White nights, and other stories — Page 14
I make up regular romances in my dreams.
Ich erdichte mir regelrechte Romanzen in meinen Träumen.
Ah, you don't know me!
Ach, Sie kennen mich nicht!
It's true, of course, I have met two or three women, but what sort of women were they?
Es stimmt natürlich, ich bin zwei oder drei Frauen begegnet, aber was waren das für Frauen?
They were all landladies, that....
Es waren alles Vermieterinnen, die....
But I shall make you laugh if I tell you that I have several times thought of speaking, just simply speaking, to some aristocratic lady in the street, when she is alone, I need hardly say; speaking to her, of course, timidly, respectfully, passionately; telling her that I am perishing in solitude, begging her not to send me away; saying that I have no chance of making the acquaintance of any woman; impressing upon her that it is a positive duty for a woman not to repulse so timid a prayer from such a luckless man as me.
Aber ich werde Sie zum Lachen bringen, wenn ich Ihnen erzähle, dass ich mehrmals daran gedacht habe, eine vornehme Dame auf der Straße anzusprechen, einfach nur anzusprechen, wenn sie allein ist, das versteht sich von selbst; sie natürlich schüchtern, respektvoll, leidenschaftlich anzusprechen; ihr zu sagen, dass ich in der Einsamkeit zugrunde gehe, sie zu bitten, mich nicht fortzuschicken; zu sagen, dass ich keine Möglichkeit habe, die Bekanntschaft irgendeiner Frau zu machen; ihr eindringlich klarzumachen, dass es eine wahre Pflicht für eine Frau ist, eine so schüchterne Bitte eines so unglücklichen Mannes wie ich es bin, nicht zurückzuweisen.
That, in fact, all I ask is, that she should say two or three sisterly words with sympathy, should not repulse me at first sight; should take me on trust and listen to what I say; should laugh at me if she likes, encourage me, say two words to me, only two words, even though we never meet again afterwards!...
Dass ich eigentlich nur bitte, dass sie mir zwei oder drei schwesterliche Worte mit Mitgefühl sagt, mich nicht auf den ersten Blick zurückweist; mir auf Treu und Glauben begegnet und zuhört, was ich sage; mich auslacht, wenn sie möchte, mich ermutigt, mir zwei Worte sagt, nur zwei Worte, auch wenn wir uns danach nie wieder treffen!...
But you are laughing; however, that is why I am telling you...."
Aber Sie lachen; nun, deshalb erzähle ich es Ihnen...."
"Don't be vexed; I am only laughing at your being your own enemy, and if you had tried you would have succeeded, perhaps, even though it had been in the street; the simpler the better....
„Seien Sie nicht ärgerlich; ich lache nur darüber, dass Sie Ihr eigener Feind sind, und wenn Sie es versucht hätten, wären Sie vielleicht erfolgreich gewesen, und sei es auch nur auf der Straße; je einfacher, desto besser....
Vocabulary
- erdichte
- I invent or fabricate imaginative stories
- regelrechte
- Genuine, proper, or downright real occurrences
- Romanzen
- Romantic love stories or affairs
- Träumen
- Dreams, visions experienced during sleep
- Ach
- Exclamation expressing surprise, regret, or resignation
- kennen
- To know a person or be acquainted with
- stimmt
- It is true or correct, that's right
- natürlich
- Naturally, of course, as expected
- begegnet
- Encountered, met someone by chance
- alles
- Everything, all of it
- Vermieterinnen
- Female landlords who rent out property
- Lachen
- Laughing, laughter, or the act of laughing
- bringen
- To bring or cause something to happen
- erzähle
- I tell or narrate a story
- mehrmals
- Several times, on multiple occasions
- daran
- At or about that, referring to something mentioned
- gedacht
- Thought, past participle of 'denken'
- vornehme
- Elegant, distinguished, or upper-class in manner
- Dame
- A lady, refined or upper-class woman
- Straße
- Street or road in a town or city
- anzusprechen
- To address or speak to someone directly
- einfach
- Simple, easy, or simply just
- allein
- Alone, by oneself, without others
- versteht
- Understands, third person singular of 'verstehen'
- selbst
- Self, oneself, or even (emphatic particle)
- schüchtern
- Shy, timid, lacking confidence in social situations
- respektvoll
- Respectful, showing deference and regard for others
- leidenschaftlich
- Passionately, with intense emotion and feeling
- Einsamkeit
- Loneliness, the state of being alone
- zugrunde
- To ruin, perish, used in 'zugrunde gehen'
- bitten
- To ask, request, or plead with someone
- fortzuschicken
- To send away or dismiss someone
- Möglichkeit
- Possibility or opportunity for something to happen
- Bekanntschaft
- Acquaintance, the state of knowing someone
- irgendeiner
- Any, some (unspecified) one of something
- eindringlich
- Urgently, emphatically, in an insistent manner
- klarzumachen
- To make clear or explain something explicitly
- wahre
- True, genuine, or real (adjective form)
- Pflicht
- Duty or obligation one is bound to fulfill
- schüchterne
- Shy, timid (adjective in inflected form)
- Bitte
- Request or plea; also 'please' as interjection
- unglücklichen
- Unhappy, unfortunate (adjective in inflected form)
- zurückzuweisen
- To reject or turn away someone's request
- eigentlich
- Actually, really, in fact (adverb)
- schwesterliche
- Sisterly, in a sisterly affectionate manner
- Worte
- Words, especially meaningful spoken utterances
- Mitgefühl
- Sympathy or compassion felt for another person
- Blick
- A glance, look, or gaze at something
- zurückweist
- Rejects or turns away (third person singular)
- Treu
- Loyal, faithful, true to someone or something
- Glauben
- Faith, belief, or trust in something
- zuhört
- Listens attentively (third person singular)
- auslacht
- Laughs at or mocks someone (third person singular)
- möchte
- Would like, polite form of wanting something
- ermutigt
- Encouraged, motivated to take action
- danach
- Afterwards, after that, subsequently
- nie
- Never, at no time
- wieder
- Again, once more, anew
- treffen
- To meet someone or hit a target
- lachen
- To laugh or express amusement
- nun
- Now, well then (adverb/discourse marker)
- deshalb
- Therefore, for that reason, consequently
- Seien
- Be (imperative/subjunctive of 'sein')
- ärgerlich
- Annoyed, angry, or irritating in nature
- darüber
- About it, over that (pronominal adverb)
- eigener
- Own, one's own (adjective in inflected form)
- Feind
- Enemy, foe, or adversary
- versucht
- Tried, attempted (past participle of 'versuchen')
- hätten
- Would have, subjunctive II of 'haben'
- wären
- Would be, subjunctive II of 'sein'
- vielleicht
- Perhaps, maybe, possibly
- erfolgreich
- Successful, achieving the desired result or goal
- sei
- Be, subjunctive I of 'sein'
- je
- Ever, each, or the more (comparative correlative)
- einfacher
- Simpler, easier (comparative of 'einfach')
- desto
- The more... the more (correlative conjunction)
- besser
- Better, comparative form of 'gut'
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