.
[7] to embrace = to accept.
[8] ‘to say’, here ‘to reply’, +entgegnen+.
[9] I — men = I rule (+herrschen+) over men.
[10] of = over.
[11] This noun is not used in the plural in German. See S. 3, N. 2.
[12] ‘The — God’, say ‘God alone rules over consciences (sing.)’.
_Section 14._
HOW HUGH MILLER[1] BECAME _A_[2] GEOLOGIST.
Hugh Miller’s[3] curiosity[4] was[5] excited by _the_ remarkable traces of extinct[6] sea-animals in[7] the Old Red Sandstone, on which he worked as a quarryman. He inquired[8], observed, studied, and became _a_ geologist. “_It was_ the necessity”, said he, “which made[9] me a quarrier, _that_ taught me to be a geologist.”—S. SMILES.
[1] +Hugh Miller wurde am 10ᵗᵉⁿ Oktober 1802 von armen Eltern zu Cromarty in Schottland geboren. Er arbeitete 15 Jahre als gemeiner Steinbrecher, beschäftigte sich jedoch während jener Zeit mit litterarischen und wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten, besonders mit der Geologie, der er ganz neue Bahnen eröffnete. Durch seine Werke hat er sich in der Wissenschaft einen unsterblichen Namen erworben, und als er am 24ˢᵗᵉⁿ Dezember 1856 starb, verlor Schottland in ihm einen seiner besten Söhne, und die Geologie einen ihrer beredtesten und ergebensten Lehrer.+
[2] Contrary to English construction, =the indefinite article is not used in German in stating the business or profession of a person=; as—
He wants to be _a_ soldier.
+Er will Soldat werden.+