White nights, and other stories — Page 10
She did not seem to hear my footsteps, and did not even stir when I passed by with bated breath and loudly throbbing heart.
Sie schien meine Schritte nicht zu hören und rührte sich nicht einmal, als ich mit angehaltenem Atem und laut pochendem Herzen an ihr vorüberging.
I heard a muffled sob.
Ich hörte ein gedämpftes Schluchzen.
Yes! I was not mistaken, the girl was crying, and a minute later I heard sob after sob.
Ja! Ich hatte mich nicht getäuscht, das Mädchen weinte, und eine Minute später hörte ich ein Schluchzen nach dem anderen.
Good Heavens! My heart sank.
Großer Gott! Mein Herz zog sich zusammen.
And timid as I was with women, yet this was such a moment!...
Und so schüchtern ich Frauen gegenüber auch war, so war dies doch ein solcher Augenblick!...
It was only that reflection stopped me.
Nur dieser Gedanke hielt mich zurück.
But while I was seeking for a word, the girl came to herself, looked round, started, cast down her eyes and slipped by me along the embankment.
Aber während ich nach einem Wort suchte, fasste sich das Mädchen, blickte sich um, schreckte zusammen, schlug die Augen nieder und huschte an mir entlang das Ufer hinab.
I at once followed her; but she, divining this, left the embankment, crossed the road and walked along the pavement.
Ich folgte ihr sogleich; doch sie ahnte es, verließ das Ufer, überquerte die Straße und ging den Bürgersteig entlang.
I dared not cross the street after her.
Ich wagte nicht, ihr über die Straße zu folgen.
My heart was fluttering like a captured bird.
Mein Herz flatterte wie ein gefangener Vogel.
All at once a chance came to my aid.
Da kam mir plötzlich der Zufall zu Hilfe.
Along the same side of the pavement there suddenly came into sight, not far from the girl, a gentleman in evening dress, of dignified years, though by no means of dignified carriage; he was staggering and cautiously leaning against the wall.
Auf derselben Seite des Bürgersteigs tauchte plötzlich, nicht weit von dem Mädchen entfernt, ein Herr in Abendkleidung auf, von würdigem Alter, jedoch keineswegs von würdiger Haltung; er taumelte und lehnte sich vorsichtig an die Wand.
Vocabulary
- Sie
- She, or formal 'you' in German
- schien
- Seemed or appeared; past tense of 'scheinen'
- meine
- My; first-person singular possessive adjective
- Schritte
- Steps; plural of 'Schritt'
- nicht
- Not; basic negation word in German
- zu
- To; preposition or infinitive marker
- hören
- To hear; perceive sounds with the ears
- und
- And; basic coordinating conjunction
- rührte
- Stirred or moved; past tense of 'rühren'
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun meaning oneself or themselves
- einmal
- Once; at one time or even once
- als
- When or as; temporal or comparative conjunction
- ich
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun
- mit
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- angehaltenem
- Held; dative adjective from 'anhalten' meaning held back
- Atem
- Breath; air inhaled and exhaled by lungs
- laut
- Loud; making or emitting strong sound
- pochendem
- Pounding; throbbing intensely, as a heart
- Herzen
- Heart; dative form of 'Herz'
- an
- At or on; preposition indicating position or direction
- ihr
- Her or their; dative or possessive pronoun
- vorüberging
- Passed by; walked past someone or something
- Ich
- I; first-person singular subject pronoun
- hörte
- Heard; past tense of 'hören'
- ein
- A or an; indefinite article in German
- gedämpftes
- Muffled or subdued; suppressed in sound
- Schluchzen
- Sobbing; convulsive crying sound
- Ja
- Yes; affirmative response or exclamation
- hatte
- Had; past tense of 'haben'
- mich
- Me; first-person singular accusative pronoun
- getäuscht
- Deceived or mistaken; past participle of 'täuschen'
- das
- The; definite article for neuter nouns
- Mädchen
- Girl; young female person
- weinte
- Cried or wept; past tense of 'weinen'
- eine
- A or one; feminine indefinite article
- Minute
- Minute; unit of time equal to sixty seconds
- später
- Later; at a subsequent point in time
- nach
- After or to; preposition of direction or sequence
- dem
- The; dative definite article form
- anderen
- Other; referring to a different or additional thing
- Großer
- Great or big; adjective in strong declension
- Gott
- God; supreme divine being
- Mein
- My; first-person singular possessive pronoun
- Herz
- Heart; organ or seat of emotion
- zog
- Pulled or drew; past tense of 'ziehen'
- zusammen
- Together; combined or contracting inward
- Und
- And; coordinating conjunction linking clauses
- so
- So or thus; adverb of manner or degree
- schüchtern
- Shy or timid; lacking social confidence
- Frauen
- Women; plural of 'Frau'
- gegenüber
- Opposite or toward; preposition indicating facing position
- auch
- Also or too; additive adverb
- war
- Was; past tense of 'sein'
- dies
- This; demonstrative pronoun referring to nearby thing
- doch
- Yet, still, or indeed; emphatic or contrastive particle
- solcher
- Such a; demonstrative adjective of this kind
- Augenblick
- Moment; a very brief instant of time
- Nur
- Only or just; limiting or restrictive adverb
- dieser
- This; masculine demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- Gedanke
- Thought; an idea formed in the mind
- hielt
- Held or stopped; past tense of 'halten'
- zurück
- Back; adverb indicating return or restraint
- Aber
- But; coordinating conjunction showing contrast
- während
- While or during; temporal preposition or conjunction
- einem
- A; dative indefinite article form
- Wort
- Word; a unit of spoken or written language
- suchte
- Sought or looked for; past tense of 'suchen'
- fasste
- Grasped or composed oneself; past tense of 'fassen'
- blickte
- Glanced or looked; past tense of 'blicken'
- um
- Around or at; preposition of direction or time
- schreckte
- Startled or was frightened; past tense of 'schrecken'
- schlug
- Struck or beat; past tense of 'schlagen'
- die
- The; feminine or plural definite article
- Augen
- Eyes; plural of 'Auge'
- nieder
- Down; adverb indicating downward direction
- huschte
- Darted or slipped quickly; past tense of 'huschen'
- mir
- Me; first-person singular dative pronoun
- entlang
- Along; preposition indicating movement beside something
- Ufer
- Bank or shore; edge of a river or lake
- hinab
- Down; adverb indicating downward movement away
- folgte
- Followed; past tense of 'folgen'
- sogleich
- Immediately; at once without delay
- sie
- She or they; third-person pronoun
- ahnte
- Sensed or suspected; past tense of 'ahnen'
- es
- It; third-person neuter pronoun
- verließ
- Left or abandoned; past tense of 'verlassen'
- überquerte
- Crossed over; past tense of 'überqueren'
- Straße
- Street or road; paved public way
- ging
- Went or walked; past tense of 'gehen'
- den
- The; masculine accusative or dative plural article
- Bürgersteig
- Sidewalk or pavement; pedestrian path beside road
- wagte
- Dared; past tense of 'wagen'
- über
- Over or across; preposition of position or movement
- folgen
- To follow; move behind or after someone
- flatterte
- Fluttered; moved nervously like wings or fabric
- wie
- Like or as; conjunction or adverb of comparison
- gefangener
- Captured; adjective describing something or someone trapped
- Vogel
- Bird; a feathered flying animal
- Da
- There or then; adverb of place or time
- kam
- Came; past tense of 'kommen'
- plötzlich
- Suddenly; happening without warning or expectation
- der
- The; masculine definite article
- Zufall
- Chance or coincidence; unplanned fortunate occurrence
- Hilfe
- Help or aid; assistance given to someone
- Auf
- On or upon; preposition of position or direction
- derselben
- The same; genitive or dative of 'derselbe'
- Seite
- Side or page; lateral surface or edge
- des
- Of the; genitive definite article form
- tauchte
- Appeared or dived; past tense of 'tauchen'
- weit
- Far or wide; indicating distance or extent
- von
- From or of; preposition of origin or possession
- entfernt
- Distant or away; located far from a point
- Herr
- Gentleman or Mr.; respectful title for a man
- in
- In or into; preposition of location or direction
- Abendkleidung
- Evening attire; formal clothing worn at night
- auf
- On or up; preposition of surface or direction
- würdigem
- Dignified; dative adjective meaning respectable or worthy
- Alter
- Age; the length of time a person has lived
- jedoch
- However or yet; adversative conjunction showing contrast
- keineswegs
- By no means; absolutely not in any way
- würdiger
- More dignified; comparative form of 'würdig'
- Haltung
- Posture or bearing; manner of holding one's body
- er
- He; third-person masculine singular pronoun
- taumelte
- Staggered or swayed; past tense of 'taumeln'
- lehnte
- Leaned; past tense of 'lehnen'
- vorsichtig
- Careful or cautious; acting with prudence and care
- Wand
- Wall; vertical structural surface inside a building
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