II.
The same door leads into a bedroom; it is a[1] closet with a window. A simple bed, an arm-chair by[2] its side, and a tiny washing-table, with a small white basin _on it_ and a sponge, is[3] all the furniture.
From the other side of the study we enter the library, which should[4] rather be called a lumber-room of books. Rough[5] deal shelves hold the books with[6] bits of paper, on which are written “philosophy,” “history,” “poetry,” etc., to mark the classification. He rose at seven [o’clock], sometimes[7] earlier, after a sound _and_ prolonged[8] sleep; for like Thorwaldsen[9] he had a “talent for sleeping,” only surpassed (S. 7, N. 3, _B_) by[10] his talent for[11] continuous work. Till eleven he worked without _any_ interruption. A cup of chocolate was then[12] brought, and[13] he resumed work till one. At two he dined. This[14] meal was the important meal of the day. His appetite was immense. Even on _the_ days when[15] he complained of not being hungry, he ate much more than most men. Puddings, sweets[16], and cakes were always welcome. He sat[17] a long while over his wine, chatting[18] gaily to some friend or other—for he never dined alone—or to one of the actors, whom he had often with[19] him, after dinner, to read over their parts, and to take[20] his instructions.
[1] +ein kleines Kabinett.+
[2] by its side = before it, +davor+.
[3] is — furniture = form (+bilden+) the whole furniture (+Mobiliar+, n.).
[4] should rather be called = could (Impf. subj.) much rather (+vielmehr+) be called. The auxiliary ‘could’ stands last of all, whilst ‘called’ has the first place of the three verbs, which are used in the Passive Voice.
[5] Say ‘Upon simple (+schlicht+) deal boards stand the books’.
[6] The passage ‘with — classification’ may be simplified by saying: ‘on (+an+) which (+denen+) bits of paper with the labels (+Aufschrift+, f.) ... indicate (+bezeichnen+) a certain order’. The abbreviation ‘etc.’ corresponds to the German ‘+u. s. w.+’, which is the short for ‘+und so weiter+’, and so on.
[7] Insert +auch+ after ‘sometimes’.
[8] long.
[9] +~Albert Bertel Thorwaldsen~, berühmter dänischer Bildhauer, wurde im Jahre 1770 auf der See zwischen Island und Kopenhagen geboren, war ein Schüler der Kunstakademie zu Kopenhagen und lebte von 1796 bis 1838 in Rom, kehrte aber dann nach seiner Heimat zurück, wo er am 24. März 1844 starb. Thorwaldsen ist der Schöpfer zahlreicher idealer Werke im echten klassischen Geiste altgriechischer Kunst, welche meistens der antiken Mythologie, zum Teil aber auch der christlichen Religionsanschauung entlehnt sind. Sein Name wird unsterblich sein, denn er lebt der Welt in seinen unvergleichlichen Werken fort, die zu Kopenhagen von seinen begeisterten Landsleuten in einem besonders dazu gebauten Museum, welches den Namen des weltberühmten Künstlers trägt, zur Bewunderung der Nachwelt ausgestellt sind.+
[10] +durch.+
[11] +zur unausgesetzten Arbeit.+
[12] Place the adv. ‘then’ at the head of the sentence, and supply ‘for him’ (+ihm+) after the auxiliary. =As a rule the person or persons for whose benefit an action is done must be indicated in German=; as—I will buy a hat, +ich will ~mir~ einen Hut kaufen+.
[13] and — one = whereupon he worked again till one o’clock.
[14] This — day = This was his principal meal. Form a comp. n. according to S. 36, N. 7, _A_.
[15] when (+wo+) he complained of (+über+) want (+Mangel+, m.) of (+an+) appetite.
[16] +Süßigkeiten.+
[17] To sit a long while over one’s wine, +lange beim Wein sitzen+.
[18] chatting = and chatted (+plaudern+); to some friend or other = to (+mit+) this or that friend.
[19] +bei sich+; after — parts = to (= in order to) read to him their parts (+Rollen+) after dinner (+nach Tische+, which place after the conj. +um+ and the dat. of the persn. pron.). To read, +vor´lesen+.
[20] To take instructions, +Anweisungen entge´gennehmen+.
_Section 131._
GOETHE’S DAILY LIFE AT WEIMAR.