Won from the Waves — Page 2
Over the door of one might be seen the figure-head of some unfortunate vessel.
Über der Tür eines von ihnen konnte man den Galionsfigur eines unglückseligen Schiffes sehen.
An arbour, not rustic but nautical, was composed of the carved work of a Dutch galliot; indeed, the owners of few had failed to secure some portion of the numerous hapless vessels which from time to time had been driven on their treacherous coast.
Eine Laube, nicht ländlich, sondern seemännisch, war aus dem Schnitzwerk einer holländischen Galiote zusammengesetzt; ja, nur wenige der Besitzer hatten es versäumt, sich einen Teil der zahlreichen unglücklichen Schiffe zu sichern, die von Zeit zu Zeit auf ihre tückische Küste getrieben worden waren.
On the level ground between the cliff and the river stood two or three other cottages.
Auf dem ebenen Gelände zwischen der Klippe und dem Fluss standen zwei oder drei weitere Hütten.
One, the largest of them, appeared to be built almost entirely of wreck wood, from the uneven appearance presented by the walls and roof, the architect having apparently adapted such pieces of timber as came to hand without employing the saw to bring them into more fitting shape; the chimney, however, and the lower portions of the walls, were constructed of hewn stone, taken probably from some ancient edifice long demolished.
Eine davon, die größte, schien fast vollständig aus Wrackholz gebaut zu sein, was das ungleichmäßige Aussehen der Wände und des Daches verriet, da der Erbauer offenbar solche Holzstücke verwendet hatte, wie sie ihm gerade zur Hand kamen, ohne die Säge einzusetzen, um ihnen eine passendere Form zu geben; der Schornstein jedoch und die unteren Teile der Wände waren aus behauenem Stein errichtet, der wahrscheinlich einem längst abgerissenen alten Gebäude entnommen worden war.
Though the exterior of the cottage, with its boat and fish sheds, looked somewhat rough, it had altogether a substantial and not uncomfortable appearance.
Obwohl das Äußere der Hütte mit ihren Boot- und Fischschuppen etwas rau wirkte, hatte sie insgesamt ein gediegenes und nicht ungemütliches Aussehen.
The most conspicuous object in the landscape was a windmill standing a little way to the southward on the top of the cliff.
Das auffälligste Objekt in der Landschaft war eine Windmühle, die ein Stück weiter südlich oben auf der Klippe stand.
Its sails were moving slowly round, but their tattered condition showed that but a small amount of grist was ground within.
Ihre Flügel drehten sich langsam, aber ihr zerlumpter Zustand zeigte, dass darin nur eine geringe Menge Mahlgut gemahlen wurde.
Such was the aspect of the little village of Hurlston and its surroundings towards the end of the last century.
So sah das kleine Dorf Hurlston und seine Umgebung gegen Ende des letzten Jahrhunderts aus.
Vocabulary
- Über
- Above, over, or about something
- der
- Definite article: the (masculine nominative)
- Tür
- A door or entrance to a room
- eines
- Indefinite article: of a (genitive neuter)
- von
- Of, from, or by someone or something
- ihnen
- Personal pronoun: them or to them
- konnte
- Past tense of können: was able to
- man
- Indefinite pronoun: one, you, or people
- den
- Definite article: the (accusative masculine)
- Galionsfigur
- A carved figurehead mounted on a ship's bow
- unglückseligen
- Wretched, ill-fated, or deeply unfortunate
- Schiffes
- Genitive form of Schiff: of the ship
- sehen
- To see or to observe something visually
- Eine
- Indefinite article: a or an (feminine)
- Laube
- A bower, arbor, or garden shelter structure
- nicht
- Negation word: not
- ländlich
- Rural, rustic, or relating to the countryside
- sondern
- Conjunction meaning but rather or instead
- seemännisch
- Nautical, relating to sailors or seafaring
- war
- Past tense of sein: was
- aus
- From, out of, or made of something
- dem
- Definite article: the (dative masculine/neuter)
- Schnitzwerk
- Carved woodwork or decorative wood carvings
- einer
- Indefinite article: a or one (genitive/dative feminine)
- holländischen
- Adjective form of holländisch: Dutch
- Galiote
- A small Dutch sailing vessel, a galliot
- zusammengesetzt
- Assembled or composed from multiple parts
- ja
- Yes, or used as an affirmative particle
- nur
- Only, merely, or just
- wenige
- Few, a small number of something
- Besitzer
- Owner or possessor of something
- hatten
- Past tense of haben: had
- es
- Personal pronoun: it
- versäumt
- Missed or neglected to do something
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun: themselves or oneself
- einen
- Indefinite article: a (accusative masculine)
- Teil
- A part or portion of something larger
- zahlreichen
- Numerous or many in quantity
- unglücklichen
- Unfortunate, unlucky, or unhappy (adjective form)
- Schiffe
- Plural of Schiff: ships or vessels
- zu
- To, toward, or too (preposition/particle)
- sichern
- To secure, safeguard, or obtain something
- die
- Definite article: the (feminine/plural)
- Zeit
- Time, period, or era
- auf
- On, upon, or onto something
- ihre
- Possessive pronoun: their or her
- tückische
- Treacherous, insidious, or sneakily dangerous
- Küste
- Coast, shoreline, or seaside area
- getrieben
- Past participle of treiben: driven or pushed
- worden
- Auxiliary past participle used in passive constructions
- waren
- Past tense of sein: were
- Auf
- On or upon (preposition)
- ebenen
- Flat or level (adjective form of eben)
- Gelände
- Terrain, grounds, or an area of land
- zwischen
- Between two things or places
- Klippe
- A cliff or rocky outcrop near water
- und
- Conjunction: and
- Fluss
- A river or flowing body of water
- standen
- Past tense of stehen: stood
- zwei
- The number two
- oder
- Conjunction: or
- drei
- The number three
- weitere
- Additional or further (adjective form)
- Hütten
- Plural of Hütte: huts or small shelters
- davon
- Of them, from them, or thereof
- größte
- Superlative of groß: largest or biggest
- schien
- Past tense of scheinen: seemed or appeared
- fast
- Almost or nearly
- vollständig
- Completely, entirely, or fully
- gebaut
- Past participle of bauen: built or constructed
- sein
- To be; infinitive of the verb sein
- was
- What or which (relative/interrogative pronoun)
- das
- Definite article: the (neuter nominative/accusative)
- ungleichmäßige
- Uneven, irregular, or inconsistent in appearance
- Aussehen
- Appearance or the way something looks
- Wände
- Plural of Wand: walls of a building
- des
- Definite article: of the (genitive masculine/neuter)
- Daches
- Genitive form of Dach: of the roof
- verriet
- Past tense of verraten: revealed or betrayed
- da
- There, since, or because (conjunction/adverb)
- Erbauer
- Builder or constructor of a structure
- offenbar
- Obviously, apparently, or evidently
- solche
- Such or such kinds of things
- Holzstücke
- Pieces of wood or wooden chunks
- verwendet
- Past participle of verwenden: used or employed
- hatte
- Past tense of haben: had
- wie
- How, as, or like (conjunction/adverb)
- ihm
- Dative personal pronoun: him or to him
- gerade
- Just, straight, or right at the moment
- zur
- Contraction of zu der: to the (dative)
- Hand
- Hand, the body part used for grasping
- kamen
- Past tense of kommen: came
- ohne
- Without, lacking something
- Säge
- A saw, a tool for cutting wood
- einzusetzen
- To use, employ, or deploy something
- um
- In order to; around (preposition/conjunction)
- eine
- Indefinite article: a (feminine nominative)
- passendere
- More suitable or more fitting (comparative form)
- Form
- Form, shape, or mold of something
- geben
- To give something to someone
- Schornstein
- A chimney for venting smoke from fire
- jedoch
- However, yet, or nevertheless
- unteren
- Lower (adjective form of unten)
- Teile
- Parts or portions (plural of Teil)
- Stein
- Stone or rock material
- errichtet
- Erected or constructed (past participle of errichten)
- wahrscheinlich
- Probably or likely
- einem
- Indefinite article: a (dative masculine/neuter)
- längst
- Long since or long ago
- abgerissenen
- Torn down or demolished (adjective form)
- alten
- Old (declined adjective form of alt)
- Gebäude
- A building or structure
- entnommen
- Taken or extracted from something
- Obwohl
- Although or even though (subordinating conjunction)
- Äußere
- Exterior or outward appearance of something
- Hütte
- A hut, small cottage, or rustic shelter
- mit
- With, together with something or someone
- ihren
- Possessive pronoun: their or her (accusative)
- etwas
- Something or somewhat, a little
- rau
- Rough, coarse, or harsh in texture
- wirkte
- Past tense of wirken: appeared or had an effect
- insgesamt
- Overall, in total, or all together
- ein
- Indefinite article: a or an
- gediegenes
- Solid, respectable, or genuinely sturdy quality
- ungemütliches
- Uncomfortable, cheerless, or unwelcoming in feel
- Das
- Definite article or demonstrative: the or that
- auffälligste
- Most striking or most conspicuous (superlative)
- Objekt
- An object or item of note
- in
- In, inside, or within (preposition)
- Landschaft
- Landscape or countryside scenery
- Windmühle
- A windmill, a structure powered by wind
- Stück
- A piece, bit, or short distance
- weiter
- Further, farther, or continuing onward
- südlich
- Southern or to the south
- oben
- Above, up, or at the top
- stand
- Past tense of stehen: stood
- Ihre
- Possessive pronoun: her, their, or its (formal)
- Flügel
- Wings or blades, e.g., of a windmill
- drehten
- Past tense of drehen: turned or rotated
- langsam
- Slowly or at a slow pace
- aber
- But or however (conjunction)
- ihr
- Her, their, or its (possessive pronoun)
- zerlumpter
- Ragged, tattered, or worn-out in appearance
- Zustand
- Condition or state of something
- zeigte
- Past tense of zeigen: showed or indicated
- dass
- That (subordinating conjunction)
- darin
- In it, inside it, or therein
- geringe
- Small, little, or minimal in amount
- Menge
- Amount, quantity, or a large number
- gemahlen
- Past participle of mahlen: ground (e.g., grain)
- wurde
- Past tense passive auxiliary: was (becoming/being)
- So
- So, thus, or in this way
- sah
- Past tense of sehen: saw
- kleine
- Small or little (adjective form of klein)
- Dorf
- A village or small rural settlement
- seine
- Possessive pronoun: his or its
- Umgebung
- Surroundings, environment, or nearby area
- gegen
- Against or toward; around a time
- Ende
- End or conclusion of something
- letzten
- Last or most recent (adjective form of letzt)
- Jahrhunderts
- Genitive of Jahrhundert: of the century
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