Part 22

Section 26.

DESCRIPTION OF A GLACIER.

I must now explain to you what a glacier is. You see before you thirty or forty mountain-peaks, and between these peaks what seem to you frozen rivers. The snow, from time to time melting and dripping down the sides of the mountain, and congealing in the elevated hollows between the peaks, forms a half-fluid mass, a river of ice, which is called (S. 4, N. 4) a glacier. As the whole mass lies upon a slanting surface, and is not entirely solid throughout, it is continually pushing, with a gradual but imperceptible motion, down into the valley below.—MRS. BEECHER STOWE.

Use the 2nd pers. sing.

Place the words ‘before you’ after the object.

+glaubst du zu Eis erstarrte Flüsse zu erblicken.+

which (App. § 16) from time to time melts, drips down on the mountain-sides (+Bergabhänge+), and congeals (+gefrieren+), etc., see S. 16, N. 4. Supply the adverb wieder before the verb ‘congeals’. The elevated hollow, +die höher gelegene Felsspalte+.

+Eisstrom+, m.

As = Since, +da+ (App. § 16); to be entirely solid throughout, +durch und durch fest sein+.

it — pushing, +so senkt sie sich fortwährend+; with a ... but, +mit einer zwar ... doch+.

down — below, +in das unten liegende Thal hinab+.

Section 27.

WITHOUT PAINS NO GAINS.

It was one of the characteristic qualities of Charles James Fox, that he was thoroughly pains-taking in all that he did. When appointed Secretary of State, being piqued at some observation as to his bad writing, he actually took a writing-master, and wrote copies like a schoolboy until he had sufficiently improved himself. Though a corpulent man, he was wonderfully active at picking up tennis-balls, and when asked how he contrived to do so, he playfully replied: “Because I am a very pains-taking man.” The same accuracy which he bestowed upon trifling matters, was displayed by him in things of greater importance; and he acquired his reputation by “neglecting nothing.”—S. SMILES.

+Ohne Mühe kein Gewinn.+

+Ich möchte vorschlagen zu übersetzen+: ‘of the famous Ch. J. Fox’, +weil dadurch das Verhältnis des Genitivs ganz klar ausgedrückt wird. ~Charles James Fox~ (1749-1806) ward schon 1768 Mitglied des Unterhauses, 1772 Lord des Schatzes, und bildete 1783 mit North und Portland ein Ministerium, welches jedoch bald dem Ministerium Pitt weichen mußte. Er begann darauf mit Burke und andern eine großartige parlamentarische Opposition gegen Pitt und kämpfte von 1792-97 fast allein gegen eine starke Majorität. Im Jahre 1806, kurz vor seinem Tode, wurde er mit Granville nochmals ans Staatsruder berufen.+

+daß er sich in allem, was er that, die größte Mühe gab.+

When he was appointed (see N. 7). The verbs +~machen~+ (to make), +~ernennen~+ (to appoint), and +~erwählen~+ (to choose, to elect), and other =verbs denoting choosing or appointing=, require in German the prep. +zu+ contracted with the def. art., whilst in English they govern two Nominatives in the Passive Voice; as—

+Der Freund meines Vaters ist zum Abgeordneten ~erwählt worden~.+

My father’s friend has been elected a member of Parliament.

being — writing. This clause must be rendered in an altogether different form; let us say ‘and felt hurt by an observation as to (+über+) his bad hand-writing’. To feel hurt by something, +sich durch etwas verletzt fühlen+. The p. p. must be placed?

‘to take’, here +engagie´ren+; ‘actually’, here +faktisch+ (see App. § 15); to write copies, +sich im Schönschreiben üben+; improved himself = improved his hand-writing.

Though he was. Grammatical distinctness, as a rule, requires that the =subject and copula=, which after certain conjunctions are so frequently omitted in English, =should be clearly expressed in German=.

When a subordinate clause, beginning with one of the conjunctions +~da~+, +~obgleich~+, +~weil~+, and +~wenn~+, precedes a principal clause, which is often done for the sake of emphasis, the =principal clause= is generally =introduced by= the adverbial conjunction +=so=+ (so, thus, therefore); as—

+~Da~ es regnet, ~so~ können+ (App. § 15) +wir nicht ausgehen.+

As it is raining, we cannot go out.

‘He — balls’, +so war er im Auffangen der Bälle beim Tennisspiele doch merkwürdig gewandt+.

‘and — so’, say ‘and when (S. 18, N. 6) one asked him how he did (+machen+) it’. The verb +machen+ should be used in the Pres. Subj., since the clause contains an indirect question (App. §§ 28 and 30). Playfully, +scherzend+.