Heart of Darkness — Page 8
Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him—all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men.
In einem Sumpf landen, durch die Wälder marschieren, und an irgendeinem Posten im Landesinneren die Wildheit spüren, die völlige Wildheit, die sich um ihn geschlossen hatte – all das geheimnisvolle Leben der Wildnis, das im Wald, in den Dschungeln, in den Herzen wilder Menschen regt.
There's no initiation either into such mysteries.
Es gibt auch keine Einweihung in solche Geheimnisse.
He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable.
Er muss inmitten des Unbegreiflichen leben, das auch verabscheuungswürdig ist.
And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him.
Und es übt auch eine Faszination auf ihn aus.
The fascination of the abomination—you know, imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate."
Die Faszination des Abscheulichen – Sie wissen schon, stellen Sie sich die wachsenden Reue vor, die Sehnsucht zu entkommen, den ohnmächtigen Ekel, die Kapitulation, den Hass."
He paused.
Er machte eine Pause.
What saves us is efficiency—the devotion to efficiency.
Was uns rettet, ist Effizienz – die Hingabe an die Effizienz.
But these chaps were not much account, really.
Aber diese Kerle taugten wirklich nicht viel.
They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect.
Sie waren keine Kolonisatoren; ihre Verwaltung war lediglich eine Ausbeutung, und nichts weiter, vermute ich.
They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force—nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.
Sie waren Eroberer, und dafür braucht man nur rohe Gewalt – nichts, womit man prahlen könnte, wenn man sie hat, denn die eigene Stärke ist nur ein Zufall, der aus der Schwäche anderer entsteht.
They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got.
Sie rafften zusammen, was sie bekommen konnten, um des Raffens willen.
Vocabulary
- In
- Preposition indicating location or position within.
- einem
- Dative article 'a' or 'an' in masculine or neuter form.
- Sumpf
- Swamp or marsh; wet, muddy ground.
- landen
- To land or arrive at a destination.
- durch
- Preposition meaning 'through' or 'by means of'.
- die
- Definite article 'the' in feminine or plural form.
- Wälder
- Plural of Wald; forests or woodlands.
- marschieren
- To march or walk in military formation.
- und
- Conjunction meaning 'and'.
- an
- Preposition meaning 'at' or 'on'.
- irgendeinem
- Dative form of 'irgendein'; some or any.
- Posten
- Post, position, or outpost in remote area.
- im
- Contraction of 'in dem'; in the.
- spüren
- To feel, sense, or perceive something.
- völlige
- Complete, total, or absolute.
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun 'oneself' or 'himself/herself'.
- um
- Preposition meaning 'around' or 'about'.
- ihn
- Accusative pronoun 'him' or 'it'.
- geschlossen
- Closed or enclosed; past participle of schließen.
- hatte
- Past tense of 'haben'; had.
- all
- All or everything; every part of something.
- das
- Definite article 'the' in neuter singular form.
- Leben
- Life or existence; also means 'to live'.
- der
- Definite article 'the' in masculine or genitive form.
- Wildnis
- Wilderness, untamed or uncultivated region.
- Wald
- Forest or wooded area.
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'.
- den
- Accusative plural or dative plural article 'the'.
- Dschungeln
- Plural of Dschungel; jungles or dense vegetation.
- Herzen
- Hearts; plural of Herz or dative singular.
- wilder
- Wild or untamed; adjective form.
- Menschen
- Humans, people, or mankind.
- Es
- Pronoun 'it' in nominative form.
- gibt
- Gives or exists; third person singular of geben.
- auch
- Also, too, or as well.
- keine
- No, not any; negation of ein.
- solche
- Such, that kind of, or like that.
- Geheimnisse
- Secrets or mysteries; plural of Geheimnis.
- Er
- Pronoun 'he' in nominative form.
- muss
- Must or has to; necessity or obligation.
- inmitten
- In the midst of or surrounded by.
- des
- Genitive article 'of the'; masculine or neuter.
- leben
- To live or exist; infinitive verb.
- ist
- Is or exists; third person singular of sein.
- Und
- And; conjunction connecting words or clauses.
- es
- It; neuter pronoun in nominative or accusative.
- übt
- Exercises or practices; third person singular of üben.
- eine
- A or an; feminine indefinite article.
- Faszination
- Fascination or strong attraction or interest.
- auf
- On, upon, or at; preposition.
- aus
- Out, from, or made of; preposition.
- Die
- The; definite article in nominative plural.
- Sie
- You or they; polite or plural pronoun.
- wissen
- To know or be aware of information.
- schon
- Already, yet, or by now.
- stellen
- To place, put, or set; stand.
- wachsenden
- Growing or increasing; present participle of wachsen.
- Reue
- Remorse, regret, or repentance.
- Sehnsucht
- Longing, yearning, or strong desire.
- zu
- To, too, or towards; preposition or infinitive marker.
- entkommen
- To escape or get away from.
- Ekel
- Disgust, revulsion, or nausea.
- Kapitulation
- Surrender, capitulation, or giving up.
- Hass
- Hatred, hate, or intense dislike.
- machte
- Made or did; past tense of machen.
- Pause
- Pause, break, or interruption.
- Was
- What or that which; interrogative or relative.
- uns
- Us; accusative or dative plural pronoun.
- rettet
- Saves or rescues; third person singular of retten.
- Effizienz
- Efficiency or effectiveness in accomplishing goals.
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