The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 2
's saying that he had called to consult us, or rather to ask the opinion of my friend, about some official business which had occasioned a great deal of trouble.
Er sagte, er sei gekommen, um uns zu konsultieren, oder vielmehr um die Meinung meines Freundes über eine amtliche Angelegenheit einzuholen, die eine Menge Schwierigkeiten verursacht hatte.
"If it is any point requiring reflection," observed Dupin, as he forebore to enkindle the wick, "we shall examine it to better purpose in the dark."
„Wenn es sich um einen Punkt handelt, der Nachdenken erfordert," bemerkte Dupin, während er es unterließ, den Docht zu entzünden, „werden wir ihn im Dunkeln besser untersuchen können."
"That is another of your odd notions," said the Prefect, who had a fashion of calling every thing "odd" that was beyond his comprehension, and thus lived amid an absolute legion of "oddities."
„Das ist wieder eine Ihrer seltsamen Ideen," sagte der Präfekt, der die Gewohnheit hatte, alles „seltsam" zu nennen, was über seinen Verstand ging, und so inmitten einer wahren Legion von „Seltsamkeiten" lebte.
"Very true," said Dupin, as he supplied his visitor with a pipe, and rolled towards him a comfortable chair.
„Sehr wahr," sagte Dupin, während er seinem Besucher eine Pfeife reichte und einen bequemen Sessel zu ihm hinrollte.
"And what is the difficulty now?" I asked. "Nothing more in the assassination way, I hope?"
„Und worin besteht diesmal die Schwierigkeit?" fragte ich. „Hoffentlich nichts mehr in der Art eines Mordfalles?"
"Oh no; nothing of that nature. The fact is, the business is very simple indeed, and I make no doubt that we can manage it sufficiently well ourselves; but then I thought Dupin would like to hear the details of it, because it is so excessively odd."
„Oh nein; nichts dergleichen. Die Sache ist nämlich wirklich sehr einfach, und ich zweifle nicht daran, dass wir sie selbst hinreichend gut bewältigen können; aber dann dachte ich, Dupin würde gerne die Einzelheiten davon hören, weil sie so überaus seltsam ist."
"Simple and odd," said Dupin.
„Einfach und seltsam," sagte Dupin.
"Why, yes; and not exactly that, either. The fact is, we have all been a good deal puzzled because the affair is so simple, and yet baffles us altogether."
„Nun ja; und auch nicht genau das. Tatsächlich sind wir alle sehr verwirrt, weil die Sache so einfach ist und uns dennoch völlig vor ein Rätsel stellt."
"Perhaps it is the very simplicity of the thing which puts you at fault," said my friend.
„Vielleicht ist es gerade die Einfachheit der Sache, die Sie in die Irre führt," sagte mein Freund.
"What nonsense you do talk!" replied the Prefect, laughing heartily.
„Was für einen Unsinn Sie reden!" erwiderte der Präfekt und lachte herzlich.
"Perhaps the mystery is a little too plain," said Dupin.
„Vielleicht ist das Geheimnis ein wenig zu offensichtlich," sagte Dupin.
Vocabulary
- sagte
- Past tense of 'sagen'; he/she said
- sei
- Subjunctive form of 'sein'; used in reported speech
- gekommen
- Past participle of 'kommen'; arrived or come
- um
- Preposition meaning 'in order to' or 'around'
- uns
- First person plural accusative/dative pronoun meaning 'us'
- konsultieren
- To consult someone for advice or information
- vielmehr
- Adverb meaning 'rather' or 'more precisely'
- Meinung
- Noun meaning 'opinion' or 'view'
- meines
- Genitive form of possessive pronoun 'mein'; my
- Freundes
- Genitive form of 'Freund'; of a male friend
- über
- Preposition meaning 'about', 'over', or 'above'
- amtliche
- Adjective meaning 'official' or 'governmental'
- Angelegenheit
- Noun meaning 'matter', 'affair', or 'concern'
- einzuholen
- To obtain or seek advice or information
- Menge
- Noun meaning 'amount', 'quantity', or 'crowd'
- Schwierigkeiten
- Plural of 'Schwierigkeit'; difficulties or problems
- verursacht
- Past participle of 'verursachen'; caused or brought about
- hatte
- Past tense of 'haben'; he/she/it had
- Wenn
- Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'when'
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'itself'
- Punkt
- Noun meaning 'point', 'dot', or 'issue'
- handelt
- Third person singular of 'handeln'; concerns or deals with
- Nachdenken
- Noun or verb meaning 'reflection' or 'to think deeply'
- erfordert
- Third person singular of 'erfordern'; requires or demands
- bemerkte
- Past tense of 'bemerken'; remarked or noticed
- während
- Conjunction or preposition meaning 'while' or 'during'
- unterließ
- Past tense of 'unterlassen'; refrained from or omitted
- Docht
- Noun meaning 'wick' of a candle or lamp
- entzünden
- To ignite, light, or kindle a flame
- werden
- Auxiliary verb meaning 'to become' or future marker
- ihn
- Accusative form of 'er'; him
- Dunkeln
- Dative form of 'Dunkel'; in the darkness
- besser
- Comparative form of 'gut'; better
- untersuchen
- To examine, investigate, or inspect something
- können
- Modal verb meaning 'to be able to' or 'can'
- wieder
- Adverb meaning 'again' or 'once more'
- Ihrer
- Genitive or dative form of formal 'Sie'; your
- seltsamen
- Inflected form of 'seltsam'; strange or peculiar
- Ideen
- Plural of 'Idee'; ideas or concepts
- Präfekt
- Noun meaning 'prefect'; a senior official or chief
- Gewohnheit
- Noun meaning 'habit' or 'custom'
- alles
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'everything' or 'all'
- seltsam
- Adjective meaning 'strange', 'odd', or 'peculiar'
- nennen
- To call, name, or refer to something
- seinen
- Accusative form of possessive 'sein'; his
- Verstand
- Noun meaning 'mind', 'intellect', or 'reason'
- ging
- Past tense of 'gehen'; went or passed through
- inmitten
- Preposition meaning 'in the middle of' or 'amidst'
- wahren
- Inflected form of 'wahr'; true or genuine
- Legion
- Noun meaning 'legion'; a large number or group
- Seltsamkeiten
- Plural of 'Seltsamkeit'; oddities or peculiarities
- lebte
- Past tense of 'leben'; lived or dwelt
- wahr
- Adjective meaning 'true' or 'real'
- seinem
- Dative form of possessive 'sein'; his/its
- Besucher
- Noun meaning 'visitor' or 'guest'
- Pfeife
- Noun meaning 'pipe' for smoking or a whistle
- reichte
- Past tense of 'reichen'; handed, passed, or extended
- bequemen
- Inflected form of 'bequem'; comfortable or convenient
- Sessel
- Noun meaning 'armchair' or 'easy chair'
- ihm
- Dative form of 'er' or 'es'; him or it
- hinrollte
- Past tense of 'hinrollen'; rolled towards someone
- worin
- Interrogative pronoun meaning 'wherein' or 'in what'
- besteht
- Third person singular of 'bestehen'; consists of or exists
- diesmal
- Adverb meaning 'this time'
- Schwierigkeit
- Noun meaning 'difficulty' or 'problem'
- fragte
- Past tense of 'fragen'; asked a question
- Hoffentlich
- Adverb meaning 'hopefully' or 'I hope'
- nichts
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'nothing'
- mehr
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'more' or 'any more'
- Art
- Noun meaning 'kind', 'type', 'manner', or 'way'
- Mordfalles
- Genitive of 'Mordfall'; of a murder case
- dergleichen
- Pronoun meaning 'the like', 'such things', or 'similar'
- Sache
- Noun meaning 'thing', 'matter', or 'case'
- nämlich
- Adverb meaning 'namely', 'you see', or 'that is'
- wirklich
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'really' or 'truly'
- einfach
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'simple' or 'simply'
- zweifle
- First person singular of 'zweifeln'; I doubt
- daran
- Pronominal adverb meaning 'about it' or 'at it'
- dass
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'
- selbst
- Pronoun or adverb meaning 'oneself', 'even', or 'self'
- hinreichend
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'sufficiently' or 'adequately'
- bewältigen
- To manage, cope with, or overcome a difficulty
- dachte
- Past tense of 'denken'; thought or considered
- würde
- Conditional form of 'werden'; would
- gerne
- Adverb meaning 'gladly' or 'with pleasure'
- Einzelheiten
- Plural of 'Einzelheit'; details or particulars
- davon
- Pronominal adverb meaning 'of it', 'about it'
- hören
- To hear or listen to something
- weil
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'because'
- überaus
- Adverb meaning 'exceedingly' or 'extremely'
- Einfach
- Adjective meaning 'simple' or 'straightforward'
- Nun
- Adverb meaning 'now' or interjection 'well'
- genau
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'exact' or 'exactly'
- Tatsächlich
- Adverb meaning 'actually', 'in fact', or 'indeed'
- alle
- Indefinite pronoun or adjective meaning 'all' or 'everyone'
- verwirrt
- Adjective or past participle meaning 'confused' or 'puzzled'
- dennoch
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'nevertheless' or 'yet'
- völlig
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'completely' or 'totally'
- vor
- Preposition meaning 'before', 'in front of', or 'ago'
- Rätsel
- Noun meaning 'puzzle', 'riddle', or 'mystery'
- stellt
- Third person singular of 'stellen'; places or presents
- Vielleicht
- Adverb meaning 'perhaps' or 'maybe'
- gerade
- Adverb meaning 'just', 'exactly', or 'straight'
- Einfachheit
- Noun meaning 'simplicity' or 'plainness'
- Sie
- Formal second person pronoun meaning 'you'
- Irre
- Noun or adjective meaning 'madness', 'astray', or 'confused'
- führt
- Third person singular of 'führen'; leads or guides
- Freund
- Noun meaning 'friend' or 'male friend'
- Unsinn
- Noun meaning 'nonsense' or 'rubbish'
- reden
- To talk, speak, or say something
- erwiderte
- Past tense of 'erwidern'; replied or responded
- lachte
- Past tense of 'lachen'; laughed
- herzlich
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'heartily' or 'warmly'
- Geheimnis
- Noun meaning 'secret' or 'mystery'
- wenig
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'little' or 'few'
- offensichtlich
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'obviously' or 'evidently'
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