← 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 15

English → De Preface Level 7/10

This is a point which I deem of much importance to set the work in its proper light before my countrymen.

Dies ist ein Punkt, den ich für sehr wichtig halte, um das Werk meinen Landsleuten in seinem richtigen Licht vorzustellen.

I have resided in a land where genii are still firmly believed to obey the summons of the magician or the owner of a talisman, and to act in occurrences of every day;

Ich habe in einem Land gelebt, wo man noch fest daran glaubt, dass Genien dem Ruf des Zauberers oder des Besitzers eines Talismans gehorchen und in den Ereignissen des täglichen Lebens wirken;

and I have listened to stories of their deeds related as facts by persons of the highest respectability, and by some who would not condescend to read the tales of 'The Thousand and One Nights,' merely because they are fictions, and not written in the usual polished style of literary compositions."

und ich habe Geschichten von ihren Taten gehört, die von Personen höchsten Ansehens als Tatsachen berichtet wurden, und von einigen, die sich nicht dazu herablassen würden, die Erzählungen aus ‚Tausendundeiner Nacht' zu lesen, lediglich weil sie Fiktionen sind und nicht im üblichen gepflegten Stil literarischer Werke verfasst wurden."

I have already mentioned that the literary history of "The Thousand and One Nights" is discussed in Mr. Lane's Review appended to this translation.

Ich habe bereits erwähnt, dass die Literaturgeschichte von „Tausendundeiner Nacht" in Mr. Lanes Rezension besprochen wird, die dieser Übersetzung beigefügt ist.

In the course of my Arabic studies, and more especially since I have been occupied in editing the present work, I have endeavoured to form an unbiassed judgment on this difficult question;

Im Verlauf meiner arabischen Studien, und besonders seit ich mit der Herausgabe des vorliegenden Werkes beschäftigt bin, habe ich mich bemüht, ein unvoreingenommenes Urteil über diese schwierige Frage zu bilden;

and all my researches have confirmed me in agreeing with the opinions there expressed.

und alle meine Nachforschungen haben mich darin bestätigt, den dort geäußerten Meinungen zuzustimmen.

Von Hammer was inclined to lay too much stress on the supposed Persian or Indian origin of these Tales;

Von Hammer neigte dazu, zu viel Gewicht auf den angeblich persischen oder indischen Ursprung dieser Erzählungen zu legen;

while De Sacy, on the other hand, rejected the belief in any connection between the old work and the more modern; contending that the latter was an independent production.

während De Sacy hingegen den Glauben an jegliche Verbindung zwischen dem alten Werk und dem neueren ablehnte und behauptete, dass Letzteres ein eigenständiges Werk sei.

The discovery, however, of a passage in an Arabic author, by Von Hammer, since the publication of De Sacy's Essay and Mr.

Die Entdeckung jedoch einer Textstelle bei einem arabischen Autor durch Von Hammer, seit der Veröffentlichung von De Sacys Abhandlung und Mr.

Vocabulary

Dies
This; used to point out something specific
ist
Is; third-person singular of 'sein' (to be)
ein
A/an; indefinite article in German
Punkt
Point; a specific matter or full stop
den
Which/that; accusative definite article or relative pronoun
ich
I; first-person singular personal pronoun
für
For; preposition indicating purpose or benefit
sehr
Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or adverbs
wichtig
Important; of great significance or value
halte
Consider/hold; first-person singular of 'halten'
um
In order to; preposition or conjunction of purpose
das
The; neuter definite article or demonstrative pronoun
Werk
Work; a literary, artistic, or creative production
meinen
My; first-person possessive pronoun, accusative/dative
Landsleuten
Compatriots; fellow citizens of the same country
in
In; preposition indicating location or inclusion
seinem
Its/his; possessive pronoun, dative singular
richtigen
Correct/proper; adjective meaning accurate or appropriate
Licht
Light; illumination or figurative perspective
vorzustellen
To present/introduce; infinitive of 'vorstellen'
Ich
I; first-person singular personal pronoun
habe
Have; first-person singular of 'haben'
einem
A/an; indefinite article, dative singular
Land
Country/land; a nation or geographic territory
gelebt
Lived; past participle of 'leben' (to live)
wo
Where; relative or interrogative adverb of place
man
One/people; impersonal pronoun referring to people generally
noch
Still/yet; adverb indicating continuation or addition
fest
Firmly/solidly; adverb meaning strongly or steadfastly
daran
In it/at it; prepositional adverb referring to something
glaubt
Believes; third-person singular of 'glauben'
dass
That; conjunction introducing a subordinate clause
Genien
Genii/spirits; supernatural beings or genius spirits
dem
The; dative definite article, masculine/neuter singular
Ruf
Call/reputation; a summons or someone's standing
des
Of the; genitive definite article, masculine/neuter
Zauberers
Magician's; genitive of 'Zauberer' (sorcerer/magician)
oder
Or; coordinating conjunction presenting alternatives
Besitzers
Owner's; genitive of 'Besitzer' (owner/possessor)
eines
A/an; genitive indefinite article, masculine/neuter
Talismans
Talisman's; genitive of a magical protective charm
gehorchen
To obey; to follow commands of another
und
And; coordinating conjunction joining words or clauses
Ereignissen
Events; dative plural of 'Ereignis' (occurrence/event)
täglichen
Daily; adjective meaning occurring every day
Lebens
Life's; genitive of 'Leben' (life)
wirken
To act/work; to have an effect or influence
Geschichten
Stories; plural of 'Geschichte' (story/history)
von
Of/from/by; preposition indicating origin or belonging
ihren
Their; possessive pronoun, accusative plural
Taten
Deeds/acts; plural of 'Tat' (action/deed)
gehört
Heard; past participle of 'hören' (to hear)
die
The; feminine/plural definite article or relative pronoun
Personen
Persons; plural of 'Person' (person/individual)
höchsten
Highest; superlative of 'hoch' (high), in dative form
Ansehens
Reputation's; genitive of 'Ansehen' (reputation/esteem)
als
As/than; conjunction or preposition for comparison
Tatsachen
Facts; plural of 'Tatsache' (fact/reality)
berichtet
Reported; past participle of 'berichten' (to report)
wurden
Were; past tense auxiliary for passive constructions
einigen
Some; indefinite pronoun/adjective meaning a few
sich
Themselves/oneself; reflexive pronoun for all persons
nicht
Not; negation adverb in German sentences
dazu
To it/for it; prepositional adverb indicating addition
herablassen
To condescend/deign; to lower oneself to do something
würden
Would; conditional auxiliary verb form of 'werden'
Erzählungen
Narratives/tales; plural of 'Erzählung' (story/narrative)
aus
From/out of; preposition indicating origin or material
Tausendundeiner
Thousand-and-one; as in 'One Thousand and One Nights'
Nacht
Night; the period of darkness between dusk and dawn
zu
To/too; preposition or infinitive particle in German
lesen
To read; to comprehend written text
lediglich
Merely/only; adverb meaning nothing more than
weil
Because; subordinating conjunction giving a reason
sie
They/she/it; third-person pronoun in various forms
Fiktionen
Fictions; plural of 'Fiktion' (invented/imaginary story)
sind
Are; third-person plural of 'sein' (to be)
im
In the; contraction of 'in dem'
üblichen
Usual/customary; adjective meaning common or standard
gepflegten
Refined/polished; adjective meaning cultivated or elegant
Stil
Style; manner or form of expression or writing
literarischer
Literary; adjective relating to literature or writing
Werke
Works; plural of 'Werk' (literary or artistic work)
verfasst
Written/composed; past participle of 'verfassen'
bereits
Already; adverb indicating something happened before
erwähnt
Mentioned; past participle of 'erwähnen' (to mention)
Literaturgeschichte
Literary history; the historical study of literature
Rezension
Review; a critical evaluation of a literary work
besprochen
Discussed/reviewed; past participle of 'besprechen'
wird
Will/is; third-person singular of 'werden'
dieser
This; demonstrative pronoun/article, dative feminine
Übersetzung
Translation; converting text from one language to another
beigefügt
Attached/appended; past participle of 'beifügen'
Im
In the; contraction of 'in dem', locative
Verlauf
Course/progression; the passage or unfolding of something
meiner
My; first-person possessive, genitive/dative feminine
arabischen
Arabic; adjective relating to the Arab language/culture
Studien
Studies; plural of 'Studie' (study/research)
besonders
Especially/particularly; adverb emphasizing something specific
seit
Since/for; preposition indicating start of a time period
mit
With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
der
The; definite article, genitive/dative feminine or masculine
Herausgabe
Publication/editing; the act of publishing or releasing
vorliegenden
Present/current; adjective meaning the one at hand
Werkes
Work's; genitive of 'Werk' (literary/artistic work)
beschäftigt
Occupied/busy; past participle of 'beschäftigen'
bin
Am; first-person singular of 'sein' (to be)
mich
Me/myself; first-person accusative personal pronoun
bemüht
Endeavored/strived; past participle of 'bemühen'
unvoreingenommenes
Unbiased/impartial; adjective meaning without prejudice
Urteil
Judgment/verdict; an opinion or legal decision
über
About/over; preposition indicating topic or position
diese
This/these; demonstrative pronoun/adjective, nominative
schwierige
Difficult; adjective meaning hard or challenging
Frage
Question; an inquiry or matter under consideration
bilden
To form/build; to create or develop something
alle
All/every; adjective or pronoun meaning the entirety
meine
My; first-person possessive pronoun, nominative plural
Nachforschungen
Investigations; plural of 'Nachforschung' (inquiry/research)
haben
Have; infinitive or plural of auxiliary verb 'haben'
darin
Therein/in it; prepositional adverb referring to something
bestätigt
Confirmed; past participle of 'bestätigen' (to confirm)
dort
There; adverb indicating a specific place
geäußerten
Expressed; past participle adjective of 'äußern'
Meinungen
Opinions; plural of 'Meinung' (opinion/view)
zuzustimmen
To agree; infinitive of 'zustimmen' (to consent)
Von
From/by; preposition indicating origin or agent
neigte
Tended/inclined; past tense of 'neigen' (to tend)
viel
Much/a lot; adjective or adverb of quantity
Gewicht
Weight/emphasis; importance or physical mass
auf
On/upon; preposition indicating surface or direction
angeblich
Allegedly/supposedly; adverb meaning claimed but unverified
persischen
Persian; adjective relating to Persia/Iran
indischen
Indian; adjective relating to India
Ursprung
Origin; the starting point or source of something
legen
To lay/place; to put emphasis or objects somewhere
während
While/whereas; conjunction or preposition of time
hingegen
On the other hand; conjunction contrasting two statements
Glauben
Belief/faith; trust or conviction in something
an
At/on/to; preposition indicating contact or direction
jegliche
Any/every; pronoun/adjective meaning any whatsoever
Verbindung
Connection/link; a relationship or bond between things
zwischen
Between; preposition indicating a position in the middle
alten
Old; adjective in dative/accusative form of 'alt'
neueren
Newer/more recent; comparative adjective of 'neu'
ablehnte
Rejected; past tense of 'ablehnen' (to reject/decline)
behauptete
Claimed/asserted; past tense of 'behaupten' (to claim)
Letzteres
The latter; pronoun referring to the last-mentioned item
eigenständiges
Independent/autonomous; adjective meaning self-standing
sei
Be/is; subjunctive form of 'sein' (to be)
Die
The; feminine/plural definite article
Entdeckung
Discovery; the act of finding something previously unknown
jedoch
However/yet; conjunctive adverb showing contrast
einer
A/one; indefinite article, genitive/dative feminine
Textstelle
Passage/text location; a specific place in a text
bei
At/near/by; preposition indicating proximity or context
Autor
Author; the writer of a literary work
durch
Through/by; preposition indicating means or passage
Veröffentlichung
Publication; the act of making something publicly available
Abhandlung
Treatise/essay; a scholarly written work on a topic
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