← The Adventures of Roderick Random

The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 1

English → De APOLOGUE Level 8/10

A young painter, indulging a vein of pleasantry, sketched a kind of conversation piece, representing a bear, an owl, a monkey, and an ass;

Ein junger Maler, einer Ader des Scherzes nachgebend, skizzierte eine Art Konversationsstück, das einen Bären, eine Eule, einen Affen und einen Esel darstellte;

and to render it more striking, humorous, and moral, distinguished every figure by some emblem of human life.

und um es eindrucksvoller, humorvoller und moralischer zu gestalten, versah er jede Figur mit einem Sinnbild des menschlichen Lebens.

Bruin was exhibited in the garb and attitude of an old, toothless, drunken soldier;

Bruin wurde in der Kleidung und Haltung eines alten, zahnlosen, betrunkenen Soldaten dargestellt;

the owl perched upon the handle of a coffee-pot, with spectacle on nose, seemed to contemplate a newspaper;

die Eule, auf dem Griff einer Kaffeekanne hockend, mit einer Brille auf der Nase, schien eine Zeitung zu betrachten;

and the ass, ornamented with a huge tie-wig (which, however, could not conceal his long ears), sat for his picture to the monkey, who appeared with the implements of painting.

und der Esel, geschmückt mit einer gewaltigen Knotenperücke (die jedoch seine langen Ohren nicht verbergen konnte), saß dem Affen Modell für sein Porträt, welcher mit den Utensilien der Malerei erschien.

This whimsical group afforded some mirth, and met with general approbation, until some mischievous wag hinted that the whole—was a lampoon upon the friends of the performer;

Diese skurrile Gruppe sorgte für einige Heiterkeit und fand allgemeine Billigung, bis ein schelmischer Spaßvogel andeutete, das Ganze sei ein Spottbild auf die Freunde des Künstlers;

an insinuation which was no sooner circulated than those very people who applauded it before began to be alarmed, and even to fancy themselves signified by the several figures of the piece.

eine Anspielung, die kaum in Umlauf gebracht worden war, als eben jene Menschen, die es zuvor beklatscht hatten, beunruhigt wurden und sich sogar einbildeten, durch die verschiedenen Figuren des Werkes dargestellt zu sein.

Among others, a worthy personage in years, who had served in the army with reputation, being incensed at the supposed outrage, repaired to the lodging of the painter, and finding him at home, "Hark ye, Mr. Monkey," said he, "I have a good mind to convince you, that though the bear has lost his teeth, he retains his paws, and that he is not so drunk but he can perceive your impertinence."

Unter anderem begab sich ein würdiger, älterer Herr, der mit Ansehen in der Armee gedient hatte und über den vermeintlichen Affront empört war, zur Unterkunft des Malers, und ihn zu Hause antreffend, sagte er: „Hört mich wohl, Herr Affe, ich habe gute Lust, Euch zu beweisen, dass der Bär zwar seine Zähne verloren hat, aber noch seine Tatzen besitzt, und dass er nicht so betrunken ist, als dass er Eure Unverschämtheit nicht bemerken könnte."

"Sblood!

„Sblut!

Vocabulary

junger
Young; adjective describing a young person
Maler
Painter; person who creates visual art
Ader
Vein; also figuratively a natural inclination or streak
Scherzes
Of the joke; humor or playful wit
nachgebend
Yielding to; giving in to an impulse
skizzierte
Sketched; drew a rough outline of something
Art
Type or kind; a sort of something
Konversationsstück
Conversation piece; painting depicting a social scene
Bären
Bear; large omnivorous mammal
Eule
Owl; nocturnal bird often symbolizing wisdom
Affen
Monkey or ape; primate animal
Esel
Donkey; also used figuratively for a stubborn fool
darstellte
Depicted or represented; showed visually
eindrucksvoller
More impressive; having greater impact or effect
humorvoller
More humorous; funnier or wittier in quality
moralischer
More moral; having greater ethical or didactic quality
gestalten
To shape or design; to give form to something
versah
Provided or equipped; past tense of versehen
jede
Each or every; referring to all individual members
Figur
Figure; a depicted character or shape in artwork
Sinnbild
Symbol or emblem; image representing a deeper meaning
menschlichen
Human; relating to or characteristic of humanity
Lebens
Of life; genitive form of Leben
Kleidung
Clothing; garments worn by a person
Haltung
Posture or attitude; bearing or stance of a person
zahnlosen
Toothless; lacking teeth entirely
betrunkenen
Drunk; intoxicated from alcohol
Soldaten
Soldier; a person who serves in an army
dargestellt
Depicted or portrayed; shown in a representation
Griff
Handle or grip; the part held in the hand
Kaffeekanne
Coffee pot; vessel used for serving coffee
hockend
Crouching or perching; sitting in a squatting position
Brille
Glasses or spectacles; eyewear for vision correction
Nase
Nose; the facial organ of smell
schien
Seemed or appeared; past tense of scheinen
Zeitung
Newspaper; printed daily publication of news
betrachten
To look at or examine; to observe carefully
geschmückt
Adorned or decorated; embellished with ornaments
gewaltigen
Enormous or massive; of great size or force
Knotenperücke
Knotted wig; an old-fashioned wig with tied knot
jedoch
However; a concessive or contrasting conjunction
Ohren
Ears; the organs of hearing
verbergen
To hide or conceal; to keep something out of sight
saß
Sat; past tense of sitzen, to sit
Modell
Model; person who poses for an artist
Porträt
Portrait; painting or image of a specific person
welcher
Which or who; relative pronoun masculine
Utensilien
Utensils or tools; implements used in a craft
Malerei
Painting; the art or practice of applying paint
erschien
Appeared; past tense of erscheinen
skurrile
Quirky or bizarre; strange and eccentric in character
Gruppe
Group; a collection of people or things together
sorgte
Caused or provided; past tense of sorgen
einige
Some; an unspecified moderate number of things
Heiterkeit
Cheerfulness or amusement; a mood of lighthearted mirth
allgemeine
General or widespread; applying broadly to everyone
Billigung
Approval or endorsement; expression of favorable opinion
schelmischer
Roguish or mischievous; playfully impish in manner
Spaßvogel
Joker or prankster; person fond of making jokes
andeutete
Hinted or suggested; implied without stating directly
Ganze
The whole; the entirety of something
Spottbild
Caricature or mockery image; a satirical representation
Freunde
Friends; people with whom one has a close relationship
Künstlers
Of the artist; genitive form of Künstler
Anspielung
Allusion or insinuation; indirect reference to something
kaum
Hardly or scarcely; almost not at all
Umlauf
Circulation; the passing of something among people
gebracht
Brought; past participle of bringen
eben
Just or exactly; adverb emphasizing immediacy
jene
Those; demonstrative pronoun referring to distant things
Menschen
People; human beings in general
zuvor
Before or previously; earlier in time
beklatscht
Applauded or clapped for; praised with applause
beunruhigt
Disturbed or unsettled; made uneasy or anxious
sogar
Even; adverb expressing emphasis or surprise
einbildeten
Imagined or fancied; falsely believed something about themselves
verschiedenen
Various or different; of multiple differing kinds
Figuren
Figures; depicted characters or shapes in a work
Werkes
Of the work; genitive form of Werk
anderem
Other; part of phrase 'unter anderem' meaning among others
begab
Went or proceeded; past tense of sich begeben
würdiger
Dignified or worthy; having an air of respectability
älterer
Older; comparative adjective for age
Herr
Gentleman or mister; a respectful title for a man
Ansehen
Reputation or prestige; esteem held in public opinion
Armee
Army; a large organized military land force
gedient
Served; past participle of dienen, to serve
vermeintlichen
Supposed or alleged; presumed but perhaps not actual
Affront
Affront or insult; a deliberate act of disrespect
empört
Outraged or indignant; feeling strong moral offense
Unterkunft
Lodging or quarters; a place where someone stays
Malers
Of the painter; genitive form of Maler
antreffend
Finding or encountering; meeting someone at a location
Hört
Listen or hear; imperative form of hören
wohl
Well or perhaps; modal particle softening a statement
Affe
Monkey or ape; used here as an insult
Lust
Desire or inclination; a feeling of wanting to do something
Euch
You; second-person plural dative or accusative pronoun
beweisen
To prove; to demonstrate the truth of something
Bär
Bear; large omnivorous mammal
zwar
Indeed or admittedly; concessive adverb in contrast clauses
Zähne
Teeth; the hard structures used for biting
verloren
Lost; past participle of verlieren
noch
Still or yet; adverb indicating continuation
Tatzen
Paws or claws; animal feet with claws
besitzt
Possesses; third-person singular of besitzen
betrunken
Drunk; intoxicated by alcohol
Eure
Your; second-person plural possessive pronoun
Unverschämtheit
Impudence or insolence; shameless rudeness or audacity
bemerken
To notice or remark; to observe or point out
könnte
Could; subjunctive form of können
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