The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments — Page 7
He has therefore wished me to remodel the preface, transferring all portions relating to the subjects in question to the Review, retaining whatever may more properly stand at the commencement of the work, and adding any matter of my own.
Er hat mich daher gebeten, das Vorwort umzugestalten, alle Abschnitte, die sich auf die fraglichen Themen beziehen, in die Zeitschrift zu übertragen, alles beizubehalten, was am Anfang des Werkes besser aufgehoben ist, und eigene Bemerkungen hinzuzufügen.
The object with which the translation was made is best expressed in the words of Mr. Lane's preface.
Der Zweck, zu dem die Übersetzung angefertigt wurde, kommt am besten in den Worten von Mr. Lanes Vorwort zum Ausdruck.
"My undertaking to translate anew the Tales of 'The Thousand and One Nights' implies an unfavourable opinion of the version which has so long amused us; but I must express my objections with respect to the latter in plain terms, and this I shall do by means of a few words on the version of Galland, from which it is derived; for to him alone its chief faults are to be attributed.
„Mein Vorhaben, die Märchen aus ‚Tausendundeiner Nacht' neu zu übersetzen, setzt eine ungünstige Meinung über die Version voraus, die uns so lange unterhalten hat; aber ich muss meine Einwände gegen Letztere in klaren Worten darlegen, und dies werde ich mit einigen Worten zur Version von Galland tun, von der sie abgeleitet ist; denn ihm allein sind ihre hauptsächlichen Fehler zuzuschreiben.
I am somewhat reluctant to make this remark, because several persons, and among them some of high and deserved reputation as Arabic scholars, have pronounced an opinion that his version is an _improvement_ upon the original.
Ich zögere etwas, diese Bemerkung zu machen, weil mehrere Personen, darunter einige von hohem und wohlverdientem Ansehen als Arabischgelehrte, die Meinung geäußert haben, dass seine Version eine _Verbesserung_ gegenüber dem Original darstelle.
That 'The Thousand and One Nights' may be greatly improved, I most readily admit; but as confidently do I assert that Galland has excessively _perverted_ the work.
Dass ‚Tausendundeine Nacht' in hohem Maße verbessert werden kann, räume ich bereitwillig ein; aber ebenso zuversichtlich behaupte ich, dass Galland das Werk übermäßig _entstellt_ hat.
Vocabulary
- daher
- Therefore, consequently, for that reason
- gebeten
- Past participle of bitten: asked, requested
- Vorwort
- Preface or foreword of a book
- umzugestalten
- To reshape, redesign, or restructure something
- Abschnitte
- Sections, paragraphs, or passages of a text
- fraglichen
- In question, under discussion, pertaining to the matter
- Themen
- Topics, subjects, or themes under discussion
- beziehen
- To relate to, refer to, or concern something
- Zeitschrift
- Journal, magazine, or periodical publication
- übertragen
- To transfer, translate, or transmit content
- beizubehalten
- To retain, keep, or maintain something unchanged
- Anfang
- Beginning, start, or opening of something
- Werkes
- Genitive of Werk: of the work or opus
- aufgehoben
- Preserved, kept, or better placed somewhere
- Bemerkungen
- Remarks, comments, or observations added to text
- hinzuzufügen
- To add, append, or include additionally
- Zweck
- Purpose, aim, or goal of an action
- Übersetzung
- Translation of a text into another language
- angefertigt
- Past participle of anfertigen: made, produced, prepared
- Ausdruck
- Expression, phrase, or articulation of an idea
- Vorhaben
- Plan, intention, or project one intends to do
- Märchen
- Fairy tales or folk stories, often traditional
- Tausendundeiner
- One thousand and one, as in Tausendundeine Nacht
- Nacht
- Night; also part of Tausendundeine Nacht
- übersetzen
- To translate text from one language to another
- ungünstige
- Unfavorable, adverse, or negative in assessment
- Meinung
- Opinion, view, or personal judgment on something
- Version
- Version, edition, or variant of a text
- voraus
- Ahead, in advance; part of voraussetzen: presupposes
- unterhalten
- To entertain or engage someone pleasantly
- Einwände
- Objections, reservations, or counterarguments raised
- Letztere
- The latter; referring to the last-mentioned item
- darlegen
- To set forth, explain, or present an argument
- abgeleitet
- Past participle of ableiten: derived, descended from
- allein
- Alone, solely, only; exclusively attributable to
- hauptsächlichen
- Main, principal, or chief faults or features
- Fehler
- Mistakes, errors, or faults in something
- zuzuschreiben
- To attribute or ascribe something to someone
- zögere
- First person singular of zögern: I hesitate
- Bemerkung
- Remark, comment, or observation about something
- mehrere
- Several, a number of, more than two
- Personen
- Persons, individuals, or people in general
- darunter
- Among them, including, or beneath that group
- wohlverdientem
- Well-deserved, rightfully earned reputation or standing
- Ansehen
- Reputation, prestige, or standing in society
- Arabischgelehrte
- Scholars of Arabic language and literature
- geäußert
- Past participle of äußern: expressed, stated, voiced
- _Verbesserung_
- Improvement, enhancement, or betterment of something
- gegenüber
- Opposite, compared to, or in relation to
- Original
- Original source text or first version of work
- darstelle
- Subjunctive of darstellen: represent, constitute, portray
- Tausendundeine
- One thousand and one, as in Arabian Nights
- Maße
- Degree, extent, or measure of something
- verbessert
- Improved, corrected, or enhanced in quality
- räume
- First person singular of einräumen: I concede, admit
- bereitwillig
- Willingly, readily, without reluctance
- ebenso
- Likewise, equally, just as much
- zuversichtlich
- Confident, assured, or optimistic about something
- behaupte
- First person singular of behaupten: I claim, assert
- Werk
- Work, opus, or literary or artistic creation
- übermäßig
- Excessively, overly, to an extreme degree
- _entstellt_
- Disfigured, distorted, or grossly misrepresented
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