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Jane Eyre: An Autobiography — Page 4

English → De BY THE AUTHOR PREFACE Level 7/10

They say he is like Fielding: they talk of his wit, humour, comic powers.

Sie sagen, er sei wie Fielding: Sie sprechen von seinem Witz, seinem Humor, seinen komischen Fähigkeiten.

He resembles Fielding as an eagle does a vulture: Fielding could stoop on carrion, but Thackeray never does.

Er ähnelt Fielding so, wie ein Adler einem Geier ähnelt: Fielding konnte sich auf Aas herabsenken, aber Thackeray tut es niemals.

His wit is bright, his humour attractive, but both bear the same relation to his serious genius that the mere lambent sheet-lightning playing under the edge of the summer-cloud does to the electric death-spark hid in its womb.

Sein Witz ist glänzend, sein Humor anziehend, aber beide stehen in demselben Verhältnis zu seinem ernsten Genie wie das bloße flackernde Wetterleuchten, das unter dem Rand der Sommerwolke spielt, zu dem elektrischen Todesfunken, der in ihrem Schoß verborgen ist.

Finally, I have alluded to Mr. Thackeray, because to him—if he will accept the tribute of a total stranger—I have dedicated this second edition of "JANE EYRE.

Schließlich habe ich auf Mr. Thackeray angespielt, weil ich ihm – wenn er die Huldigung eines völlig Fremden annehmen will – diese zweite Ausgabe von „JANE EYRE" gewidmet habe.

Vocabulary

Sie
They or you (formal pronoun, subject)
sagen
To say or tell something
er
He, third-person singular masculine pronoun
sei
Subjunctive form of 'sein' meaning 'is/be'
wie
How or like, used for comparison or inquiry
sprechen
To speak or talk
von
Of or from, common preposition
seinem
His, dative masculine possessive pronoun
Witz
Wit, joke, or clever humor
Humor
Humor, sense of comedy or amusement
seinen
His, accusative masculine possessive pronoun
komischen
Comic, funny, or comical (inflected adjective)
Fähigkeiten
Abilities, skills, or talents (plural)
Er
He, third-person singular masculine pronoun
ähnelt
Resembles or is similar to something
so
So, thus, or in this way
ein
A, an, indefinite article or numeral one
Adler
Eagle, a large bird of prey
einem
A, dative indefinite article (masculine/neuter)
Geier
Vulture, a scavenging bird of prey
konnte
Could, past tense of können (to be able)
sich
Reflexive pronoun meaning himself, herself, itself
auf
On, onto, or upon, common preposition
Aas
Carrion, dead rotting flesh of animals
herabsenken
To lower or descend down toward something
aber
But, however, conjunction showing contrast
tut
Does, third-person singular of tun (to do)
es
It, neuter third-person singular pronoun
niemals
Never, at no time whatsoever
Sein
His or its (possessive); also 'being' as noun
ist
Is, third-person singular present of sein
glänzend
Brilliant, shining, or excellent in quality
sein
His possessive pronoun or infinitive 'to be'
anziehend
Attractive, charming, or appealing
beide
Both, referring to two things or people
stehen
To stand or be positioned somewhere
in
In, inside, common preposition of location
demselben
The same, dative form of 'derselbe'
Verhältnis
Relationship, ratio, or proportion between things
zu
To, toward, or too, very common preposition
ernsten
Serious, grave (inflected adjective form)
Genie
Genius, a person of extraordinary intellectual talent
das
The, definite article for neuter nouns
bloße
Mere, bare, or nothing more than (adjective)
flackernde
Flickering, wavering light (inflected adjective)
Wetterleuchten
Sheet lightning, distant lightning without thunder
unter
Under, below, or among, common preposition
dem
The, dative definite article (masculine/neuter)
Rand
Edge, rim, or border of something
der
The, definite article (masculine nominative or genitive)
Sommerwolke
Summer cloud, a cloud during summer season
spielt
Plays, third-person singular of spielen
elektrischen
Electric, electrical (inflected adjective form)
Todesfunken
Death sparks, lethal electrical sparks (poetic term)
ihrem
Her, their, dative possessive pronoun (feminine/plural)
Schoß
Lap or womb, bosom, figurative inner core
verborgen
Hidden, concealed, secret (past participle)
Schließlich
Finally, ultimately, or after all
habe
Have, first-person singular of haben
ich
I, first-person singular pronoun
angespielt
Hinted at or alluded to something (past participle)
weil
Because, subordinating conjunction of reason
ihm
Him or it, dative third-person masculine pronoun
wenn
If or when, common conditional conjunction
die
The, definite article for feminine or plural nouns
Huldigung
Homage, tribute, or act of reverence
eines
Of a, genitive indefinite article (masculine/neuter)
völlig
Completely, entirely, or totally
Fremden
Stranger or foreigner (genitive/dative inflected form)
annehmen
To accept, receive, or assume something
will
Wants to, third-person singular of wollen
diese
This or these, demonstrative pronoun/adjective
zweite
Second, ordinal number adjective (inflected)
Ausgabe
Edition, issue, or output of a publication
gewidmet
Dedicated to someone (past participle of widmen)
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