Joseph II. and His Court: An Historical Novel — Page 1
THE CONFERENCE.
DIE KONFERENZ.
In the council-chamber of the Empress Maria Theresa, the six lords, who composed her cabinet council, awaited the entrance of their imperial mistress to open the sitting.
Im Ratssaal der Kaiserin Maria Theresia erwarteten die sechs Herren, die ihren Kabinettsrat bildeten, den Eintritt ihrer kaiserlichen Herrin, um die Sitzung zu eröffnen.
At this sitting, a great political question was to be discussed and its gravity seemed to be reflected in the faces of the lords, as, in low tones, they whispered together in the dim, spacious apartment, whose antiquated furniture of dark velvet tapestry corresponded well with the anxious looks of its occupants.
Bei dieser Sitzung sollte eine bedeutende politische Frage erörtert werden, und deren Ernst schien sich in den Gesichtern der Herren widerzuspiegeln, während sie in gedämpften Tönen miteinander in dem dämmrigen, geräumigen Gemach flüsterten, dessen altertümliche Einrichtung aus dunklem Samttuch gut zu den besorgten Mienen seiner Bewohner passte.
In the centre of the room stood the Baron von Bartenstein and the Count von Uhlefeld, the two powerful statesmen who for thirteen years had been honored by the confidence of the empress.
In der Mitte des Zimmers standen der Baron von Bartenstein und der Graf von Uhlefeld, die zwei mächtigen Staatsmänner, die dreizehn Jahre lang durch das Vertrauen der Kaiserin geehrt worden waren.
Together they stood, their consequence acknowledged by all, while with proud and lofty mien, they whispered of state secrets.
Zusammen standen sie, ihr Ansehen von allen anerkannt, während sie mit stolzer und erhabener Miene Staatsgeheimnisse flüsterten.
Upon the fair, smooth face of Bartenstein appeared an expression of haughty triumph, which he was at no pains to conceal; and over the delicate mouth of Von Uhlefeld fluttered a smile of ineffable complacency.
Auf dem hellen, glatten Gesicht Bartensteins zeigte sich ein Ausdruck hochmütigen Triumphes, den er sich keine Mühe gab zu verbergen; und um den feinen Mund von Uhlefelds flatterte ein Lächeln unsagbarer Selbstgefälligkeit.
Vocabulary
- KONFERENZ
- A formal meeting or conference of people
- Im
- Contraction of 'in dem': in the
- Ratssaal
- A council chamber or meeting hall
- Kaiserin
- A female emperor; an empress
- erwarteten
- Past tense of erwarten: awaited or expected
- sechs
- The number six
- Herren
- Plural of Herr: gentlemen or lords
- ihren
- Accusative possessive pronoun: their (masculine)
- Kabinettsrat
- A cabinet council or advisory governmental body
- bildeten
- Past tense of bilden: formed or constituted
- Eintritt
- The act of entering; entry or arrival
- ihrer
- Genitive/dative possessive pronoun: her or their
- kaiserlichen
- Adjective form of kaiserlich: imperial, of the emperor
- Herrin
- A female master or mistress; sovereign lady
- um
- Preposition or conjunction: in order to; around
- Sitzung
- A session or meeting of an official body
- eröffnen
- To open or inaugurate formally a meeting
- Bei
- Preposition: at, by, or during
- dieser
- Demonstrative pronoun (dative feminine): this
- sollte
- Past subjunctive of sollen: was supposed to
- bedeutende
- Adjective: significant, important, or considerable
- politische
- Adjective: relating to politics or government
- Frage
- A question or matter under consideration
- erörtert
- Past participle of erörtern: discussed or debated thoroughly
- werden
- Auxiliary verb: to be (passive) or to become
- deren
- Relative/demonstrative pronoun (genitive): whose or their
- Ernst
- Seriousness, gravity, or earnestness of a matter
- schien
- Past tense of scheinen: seemed or appeared
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun: himself, herself, itself, themselves
- Gesichtern
- Dative plural of Gesicht: faces
- widerzuspiegeln
- To reflect or mirror something back
- während
- Conjunction or preposition: while or during
- gedämpften
- Adjective: muffled, subdued, or hushed in tone
- Tönen
- Dative plural of Ton: tones, sounds, or voices
- miteinander
- Adverb: with one another, together
- dämmrigen
- Adjective (declined): dim, dusky, or twilit
- geräumigen
- Adjective (declined): spacious, roomy, or large
- Gemach
- An archaic word for a chamber or room
- flüsterten
- Past tense of flüstern: whispered to one another
- dessen
- Relative pronoun (genitive masculine/neuter): whose or of which
- altertümliche
- Adjective: antique, old-fashioned, or ancient in style
- Einrichtung
- Furnishings, interior décor, or equipment of a room
- aus
- Preposition: out of, from, or made of
- dunklem
- Adjective (dative, declined): dark-colored or gloomy
- Samttuch
- Velvet cloth used as fabric or covering
- gut
- Adjective or adverb: good, well
- besorgten
- Adjective (declined): worried, concerned, or anxious
- Mienen
- Plural of Miene: facial expressions or looks
- seiner
- Genitive possessive pronoun (masculine/neuter): his or its
- Bewohner
- Inhabitants or occupants of a place
- passte
- Past tense of passen: fit, matched, or suited
- Mitte
- The middle or center of a space
- Zimmers
- Genitive of Zimmer: of the room
- standen
- Past tense of stehen: stood or were standing
- Baron
- A nobleman of the lowest hereditary rank
- von
- Preposition: of, from, or by
- Graf
- A German noble title equivalent to count
- zwei
- The number two
- mächtigen
- Adjective (declined): powerful, mighty, or influential
- Staatsmänner
- Plural of Staatsmann: statesmen or politicians
- dreizehn
- The number thirteen
- Jahre
- Plural of Jahr: years
- lang
- Adjective or adverb: long or for a long time
- durch
- Preposition: through, by means of
- Vertrauen
- Trust, confidence, or faith in someone
- geehrt
- Past participle of ehren: honored or respected
- worden
- Past participle of werden used in passive constructions
- Zusammen
- Adverb: together, jointly, or combined
- ihr
- Possessive pronoun or personal pronoun: her, their, you (formal)
- Ansehen
- Reputation, prestige, or standing in society
- allen
- Dative/accusative of alle: by all, from all
- anerkannt
- Past participle of anerkennen: recognized or acknowledged
- mit
- Preposition: with or together with
- stolzer
- Comparative/declined form of stolz: proud
- erhabener
- Adjective (declined): sublime, lofty, or dignified
- Miene
- A facial expression, look, or countenance
- Staatsgeheimnisse
- Plural of Staatsgeheimnis: state secrets
- Auf
- Preposition: on, upon, or on top of
- hellen
- Adjective (declined): bright, light, or pale
- glatten
- Adjective (declined): smooth, sleek, or flat
- Gesicht
- A face or the human facial features
- zeigte
- Past tense of zeigen: showed or displayed
- Ausdruck
- An expression, look, or manner of showing feeling
- hochmütigen
- Adjective (declined): arrogant, haughty, or conceited
- Triumphes
- Genitive of Triumph: of triumph or victory
- keine
- Negative article: no, none, not any
- Mühe
- Effort, trouble, or pains taken to do something
- gab
- Past tense of geben: gave
- verbergen
- To hide, conceal, or keep something secret
- feinen
- Adjective (declined): fine, delicate, or refined
- Mund
- The mouth as part of the human face
- flatterte
- Past tense of flattern: fluttered or hovered lightly
- Lächeln
- A smile or the act of smiling gently
- unsagbarer
- Adjective (declined): unspeakable, inexpressible, or indescribable
- Selbstgefälligkeit
- Self-satisfaction, complacency, or smug self-contentment
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