I.

At a distance these glaciers, as[3] I have said before, look[4] like frozen rivers (S. 26, N. 3); when[5] one approaches nearer, or when they press[6] downward[7] into the valley, they look[8] like immense crystals and pillars[9] of ice piled[10] together in every conceivable form. The effect[11] of this pile[12] of ice, lying (S. 48, N. 6) directly[13] in the lap of[14] green grass and flowers, is quite singular. Before we had entered[15] the valley, the sun had gone down; the sky behind the mountains was clear, and it[16] seemed _for_ a few moments as if darkness[17] was rapidly coming on. But[18] in a few moments commenced a scene[19] of transfiguration, more[20] glorious than anything I had witnessed yet. The cold, white, dismal fields[21] of ice gradually changed[22] into hues[23] of the most beautiful rose colour[24]. A[25] bank of white clouds, which rested[26] above the mountains, kindled[27] and glared[28], as[29] if some spirit of light had entered into them.

[1] +bei+, contracted with the dat. of the def. art.

[2] Comp. S. 26.

[3] Place the words ‘as — before’ at the head of the whole passage; ‘at a distance’, in +der Entfernung+. For the constr. see App. § 15.

[4] ‘to look like’, here ‘+ähnlich sehen+’, which requires the dat.

[5] The clause ‘when — nearer’ may be briefly rendered by ‘+in der Nähe+’, i.e. ‘close by’.

[6] +hinein´dringen.+

[7] +abwärts.+

[8] ‘to look’ may here be rendered by +aus´sehen+, to avoid repetition; ‘like’ must then be turned by ‘+wie+’.

[9] To render ‘pillars of ice’ form a comp. n. analagous to ‘ice-pillars’.

[10] to pile together, +auf´schichten+; use the attributive constr.

[11] +Eindruck+, m.

[12] pile of ice, +Eismasse+, f.

[13] +unmittelbar.+

[14] Use the gen. of the def. art.

[15] +betreten+, v. tr.

[16] it seemed = it had the appearance. The adverbial circumstance of time ‘_for_ a few moments’ may be emphasized by being placed immediately after the conj. ‘and’.

[17] Darkness is coming on, +die Dunkelheit bricht herein+.

[18] But — moments = But soon.

[19] Form a comp. n.

[20] The passage ‘more — yet’ may be elegantly rendered by ‘+welche alles bereits Geschaute noch an Herrlichkeit übertraf+’.

[21] Form a comp. n.

[22] to change into something, +in etwas ü´bergehen+.

[23] +Farbentöne.+

[24] +Rosenrot+, n.

[25] A — clouds, +Ein weißes Gewölk+.

[26] rested = hung.

[27] kindled = reddened (+errö´ten+).

[28] glared = glowed (+erglü´hen+).

[29] as — them, +wie von einem Lichtgeiste erfüllt+.

_Section 97._

THE GLACIERS AT SUNSET.