Meditations — Page 9

English → De Preface Level 9/10

Cyprus has been from time immemorial a meeting-place of the East and West, and although we cannot grant any importance to a possible strain of Phoenician blood in him (for the Phœnicians were no philosophers), yet it is quite likely that through Asia Minor he may have come in touch with the Far East.

Zypern ist seit jeher ein Treffpunkt des Ostens und Westens, und obwohl wir einer möglichen phönizischen Blutlinie in ihm keine Bedeutung beimessen können (denn die Phönizier waren keine Philosophen), ist es doch durchaus wahrscheinlich, dass er durch Kleinasien in Berührung mit dem Fernen Osten gekommen sein könnte.

He studied under the cynic Crates, but he did not neglect other philosophical systems.

Er studierte unter dem Kyniker Krates, vernachlässigte jedoch andere philosophische Systeme nicht.

After many years' study he opened his own school in a colonnade in Athens called the Painted Porch, or Stoa, which gave the Stoics their name.

Nach vielen Jahren des Studiums eröffnete er seine eigene Schule in einer Säulenhalle in Athen, die als Bunte Halle oder Stoa bezeichnet wurde und den Stoikern ihren Namen gab.

Next to Zeno, the School of the Porch owes most to Chrysippus (280--207 b.c.), who organised Stoicism into a system.

Nach Zenon verdankt die Schule der Halle am meisten Chrysippos (280–207 v. Chr.), der den Stoizismus zu einem System ausbaute.

Of him it was said,

Von ihm wurde gesagt,

'But for Chrysippus, there had been no Porch.'

„Ohne Chrysippos hätte es keine Halle gegeben."

The Stoics regarded speculation as a means to an end and that end was, as Zeno put it, to live consistently (ὁμολογουμένος ζῆν), or as it was later explained, to live in conformity with nature (ὁμολογουμένος τῇ φύσει ζῆν).

Die Stoiker betrachteten die Spekulation als Mittel zum Zweck, und dieser Zweck war, wie Zenon es ausdrückte, konsequent zu leben (ὁμολογουμένος ζῆν), oder wie es später erklärt wurde, in Übereinstimmung mit der Natur zu leben (ὁμολογουμένος τῇ φύσει ζῆν).

This conforming of the life to nature was the Stoic idea of Virtue.

Dieses Ausrichten des Lebens an der Natur war die stoische Vorstellung von Tugend.

This dictum might easily be taken to mean that virtue consists in yielding to each natural impulse; but that was very far from the Stoic meaning.

Dieses Diktum könnte leicht dahin gehend verstanden werden, dass Tugend darin besteht, jedem natürlichen Impuls nachzugeben; doch das lag dem stoischen Sinn sehr fern.

Vocabulary

ist: Third person singular present of sein (to be).
seit: Since; for (indicating duration or starting point).
ein: Indefinite article; one (masculine nominative singular).
Treffpunkt: Meeting point; place where people gather or meet.
des: Genitive form of definite article (the) for masculine/neuter.
Ostens: East; eastern region or direction (genitive form).
und: And; conjunction connecting words, phrases, or clauses.
Westens: West; western region or direction (genitive form).
obwohl: Although; despite the fact that; even though.
wir: We; first person plural pronoun.
einer: One; indefinite article feminine or genitive singular.
möglichen: Possible; capable of being done or occurring.
in: In; inside; within (preposition for location/time).
ihm: Him; masculine dative pronoun (to/for him).
keine: No; not a; negative article or pronoun.
Bedeutung: Meaning; significance; importance of something.
können: Can; to be able to; modal verb expressing ability.
denn: Because; for; conjunction introducing reason or cause.
die: The; feminine singular or plural definite article.
waren: Were; past tense plural of sein (to be).
Philosophen: Philosophers; persons who study philosophy and wisdom.
es: It; neuter pronoun or dummy subject.
doch: Still; yet; however; but nevertheless.
durchaus: Quite; altogether; by all means; certainly.
wahrscheinlich: Probable; likely; plausible; presumably; probably.
dass: That; conjunction introducing subordinate clause.
er: He; masculine third person singular pronoun.
durch: Through; by way of; via (preposition).
mit: With; accompanied by; in company with.
dem: The; masculine/neuter dative singular definite article.
Osten: East; eastern region (dative/accusative singular).
gekommen: Come; arrived; past participle of kommen.
sein: To be; fundamental auxiliary or copula verb.
könnte: Could; might; conditional form of können.
Er: He; masculine third person singular pronoun.
studierte: Studied; past tense of studieren (to study).
unter: Under; beneath; among (preposition for position/relationship).
vernachlässigte: Neglected; disregarded; failed to give proper attention.
jedoch: However; nevertheless; yet; still; but.
andere: Other; different; different ones or things.
philosophische: Philosophical; relating to philosophy or philosophers.
Systeme: Systems; organized schemes or methods (plural).
nicht: Not; negative adverb negating statements or clauses.
Nach: After; following; subsequent to (preposition/adverb).
vielen: Many; numerous; a large number of.
Jahren: Years; plural of Jahr; periods of time.
Studiums: Study; studying; academic learning (genitive singular).
eröffnete: Opened; established; started; past tense of eröffnen.
seine: His; possessive pronoun masculine/plural nominative singular.
eigene: Own; belonging to oneself; one's very own.
Schule: School; educational institution; philosophical school or movement.
als: As; when; than; used for comparison/description.
Halle: Hall; large covered space; public building.
oder: Or; conjunction presenting alternatives or choices.
bezeichnet: Called; named; referred to as something.
wurde: Was; past tense singular of werden (to become).
den: The; masculine/neuter accusative singular definite article.
ihren: Their; possessive pronoun feminine or dative plural.
Namen: Name; title; designation of person or thing.
gab: Gave; past tense singular of geben (to give).
verdankt: Owes; is indebted to; has as origin.
am: On the; contraction of an dem (dative).

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