The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 1
Of my Birth and Parentage
Von meiner Geburt und Herkunft
I was born in the northern part of this united kingdom, in the house of my grandfather, a gentleman of considerable fortune and influence, who had on many occasions signalised himself in behalf of his country; and was remarkable for his abilities in the law, which he exercised with great success in the station of a judge, particularly against beggars, for whom he had a singular aversion.
Ich wurde im nördlichen Teil dieses vereinigten Königreichs geboren, im Hause meines Großvaters, eines Herrn von beträchtlichem Vermögen und Einfluss, der sich bei vielen Gelegenheiten im Dienste seines Vaterlandes ausgezeichnet hatte; und er war bemerkenswert für seine Fähigkeiten im Rechtswesen, das er mit großem Erfolg im Amt eines Richters ausübte, insbesondere gegenüber Bettlern, für die er eine besondere Abneigung hegte.
My father (his youngest son) falling in love with a poor relation, who lived with the old gentleman in quality of a housekeeper, espoused her privately; and I was the first fruit of that marriage.
Mein Vater (sein jüngster Sohn) verliebte sich in eine arme Verwandte, die bei dem alten Herrn als Haushälterin lebte, und heiratete sie im Stillen; und ich war die erste Frucht dieser Ehe.
During her pregnancy, a dream discomposed my mother so much that her husband, tired with her importunity, at last consulted a highland seer, whose favourable interpretation he would have secured beforehand by a bribe, but found him incorruptible.
Während ihrer Schwangerschaft beunruhigte ein Traum meine Mutter so sehr, dass ihr Mann, ihrer Zudringlichkeit müde, schließlich einen Seher aus dem Hochland aufsuchte, dessen günstige Deutung er im Voraus durch ein Bestechungsgeschenk zu sichern versucht hätte, ihn jedoch unbestechlich fand.
She dreamed she was delivered of a tennis-ball, which the devil (who, to her great surprise, acted the part of a midwife) struck so forcibly with a racket that it disappeared in an instant; and she was for some time inconsolable for the lost of her offspring; when, all on a sudden, she beheld it return with equal violence, and enter the earth, beneath her feet, whence immediately sprang up a goodly tree covered with blossoms, the scent of which operated so strongly on her nerves that she awoke.
Sie träumte, sie habe einen Tennisball zur Welt gebracht, den der Teufel (der zu ihrer großen Überraschung die Rolle einer Hebamme übernahm) so heftig mit einem Schläger schlug, dass er im Nu verschwand; und sie war eine Zeitlang untröstlich über den Verlust ihres Kindes; als sie plötzlich sah, wie es mit gleicher Gewalt zurückkehrte und unter ihren Füßen in die Erde eindrang, woraus sogleich ein stattlicher, blütenbedeckter Baum emporwuchs, dessen Duft so stark auf ihre Nerven wirkte, dass sie erwachte.
Vocabulary
- Von
- Preposition meaning 'from' or 'of'
- meiner
- Possessive pronoun 'my' in genitive/dative feminine
- Geburt
- Birth; the act of being born
- und
- Conjunction meaning 'and'
- Herkunft
- Origin, descent, or background of a person
- Ich
- First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- wurde
- Past tense of 'werden'; was or became
- im
- Contraction of 'in dem'; in the
- nördlichen
- Adjective meaning 'northern' in inflected form
- Teil
- Part or section of a larger whole
- dieses
- Demonstrative pronoun 'this' in genitive form
- vereinigten
- Adjective meaning 'united' in inflected form
- Königreichs
- Kingdom; a country ruled by a monarch
- geboren
- Past participle of 'gebären'; born
- Hause
- Dative form of 'Haus'; at home or house
- meines
- Possessive pronoun 'my' in genitive masculine/neuter
- Großvaters
- Genitive form of 'grandfather'
- eines
- Indefinite article 'a/an' in genitive case
- Herrn
- Gentleman or lord; respectful title for a man
- von
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'by'
- beträchtlichem
- Adjective meaning 'considerable' in dative inflected form
- Vermögen
- Wealth, fortune, or financial assets
- Einfluss
- Influence or power over others or events
- der
- Definite article or relative pronoun 'the/who'
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself/herself/itself'
- bei
- Preposition meaning 'at,' 'by,' or 'on'
- vielen
- Adjective meaning 'many' in dative inflected form
- Gelegenheiten
- Plural of 'Gelegenheit'; occasions or opportunities
- Dienste
- Services rendered to a person or country
- seines
- Possessive pronoun 'his' in genitive form
- Vaterlandes
- Genitive form of 'Vaterland'; fatherland or homeland
- ausgezeichnet
- Distinguished, excellent; past participle of 'auszeichnen'
- hatte
- Past tense of 'haben'; had
- er
- Third-person singular masculine pronoun 'he'
- war
- Past tense of 'sein'; was
- bemerkenswert
- Remarkable or noteworthy; deserving special attention
- für
- Preposition meaning 'for'
- seine
- Possessive pronoun 'his' in nominative/accusative form
- Fähigkeiten
- Plural of 'Fähigkeit'; skills, abilities, or competencies
- Rechtswesen
- The legal system or matters pertaining to law
- das
- Definite article 'the' for neuter nouns
- mit
- Preposition meaning 'with'
- großem
- Adjective meaning 'great' in dative inflected form
- Erfolg
- Success; a positive outcome of an effort
- Amt
- Office or official position held by someone
- Richters
- Genitive form of 'Richter'; judge
- ausübte
- Past tense of 'ausüben'; practiced or exercised
- insbesondere
- Especially or in particular; used to emphasize
- gegenüber
- Preposition meaning 'toward,' 'opposite,' or 'regarding'
- Bettlern
- Dative plural of 'Bettler'; beggars or paupers
- die
- Definite article 'the' for feminine or plural nouns
- eine
- Indefinite article 'a/an' for feminine nouns
- besondere
- Adjective meaning 'special' or 'particular'
- Abneigung
- Aversion or dislike toward something or someone
- hegte
- Past tense of 'hegen'; harbored or nurtured a feeling
- Mein
- Possessive pronoun 'my' in nominative masculine/neuter
- Vater
- Father; male parent
- sein
- Possessive pronoun 'his' or infinitive 'to be'
- jüngster
- Superlative of 'jung'; youngest
- Sohn
- Son; male offspring of a parent
- verliebte
- Past tense of 'verlieben'; fell in love
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'
- arme
- Adjective meaning 'poor' in inflected form
- Verwandte
- Relative or family relation; a family member
- dem
- Definite article 'the' in dative masculine/neuter
- alten
- Adjective meaning 'old' in dative inflected form
- als
- Conjunction meaning 'as,' 'than,' or 'when'
- Haushälterin
- Female housekeeper who manages household duties
- lebte
- Past tense of 'leben'; lived or resided
- heiratete
- Past tense of 'heiraten'; married someone
- sie
- Third-person pronoun 'she,' 'they,' or 'her'
- Stillen
- Silence or breastfeeding; also to satisfy or quiet
- ich
- First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- erste
- Ordinal adjective meaning 'first'
- Frucht
- Fruit; also used figuratively for result or offspring
- dieser
- Demonstrative pronoun 'this/these' in genitive form
- Ehe
- Marriage; the legal union of two people
- Während
- Conjunction or preposition meaning 'during' or 'while'
- ihrer
- Possessive pronoun 'her' in genitive/dative form
- Schwangerschaft
- Pregnancy; the period of carrying a developing child
- beunruhigte
- Past tense of 'beunruhigen'; troubled or disturbed someone
- ein
- Indefinite article 'a/an' for masculine/neuter nouns
- Traum
- Dream; images and events experienced during sleep
- meine
- Possessive pronoun 'my' in feminine/plural form
- Mutter
- Mother; female parent
- so
- Adverb meaning 'so,' 'thus,' or 'in this way'
- sehr
- Adverb meaning 'very' or 'much'
- dass
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'
- ihr
- Possessive pronoun 'her' or dative pronoun 'her/them'
- Mann
- Man or husband; adult male person
- Zudringlichkeit
- Importunity or intrusiveness; persistent annoying insistence
- müde
- Adjective meaning 'tired' or 'weary'
- schließlich
- Adverb meaning 'finally' or 'eventually'
- einen
- Indefinite article 'a/an' in accusative masculine form
- Seher
- Seer or prophet; someone with visionary abilities
- aus
- Preposition meaning 'from,' 'out of,' or 'of'
- Hochland
- Highland or upland region; elevated terrain area
- aufsuchte
- Past tense of 'aufsuchen'; sought out or visited
- dessen
- Relative pronoun 'whose' or genitive of 'der/das'
- günstige
- Adjective meaning 'favorable' or 'auspicious'
- Deutung
- Interpretation or explanation of signs or symbols
- Voraus
- In advance; beforehand; ahead of time
- durch
- Preposition meaning 'through,' 'by,' or 'via'
- Bestechungsgeschenk
- Bribe; a gift offered to corrupt or influence someone
- zu
- Preposition or particle meaning 'to,' 'too,' or 'at'
- sichern
- To secure, ensure, or make safe something
- versucht
- Past participle of 'versuchen'; tried or attempted
- hätte
- Subjunctive II of 'haben'; would have
- ihn
- Accusative form of 'er'; him
- jedoch
- Adverb meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'
- unbestechlich
- Adjective meaning 'incorruptible'; unable to be bribed
- fand
- Past tense of 'finden'; found
- Sie
- Formal pronoun 'you' or third-person 'she/they'
- träumte
- Past tense of 'träumen'; dreamed
- habe
- Subjunctive/present of 'haben'; have
- zur
- Contraction of 'zu der'; to the
- Welt
- World; the earth or all of existence
- gebracht
- Past participle of 'bringen'; brought
- den
- Definite article 'the' in accusative masculine form
- Teufel
- Devil; an evil supernatural being or demon
- großen
- Adjective meaning 'great' or 'large' in inflected form
- Überraschung
- Surprise; an unexpected event or reaction
- Rolle
- Role, part, or function played by someone
- einer
- Indefinite article 'a/an' in genitive/dative feminine
- Hebamme
- Midwife; a person who assists in childbirth
- übernahm
- Past tense of 'übernehmen'; took over or assumed
- heftig
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'fierce,' 'violent,' 'intense'
- einem
- Indefinite article 'a/an' in dative masculine/neuter
- Schläger
- Racket or bat; also a brawler or troublemaker
- schlug
- Past tense of 'schlagen'; hit or struck
- Nu
- Instant or moment; in a flash or no time
- verschwand
- Past tense of 'verschwinden'; disappeared or vanished
- Zeitlang
- A while or period of time; for some time
- untröstlich
- Inconsolable; unable to be comforted after a loss
- über
- Preposition meaning 'over,' 'above,' or 'about'
- Verlust
- Loss; the fact of losing something or someone
- ihres
- Possessive pronoun 'her' in genitive form
- Kindes
- Genitive form of 'Kind'; child's or of the child
- plötzlich
- Adverb meaning 'suddenly' or 'all at once'
- sah
- Past tense of 'sehen'; saw
- wie
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'how,' 'as,' or 'like'
- es
- Third-person neuter pronoun 'it'
- gleicher
- Adjective meaning 'same' or 'equal' in inflected form
- Gewalt
- Force, violence, or power over someone or something
- zurückkehrte
- Past tense of 'zurückkehren'; returned or came back
- unter
- Preposition meaning 'under,' 'beneath,' or 'among'
- ihren
- Possessive pronoun 'her' in dative/accusative plural form
- Füßen
- Dative plural of 'Fuß'; feet
- Erde
- Earth, soil, or ground; the planet or dirt
- eindrang
- Past tense of 'eindringen'; penetrated or forced into
- woraus
- Relative adverb meaning 'from which' or 'out of which'
- sogleich
- Adverb meaning 'immediately' or 'right away'
- stattlicher
- Adjective meaning 'stately' or 'impressive' in inflected form
- blütenbedeckter
- Adjective meaning 'blossom-covered' in inflected form
- Baum
- Tree; a large woody plant with trunk and branches
- emporwuchs
- Past tense of 'emporwachsen'; grew upward or rose
- Duft
- Fragrance or scent; a pleasant smell
- stark
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'strong' or 'strongly'
- auf
- Preposition meaning 'on,' 'onto,' or 'upon'
- ihre
- Possessive pronoun 'her' in nominative/accusative form
- Nerven
- Plural of 'Nerv'; nerves; also used idiomatically for stress
- wirkte
- Past tense of 'wirken'; acted, had an effect
- erwachte
- Past tense of 'erwachen'; awoke or woke up
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