Cranford — Page 12
He nodded and smiled to his acquaintances; but he shook hands with none until he had helped Miss Brown to unfurl her umbrella, had relieved her of her prayer-book, and had waited patiently till she, with trembling nervous hands, had taken up her gown to walk through the wet roads.
Er nickte und lächelte seinen Bekannten zu; aber er gab niemandem die Hand, bevor er Miss Brown geholfen hatte, ihren Regenschirm aufzuspannen, ihr das Gebetbuch abgenommen hatte und geduldig gewartet hatte, bis sie mit zitternden, nervösen Händen ihr Kleid aufgehoben hatte, um durch die nassen Straßen zu gehen.
I wonder what the Cranford ladies did with Captain Brown at their parties.
Ich frage mich, was die Damen von Cranford mit Captain Brown bei ihren Gesellschaften anfingen.
We had often rejoiced, in former days, that there was no gentleman to be attended to, and to find conversation for, at the card-parties.
Wir hatten uns in früheren Zeiten oft darüber gefreut, dass es bei den Kartenabenden keinen Herrn gab, dem man Aufmerksamkeit schenken und für den man Gesprächsstoff finden musste.
We had congratulated ourselves upon the snugness of the evenings; and, in our love for gentility, and distaste of mankind, we had almost persuaded ourselves that to be a man was to be "vulgar"; so that when I found my friend and hostess, Miss Jenkyns, was going to have a party in my honour, and that Captain and the Miss Browns were invited, I wondered much what would be the course of the evening.
Wir hatten uns über die Gemütlichkeit der Abende beglückwünscht; und in unserer Liebe zur Vornehmheit und unserer Abneigung gegen die Männerwelt hatten wir uns beinahe davon überzeugt, dass ein Mann zu sein gleichbedeutend mit „gewöhnlich" zu sein war; so dass ich mich sehr fragte, wie der Abend verlaufen würde, als ich erfuhr, dass meine Freundin und Gastgeberin, Miss Jenkyns, zu meinen Ehren eine Gesellschaft geben wollte und dass Captain Brown sowie die Misses Brown eingeladen waren.
Card-tables, with green baize tops, were set out by daylight, just as usual; it was the third week in November, so the evenings closed in about four.
Kartentische mit grünen Filzdecken wurden wie gewöhnlich noch bei Tageslicht aufgestellt; es war die dritte Novemberwoche, sodass es gegen vier Uhr bereits dunkel wurde.
Candles, and clean packs of cards, were arranged on each table.
Kerzen und frische Kartenspiele wurden auf jedem Tisch angeordnet.
The fire was made up; the neat maid-servant had received her last directions; and there we stood, dressed in our best, each with a candle-lighter in our hands, ready to dart at the candles as soon as the first knock came.
Das Feuer war geschürt; die ordentliche Dienstmagd hatte ihre letzten Anweisungen erhalten; und da standen wir, in unsere besten Kleider gekleidet, jede mit einem Kerzenzünder in der Hand, bereit, auf die Kerzen loszustürzen, sobald der erste Klopfer ertönte.
Vocabulary
- nickte
- Past tense of 'nicken'; nodded in acknowledgment
- lächelte
- Past tense of 'lächeln'; smiled gently or pleasantly
- Bekannten
- Acquaintances; people one knows but not close friends
- niemandem
- Dative form of 'niemand'; to nobody or no one
- bevor
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'before' in time
- geholfen
- Past participle of 'helfen'; having helped someone
- Regenschirm
- Umbrella; device used for protection from rain
- aufzuspannen
- To open or unfurl an umbrella fully outward
- Gebetbuch
- Prayer book; a book containing religious prayers
- abgenommen
- Past participle of 'abnehmen'; taken away or removed
- geduldig
- Patient; calmly tolerating delay or difficulty
- zitternden
- Trembling or shaking, adjective in declined form
- nervösen
- Nervous or anxious, adjective describing agitated state
- Kleid
- Dress or garment; item of women's clothing
- aufgehoben
- Past participle of 'aufheben'; lifted up or raised
- nassen
- Wet or damp, adjective in declined form
- Damen
- Ladies; polite plural term for women
- Gesellschaften
- Social gatherings or parties among acquaintances
- anfingen
- Past tense plural of 'anfangen'; began or started
- früheren
- Earlier or former, adjective describing past times
- Zeiten
- Times; plural of 'Zeit', referring to periods or eras
- darüber
- Adverb or pronoun meaning 'about it' or 'over that'
- gefreut
- Past participle of 'freuen'; been glad or pleased
- Kartenabenden
- Card evenings; social gatherings focused on card games
- Herrn
- Dative or accusative of 'Herr'; gentleman or mister
- man
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one' or 'you' generally
- Aufmerksamkeit
- Attention or attentiveness shown toward someone
- schenken
- To give as a gift or to bestow attention
- Gesprächsstoff
- Conversation topic; material for discussion or talk
- musste
- Past tense of 'müssen'; had to, was obliged to
- Gemütlichkeit
- Coziness; warm pleasant atmosphere of comfort
- beglückwünscht
- Congratulated; past participle of 'beglückwünschen'
- Vornehmheit
- Refinement or distinction; quality of being noble
- Abneigung
- Aversion or dislike; strong disinclination toward something
- Männerwelt
- The world or realm of men; male society
- beinahe
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'
- davon
- Pronoun adverb meaning 'of it' or 'from that'
- überzeugt
- Convinced or persuaded; past participle of 'überzeugen'
- gleichbedeutend
- Synonymous or equivalent in meaning to something
- gewöhnlich
- Ordinary or common; lacking refinement or distinction
- verlaufen
- To go or unfold; how an event proceeds
- würde
- Conditional form of 'werden'; would, subjunctive mood
- erfuhr
- Past tense of 'erfahren'; learned or found out
- Gastgeberin
- Hostess; a woman who hosts guests at home
- Ehren
- Honor or honors; respect shown to someone
- Gesellschaft
- Social gathering, party, or company of people
- wollte
- Past tense of 'wollen'; wanted or intended to
- sowie
- Conjunction meaning 'as well as' or 'as soon as'
- eingeladen
- Past participle of 'einladen'; invited to an event
- Kartentische
- Card tables; small tables used for playing cards
- Filzdecken
- Felt covers or cloths placed on card tables
- Tageslicht
- Daylight; natural light during daytime hours
- aufgestellt
- Past participle of 'aufstellen'; set up or arranged
- Novemberwoche
- November week; a specific week in November
- sodass
- Conjunction meaning 'so that' indicating result
- bereits
- Adverb meaning 'already' indicating prior occurrence
- dunkel
- Dark; lacking light, adjective describing darkness
- Kerzen
- Candles; plural of 'Kerze', wax light sources
- Kartenspiele
- Card games; games played with a deck of cards
- angeordnet
- Past participle of 'anordnen'; arranged or laid out
- geschürt
- Past participle of 'schüren'; stoked or tended fire
- ordentliche
- Tidy or proper; adjective describing neat orderly behavior
- Dienstmagd
- Maidservant; female domestic servant in a household
- Anweisungen
- Instructions or directions given to someone
- erhalten
- Past participle of 'erhalten'; received or obtained
- Kleider
- Dresses or clothes; plural of 'Kleid'
- gekleidet
- Dressed or clothed; past participle of 'kleiden'
- Kerzenzünder
- Candle lighter; person or device for lighting candles
- bereit
- Ready or prepared; adjective indicating readiness
- loszustürzen
- To rush off or dash away suddenly with speed
- sobald
- Conjunction meaning 'as soon as' in time
- Klopfer
- Door knocker; device for knocking on a door
- ertönte
- Past tense of 'ertönen'; sounded or rang out
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