II.
The air-ocean, which everywhere[1] surrounds the earth, and feeds and maintains it, is even[2] more simple, more grand, and more majestic than the[3] ‘world of waters’; more[4] varied and changeful in its moods of storm and calm, of ebb and flow, of brightness and gloom. The[5] atmosphere is, indeed, a wonderful thing, a most perfect example of the economy of nature. Deprived of[6] air, no animal would live, no plant _would_ grow, no flame _would_ burn, no[7] light _would_ be diffused. The[8] air, too, is the sole medium of sound. Without it, mountains might[9] fall, but[10] it would be in perfect silence. Neither whisper[11] nor thunders[12] would[13] ever be heard.—MAURY, PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA.
[1] Place the adverb before the verb.
[2] +sogar noch.+
[3] +jene mächtige Wasserwelt+, after which put a full stop and begin a new sentence.
[4] This passage may be construed thus: ‘It offers a greater variety (+Mannigfaltigkeit+) and changeableness in the transitions from storm to (+zu+) calm, from ebb to flow, and from light to gloom (+Dunkel+, n.)’. The article (which, if practicable, should be contracted with the preceding preposition) must be used with the last six nouns, see S. 3, N. 2.
[5] +Der Luftkreis ist in der That höchst wunderbar und gewährt ein vollendetes Beispiel von dem haushälterischen Wesen der Natur.+
[6] Without (App. § 14); would = could, Impf. Subj.
[7] +und kein Licht sich verbrei´ten.+
[8] Also (def. art.) sound can only be transmitted (+fort´pflanzen+) through the air.
[9] might = could; to fall, +ein´stürzen+.
[10] Say ‘and yet the prevailing silence would not be interrupted’.
[11] +leises Geflüster+, acc.
[12] +lauten Donner+, acc.
[13] ‘would — heard’, use the active voice with the indef. pron. man.
_Section 38._
CHEERFUL[1] CHURCH-MUSIC.
When the poet Carpani inquired[2] of his friend Haydn[3] how it happened[4] that his church-music was[5] always so cheerful, the great composer made[6] _the_ following beautiful reply:
“I cannot make it otherwise[7],” said he, “I[8] write according to the thoughts I feel. When[9] I think of God, my heart is so full of joy that (App. § 16) the[10] notes dance and leap, as it were, from my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart, it[11] will be pardoned me that[12] I serve him with _a_ cheerful spirit.”—REV. R. K. ARVINE.
[1] +fröhlich.+
[2] inquired of = asked.
[3] +Joseph Haydn (geb. den 31ˢᵗᵉⁿ März 1732 zu Rohrau in Östreich, † den 31ˢᵗᵉⁿ Mai 1809 in Wien) bildete sich durch eigenes Studium in der Musik aus und lebte dann namentlich als Kapellmeister des Fürsten Esterhazy in Wien. Er ist der Schöpfer der Symphonie und des Streichquartetts; auch hat er sich durch die Begründung der neueren Instrumentationskunst ein besonderes Verdienst erworben. Seine Werke sind ebenso zahlreich, wie mannigfaltig; durch die beiden Oratorien: ‘Die Schöpfung’ (1799) und ‘die Jahreszeiten’ (1801) hat er jedoch seinen Namen mit ehernen Lettern in die Geschichte der Kunst eingetragen.+
[4] Use the Pres. Subj. of +kommen+, since the clause contains an indirect question; see App. §§ 28 and 30.
[5] was — cheerful, +stets einen so fröhlichen Charakter trage+.
[6] to make a reply, +eine Antwort geben+; ‘beautiful’, here +sinnig+; for the construction see App. § 15.
[7] +anders+; for the place of the negation see App. § 12.
[8] Translate the passage ‘I write — feel’ briefly by saying: ‘I write just as (+so wie+) I feel’, since it would not be in accordance with the genius of the German language to render the sentence in a literal way. (+~Gedanken~ kann man nicht ~fühlen~+.)
[9] +Denke ich an Gott, so ist+, etc.; full of, +voller+.
[10] Construe this clause after the following model:
The notes danced and leapt, as it were, from _his_ pen.
+Die Noten tanzten und hüpften ~ihm~ gleichsam aus ~der~ Feder.+
[11] +so wird man mir hoffentlich verzeihen.+
[12] that = if.
_Section 39._
OUR INDUSTRIAL[1] INDEPENDENCE DEPENDS UPON OURSELVES.
Truer[2] words were never uttered than those spoken by Mr. Dargan, the Irish railway-contractor, at a public meeting in Dublin.
“I have[3] heard a great deal[4],” he said, “about the independence that we are[5] to get from this or that source, yet[6] I have always been deeply impressed with the conviction, that our industrial independence depends upon ourselves. Simple[7] industry and careful exactness would[8] be the making of Ireland. We have, it[9] is true, made a step in advance, but perseverance is[10] indispensably necessary for eventual success.”—S. SMILES.
[1] +industriell+.
[2] A greater truth than that which Mr. D., the Irish railway-contractor (+Eisenbahn-Unternehmer+), spoke (+aus´sprechen+) at (+in+) a public meeting in (+zu+) Dublin, has never been uttered.
[3] The words ‘he said’ should follow here; see S. 32, N. 5.
[4] a great deal = much.
[5] are to get, +erlangen sollen+; for the construction see App. § 16; from, +aus+.
[6] yet I have always had the firm conviction. Render ‘to have’ here by +hegen+.
[7] +schlicht+; ‘industry’, here +Fleiß+, m.; careful, +streng+; exactness, +Pflichterfüllung+, f.
[8] would establish (+begründen+) Ireland’s prosperity (+Wohlstand+, m.).
[9] it is true, +zwar+; see S. 15, N. 3; ‘to make’, here +thun+; in advance, +vorwärts+.
[10] Here follow the words ‘for (+zu+, contracted with the def. art.) eventual (+eventuell+) success’.
_Section 40._
ENGLAND’S[1] TREES.
The principal native[2] trees are the[3] oak, ash, elm, poplar, aspen, birch, larch, alder, hawthorn, hazel, and willow. The beech, maple, horse-chestnut[4], Spanish chestnut[5], walnut[6], sycamore, acacia, weeping willow, cedar, and Lombardy poplar have been introduced.
The moist climate of[7] England is[8] eminently suited to the growth of[9] forest-trees, and we find that in ancient times the larger part of the country presented one[10] vast scene of forest, as[11] the[12] uncleared districts of America do now. The[13] few scattered patches of natural wood which remain, show[14] what was once the character of nearly the whole country.—HEWITT, PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF ENGLAND AND WALES.
[1] See S. 14, N. 3.
[2] +einheimisch.+
[3] +die Eiche.+ The article is repeated in this passage only when the subsequent noun is of different gender or number from the preceding one.
[4] +die Roßkastanie.+
[5] +die echte Kastanie.+
[6] +der Wallnußbaum.+
[7] +Englands.+
[8] to be suited to a thing, +~einer~ Sache zu´träglich sein+; eminently, +außerordentlich+, which place before ‘+zuträglich+’.
[9] Use the gen. of the def. art. =The definite article= should be used in all cases where an object is individualised or singled out from other objects.
[10] one — forest = an almost uninterrupted scene of forest, +Waldlandschaft+, f.
[11] as ... do now, +wie noch jetzt+.
[12] +die ungelichteten Waldgegenden.+
[13] The — remain, +Die wenigen zerstreut liegenden Überreste natürlicher Gehölze.+
[14] Say ‘show the character which formerly belonged almost to the whole country’.
_Section 41._
THE INDIAN CHIEF[1].