The Picture of Dorian Gray — Page 5
There is a fatality about all physical and intellectual distinction, the sort of fatality that seems to dog through history the faltering steps of kings.
Es liegt ein Verhängnis über jeder körperlichen und geistigen Auszeichnung, jene Art von Verhängnis, die durch die Geschichte hindurch die schwankenden Schritte der Könige zu verfolgen scheint.
It is better not to be different from one's fellows.
Es ist besser, sich nicht von seinen Mitmenschen zu unterscheiden.
The ugly and the stupid have the best of it in this world.
Die Hässlichen und die Dummen haben es am besten in dieser Welt.
They can sit at their ease and gape at the play.
Sie können bequem dasitzen und das Schauspiel begaffen.
If they know nothing of victory, they are at least spared the knowledge of defeat.
Wenn sie nichts vom Sieg wissen, bleibt ihnen wenigstens das Wissen um die Niederlage erspart.
They live as we all should live—undisturbed, indifferent, and without disquiet.
Sie leben, wie wir alle leben sollten – ungestört, gleichgültig und ohne Unruhe.
They neither bring ruin upon others, nor ever receive it from alien hands.
Sie stürzen weder andere ins Verderben, noch empfangen sie es je aus fremden Händen.
Your rank and wealth, Harry; my brains, such as they are—my art, whatever it may be worth; Dorian Gray's good looks—we shall all suffer for what the gods have given us, suffer terribly."
Euer Rang und Euer Reichtum, Harry; mein Verstand, so wie er ist – meine Kunst, was immer sie wert sein mag; Dorian Grays gutes Aussehen – wir werden alle leiden für das, was die Götter uns gegeben haben, furchtbar leiden."
"Oh, I can't explain.
„Oh, ich kann es nicht erklären.
When I like people immensely, I never tell their names to any one.
Wenn ich Menschen sehr mag, verrate ich ihren Namen niemandem.
It is like surrendering a part of them.
Es ist, als würde man einen Teil von ihnen preisgeben.
I have grown to love secrecy.
Ich habe gelernt, die Heimlichkeit zu lieben.
It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvellous to us.
Sie scheint das Einzige zu sein, was das moderne Leben für uns geheimnisvoll oder wundersam machen kann.
The commonest thing is delightful if one only hides it.
Die gewöhnlichste Sache ist entzückend, wenn man sie nur verbirgt.
When I leave town now I never tell my people where I am going.
Wenn ich die Stadt jetzt verlasse, sage ich meinen Leuten nie, wohin ich gehe.
If I did, I would lose all my pleasure.
Wenn ich es täte, würde ich all mein Vergnügen verlieren.
Vocabulary
- Es
- It; pronoun used as subject or object
- liegt
- Lies; third person singular of liegen
- ein
- A, an; indefinite article or number one
- Verhängnis
- Curse; fate; doom or misfortune
- über
- Over; above; across; preposition or adverb
- jeder
- Every; each; every person or thing
- körperlichen
- Physical; bodily; relating to the body
- und
- And; conjunction linking words or clauses
- geistigen
- Spiritual; intellectual; mental or clever
- Auszeichnung
- Distinction; award; mark of honor or excellence
- jene
- That; those; demonstrative pronoun for distance
- Art
- Kind; type; species or manner of thing
- von
- Of; from; preposition showing possession or origin
- die
- The; definite article or relative pronoun
- durch
- Through; by means of; preposition
- Geschichte
- History; story; historical events or narrative
- schwankenden
- Wavering; uncertain; unsteady or fluctuating
- Schritte
- Steps; footsteps; paces or movements
- der
- The; definite article for masculine or genitive
- Könige
- Kings; plural of König; rulers or monarchs
- zu
- To; at; preposition or infinitive marker
- verfolgen
- To pursue; to follow; to track or hunt
- scheint
- Seems; appears; third person singular of scheinen
- ist
- Is; third person singular of sein
- besser
- Better; comparative form of gut or adverb
- sich
- Oneself; himself; herself; reflexive pronoun
- nicht
- Not; negation word used in sentences
- seinen
- His; his own; possessive adjective form
- Mitmenschen
- Fellow humans; fellow man; other people
- unterscheiden
- To distinguish; to differentiate; to set apart
- Die
- The; definite article for plural or feminine
- Hässlichen
- Ugly; the ugly ones; unattractive people
- Dummen
- Stupid; the stupid ones; unintelligent people
- haben
- Have; to possess; to own or hold
- es
- It; pronoun used as object or subject
- am
- At the; contraction of an dem
- besten
- Best; superlative form or most well
- in
- In; inside; preposition of location or time
- dieser
- This; that; demonstrative pronoun for closeness
- Welt
- World; earth; the planet or universe
- Sie
- You; formal pronoun or they; they
- können
- Can; to be able; to have capability
- bequem
- Comfortably; easily; in a comfortable manner
- das
- The; that; neuter article or pronoun
- Schauspiel
- Spectacle; show; theatrical performance or sight
- Wenn
- If; when; conditional or temporal conjunction
- sie
- She; they; feminine or plural pronoun
- nichts
- Nothing; anything; negation of something
- vom
- From the; contraction of von dem
- Sieg
- Victory; triumph; success in battle
- wissen
- To know; to be aware; to have knowledge
- bleibt
- Remains; stays; third person singular of bleiben
- ihnen
- Them; to them; dative pronoun form
- wenigstens
- At least; at the very least; anyway
- Wissen
- Knowledge; knowing; understanding or information
- um
- Around; about; for; preposition or conjunction
- Niederlage
- Defeat; loss; failure in battle or contest
- erspart
- Spared; saved; exempted from something unpleasant
- leben
- To live; to exist; to be alive
- wie
- How; as; in what manner or way
- wir
- We; us; first person plural pronoun
- alle
- All; everyone; all people or things
- sollten
- Should; ought to; conditional of sollen
- ungestört
- Undisturbed; untroubled; not interrupted or bothered
- gleichgültig
- Indifferent; unconcerned; not caring either way
- ohne
- Without; lacking; minus something or someone
- Unruhe
- Unrest; anxiety; disquiet or disturbance
- stürzen
- To fall; to plunge; to rush or topple
- weder
- Neither; used in neither...nor construction
- andere
- Others; other; different people or things
- ins
- Into the; contraction of in das
- Verderben
- Ruin; destruction; doom or perdition
- noch
- Nor; still; yet; neither or additional
- empfangen
- To receive; to get; to accept or welcome
- je
- Ever; at any time; in any case
- aus
- From; out of; preposition of origin or source
- fremden
- Foreign; strange; unknown or from elsewhere
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