← The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments

The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments — Page 2

English → De Preface Level 7/10

Several reprints of that edition have testified to the continued popularity of the work, and the necessity for the present issue shows that an acquaintance of nearly half a century has not yet wearied the public of the standard translation of the _Thousand and One Nights_.

Mehrere Nachdrucke jener Ausgabe haben die anhaltende Beliebtheit des Werkes bezeugt, und die Notwendigkeit der vorliegenden Ausgabe zeigt, dass eine Bekanntschaft von fast einem halben Jahrhundert das Publikum noch nicht der maßgeblichen Übersetzung von _Tausendundeiner Nacht_ überdrüssig gemacht hat.

The secret of Mr. Lane's success is to be found partly in the instinctive sympathy for the spirit of the East, which enabled him faithfully to reproduce the characteristic tone of the original, and partly in the rich store of illustrations of oriental life and thought contained in his Notes.

Das Geheimnis von Herrn Lanes Erfolg liegt zum einen in der instinktiven Sympathie für den Geist des Ostens, die es ihm ermöglichte, den charakteristischen Ton des Originals getreu wiederzugeben, und zum anderen in dem reichen Schatz an Erläuterungen zum orientalischen Leben und Denken, der in seinen Anmerkungen enthalten ist.

In the various cheap versions, based upon Galland's French paraphrase, the Eastern tone and local colour is wholly wanting; and the peculiarities of life and manners, which contrast so markedly with those of the West, are left unnoted and unexplained.

In den verschiedenen billigen Fassungen, die auf Gallands französischer Paraphrase beruhen, fehlen der östliche Ton und das lokale Kolorit vollständig; und die Besonderheiten des Lebens und der Sitten, die so auffällig im Gegensatz zu denen des Westens stehen, werden weder vermerkt noch erklärt.

Such versions may serve in an inadequate degree to make the Arabian Nights known to those who care only for the bare stories; but educated readers, who are capable of something more than the mere enjoyment of the romance, and desire to understand the character and habits of the actors and the spectators, find in Mr. Lane's translation, and in his only, a complete satisfaction of their want.

Solche Fassungen mögen in unzureichendem Maße dazu dienen, denen die Arabischen Nächte bekannt zu machen, denen es nur um die bloßen Geschichten geht; aber gebildete Leser, die zu mehr als dem bloßen Genuss der Romanzen fähig sind und den Charakter und die Gewohnheiten der Handelnden und der Zuschauer verstehen möchten, finden in Herrn Lanes Übersetzung, und allein in seiner, eine vollständige Befriedigung ihres Bedürfnisses.

Vocabulary

Mehrere
Several; more than one but not very many.
Nachdrucke
Reprints; subsequent printings of a published work.
jener
That; that one (demonstrative pronoun or adjective).
Ausgabe
Edition; version of a published text or work.
haben
To have; auxiliary verb for perfect tenses.
anhaltende
Lasting; continuing or persistent over time.
Beliebtheit
Popularity; state of being liked or favored.
Werkes
Work; creative or literary production (genitive case).
bezeugt
Testified; attested to or confirmed as true.
Notwendigkeit
Necessity; condition of being needed or required.
vorliegenden
Present; currently available or under consideration.
Bekanntschaft
Acquaintance; knowledge of or familiarity with something.
Jahrhundert
Century; period of one hundred years.
Publikum
Audience; public or readers of a work.
maßgeblichen
Authoritative; influential and widely recognized as reliable.
Übersetzung
Translation; conversion of text into another language.
Geheimnis
Secret; something hidden or not widely known.
Erfolg
Success; achievement of a desired goal or outcome.
Sympathie
Sympathy; understanding or agreement with feelings or ideas.
Geist
Spirit; essence, mind, or intellectual character.
Ostens
East; eastern regions or the Orient (genitive).
charakteristischen
Characteristic; typical or distinctive feature of something.
Ton
Tone; manner or style of expression or speech.
Originals
Original; source text in its first language.
getreu
Faithful; true or loyal to an original work.
wiederzugeben
To render; to reproduce or represent faithfully.
Schatz
Treasure; valuable collection or store of things.
Erläuterungen
Explanations; clarifications or interpretive notes on text.
orientalischen
Oriental; relating to Eastern cultures or regions.
Leben
Life; existence or way of living.
Denken
Thinking; mental activity or way of thought.
Anmerkungen
Notes; comments or remarks providing additional information.
verschiedenen
Various; different or diverse in character.
billigen
Cheap; inexpensive or of lower cost.
Fassungen
Versions; different forms or adaptations of work.
französischer
French; relating to France or French language.
Paraphrase
Paraphrase; restatement in different or clearer words.
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