The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People — Page 6
It is a very ungentlemanly thing to read a private cigarette case.
Es ist sehr ungehörig, ein privates Zigarettenetui zu lesen.
ALGERNON.
ALGERNON.
Oh! it is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
Oh! Es ist absurd, eine starre Regel darüber zu haben, was man lesen sollte und was nicht.
More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.
Mehr als die Hälfte der modernen Kultur hängt davon ab, was man nicht lesen sollte.
JACK.
JACK.
I am quite aware of the fact, and I don't propose to discuss modern culture.
Ich bin mir dieser Tatsache durchaus bewusst, und ich gedenke nicht, über moderne Kultur zu diskutieren.
It isn't the sort of thing one should talk of in private.
Es ist nicht die Art von Sache, über die man im Privaten sprechen sollte.
I simply want my cigarette case back.
Ich möchte einfach nur mein Zigarettenetui zurückhaben.
ALGERNON.
ALGERNON.
Yes; but this isn't your cigarette case.
Ja; aber das ist nicht Ihr Zigarettenetui.
This cigarette case is a present from some one of the name of Cecily, and you said you didn't know any one of that name.
Dieses Zigarettenetui ist ein Geschenk von jemandem namens Cecily, und Sie sagten, Sie kennen niemanden dieses Namens.
JACK.
JACK.
Well, if you want to know, Cecily happens to be my aunt.
Nun, wenn Sie es wissen wollen, Cecily ist zufällig meine Tante.
ALGERNON.
ALGERNON.
Your aunt!
Ihre Tante!
JACK.
JACK.
Yes. Charming old lady she is, too.
Ja. Eine reizende alte Dame ist sie auch.
Lives at Tunbridge Wells.
Sie lebt in Tunbridge Wells.
Just give it back to me, Algy.
Geben Sie es mir einfach zurück, Algy.
ALGERNON.
ALGERNON.
[Retreating to back of sofa.] But why does she call herself little Cecily if she is your aunt and lives at Tunbridge Wells?
[Zieht sich zur Rückseite des Sofas zurück.] Aber warum nennt sie sich kleine Cecily, wenn sie Ihre Tante ist und in Tunbridge Wells lebt?
[Reading.] 'From little Cecily with her fondest love.'
[Liest.] „Von der kleinen Cecily mit ihrer herzlichsten Liebe."
JACK.
JACK.
[Moving to sofa and kneeling upon it.] My dear fellow, what on earth is there in that?
[Geht zum Sofa und kniet darauf.] Mein lieber Freund, was um alles in der Welt steckt denn da drin?
Some aunts are tall, some aunts are not tall.
Manche Tanten sind groß, manche Tanten sind nicht groß.
That is a matter that surely an aunt may be allowed to decide for herself.
Das ist eine Angelegenheit, die eine Tante sicherlich selbst entscheiden darf.
You seem to think that every aunt should be exactly like your aunt!
Sie scheinen zu denken, dass jede Tante genau wie Ihre Tante sein sollte!
That is absurd!
Das ist absurd!
Vocabulary
- sehr
- Adverb meaning 'very' or 'highly'.
- ungehörig
- Improper, inappropriate, or indecent in behavior.
- privates
- Adjective meaning private, personal, or confidential.
- Zigarettenetui
- A small decorative case for holding cigarettes.
- lesen
- To read written or printed text.
- absurd
- Ridiculous, illogical, or wildly unreasonable.
- starre
- Rigid, fixed, or inflexible in nature.
- Regel
- A rule, regulation, or established principle.
- darüber
- About that, over that, or concerning that matter.
- man
- Impersonal pronoun meaning 'one' or 'you' generally.
- sollte
- Past subjunctive of 'sollen', meaning 'should'.
- Hälfte
- One half of a total quantity or amount.
- modernen
- Adjective 'modern', relating to present-day culture.
- Kultur
- Culture, civilization, or the arts of society.
- hängt
- Third-person singular of 'hängen', to hang or depend.
- davon
- Pronominal adverb meaning 'from it' or 'of it'.
- dieser
- Demonstrative pronoun or article meaning 'this/that'.
- Tatsache
- A fact or established truth about something.
- durchaus
- Adverb meaning 'absolutely', 'thoroughly', or 'by all means'.
- bewusst
- Aware, conscious, or deliberate about something.
- gedenke
- First-person singular of 'gedenken', intend or plan to.
- moderne
- Adjective meaning modern or contemporary in style.
- diskutieren
- To discuss or debate a topic with others.
- Art
- Kind, type, manner, or way of something.
- Sache
- A thing, matter, affair, or subject of concern.
- Privaten
- In private, referring to a personal or confidential setting.
- sprechen
- To speak or talk to someone about something.
- möchte
- Polite modal 'would like', expressing a wish.
- einfach
- Simply, just, or straightforward; not complicated.
- zurückhaben
- To have back, to get something returned to oneself.
- Ihr
- Formal possessive pronoun 'your' or second-person formal.
- Dieses
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' for neuter nouns.
- Geschenk
- A gift or present given to someone.
- jemandem
- Dative form of 'jemand', meaning 'to someone'.
- namens
- Preposition meaning 'named' or 'by the name of'.
- sagten
- Past tense of 'sagen', meaning 'said' (formal you).
- kennen
- To know a person or be familiar with someone.
- niemanden
- Accusative of 'niemand', meaning 'nobody' or 'no one'.
- dieses
- Demonstrative pronoun 'this/that' for neuter nouns.
- Namens
- Genitive of 'Name', meaning 'of the name'.
- Nun
- Adverb meaning 'now', 'well', or 'then'.
- wenn
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'if' or 'when'.
- wissen
- To know a fact or piece of information.
- wollen
- Modal verb meaning 'to want' or 'to wish'.
- zufällig
- By chance, coincidentally, or accidentally occurring.
- Tante
- A female relative who is one's aunt.
- Ihre
- Formal possessive 'your' or third-person feminine 'her'.
- reizende
- Charming, delightful, or lovely in character or appearance.
- Dame
- A lady, woman, or dame of refined manner.
- lebt
- Third-person singular of 'leben', meaning 'lives'.
- Geben
- Infinitive 'to give'; imperative form 'give'.
- zurück
- Adverb or prefix meaning 'back' or 'return'.
- Zieht
- Third-person singular of 'ziehen', to pull or move.
- Rückseite
- The back side or rear of an object.
- Sofas
- Genitive of 'Sofa', a padded seat for multiple people.
- warum
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'why'.
- nennt
- Third-person singular of 'nennen', to call or name.
- kleine
- Adjective meaning 'little' or 'small' (weak inflection).
- Liest
- Third-person singular of 'lesen', meaning 'reads'.
- ihrer
- Dative possessive pronoun meaning 'her' or 'their'.
- herzlichsten
- Superlative of 'herzlich', most sincere or warmest love.
- Liebe
- Love, affection, or deep fondness for someone.
- Geht
- Third-person singular of 'gehen', meaning 'goes'.
- Sofa
- A cushioned seat for multiple people; a couch.
- kniet
- Third-person singular of 'knien', meaning 'kneels'.
- darauf
- Pronominal adverb meaning 'on it' or 'thereupon'.
- lieber
- Dear, beloved; comparative of 'lieb' meaning 'dearer'.
- Freund
- A male friend or close companion.
- alles
- Pronoun meaning 'everything' or 'all things'.
- Welt
- The world; all of existence or the earth.
- steckt
- Third-person singular of 'stecken', to be inside or stuck.
- denn
- Conjunction or particle meaning 'then', 'because', or 'for'.
- drin
- Colloquial short form of 'darin', meaning 'in it'.
- Manche
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'some' or 'certain' ones.
- Tanten
- Plural of 'Tante', meaning 'aunts'.
- manche
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'some' or 'several'.
- Angelegenheit
- A matter, affair, or concern to be dealt with.
- sicherlich
- Adverb meaning 'certainly', 'surely', or 'definitely'.
- selbst
- Pronoun or adverb meaning 'oneself', 'even', or 'itself'.
- entscheiden
- To decide or determine the outcome of something.
- darf
- First/third-person singular of 'dürfen', meaning 'may/is allowed'.
- scheinen
- To seem, appear, or to shine (as light).
- denken
- To think, believe, or reflect on something.
- jede
- Indefinite determiner meaning 'every' or 'each' (feminine).
- genau
- Exactly, precisely, or accurately matching something.
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