The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete — Page 13
In chronicling the latter meteoric career, Smollett had already observed the peculiarity of his countrymen which Thackeray was fond of harping on in the next century—"the maxim which universally prevails among the English people . . to overlook, . . on their return to the metropolis, all the connexions they may have chanced to acquire during their residence at any of the medical wells.
Bei der Schilderung dieser späteren meteoritenhaften Laufbahn hatte Smollett bereits die Eigenart seiner Landsleute beobachtet, auf der Thackeray im nächsten Jahrhundert so gerne herumzureiten pflegte – „den Grundsatz, der unter den Engländern allgemein vorherrscht, . . bei ihrer Rückkehr in die Hauptstadt all die Bekanntschaften zu übergehen, die sie während ihres Aufenthalts an einem der Heilbäder zufällig geschlossen haben mögen.
And this social disposition is so scrupulously maintained, that two persons who live in the most intimate correspondence at Bath or Tunbridge, shall, in four-and-twenty hours . . meet in St. James's Park, without betraying the least token of recognition."
Und diese gesellschaftliche Haltung wird so gewissenhaft aufrechterhalten, dass zwei Personen, die in Bath oder Tunbridge im vertrautesten Umgang miteinander gelebt haben, sich binnen vierundzwanzig Stunden . . im St. James's Park begegnen können, ohne das geringste Zeichen der Wiedererkennung zu zeigen."
And good, too, is the way in which, as Dr. Fathom goes rapidly down the social hill, he makes excuses for his declining splendour.
Und ebenso gelungen ist die Art, wie Dr. Fathom, während er rasch den gesellschaftlichen Abhang hinuntergleitet, Ausreden für seinen schwindenden Glanz erfindet.
His chariot was overturned "with a hideous crash" at such danger to himself, "that he did not believe he should ever hazard himself again in any sort of wheel carriage."
Seine Kutsche wurde „mit einem entsetzlichen Krachen" umgeworfen, unter solcher Gefahr für ihn selbst, „dass er nicht glaubte, sich jemals wieder in irgendeine Art von Radgefährt wagen zu können."
He turned off his men for maids, because "men servants are generally impudent, lazy, debauched, or dishonest."
Er entließ seine männlichen Bediensteten zugunsten von Mägden, weil „männliche Diener im Allgemeinen unverschämt, faul, liederlich oder unehrlich sind."
To avoid the din of the street, he shifted his lodgings into a quiet, obscure court.
Um den Lärm der Straße zu meiden, verlegte er seine Unterkunft in einen stillen, abgelegenen Hof.
And so forth and so on, in the true Smollett vein.
Und so weiter und so fort, ganz in der wahren Smollett'schen Manier.
But, after all, such of the old sparks are struck only occasionally.
Aber trotz allem werden solche der alten Funken nur gelegentlich geschlagen.
Vocabulary
- Bei
- Preposition meaning 'at', 'by', or 'with'
- der
- Definite article 'the' (masculine/genitive feminine)
- Schilderung
- Description or depiction of a scene or situation
- dieser
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'these'
- späteren
- Adjective meaning 'later' or 'subsequent'
- Laufbahn
- Career or professional course of someone's life
- hatte
- Past tense of 'haben', meaning 'had'
- bereits
- Adverb meaning 'already' or 'previously'
- die
- Definite article 'the' (feminine/plural)
- Eigenart
- Peculiarity or distinctive characteristic of someone
- seiner
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'his' or 'its'
- Landsleute
- Compatriots or fellow citizens of the same country
- beobachtet
- Past participle of 'beobachten', meaning 'observed'
- auf
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'upon', or 'at'
- im
- Contraction of 'in dem', meaning 'in the'
- nächsten
- Adjective meaning 'next' or 'nearest'
- Jahrhundert
- Noun meaning 'century', a period of one hundred years
- so
- Adverb meaning 'so', 'thus', or 'in this way'
- gerne
- Adverb meaning 'gladly' or 'with pleasure'
- herumzureiten
- Infinitive meaning 'to ride around' on a topic repeatedly
- pflegte
- Past tense of 'pflegen', meaning 'used to' do habitually
- den
- Definite article 'the' in accusative masculine case
- Grundsatz
- Principle or fundamental rule guiding behavior
- unter
- Preposition meaning 'under', 'among', or 'below'
- Engländern
- Dative plural noun meaning 'among the English'
- allgemein
- Adjective meaning 'general' or 'widespread'
- vorherrscht
- Verb meaning 'prevails' or 'predominates' broadly
- bei
- Preposition meaning 'at', 'upon', or 'during'
- ihrer
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'their' or 'her'
- Rückkehr
- Noun meaning 'return' to a place
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'
- Hauptstadt
- Noun meaning 'capital city' of a country
- all
- Adjective/pronoun meaning 'all' or 'every'
- Bekanntschaften
- Acquaintances or social connections made with others
- zu
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or infinitive marker
- übergehen
- Verb meaning 'to ignore' or 'pass over' someone
- sie
- Personal pronoun meaning 'she', 'they', or 'it'
- während
- Preposition/conjunction meaning 'during' or 'while'
- ihres
- Genitive possessive pronoun meaning 'of their'
- Aufenthalts
- Genitive noun meaning 'of the stay' or 'sojourn'
- an
- Preposition meaning 'at', 'on', or 'by'
- einem
- Indefinite article 'a' in dative case
- Heilbäder
- Plural noun meaning 'spa towns' or 'health resorts'
- zufällig
- Adjective/adverb meaning 'by chance' or 'accidental'
- geschlossen
- Past participle meaning 'formed' or 'closed'
- haben
- Auxiliary verb meaning 'to have'
- mögen
- Modal verb meaning 'may' or 'might'
- Und
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- diese
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'these'
- gesellschaftliche
- Adjective meaning 'social' relating to society
- Haltung
- Noun meaning 'attitude', 'posture', or 'stance'
- wird
- Present tense of 'werden', meaning 'becomes' or 'is'
- gewissenhaft
- Adjective meaning 'conscientiously' or 'scrupulously'
- aufrechterhalten
- Verb meaning 'to maintain' or 'uphold' something
- dass
- Conjunction meaning 'that', introducing a subordinate clause
- zwei
- Number meaning 'two'
- Personen
- Plural noun meaning 'persons' or 'individuals'
- oder
- Conjunction meaning 'or'
- vertrautesten
- Superlative adjective meaning 'most intimate' or 'closest'
- Umgang
- Noun meaning 'social intercourse' or 'association'
- miteinander
- Adverb meaning 'with each other' or 'together'
- gelebt
- Past participle of 'leben', meaning 'lived'
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'themselves' or 'each other'
- binnen
- Preposition meaning 'within' a period of time
- vierundzwanzig
- Number meaning 'twenty-four'
- Stunden
- Plural noun meaning 'hours'
- Park
- Noun meaning 'park', a public green space
- begegnen
- Verb meaning 'to meet' or 'encounter' someone
- können
- Modal verb meaning 'can' or 'to be able to'
- ohne
- Preposition meaning 'without'
- das
- Definite article 'the' (neuter) or demonstrative pronoun
- geringste
- Superlative adjective meaning 'slightest' or 'least'
- Zeichen
- Noun meaning 'sign' or 'gesture' of recognition
- Wiedererkennung
- Noun meaning 'recognition' of a previously known person
- zeigen
- Verb meaning 'to show' or 'display'
- ebenso
- Adverb meaning 'equally' or 'just as'
- gelungen
- Past participle meaning 'successful' or 'well-executed'
- ist
- Present tense of 'sein', meaning 'is'
- Art
- Noun meaning 'manner', 'way', or 'kind'
- wie
- Conjunction/adverb meaning 'how' or 'as'
- er
- Personal pronoun meaning 'he'
- rasch
- Adjective/adverb meaning 'quickly' or 'rapidly'
- gesellschaftlichen
- Adjective meaning 'social' in the genitive/dative case
- Abhang
- Noun meaning 'slope' or 'decline', literal or figurative
- hinuntergleitet
- Verb meaning 'slides down' a slope or decline
- Ausreden
- Plural noun meaning 'excuses' or 'pretexts'
- für
- Preposition meaning 'for'
- seinen
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'his' in accusative case
- schwindenden
- Adjective meaning 'dwindling' or 'fading' away
- Glanz
- Noun meaning 'splendor', 'luster', or 'glory'
- erfindet
- Present tense of 'erfinden', meaning 'invents' or 'makes up'
- Seine
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'his' (nominative masculine)
- Kutsche
- Noun meaning 'carriage', a horse-drawn vehicle
- wurde
- Past tense of 'werden', meaning 'was' or 'became'
- mit
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- entsetzlichen
- Adjective meaning 'terrible' or 'dreadful'
- Krachen
- Noun meaning 'crash' or 'loud cracking sound'
- umgeworfen
- Past participle meaning 'overturned' or 'knocked over'
- solcher
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'such a' or 'of such'
- Gefahr
- Noun meaning 'danger' or 'peril'
- ihn
- Personal pronoun 'him' in accusative case
- selbst
- Pronoun/adverb meaning 'himself' or 'even'
- nicht
- Negation adverb meaning 'not'
- glaubte
- Past tense of 'glauben', meaning 'believed' or 'thought'
- jemals
- Adverb meaning 'ever' or 'at any time'
- wieder
- Adverb meaning 'again' or 'once more'
- irgendeine
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'any' or 'some kind of'
- von
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'by'
- wagen
- Verb meaning 'to dare' or 'venture' something risky
- Er
- Personal pronoun meaning 'he'
- entließ
- Past tense of 'entlassen', meaning 'dismissed' or 'fired'
- seine
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'his'
- männlichen
- Adjective meaning 'male' or 'masculine'
- Bediensteten
- Plural noun meaning 'servants' or 'domestic staff'
- zugunsten
- Preposition meaning 'in favor of' or 'for the benefit of'
- Mägden
- Dative plural of 'Magd', meaning 'maids' or 'female servants'
- weil
- Conjunction meaning 'because'
- männliche
- Adjective meaning 'male' or 'masculine'
- Diener
- Noun meaning 'servant' or 'manservant'
- Allgemeinen
- Adjective/noun meaning 'in general' as a set phrase
- unverschämt
- Adjective meaning 'impudent', 'shameless', or 'insolent'
- faul
- Adjective meaning 'lazy' or 'idle'
- liederlich
- Adjective meaning 'dissolute', 'slovenly', or 'debauched'
- unehrlich
- Adjective meaning 'dishonest' or 'untruthful'
- sind
- Present tense of 'sein', meaning 'are'
- Um
- Preposition meaning 'in order to' or 'around'
- Lärm
- Noun meaning 'noise' or 'racket'
- Straße
- Noun meaning 'street' or 'road'
- meiden
- Verb meaning 'to avoid' or 'shun'
- verlegte
- Past tense of 'verlegen', meaning 'relocated' or 'moved'
- Unterkunft
- Noun meaning 'accommodation' or 'lodging'
- einen
- Indefinite article 'a' in accusative masculine case
- stillen
- Adjective meaning 'quiet' or 'calm'
- abgelegenen
- Adjective meaning 'remote', 'secluded', or 'out-of-the-way'
- Hof
- Noun meaning 'courtyard', 'yard', or 'court'
- weiter
- Adverb meaning 'further' or 'onward'
- und
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- fort
- Adverb meaning 'away', 'gone', or 'onward'
- ganz
- Adverb/adjective meaning 'quite', 'entirely', or 'whole'
- wahren
- Adjective meaning 'true' or 'genuine' in inflected form
- Manier
- Noun meaning 'manner', 'style', or 'way of doing'
- Aber
- Conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however'
- trotz
- Preposition meaning 'despite' or 'in spite of'
- allem
- Dative of 'alles', meaning 'all' or 'everything'
- werden
- Verb meaning 'to become' or auxiliary for future/passive
- solche
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'such' or 'like these'
- alten
- Adjective meaning 'old' in inflected form
- Funken
- Plural noun meaning 'sparks' of creativity or inspiration
- nur
- Adverb meaning 'only' or 'merely'
- gelegentlich
- Adverb meaning 'occasionally' or 'from time to time'
- geschlagen
- Past participle of 'schlagen', meaning 'struck' or 'produced'
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