II.
The common or fixed[1] oils, on the contrary, _such_ as olive[2] or linseed-oil, do not evaporate. This[3] may be easily illustrated, thus: If a piece of writing-paper be touched[4] with a fixed oil or grease, (S. 27, N. 8) it leaves[5] a stain, which[6], upon being held before the fire, will not disappear.
Now[7], if any[8] plant has a peculiar smell or taste, it is[4] generally found that its essential oil is the cause of this (S. 4, N. 5, _B_). Consequently[9], if we extract this, we really obtain[10] the essence.—PROF. ASCHER.
[1] +fest+; on the contrary, +hingegen+. See S. 15, N. 3.
[2] as olive or linseed-oil, +wie das Oliven- oder Leinsamenöl+. When two =compound nouns= which have the last component in common follow each other, the last component is generally omitted in the first noun, which is connected with the next one by means of hyphens.—To evaporate, +sich verflüchtigen+.
[3] +Dies läßt sich auf folgende Weise leicht beweisen.+
[4] Turn the Passive Voice here into the Active Voice by means of the pron. +man+, as explained in S. 4, N. 4.
[5] ‘to leave’, here = to leave behind; it = this.
[6] The passage ‘which — disappear’ may be briefly rendered, thus: ‘which does not disappear before the fire’. See S. 32, N. 11.
[7] Reverse the order of the first two words in this clause.
[8] any = a.
[9] Consequently = therefore, +also+, which place after the subject ‘we’.
[10] to obtain, +gewinnen+; the essence (as a Nom.), +der der Pflanze eigentümliche Wohlgeruch+.
_Section 72._
ON INSTINCT[1].
The[2] following most curious instance of a change of instinct is mentioned by Darwin. The bees carried[3] over to[4] Barbadoes and the Western Isles ceased[5] to lay up any honey after the first year, as[6] they found it not useful _to them_. They found the weather so fine, and the materials[7] for making honey so plentiful, that they quitted[8] their grave, prudent[9], _and_ mercantile[10] character, became exceedingly profligate and debauched[11], ate[12] up their capital, resolved to work no more, and[13] amused themselves by flying about the sugar-houses and stinging the blacks. The[14] fact is, that[15], by[16] putting animals in different situations[17], you may[18] change, and even reverse, _any of_ their original propensities. Spallanzani[19] brought[20] up an eagle upon[21] bread and milk, and fed a dove on[22] raw beef.—REV. S. SMITH.
[1] +Über den tierischen Instinkt.+
[2] This clause requires a different rendering; let us say ‘Darwin gives the following most (+höchst+) curious example of a change of the animal instinct’. The last noun requires the def. art., as explained in S. 3, N. 2.
[3] to carry over, +hinü´berbringen+. The Perfect Participle qualifies the noun ‘bees’. According to S. 7, N. 3, the words ‘carried — Isles’ may be rendered either by the attributive construction or by forming of them a relative clause. I venture to propose the use of the attributive construction as the more elegant of the two modes of rendering, and more especially in order to avoid a repetition of subordinate clauses.
[4] When the preposition ‘=to=’, in connection with a verb denoting motion, stands before the names of countries, towns, islands, etc., it must be rendered by ‘+=nach=+’.
[5] Here follow the words ‘after — year’, to lay up honey, +einen Vorrat von Honig an´sammeln+.
[6] See S. 41, N. 6; it = this; not useful, +nicht mehr von Nutzen+.
[7] materials — plentiful, +Materialien zur Honigbereitung in solchem Überflusse vorhanden+.
[8] +auf´geben.+
[9] prudent = cautious.
[10] +merkantilisch.+
[11] +unmäßig.+
[12] to eat up, +auf´zehren+.
[13] +und sich daran ergötzten.+ For rendering the passage ‘by — blacks’ see S. 1, N. 3. To fly about, +umschwär´men+, v. tr.
[14] The — is, +Es ist eine ausgemachte Thatsache.+
[15] Here follows the subject ‘you’ (comp. S. 66, N. 15), which translate by the impers. pron. +man+.
[16] by — animals, +durch Versetzung der Tiere+, i.e. by _a_ removal of the animals. In = into; different = other.
[17] Here follows the object and its attributes, ‘their original (+angeboren+) propensities (+Trieb+, m.)’.
[18] may = can; reverse, +in entgegengesetzte Richtungen leiten+.
[19] +~Lazaro Spallanzani~, berühmter italienischer Anatom und Naturforscher, geb. 1729, † 1799.+
[20] to bring up, +groß ziehen+.
[21] +bei.+
[22] +mit.+
_Section 73._
PETER THE GREAT AND THE MONK.
Peter the Great ordered[1] many foreign books to be translated into the Russian language, and among others[2] “Puffendorf’s[3] Introduction to the Knowledge of the States of Europe.” A monk, to whom the translation of this book was committed[4], presented[5] it some time after[6] to the Emperor. The monarch examined[7] the translation; at[8] a certain chapter, however, he suddenly changed[9] countenance, turned indignantly to the monk, and said: “Fool, what did I order[10] thee to do? Is this a translation?” He[11] then referred to the original and showed the poor monk a paragraph in which the author had spoken with great asperity[12] of the Russians, but which had not been translated. “Go,” resumed the monarch, “and instantly carry out[13] what I have bidden thee _to do_. _It is_ not to (S. 19, N. 7) flatter my subjects _that_ I[14] have ordered this book to be translated, but (S. 6, N. 10) to instruct[15] and reform[16] them!”—ANONYMOUS.
[1] Use the auxiliary verb of mood ‘+=lassen=+’ as a translation of ‘=to order=’, ‘=to command=’, and ‘=to cause=’, when these verbs are connected with the auxiliary ‘=to be=’ and the Past Participle of another verb; as—
The emperor _ordered_ the ringleaders _to be shot_.
+Der Kaiser ~ließ~ die Anführer ~erschießen~.+
The admiral _commanded_ the ships _to be drawn up_ in order of battle.
+Der Admiral ~ließ~ die Schiffe in Schlachtordnung ~aufstellen~.+
He _caused_ the money _to be paid_ to me.
+Er ~ließ~ mir das Geld ~auszahlen~.+
[2] Supply here the adverb +auch+.
[3] +Puffendorfs Beiträge zur europäischen Staatenkunde.+
[4] +an´vertrauen.+
[5] +überrei´chen+; it = the same, which must agree with its antecedent ‘translation’.
[6] after, +darauf+.
[7] +prüfen.+
[8] +bei.+
[9] to change countenance, +die Farbe wechseln+.
[10] ‘to order’, here +befehlen+. See S. 48, N. 2.
[11] Say ‘Hereupon he opened (+auf´schlagen+) the original’.
[12] +Schärfe+, f.; had spoken ... of = had expressed himself (+sich aus´sprechen+) ... about.
[13] +verrichten.+
[14] Inverted construction.
[15] +belehren+.
[16] +reformieren+; the prep. +zu+ must be repeated before this verb.
_Section 74._
THE BEAUTY OF THE EYE.