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On Liberty — Page 9

English → De Preface Level 9/10

Every one will judge for himself of this romantic episode in Mill's career, according to such experience as he may possess of the philosophic mind and of the value of these curious but not infrequent relationships.

Jeder wird für sich selbst über diese romantische Episode in Mills Laufbahn urteilen, entsprechend der Erfahrung, die er mit dem philosophischen Geist und dem Wert dieser merkwürdigen, aber nicht seltenen Beziehungen besitzen mag.

It may have been a piece of infatuation, or, if we prefer to say so, it may have been the most gracious and the most human page in Mill's career.

Es mag eine Vernarrtheit gewesen sein, oder, wenn wir es so ausdrücken wollen, es mag die anmutigste und menschlichste Seite in Mills Laufbahn gewesen sein.

Mrs. Mill may have flattered her husband's vanity by echoing his opinions, or she may have indeed been an Egeria, full of inspiration and intellectual helpfulness.

Mrs. Mill mag die Eitelkeit ihres Mannes geschmeichelt haben, indem sie seine Meinungen widerspiegelte, oder sie mag tatsächlich eine Egeria gewesen sein, voller Inspiration und geistiger Hilfsbereitschaft.

What usually happens in these cases,--although the philosopher himself, through his belief in the equality of the sexes, was debarred from thinking so,--is the extremely valuable action and reaction of two different classes and orders of mind.

Was in diesen Fällen gewöhnlich geschieht – obwohl der Philosoph selbst durch seinen Glauben an die Gleichheit der Geschlechter daran gehindert war, so zu denken –, ist das äußerst wertvolle Wechselspiel zweier verschiedener Klassen und Ordnungen des Geistes.

To any one whose thoughts have been occupied with the sphere of abstract speculation, the lively and vivid presentment of concrete fact comes as a delightful and agreeable shock.

Für jeden, dessen Gedanken mit dem Bereich abstrakter Spekulation beschäftigt waren, kommt die lebhafte und anschauliche Darstellung konkreter Tatsachen als ein entzückender und angenehmer Anstoß.

The instinct of the woman often enables her not only to apprehend but to illustrate a truth for which she would be totally unable to give the adequate philosophic reasoning.

Der Instinkt der Frau befähigt sie oft, nicht nur eine Wahrheit zu erfassen, sondern sie auch zu veranschaulichen, für die sie völlig außerstande wäre, die angemessene philosophische Begründung zu liefern.

On the other hand, the man, with the more careful logical methods and the slow processes of formal reasoning, is apt to suppose that the happy intuition which leaps to the conclusion is really based on the intellectual processes of which he is conscious in his own case.

Andererseits neigt der Mann mit den sorgfältigeren logischen Methoden und den langsamen Prozessen des formalen Denkens dazu anzunehmen, dass die glückliche Intuition, die zur Schlussfolgerung springt, tatsächlich auf den geistigen Prozessen beruht, derer er sich in seinem eigenen Fall bewusst ist.

Thus both parties to the happy contract are equally pleased.

So sind beide Parteien des glücklichen Bundes gleichermaßen zufrieden.

Vocabulary

Jeder
Each person; everyone without exception
wird
Will; third person singular of 'werden'
für
For; a common preposition indicating purpose or behalf
sich
Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun
selbst
Self; oneself; used for emphasis or reflexivity
über
About; over; concerning a topic or position
diese
This; demonstrative pronoun for feminine or plural nouns
romantische
Romantic; relating to romance or idealized emotion
Episode
Episode; a distinct event or period in a sequence
in
In; a preposition indicating location or inclusion
Laufbahn
Career; the professional path someone follows in life
urteilen
To judge; to form or express an opinion about something
entsprechend
According to; corresponding to a particular standard or experience
der
The; definite article for masculine or genitive feminine nouns
Erfahrung
Experience; knowledge gained through practice or observation
die
The; definite article for feminine or plural nouns
er
He; third person singular masculine pronoun
mit
With; a preposition indicating accompaniment or means
dem
The; dative form of the definite article
philosophischen
Philosophical; relating to philosophy or abstract reasoning
Geist
Mind; spirit; intellect or spiritual essence of a person
und
And; coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses
Wert
Value; worth; the importance or usefulness of something
dieser
Of this; genitive or demonstrative form indicating possession
merkwürdigen
Remarkable; peculiar; worthy of notice or attention
aber
But; however; a conjunction indicating contrast
nicht
Not; negation word used to negate verbs or adjectives
seltenen
Rare; uncommon; not occurring frequently
Beziehungen
Relationships; connections between people or concepts
besitzen
To possess; to own or have something
mag
May; might; modal verb indicating possibility or permission
Es
It; third person singular neuter pronoun
eine
A; an; indefinite article for feminine nouns
Vernarrtheit
Infatuation; foolish or excessive fondness for someone
gewesen
Been; past participle of 'sein' (to be)
sein
To be; infinitive form of the verb of existence
oder
Or; a disjunctive conjunction offering an alternative
wenn
If; when; a conjunction introducing a conditional clause
wir
We; first person plural pronoun
es
It; neuter third person singular pronoun
so
So; thus; in this way or manner
ausdrücken
To express; to put something into words or gestures
wollen
To want; modal verb expressing desire or intention
anmutigste
Most graceful; most charming in appearance or manner
menschlichste
Most human; most humane; most characteristic of humanity
Seite
Side; aspect; a facet or dimension of something
Eitelkeit
Vanity; excessive pride or admiration of oneself
ihres
Her; genitive possessive pronoun for feminine reference
Mannes
Of the husband; genitive form of 'Mann'
geschmeichelt
Flattered; pleased by praise or admiration received
haben
To have; auxiliary verb used in perfect tenses
indem
By; in that; conjunction indicating manner or means
sie
She; they; third person singular or plural pronoun
seine
His; possessive pronoun for masculine third person singular
Meinungen
Opinions; personal views or judgments about topics
widerspiegelte
Reflected; mirrored back an idea or opinion
tatsächlich
Actually; indeed; in fact, truly so
voller
Full of; brimming with a particular quality
Inspiration
Inspiration; a creative or motivating influence on someone
geistiger
Intellectual; mental; relating to the mind or spirit
Hilfsbereitschaft
Helpfulness; willingness to assist or support others readily
Was
What; a relative or interrogative pronoun
diesen
These; dative or accusative plural demonstrative pronoun
Fällen
Cases; instances; plural dative of 'Fall'
gewöhnlich
Usually; ordinarily; as a rule in most situations
geschieht
Happens; occurs; third person singular of 'geschehen'
obwohl
Although; even though; conjunction introducing a concession
Philosoph
Philosopher; someone who studies fundamental questions of existence
durch
Through; by means of; a preposition of traversal or cause
seinen
His; accusative or dative masculine possessive pronoun
Glauben
Belief; faith; conviction held about something
an
At; on; a preposition indicating proximity or attachment
Gleichheit
Equality; the state of being equal in rights or status
Geschlechter
Sexes; genders; the categories of male and female
daran
Thereby; at it; a prepositional adverb referring back
gehindert
Hindered; prevented from doing something
war
Was; past tense singular of 'sein' (to be)
zu
To; too; a preposition or infinitive marker
denken
To think; to engage in thought or reflection
ist
Is; third person singular present tense of 'sein'
das
The; that; neuter definite article or demonstrative pronoun
äußerst
Extremely; to the utmost degree; highly
wertvolle
Valuable; of great worth or usefulness
Wechselspiel
Interplay; mutual interaction between two different forces
zweier
Of two; genitive form of the numeral 'zwei'
verschiedener
Of different; of various; genitive plural adjective
Klassen
Classes; categories or groups sharing common characteristics
Ordnungen
Orders; types; systematic arrangements or categories
des
Of the; genitive masculine or neuter definite article
Geistes
Of the mind; genitive form of 'Geist'
Für
For; a preposition indicating purpose or benefit
jeden
Every; each; accusative form of 'jeder'
dessen
Whose; of whom; genitive relative pronoun
Gedanken
Thoughts; ideas arising from mental activity
Bereich
Area; field; domain of activity or interest
abstrakter
Abstract; relating to theoretical rather than concrete ideas
Spekulation
Speculation; theoretical reasoning without firm factual basis
beschäftigt
Occupied; engaged; busy with a particular activity
waren
Were; past tense plural of 'sein' (to be)
kommt
Comes; third person singular present tense of 'kommen'
lebhafte
Vivid; lively; full of energy or sharp clarity
anschauliche
Illustrative; clear and easily visualized in presentation
Darstellung
Representation; depiction; way of presenting information
konkreter
Of concrete; relating to specific tangible facts
Tatsachen
Facts; established truths based on reality
als
As; than; used in comparisons or equivalences
ein
A; an; indefinite article for masculine or neuter nouns
entzückender
Delightful; charming; causing great pleasure
angenehmer
Pleasant; agreeable; producing a pleasing effect
Anstoß
Stimulus; impetus; something that prompts action or thought
Der
The; nominative masculine definite article
Instinkt
Instinct; innate impulse guiding behavior naturally
Frau
Woman; wife; a female person or form of address
befähigt
Enables; qualifies; makes someone capable of something
oft
Often; frequently; happening many times
nur
Only; merely; nothing more than stated
Wahrheit
Truth; that which corresponds to reality or fact
erfassen
To grasp; to comprehend or perceive something clearly
sondern
But rather; used to correct a negative statement
auch
Also; too; additionally alongside what was mentioned
veranschaulichen
To illustrate; to make something clear with examples
völlig
Completely; entirely; to the fullest possible extent
außerstande
Unable; incapable; not in a position to do something
wäre
Would be; subjunctive form of 'sein'
angemessene
Appropriate; suitable; fitting for the given circumstances
philosophische
Philosophical; pertaining to the discipline of philosophy
Begründung
Justification; reasoning provided to support a claim
liefern
To deliver; to provide or supply something needed
Andererseits
On the other hand; conversely; from another perspective
neigt
Tends; inclines; shows a natural tendency toward something
Mann
Man; husband; an adult male person
den
The; accusative masculine or dative plural definite article
sorgfältigeren
More careful; more thorough in attention to detail
logischen
Logical; relating to systematic reasoning and inference
Methoden
Methods; systematic procedures for achieving a goal
langsamen
Slow; gradual; not moving or progressing quickly
Prozessen
Processes; series of actions to achieve a result
formalen
Formal; relating to established rules or structures
Denkens
Of thinking; genitive form of 'Denken'
dazu
To that; in addition; a prepositional adverb of purpose
anzunehmen
To assume; to suppose something to be true
dass
That; a subordinating conjunction introducing a clause
glückliche
Happy; fortunate; a lucky or favorable circumstance
Intuition
Intuition; immediate understanding without conscious reasoning
zur
To the; contracted dative feminine preposition and article
Schlussfolgerung
Conclusion; the final judgment reached through reasoning
springt
Jumps; leaps; third person singular of 'springen'
auf
On; upon; a preposition indicating surface or direction
geistigen
Intellectual; mental; pertaining to the mind or spirit
beruht
Is based; rests upon; depends on a foundation
derer
Of those; genitive relative pronoun referring to persons
seinem
His; dative masculine possessive pronoun
eigenen
Own; one's personal or individual possession
Fall
Case; instance; a specific situation or occurrence
bewusst
Aware; conscious; having knowledge of something
So
So; thus; indicating a result or consequence
sind
Are; third person plural present tense of 'sein'
beide
Both; referring to two people or things together
Parteien
Parties; sides; the participants in a union or agreement
glücklichen
Happy; fortunate; adjective in dative or genitive context
Bundes
Of the union; genitive of 'Bund'; an alliance or bond
gleichermaßen
Equally; likewise; to the same degree or extent
zufrieden
Satisfied; content; pleased with a situation or outcome
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