White nights, and other stories — Page 2
For though I had been living almost eight years in Petersburg I had hardly an acquaintance.
Denn obwohl ich fast acht Jahre in Petersburg gelebt hatte, kannte ich kaum jemanden.
But what did I want with acquaintances?
Aber was wollte ich auch mit Bekannten?
I was acquainted with all Petersburg as it was; that was why I felt as though they were all deserting me when all Petersburg packed up and went to its summer villa.
Ich kannte ganz Petersburg, so wie es war; deshalb hatte ich das Gefühl, dass sie mich alle verließen, wenn ganz Petersburg seine Sachen packte und in seine Sommerfrische zog.
I felt afraid of being left alone, and for three whole days I wandered about the town in profound dejection, not knowing what to do with myself.
Ich hatte Angst davor, allein zurückgelassen zu werden, und drei ganze Tage lang irrte ich in tiefer Niedergeschlagenheit durch die Stadt, ohne zu wissen, was ich mit mir anfangen sollte.
Whether I walked in the Nevsky, went to the Gardens or sauntered on the embankment, there was not one face of those I had been accustomed to meet at the same time and place all the year.
Ob ich auf dem Newski spazierte, in die Gärten ging oder am Ufer entlangschlenderte, nicht ein einziges Gesicht von denen war zu sehen, denen ich das ganze Jahr über zur gleichen Zeit und am gleichen Ort zu begegnen gewohnt gewesen war.
They, of course, do not know me, but I know them.
Sie kennen mich natürlich nicht, aber ich kenne sie.
I know them intimately, I have almost made a study of their faces, and am delighted when they are gay, and downcast when they are under a cloud.
Ich kenne sie vertraut, ich habe ihre Gesichter fast eingehend studiert, und ich bin entzückt, wenn sie fröhlich sind, und niedergeschlagen, wenn sie bedrückt wirken.
I have almost struck up a friendship with one old man whom I meet every blessed day, at the same hour in Fontanka.
Mit einem alten Mann, dem ich jeden gesegneten Tag zur gleichen Stunde an der Fontanka begegne, habe ich fast eine Freundschaft geschlossen.
Such a grave, pensive countenance; he is always whispering to himself and brandishing his left arm, while in his right hand he holds a long gnarled stick with a gold knob.
Was für ein ernstes, nachdenkliches Gesicht; er flüstert immer vor sich hin und fuchtelt mit seinem linken Arm, während er in der rechten Hand einen langen knorrigen Stock mit einem goldenen Knauf hält.
He even notices me and takes a warm interest in me.
Er bemerkt mich sogar und nimmt herzlichen Anteil an mir.
If I happen not to be at a certain time in the same spot in Fontanka, I am certain he feels disappointed.
Wenn ich zufällig nicht zur gewohnten Zeit an derselben Stelle an der Fontanka bin, bin ich sicher, dass er sich enttäuscht fühlt.
Vocabulary
- Denn
- Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
- obwohl
- Conjunction meaning 'although' or 'even though'
- fast
- Adverb meaning 'almost' or 'nearly'
- kannte
- Past tense of kennen; meaning 'knew someone'
- kaum
- Adverb meaning 'hardly' or 'barely'
- jemanden
- Accusative of jemand; meaning 'anyone' or 'someone'
- Bekannten
- Dative plural of Bekannte; meaning 'acquaintances'
- ganz
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'whole,' 'entirely,' or 'quite'
- deshalb
- Adverb meaning 'therefore' or 'that is why'
- Gefühl
- Noun meaning 'feeling' or 'emotion'
- verließen
- Past tense of verlassen; meaning 'left' or 'abandoned'
- Sachen
- Plural of Sache; meaning 'things' or 'belongings'
- packte
- Past tense of packen; meaning 'packed'
- Sommerfrische
- Noun meaning a summer retreat or vacation in the countryside
- zog
- Past tense of ziehen; meaning 'moved' or 'went'
- Angst
- Noun meaning 'fear' or 'anxiety'
- davor
- Adverb meaning 'of it' or 'about that'
- allein
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'alone' or 'by oneself'
- zurückgelassen
- Past participle of zurücklassen; meaning 'left behind'
- ganze
- Adjective meaning 'entire' or 'whole'
- irrte
- Past tense of irren; meaning 'wandered' or 'roamed aimlessly'
- tiefer
- Adjective meaning 'deep' or 'profound,' here in dative form
- Niedergeschlagenheit
- Noun meaning 'dejection,' 'despondency,' or low spirits
- anfangen
- Verb meaning 'to begin' or 'to start'
- sollte
- Past tense of sollen; meaning 'should' or 'was supposed to'
- Ob
- Conjunction meaning 'whether' or 'if'
- spazierte
- Past tense of spazieren; meaning 'strolled' or 'walked leisurely'
- Ufer
- Noun meaning 'riverbank,' 'shore,' or 'embankment'
- entlangschlenderte
- Past tense of entlangschlendern; meaning 'strolled along'
- einziges
- Adjective meaning 'single' or 'sole'
- Gesicht
- Noun meaning 'face'
- denen
- Relative or demonstrative pronoun in dative plural meaning 'those' or 'whom'
- gleichen
- Adjective meaning 'same' or 'equal'
- Ort
- Noun meaning 'place' or 'location'
- begegnen
- Verb meaning 'to encounter' or 'to meet by chance'
- gewohnt
- Past participle of gewöhnen; meaning 'accustomed' or 'used to'
- kennen
- Verb meaning 'to know' (a person or place)
- natürlich
- Adverb meaning 'naturally' or 'of course'
- vertraut
- Adjective meaning 'familiar,' 'intimate,' or 'well-acquainted'
- Gesichter
- Plural of Gesicht; meaning 'faces'
- eingehend
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'thoroughly' or 'in depth'
- entzückt
- Adjective meaning 'delighted' or 'charmed'
- fröhlich
- Adjective meaning 'cheerful,' 'happy,' or 'joyful'
- niedergeschlagen
- Adjective meaning 'downcast,' 'dejected,' or 'depressed'
- bedrückt
- Adjective meaning 'oppressed,' 'troubled,' or 'downhearted'
- wirken
- Verb meaning 'to seem,' 'to appear,' or 'to have an effect'
- jeden
- Accusative of jeder; meaning 'every' or 'each'
- gesegneten
- Adjective meaning 'blessed'; used idiomatically for 'every single'
- begegne
- First person singular of begegnen; meaning 'I encounter'
- Freundschaft
- Noun meaning 'friendship'
- geschlossen
- Past participle of schließen; meaning 'closed' or 'formed'
- ernstes
- Adjective meaning 'serious' or 'grave' in declined form
- nachdenkliches
- Adjective meaning 'thoughtful' or 'pensive' in declined form
- flüstert
- Third person singular of flüstern; meaning 'whispers'
- hin
- Directional particle indicating movement away or along
- fuchtelt
- Third person singular of fuchteln; meaning 'waves' or 'flails'
- linken
- Adjective meaning 'left' in declined form
- während
- Conjunction or preposition meaning 'while' or 'during'
- rechten
- Adjective meaning 'right' (direction) in declined form
- knorrigen
- Adjective meaning 'gnarled' or 'knotty' in declined form
- Stock
- Noun meaning 'stick,' 'cane,' or 'walking stick'
- goldenen
- Adjective meaning 'golden' in declined form
- Knauf
- Noun meaning 'knob,' 'pommel,' or 'handle top'
- hält
- Third person singular of halten; meaning 'holds' or 'keeps'
- bemerkt
- Third person singular of bemerken; meaning 'notices' or 'observes'
- sogar
- Adverb meaning 'even' or 'in fact'
- herzlichen
- Adjective meaning 'heartfelt' or 'cordial' in declined form
- Anteil
- Noun meaning 'share,' 'interest,' or 'sympathy'
- Wenn
- Conjunction meaning 'when' or 'if'
- zufällig
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'accidental,' 'by chance'
- gewohnten
- Adjective meaning 'usual' or 'accustomed' in declined form
- derselben
- Genitive or dative of derselbe; meaning 'of the same'
- Stelle
- Noun meaning 'spot,' 'place,' or 'position'
- sicher
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'safe,' 'certain,' or 'surely'
- enttäuscht
- Adjective meaning 'disappointed' or 'let down'
- fühlt
- Third person singular of fühlen; meaning 'feels'
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