The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 7
For then I knew but to suck; to repose in what pleased, and cry at what offended my flesh; nothing more.
Denn damals verstand ich nichts als zu saugen; mich an dem zu ergötzen, was mir gefiel, und zu weinen über das, was mein Fleisch beleidigte; nichts weiter.
Afterwards I began to smile; first in sleep, then waking: for so it was told me of myself, and I believed it; for we see the like in other infants, though of myself I remember it not.
Danach begann ich zu lächeln; erst im Schlaf, dann im Wachen: denn so wurde es mir von mir selbst erzählt, und ich glaubte es; denn wir sehen Ähnliches bei anderen Kindern, obwohl ich mich selbst daran nicht erinnere.
Thus, little by little, I became conscious where I was; and to have a wish to express my wishes to those who could content them, and I could not; for the wishes were within me, and they without; nor could they by any sense of theirs enter within my spirit.
So wurde ich nach und nach gewahr, wo ich war; und ich wünschte, meine Wünsche denen mitzuteilen, die sie erfüllen konnten, doch ich konnte es nicht; denn die Wünsche waren in mir, und jene waren außen; noch konnten sie durch irgendeine ihrer Sinneswahrnehmungen in meinen Geist eindringen.
So I flung about at random limbs and voice, making the few signs I could, and such as I could, like, though in truth very little like, what I wished.
So warf ich Glieder und Stimme aufs Geratewohl umher, machte die wenigen Zeichen, die ich konnte, und solche, die dem, was ich wünschte, ähnlich waren, obwohl in Wahrheit sehr wenig ähnlich.
And when I was not presently obeyed (my wishes being hurtful or unintelligible), then I was indignant with my elders for not submitting to me, with those owing me no service, for not serving me; and avenged myself on them by tears.
Und wenn man mir nicht sogleich gehorchte (da meine Wünsche schädlich oder unverständlich waren), dann war ich empört auf meine Älteren, weil sie sich mir nicht fügten, auf jene, die mir keinen Dienst schuldeten, weil sie mir nicht dienten; und rächte mich an ihnen durch Tränen.
Such have I learnt infants to be from observing them; and that I was myself such, they, all unconscious, have shown me better than my nurses who knew it.
Solche habe ich durch Beobachtung gelernt, dass Kinder sind; und dass ich selbst so war, haben sie mir, ohne es zu wissen, besser gezeigt als meine Ammen, die es wussten.
And, lo! my infancy died long since, and I live.
Und siehe! meine Kindheit starb längst, und ich lebe.
Vocabulary
- Denn
- Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
- damals
- At that time, back then in the past
- verstand
- Past tense of verstehen; understood something
- nichts
- Nothing; not anything at all
- als
- Than, as, or when in temporal clauses
- saugen
- To suck, nurse, or absorb liquid
- ergötzen
- To delight, amuse, or take pleasure in
- gefiel
- Past tense of gefallen; pleased or appealed to
- weinen
- To cry, weep, or shed tears
- Fleisch
- Meat or flesh of a body
- beleidigte
- Past tense of beleidigen; offended or insulted someone
- weiter
- Further, onward, or additionally continuing
- Danach
- After that, subsequently, following that moment
- begann
- Past tense of beginnen; began or started something
- lächeln
- To smile gently without opening the mouth
- erst
- First, only, or not until a certain time
- Schlaf
- Sleep; the state of resting unconsciously
- Wachen
- Waking state; being awake and conscious
- denn
- Because, for; explains reason for previous statement
- wurde
- Past tense of werden; became or was made
- selbst
- Self, oneself, or even emphasizing identity
- erzählt
- Past participle of erzählen; told or narrated
- glaubte
- Past tense of glauben; believed or thought something
- Ähnliches
- Something similar or comparable to another thing
- obwohl
- Although, even though, despite the fact that
- daran
- At it, on it, about that matter
- erinnere
- First person present of erinnern; remember or recall
- gewahr
- Aware or conscious of something perceived
- wünschte
- Past tense of wünschen; wished or desired something
- Wünsche
- Wishes, desires, or things one wants
- denen
- Dative plural relative or demonstrative pronoun; to whom
- mitzuteilen
- To communicate, inform, or share information with someone
- erfüllen
- To fulfill, satisfy, or carry out a wish
- konnten
- Past tense plural of können; were able to
- doch
- Yet, but, however, or emphatic affirmation
- konnte
- Past tense of können; could, was able to
- jene
- Those, that; demonstrative pronoun referring to distant things
- außen
- Outside, on the exterior, external side
- noch
- Still, yet, or in addition to something
- irgendeine
- Some kind of, any one of various things
- Sinneswahrnehmungen
- Sensory perceptions; experiences through the five senses
- Geist
- Mind, spirit, intellect, or ghost
- eindringen
- To penetrate, intrude, or force entry into
- warf
- Past tense of werfen; threw or cast something
- Glieder
- Limbs, members, or parts of the body
- Stimme
- Voice; sound produced by human vocal cords
- Geratewohl
- At random, haphazardly, without plan or direction
- umher
- Around, about, here and there in various directions
- wenigen
- Few, a small number of things or people
- Zeichen
- Signs, signals, marks, or symbols of communication
- solche
- Such, of that kind, like those mentioned
- ähnlich
- Similar, resembling, or alike in some way
- Wahrheit
- Truth; that which corresponds to reality or facts
- wenig
- Little, few, not much of something
- wenn
- When, if; introduces conditional or temporal clauses
- man
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'one' or 'people generally'
- sogleich
- Immediately, at once, without any delay
- gehorchte
- Past tense of gehorchen; obeyed or complied with
- da
- There, then, because; situational adverb or conjunction
- schädlich
- Harmful, damaging, or detrimental to something
- unverständlich
- Incomprehensible, unclear, or impossible to understand
- empört
- Outraged, indignant, or deeply offended by something
- Älteren
- Older people, elders, those of greater age
- weil
- Because; subordinating conjunction introducing causal clause
- fügten
- Past tense of fügen; submitted, complied, or joined
- Dienst
- Service, duty, or work performed for someone
- schuldeten
- Past tense of schulden; owed a debt or obligation
- dienten
- Past tense of dienen; served or worked for someone
- rächte
- Past tense of rächen; avenged or took revenge
- Tränen
- Tears; drops of liquid cried when weeping
- Solche
- Such things; referring to previously mentioned type
- Beobachtung
- Observation; act of watching or studying carefully
- gelernt
- Past participle of lernen; learned or studied something
- dass
- That; subordinating conjunction introducing dependent clause
- ohne
- Without; lacking something or someone
- wissen
- To know facts or information about something
- besser
- Better; comparative of gut, superior quality
- gezeigt
- Past participle of zeigen; shown or demonstrated something
- Ammen
- Wet nurses; women who breastfeed others' babies
- wussten
- Past tense plural of wissen; knew something
- siehe
- See! Behold! Imperative directing attention to something
- Kindheit
- Childhood; the period of being a child
- starb
- Past tense of sterben; died, ceased to live
- längst
- Long ago, for a long time already
- lebe
- First person present of leben; live or am alive
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