War and Peace — Page 1

English → De CHAPTER I Level 8/10

"Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the Buonapartes.

„Nun, Fürst, Genua und Lucca sind also jetzt nur noch Familiengüter der Buonapartes.

But I warn you, if you don't tell me that this means war, if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist—I really believe he is Antichrist—I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer my 'faithful slave,' as you call yourself!

Aber ich warne Sie, wenn Sie mir nicht sagen, dass dies Krieg bedeutet, wenn Sie noch immer versuchen, die Schandtaten und Greuel zu verteidigen, die von diesem Antichristen begangen wurden – ich glaube wirklich, dass er der Antichrist ist – dann will ich nichts mehr mit Ihnen zu tun haben, und Sie sind nicht länger mein Freund, nicht länger mein ‚treuer Sklave', wie Sie sich selbst nennen!

But how do you do?

Aber wie geht es Ihnen?

It was in July, 1805, and the speaker was the well-known Anna Pávlovna Schérer, maid of honor and favorite of the Empress Márya Fëdorovna.

Es war im Juli 1805, und die Sprecherin war die bekannte Anna Pawlowna Scherer, Hofdame und Favoritin der Kaiserin Marija Fjodorowna.

With these words she greeted Prince Vasíli Kurágin, a man of high rank and importance, who was the first to arrive at her reception.

Mit diesen Worten begrüßte sie Fürst Wassili Kuragin, einen Mann von hohem Rang und Ansehen, der als erster bei ihrem Empfang erschien.

Anna Pávlovna had had a cough for some days.

Anna Pawlowna hatte seit einigen Tagen Husten.

She was, as she said, suffering from la grippe; grippe being then a new word in St. Petersburg, used only by the elite.

Sie litt, wie sie sagte, an la grippe; Grippe war damals ein neues Wort in Sankt Petersburg, das nur von der Elite verwendet wurde.

All her invitations without exception, written in French, and delivered by a scarlet-liveried footman that morning, ran as follows:

Alle ihre Einladungen ohne Ausnahme, auf Französisch verfasst und an jenem Morgen von einem Lakaien in scharlachroter Livree überbracht, lauteten wie folgt:

Vocabulary

Nun: Now; well; used to introduce or continue a statement.
Fürst: Prince or sovereign ruler of a principality.
Genua: Genoa, a city and historic republic in northwestern Italy.
Lucca: Lucca, a city and former duchy in Tuscany, Italy.
also: So; therefore; thus, indicating a conclusion or consequence.
jetzt: Now; at the present moment or time.
nur: Only; merely; just, restricting or limiting a statement.
noch: Still; yet; also used to indicate continuation or addition.
Familiengüter: Family estates or properties belonging to a family.
Aber: But; however; coordinating conjunction indicating contrast.
warne: Warn; first person singular present tense of 'warnen'.
wenn: If; when; subordinating conjunction introducing a condition.
sagen: To say; to tell; basic verb of verbal communication.
dass: That; subordinating conjunction introducing a subordinate clause.
dies: This; demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby.
Krieg: War; armed conflict between nations or groups.
bedeutet: Means; signifies; third person singular of 'bedeuten'.
immer: Always; ever; at all times without exception.
versuchen: To try; to attempt; to endeavor to do something.
Schandtaten: Infamous deeds; shameful acts or disgraceful crimes.
Greuel: Atrocities; horrors; dreadful and abominable acts.
verteidigen: To defend; to justify; to protect from attack or criticism.
diesem: This; dative masculine demonstrative pronoun or article.
Antichristen: Antichrist; an opponent or enemy of Christ.
begangen: Committed; past participle of 'begehen', to commit a deed.
glaube: Believe; think; first person singular of 'glauben'.
wirklich: Really; truly; actually, emphasizing truth or sincerity.
Antichrist: Antichrist; enemy of Christ representing evil and deception.
dann: Then; at that time; used to indicate consequence or sequence.
will: Want; intend; first or third person of 'wollen'.
nichts: Nothing; not anything; pronoun indicating total negation.
mehr: More; anymore; indicating greater quantity or continuation.
tun: To do; to act; basic verb indicating performance of action.
länger: Longer; anymore; comparative form of 'lang'.
Freund: Friend; a person one has a close relationship with.
treuer: Faithful; loyal; adjective describing devoted trustworthiness.
Sklave: Slave; a person held in bondage or servitude.
wie: How; as; like; conjunction or adverb of comparison.
selbst: Himself; herself; itself; oneself, emphasizing the subject.
nennen: To call; to name; to refer to by a name.
geht: Goes; is going; third person singular of 'gehen'.
Juli: July; the seventh month of the calendar year.
Sprecherin: Female speaker or narrator introducing or presenting a scene.
bekannte: Well-known; acquainted; past tense of 'bekanntmachen' or adjective.
Hofdame: Lady-in-waiting; a noblewoman attending a queen or empress.
Favoritin: Favorite; a preferred or favored female companion of royalty.
Kaiserin: Empress; female ruler or wife of an emperor.
diesen: These; dative plural demonstrative pronoun or article.
Worten: Words; dative plural of 'Wort', units of language.
begrüßte: Greeted; welcomed; past tense of 'begrüßen'.
Mann: Man; husband; an adult male person.
hohem: High; of high standing; dative adjective form of 'hoch'.
Rang: Rank; social or official position in a hierarchy.
Ansehen: Reputation; prestige; esteem held by others.
als: As; than; when; conjunction used in comparisons or clauses.
erster: First; ordinal adjective indicating the foremost position.
bei: At; near; with; preposition indicating proximity or occasion.
Empfang: Reception; a formal social gathering or act of receiving.
erschien: Appeared; past tense of 'erscheinen', to appear or arrive.
seit: Since; for; preposition indicating duration from a past point.
einigen: Some; several; a few, dative plural adjective form.
Tagen: Days; dative plural of 'Tag', units of time.
Husten: Cough; a respiratory symptom or act of coughing.
litt: Suffered; past tense of 'leiden', to suffer or endure.
sagte: Said; past tense of 'sagen', to say or tell.
grippe: Grippe; French word for influenza, borrowed into German.
Grippe: Flu; influenza; a contagious respiratory illness.
damals: At that time; back then; referring to a past period.
neues: New; neuter adjective form of 'neu', recently introduced.
Wort: Word; a single unit of language with meaning.
Sankt: Saint; honorific title preceding a saint's name.
Elite: Elite; the select group of privileged or high-status people.
verwendet: Used; employed; past participle of 'verwenden', to use.
Alle: All; everyone; every single one without exception.
Einladungen: Invitations; plural of 'Einladung', requests to attend an event.
ohne: Without; lacking; preposition indicating absence of something.
Ausnahme: Exception; a case excluded from a general rule.
Französisch: French; the language spoken in France.
verfasst: Written; composed; past participle of 'verfassen', to compose.
jenem: That; dative masculine demonstrative pronoun referring to something distant.
Morgen: Morning; tomorrow; the early part of the day.
Lakaien: Footman; lackey; a liveried male servant in a household.
scharlachroter: Scarlet; bright crimson red in color.
Livree: Livery; a distinctive uniform worn by servants or attendants.
überbracht: Delivered; past participle of 'überbringen', to bring or deliver.
lauteten: Read; stated; past tense of 'lauten', to read or state.
folgt: Follows; as follows; third person singular of 'folgen'.

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