Heart of Darkness — Page 2
Besides holding our hearts together through long periods of separation, it had the effect of making us tolerant of each other's yarns—and even convictions.
Abgesehen davon, dass es unsere Herzen durch lange Trennungszeiten zusammenhielt, bewirkte es, dass wir die Geschichten des anderen tolerierten – und sogar seine Überzeugungen.
The Lawyer—the best of old fellows—had, because of his many years and many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and was lying on the only rug.
Der Anwalt – der beste aller alten Gefährten – hatte, aufgrund seiner vielen Jahre und vielen Tugenden, das einzige Kissen an Deck und lag auf dem einzigen Teppich.
The Accountant had brought out already a box of dominoes, and was toying architecturally with the bones.
Der Buchhalter hatte bereits eine Schachtel Dominosteine herausgeholt und spielte auf architektonische Weise mit den Steinen.
Marlow sat cross-legged right aft, leaning against the mizzen-mast.
Marlow saß mit gekreuzten Beinen ganz achtern und lehnte gegen den Besanmast.
He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol.
Er hatte eingefallene Wangen, einen gelblichen Teint, einen geraden Rücken, ein asketisches Aussehen, und mit herabhängenden Armen und nach außen gewandten Handflächen glich er einem Götzen.
The director, satisfied the anchor had good hold, made his way aft and sat down amongst us.
Der Kapitän, überzeugt davon, dass der Anker sicheren Halt hatte, begab sich nach achtern und setzte sich zu uns.
We exchanged a few words lazily.
Wir wechselten träge ein paar Worte.
Afterwards there was silence on board the yacht.
Danach herrschte Stille an Bord der Jacht.
For some reason or other we did not begin that game of dominoes.
Aus irgendeinem Grund begannen wir das Dominospiel nicht.
We felt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.
Wir fühlten uns nachdenklich gestimmt und zu nichts anderem fähig als zu ruhigem Starren.
The day was ending in a serenity of still and exquisite brilliance.
Der Tag neigte sich in einer Stille von stiller und erlesener Helligkeit dem Ende.
The water shone pacifically; the sky, without a speck, was a benign immensity of unstained light; the very mist on the Essex marsh was like a gauzy and radiant fabric, hung from the wooded rises inland, and draping the low shores in diaphanous folds.
Das Wasser glänzte friedvoll; der Himmel, makellos und ohne jeden Fleck, war eine wohltuende Unermesslichkeit ungetrübten Lichts; selbst der Nebel über dem Essex-Moor glich einem hauchdünnen, strahlenden Gewebe, das von den bewaldeten Anhöhen im Landesinneren herabhing und die flachen Ufer in durchscheinende Falten hüllte.
Only the gloom to the west, brooding over the upper reaches, became more sombre every minute, as if angered by the approach of the sun.
Nur die Düsternis im Westen, die schwer über den oberen Flusslauf brütete, wurde mit jeder Minute finsterer, als ob sie über das Herannahen der Sonne erzürnt wäre.
Vocabulary
- Abgesehen
- Apart from, aside from something mentioned
- davon
- From it, of that, thereof
- dass
- Conjunction introducing a subordinate clause
- es
- It, neuter third-person singular pronoun
- unsere
- Our, possessive pronoun plural form
- Herzen
- Hearts, plural of Herz
- durch
- Through, across, by means of
- lange
- Long, lengthy in duration or distance
- Trennungszeiten
- Periods of separation, times spent apart
- zusammenhielt
- Held together, kept united (past tense)
- bewirkte
- Caused, brought about, achieved an effect
- wir
- We, first-person plural pronoun
- die
- The, definite article or relative pronoun
- Geschichten
- Stories, tales, narratives plural form
- des
- Of the, genitive definite article masculine/neuter
- anderen
- Of the other, belonging to someone else
- tolerierten
- Tolerated, accepted without objection (past tense)
- und
- And, coordinating conjunction
- sogar
- Even, as an intensifier expressing surprise
- seine
- His, masculine possessive pronoun
- Überzeugungen
- Convictions, firmly held beliefs or opinions
- Der
- The, masculine definite article nominative
- Anwalt
- Lawyer, attorney, legal counsel
- der
- The, definite article or relative pronoun
- beste
- Best, superlative form of good
- aller
- Of all, genitive plural of all
- alten
- Old, adjective in inflected form
- Gefährten
- Companions, comrades, fellow travelers plural
- hatte
- Had, past tense of haben
- aufgrund
- Due to, on account of, because of
- seiner
- His, genitive possessive pronoun masculine
- vielen
- Many, numerous in inflected form
- Jahre
- Years, plural of Jahr
- Tugenden
- Virtues, moral qualities or merits plural
- das
- The, neuter definite article or pronoun
- einzige
- Only, sole, the single one
- Kissen
- Cushion, pillow for sitting or resting
- an
- At, on, to, preposition of location
- Deck
- Deck, flat surface on a ship
- lag
- Lay, was lying (past tense liegen)
- auf
- On, upon, onto, preposition of position
- dem
- The, dative definite article masculine/neuter
- einzigen
- Only, sole in inflected dative form
- Teppich
- Carpet, rug laid on the floor
- Buchhalter
- Bookkeeper, accountant who manages financial records
- bereits
- Already, previously, by this time
- eine
- A, an, indefinite article feminine
- Schachtel
- Box, small cardboard or wooden container
- Dominosteine
- Domino tiles, pieces used in domino game
- herausgeholt
- Taken out, retrieved from inside somewhere
- spielte
- Played, was playing (past tense spielen)
- architektonische
- Architectural, relating to structure or architecture
- Weise
- Way, manner, method of doing something
- mit
- With, together with, using something
- den
- The, accusative/dative definite article plural
- Steinen
- Stones, pieces, tiles in dative plural
- saß
- Sat, was sitting (past tense sitzen)
- gekreuzten
- Crossed, in a crossed position, inflected form
- Beinen
- Legs, limbs of the body dative plural
- ganz
- Completely, entirely, quite, wholly
- achtern
- At the stern, toward the rear of ship
- lehnte
- Leaned, rested against something (past tense)
- gegen
- Against, opposed to, leaning on something
- Er
- He, third-person masculine singular pronoun
- eingefallene
- Sunken, hollow, gaunt in appearance
- Wangen
- Cheeks, the sides of the face plural
- einen
- A, an, indefinite article accusative masculine
- gelblichen
- Yellowish, slightly yellow in color inflected
- Teint
- Complexion, skin tone of a person
- geraden
- Straight, upright in inflected accusative form
- Rücken
- Back, the rear part of the torso
- ein
- A, an, indefinite article neuter nominative
- asketisches
- Ascetic, characterized by severe self-discipline
- Aussehen
- Appearance, the way someone looks outwardly
- herabhängenden
- Hanging down, drooping in inflected form
- Armen
- Arms, upper limbs dative plural form
- nach
- To, after, toward, according to preposition
- außen
- Outside, outward, toward the exterior
- gewandten
- Turned, facing in inflected adjective form
- Handflächen
- Palms, flat inner surfaces of hands
- glich
- Resembled, looked like (past tense gleichen)
- er
- He, third-person masculine singular pronoun
- einem
- A, an, indefinite article dative masculine/neuter
- Götzen
- Idol, false god, figure of worship
- Kapitän
- Captain, commander of a ship or vessel
- überzeugt
- Convinced, certain, confident about something
- Anker
- Anchor, heavy device to hold a ship
- sicheren
- Secure, safe in inflected accusative form
- Halt
- Hold, grip, support, a firm stopping point
- begab
- Went, proceeded (past tense sich begeben)
- sich
- Himself, herself, itself, reflexive pronoun
- setzte
- Sat down, placed (past tense setzen)
- zu
- To, toward, at, closed preposition
- uns
- Us, first-person plural accusative/dative pronoun
- Wir
- We, first-person plural subject pronoun
- wechselten
- Exchanged, swapped (past tense wechseln)
- träge
- Lazily, sluggishly, in a lethargic manner
- paar
- A few, a couple of, some words
- Worte
- Words, spoken expressions plural form
- Danach
- After that, afterward, subsequently
- herrschte
- Prevailed, reigned, dominated (past tense herrschen)
- Stille
- Silence, stillness, quietness, calm
- Bord
- Board, on board a ship or vessel
- Jacht
- Yacht, a sailing or motor pleasure boat
- Aus
- From, out of, for some reason
- irgendeinem
- Some, any, some unspecified dative form
- Grund
- Reason, cause, ground, basis for something
- begannen
- Began, started (past tense beginnen)
- nicht
- Not, negation particle in German
- fühlten
- Felt, sensed (past tense fühlen)
- nachdenklich
- Thoughtful, pensive, given to reflection
- gestimmt
- Tuned, disposed, inclined in a mood
- nichts
- Nothing, not anything at all
- anderem
- Other, else in dative inflected form
- fähig
- Capable, able, competent to do something
- als
- Than, as, when used in comparisons
- ruhigem
- Calm, quiet in dative inflected form
- Starren
- Staring, gazing fixedly at something
- Tag
- Day, a 24-hour period of time
- neigte
- Tilted, inclined, was drawing to end
- in
- In, inside, into, preposition of location
- einer
- A, one in genitive or dative feminine
- von
- Of, from, by, preposition of origin
- stiller
- Quieter, more silent comparative form
- erlesener
- Exquisite, select, refined in comparative form
- Helligkeit
- Brightness, luminosity, lightness of the sky
- Ende
- End, conclusion, finish of something
- Das
- The, neuter definite article nominative/accusative
- Wasser
- Water, the liquid covering much of earth
- glänzte
- Gleamed, shone, glistened (past tense glänzen)
- friedvoll
- Peacefully, in a peaceful tranquil manner
- Himmel
- Sky, heaven, the expanse above earth
- makellos
- Flawless, spotless, without any blemish
- ohne
- Without, lacking something, preposition
- jeden
- Every, each in accusative masculine form
- Fleck
- Spot, stain, blemish, small mark
- war
- Was, past tense of sein to be
- wohltuende
- Beneficial, soothing, doing one good
- Unermesslichkeit
- Immensity, vastness, immeasurability of something
- ungetrübten
- Undimmed, unclouded, clear in inflected form
- Lichts
- Of light, genitive form of Licht
- selbst
- Even, itself, self, used for emphasis
- Nebel
- Fog, mist, haze in the atmosphere
- über
- Over, above, across, about preposition
- hauchdünnen
- Gossamer-thin, extremely thin in inflected form
- strahlenden
- Radiant, shining in inflected adjective form
- Gewebe
- Fabric, tissue, web, woven material
- bewaldeten
- Wooded, forested in inflected adjective form
- Anhöhen
- Hills, elevations, gentle rises in terrain
- im
- In the, contraction of in dem
- Landesinneren
- Inland, interior of a country or land
- herabhing
- Hung down, draped downward (past tense)
- flachen
- Flat, level in inflected adjective form
- Ufer
- Shore, bank, waterside edge of water
- durchscheinende
- Translucent, shining through in inflected form
- Falten
- Folds, wrinkles, pleats plural form
- hüllte
- Wrapped, enveloped, cloaked (past tense hüllen)
- Nur
- Only, just, merely as a restriction
- Düsternis
- Gloom, darkness, dreariness, somber atmosphere
- Westen
- West, the westward direction or region
- schwer
- Heavy, difficult, grave, serious
- oberen
- Upper, higher in inflected adjective form
- Flusslauf
- Course of a river, river's path
- brütete
- Brooded, loomed heavily (past tense brüten)
- wurde
- Became, was (past tense werden)
- jeder
- Every, each, with every passing unit
- Minute
- Minute, a unit of sixty seconds time
- finsterer
- Darker, gloomier in comparative form
- ob
- Whether, if, used in indirect questions
- sie
- She, they, or it as pronoun
- Herannahen
- Approach, the drawing near of something
- Sonne
- Sun, the star at center of solar system
- erzürnt
- Angered, enraged, made furious by something
- wäre
- Would be, subjunctive form of sein
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