Anna Karenina — Page 2

English → De Chapter 3 Level 7/10

Stepan Arkadyevitch took in and read a liberal paper, not an extreme one, but one advocating the views held by the majority.

Stepan Arkadjewitsch hielt und las eine liberale Zeitung, keine extreme, sondern eine, die die Ansichten der Mehrheit vertrat.

And in spite of the fact that science, art, and politics had no special interest for him, he firmly held those views on all these subjects which were held by the majority and by his paper, and he only changed them when the majority changed them—or, more strictly speaking, he did not change them, but they imperceptibly changed of themselves within him.

Und obwohl Wissenschaft, Kunst und Politik kein besonderes Interesse für ihn hatten, vertrat er fest jene Ansichten zu all diesen Themen, die von der Mehrheit und von seiner Zeitung vertreten wurden, und er änderte sie nur, wenn die Mehrheit sie änderte – oder, genauer gesagt, er änderte sie nicht, sondern sie änderten sich unmerklich von selbst in ihm.

Stepan Arkadyevitch had not chosen his political opinions or his views; these political opinions and views had come to him of themselves, just as he did not choose the shapes of his hat and coat, but simply took those that were being worn.

Stepan Arkadjewitsch hatte seine politischen Meinungen oder Ansichten nicht gewählt; diese politischen Meinungen und Ansichten waren von selbst zu ihm gekommen, genauso wie er nicht die Form seines Hutes und seines Mantels wählte, sondern einfach jene nahm, die gerade getragen wurden.

And for him, living in a certain society—owing to the need, ordinarily developed at years of discretion, for some degree of mental activity—to have views was just as indispensable as to have a hat.

Und für ihn, der in einer bestimmten Gesellschaft lebte – aufgrund des Bedürfnisses, das sich gewöhnlich in den Jahren der Reife nach einem gewissen Maß an geistiger Tätigkeit entwickelt –, war es ebenso unentbehrlich, Ansichten zu haben, wie einen Hut zu tragen.

If there was a reason for his preferring liberal to conservative views, which were held also by many of his circle, it arose not from his considering liberalism more rational, but from its being in closer accordance with his manner of life.

Wenn es einen Grund dafür gab, dass er liberale gegenüber konservativen Ansichten bevorzugte, die auch viele in seinem Kreis vertraten, so lag dieser nicht darin, dass er den Liberalismus für vernünftiger hielt, sondern darin, dass er seiner Lebensweise besser entsprach.

The liberal party said that in Russia everything is wrong, and certainly Stepan Arkadyevitch had many debts and was decidedly short of money.

Die liberale Partei sagte, dass in Russland alles falsch sei, und tatsächlich hatte Stepan Arkadjewitsch viele Schulden und litt entschieden an Geldmangel.

Vocabulary

hielt: Held; past tense of halten, to hold or keep.
las: Read; past tense of lesen, to read.
liberale: Liberal; adjective describing progressive or open-minded views.
Zeitung: Newspaper; a printed or digital daily publication.
extreme: Extreme; adjective describing radical or excessive positions.
sondern: But rather; conjunction correcting a negative statement.
Ansichten: Views, opinions; plural of Ansicht, a personal perspective.
Mehrheit: Majority; the greater number or part of a group.
vertrat: Represented; past tense of vertreten, to represent or advocate.
obwohl: Although, even though; subordinating conjunction of concession.
Wissenschaft: Science, scholarship; systematic pursuit and study of knowledge.
Kunst: Art; creative expression through visual, musical, or literary forms.
Politik: Politics; activities related to governance and public affairs.
besonderes: Special, particular; adjective meaning notable or exceptional.
Interesse: Interest; attention or curiosity directed toward something.
fest: Firmly, steadfastly; adverb meaning with determination or fixedness.
jene: Those; demonstrative pronoun referring to distant or previously mentioned things.
Themen: Topics, themes; subjects under discussion or consideration.
vertreten: Represented, advocated; past participle of vertreten.
änderte: Changed; past tense of ändern, to alter or modify.
wenn: When, if; conjunction introducing a conditional or temporal clause.
genauer: More precisely, more accurately; comparative of genau, exact.
änderten: Changed; past tense plural of ändern, to change.
unmerklich: Imperceptibly, unnoticeably; happening in an undetectable gradual manner.
selbst: Itself, himself, even; emphatic or reflexive particle.
politischen: Political; adjective relating to politics, in inflected form.
Meinungen: Opinions; plural of Meinung, a personal view or stance.
gewählt: Chosen, elected; past participle of wählen, to choose.
gekommen: Come; past participle of kommen, to come or arrive.
genauso: Just as, equally; adverb indicating a direct comparison.
Form: Form, shape; the outward appearance or structure of something.
Hutes: Hat's; genitive form of Hut, a head covering.
Mantels: Coat's; genitive of Mantel, an overcoat or cloak.
wählte: Chose; past tense of wählen, to choose or elect.
einfach: Simply, just; adverb meaning in a straightforward manner.
nahm: Took; past tense of nehmen, to take or accept.
gerade: Just, straight; adverb meaning at this moment or directly.
getragen: Worn, carried; past participle of tragen, to carry or wear.
bestimmten: Certain, specific; adjective indicating a particular defined thing.
Gesellschaft: Society, company; a social group or organized community.
lebte: Lived; past tense of leben, to live or reside.
aufgrund: Due to, on account of; preposition indicating cause or reason.
Bedürfnisses: Of the need; genitive of Bedürfnis, a necessity or requirement.
gewöhnlich: Usually, ordinarily; adverb describing what typically occurs.
Jahren: Years; dative plural of Jahr, used in time expressions.
Reife: Maturity, ripeness; state of being fully developed or grown.
gewissen: Certain, a certain; adjective implying an unspecified but real degree.
Maß: Measure, degree; a standard or extent of something.
geistiger: Intellectual, mental; adjective relating to the mind or intellect.
Tätigkeit: Activity, occupation; a pursuit or type of work performed.
entwickelt: Developed; past participle of entwickeln, to develop or evolve.
ebenso: Just as, equally; adverb indicating equivalence or similarity.
unentbehrlich: Indispensable, essential; absolutely necessary and cannot be done without.
Hut: Hat; a head covering worn as fashion or protection.
tragen: To wear, to carry; infinitive verb for bearing or wearing.
Wenn: If, when; subordinating conjunction introducing a conditional clause.
Grund: Reason, ground; a cause or basis for something.
dafür: For it, for that; pronoun adverb expressing reason or purpose.
gab: Gave, there was; past tense of geben, also used in es gab.
gegenüber: Opposite, compared to; preposition or adverb indicating comparison.
konservativen: Conservative; adjective describing traditional or right-leaning views.
bevorzugte: Preferred; past tense of bevorzugen, to prefer or favor.
Kreis: Circle, circle of acquaintances; a group sharing common interests.
vertraten: Represented; past tense plural of vertreten, to represent.
lag: Lay, was located; past tense of liegen, to lie.
darin: Therein, in it; pronoun adverb indicating location within something.
Liberalismus: Liberalism; political ideology emphasizing freedom and individual rights.
vernünftiger: More reasonable, more sensible; comparative of vernünftig.
Lebensweise: Lifestyle, way of life; the manner in which one lives.
besser: Better; comparative adjective of gut, indicating higher quality.
entsprach: Corresponded to, matched; past tense of entsprechen, to correspond.
Partei: Party; a political organization or group sharing common goals.
sagte: Said; past tense of sagen, to say or tell.
Russland: Russia; the largest country in the world spanning Eurasia.
alles: Everything, all; pronoun referring to the totality of things.
falsch: Wrong, false; adjective meaning incorrect or deceitful.
sei: Be; subjunctive form of sein, used in reported speech.
tatsächlich: Actually, indeed; adverb confirming something is real or true.
Schulden: Debts; plural of Schuld referring to financial obligations owed.
litt: Suffered; past tense of leiden, to suffer or endure.
entschieden: Decidedly, clearly; adverb meaning in a definite or pronounced way.
Geldmangel: Lack of money; shortage of funds causing financial difficulty.

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