I.

Work, hard[1] work, is a blessing to[2] the soul and the character[3] of the man who works. Young men[4] may not think so. They[5] may say: “What[6] more pleasant than to have[7] one’s fortune made for one, and[8] have nothing more before one than to enjoy life? What[6] more pleasant than to be idle; or, at least, to do only what one likes, and no more than one likes?” But they would find themselves mistaken. They would find that idleness makes a man[9] restless, discontented, greedy, the[10] slave of his own lusts and passions, and see, too late, that no man[9] is more to be pitied than the man[11] who has nothing to do. Yes, thank[12] God, every morning, when you get up, that you have something to do that day which must be done, whether you like it or not. Being[13] forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in[14] you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and _a_ (S. 132, N. 10) hundred virtues which the idle[15] man will never know.

[1] +schwer.+

[2] +für.+

[3] character = dignity. Turn ‘of — works’ by ‘of him (+dessen+) who (after which insert the adv. +da+) works.

[4] men = people, +Leute+. =When ‘people’ signifies ‘persons’ in the general sense of the word, it is mostly rendered by +Leute+. In the signification of ‘nation’ it is rendered by +Volk+, n., corresponding to the Latin ‘populus’ and the French ‘peuple’.= In the first signification, however, we can often translate it by the indefinite pronoun ‘+man+’, which also corresponds to the English ‘=they=’, ‘=we=’, ‘=you=’, used in a general and indefinite sense.

[5] = They say perhaps.

[6] +Was giebt es.+

[7] to have = to see; for one = by (+von+) others.

[8] Say ‘with no other task than to enjoy one’s life’?

[9] ‘=Man=’ is here used in the signification of ‘human being’, when it is generally rendered by ‘+=der Mensch=+’.

[10] Read S. 102, N. 13.

[11] Use the demonstrative pron. +derjenige+.

[12] When the Imperative of the 2nd pers. is used in a general application, we use it either in the 2nd pers. sing. or the 2nd pers. pl. Use the 2nd pers. sing. in this case.

[13] Being — best = The compulsion (+Zwang+, m.) to work (+zur Arbeit+) and the necessity to do your (= thy) best.

[14] Place ‘in you’ (= thee) after ‘virtues’, immediately before the infinitive ‘breed’ (= awaken, +erwecken+).

[15] the idle man, +der Müßiggänger+.

_Section 135._

THE GOSPEL OF WORK.