The Expedition of Humphry Clinker — Page 1
I have received your esteemed favour of the 13th ultimo, whereby it appeareth, that you have perused those same Letters, the which were delivered unto you by my friend, the reverend Mr Hugo Behn;
Ich habe Euer geschätztes Schreiben vom 13. des vergangenen Monats erhalten, woraus hervorgeht, dass Ihr jene Briefe durchgesehen habt, welche Euch von meinem Freunde, dem ehrwürdigen Herrn Hugo Behn, übergeben wurden;
and I am pleased to find you think they may be printed with a good prospect of success;
und es freut mich zu vernehmen, dass Ihr der Meinung seid, sie könnten mit guter Aussicht auf Erfolg gedruckt werden;
in as much as the objections you mention, I humbly conceive, are such as may be redargued, if not entirely removed--
insofern als die von Euch erwähnten Einwände, wie ich in aller Bescheidenheit meine, solcher Art sind, dass sie widerlegt, wenn nicht gar gänzlich ausgeräumt werden können –
And, first, in the first place, as touching what prosecutions may arise from printing the private correspondence of persons still living,
Und erstens, was zunächst die Frage betrifft, welche Verfolgungen aus dem Druck der privaten Korrespondenz noch lebender Personen entstehen könnten,
give me leave, with all due submission, to observe, that the Letters in question were not written and sent under the seal of secrecy;
so erlaubt mir, in aller gebotenen Bescheidenheit, anzumerken, dass die fraglichen Briefe nicht unter dem Siegel der Verschwiegenheit geschrieben und versandt wurden;
that they have no tendency to the mala fama, or prejudice of any person whatsoever;
dass sie keinerlei Neigung zur mala fama oder zum Nachteil irgendeiner Person aufweisen;
but rather to the information and edification of mankind:
sondern vielmehr der Unterrichtung und Erbauung der Menschheit dienen:
so that it becometh a sort of duty to promulgate them in usum publicum.
sodass es gleichsam zur Pflicht wird, sie in usum publicum zu verbreiten.
Besides, I have consulted Mr Davy Higgins, an eminent attorney of this place, who, after due inspection and consideration, declareth, That he doth not think the said Letters contain any matter which will be held actionable in the eye of the law.
Überdies habe ich Herrn Davy Higgins befragt, einen angesehenen Rechtsanwalt dieses Ortes, welcher nach gebührender Prüfung und Erwägung erklärt, dass er nicht der Ansicht ist, die besagten Briefe enthielten irgendeine Materie, die vor dem Gesetz als klagbar angesehen werden würde.
Vocabulary
- Ich
- First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- habe
- First person singular present of 'haben', to have
- Euer
- Formal/archaic second person possessive pronoun, 'your'
- geschätztes
- Adjective meaning esteemed, valued, or appreciated
- Schreiben
- Formal written letter or communication document
- vom
- Contraction of 'von dem', meaning 'from the'
- des
- Genitive definite article meaning 'of the'
- vergangenen
- Adjective meaning past, previous, or last (period)
- Monats
- Genitive form of Monat, meaning 'of the month'
- erhalten
- To receive or to obtain something from someone
- woraus
- Relative adverb meaning 'from which' or 'out of which'
- hervorgeht
- Third person singular of hervorgehen, meaning 'it emerges'
- dass
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'
- Ihr
- Archaic/formal second person plural pronoun, 'you'
- jene
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' (distant reference)
- Briefe
- Plural of Brief, meaning letters or written correspondence
- durchgesehen
- Past participle of durchsehen, meaning reviewed or examined
- habt
- Second person plural present of haben, 'you have'
- welche
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'that'
- Euch
- Dative/accusative form of archaic 'Ihr', meaning 'you'
- von
- Preposition meaning 'from', 'by', or 'of'
- meinem
- Dative masculine possessive pronoun meaning 'my'
- Freunde
- Dative singular of Freund, meaning friend
- dem
- Dative definite article meaning 'the' (masc/neut)
- ehrwürdigen
- Adjective meaning venerable, reverend, or highly respected
- Herrn
- Dative/accusative of Herr, meaning Mr. or gentleman
- übergeben
- To hand over, deliver, or transfer something to someone
- wurden
- Plural past tense of werden, 'were' (passive auxiliary)
- und
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'and'
- es
- Neuter third person pronoun meaning 'it'
- freut
- Third person singular of freuen, meaning 'it pleases'
- mich
- Accusative first person singular pronoun meaning 'me'
- zu
- Preposition or infinitive particle meaning 'to'
- vernehmen
- To hear, learn, or perceive information formally
- der
- Definite article or relative pronoun meaning 'the' or 'who'
- Meinung
- Opinion, view, or belief held by someone
- seid
- Second person plural of sein, meaning 'you are'
- sie
- Third person plural pronoun meaning 'they'
- könnten
- Subjunctive II of können, meaning 'could' or 'might'
- mit
- Preposition meaning 'with' indicating accompaniment
- guter
- Adjective meaning good (declined genitive/dative form)
- Aussicht
- Prospect, outlook, or view toward a future outcome
- auf
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'upon', or 'for'
- Erfolg
- Success or a favorable outcome of an endeavor
- gedruckt
- Past participle of drucken, meaning printed or published
- werden
- Auxiliary verb used to form future or passive constructions
- insofern
- Conjunction meaning 'insofar as' or 'to the extent that'
- als
- Conjunction meaning 'as', 'than', or 'when'
- die
- Definite article for feminine or plural nouns, 'the'
- erwähnten
- Adjective from erwähnen, meaning aforementioned or mentioned
- Einwände
- Plural of Einwand, meaning objections or reservations raised
- wie
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as', 'like', or 'how'
- ich
- First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'within' a space or context
- aller
- Genitive plural of all, meaning 'of all' or 'utmost'
- Bescheidenheit
- Noun meaning modesty, humility, or unpretentious demeanor
- meine
- First person possessive pronoun meaning 'my' (nom. fem/pl)
- solcher
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'of such a' kind
- Art
- Noun meaning kind, type, or manner of something
- sind
- Third person plural present of sein, meaning 'are'
- widerlegt
- Past participle of widerlegen, meaning refuted or disproved
- wenn
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'when' in conditional clauses
- nicht
- Negation adverb meaning 'not'
- gar
- Adverb meaning 'entirely', 'even', or 'at all'
- gänzlich
- Adverb meaning completely, entirely, or wholly
- ausgeräumt
- Past participle of ausräumen, meaning cleared away or eliminated
- können
- Modal verb meaning 'can' or 'to be able to'
- Und
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'and'
- erstens
- Adverb meaning firstly or in the first place
- was
- Interrogative or relative pronoun meaning 'what'
- zunächst
- Adverb meaning first of all or at first
- Frage
- Noun meaning question or matter under consideration
- betrifft
- Third person singular of betreffen, meaning 'concerns' or 'regards'
- Verfolgungen
- Plural of Verfolgung, meaning persecutions or legal prosecutions
- aus
- Preposition meaning 'from', 'out of', or 'due to'
- Druck
- Noun meaning print, printing, or pressure
- privaten
- Adjective meaning private, personal, or confidential
- Korrespondenz
- Noun meaning correspondence or exchange of written letters
- noch
- Adverb meaning still, yet, or furthermore
- lebender
- Present participle of leben, meaning living or still alive
- Personen
- Plural of Person, meaning persons or individuals
- entstehen
- To arise, originate, or come into existence
- so
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'so', 'thus', or 'then'
- erlaubt
- Third person singular of erlauben, meaning 'permits' or 'allows'
- mir
- Dative first person pronoun meaning 'me' or 'to me'
- gebotenen
- Adjective from bieten, meaning appropriate, required, or called-for
- anzumerken
- Infinitive of anmerken, meaning to note or remark upon
- fraglichen
- Adjective meaning in question, at issue, or concerned
- unter
- Preposition meaning 'under', 'beneath', or 'among'
- Siegel
- Noun meaning seal, as in seal of secrecy
- Verschwiegenheit
- Noun meaning secrecy, discretion, or confidentiality
- geschrieben
- Past participle of schreiben, meaning written
- versandt
- Past participle of versenden, meaning sent or dispatched
- keinerlei
- Determiner meaning no kind of or no whatsoever
- Neigung
- Noun meaning inclination, tendency, or propensity
- zur
- Contraction of zu der, meaning 'to the' (dative fem.)
- oder
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'or'
- zum
- Contraction of zu dem, meaning 'to the' (dative masc.)
- Nachteil
- Noun meaning disadvantage, detriment, or harm to someone
- irgendeiner
- Indefinite pronoun meaning any or any particular person
- Person
- Noun meaning person or individual human being
- aufweisen
- To show, exhibit, or display a particular characteristic
- sondern
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'but rather' after negation
- vielmehr
- Adverb meaning rather, on the contrary, or instead
- Unterrichtung
- Noun meaning instruction, information, or education of others
- Erbauung
- Noun meaning edification, moral uplift, or spiritual improvement
- Menschheit
- Noun meaning humanity or all of mankind collectively
- dienen
- To serve or be of service to a purpose or person
- sodass
- Conjunction meaning 'so that' indicating result or consequence
- gleichsam
- Adverb meaning as it were, so to speak, or virtually
- Pflicht
- Noun meaning duty, obligation, or moral responsibility
- wird
- Third person singular of werden, meaning 'becomes' or 'will'
- verbreiten
- To spread, disseminate, or circulate information widely
- Überdies
- Adverb meaning moreover, furthermore, or in addition
- befragt
- Past participle of befragen, meaning questioned or consulted
- einen
- Indefinite article accusative masculine meaning 'a' or 'an'
- angesehenen
- Adjective meaning respected, reputable, or highly regarded
- Rechtsanwalt
- Noun meaning lawyer or attorney in German legal system
- dieses
- Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' (genitive or neuter nom.)
- Ortes
- Genitive of Ort, meaning 'of the place' or locality
- welcher
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which' (masc. nominative)
- nach
- Preposition meaning 'after', 'according to', or 'toward'
- gebührender
- Adjective meaning due, proper, or appropriate (duly rendered)
- Prüfung
- Noun meaning examination, review, or careful scrutiny
- Erwägung
- Noun meaning consideration, deliberation, or careful reflection
- erklärt
- Third person singular of erklären, meaning declares or explains
- er
- Third person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he'
- Ansicht
- Noun meaning opinion, view, or perspective on a matter
- ist
- Third person singular present of sein, meaning 'is'
- besagten
- Adjective meaning aforementioned or said (legal/formal usage)
- enthielten
- Past tense plural of enthalten, meaning contained or included
- irgendeine
- Indefinite pronoun meaning any or some particular thing
- Materie
- Noun meaning matter, subject matter, or material content
- vor
- Preposition meaning 'before', 'in front of', or 'ago'
- Gesetz
- Noun meaning law, statute, or legal rule
- klagbar
- Adjective meaning actionable or liable to legal prosecution
- angesehen
- Past participle of ansehen, meaning regarded or considered as
- würde
- Subjunctive II of werden, meaning 'would' in hypothetical statements
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