← Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World

Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World — Page 2

English → De THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER. Level 8/10

By the advice of several worthy persons, to whom, with the author's permission, I communicated these papers, I now venture to send them into the world, hoping they may be, at least for some time, a better entertainment to our young noblemen, than the common scribbles of politics and party.

Auf den Rat mehrerer würdiger Personen, denen ich diese Papiere mit Erlaubnis des Autors mitgeteilt habe, wage ich es nun, sie in die Welt zu schicken, in der Hoffnung, dass sie zumindest für einige Zeit eine bessere Unterhaltung für unsere jungen Adeligen sein mögen als die gewöhnlichen Schreibereien über Politik und Partei.

This volume would have been at least twice as large, if I had not made bold to strike out innumerable passages relating to the winds and tides, as well as to the variations and bearings in the several voyages, together with the minute descriptions of the management of the ship in storms, in the style of sailors; likewise the account of longitudes and latitudes; wherein I have reason to apprehend, that Mr. Gulliver may be a little dissatisfied.

Dieser Band wäre mindestens doppelt so umfangreich geworden, wenn ich nicht die Kühnheit gehabt hätte, unzählige Passagen zu streichen, die sich auf Winde und Gezeiten beziehen, sowie auf die Abweichungen und Peilungen bei den verschiedenen Reisen, zusammen mit den genauen Beschreibungen der Handhabung des Schiffes in Stürmen, im Stil der Seeleute; ebenso die Angaben über Längen- und Breitengrade; wobei ich Grund habe zu befürchten, dass Herr Gulliver etwas unzufrieden sein könnte.

But I was resolved to fit the work as much as possible to the general capacity of readers.

Aber ich war entschlossen, das Werk so weit wie möglich dem allgemeinen Fassungsvermögen der Leser anzupassen.

However, if my own ignorance in sea affairs shall have led me to commit some mistakes, I alone am answerable for them.

Sollte mich jedoch meine eigene Unkenntnis in Meeresangelegenheiten dazu verleitet haben, einige Fehler zu begehen, so bin ich allein dafür verantwortlich.

And if any traveller hath a curiosity to see the whole work at large, as it came from the hands of the author, I will be ready to gratify him.

Und wenn irgendein Reisender die Neugier hat, das gesamte Werk in seiner vollen Länge zu sehen, so wie es aus den Händen des Autors kam, werde ich bereit sein, ihm diesen Wunsch zu erfüllen.

As for any further particulars relating to the author, the reader will receive satisfaction from the first pages of the book.

Was etwaige weitere Einzelheiten den Autor betreffend angeht, so wird der Leser auf den ersten Seiten des Buches Auskunft erhalten.

Vocabulary

Auf
On, upon; preposition indicating position or direction
den
The; definite article in accusative masculine form
Rat
Advice, counsel; recommendation given by someone
mehrerer
Of several; genitive plural form of 'mehrere'
würdiger
Worthy, respectable; deserving of esteem or respect
Personen
Persons, people; plural of Person
denen
To whom, for whom; dative plural relative pronoun
ich
I; first person singular pronoun
diese
These; demonstrative pronoun, plural or feminine
Papiere
Papers, documents; written or printed sheets
mit
With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
Erlaubnis
Permission, authorization; approval to do something
des
Of the; genitive definite article masculine/neuter
Autors
Of the author; genitive form of Autor
mitgeteilt
Shared, communicated; past participle of mitteilen
habe
Have; first person singular present of haben
wage
Dare, venture; first person singular of wagen
es
It; third person singular neuter pronoun
nun
Now, at this point; temporal adverb
sie
They/her/it; third person pronoun, various forms
in
In, into; preposition of location or direction
die
The; definite article feminine or plural
Welt
World; the earth or public sphere
zu
To, too, toward; preposition or infinitive marker
schicken
To send, to dispatch; to forward something
der
The; definite article masculine nominative
Hoffnung
Hope; expectation of something desired occurring
dass
That; subordinating conjunction introducing a clause
zumindest
At least; indicating a minimum expectation
für
For; preposition indicating purpose or duration
einige
Some, a few; indefinite quantity of something
Zeit
Time; a period or duration of existence
eine
A, an; indefinite article feminine nominative
bessere
Better; comparative adjective of gut (good)
Unterhaltung
Entertainment, conversation; amusement or discussion
unsere
Our; first person plural possessive adjective
jungen
Young; adjective describing youth in inflected form
Adeligen
Nobles, aristocrats; members of the nobility class
sein
To be; infinitive of the verb sein
mögen
May, to like; modal verb expressing possibility or desire
als
Than, as, when; comparative or temporal conjunction
gewöhnlichen
Ordinary, usual; adjective in inflected accusative form
über
About, over, above; preposition of topic or position
Politik
Politics; activities of government and public affairs
und
And; coordinating conjunction linking elements
Partei
Party; political organization or group of people
Dieser
This; demonstrative pronoun masculine nominative
Band
Volume, band; a book in a series or collection
wäre
Would be; subjunctive form of sein
mindestens
At least; indicating a minimum amount or degree
doppelt
Double, twice; two times the original amount
so
So, thus; adverb of degree or manner
umfangreich
Extensive, voluminous; large in scope or size
geworden
Become; past participle of werden
wenn
If, when; conditional or temporal conjunction
nicht
Not; negation particle in German sentences
Kühnheit
Boldness, audacity; daring courage to act
gehabt
Had; past participle of haben
hätte
Would have; subjunctive form of haben
unzählige
Countless, innumerable; too many to be counted
Passagen
Passages; sections of text or narrative portions
streichen
To strike out, delete; to remove or cancel text
sich
Oneself, itself; reflexive pronoun in German
auf
On, onto, upon; preposition of location or direction
Winde
Winds; plural of Wind, moving air currents
Gezeiten
Tides; regular rise and fall of sea levels
beziehen
To refer to, relate to; to pertain to something
sowie
As well as, and also; conjunction adding information
Abweichungen
Deviations, variations; departures from a standard course
bei
At, near, by; preposition of location or occasion
verschiedenen
Various, different; adjective describing diversity
Reisen
Travels, journeys; trips to different places
zusammen
Together, along with; adverb meaning combined
genauen
Precise, exact; adjective in inflected form
Beschreibungen
Descriptions; written or spoken accounts of something
Handhabung
Handling, management; manner of operating something
Schiffes
Of the ship; genitive form of Schiff
Stürmen
Storms; plural dative of Sturm, violent weather
im
In the; contraction of in and dem
Stil
Style, manner; characteristic way of expression
Seeleute
Sailors, seamen; people who work on ships
ebenso
Likewise, equally; in the same way also
Angaben
Details, data, specifications; provided information
wobei
Whereby, in which; relative adverb connecting clauses
Grund
Reason, ground; basis or cause for something
befürchten
To fear, to dread; to be apprehensive about something
Herr
Mister, sir, gentleman; title of address for men
etwas
Somewhat, something; indefinite pronoun or adverb
unzufrieden
Dissatisfied, displeased; not content with something
könnte
Could; subjunctive form of the modal verb können
Aber
But, however; coordinating conjunction of contrast
war
Was; simple past of sein
entschlossen
Determined, resolved; firmly decided to do something
das
The, that; definite article neuter or demonstrative
Werk
Work, opus; a literary or artistic creation
weit
Far, wide; adjective or adverb of distance
wie
How, as, like; conjunction or adverb of manner
möglich
Possible; able to be done or achieved
dem
The; dative definite article masculine or neuter
allgemeinen
General, common; adjective in inflected form
Fassungsvermögen
Comprehension capacity; ability to grasp and understand
Leser
Reader; person who reads a text or book
anzupassen
To adapt, to adjust; to make suitable for someone
Sollte
Should; subjunctive or conditional form of sollen
mich
Me; accusative form of first person pronoun
jedoch
However, yet; conjunction indicating contrast
meine
My; first person singular possessive adjective
eigene
Own; adjective emphasizing personal ownership
Unkenntnis
Ignorance, lack of knowledge; not knowing something
dazu
To that, for that; adverb referring to prior context
verleitet
Induced, misled; led into error or temptation
haben
To have; infinitive of the auxiliary verb haben
Fehler
Error, mistake; something done incorrectly
begehen
To commit, to make; to carry out an action or error
bin
Am; first person singular present of sein
allein
Alone, solely; without others, only by oneself
dafür
For it, for that; adverb indicating responsibility
verantwortlich
Responsible, accountable; answerable for an action
Und
And; coordinating conjunction linking two elements
irgendein
Any, some; indefinite article indicating any person
Reisender
Traveler; a person who undertakes journeys
Neugier
Curiosity; strong desire to know or learn something
hat
Has; third person singular present of haben
gesamte
Entire, whole; adjective meaning the complete whole
seiner
His, its; genitive or dative possessive pronoun
vollen
Full; adjective in inflected form meaning complete
Länge
Length; the measurement of something from end to end
sehen
To see; infinitive of the verb of vision
aus
From, out of; preposition of origin or material
Händen
Hands; dative plural of Hand
kam
Came; simple past of kommen
werde
Will, shall; first person singular of werden
bereit
Ready, willing; prepared to do something
ihm
Him, it; dative form of third person pronoun
diesen
This; demonstrative pronoun in accusative form
Wunsch
Wish, desire; a longing or request for something
erfüllen
To fulfill, to grant; to satisfy a wish or request
Was
What; interrogative or relative pronoun
etwaige
Any possible, eventual; adjective meaning potential
weitere
Further, additional; more beyond what is stated
Einzelheiten
Details, particulars; specific pieces of information
Autor
Author; person who writes a book or text
betreffend
Concerning, regarding; relating to a subject
angeht
Concerns, goes; third person of angehen (to concern)
wird
Will, becomes; third person singular of werden
ersten
First; ordinal adjective in inflected form
Seiten
Pages, sides; plural of Seite
Buches
Of the book; genitive form of Buch
Auskunft
Information, answer; details provided in response
erhalten
To receive, to obtain; to get something provided
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