The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People — Page 9
Cecily, who addresses me as her uncle from motives of respect that you could not possibly appreciate, lives at my place in the country under the charge of her admirable governess, Miss Prism.
Cecily, die mich aus Gründen des Respekts als ihren Onkel anspricht, die Sie unmöglich nachvollziehen könnten, lebt auf meinem Landsitz unter der Aufsicht ihrer bewundernswerten Gouvernante, Miss Prism.
ALGERNON.
ALGERNON.
Where is that place in the country, by the way?
Wo befindet sich dieses Landgut eigentlich?
JACK.
JACK.
That is nothing to you, dear boy. You are not going to be invited . . I may tell you candidly that the place is not in Shropshire.
Das geht Sie nichts an, lieber Junge. Sie werden nicht eingeladen werden. Ich kann Ihnen offen sagen, dass das Anwesen nicht in Shropshire liegt.
ALGERNON.
ALGERNON.
I suspected that, my dear fellow! I have Bunburyed all over Shropshire on two separate occasions. Now, go on. Why are you Ernest in town and Jack in the country?
Das habe ich mir gedacht, mein lieber Freund! Ich habe Shropshire bei zwei verschiedenen Gelegenheiten von einem Ende zum anderen mit Bunbury bereist. Nun, fahren Sie fort. Warum sind Sie in der Stadt Ernest und auf dem Land Jack?
JACK.
JACK.
My dear Algy, I don't know whether you will be able to understand my real motives.
Mein lieber Algy, ich weiß nicht, ob Sie meine wahren Beweggründe verstehen werden.
You are hardly serious enough.
Sie sind kaum ernsthaft genug.
When one is placed in the position of guardian, one has to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects.
Wenn man in die Position eines Vormunds versetzt wird, muss man in allen Dingen einen sehr hohen moralischen Ton annehmen.
It's one's duty to do so.
Es ist seine Pflicht, dies zu tun.
And as a high moral tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to either one's health or one's happiness, in order to get up to town I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest, who lives in the Albany, and gets into the most dreadful scrapes.
Und da ein hoher moralischer Ton kaum dazu beitragen kann, weder der eigenen Gesundheit noch dem eigenen Glück sehr förderlich zu sein, habe ich stets so getan, als hätte ich einen jüngeren Bruder namens Ernest, der im Albany wohnt und in die schrecklichsten Schwierigkeiten gerät, um in die Stadt zu kommen.
That, my dear Algy, is the whole truth pure and simple.
Das, mein lieber Algy, ist die reine und schlichte Wahrheit.
ALGERNON.
ALGERNON.
The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
Die Wahrheit ist selten rein und niemals schlicht.
Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!
Das moderne Leben wäre sehr langweilig, wenn es eines von beidem wäre, und die moderne Literatur eine völlige Unmöglichkeit!
JACK.
JACK.
Vocabulary
- die
- The definite article (feminine singular) or to die.
- mich
- Me; accusative pronoun of first person singular.
- aus
- Out of, from; preposition indicating origin or direction.
- Gründen
- Reasons, grounds; plural of Grund.
- des
- Of the; genitive form of the definite article.
- Respekts
- Of respect; genitive form of Respekt.
- als
- As, when; conjunction indicating comparison or time.
- ihren
- Their or her; accusative possessive pronoun.
- Onkel
- Uncle; male parent's brother or aunt's husband.
- anspricht
- Addresses, speaks to; third person singular present.
- Sie
- You (formal) or she; formal pronoun or nominative third person.
- unmöglich
- Impossible; adjective meaning not possible or improbable.
- nachvollziehen
- Understand, comprehend; to follow or grasp someone's reasoning.
- könnten
- Could, might; conditional form of können.
- lebt
- Lives; third person singular present of leben.
- auf
- On, at, upon; preposition indicating location or direction.
- meinem
- My; dative possessive adjective.
- unter
- Under, beneath; preposition indicating position or authority.
- der
- The; feminine singular or plural definite article.
- Aufsicht
- Supervision, oversight; care or guardianship of someone.
- ihrer
- Her or their; genitive or dative possessive pronoun.
- Wo
- Where; interrogative adverb for location questions.
- befindet
- Is located, finds itself; third person singular present.
- sich
- Himself, herself, oneself; reflexive pronoun.
- dieses
- This; demonstrative pronoun in neuter nominative.
- eigentlich
- Actually, really; adverb indicating actual or real situation.
- Das
- That, it; neuter demonstrative or definite article.
- geht
- Goes, concerns; third person singular of gehen.
- nichts
- Nothing; indefinite pronoun meaning no thing.
- an
- At, to, on; preposition indicating location or direction.
- lieber
- Dear, preferred; adjective or form of lieb.
- Junge
- Boy, young man; male child or youth.
- werden
- Become, will; verb indicating change or future.
- nicht
- Not; negation particle used in German sentences.
- eingeladen
- Invited; past participle of einladen.
- Ich
- I; first person singular nominative pronoun.
- kann
- Can, am able to; first or third person singular.
- Ihnen
- You; formal dative pronoun for formal address.
- offen
- Openly, frankly; adverb indicating candid or honest manner.
- sagen
- Say, tell; infinitive verb meaning to speak.
- dass
- That; conjunction introducing subordinate clauses.
- Anwesen
- Property, estate; real estate or landed property.
- in
- In, at; preposition indicating location or direction.
- liegt
- Lies, is located; third person singular of liegen.
- habe
- Have; first person singular present of haben.
- mir
- Me, myself; dative pronoun of first person.
- gedacht
- Thought; past participle of denken.
- mein
- My; possessive adjective in nominative singular.
- Freund
- Friend; person with whom one has friendship.
- bei
- At, near, by; preposition indicating location.
- zwei
- Two; cardinal number between one and three.
- verschiedenen
- Different, various; adjective indicating diversity.
- Gelegenheiten
- Occasions, opportunities; plural of Gelegenheit.
- von
- From, of; preposition indicating origin or possession.
- einem
- A, one; indefinite article in dative or accusative.
- Ende
- End, conclusion; the final part of something.
- zum
- To the; contraction of zu dem.
- anderen
- Other, another; adjective or pronoun indicating different one.
- mit
- With, by; preposition indicating accompaniment or means.
- bereist
- Traveled through; past participle of bereisen.
- Nun
- Now; adverb indicating present time or next point.
- fahren
- Travel, go; infinitive verb meaning to drive.
- fort
- Away, on; adverb indicating continuation or departure.
- Warum
- Why; interrogative adverb asking for reason.
- sind
- Are; second person plural or formal singular present.
- Stadt
- City, town; urban settlement or municipality.
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