The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 3
It is situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance hitherto I believe unexplored by any traveller; and seems only terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, near 1500 miles from its beginning.
Es liegt fast genau unter dem Äquator und erstreckt sich etwa 170 Meilen entlang der Küste, reicht jedoch in das Innere Afrikas bis zu einer Entfernung, die meines Wissens bisher von keinem Reisenden erforscht wurde; und scheint erst durch das Reich Abessiniens begrenzt zu werden, etwa 1500 Meilen von seinem Anfang entfernt.
This kingdom is divided into many provinces or districts: in one of the most remote and fertile of which, called Eboe, I was born, in the year 1745, in a charming fruitful vale, named Essaka.
Dieses Königreich ist in viele Provinzen oder Bezirke unterteilt: in einer der entlegensten und fruchtbarsten davon, namens Eboe, wurde ich im Jahr 1745 in einem reizenden, fruchtbaren Tal namens Essaka geboren.
The distance of this province from the capital of Benin and the sea coast must be very considerable; for I had never heard of white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and our subjection to the king of Benin was little more than nominal; for every transaction of the government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted by the chiefs or elders of the place.
Die Entfernung dieser Provinz von der Hauptstadt Benins und der Meeresküste muss sehr beträchtlich sein; denn ich hatte nie von weißen Menschen oder Europäern gehört, noch vom Meer: und unsere Unterwerfung unter den König von Benin war kaum mehr als nominell; denn alle Regierungsgeschäfte wurden, soweit meine bescheidene Beobachtung reichte, von den Häuptlingen oder Ältesten des Ortes geleitet.
The manners and government of a people who have little commerce with other countries are generally very simple; and the history of what passes in one family or village may serve as a specimen of a nation.
Die Sitten und die Regierung eines Volkes, das wenig Verkehr mit anderen Ländern hat, sind im Allgemeinen sehr einfach; und die Geschichte dessen, was sich in einer Familie oder einem Dorf ereignet, kann als Beispiel für eine Nation dienen.
My father was one of those elders or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our language a _mark_ of grandeur.
Mein Vater war einer jener Ältesten oder Häuptlinge, von denen ich gesprochen habe, und trug den Titel Embrenche; ein Begriff, der, soweit ich mich erinnere, die höchste Auszeichnung bedeutete und in unserer Sprache ein Zeichen der Größe bezeichnete.
Vocabulary
- liegt
- Third person singular of 'liegen'; is located.
- fast
- Adverb meaning nearly or almost.
- genau
- Exactly or precisely; used for accuracy.
- unter
- Preposition meaning under, below, or among.
- Äquator
- The equator, imaginary line around Earth's middle.
- erstreckt
- Third person singular of 'erstrecken'; extends or stretches.
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun meaning itself, himself, or herself.
- etwa
- Adverb meaning approximately or about.
- Meilen
- Plural of Meile; miles, a unit of distance.
- entlang
- Preposition or adverb meaning along a length.
- Küste
- Coastline or shore bordering a sea or ocean.
- reicht
- Third person singular of 'reichen'; reaches or extends.
- jedoch
- Adverb or conjunction meaning however or nevertheless.
- Innere
- Noun meaning interior or inland region.
- bis
- Preposition meaning until, up to, or as far as.
- Entfernung
- Distance or remoteness between two points.
- Wissens
- Genitive of Wissen; of knowledge or knowing.
- bisher
- Adverb meaning up to now or so far.
- keinem
- Negative pronoun in dative; by no one.
- Reisenden
- Dative or genitive of Reisender; traveler or explorer.
- erforscht
- Past participle of erforschen; explored or researched.
- wurde
- Simple past of werden; was or became.
- scheint
- Third person singular of scheinen; seems or appears.
- erst
- Adverb meaning only, first, or not until.
- durch
- Preposition meaning through or by means of.
- Reich
- Noun meaning empire, realm, or kingdom.
- begrenzt
- Past participle of begrenzen; limited or bounded.
- werden
- Auxiliary or main verb meaning to become or will.
- Anfang
- Noun meaning beginning, start, or origin.
- entfernt
- Adjective or past participle meaning distant or removed.
- Königreich
- Noun meaning kingdom or monarchy.
- viele
- Indefinite pronoun or adjective meaning many.
- Provinzen
- Plural of Provinz; provinces or administrative regions.
- Bezirke
- Plural of Bezirk; districts or administrative areas.
- unterteilt
- Past participle of unterteilen; divided or subdivided.
- entlegensten
- Superlative of entlegen; most remote or secluded.
- fruchtbarsten
- Superlative of fruchtbar; most fertile or productive.
- davon
- Pronoun adverb meaning of them or from it.
- namens
- Preposition meaning named or by the name of.
- Jahr
- Noun meaning year.
- reizenden
- Adjective meaning charming, delightful, or attractive.
- fruchtbaren
- Adjective meaning fertile, productive, or fruitful.
- Tal
- Noun meaning valley or dale.
- geboren
- Past participle of gebären; born.
- Provinz
- Noun meaning province or regional territory.
- Hauptstadt
- Capital city of a country or region.
- Meeresküste
- Compound noun meaning seacoast or ocean shoreline.
- muss
- Modal verb meaning must or has to.
- sehr
- Adverb meaning very or extremely.
- beträchtlich
- Adjective meaning considerable, significant, or substantial.
- sein
- Infinitive of to be; also possessive pronoun his.
- denn
- Conjunction meaning because, for, or then.
- hatte
- Simple past of haben; had.
- nie
- Adverb meaning never.
- weißen
- Adjective meaning white (inflected form).
- Menschen
- Plural of Mensch; people or human beings.
- Europäern
- Dative plural of Europäer; Europeans.
- gehört
- Past participle of hören; heard, or of gehören; belonged.
- noch
- Adverb meaning still, yet, or nor.
- Meer
- Noun meaning sea or ocean.
- Unterwerfung
- Noun meaning submission, subjugation, or subordination.
- König
- Noun meaning king or monarch.
- war
- Simple past of sein; was.
- kaum
- Adverb meaning hardly, barely, or scarcely.
- mehr
- Adverb or adjective meaning more or anymore.
- als
- Conjunction meaning than, as, or when.
- nominell
- Adjective meaning nominal or in name only.
- alle
- Pronoun or adjective meaning all or every.
- Regierungsgeschäfte
- Plural noun meaning affairs of government or governance.
- wurden
- Simple past plural of werden; were or became.
- soweit
- Conjunction meaning as far as or insofar as.
- bescheidene
- Adjective meaning modest, humble, or limited.
- Beobachtung
- Noun meaning observation or watching.
- reichte
- Simple past of reichen; reached or extended.
- Häuptlingen
- Dative plural of Häuptling; chieftains or tribal leaders.
- Ältesten
- Dative plural of Ältester; elders or oldest members.
- Ortes
- Genitive of Ort; of the place or locality.
- geleitet
- Past participle of leiten; directed, managed, or led.
- Sitten
- Plural of Sitte; customs, manners, or morals.
- Regierung
- Noun meaning government or administration.
- Volkes
- Genitive of Volk; of a people or nation.
- wenig
- Adjective or adverb meaning little or few.
- Verkehr
- Noun meaning traffic, commerce, or social intercourse.
- anderen
- Adjective meaning other or different (inflected).
- Ländern
- Dative plural of Land; countries or regions.
- Allgemeinen
- Dative of Allgemein; in general or in the whole.
- einfach
- Adjective meaning simple, easy, or plain.
- Geschichte
- Noun meaning history or story.
- dessen
- Genitive relative pronoun meaning whose or of which.
- Familie
- Noun meaning family.
- Dorf
- Noun meaning village or small rural settlement.
- ereignet
- Past participle of ereignen; occurred or happened.
- kann
- Modal verb meaning can or is able to.
- Beispiel
- Noun meaning example or instance.
- Nation
- Noun meaning nation or people sharing identity.
- dienen
- Infinitive meaning to serve or to function as.
- Vater
- Noun meaning father.
- jener
- Demonstrative adjective meaning that or one of those.
- Häuptlinge
- Plural of Häuptling; chieftains or leaders.
- denen
- Dative relative pronoun meaning whom or which.
- gesprochen
- Past participle of sprechen; spoken or talked.
- trug
- Simple past of tragen; bore, carried, or wore.
- Titel
- Noun meaning title or designation.
- Begriff
- Noun meaning concept, term, or notion.
- erinnere
- First person singular of erinnern; remember or recall.
- höchste
- Superlative of hoch; highest or supreme.
- Auszeichnung
- Noun meaning distinction, award, or honor.
- bedeutete
- Simple past of bedeuten; meant or signified.
- Sprache
- Noun meaning language or speech.
- Zeichen
- Noun meaning sign, symbol, or mark.
- Größe
- Noun meaning greatness, size, or grandeur.
- bezeichnete
- Simple past of bezeichnen; designated or indicated.
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