← The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original

The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original — Page 2

English → De Preface Level 6/10

The points in question are:

Die fraglichen Punkte sind:

(1) that the "Odyssey" was written entirely at, and drawn entirely from, the place now called Trapani on the West Coast of Sicily, alike as regards the Phaeacian and the Ithaca scenes; while the voyages of Ulysses, when once he is within easy reach of Sicily, solve themselves into a periplus of the island, practically from Trapani back to Trapani, via the Lipari islands, the Straits of Messina, and the island of Pantellaria.

(1) dass die „Odyssee" vollständig an dem Ort verfasst wurde und vollständig aus dem Ort schöpft, der heute Trapani an der Westküste Siziliens genannt wird, sowohl hinsichtlich der phäakischen als auch der Ithaka-Szenen; während sich die Reisen des Odysseus, sobald er sich in der Nähe Siziliens befindet, in einen Periplus der Insel auflösen, praktisch von Trapani zurück nach Trapani, über die Liparischen Inseln, die Straße von Messina und die Insel Pantelleria.

(2) That the poem was entirely written by a very young woman, who lived at the place now called Trapani, and introduced herself into her work under the name of Nausicaa.

(2) Dass das Gedicht vollständig von einer sehr jungen Frau verfasst wurde, die an dem Ort lebte, der heute Trapani genannt wird, und sich selbst unter dem Namen Nausikaa in ihr Werk einführte.

The main arguments on which I base the first of these somewhat startling contentions, have been prominently and repeatedly before the English and Italian public ever since they appeared (without rejoinder) in the "Athenaeum" for January 30 and February 20, 1892.

Die Hauptargumente, auf die ich die erste dieser einigermaßen überraschenden Behauptungen stütze, standen seit ihrem Erscheinen (ohne Erwiderung) im „Athenaeum" vom 30. Januar und 20. Februar 1892 wiederholt und prominent vor der englischen und italienischen Öffentlichkeit.

Both contentions were urged (also without rejoinder) in the Johnian "Eagle" for the Lent and October terms of the same year.

Beide Behauptungen wurden (ebenfalls ohne Erwiderung) im Johnian „Eagle" für die Fastenzeit und den Oktoberterm desselben Jahres vorgebracht.

Nothing to which I should reply has reached me from any quarter, and knowing how anxiously I have endeavoured to learn the existence of any flaws in my argument, I begin to feel some confidence that, did such flaws exist, I should have heard, at any rate about some of them, before now.

Nichts, worauf ich antworten müsste, ist mir aus irgendeiner Richtung zugegangen, und da ich weiß, wie eifrig ich mich bemüht habe, das Vorhandensein etwaiger Mängel in meiner Argumentation zu erfahren, beginne ich einiges Vertrauen zu schöpfen, dass ich, falls solche Mängel existierten, zumindest von einigen davon inzwischen gehört hätte.

Vocabulary

fraglichen
In question, under discussion, pertaining to the matter
Punkte
Points, aspects, items on a list
Odyssee
The Odyssey; Homer's epic poem about Odysseus
vollständig
Completely, fully, in its entirety
Ort
Place, location, specific site or spot
verfasst
Composed, written, authored (past participle of verfassen)
schöpft
Draws from, derives; third-person singular of schöpfen
heute
Today, nowadays, in the present day
Westküste
West coast, western shoreline of a landmass
Siziliens
Of Sicily; genitive form of Sizilien (Sicily)
genannt
Called, named; past participle of nennen
sowohl
Both, as well as; used in sowohl…als auch construction
hinsichtlich
With regard to, concerning, in respect of
Szenen
Scenes, episodes, sequences in a narrative or play
während
While, during; temporal conjunction or preposition
Reisen
Travels, journeys, trips; plural of Reise
sobald
As soon as; temporal conjunction
Nähe
Vicinity, nearness, proximity to a place
befindet
Is located, finds itself; third-person of befinden
Insel
Island; a landmass surrounded by water
auflösen
To dissolve, resolve, break up into something
praktisch
Practically, virtually, almost entirely; adverb
zurück
Back, returning; directional adverb or prefix
Inseln
Islands; plural of Insel
Straße
Street, road; also strait (narrow waterway)
Gedicht
Poem; a literary work in verse form
Frau
Woman, wife, Mrs.; adult female person
selbst
Herself, itself, even; reflexive intensifier
Namen
Name; dative/plural of Name
Werk
Work, opus, literary or artistic creation
einführte
Introduced; simple past of einführen
Hauptargumente
Main arguments, primary points of reasoning
einigermaßen
Somewhat, to some degree, rather surprisingly
überraschenden
Surprising, astonishing; inflected adjective from überraschen
Behauptungen
Claims, assertions, contentions; plural of Behauptung
stütze
Support, base upon; first-person singular of stützen
seit
Since, for (time); preposition with dative
Erscheinen
Appearance, publication, emergence of something
ohne
Without; preposition indicating absence of something
Erwiderung
Rebuttal, reply, counter-response to an argument
Januar
January; the first month of the year
Februar
February; the second month of the year
wiederholt
Repeatedly, again; adverb or past participle of wiederholen
prominent
Prominently, in a notable or visible manner
englischen
English; inflected adjective referring to England
italienischen
Italian; inflected adjective referring to Italy
Öffentlichkeit
Public, general public, public sphere or audience
Beide
Both; referring to two previously mentioned things
ebenfalls
Also, likewise, in the same way too
Fastenzeit
Lent; the Christian fasting period before Easter
desselben
Of the same; genitive of derselbe (the same)
Jahres
Of the year; genitive of Jahr (year)
vorgebracht
Presented, put forward, advanced as an argument
Nichts
Nothing; absence of anything relevant or useful
worauf
Whereupon, on which, in response to which
antworten
To answer, to reply, to respond to something
müsste
Would have to, should; subjunctive II of müssen
irgendeiner
In any, from any; from some direction or source
Richtung
Direction, way, orientation toward a destination
zugegangen
Reached, come to; past participle of zugehen
eifrig
Eagerly, zealously, with great diligence and effort
bemüht
Endeavored, tried hard; past participle of bemühen
Vorhandensein
Existence, presence, the fact of being present
etwaiger
Any possible, potential; adjective for hypothetical cases
Mängel
Flaws, deficiencies, shortcomings; plural of Mangel
Argumentation
Argumentation, line of reasoning, logical structure
erfahren
To learn, find out, discover information about something
beginne
Begin; first-person singular present of beginnen
einiges
Some, a certain amount; indefinite pronoun neuter
Vertrauen
Confidence, trust; noun or infinitive of vertrauen
schöpfen
To draw, derive, gain (confidence or inspiration)
falls
If, in case; conditional conjunction
solche
Such, such ones; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
existierten
Existed; simple past plural of existieren
zumindest
At least, at a minimum; concessive adverb
einigen
Some, a few; indefinite pronoun or adjective plural
davon
Of them, from them; pronominal adverb
inzwischen
Meanwhile, by now, in the meantime
gehört
Heard; past participle of hören
hätte
Would have; subjunctive II of haben
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