Part 5
The principal native[2] trees are the[3] oak, ash, elm, poplar, aspen, birch, larch, alder, hawthorn, hazel, and willow. The beech, maple, horse-chestnut[4], Spanish chestnut[5], walnut[6], sycamore, acacia, weeping willow, cedar, and Lombardy poplar have been introduced.
The moist climate of[7] England is[8] eminently suited to the growth of[9] forest-trees, and we find that in ancient times the larger part of the country presented one[10] vast scene of forest, as[11] the[12] uncleared districts of America do now. The[13] few scattered patches of natural wood which remain, show[14] what was once the character of nearly the whole country.—HEWITT, PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF ENGLAND AND WALES.
[1] See S. 14, N. 3.
[2] +einheimisch.+
[3] +die Eiche.+ The article is repeated in this passage only when the subsequent noun is of different gender or number from the preceding one.
[4] +die Roßkastanie.+
[5] +die echte Kastanie.+
[6] +der Wallnußbaum.+
[7] +Englands.+
[8] to be suited to a thing, +~einer~ Sache zu´träglich sein+; eminently, +außerordentlich+, which place before ‘+zuträglich+’.
[9] Use the gen. of the def. art. =The definite article= should be used in all cases where an object is individualised or singled out from other objects.
[10] one — forest = an almost uninterrupted scene of forest, +Waldlandschaft+, f.
[11] as ... do now, +wie noch jetzt+.
[12] +die ungelichteten Waldgegenden.+
[13] The — remain, +Die wenigen zerstreut liegenden Überreste natürlicher Gehölze.+
[14] Say ‘show the character which formerly belonged almost to the whole country’.
_Section 41._
THE INDIAN CHIEF[1].
I.
During the war in America, a company[2] _of_ Indians attacked a small body[3] of British troops[4], and defeated[5] them. As[6] the Indians had[7] greatly the advantage in swiftness of foot, and were eager in the pursuit, very few of the English escaped; and those who[8] fell into their hands, were treated with a cruelty of which there[9] are not many examples, even in that country.
Two of the Indians came up[10] to a young officer, and attacked him with great fury. As[6] they were armed with battle-axes, he had no hope of[11] escape. But, just at[12] this crisis, another Indian came up[13], who was advanced in years, and was armed with a bow and arrows. The[14] old man instantly drew his bow; but, after[15] having taken his aim at the officer, he suddenly dropped his arrow, and[16] interposed between the young soldier and his pursuers, who were about[17] to cut him to pieces. The two Indians retired with respect.
[1] +Der Indianerhäuptling.+
[2] +Haufe+, m.
[3] +Schar+, f.
[4] troops = soldiers.
[5] to defeat, +in die Flucht schlagen+.
[6] When the conjunction ‘=as=’ stands for ‘=since=’, it must be rendered by ‘+=da=+’.
[7] had — foot, +den Britten im Laufen bedeutend überlegen waren+; and — pursuit = and eagerly pursued the same. For the following clause see S. 27, N. 8, and say ‘only few of the Britons succeeded to escape (+davon´kommen+)’. I succeed, +es gelingt mir+.
[8] +welche den Indianern in die Hände fielen.+
[9] there are, +es giebt+. The subject ‘+es+’, which must be placed immediately after the relative pronoun, should be followed by the adverbial clause ‘even in that country’.
[10] to come up to a person, +sich einem nähern+.
[11] +auf Rettung.+
[12] at = in; crisis = critical (+entscheidungsvoll+) moment.
[13] to come up = to appear; who — arrows = of advanced (+vorgeschritten+) age and armed with bow and arrows.
[14] +der Alte+; to draw, +spannen+; immediately, +unverzüglich+, which may be emphasized by being placed at the head of the clause (App. § 14).
[15] Say ‘after he had aimed (+zielen+) at (+auf+) the officer’; to drop, +fallen lassen+.
[16] and interposed, +und stellte sich+.
[17] to be about, +im Begriff sein+; to cut to pieces, +zerstückeln+; with respect = respectfully.
_Section 42._
THE INDIAN CHIEF.
II.
The[1] old man then took the officer by the hand, soothed him into confidence by caresses, and, having conducted him to his hut, treated him with a kindness which did honour to his professions[2]. He made (S. 27, N. 4) him less a[3] slave than a[3] companion, taught[4] him the language of the country, and instructed him in[5] the rude arts that were practised by the inhabitants. They[6] lived together in _the_ most perfect harmony, and the young officer, in[7] the treatment he met with, found nothing to regret, but[8] that (App. § 16) sometimes the old man fixed his eyes upon him, regarded[9] him for some minutes with steady and silent attention, and then burst into tears.
[1] Say ‘Hereupon the old man seized the hand of the officer, sought by caresses to gain his (+dessen+) confidence, conducted him to (+in+) his hut, and treated’, etc.
[2] +Versprechung+, f.
[3] his.
[4] The verb +=lehren=+, to teach (old German lêran, Gothic laisjan), etymologically signifies ‘to cause a person to know a thing’. This is the reason that it is in German most generally used with two accusatives: that of the person and that of the thing; as—+Er lehrt mich ~die Landessprache~+, he teaches me the language of the country. +Lehre ~mich Deine Rechte~!+ (Luther.) +Wer hat ~dich solche Streiche~ gelehrt?+ (Uhland.)
[5] in — arts, +in den geringen Geschicklichkeiten+; to practise, +üben+; by, +von+; ‘inhabitants’, here +Eingebornen+.
[6] They = both; together = with one another, which place after ‘harmony’ (+Eintracht+, f.).
[7] in — with, +in der ihm zuteil werdenden Behandlung+. Where must the verb be placed? Supply the word ‘+anderes+’ after ‘nothing’; ‘to regret’, here +beklagen+.
[8] +als.+
[9] Say ‘regarded him silently _for_ a while (App. § 9, _A_) with steady (+unverwandt+) attention’.
_Section 43._
THE INDIAN CHIEF.
III.
In[1] the meantime the spring returned, and the Indians again took the field. The old man, who was still vigorous, and able to bear the fatigues of war[2], set out with them, _and was_ accompanied by his prisoner. They marched above[3] two hundred leagues across the forests, and came at length to[4] a plain, where the British forces[5] were encamped. The old man showed his prisoner the tents at a distance[6]: “There,” said he, “are thy countrymen. There is the enemy who[7] waits to give us battle. Remember[8] that I have saved thy[9] life, that I have taught[10] thee to conduct a canoe, to arm thyself with[11] bow and arrows, and to surprise[12] the beaver in the forest. What wast thou when I first took thee to my hut? Thy hands were those of an infant. They could neither procure[13] thee sustenance nor safety. Thy soul was[14] in utter darkness. Thou wast ignorant of everything. Thou owest all things to me. Wilt thou, then[15], go over to thy nation, and take up the hatchet against us?”
[1] Say ‘Meanwhile it became spring’; to take the field, +ins Feld ziehen+.
[2] +die Kriegsbeschwerden+; ‘to set out’, here +ziehen+.
[3] more than.
[4] to = into.
[5] forces = troops; to encamp, +sein Lager auf´schlagen+.
[6] +von weitem+, which place before the accusative.
[7] who waits, +der darauf lauert+; to give battle = to attack.
[8] +Bedenke.+
[9] _A._ =The definite article= is often used =instead of the possessive adjective pronoun= in cases where the possessor is clearly seen from the context; as—
+Ich habe die Feder in ~der~ Hand.+
I have the pen in _my_ hand.
_B._ =The possessor is often indicated by a personal pronoun in the dative case=; as—
+Ich will ~mir die~ Hände waschen.+
I will wash _my_ hands.
The latter mode of construction must be applied in this case.
[10] ‘I have taught thee to conduct a canoe.’ Read once more S. 42, N. 4, and mark further that: =that which is taught is often expressed in the form of a Supine=, as in this instance.
[11] We say ‘+mit Pfeil und Bogen+’.
[12] +überfal´len+.
[13] +gewäh´ren+; sustenance, +Nahrung+, f.
[14] +lag in Finsternis gehüllt.+
[15] +also+; nation = people; to take up = to seize.
_Section 44._
THE INDIAN CHIEF.
IV.
The officer replied that[1] he would rather lose his own life than take away that of his deliverer. The Indian, bending[2] down his (S. 43, N. 9, _A_) head, _and_ covering his face with both _his_ hands, stood[3] some time silent. Then, looking[4] earnestly at his prisoner, he[5] said, in a voice that was at once softened by tenderness and grief: “Hast thou a father?” “My father,” said the young man, “was[6] alive when I left my country[7].” “Alas!” said[8] the Indian, “how wretched[9] must he be!” He paused[10] a moment, and then added: “Dost thou know that[11] I have been a father? I[12] am a father no more. I saw my son fall in[13] battle. He fought at my side. I saw him expire. He was covered with wounds, when he fell[14] dead at my feet.”
[1] that — deliverer = that he would rather die than kill his deliverer. See App. §§ 28 and 30.
[2] The two Participles in -ing are best rendered by using the Imperfect.
[3] stood — silent, +und stand so eine Weile schweigend da+.
[4] Say ‘Upon this (+Hierauf+) he looked’, etc.
[5] he — grief, +und fragte mit von Zärtlichkeit und Kummer gedämpfter Stimme+.
[6] +war noch am Leben.+
[7] +Heimat+, f.
[8] exclaimed.
[9] unhappy.
[10] +zögern+, i.e. to hesitate.
[11] +daß auch ich einst Vater war?+
[12] Say ‘But now I (App. § 14) am it no more’.
[13] We use here the def. art.
[14] +nie´derfallen.+
_Section 45._
THE INDIAN CHIEF.
V.
He pronounced[1] these words with the utmost vehemence. His[2] body shook with a universal tremour. He[3] was almost stifled with sighs, which[4] he would not suffer to escape him. There[5] was a keen restlessness in the eye, but no tears flowed to[6] his relief. At[7] length he became calm by degrees: and, turning towards the east, where the sun had just risen, “Dost thou see,” said he to the young officer, “the beauty of that sky, which sparkles with prevailing day? and hast thou pleasure in the sight?” “Yes,” replied the[8] young officer, “I have pleasure in the beauty of[9] so fine a sky.” “I have none!” said the Indian, and[10] his tears then found their way.
A few minutes after, he showed the young man a[11] magnolia, in full bloom. “Dost thou see that beautiful tree?” said he, “and dost thou look[12] upon it with pleasure?” “Yes,” replied the officer, “I[13] look with pleasure upon that beautiful tree.” “I have no longer any pleasure in[14] looking upon it!” said the Indian hastily[15], and[16] immediately added: “Go, return to thy father, that[17] he may still have pleasure, when (S. 18, N. 6) he sees the sun rise in[18] the morning, and the trees blossom in the spring!”—WASHINGTON IRVING.
[1] spoke. Begin the clause with ‘These words’ (S. 7, N. 2).
[2] Say ‘A universal tremour shook (+erschüttern+) his body’.
[3] +Er erstickte fast unter den Seufzern.+
[4] Say ‘which he endeavoured (+bemüht sein+) to suppress’.
[5] His eyes (sing.) looked restlessly about.
[6] +zur Linderung seines Schmerzes.+
[7] Say ‘Gradually he became calmer’. The following passage requires altogether a different structure in German. Say ‘He turned towards the east (+sich gen Osten wenden+), where the sun had just risen. “Dost thou see the beauty of the sky, which sparkles (+erglänzen+) with (+von+) the breaking (+an´brechen+) day (+Tageslicht+, n.)? and hast thou pleasure (+Freude+, f.) in (+an+) the sight (+Anblick+, m.)?” he asked the young officer’.
[8] the — officer, +dieser+, to avoid a useless repetition.
[9] of such a (S. 28, N. 9) sky.
[10] ‘and his’, say ‘whose’; found their way, +hervor´brachen+.
[11] +eine in voller Blüte stehende Magnolie.+
[12] ‘to look upon’, here +betrachten+.
[13] Say ‘I rejoice in its splendour’, to avoid monotony. To rejoice in a thing, +sich einer Sache freuen+.
[14] ‘in — it’, may be briefly rendered by ‘in the sight’.
[15] +rasch.+
[16] ‘and — Go’. Begin a new clause here, and say: ‘“Go,” he added (+fügte er dann hinzu+)’.
[17] +auf daß+ (followed by the Pres. Subj. of +haben+).
[18] +des Morgens+, App. § 9. The verb ‘sees’, being the governing verb in both clauses, takes the last place. See App. § 19.
_Section 46._
RICE.
Rice forms the[1] chief subsistance of the people[2] in India, China, Japan, and other eastern[3] countries. Indeed, it supports[4] more persons than any other article of food[5]. In Asia it (S. 2, N. 1) is chiefly cultivated in India, China, and[6] Ceylon; in Europe: in Lombardy[7] (Italy) and Spain; in Africa: in Egypt; in South America: in Brazil; and in North America: in[8] the Carolines and[9] Louisiana. Its[10] cultivation requires an[11] immense quantity of moisture. It[12] grows best in[13] fields which can be inundated. Indeed[14], the fact that it is usually sown upon watery soil makes it probable that the first Verse of the eleventh Chapter in[15] Ecclesiastes refers to Rice. In Egypt, for example, it is always sown while[16] the waters of the Nile cover the land, and when the floods subside[17], (S. 27, N. 8) it is deposited[18] in the mud. A strong spirit[19], called arrack, is distilled from[20] rice, and[21] the straw is used for making plait for hats and bonnets.—NELSON’S READERS.
[1] +das hauptsächlichste Nahrungsmittel.+
[2] Say ‘of the inhabitants of India (+Indiens+)’, etc.
[3] +orientalisch.+
[4] +ernähren.+
[5] +Nahrungsartikel+, m.
[6] Supply here the prep. +auf+, which should always be used to render the English ‘in’ before names of islands.
[7] +in der Lombardei.+
[8] +auf den Karolinen.+
[9] Supply the prep. +in+.
[10] +Der Reisbau+, i.e. the cultivation of rice.
[11] an — of = extraordinary much.
[12] The noun ‘rice’ must here be repeated, since the pron. ‘+er+’ would refer to ‘+Reisbau+’.
[13] +auf.+
[14] +Ja, die Thatsache, daß+, etc.
[15] +im Prediger Salomonis+; to refer to something, +sich auf etwas beziehen.+ The above mentioned passage reads as follows: ‘Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days’.
[16] Say ‘when the land is still covered by (+von+) the waters of the Nile’.
[17] +sich zurück´ziehen+, i.e. withdraw.
[18] +sich ab´lagern+ (see S. 4, N. 4, _A_); ‘mud’, here +Schlamm+, m.
[19] +Spiritus+, m.
[20] +aus.+
[21] and — bonnets, +und das Stroh gebraucht man zur Anfertigung von Männer- und Frauenhüten+.
_Section 47._
THE WHITE SHIP.
(A.D. 1120.)
I.
King Henry I went[1] over to Normandy with his son Prince (S. 10, N. 2) William and a great retinue, to have the prince acknowledged[2] as his successor by the Norman nobles, and to contract[3] the promised marriage between him and the daughter of the count of Anjou. When both[4] these things had been done with great show[5] and rejoicing, the whole retinue prepared[6] _to embark_ for the voyage home.
When[7] all was ready, _there_ came to the king Fitz-Stephen[8], a sea-captain, and said: “My[9] liege, my father served your father all his life, upon the sea. He steered[10] the ship[11] with the gold boy upon the prow, in[12] which your father sailed[13] to conquer England. I beseech you to grant[14] me the same office. I[15] have a fair vessel in the harbour here, called the White Ship, manned by fifty sailors of renown. I pray you, Sire[16], to[17] let your servant have the honour of steering[18] you in the White Ship to England.”
[1] to go over, +sich begeben+. The words ‘to Normandy’ (S. 19, N. 4) must be placed after ‘retinue’.
[2] to have acknowledged, +huldigen lassen+. See S. 19, N. 7. The words ‘by (+von+) the Norman nobles’ must be placed after ‘prince’. The nobles, +der Adel+.
[3] to contract a promised marriage, +einen verabredeten Heiratsvertrag ab´schließen+. The pron. ‘him’ should be turned by ‘the prince’, to avoid ambiguity.
[4] both — things = this.
[5] +Pomp+, m.; rejoicing, +viele Freudenbezeigungen+; to be done, +geschehen+.
[6] +sich zur Heimreise an´schicken.+
[7] Supply the adverb ‘+nun+’ after ‘when’.
[8] The subject and apposition must be placed immediately after the predicate. Comp. App. § 15.
[9] Say ‘My father, O prince (+Fürst+), served yours (use the second pers. sing. of the posses. pron., and continue the address in the same person) his whole life long at (+zur+) sea’.
[10] +lenken.+
[11] +das am Vorderteile mit einem goldenen Knaben verzierte Schiff.+
[12] +auf.+
[13] sailed — England = sailed (+sich ein´schiffen+) for (+zu+) the conquest of England.
[14] +verleihen.+
[15] Say ‘I possess in this (+hiesig+) harbour a fair with fifty renowned (+bewährt+) sailors (+Seeleute+) manned vessel (+Fahrzeug+), called (App. § 1) the White Ship’. Comp. S. 7, N. 3.
[16] +o Herr.+
[17] to let ... have = to grant; use the Supine.
[18] ‘to steer’, here = to conduct, +geleiten+. See S. 1, N. 3.
_Section 48._
THE WHITE SHIP.
II.
“I am sorry,” replied the king, “that[1] my vessel is already chosen, and _that_ I cannot therefore sail with the son of the man who served[2] my father. But[3] the prince, with all his company, shall go along with you in the fair White Ship manned by fifty sailors of renown.”
An[4] hour or two afterwards, the king (App. § 15) set sail[5] in[6] the vessel he had chosen, accompanied by other vessels, and[7], sailing all night with a fair and gentle wind, arrived upon the coast of England in the morning. While[8] it was yet night, the[9] people in some of the ships heard a faint wild cry come[10] over the sea, and wondered what[11] it was.
[1] Say ‘that I have already chartered (+bedingen+) a ship’.
[2] Use the =Perfect=, which is used in German to express an action or occurrence both perfect and past, without reference to any other action or occurrence.
[3] Render ‘but’ by +jedoch+, which place after ‘shall’; with — company, +samt seinem ganzen Gefolge+; ‘to go along’, here +fahren+, to be placed at the end of the whole clause, which construe accord. to S. 48, N. 6.
[4] An — afterwards = Soon after.
[5] to set sail, +ab´segeln+.
[6] =To place the qualifying parts before the word qualified is one of the most striking peculiarities of German Grammar.= This construction, called =attributive constriction=, has been explained in section 7, Note 3 with respect to the rendering of the Perfect (or Past) Participle qualifying a preceding noun; but it must here be pointed out that it may likewise be used for rendering the Present Participle qualifying a preceding noun (comp. S. 16, N. 4), and that it is sometimes even suitable for translating short relative clauses. This, as long as it is not too much indulged in, imparts to the construction great conciseness and vigour, and avoids the too frequent use of relative pronouns, which, contrary to English construction, cannot be omitted in German. (Comp. S. 16, N. 10.)
EXAMPLES.
When the fleet, _favoured_ by the finest weather, was about to set sail, there arose a shout of joy, _proceeding_ from many thousands of voices, and resounding mightily from the shore.
+~Als die von dem schönsten Wetter begünstigte Flotte~ im Begriff war abzusegeln, erhob sich ~ein von vielen tausend Stimmen erschallender Jubelruf~, von dem das Ufer mächtig wiederhallte.+
The child, gently _sleeping_ in his mother’s arms, was suddenly roused by his father’s noisy entrance.
+~Das in den Armen der Mutter sanft schlafende Kind~ wurde plötzlich durch den lärmenden Eintritt des Vaters aufgeweckt.+
The church, _which was damaged by the siege_, is now being restored.
+~Die durch die Belagerung beschädigte Kirche~ wird jetzt wiederhergestellt.+
The clause ‘in — vessels’ requires the attributive construction, since the two relative clauses, otherwise required, would make the rendering very lengthy and monotonous. To avoid a useless repetition, translate the first noun ‘vessel’ by +Schiff+ and the second by +Fahrzeug+, and connect the two clauses by the conjunction +und+.
[7] The passage ‘and — morning’ may be briefly rendered thus: and arrived, favoured (+begünstigt+, App. § 1) by a gentle (+mäßig+) wind, the (+am+) next morning in England.
[8] Say ‘During the night’.
[9] the people = one, after which supply the conj. +jedoch+; in ships = upon some ships.
[10] come — sea, +von der See herüber+, which place after ‘ships’; wild cry, +Angstschrei+.
[11] +was dies zu bedeuten habe.+
_Section 49._
THE WHITE SHIP.
III.
The prince went[1] aboard the White Ship with _one_ hundred and forty youthful nobles, among whom were eighteen noble ladies of the highest rank. All[2] this gay company, with their servants and the fifty sailors, made three hundred souls aboard the White Ship.
“Give three[3] casks _of_ wine, Fitz-Stephen,” said the prince, “to the fifty sailors of renown. My[4] father the king has sailed out of the harbour. What[5] time is there to make merry here, and yet reach England with the rest?”
“Prince[6],” said Fitz-Stephen, “before morning my fifty and the White Ship shall overtake the swiftest vessel in attendance on your father the king, if we sail at midnight.”
[1] to go aboard ship, +sich auf ein Schiff begeben+; the young noble, +der junge Adelige+; ‘to be’, here +sich befinden+; eighteen — rank, +achtzehn dem höchsten Range angehörige Damen+. The words ‘aboard the White Ship’ take the last place in the clause.
[2] This clause requires the following construction: With the servants (+Dienerschaft+, f.) and the fifty sailors consisted the whole gay company upon the White Ship of (+aus+) three hundred persons.
[3] Construe according to App. § 5.
[4] Say ‘My royal father’; has sailed out of = has left. Supply the adverb +soeben+ after the auxiliary. This will greatly improve the rendering.
[5] Also the two following passages require a different construction; say ‘How long can we still make merry (+sich gütlich thun+) here (to be placed before ‘still’), if we will arrive in England at the same time (+zugleich+) with the others?’ The words ‘in England’ should stand before the verbs, which arrange according to App. § 18.
[6] Say ‘“If we sail at (+um+) midnight, O prince (see S. 27, N. 8), my fifty men (+Leute+) and the White Ship shall nevertheless (+dennoch+) before the coming morning overtake the swiftest ship in the service of thy royal father,” replied Fitz-Stephen’.—‘The swiftest — father’ = the swiftest in the service of thy royal father standing ship. (Comp. S. 48, N. 6.)
_Section 50._
THE WHITE SHIP.
IV.
Then[1] the prince commanded to[2] make merry; and the sailors drank _out_ the three casks _of_ wine, and the prince and[3] all the noble[4] company danced in the moonlight on the deck of the White Ship.
When at last she[5] shot[6] out of the harbour of Barfleur, there[7] was not[8] a sober seaman on[9] board. But the sails were all set[10] and[11] the oars all going merrily, Fitz-Stephen at the helm.
The gay young nobles and the beautiful ladies talked, laughed, and sang. The prince encouraged[12] the fifty sailors to row harder[13] yet, for[14] the honour of the White Ship.
[1] Hereupon.
[2] that they (+man+) should make merry. The verb must stand in the Present Subjunctive, as will be seen from §§ 28-30 of the App.
[3] +samt.+
[4] +adelig+; company = retinue.
[5] +dieses+, to be placed after ‘When’.
[6] shot out of = left.
[7] there to be, +sich befinden+.
[8] not a, +auch nicht ein einziger+.
[9] Say ‘upon the ship’.
[10] +gespannt.+
[11] Say ‘and the oars moved (+sich bewegen+) merrily (+lustig+), whilst F.-St. stood at the helm’.
[12] +an´treiben.+
[13] harder = faster.
[14] +dem weißen Schiff zu Ehren.+
_Section 51._
THE WHITE SHIP.
V.
Crash[1]!—a terrific cry broke from three hundred hearts. It was the cry (S. 16, N. 10) the people[2] in the distant vessels of the king had faintly[3] heard on the water. The White Ship had struck upon a rock, and[4] was going down!
Fitz-Stephen hurried[5] the prince into a boat with some few nobles. “Push off,” he whispered, “and row to[6] the land. It is not far, and the sea is smooth[7]. The[8] rest of us must die.”