The Great Gatsby — Page 4
Instead of being the warm centre of the world, the Middle West now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe—so I decided to go East and learn the bond business.
Anstatt der warme Mittelpunkt der Welt zu sein, schien der Mittlere Westen nun wie der zerfranste Rand des Universums zu sein – also beschloss ich, in den Osten zu gehen und das Anleihegeschäft zu erlernen.
Everybody I knew was in the bond business, so I supposed it could support one more single man.
Alle, die ich kannte, waren im Anleihegeschäft tätig, also nahm ich an, dass es noch einen weiteren alleinstehenden Mann ernähren könnte.
All my aunts and uncles talked it over as if they were choosing a prep school for me, and finally said, "Why—ye-es," with very grave, hesitant faces.
Alle meine Tanten und Onkel berieten sich darüber, als würden sie eine Vorbereitungsschule für mich aussuchen, und sagten schließlich „Nun – ja-a" mit sehr ernsten, zögernden Mienen.
Father agreed to finance me for a year, and after various delays I came East, permanently, I thought, in the spring of twenty-two.
Vater erklärte sich bereit, mich ein Jahr lang finanziell zu unterstützen, und nach verschiedenen Verzögerungen kam ich im Frühling des Jahres zweiundzwanzig in den Osten, für immer, wie ich dachte.
The practical thing was to find rooms in the city, but it was a warm season, and I had just left a country of wide lawns and friendly trees, so when a young man at the office suggested that we take a house together in a commuting town, it sounded like a great idea.
Das Naheliegendste wäre gewesen, Zimmer in der Stadt zu finden, aber es war eine warme Jahreszeit, und ich hatte gerade eine Gegend mit weiten Rasenflächen und freundlichen Bäumen verlassen, sodass es wie eine großartige Idee klang, als ein junger Mann im Büro vorschlug, dass wir zusammen ein Haus in einer Pendlerstadt nehmen sollten.
He found the house, a weather-beaten cardboard bungalow at eighty a month, but at the last minute the firm ordered him to Washington, and I went out to the country alone.
Er fand das Haus, einen verwitterten Pappbungalow für achtzig im Monat, aber im letzten Moment beorderte die Firma ihn nach Washington, und ich zog allein aufs Land.
I had a dog—at least I had him for a few days until he ran away—and an old Dodge and a Finnish woman, who made my bed and cooked breakfast and muttered Finnish wisdom to herself over the electric stove.
Ich hatte einen Hund – zumindest hatte ich ihn ein paar Tage lang, bis er weglief – und einen alten Dodge und eine finnische Frau, die mein Bett machte, das Frühstück kochte und über dem Elektroherd finnische Weisheiten vor sich hin murmelte.
It was lonely for a day or so until one morning some man, more recently arrived than I, stopped me on the road.
Es war einen Tag oder so einsam, bis mich eines Morgens ein Mann, der erst kürzlich angekommen war als ich, auf der Straße anhielt.
Vocabulary
- Anstatt
- Instead of; in place of something else.
- der
- The; definite article for masculine nouns.
- warme
- Warm; having moderate heat or temperature.
- Mittelpunkt
- Center; central point or focal point of something.
- Welt
- World; the planet Earth and all its inhabitants.
- zu
- To; preposition indicating direction or purpose.
- sein
- To be; fundamental verb of existence.
- schien
- Seemed; appeared to be in a certain way.
- Mittlere
- Middle; situated in the center or between extremes.
- Westen
- West; direction of sunset, opposite of east.
- nun
- Now; at the present time or moment.
- wie
- How; in what way or manner.
- Rand
- Edge; border or outer limit of something.
- des
- Of the; genitive form of definite article.
- Universums
- Universe; all existing matter, space, and energy.
- also
- So; therefore or consequently as a result.
- beschloss
- Decided; made a firm decision or resolution.
- ich
- I; first person singular pronoun.
- in
- In; preposition indicating location or position.
- den
- The; accusative form of definite article.
- Osten
- East; direction of sunrise, opposite of west.
- gehen
- Go; move from one place to another.
- und
- And; conjunction joining words or clauses.
- das
- The; definite article for neuter nouns.
- erlernen
- Learn; acquire knowledge or skill through practice.
- Alle
- All; every single person or thing included.
- die
- The; definite article for feminine/plural nouns.
- kannte
- Knew; was acquainted with or familiar with.
- waren
- Were; past tense plural of verb 'to be'.
- im
- In the; contraction of 'in dem'.
- tätig
- Active; engaged in or working on something.
- nahm
- Took; past tense of 'to take'.
- an
- On; preposition indicating attachment or position.
- dass
- That; conjunction introducing subordinate clause.
- es
- It; third person singular neuter pronoun.
- noch
- Still; continuing or remaining in a situation.
- einen
- A; indefinite article, accusative masculine.
- weiteren
- Further; additional or more distant in extent.
- alleinstehenden
- Single; unmarried or not in a relationship.
- Mann
- Man; adult male human being.
- ernähren
- Support; provide food or means of living.
- könnte
- Could; past subjunctive of 'can' or 'be able'.
- meine
- My; possessive adjective for first person.
- Tanten
- Aunts; female siblings of one's parent.
- Onkel
- Uncle; male sibling of one's parent.
- berieten
- Consulted; discussed or exchanged views about.
- sich
- Themselves; reflexive pronoun for third person.
- darüber
- About it; concerning that matter or subject.
- als
- As; in the role or function of.
- würden
- Would; conditional form of 'to become'.
- sie
- They; third person plural pronoun.
- eine
- A; indefinite article, feminine or accusative.
- für
- For; indicating purpose or intended recipient.
- mich
- Me; first person singular accusative pronoun.
- aussuchen
- Choose; select from available options or possibilities.
- sagten
- Said; spoke or uttered words.
- schließlich
- Finally; ultimately or in the end.
- Nun
- Well; interjection expressing transition or emphasis.
- ja-a
- Yes; affirmative response with drawn emphasis.
- mit
- With; accompanied by or together with.
- sehr
- Very; to a great degree or extent.
- ernsten
- Serious; grave or not joking or playful.
- zögernden
- Hesitant; reluctant or slow to act.
- Mienen
- Expressions; facial appearances showing emotion.
- Vater
- Father; male parent of a child.
- erklärte
- Declared; stated or announced formally or clearly.
- bereit
- Ready; prepared or willing for something.
- Jahr
- Year; period of twelve months.
- lang
- Long; of considerable duration or distance.
- finanziell
- Financial; concerning money or financial matters.
- unterstützen
- Support; help or give assistance to.
- nach
- After; following in time or sequence.
- verschiedenen
- Various; different or several kinds of.
- Verzögerungen
- Delays; instances of being slowed or postponed.
- kam
- Came; past tense of 'to come'.
- Frühling
- Spring; season following winter with growth.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →