Middlemarch — Page 1
Who that cares much to know the history of man, and how the mysterious mixture behaves under the varying experiments of Time, has not dwelt, at least briefly, on the life of Saint Theresa, has not smiled with some gentleness at the thought of the little girl walking forth one morning hand-in-hand with her still smaller brother, to go and seek martyrdom in the country of the Moors?
Wer sich sehr darum bemüht, die Geschichte des Menschen zu kennen, und wie die geheimnisvolle Mischung sich unter den wechselnden Versuchen der Zeit verhält, hat nicht wenigstens kurz bei dem Leben der Heiligen Theresa verweilt, hat nicht mit einer gewissen Sanftmut gelächelt bei dem Gedanken an das kleine Mädchen, das eines Morgens Hand in Hand mit ihrem noch kleineren Bruder auszog, um im Lande der Mauren das Martyrium zu suchen?
Out they toddled from rugged Avila, wide-eyed and helpless-looking as two fawns, but with human hearts, already beating to a national idea; until domestic reality met them in the shape of uncles, and turned them back from their great resolve.
Heraus watschelten sie aus dem rauen Avila, großäugig und hilflos wirkend wie zwei Rehkitze, doch mit menschlichen Herzen, die bereits für eine nationale Idee schlugen; bis die häusliche Wirklichkeit ihnen in Gestalt von Onkeln begegnete und sie von ihrem großen Entschluss zurückbrachte.
That child-pilgrimage was a fit beginning.
Diese Kinderpilgerfahrt war ein passender Anfang.
Theresa's passionate, ideal nature demanded an epic life: what were many-volumed romances of chivalry and the social conquests of a brilliant girl to her?
Theresas leidenschaftliche, ideale Natur verlangte nach einem epischen Leben: Was bedeuteten ihr die vielbbändigen Ritterromane und die gesellschaftlichen Eroberungen eines glänzenden Mädchens?
Her flame quickly burned up that light fuel; and, fed from within, soared after some illimitable satisfaction, some object which would never justify weariness, which would reconcile self-despair with the rapturous consciousness of life beyond self.
Ihre Flamme verbrannte schnell diesen leichten Zündstoff; und, von innen genährt, strebte sie nach einer grenzenlosen Befriedigung, nach einem Ziel, das niemals Müdigkeit rechtfertigen würde, das die Selbstverzweiflung mit dem beseligenden Bewusstsein eines Lebens jenseits des Selbst versöhnen würde.
She found her epos in the reform of a religious order.
Sie fand ihr Epos in der Reform eines religiösen Ordens.
That Spanish woman who lived three hundred years ago, was certainly not the last of her kind.
Jene spanische Frau, die vor dreihundert Jahren lebte, war gewiss nicht die letzte ihrer Art.
Vocabulary
- Wer
- Who; interrogative pronoun for persons
- sich
- Oneself; reflexive pronoun for third person
- sehr
- Very; adverb indicating high degree
- darum
- Therefore; for that reason or purpose
- bemüht
- Endeavors; tries; makes effort to achieve
- die
- The; definite article for feminine nouns
- Geschichte
- History; story or account of past events
- des
- Of the; genitive form of definite article
- Menschen
- Human; person or mankind in general
- zu
- To; preposition indicating direction or purpose
- kennen
- Know; to be acquainted or familiar with
- und
- And; conjunction connecting words or clauses
- wie
- How; in what way or manner
- geheimnisvolle
- Mysterious; full of mystery or secrets
- Mischung
- Mixture; combination of different elements
- unter
- Under; beneath or among something
- den
- The; accusative/dative plural of definite article
- Versuchen
- Attempts; tries or efforts to do something
- der
- The; definite article for feminine genitive
- Zeit
- Time; period or duration of temporal existence
- verhält
- Relates; behaves or conducts oneself in manner
- hat
- Has; third person singular of haben
- nicht
- Not; negation or denial of statement
- wenigstens
- At least; minimum or smallest amount possible
- kurz
- Briefly; for short time or concisely
- bei
- At; near or in the vicinity of
- dem
- The; dative/locative form of definite article
- Leben
- Life; state of being alive or living
- Heiligen
- Saint; holy or sacred person revered religiously
- mit
- With; in company or association with
- einer
- A/an; indefinite article for feminine singular
- gewissen
- Certain; sure or having some degree certainty
- gelächelt
- Smiled; past participle of smile action
- Gedanken
- Thoughts; ideas or mental processes in mind
- an
- At; to or toward something or someone
- das
- The; definite article for neuter singular
- kleine
- Little; small in size or extent
- Mädchen
- Girl; young female person or child
- eines
- One; indefinite article neuter singular genitive
- Morgens
- Morning; early part of day after sunrise
- Hand
- Hand; body part at end of arm
- in
- In; inside or within something or place
- ihrem
- Her; possessive pronoun third person feminine
- noch
- Still; yet or continuing to present time
- kleineren
- Smaller; comparative form of klein small
- Bruder
- Brother; male sibling in family relationship
- auszog
- Set out; departed or left place
- um
- In order to; for purpose of achieving
- im
- In the; contraction of in dem
- Lande
- Land; country or region of territory
- suchen
- Seek; search or look for something
- sie
- They/she; pronoun for plural or feminine
- aus
- Out; from within or out of
- hilflos
- Helpless; unable to help or defend
- wirkend
- Appearing; seeming or looking particular way
- zwei
- Two; number between one and three
- doch
- Yet; however or nevertheless in contrast
- menschlichen
- Human; relating to people or mankind
- Herzen
- Hearts; plural of heart organ or emotion
- bereits
- Already; before this or previous time
- für
- For; indicating purpose or intention action
- eine
- A/an; indefinite article feminine singular form
- nationale
- National; relating to nation or country
- Idee
- Idea; thought or concept in mind
- schlugen
- Beat; struck or pulsated repeatedly action
- bis
- Until; up to time or point
- häusliche
- Domestic; relating to home or family
- Wirklichkeit
- Reality; state of being actual fact
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