← Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience

Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience — Page 14

English → De Full Text Level 8/10

It would be some advantage to live a primitive and frontier life, though in the midst of an outward civilization, if only to learn what are the gross necessaries of life and what methods have been taken to obtain them; or even to look over the old day-books of the merchants, to see what it was that men most commonly bought at the stores, what they stored, that is, what are the grossest groceries.

Es wäre von einigem Vorteil, ein primitives und ursprüngliches Leben zu führen, wenn auch inmitten einer äußerlichen Zivilisation, wenn man dadurch nur erfahren könnte, was die groben Lebensnotwendigkeiten sind und welche Methoden angewandt wurden, um sie zu erlangen; oder auch nur die alten Tagebücher der Kaufleute durchzusehen, um zu sehen, was die Menschen am häufigsten in den Läden kauften, was sie lagerten, das heißt, was die gröbsten Waren des täglichen Bedarfs sind.

For the improvements of ages have had but little influence on the essential laws of man's existence; as our skeletons, probably, are not to be distinguished from those of our ancestors.

Denn die Errungenschaften der Zeitalter haben nur wenig Einfluss auf die wesentlichen Gesetze der menschlichen Existenz gehabt; so wie unsere Skelette wahrscheinlich nicht von denen unserer Vorfahren zu unterscheiden sind.

By the words, _necessary of life_, I mean whatever, of all that man obtains by his own exertions, has been from the first, or from long use has become, so important to human life that few, if any, whether from savageness, or poverty, or philosophy, ever attempt to do without it.

Mit den Worten _Lebensnotwendigkeit_ meine ich alles, was der Mensch durch eigene Anstrengung erlangt und was von Anfang an oder durch langen Gebrauch so wichtig für das menschliche Leben geworden ist, dass nur wenige, wenn überhaupt jemand, sei es aus Wildheit, Armut oder Philosophie, jemals versuchen, darauf zu verzichten.

To many creatures there is in this sense but one necessary of life, Food.

Für viele Lebewesen gibt es in diesem Sinne nur eine einzige Lebensnotwendigkeit: Nahrung.

To the bison of the prairie it is a few inches of palatable grass, with water to drink; unless he seeks the Shelter of the forest or the mountain's shadow.

Für den Bison der Prärie sind es ein paar Zentimeter schmackhaften Grases und Wasser zum Trinken; es sei denn, er sucht den Schutz des Waldes oder den Schatten der Berge.

None of the brute creation requires more than Food and Shelter.

Keines der tierischen Geschöpfe benötigt mehr als Nahrung und Unterkunft.

Vocabulary

Es
It; impersonal pronoun used in German sentences.
wäre
Would be; conditional form of 'sein'.
von
Of; from; preposition indicating origin or possession.
einigem
Some; a certain amount of something.
Vorteil
Advantage; benefit gained from something.
ein
A; an; indefinite article in German.
und
And; conjunction connecting words or clauses.
ursprüngliches
Original; ancient or earliest in time or form.
Leben
Life; the state of being alive.
zu
To; preposition or infinitive marker.
führen
To lead; to guide or conduct.
wenn
If; when; conditional conjunction in German.
auch
Also; even; additional or emphasizing particle.
inmitten
Amid; in the middle or midst of.
einer
A; one; feminine singular article form.
Zivilisation
Civilization; advanced social and cultural development.
man
One; people; impersonal pronoun in German.
dadurch
Thereby; by that means or method.
nur
Only; solely; just or merely.
erfahren
To experience; to learn or find out.
könnte
Could; might; conditional form of 'können'.
was
What; which; interrogative or relative pronoun.
die
The; feminine singular or plural article.
groben
Coarse; crude or basic in nature.
sind
Are; plural present tense of 'sein'.
welche
Which; what; interrogative or relative pronoun.
Methoden
Methods; ways or procedures for doing something.
angewandt
Applied; used or put into practice.
wurden
Were; past tense of 'werden'.
um
Around; at; by; preposition or conjunction.
sie
They; her; third person pronoun.
erlangen
To obtain; to acquire or achieve something.
oder
Or; alternative conjunction in German.
alten
Old; ancient or of previous times.
Tagebücher
Diaries; personal daily written records.
der
The; masculine singular or plural article.
Kaufleute
Merchants; traders who buy and sell goods.
sehen
To see; to view or observe something.
Menschen
People; human beings collectively.
am
At the; contraction of 'an dem'.
häufigsten
Most frequently; most often or commonly.
in
In; preposition indicating location or time.
den
The; accusative or dative plural article.
Läden
Shops; stores where goods are sold.
kauften
Bought; past tense of 'kaufen'.
das
The; that; neuter singular article.
heißt
That is; means; third person present of 'heißen'.
Waren
Goods; merchandise or commodities for sale.
des
Of the; genitive singular article.
täglichen
Daily; occurring every day or relating to days.
Bedarfs
Needs; requirements or necessities.
Denn
For; because; causal conjunction in German.
Zeitalter
Age; era or period of history.
haben
Have; to possess or own.
wenig
Little; small amount or quantity.
Einfluss
Influence; effect or power over something.
auf
On; upon; preposition indicating position.
wesentlichen
Essential; fundamental or important elements.
Gesetze
Laws; rules or natural principles.
menschlichen
Human; relating to people or humanity.
Existenz
Existence; the state of being or living.
gehabt
Had; past participle of 'haben'.
so
So; in that way or manner.
wie
As; like; comparison or manner.
unsere
Our; possessive pronoun in German.
Skelette
Skeletons; bone structures of bodies.
wahrscheinlich
Probably; likely or presumably.
nicht
Not; negation or denial.
denen
Those; those ones; dative plural.
Vorfahren
Ancestors; forebears or people of previous generations.
unterscheiden
Differ; to be or make different.
Mit
With; preposition indicating accompaniment.
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