The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 5
I have attempted to represent modest merit struggling with every difficulty to which a friendless orphan is exposed, from his own want of experience, as well as from the selfishness, envy, malice, and base indifference of mankind.
Ich habe versucht, bescheidenes Verdienst darzustellen, das mit jeder Schwierigkeit kämpft, der ein freundloser Waise ausgesetzt ist, sowohl durch seinen eigenen Mangel an Erfahrung als auch durch die Selbstsucht, den Neid, die Bosheit und die niederträchtige Gleichgültigkeit der Menschheit.
To secure a favourable prepossession, I have allowed him the advantages of birth and education, which in the series of his misfortunes will, I hope, engage the ingenuous more warmly in his behalf; and though I foresee, that some people will be offended at the mean scenes in which he is involved, I persuade myself that the judicious will not only perceive the necessity of describing those situations to which he must of course be confined, in his low estate, but also find entertainment in viewing those parts of life, where the humours and passions are undisguised by affectation, ceremony, or education; and the whimsical peculiarities of disposition appear as nature has implanted them.
Um eine günstige Voreingenommenheit zu sichern, habe ich ihm die Vorteile der Geburt und Erziehung zugestanden, die in der Reihe seiner Unglücksfälle, so hoffe ich, die Aufrichtigen wärmer für seine Sache einnehmen werden; und obwohl ich vorhersehe, dass einige Menschen durch die niedrigen Szenen, in die er verwickelt ist, Anstoß nehmen werden, überzeuge ich mich selbst, dass die Verständigen nicht nur die Notwendigkeit erkennen werden, jene Lagen zu beschreiben, auf die er in seinem niedrigen Stand natürlich beschränkt sein muss, sondern auch Unterhaltung darin finden werden, jene Teile des Lebens zu betrachten, wo die Launen und Leidenschaften nicht durch Affektiertheit, Zeremonie oder Erziehung verschleiert sind und die wunderlichen Eigenheiten des Gemüts so erscheinen, wie die Natur sie eingepflanzt hat.
But I believe I need not trouble myself in vindicating a practice authorized by the best writers in this way, some of whom I have already named.
Aber ich glaube, ich brauche mich nicht damit zu bemühen, eine Praxis zu rechtfertigen, die von den besten Schriftstellern auf diesem Gebiet gebilligt wird, von denen ich einige bereits genannt habe.
Every intelligent reader will, at first sight, perceive I have not deviated from nature in the facts, which are all true in the main, although the circumstances are altered and disguised, to avoid personal satire.
Jeder verständige Leser wird auf den ersten Blick erkennen, dass ich in den Tatsachen nicht von der Natur abgewichen bin, die im Wesentlichen alle wahr sind, obwohl die Umstände verändert und verschleiert wurden, um persönliche Satire zu vermeiden.
Vocabulary
- Ich
- First person singular pronoun; I.
- habe
- First person singular present of haben; have.
- versucht
- Past participle of versuchen; attempted, tried.
- bescheidenes
- Adjective meaning modest, humble, unassuming.
- Verdienst
- Noun meaning merit, earnings, or desert.
- darzustellen
- Infinitive meaning to represent, depict, or portray.
- das
- Definite article; the (neuter), or relative pronoun that.
- mit
- Preposition meaning with, accompanied by.
- jeder
- Adjective meaning every, each, any.
- Schwierigkeit
- Noun meaning difficulty, hardship, trouble.
- kämpft
- Third person singular present of kämpfen; fights, struggles.
- der
- Definite article; the (masculine), or relative pronoun who.
- ein
- Indefinite article; a, an (masculine).
- freundloser
- Adjective meaning friendless, without friends.
- Waise
- Noun meaning orphan, child without parents.
- ausgesetzt
- Past participle of aussetzen; exposed, abandoned.
- ist
- Third person singular present of sein; is.
- sowohl
- Adverb meaning both, as well as.
- durch
- Preposition meaning through, by means of.
- seinen
- Possessive pronoun; his (accusative).
- eigenen
- Adjective meaning own, one's own.
- Mangel
- Noun meaning lack, deficiency, shortage.
- an
- Preposition meaning at, to, on.
- Erfahrung
- Noun meaning experience, practical knowledge.
- als
- Conjunction meaning as, than; also when.
- auch
- Adverb meaning also, too, as well.
- die
- Definite article; the (feminine/plural).
- den
- Definite article; the (masculine accusative).
- Neid
- Noun meaning envy, jealousy, spite.
- und
- Conjunction meaning and.
- Menschheit
- Noun meaning humanity, mankind, human race.
- Um
- Preposition meaning in order to, for.
- eine
- Indefinite article; a, an (feminine).
- günstige
- Adjective meaning favorable, advantageous, beneficial.
- zu
- Preposition meaning to, at; infinitive particle.
- sichern
- Infinitive meaning to secure, ensure, guarantee.
- ihm
- Dative pronoun; him, to him.
- Vorteile
- Noun plural meaning advantages, benefits.
- Geburt
- Noun meaning birth, origin, descent.
- Erziehung
- Noun meaning education, upbringing, training.
- in
- Preposition meaning in, into, within.
- Reihe
- Noun meaning row, series, sequence, rank.
- seiner
- Possessive pronoun; his (genitive/dative).
- so
- Adverb meaning so, thus, in this way.
- hoffe
- First person singular present of hoffen; hope.
- Aufrichtigen
- Adjective meaning sincere, genuine, honest.
- wärmer
- Adjective comparative; warmer, more ardent.
- für
- Preposition meaning for, in favor of.
- seine
- Possessive pronoun; his (nominative feminine/plural).
- Sache
- Noun meaning thing, matter, cause, case.
- einnehmen
- Infinitive meaning to take, occupy, win over.
- werden
- Infinitive of werden; to become, be.
- obwohl
- Conjunction meaning although, though, even if.
- dass
- Conjunction meaning that, which.
- einige
- Adjective meaning some, several, a few.
- Menschen
- Noun plural meaning people, human beings.
- niedrigen
- Adjective meaning low, base, vulgar, mean.
- Szenen
- Noun plural meaning scenes, situations, incidents.
- er
- Third person singular pronoun; he.
- verwickelt
- Past participle of verwickeln; involved, entangled, complicated.
- nehmen
- Infinitive meaning to take, grasp, accept.
- überzeuge
- First person singular present of überzeugen; convince.
- mich
- Accusative pronoun; me, myself.
- selbst
- Pronoun meaning myself, himself, self.
- nicht
- Adverb meaning not, no.
- nur
- Adverb meaning only, merely, just.
- Notwendigkeit
- Noun meaning necessity, need, requirement.
- erkennen
- Infinitive meaning to recognize, perceive, know.
- jene
- Pronoun meaning those, that (plural/feminine).
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