The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 2
I believe there are few events in my life, which have not happened to many: it is true the incidents of it are numerous; and, did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were great: but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a _particular favourite of Heaven_, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life.
Ich glaube, dass es wenige Ereignisse in meinem Leben gibt, die nicht vielen anderen widerfahren sind: Es stimmt zwar, dass die Begebenheiten zahlreich sind; und würde ich mich als Europäer betrachten, könnte ich sagen, dass meine Leiden groß waren: doch wenn ich mein Los mit dem der meisten meiner Landsleute vergleiche, betrachte ich mich als einen _besonderen Günstling des Himmels_ und erkenne die Gnaden der Vorsehung in jedem Ereignis meines Lebens an.
If then the following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication.
Wenn die folgende Erzählung also nicht hinreichend interessant erscheint, um die allgemeine Aufmerksamkeit zu erregen, so möge meine Absicht eine gewisse Entschuldigung für ihre Veröffentlichung sein.
I am not so foolishly vain as to expect from it either immortality or literary reputation.
Ich bin nicht so töricht eitel, um von ihr entweder Unsterblichkeit oder literarischen Ruhm zu erwarten.
If it affords any satisfaction to my numerous friends, at whose request it has been written, or in the smallest degree promotes the interests of humanity, the ends for which it was undertaken will be fully attained, and every wish of my heart gratified.
Wenn es meinen zahlreichen Freunden, auf deren Wunsch es verfasst wurde, irgendeine Befriedigung bereitet oder auch nur im geringsten Maße den Interessen der Menschheit dient, werden die Ziele, für die es unternommen wurde, vollständig erreicht sein, und jeder Wunsch meines Herzens wird erfüllt sein.
Let it therefore be remembered, that, in wishing to avoid censure, I do not aspire to praise.
Es sei daher daran erinnert, dass ich, indem ich Tadel vermeiden möchte, nicht nach Lob strebe.
That part of Africa, known by the name of Guinea, to which the trade for slaves is carried on, extends along the coast above 3400 miles, from the Senegal to Angola, and includes a variety of kingdoms.
Jener Teil Afrikas, der unter dem Namen Guinea bekannt ist und in dem der Sklavenhandel betrieben wird, erstreckt sich entlang der Küste über mehr als 3400 Meilen, vom Senegal bis Angola, und umfasst eine Vielzahl von Königreichen.
Of these the most considerable is the kingdom of Benen, both as to extent and wealth, the richness and cultivation of the soil, the power of its king, and the number and warlike disposition of the inhabitants.
Von diesen ist das Königreich Benen das bedeutendste, sowohl hinsichtlich seiner Ausdehnung und seines Reichtums, der Fruchtbarkeit und Bebauung des Bodens, der Macht seines Königs als auch der Anzahl und kriegerischen Gesinnung seiner Bewohner.
Vocabulary
- glaube
- I believe; first person singular of glauben
- dass
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'
- wenige
- Few; a small number of something
- Ereignisse
- Events; occurrences; plural of Ereignis
- Leben
- Life; one's existence or lifetime
- gibt
- There are; third person singular of geben
- vielen
- Dative plural of viel; meaning 'many'
- anderen
- Other; different people or things
- widerfahren
- To happen to someone; to befall a person
- stimmt
- It is true; third person singular of stimmen
- zwar
- Indeed; admittedly; used to concede a point
- Begebenheiten
- Incidents; occurrences; happenings; plural of Begebenheit
- zahlreich
- Numerous; many; occurring in large numbers
- würde
- Would; conditional form of werden
- als
- As; than; used in comparisons or roles
- Europäer
- European; a person from Europe
- betrachten
- To regard; to consider; to view something
- könnte
- Could; second person conditional of können
- Leiden
- Sufferings; hardships; plural of Leid
- groß
- Great; large; significant in size or degree
- doch
- Yet; however; still; used for contrast
- wenn
- When; if; used to introduce conditional clauses
- Los
- Fate; lot; one's destiny or fortune
- meisten
- Most; superlative of viel meaning majority
- Landsleute
- Compatriots; fellow countrymen; people from same nation
- vergleiche
- I compare; first person singular of vergleichen
- betrachte
- I consider; first person singular of betrachten
- _besonderen
- Special; particular; extraordinary; adjective form
- Günstling
- Favorite; favored one; recipient of special favor
- Himmels_
- Of heaven; genitive of Himmel
- erkenne
- I recognize; first person singular of erkennen
- Gnaden
- Graces; mercies; plural of Gnade
- Vorsehung
- Providence; divine guidance and care
- jedem
- Dative of jeder; meaning 'each' or 'every'
- Ereignis
- Event; occurrence; singular of Ereignisse
- Wenn
- If; when; introduces conditional or temporal clauses
- folgende
- Following; the next; upcoming thing or narrative
- Erzählung
- Narrative; story; tale; account of events
- also
- Therefore; so; thus; used to draw a conclusion
- hinreichend
- Sufficiently; adequately; enough for a purpose
- interessant
- Interesting; engaging; worthy of attention
- erscheint
- Appears; seems; third person singular of erscheinen
- allgemeine
- General; common; widespread; public
- Aufmerksamkeit
- Attention; notice; state of being attentive
- erregen
- To arouse; to excite; to stimulate interest
- möge
- May; let it be; subjunctive of mögen
- Absicht
- Intention; purpose; aim of an action
- gewisse
- Certain; a particular; some degree of
- Entschuldigung
- Excuse; apology; justification for something
- Veröffentlichung
- Publication; act of publishing or releasing publicly
- töricht
- Foolish; silly; lacking good judgment or sense
- eitel
- Vain; conceited; excessively proud of oneself
- entweder
- Either; used in either-or constructions
- Unsterblichkeit
- Immortality; state of living forever; eternal fame
- literarischen
- Literary; relating to literature or writing
- Ruhm
- Fame; glory; renown achieved through distinction
- erwarten
- To expect; to anticipate; to await something
- meinen
- Accusative plural of mein; or to mean/think
- zahlreichen
- Numerous; many; adjective in inflected form
- Freunden
- Friends; dative plural of Freund
- deren
- Whose; genitive plural relative pronoun
- Wunsch
- Wish; desire; request for something
- verfasst
- Written; composed; past participle of verfassen
- wurde
- Was; past tense auxiliary of werden
- irgendeine
- Some; any; an indefinite amount of something
- Befriedigung
- Satisfaction; fulfillment; gratification of a need
- bereitet
- Provides; prepares; third person singular of bereiten
- geringsten
- Slightest; least; superlative of gering
- Maße
- Degree; measure; extent of something
- Interessen
- Interests; concerns; plural of Interesse
- Menschheit
- Humanity; mankind; all human beings collectively
- dient
- Serves; third person singular of dienen
- werden
- Will; to become; auxiliary verb for future tense
- Ziele
- Goals; aims; objectives; plural of Ziel
- unternommen
- Undertaken; past participle of unternehmen
- vollständig
- Completely; fully; entirely; thorough
- erreicht
- Achieved; reached; past participle of erreichen
- jeder
- Every; each; each one individually
- Herzens
- Genitive of Herz; meaning 'of the heart'
- erfüllt
- Fulfilled; satisfied; past participle of erfüllen
- sei
- Be; subjunctive form of sein
- daher
- Therefore; hence; for that reason
- daran
- Thereof; at that; pronominal adverb
- erinnert
- Reminded; past participle of erinnern
- indem
- By; while; as; subordinating conjunction of means
- Tadel
- Criticism; blame; rebuke; disapproval
- vermeiden
- To avoid; to prevent; to stay away from
- möchte
- Would like; subjunctive form of mögen
- Lob
- Praise; commendation; positive recognition
- strebe
- I strive; first person singular of streben
- Jener
- That; that particular; demonstrative pronoun
- Teil
- Part; section; portion of something larger
- Namen
- Name; under the name of; dative of Name
- bekannt
- Known; familiar; well-known; past participle of kennen
- Sklavenhandel
- Slave trade; buying and selling of enslaved people
- betrieben
- Operated; carried on; past participle of betreiben
- erstreckt
- Extends; stretches; third person singular of erstrecken
- entlang
- Along; running parallel to a line or coast
- Küste
- Coast; shoreline; the edge of land meeting sea
- Meilen
- Miles; plural of Meile; unit of distance
- umfasst
- Encompasses; includes; comprises a range of things
- Vielzahl
- Multitude; large number; variety of something
- Königreichen
- Kingdoms; dative plural of Königreich
- Königreich
- Kingdom; realm ruled by a king or queen
- bedeutendste
- Most significant; most important; superlative of bedeutend
- sowohl
- Both; as well as; used in correlative constructions
- hinsichtlich
- Regarding; with respect to; concerning something
- Ausdehnung
- Extent; expansion; size or scope of territory
- Reichtums
- Wealth; riches; genitive of Reichtum
- Fruchtbarkeit
- Fertility; fruitfulness; productive capacity of land
- Bebauung
- Cultivation; development; use of land for farming
- Bodens
- Soil; ground; genitive of Boden
- Macht
- Power; authority; strength of a ruler or state
- Königs
- King's; genitive of König
- Anzahl
- Number; quantity; total count of something
- kriegerischen
- Warlike; martial; aggressive in nature or disposition
- Gesinnung
- Disposition; attitude; mindset or moral orientation
- Bewohner
- Inhabitants; residents; people living in a place
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