heart - Herz, Herzstück
darkness - Dunkelheit, Finsternis
Joseph - Josef, Joseph, Josef, Joseph, Josef von Arimathäa
The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. the Flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river, the only thing for it was to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.
cruising - Kreuzfahrt; kreuzend; (cruise) Kreuzfahrt; kreuzend
swung - geschwungen; schwingen, schaukeln, schwanken, schaukeln
anchor - Anker
flutter - flattern; wedeln
sails - segeln, abfahren (nach); Segel; schippern (ugs.), segeln
rest - Ruhe, Stütze, Lehne, ein Ăśbriges; bleiben, ruhen, ausruhen
the Flood - Sintflut
wind - aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln, abspulen
nearly - beinahe, fast
Calm - ruhig; windstill; Ruhe; Windstille; beruhigen, ruhig stellen
bound - gebunden; Sprung; (bind); binden; verbinden, konnektieren
tide - Gezeiten, Ebbe
The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway. In the offing the sea and the sky were welded together without a joint, and in the luminous space the tanned sails of the barges drifting up with the tide seemed to stand still in red clusters of canvas sharply peaked, with gleams of varnished sprits.
reach - erreichen; erzielen, greifen (nach)
Thames - Die Themse; Themse
stretched - gestreckt; strecken, dehnen, langziehen, dehnen
interminable - unendlich
waterway - Wasserstraße, Wasserweg, Fahrwasser
sky - Himmel; (am) Firmament
welded - geschweißt; schweißen
joint - Gelenk; gemeinschaftlich, gemeinsam, gemeinsame, gemeinsamer
luminous - leuchtend
tanned - gebräunt; gerben
barges - Lastkähne; Lastkahn, Schleppkahn
drifting - treiben lassen; Drift, driften, treiben, irren, ziellos ziehen
seemed - schien; scheinen, dünken
stand still - Stillstandszeit
clusters - Clustern; Anhäufung, Büschel, Gruppe, Haufen, Schwarm, Traube
canvas - Leinwand, Segeltuch
sharply - scharf, scharfzüngig, spitzzüngig
peaked - einen Höhepunkt erreicht; Höchstwert, Pik (Berg), Spitze
gleams - schimmert; Schimmer; durchschimmern, glänzen
varnished - lackiert; Lack, Firnis, Firnis, Lack, deirnis, lackieren
A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness. The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth.
haze - Schleier, Dunst, Dunstschleier; schikanieren
rested - ausgeruht; Ruhe, Stütze, Lehne, ein Ăśbriges; bleiben, ruhen
low - tief, niedrig, nieder, leise (Stimme); muhen, blöken (Rind)
shores - Ufern; Ufer, Stützbalken, Küste, Strebe
vanishing - verschwinden; (vanish) verschinden
flatness - Flachheit; Ebenheit
condensed - kondensiert; kondensieren, verkleinern, kondensieren
mournful - schwermütig; traurig, melancholisch, trübsinnig
gloom - Finsternis; Düsternis, Dunkelheit, Trübnis, Schwermut
brooding - grüblerisch, grübelnd; (brood); Brut; brüten, grübeln
motionless - unbeweglich, reglos, bewegungslos
earth - Erde, Land, Grund
The Director of Companies was our captain and our host. We four affectionately watched his back as he stood in the bows looking to seaward. On the whole river there was nothing that looked half so nautical. He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustworthiness personified. It was difficult to realize his work was not out there in the luminous estuary, but behind him, within the brooding gloom.
director - Direktor, Direktorin, Regisseur, Regisseurin
captain - Stabshauptmann, Kapitän zur See, Kapitän, Flugkapitän
Host - Zeremonienmeister, Hausherr, Menge; Hostie; Gastgeber sein
affectionately - zärtlich
bows - Bücklinge, Bögen; (bow) Bücklinge, Bögen
seaward - seewärts
nautical - nautisch
resembled - ähnelte; ähneln, gleichen
pilot - Pilot, Pilotin, Flugzeugführer, Flugzeugführerin, Lotse, führen
seaman - Seemann; Matrose
trustworthiness - Vertrauenswürdigkeit
personified - personifiziert; personifizieren, personifizieren
realize - verwirklichen, realisieren
estuary - Ästuar, Flussmündung
within - in, innerhalb
Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding our hearts together through long periods of separation, it had the effect of making us tolerant of each other's yarns"and even convictions. The Lawyer"the best of old fellows"had, because of his many years and many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and was lying on the only rug. The Accountant had brought out already a box of dominoes, and was toying architecturally with the bones. Marlow sat cross-legged right aft, leaning against the mizzen-mast. He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol. The director, satisfied the anchor had good hold, made his way aft and sat down amongst us. We exchanged a few words lazily.
somewhere - irgendwo; irgendwohin
bond - Anleihe; Bindung, Obligation, Pfandbrief; binden
besides - Außerdem; neben, neben
holding - haltend; (hold) haltend
hearts - Herzen; Herz, Herzstück
separation - Trennung
effect - Auswirkung, Eindruck, Effekt, Kraft
yarns - Garne; Garn
convictions - Überzeugungen; Überzeugung, Verurteilung
lawyer - Rechtsanwalt, Rechtsanwältin
fellows - Kameraden; Stipendiat, Typ, Kerl, Bursche; Gefährte, Kerl
virtues - Tugenden; Tugend, Tugend, Keuschheit, Tugend
cushion - Kissen; Puffer, Polster, Bande, polstern, abdämpfen, abfedern
deck - Verdeck ;jdm. eine knallen
lying - Lügen; liegend; (lie) Lügen; liegend
rug - Vorleger; Teppich, Brücke
accountant - Buchhalter; Rechnungsprüfer, Buchführer
brought out - herausgebracht
dominoes - Dominosteine; Domino, Dominostein, Dominospiel
toying - spielend; (toy) Spielzeug; (toy); Spielzeug; herumspielen
architecturally - architektonisch
bones - Knochen
Cross - Kreuz; Kreuzzeichen; Kreuzung; Cross; Flanke; quer; entgegengesetzt
aft - achtern; hinten
leaning - (to lean) sich an etwas lehnen
against - gegen, mit, wider
mizzen - Besanmast
mast - Mast
sunken - versenkt; gesunken, versunken
cheeks - Wangen; Backe, qualifierormal, Backe, Stirn, Mick, Pumpenmick
complexion - Teint, Gesichtsfarbe
straight - gerade; aufrecht, aufrichtig, offen, ungeschminkt
ascetic - asketisch; Asket, Asketin
aspect - Aspekt, Aktionsart
dropped - fallen gelassen; fallen lassen, senken, weglassen, aufgeben
palms - Palmen; Palme, Schaufel (am Geweih)
outwards - nach außen; äußerlich, auswärts
idol - Idol, Götze
satisfied - befriedigen, zufriedenstellen
amongst - zwischen, unter
exchanged - ausgetauscht; austauschen, umtauschen, tauschen
lazily - faul, ruhig, träge
Afterwards there was silence on board the yacht. For some reason or other we did not begin that game of dominoes. We felt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring. The day was ending in a serenity of still and exquisite brilliance. The water shone pacifically; the sky, without a speck, was a benign immensity of unstained light; the very mist on the Essex marsh was like a gauzy and radiant fabric, hung from the wooded rises inland, and draping the low shores in diaphanous folds. Only the gloom to the west, brooding over the upper reaches, became more sombre every minute, as if angered by the approach of the sun.
silence - Stille, Schweigen, zum Schweigen bringen, Ruhe
board - Brett, Tafel
yacht - Yacht, Jacht
meditative - meditativ
fit for - geeignet zu
placid - ruhig, friedlich, sanft
ending in - auslautend
serenity - Gelassenheit, Gleichmut, Klarheit, Heiterkeit, Abgeklärtheit
exquisite - exquisit, köstlich, auserlesen
brilliance - Brillanz
shone - leuchtete; schimmern, wienern; Schein; putzen (Schuhe)
pacifically - pazifisch
speck - Fleckchen
benign - freundlich, gütig, liebevoll, gutartig
immensity - Unermesslichkeit, Grenzenlosigkeit
unstained - ungefärbt
mist - Nebel
Marsh - Marsch, Moor, Sumpf, Sumpfgebiet
gauzy - hauchdünn
radiant - strahlend; Radiant
fabric - Stoff; Bau, Rohbau, Struktur, Gewebe, Textil
hung - aufgehängt; hängen
wooded - bewaldet; Holz
rises - aufsteigt; Kursanstieg; Aufgang, Gehaltszulage, Aufschwung
inland - im Inland; binnenländisch, binnen
draping - drapieren, drapieren
diaphanous - durchsichtig
folds - falten, zusammenlegen, verschränken (Arme); Falte, gefaltete
Reaches - Erreicht; erzielen, greifen (nach), sich erstrecken; eintreffen
sombre - dunkel, düster, finster, trübe, matt
angered - verärgert; Ärger, Zorn, Wut, Groll, Ingrimm, Grimm, Furor
approach - sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall, the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed to a dull red without rays and without heat, as if about to go out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of that gloom brooding over a crowd of men.
Last - letzte, zuletzt, letzter, vorig; dauern, andauern
curved - gekrümmt; Kurve, Kurve, Linie, Kurven, biegen, verbiegen
imperceptible - nicht wahrnehmbar
sank - gesunken; sinken, senken, senken, versenken, Spüle, Spülbecken
glowing - glühen, abstrahlen, leuchten, Glühen
dull - stumpf; fad, langweilig, matt, blöd, blöde
rays - Schimmer, Strahl; ausstrahlen
heat - Hitze, Wärme
suddenly - plötzlich, urplötzlich
stricken - angeschlagen; ergriffen, heimgesucht, betroffen
Death - Tod, Exitus, der Tod, Untergang
touch - anfassen, berühren, Berührung, Tasten, Spur
crowd - Menschenmenge, Masse
Forthwith a change came over the waters, and the serenity became less brilliant but more profound. The old river in its broad reach rested unruffled at the decline of day, after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks, spread out in the tranquil dignity of a waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth. We looked at the venerable stream not in the vivid flush of a short day that comes and departs for ever, but in the august light of abiding memories. And indeed nothing is easier for a man who has, as the phrase goes, "followed the sea" with reverence and affection, than to evoke the great spirit of the past upon the lower reaches of the Thames. The tidal current runs to and fro in its unceasing service, crowded with memories of men and ships it had borne to the rest of home or to the battles of the sea. It had known and served all the men of whom the nation is proud, from Sir Francis Drake to Sir John Franklin, knights all, titled and untitled"the great knights-errant of the sea.
forthwith - sofort, unverzüglich
brilliant - strahlend, brillant, genial, Brillant, Diamant
more profound - tiefsinnigerem
broad - breit, deutliche, großräumig
decline - Sinken, Fall, Gefälle, Abnahme, Rückgang, Schwächung
service - warten; Bedienung, Dienstleistung, Betrieb
race - um die Wette rennen; Rasse, Menschenschlag, Rennen
spread - verteilen; spreizen; ausstreuen, verbreiten, auftragen
tranquil - ruhig, gelassen
dignity - Würde; Förmlichkeit; Amt
leading - führend; führen; (lead) führend; führen
uttermost - Äußerste
venerable - ehrwürdig, geschätzt, respektabel, verehrenswert
stream - Bach; Strom; Datenstrom; strömen; streamen
vivid - lebendig, lebhaft, anschaulich
flush - Wasserspülung, Wallung, Schwall; spülen, ausspülen; rot werden
departs - abreist; verlassen, aufbrechen, verlassen, abweichen
for ever - für immer
abiding - dauernd, bleibend, beständig
memories - Erinnerungen; Gedächtnis
indeed - tatsächlich; in der Tat, genau, allerdings, checkgewiss
reverence - Ehrfurcht, Bewunderung, Verehrung, Hochachtung, Ehrerbietung
affection - Zuneigung; Rührung
evoke - evozieren; hervorrufen
spirit - Geist, Seele, Stimmung, Schnaps
upon - auf; mit
lower - niedriger, niedrigerer, ausfahren (Fahrgestell); abdämpfen
tidal - erman: Gezeiten-
current - Strömung; Strom; gegenwärtig, aktuell, zeitnah
unceasing - unaufhörlich
crowded - überfüllt; Menschenmenge, Masse
ships - verschicken, verschiffen, abfertigen, befördern; Schiff
borne - getragen; (to bear) ertragen, aushalten
battles - Schlachten; sich schlagen, kämpfen; Schlacht
served - bedient; Angabe, dienen, servieren, aufschlagen
whom - wen; wem; dem, der, den, die
nation - Staat, Nation, Volk
proud - stolz, prahlerisch
Francis - Franz, Franziskus
drake - Enterich
Knights - Springer (Schach), Ritter, Pferd
untitled - unbetitelt
errant - fehlgeleitet; errant
It had borne all the ships whose names are like jewels flashing in the night of time, from the Golden Hind returning with her rotund flanks full of treasure, to be visited by the Queen's Highness and thus pass out of the gigantic tale, to the Erebus and Terror, bound on other conquests"and that never returned. It had known the ships and the men. They had sailed from Deptford, from Greenwich, from Erith"the adventurers and the settlers; kings'ships and the ships of men on 'Change; captains, admirals, the dark "interlopers" of the Eastern trade, and the commissioned "generals" of East India fleets. Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of the might within the land, bearers of a spark from the sacred fire. What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth!... The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires.
whose - wessen; dessen, deren, wem gehört/gehören?
jewels - Juwelen; Edelstein, Juwel
flashing - Witterungsschutz; Blinken, Aufblinken
Golden - golden, goldgelb
hind - (hind leg) Hinterbein
rotund - rundlich; rund
flanks - Flanken; in der Flanke angreifen, flankieren, Flanke, Flanke
treasure - Schatz; schätzen
Queen - Königin; Dame; Tunte; Kätzin
Highness - Hoheit
thus - also; auf diese Weise, so, demnach, folglich, dieses
pass - passen; (to pass) durchgehen, passieren, durchlaufen
gigantic - gigantisch, kolossal
Tale - Geschichte, Erzählung, Fabel
terror - Schrecken, Grauen, schreckliche Furcht, Terror
conquests - Eroberungen; Eroberung, Conquest-Modus, Conquestmodus, Conquest
Sailed - Gesegelt; segeln, abfahren (nach); Segel; schippern (ugs.)
adventurers - Abenteurer, Abenteurerin, Thronbewerber, Thronbewerberin
settlers - Siedler, Siedlerin, Ansiedler, Ansiedlerin, Kolonist
Kings - Könige; König
captains - Kapitäne; Stabshauptmann, Hauptmann, Kapitän zur See, Kapitän
admirals - Admiräle; Admiral
interlopers - Eindringlinge; Eindringling
eastern - Osten; östlich, Ost
trade - handeln (mit), eintauschen, schachern mit etwas;Handel , Handwerk , Geschäft , Trade;gewerblich {adj};eintauschen (für)
commissioned - beauftragt; Auftrag, Kommission, Ausschuss, Abschlußprämie
generals - Generäle; allgemein, generell, allgemein, General
India - Indien
fleets - Flotten; Flotte; Fahrzeugpark
hunters - Jägern; Jäger, Jagdhund, Jäger, Verfolger
pursuers - Verfolger, Verfolgerin
fame - Ruhm, Berühmtheit, Bekanntheit
gone out - ausgegangen
bearing - tragend, Manieren, Lager (Maschinenbau); (bear) tragend
sword - Schwert; Schwertkämpfer, Schwertkämpferin
torch - Fackel; anzünden
Messengers - Boten; Kurier, Bote, Botschafter
bearers - Trägern; Träger, Trägerin, Inhaber, Inhaberin, Träger, Trägerin
spark - Funken; Funke; aufkeimen lassen, entfachen
sacred - heilig
greatness - Großartigkeit; Größe
floated - getrieben; treiben, schwimmen, schweben, schwimmen, treiben
Ebb - Ebbe; ebben, abebben
mystery - Geheimnis, Rätsel
an unknown - eine Unbekannte (Mathematik)
dreams - Traum, Traum, t+Wunsch, träumen, träumen, t+wünschen, träumen
seed - säen; Saatgut, Same, Saat, Samen
commonwealths - Staatenbund
germs - Keime; Keim, Keim
empires - Reiche; Reich
The sun set; the dusk fell on the stream, and lights began to appear along the shore. The Chapman light-house, a three-legged thing erect on a mud-flat, shone strongly. Lights of ships moved in the fairway"a great stir of lights going up and going down. And farther west on the upper reaches the place of the monstrous town was still marked ominously on the sky, a brooding gloom in sunshine, a lurid glare under the stars.
set - gesetzt; Seth
dusk - Abenddämmerung
appear - erscheinen, auftauchen, auftreten
along - entlang, längs, weiter
shore - Ufer, Stützbalken, Küste, Strebe
erect - aufrecht; stramm (Haltung), steif; errichten
mud - Schmutz, Schlamm; Rollenspiel im Internet
strongly - stark
fairway - Fahrrinne
stir - erschüttern, bewegen, sich rühren, verrühren; Aufregung
monstrous - ungeheuerlich, monströs, grotesk, monsterhaft, monsterartig
marked - markiert; Markus, Markus, Markus
ominously - ominös
sunshine - Sonnenschein
lurid - widerlich; grell; reißerisch
glare - Blendung; entrüstetes Starren; missbilligend anstarren
"And this also," said Marlow suddenly, "has been one of the dark places of the earth."
He was the only man of us who still "followed the sea." The worst that could be said of him was that he did not represent his class. He was a seaman, but he was a wanderer, too, while most seamen lead, if one may so express it, a sedentary life. Their minds are of the stay-at-home order, and their home is always with them"the ship; and so is their country"the sea. One ship is very much like another, and the sea is always the same. In the immutability of their surroundings the foreign shores, the foreign faces, the changing immensity of life, glide past, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysterious to a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as Destiny.
represent - vorstellen, darstellen, vertreten
wanderer - Wanderer
seamen - Seeleute; Matrose
lead - führen, anführen, leiten;aus Blei;Aufmacher ;Anschlussdraht , Blei , Führung
express - bekunden, Eilzug, Schnellzug, ausdrücklich; ausdrücken, äußern
sedentary - sesshaft
minds - Köpfe; Verstand, t+Geist, t+Sinn, Bewusstsein
ship - verschicken, verschiffen, abfertigen, befördern; Schiff
immutability - Unveränderlichkeit; Unbeweglichkeit
surroundings - Umgebung, umliegend
foreign - Ausland; fremd, ausländisch
glide - gleiten; gleiten lassen
veiled - verschleiert; Vorhang, Schleier, verschleiern, verhüllen
sense - Sinn; Gefühl, Verstand, Bedeutung, wahrnehmen, empfinden
slightly - ein wenig, leicht
disdainful - verächtlich
ignorance - Unwissenheit, Unwissen, Nichtwissen
mysterious - geheimnisvoll; mysteriös; rätselhaft
Unless - wenn nicht, es sei denn
itself - von selbst, von allein, sich selbst
Mistress - Frau, Meisterin, Herrscherin, Mätresse, Liebhaberin, Domina
existence - Existenz, Dasein
inscrutable - undurchschaubar
destiny - das Schicksal; Los, Geschick, Schicksal
For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll or a casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds the secret not worth knowing. The yarns of seamen have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was not typical (if his propensity to spin yarns be excepted), and to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze, in the likeness of one of these misty halos that sometimes are made visible by the spectral illumination of moonshine.
casual - lässig; zufällig, beiläufig, gelegentlich, gleichgültig
stroll - Spaziergang, Bummel, spazieren gehen, bummeln, schlendern
spree - Amoklauf; Spaß, Vergnügen, Gelage, Trinkgelage
on shore - an Land, an der Küste
suffices - ausreicht; ausreichen, genügen, genug sein, reichen
unfold - entfalten, ausbreiten, entfalten
secret - Geheimnis
Continent - Kontinent, Festland, Erdteil
generally - im Allgemeinen
worth - wert
Direct - direkt, unmittelbar, beaufsichtigen, inszenieren, befehlen
simplicity - Einfachheit
lies - Lügen; (lie down) sich hinlegen
shell - Muschel; Schale, Eierschale, Hülse, Granate, Hülle, Shell
cracked - geknackt; Riss, Knall, Aufbruch, Bresche; aufbrechen, knallen
Nut - Schraubenmutter, Nuß
typical - typisch, gewöhnlich
propensity - Neigung, Tendenz
spin yarns - Seemannsgarn spinnen
excepted - ausnehmen, ausklammern, ausschließen, widersprechen, außer
episode - Episode, Folge
inside - Innenseite, Inneres, Innen-, Inner-, drinnen, hinein, innerhalb
kernel - Kern; Betriebssystemkern, Kernel
enveloping - einhüllend; einhüllen, umhüllen
glow - glühen; abstrahlen; leuchten; Glühen
likeness - Ähnlichkeit; Gestalt; Abbild
misty - neblig, nebelhaft
halos - Halo, Heiligenschein, Nimbus
visible - sichtbar
spectral - spektral, Spektral-
illumination - Beleuchtung
Moonshine - schwarzgebrannter Schnaps, Selbstgebrannter, Schwarzbrennerei
His remark did not seem at all surprising. It was just like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No one took the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said, very slow""I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years ago"the other day .... Light came out of this river since"you say Knights? yes; but it is like a running blaze on a plain, like a flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in the flicker"may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling! But darkness was here yesterday. Imagine the feelings of a commander of a fine"what d'ye call 'em?"trireme in the Mediterranean, ordered suddenly to the north; run overland across the Gauls in a hurry; put in charge of one of these craft the legionaries"a wonderful lot of handy men they must have been, too"used to build, apparently by the hundred, in a month or two, if we may believe what we read. Imagine him here"the very end of the world, a sea the colour of lead, a sky the colour of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina"and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sand-banks, marshes, forests, savages,"precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay"cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death"death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here.
remark - bemerken; Anmerkung, Bemerkung
Seem - scheinen, dünken
surprising - überraschend, verwunderlich
accepted - akzeptiert; annehmen, abnehmen, akzeptieren, aufnehmen
trouble - Probleme; Ärger; Schwierigkeit; Anstrengung, Bemühung, Mühe
grunt - Grunzer, Stöhnen, Grunzen, Hucker, Handlanger, Hilfsarbeiter
Presently - Gegenwärtig; sogleich
Romans - Die Römer; Römer; röm. römisch, römisch
Since - Seit wann; seitdem, seither, weil, da
ye - ja; euch, ihr, dir, du
blaze - lodern; Lohe, Brand, Großbrand, brenne, Glut
plain - unscheinbar, einfach, vollständige, ehrlich
flash - Blitzlicht; aufleuchten, blitzen, aufflammen
lightning - Blitzschlag; Blitz; Entladung
clouds - Wolken; verschleiern
flicker - flimmern, flattern, flackern
rolling - rollend, Walzen; (roll) rollend, Walzen
feelings - Gefühle; Gefühl, Eindruck
commander - Befehlshaber, Kommandant, Kommandeur, Kommandör
trireme - Trireme
Mediterranean - Mittelmeer; mediterran
overland - auf dem Landweg; über Land
Gauls - Gallien
hurry - Eile; beeilen
charge - Gebühr; Entgelt; Ladung; Last; Rempeln; beauftragen, belasten
craft - Handwerk; Schlauheit, Durchtriebenheit, Gerissenheit, Gilde
legionaries - Legionäre; Legionär
handy - praktisch; griffig, nützlich
apparently - offensichtlich, offenbar, scheinbar, anscheinend
lead - führen, anführen, leiten; aus Blei; Aufmacher; Anschlussdraht
smoke - rauchen; Rauch
rigid - steif, starr, rigide
concertina - Ziehharmonika, Konzertina
stores - Geschäfte; Lager
sand - Sand
marshes - Sümpfe; Marsch, Moor
Forests - Wälder; Wald, t+Forst, t+Gehölz
savages - wild, wild, wüst, unbebaut, unbändig, rasend, wütend, roh
precious - kostbar, wertvoll, süßlich, kitschig
fit - passen; (to be fit) in Form sein
civilized - zivilisiert; zivilisieren
ashore - an Land; zu Lande, am Land, an die Küste
military - Militär
Camp - lagern, zelten, campen, kampieren; Lager
wilderness - Wildnis, Wüste
needle - Nadel; hänseln
bundle - Bündel
Hay - Heu
Fog - umnebeln, verschleiern; (dicker) Nebel, Nebel
tempests - Stürme; Sturm
disease - Krankheit
exile - Exil, Verbannung, Exilant, Exilantin, Verbannter
skulking - herumschleichend, schleichend; (skulk); sich verstecken
bush - Buchse, Strauch, Busch
dying - (to die) sterben, umkommen; (dye) (to die) sterben, umkommen
Oh, yes"he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by and by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga"perhaps too much dice, you know"coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him"all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There's no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination"you know, imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate."
doubt - bezweifeln, Zweifel
either - auch nicht; beide; auch, ebenso, ebenfalls, entweder, entweder
Except - ausnehmen, ausklammern, ausschließen, widersprechen, außer
Brag - angeben, prahlen
Perhaps - vielleicht, wohl
cheered - bejubelt; anfeuern, jauchzen, aufmuntern, jubeln
chance - riskieren, zufällig geschehen; Chance, Zufall, Gelegenheit
promotion - Beförderung, Aufstieg, Höherversetzung, Werbung
Fleet - Flotte; Fahrzeugpark
Ravenna - Ravenna
by and by - nach einer Weile, nach und nach, mit der Zeit
Rome - Rom
survived - überlebt; überleben, überleben, überleben
awful - schrecklich, furchtbar, schrecklich (1), checkfurchtbar (1)
climate - Klima
decent - anständig, sittsam, (ganz) anständig
citizen - Staatsbürger, Staatsbürgerin, Einwohner
toga - Toga
dice - würfeln, in Würfel schneiden
prefect - Präfekt
tax - strapazieren, besteuern; Steuer (auf); Abgabe, Steuer, Gebühr
gatherer - Sammler
trader - Händler, Händlerin, Kaufmann, Kauffrau; (trade); Handel
mend - reparieren, flicken
fortunes - Schicksal
swamp - Sumpf, Moor, überfluten, überschwemmen
woods - Wälder; Holz
savagery - Grausamkeit; Wildheit
utter - Äußerlich; äußerst
round - runden; Kontrollgang, Runde, Rundgang, rund
stirs - rührt; erschüttern, bewegen, sich rühren, verrühren; Aufregung
forest - Wald, Forst, Gehölz, Hain, aufforsten; (fore); Wald, Forst
jungles - Urwald, Dschungel
wild - wild, rau
initiation - Einweihung; Initiation, Initiierung
such - solch, derartig, so ein
mysteries - Geheimnisse; Geheimnis
midst - mittendrin; Mitten, Mitte, inmitten
incomprehensible - unverständlich
detestable - verabscheuungswürdig
fascination - Faszination
abomination - Greuel; Abscheu; Abscheulichkeit
regrets - bedauern, bereuen, leidtun, Reue, Bedauern
escape - entgehen, ausweichen, davonkommen, Flucht
powerless - kraftlos; machtlos
disgust - Abscheu; ekeln; Ekel
surrender - kapitulieren, ergeben
He paused.
paused - innegehalten; pausieren, innehalten, pausieren, Pause
"Mind," he began again, lifting one arm from the elbow, the palm of the hand outwards, so that, with his legs folded before him, he had the pose of a Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus-flower""Mind, none of us would feel exactly like this. What saves us is efficiency"the devotion to efficiency. But these chaps were not much account, really. They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force"nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.
mind - Verstand, Geist, Sinn, Bewusstsein, Gedächtnis, Gedanken
lifting - Lüften (Bremse), Lift, Aufzug; fördern, Auftrieb geben, heben
elbow - Ellbogen; Rohrbogen; Ellbogenstoß; ellbögeln
palm - Handfläche; Palme, Schaufel (am Geweih)
folded - falten, zusammenlegen, verschränken (Arme); Falte, gefaltete
pose - Pose; aufwerfen, posieren, posen
Buddha - Buddha
preaching - predigend; (preach); predigen, verkündigen
European - europäisch; Europäer, Europäerin
lotus - Hornklee, Lotos, Lotosblume, Lotus
none - kein, nichts, keines, keine, keiner, gar nicht
exactly - genau; ganz genau
saves - rettet; retten, erretten, sichern, speichern, sparen, speichern
efficiency - Effizienz; Einzimmerwohnung, Einraumwohnung
devotion - Hingebung, Hingabe, Zuneigung, Zuwendung
chaps - Bursche, Riss (in der Haut)
account - Rechnung, Bericht, Rechnung, Konto
colonists - Kolonisten; Kolonist, Kolonistin
administration - Verwaltung, Administration, Verabreichung
merely - bloß, lediglich, nur, schier
squeeze - drücken, klemmen, pressen, quetschen
suspect - vermuten; misstrauen; verdächtigen; einen Verdacht haben; Verdächtiger
conquerors - Eroberer, Erobererin, Bezwinger, Bezwingerin
brute force - rohe Gewalt
boast - rühmen; stolz sein auf etw
strength - Stärke, Kraft, Festigkeit, Mumm
accident - Unfall; Zufall
arising from - entspringend
weakness - Schwäche, Faible
They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind"as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness. The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea"something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to...."
grabbed - gegriffen; kapern, aufbereiten
sake - (for your sake) deinetwegen, euretwegen, Ihretwegen, dir zuliebe
robbery - Raubüberfall; Raub
violence - Gewalt, Gewalttaten, Gewalttätigkeiten
aggravated - verschlimmert; verschlimmern, erschweren, ärgern, verbittern
murder - Mord, mörderisch, ermorden, massakrieren, umbringen
scale - Maßstab; Skala, Kesselsteine, Schuppe; ersteigen, erklettern
blind - blind, unkritisch, ignorant, Jalousie, Blind, Blinder, Blinde
proper - richtig, passend, angemessen, eigentlich, Eigenname
those - die; jene
tackle - anpacken; Angel; Tackling; in Angriff nehmen, angehen
conquest - Eroberung; Conquest-Modus, Conquestmodus
mostly - meistens, überwiegend, weitgehend, größtenteils
ourselves - uns selbst; uns
redeems - einlöst; zurückkaufen, loslösen, freikaufen, befreien, befreien
pretence - Vortäuschung; Vorwand
unselfish - selbstlos
belief - Glauben; Glaube
bow - verbeugen; Verneigung (vor), Verbeugung; Bogen, Bug (Schiff)
sacrifice - opfern; Opfer
He broke off. Flames glided in the river, small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing, overtaking, joining, crossing each other"then separating slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city went on in the deepening night upon the sleepless river.
flames - Flammen; Flamme, q
glided - geglitten; gleiten, gleiten, gleiten lassen
pursuing - verfolgend; (pursue); verfolgen, beschreiten, nachjagen
overtaking - überholen, aufholen, überholen
Crossing - Kreuzung; Überfahrt; (cross); Kreuz; Kreuzzeichen; Kreuzung; Cross; Flanke; quer; entgegengesetzt
separating - einzeln, getrennt, separat, getrennt, separat, trennen
slowly - langsam
hastily - hastig
deepening - Vertiefung; aushölen, vertiefen, zunehmen, vergrößern
sleepless - schlaflos
We looked on, waiting patiently"there was nothing else to do till the end of the flood; but it was only after a long silence, when he said, in a hesitating voice, "I suppose you fellows remember I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit," that we knew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to hear about one of Marlow's inconclusive experiences.
patiently - geduldig
flood - Hochwasser; Flut; überschwemmen, überfluten, überfüllen
hesitating - zögernd; zögern, zögern, stammeln
voice - Stimme; äußern
suppose - annehmen, vermuten, vermeinen
fresh-water - (fresh-water) Süßwasser
sailor - Matrose, Matrosin, Seemann, Seefrau
bit - Häppchen, Gebiss, Bit
inconclusive - nicht schlüssig
experiences - Erfahrungen; Erlebnis
"I had then, as you remember, just returned to London after a lot of Indian Ocean, Pacific, China Seas"a regular dose of the East"six years or so, and I was loafing about, hindering you fellows in your work and invading your homes, just as though I had got a heavenly mission to civilize you.
Indian - indisch, indianisch, Inder, Inderin, Indianer, Indianerin
Ocean - Weltmeer, Ozean
Pacific - Pazifik; ruhig, still, friedlich
China - China, Porzellan
regular - regulär, regelmäßig, Gleichmäßig, normal, gewöhnlich, Stammgast
dose - Dosis; dosieren
loafing - Faulenzen; bummelnd, Faulenzerei; (loaf) Faulenzen; bummelnd
hindering - hinderlich; behindern, aufhalten, hindern
invading - Invasion; eindringen, verletzen, überfallen, einmarschieren
though - aber; trotzdem, doch, allerdings, obwohl, obgleich
heavenly - himmlisch
mission - Auftrag; Mission
civilize - zivilisieren
It was very fine for a time, but after a bit I did get tired of resting. Then I began to look for a ship"I should think the hardest work on earth. But the ships wouldn't even look at me. And I got tired of that game, too.
get tired - ermüden, müde werden
resting - basierend, anhaltend, ausruhend; (rest) basierend, anhaltend
"Now when I was a little chap I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia, and lose myself in all the glories of exploration. At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on a map (but they all look that) I would put my finger on it and say, 'When I grow up I will go there.'The North Pole was one of these places, I remember. Well, I haven't been there yet, and shall not try now.
chap - Kerl; Bursche, Riss (in der Haut)
passion - Leidenschaft, Passion
Africa - Afrika
Australia - Australien
myself - mich selbst; mich
glories - Pracht, Herrlichkeit, Prunk, Gepränge
exploration - Erkundung, Erforschung, Untersuchung, Entdeckungsreise
blank - ausdruckslos; unbeschrieben, unausgefüllt, Lücke, Leerzeichen
particularly - besonders
inviting - einladend; auffordern, einladen
finger - fingern
North Pole - Nordpol
shall - sollen
The glamour's off. Other places were scattered about the hemispheres. I have been in some of them, and... well, we won't talk about that. But there was one yet"the biggest, the most blank, so to speak"that I had a hankering after.
glamour - Glamour
scattered - verstreut; zerstreuen, zerstreuen, streuen, verstreuen
hemispheres - Halbkugeln; Hemisphäre, Halbkugel (rare, e.g
hankering - Sehnsucht; sich sehnend, Verlangen; (hanker); verlangen
"True, by this time it was not a blank space any more. It had got filled since my boyhood with rivers and lakes and names. It had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery"a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over. It had become a place of darkness. But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of the land.
boyhood - Jungenschaft; Kindheit, Jugend
lakes - Seen; Binnensee, See
ceased - eingestellt; aufhören, aufhören, einstellen
delightful - reizvoll, entzückend, angenehm
patch - notdürftig reparieren, reparieren, einsetzen; Flicken
dream - Traum, Wunsch, träumen, wünschen
gloriously - herrlich, glorreiche
especially - besonders, extra, speziell, außergewöhnlich, originell
mighty - gewaltig, mächtig
resembling - ähneln, gleichen
immense - immens
uncoiled - abgewickelt; abspulen
curving - Kurve, Kurve, Linie, Kurven, biegen, verbiegen
afar - in der Ferne; Afar, Danakil
vast - riesig; beträchtlich, weit, ausgedehnt, enorm
tail - Schwanz; Zipfel
depths - Untiefen; Tiefe
And as I looked at the map of it in a shop-window, it fascinated me as a snake would a bird"a silly little bird. Then I remembered there was a big concern, a Company for trade on that river. Dash it all! I thought to myself, they can't trade without using some kind of craft on that lot of fresh water"steamboats! Why shouldn't I try to get charge of one? I went on along Fleet Street, but could not shake off the idea. The snake had charmed me.
shop-window - (shop-window) Schaufenster
fascinated - fasziniert; faszinieren, faszinieren, faszinieren, bezaubern
silly - doof, dumm, albern, Dummerchen
little bird - Vögelchen , Vöglein
concern - Bedenken; Sorge, Anliegen, Betroffenheit, Besorgnis, Konzern
trade - Handel, Kommerz, Geschäft, Tausch, Facharbeiter, Handwerk
Dash - Bindestrich, Gedankenstrich, Querstrich, Spurt, Sprint
fresh - kess (frech), frisch, frech, pampig (ugs.)
steamboats - Dampfschiffe; Dampfschiff
shouldn - sollte
shake off - abschütteln
charmed - verzaubert; Talisman; Charme, Zauberformel
"You understand it was a Continental concern, that Trading society; but I have a lot of relations living on the Continent, because it's cheap and not so nasty as it looks, they say.
Continental - kontinental
trading - Handels.., kaufmännisch; (trad) Handels.., kaufmännisch
Society - Gesellschaft
relations - Beziehungen; Beziehung, Relation, Relation, Verwandter
nasty - abscheulich, böse, ekelhaft, scheußlich
"I am sorry to own I began to worry them. This was already a fresh departure for me. I was not used to get things that way, you know. I always went my own road and on my own legs where I had a mind to go. I wouldn't have believed it of myself; but, then"you see"I felt somehow I must get there by hook or by crook. So I worried them. The men said My dear fellow,'and did nothing. Then"would you believe it?"I tried the women. I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work"to get a job.
worry - besorgt sein, sich Sorgen machen, besorgen, Sorge
departure - Abreise; Abfahrt
somehow - irgendwie
Hook - Haken; Hookline; einhaken
crook - Gauner; Bischofsstab, Krücke, Ganove; (sich) krümmen
worried - besorgt sein, sich Sorgen machen, besorgen, Sorge
fellow - Stipendiat, Typ, Kerl, Bursche; Gefährte, Kerl
Heavens! Well, you see, the notion drove me. I had an aunt, a dear enthusiastic soul. She wrote: It will be delightful. I am ready to do anything, anything for you. It is a glorious idea. I know the wife of a very high personage in the Administration, and also a man who has lots of influence with,'etc. She was determined to make no end of fuss to get me appointed skipper of a river steamboat, if such was my fancy.
heavens - Himmel, Firmament
notion - Ahnung, Ansicht, Auffassung, Begriff
enthusiastic - enthusiastisch, begeistert
soul - Inbrunst, Seele, Gefühl, Herz
glorious - ruhmvoll, glorreich, herrlich, prachtvoll
personage - Persönlichkeit
influence - Einfluss; Beeinflussung, Beeinflusser, beeinflussen
etc - usw
determined - bestimmt; bestimmen, eingrenzen, festlegen
fuss - Aufregung; Lärm, Wirbel, Aufstand, Gehabe
appointed - ernannt; bestimmen, festlegen, ausstatten, ausrüsten, festlegen
skipper - Schiffer, Schiffskapitän
steamboat - Dampfschiff, Dampfer
fancy - schick; extravagant, originell
"I got my appointment"of course; and I got it very quick. It appears the Company had received news that one of their captains had been killed in a scuffle with the natives. This was my chance, and it made me the more anxious to go. It was only months and months afterwards, when I made the attempt to recover what was left of the body, that I heard the original quarrel arose from a misunderstanding about some hens. Yes, two black hens. Fresleven"that was the fellow's name, a Dane"thought himself wronged somehow in the bargain, so he went ashore and started to hammer the chief of the village with a stick. Oh, it didn't surprise me in the least to hear this, and at the same time to be told that Fresleven was the gentlest, quietest creature that ever walked on two legs. No doubt he was; but he had been a couple of years already out there engaged in the noble cause, you know, and he probably felt the need at last of asserting his self-respect in some way. Therefore he whacked the old nigger mercilessly, while a big crowd of his people watched him, thunderstruck, till some man"I was told the chief's son"in desperation at hearing the old chap yell, made a tentative jab with a spear at the white man"and of course it went quite easy between the shoulder-blades.
appointment - Ernennung, Berufung, Termin, Verabredung
Appears - Erscheint; erscheinen, auftauchen, erscheinen, auftauchen
received - bekommen, erhalten, empfangen, kriegen, empfangen
killed - getötet; vernichten, totmachen, löschen, zerstören, töten
scuffle - ein Handgemenge; raufen; Handgemenge, Gewühl
natives - Einheimische; gebürtig, gebürtig, einheimisch, nativ
anxious - ängstlich, besorgt
attempt - versuchen; Versuch, Bestreben, Bestrebung, Anschlag, Attentat
recover - wiederfinden, sich erholen, beikommen
original - ursprünglich, ur-, original, originell, Original, ext
quarrel - sich streiten, zanken
arose from - entsprang
misunderstanding - Missverständnis; (misunderstand); missverstehen
hens - Hühner; Vogelweibchen; Henne, Huhn
Dane - Däne, Dänin
self - Selbst
bargain - Angebot; Vereinbarung, Abmachung, Schnäppchen, Anschaffung
hammer - Hammer; Schlagstück, Hahn, Schlaghebel, tMalleus
chief - Häuptling, Oberhaupt, Chef
stick - stich!, ich/er/sie stäche, ich/er/sie stach; Schläger
surprise - Überraschung; Überraschung
gentlest - am sanftesten; liebenswürdig, einfühlsam, sanftmütig, sanft
creature - Wesen, Lebewesen, Fabelwesen
couple - Paar; einige, ein paar
engaged - verlobt; beschäftigen, anstellen, angreifen, anlegen, einrasten
noble - edel; Adeliger, Adliger, Adelige, Adlige
cause - Ursache, Anlass, Grund, verursachen, auslösen, lassen
asserting - Behaupten; versichern, zusichern, beteuern, beteuern, beteuern
respect - Achtung, Respekt, respektieren
therefore - deswegen, deshalb, darum, also (folglich), daher
whacked - umgelegt; Schlag, Hieb, schlagen, töten, ermorden, verteilen
nigger - Neger, Negerin, Nigger, Niggerin
mercilessly - erbarmungslos
in desperation - verzweifelt
yell - kreischen, schreien
tentative - vorläufig, Versuch
jab - Gerade; Injektion, subkutane Impfung, Piks, Stichelei, zustoßen
spear - Speer, Lanze (Wurflanze); aufspießen, spießen, durchbohren
shoulder-blades - (shoulder-blades) Schulterblätter
Then the whole population cleared into the forest, expecting all kinds of calamities to happen, while, on the other hand, the steamer Fresleven commanded left also in a bad panic, in charge of the engineer, I believe. Afterwards nobody seemed to trouble much about Fresleven's remains, till I got out and stepped into his shoes. I couldn't let it rest, though; but when an opportunity offered at last to meet my predecessor, the grass growing through his ribs was tall enough to hide his bones. They were all there. The supernatural being had not been touched after he fell. And the village was deserted, the huts gaped black, rotting, all askew within the fallen enclosures. A calamity had come to it, sure enough. The people had vanished. Mad terror had scattered them, men, women, and children, through the bush, and they had never returned. What became of the hens I don't know either. I should think the cause of progress got them, anyhow. However, through this glorious affair I got my appointment, before I had fairly begun to hope for it.
population - Bevölkerung; Population; Bevölkerungszahl, Einwohnerzahl
cleared - geklärt; klar, durchsichtig, klar, hell, klar, frei, klar
expecting - erwarten; werdende; (expect); erwarten
calamities - Kalamitäten; Unheil
steamer - Dampfschiff, Dampfer
commanded - befohlen; Befehl, Kommando
panic - Panik, panisch
engineer - Ingenieur, Ingenieurin, Maschinist, Maschinistin
remains - bleibt; Überrest (2), de
stepped - getreten; Steppe, Steppe
opportunity - Gelegenheit, Chance, Möglichkeit
offered - angeboten; offerieren, anbieten, bieten, zeigen; Antrag
predecessor - Vorgänger, Vorgängerin, Vorläufer
grass - Gras; Rasen; Spitzel; verpfeifen
growing through - durchwachsend
ribs - Rippen; Rippe (Profil); Drehschiene, Spant, Rippe, Lamelle
hide - verbergen, verheimlichen, verstecken, verdecken
supernatural - übernatürlich
touched - berührt; anfassen, berühren, rühren, Berührung, Berührung
deserted - Wüste, wüst, Ă–de; verlassen, desertieren, im Stich lassen
huts - Hütten; Hütte
gaped - gähnt; Zahnlücke; Lücke, Bresche, Leerstelle, Kluft
rotting - verrotten, verderben, faulen, verfaulen, verwesen, putreszieren
askew - schief, verzogen, verwunden, verbogen
enclosures - Anlage, Beilage, Beilegen
calamity - Verhängnis; Unheil, Kalamität
sure enough - gewiss, freilich, ganz gewiss, wirklich
vanished - verschwunden; verschwinden, vergehen, sich verflüchtigen
mad - wahnsinnig, verrückt, toll, irre
progress - fortschreiten, Fortschritte machen, weiterkommen; Fortgang
anyhow - irgendwie
affair - Angelegenheit; Scharmützel; Ding; Beziehung, Affäre
fairly - gerecht
"I flew around like mad to get ready, and before forty-eight hours I was crossing the Channel to show myself to my employers, and sign the contract. In a very few hours I arrived in a city that always makes me think of a whited sepulchre.
Channel - kanalisieren; Kanal
employers - Arbeitgeber, Arbeitgeberin
sign - Wert, Zeichen, Hinweistafel, Indiz; unterschreiben, signieren
contract - Vertrag, Kontrakt; ich/er/sie zog zusammen, Vertrag abschließen
sepulchre - Grabstätte; Grabkammer, Gruft
Prejudice no doubt. I had no difficulty in finding the Company's offices. It was the biggest thing in the town, and everybody I met was full of it. They were going to run an over-sea empire, and make no end of coin by trade.
prejudice - Vorurteile; Vorurteil, Voreingenommenheit, vorgefasste Meinung
difficulty - Schwierigkeiten; Schwierigkeit
Empire - Reich, Imperium, Kaiserreich, Kaisertum, Weltreich
coin - Münze, Geldstück, Chip, Jeton, prägen
by trade - von Beruf
"A narrow and deserted street in deep shadow, high houses, innumerable windows with venetian blinds, a dead silence, grass sprouting between the stones, imposing carriage archways right and left, immense double doors standing ponderously ajar. I slipped through one of these cracks, went up a swept and ungarnished staircase, as arid as a desert, and opened the first door I came to. Two women, one fat and the other slim, sat on straw-bottomed chairs, knitting black wool. The slim one got up and walked straight at me"still knitting with downcast eyes"and only just as I began to think of getting out of her way, as you would for a somnambulist, stood still, and looked up. Her dress was as plain as an umbrella-cover, and she turned round without a word and preceded me into a waiting-room. I gave my name, and looked about. Deal table in the middle, plain chairs all round the walls, on one end a large shining map, marked with all the colours of a rainbow. There was a vast amount of red"good to see at any time, because one knows that some real work is done in there, a deuce of a lot of blue, a little green, smears of orange, and, on the East Coast, a purple patch, to show where the jolly pioneers of progress drink the jolly lager-beer.
narrow - eng, schmal, knapp
deep - tief, tiefgründig, dunkel, Tiefe
shadow - Schatten; beschatten
innumerable - Unzählige
venetian - venezianisch; Venezianer, Venezianerin
blinds - Jalousien; blind, blind, unkritisch, ignorant, blind, Jalousie
dead - tot, gestorben, leblos, bewegungslos, regungslos, erstarrt
sprouting - sprießen; (sprout) Schössling; (sprout) sprießen; (sprout) Schössling
stones - Steine; Stein, Stein, Edelstein, t+Schmuckstein, Stein, Kern
imposing - imposant; auferlegen, aufzwingen, auferlegen
carriage - Kutsche; Gang, Haltung, Wagen, Frachtgeld, Fracht, Fuhrlohn
archways - Torbögen; Torbogen, Bogen, Arkade, Bogengang
double - doppelt; doppel-; doppellagig, zweilagig, gefüllt, kontra-
ponderously - nachdenklich
ajar - angelehnt; halboffen, einen Spalt offen
slipped - ausgerutscht; Versprecher; Rutschen (geradeaus); Lapsus
cracks - Risse; Riss, Knall, Aufbruch, Bresche; aufbrechen, knallen
swept - gekehrt; fegen, kehren, fegen, rauschen, auf den Kopf stellen
ungarnished - ungeschminkt
staircase - Treppe
arid - arid
desert - Wüste, wüst, Ă–de; verlassen, desertieren, im Stich lassen
slim - schlank, schmal, dünn
straw - Halm, Strohhalm, Stroh, strohfarben, strohgelb, Stroh-
bottomed - auf dem Boden; Boden, Grund, Unterseite, passiv
knitting - Stricken; (knit); stricken
Wool - Wolle
downcast - niedergeschlagen, geknickt, entmutigt
only just - gerade erst
somnambulist - Schlafwandler
cover - Deckel, Abdeckung, Versteck, Einband, agazine, Decke, Gedeck
preceded - vorausgegangen; vorangehen, vorausgehen
deal - Menge, Handel, Teil, Abkommen
Middle - Mittelpunkt; Mitte; Mittel-, mittlere, mittig
shining - glänzen; schimmern, wienern; Schein; putzen (Schuhe)
rainbow - Regenbogen; bunt, vielfarbig
amount - Anzahl, Menge, Betrag, beträgt
deuce - zwei; Einstand (Tennis), Teufel
smears - Abstriche; schmieren, beschmieren, diffamieren, verleumden
coast - Küste
jolly - fröhlich; vergnügt, lustig
pioneers - Pioniere; Pionier, Wegbereiter, Pionier, Pionier
lager-beer - (lager-beer) Lagerbier
However, I wasn't going into any of these. I was going into the yellow. Dead in the centre. And the river was there"fascinating"deadly"like a snake. Ough! A door opened, a white-haired secretarial head, but wearing a compassionate expression, appeared, and a skinny forefinger beckoned me into the sanctuary. Its light was dim, and a heavy writing-desk squatted in the middle. From behind that structure came out an impression of pale plumpness in a frock-coat. The great man himself. He was five feet six, I should judge, and had his grip on the handle-end of ever so many millions. He shook hands, I fancy, murmured vaguely, was satisfied with my French. Bon Voyage.
wasn - Was
fascinating - faszinierend; faszinieren, faszinieren, faszinieren, bezaubern
deadly - tödlich
haired - behaart
secretarial - Sekretariat
compassionate - mitfühlend; mitleidig
expression - Ausdruck; Redensart, Miene
appeared - erschienen; erscheinen, auftauchen, erscheinen, auftauchen
skinny - dünn; mager
forefinger - Zeigefinger
beckoned - winkte; heranwinken, herbeiwinken, winken, zuwinken, einladen
sanctuary - Zufluchtsort; Zuflucht, Herberge, Asyl
dim - schummrig; trüb; dämmerig, dunkel
heavy - heftig, schwer, stark (Regen)
squatted - hockte; hocken, kauern; Achsdruckentlastung
structure - Struktur, Datenstruktur, strukturieren
impression - Abdruck; Eindruck, Impression, Werbeeinblendung
pale - Pfahl, blass; bleich (vor), blass (vor)
plumpness - Plumpheit
frock-coat - (frock-coat) Bratenrock
judge - urteilen (nach), richten; Richter, Jurist
grip - packen, fassen; Griffigkeit, Heft (von Säge, Feile)
handle - handhaben; Henkel, Hantel, Griff, Türklinke; abarbeiten
shook - geschüttelt; (to shake) erschüttern, schütteln
murmured - gemurmelt; Rauschen
vaguely - undeutlich
French - Französisch
Voyage - Die Reise; Reise
"In about forty-five seconds I found myself again in the waiting-room with the compassionate secretary, who, full of desolation and sympathy, made me sign some document. I believe I undertook amongst other things not to disclose any trade secrets. Well, I am not going to.
secretary - Sekretär, Sekretärin, Staatssekretär, Schreibsekretär
desolation - Verwüsten, Verwüstung, Verwüstetsein, Verlassenheit
sympathy - Mitleid, Mitgefühl, Empathie, Einfühlungsvermögen, Sympathie
document - Unterlagen, Dokument, Aktenstück, Schriftstück, dokumentieren
undertook - unternommen hat; unternehmen, ausführen, verpflichten
amongst other things - unter anderem
disclose - offenlegen; enthüllen; veröffentlichen, bekanntgeben
secrets - Geheimnisse; Geheimnis
"I began to feel slightly uneasy. You know I am not used to such ceremonies, and there was something ominous in the atmosphere. It was just as though I had been let into some conspiracy"I don't know"something not quite right; and I was glad to get out. In the outer room the two women knitted black wool feverishly. People were arriving, and the younger one was walking back and forth introducing them. The old one sat on her chair. Her flat cloth slippers were propped up on a foot-warmer, and a cat reposed on her lap. She wore a starched white affair on her head, had a wart on one cheek, and silver-rimmed spectacles hung on the tip of her nose. She glanced at me above the glasses. The swift and indifferent placidity of that look troubled me.
uneasy - Unbehagen; besorgt, unangenehm, unsicher
ceremonies - Zeremonien; Zeremonie, feierliche Handlung, Ritual
ominous - ominös
atmosphere - Atmosphäre
conspiracy - Verschwörung, Konspiration
Glad - Erfreut; freudig, froh
knitted - gestrickt; stricken, stricken
feverishly - Fieberhaft
forth - weiter; heraus, hervor
cloth - Stoff, Tuch
slippers - Hausschuhe; Hausschuh, Latschen, Pantoffel, Patschen, Puschen
propped - gestützt; Stütze
reposed - aufbewahrt; ruhen
lap - Schoß
starched - gestärkt; Stärke, Stärke, Steifheit, Wäschestärke, Wäschesteife
wart - Warze
cheek - Frechheit; Backe, ormal, Stirn, Mick, Pumpenmick
silver - versilbern; silbern, Silber; Silberbesteck
rimmed - umrandet; Felge, Rand, Radkranz
spectacles - Brillen; Spektakel
tip - Tipp; Tip
glanced - geschaut; blicken, Blick, Streifblick, Glanz, Steinkohle
swift - Mauersegler; schnell; Segler; Garnwinde
indifferent - gleichgültig
placidity - Gemütsruhe, Gelassenheit
troubled - beunruhigt; Ärger, Schwierigkeit, Anstrengung, Bemühung, Mühe
Two youths with foolish and cheery countenances were being piloted over, and she threw at them the same quick glance of unconcerned wisdom. She seemed to know all about them and about me, too. An eerie feeling came over me. She seemed uncanny and fateful. Often far away there I thought of these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall, one introducing, introducing continuously to the unknown, the other scrutinizing the cheery and foolish faces with unconcerned old eyes. Ave! Old knitter of black wool. Morituri te salutant. Not many of those she looked at ever saw her again"not half, by a long way.
youths - Jugend, Jugendlichkeit, Jugend, Jugendzeit, Jugendlicher
foolish - dumm, närrisch, töricht
cheery - fröhlich; heiter, froh
countenances - Antlitze; Antlitz
piloted - geflogen; Pilot, Pilotin, Flugzeugführer, Flugzeugführerin
threw - geworfen; Wurf; werfen (du wirfst, er wirft), ich/er/sie würfe
glance - blicken; Blick, Streifblick, Glanz, Steinkohle
unconcerned - unbesorgt; Unbekümmertheit, Sorglosigkeit
wisdom - Weisheit
eerie - unheimlich
uncanny - unheimlich, gruselig, seltsam, verstörend, Unheimliche
fateful - schicksalhaft
guarding - Bewachung; Wächter, Parierstange, Schutz, schützen, bewachen
Pall - übersättigen, schal werden, langweilen; Sargtuch, Bahrtuch
continuously - kontinuierlich
unknown - unbekannt; Unbekannte; Unbekannter
scrutinizing - gründlich prüfen, hinterfragen, gewissenhaft überprüfen
ave - Straße, Allee
knitter - Stricken; Stricker, Strickerin
"There was yet a visit to the doctor. A simple formality,'assured me the secretary, with an air of taking an immense part in all my sorrows. Accordingly a young chap wearing his hat over the left eyebrow, some clerk I suppose"there must have been clerks in the business, though the house was as still as a house in a city of the dead"came from somewhere up-stairs, and led me forth. He was shabby and careless, with inkstains on the sleeves of his jacket, and his cravat was large and billowy, under a chin shaped like the toe of an old boot.
simple - einfach, simpel
formality - Formalität; Formalie
assured - gesichert; beteuerte, versicherte, versichert
sorrows - Kummer, Traurigkeit, Trauer, Sorge, Kümmernis, Leiden
accordingly - dementsprechend; logischerweise
eyebrow - Braue, Augenbraue
clerks - Büroangestellte, Angestellte, Buchhalter, Bürokaufmann
stairs - Stufe, Treppenstufe, Treppe
led - geführt; LED; (lead) führen, anführen
shabby - schäbig
careless - unvorsichtig, unbedacht, unachtsam, leichtsinnig
inkstains - Tintenflecken
sleeves - Ärmel, Hülse, Schutzhülle, Tülle, Köcher, Hülle, Muffe
cravat - Krawatte
billowy - wabbelig; wellig, wogend
chin - Kinn
shaped - geformt; Zustand, Form, Form, Form, Gestalt, Form
toe - Zeh, Zehe, Spur, Vorspur (5)
It was a little too early for the doctor, so I proposed a drink, and thereupon he developed a vein of joviality. As we sat over our vermouths he glorified the Company's business, and by and by I expressed casually my surprise at him not going out there. He became very cool and collected all at once. I am not such a fool as I look, quoth Plato to his disciples,'he said sententiously, emptied his glass with great resolution, and we rose.
proposed - vorgeschlagen; vorschlagen, einen Heiratsantrag machen
thereupon - daraufhin; darauf
developed - entwickelt; entwickeln, entwickeln, entwickeln, entwickeln
vein - Vene, Ader, Geäder, Goldader
joviality - Jovialität; Heiterkeit
vermouths - Wermutstropfen; Wermut
glorified - verherrlicht; verherrlichen, glorifizieren, verklären, anbeten
expressed - ausgedrückt; bekunden, Eilzug, Schnellzug
casually - beiläufig; gelegentlich
my surprise - zu meiner Ăśberraschung
collected - gesammelt; eintreiben (Schulden), sammeln, einsammeln
fool - dumme Gans, Dummkopf, Narr, Närrin
quoth - Was sagt er
Plato - Plato, Platon
disciples - Jünger, Jüngerin, Jünger, Jüngerin
sententiously - gefühlvoll
emptied - geleert; leer, leeren, entleeren, ausleeren, leer machen
resolution - Entschlossenheit, Standfestigkeit, Vorsatz, Auflösung
rose - Rosa; (rise); Rosa
"The old doctor felt my pulse, evidently thinking of something else the while. Good, good for there,'he mumbled, and then with a certain eagerness asked me whether I would let him measure my head. Rather surprised, I said Yes, when he produced a thing like calipers and got the dimensions back and front and every way, taking notes carefully. He was an unshaven little man in a threadbare coat like a gaberdine, with his feet in slippers, and I thought him a harmless fool. I always ask leave, in the interests of science, to measure the crania of those going out there,'he said. And when they come back, too?'I asked. Oh, I never see them,'he remarked; and, moreover, the changes take place inside, you know.'He smiled, as if at some quiet joke. So you are going out there. Famous. Interesting, too.'He gave me a searching glance, and made another note. Ever any madness in your family?'he asked, in a matter-of-fact tone. I felt very annoyed. Is that question in the interests of science, too?'It would be,'he said, without taking notice of my irritation, interesting for science to watch the mental changes of individuals, on the spot, but.
pulse - pulsieren; Impuls, Puls
evidently - offensichtlich
mumbled - gemurmelt; murmeln, nuscheln, mümmeln, Murmeln
Certain - gewiss, sicher, irgendein, bestimmt
eagerness - Ungeduld; Eifer
whether - ob
measure - Maß; Messung, Maßstab, Takt, Maßnahme, messen, abmessen
surprised - überrascht; Überraschung, Überraschung
produced - produziert; produzieren, herstellen, vorlegen, produzieren
calipers - Bremssättel; Bremsbacke
dimensions - Abmessungen; Dimension, Dimension, Dimension, Dimension
carefully - sorgfältig; vorsichtig
unshaven - unrasiert
little man - Männchen
threadbare - fadenscheinig
harmless - harmlos, unschädlich, ungefährlich
crania - Schädel
remarked - bemerkt; bemerken; Anmerkung, Bemerkung
Moreover - außerdem, überdies, des Weiteren, obendrein
smiled - gelächelt; Lächeln
joke - Witz; Scherz, Streich, Spaß, scherzen, Witze machen
searching - Suche, suchen, absuchen, durchsuchen, suchen
madness - Wahnsinn, Verrücktheit, Tollheit
matter - Materie; Masse, Substanz, Stoff, Angelegenheit, Anlass
tone - Farbton, Klang, Umgangston, Ton
annoyed - verärgert; stören, ärgern, belästigen, nerven, verägern
notice - Bekanntmachung; Benachrichtigung, Mitteilung, Kündigungsfrist
irritation - Ärger, Irritation, Verärgerung
mental - seelisch, geistig
individuals - Einzelpersonen; Individuum
spot - Fleck, Punkt, Pickel, Pustel, Bisschen, Stelle, Ort, Werbespot
.'Are you an alienist?'I interrupted. Every doctor should be"a little,'answered that original, imperturbably. I have a little theory which you messieurs who go out there must help me to prove. This is my share in the advantages my country shall reap from the possession of such a magnificent dependency. The mere wealth I leave to others. Pardon my questions, but you are the first Englishman coming under my observation...'I hastened to assure him I was not in the least typical. If I were,'said I, I wouldn't be talking like this with you.'What you say is rather profound, and probably erroneous,'he said, with a laugh. Avoid irritation more than exposure to the sun. Adieu. How do you English say, eh? Good-bye. Ah! Good-bye. Adieu. In the tropics one must before everything keep calm.'... He lifted a warning forefinger.... Du calme, du calme.'
alienist - Irrenarzt
interrupted - unterbrochen; unterbrechen
imperturbably - Unerschütterlich
theory - Theorie
Prove - er/sie hat/hatte bewiesen, beweisen, erhärten
share in - teilhaben an, teilen;Anteil an
advantages - Vorteile; Vorteil, Vorteil, Vorzug, Vorteil
reap - erlangen;einheimsen, ernten
possession - Gut; Besessenheit; Ballbesitz
magnificent - großartig; prächtig; ausgezeichnet
dependency - Abhängigkeit; Kolonie, Schutzgebiet, Dependency
mere - einfach; nur, schier, bloß
wealth - Reichtum, Vermögen, Fülle
Pardon - Vergebung, Verzeihung, Begnadigung, verzeihen, vergeben
Englishman - Engländer
observation - Beobachtung; Bemerkung
hastened to - zugeeilt
assure - sichern; versichern
profound - tiefgründig; tiefgehend, profund
erroneous - irrtümlich
avoid - ausweichen; meiden, fernbleiben, vermeiden, entkräften
exposure - Exposition; Kontakt, Einwirkung, Lage, Witterung, Belichtung
adieu - Adieu
eh - oder
Good-bye - (Good-bye) Auf Wiedersehen!;adieu, leb wohl, ade, lebewohl, ciao
tropics - Tropen; Wendekreis, tropisch
keep calm - die Ruhe bewahren
lifted - angehoben; Lüften (Bremse), Lift, Aufzug; fördern
warning - Warnung, Mahnung, Achtung; (warn); warnen, mahnen
calme - beruhigen
"One thing more remained to do"say good-bye to my excellent aunt. I found her triumphant. I had a cup of tea"the last decent cup of tea for many days"and in a room that most soothingly looked just as you would expect a lady's drawing-room to look, we had a long quiet chat by the fireside. In the course of these confidences it became quite plain to me I had been represented to the wife of the high dignitary, and goodness knows to how many more people besides, as an exceptional and gifted creature"a piece of good fortune for the Company"a man you don't get hold of every day. Good heavens! and I was going to take charge of a two-penny-half-penny river-steamboat with a penny whistle attached!
remained - geblieben; Überrest (2), de
excellent - ausgezeichnet, hervorragend, großartig
triumphant - triumphieren
soothingly - Beruhigend; lindernde
expect - erwarten
lady - Herrin des Hauses, Hausherrin, Ehefrau des Hausherrn
chat - chatten; Unterhaltung, Plausch, Schwatz; sich unterhalten
by the fireside - am Kamin
confidences - Vertraulichkeiten; Selbstgewissheit, Zuversicht, Vertrauen
represented - vorstellen, darstellen, vertreten
dignitary - Würdenträger, Würdenträgerin
goodness - Güte, Gütigkeit
exceptional - außergewöhnlich
gifted - begabt; Geschenk
Fortune - Fortuna; Schicksal, Glück, Vermögen
hold - halten; innehaben
Good heavens - Um Himmels willen!
penny - Penny
whistle - Pfeife, Trillerpfeife, Flöte, Pfeifen, Pfiff
attached - befestigt; anbringen
It appeared, however, I was also one of the Workers, with a capital"you know. Something like an emissary of light, something like a lower sort of apostle. There had been a lot of such rot let loose in print and talk just about that time, and the excellent woman, living right in the rush of all that humbug, got carried off her feet. She talked about weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways,'till, upon my word, she made me quite uncomfortable. I ventured to hint that the Company was run for profit.
Workers - Arbeitskräfte; Arbeiter, Arbeiterin, Angestellter, Angestellte
emissary - Emissär, Emissärin, Abgesandter
sort - Sortierung, Gattung, Art, Sorte; sortieren, ordnen
apostle - Apostel
rot - verrotten, verderben, faulen, verfaulen
loose - verlassen, lose, locker
print - drucken; Druckschrift; Abdruck; Abzug; Kopie
rush - stürzen, drängen, hetzen, rasen; Eile, Andrang
humbug - Humbug, Unsinn, Betrug, Schwindel, Gauner, Halunke
carried off - weggerafft
weaning - Entwöhnung; entwöhnen
ignorant - unwissend; ignorant
horrid - schrecklich; entsetzlich, grässlich, gräulich, grauenvoll
uncomfortable - unangenehm; unbequem, ungemütlich, unbehaglich
ventured - gewagt; Wagnis
hint - Hinweis, Tipp, Wink, Fingerzeig
profit - Gewinn, Profit, nützen, profitieren, erreichen, gewinnen
"You forget, dear Charlie, that the labourer is worthy of his hire,'she said, brightly. It's queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, and there has never been anything like it, and never can be.
Labourer - Hilfsarbeiter; Arbeiter
worthy - würdig
hire - einstellen; leihen, Entgelt, anstellen, mieten; dingen
brightly - leuchtend; strahlend, hell
queer - seltsam; unwohl; schwul, lesbisch, queer, Queers, Homosexueller
truth - Wahrheit, Treue
It is too beautiful altogether, and if they were to set it up it would go to pieces before the first sunset. Some confounded fact we men have been living contentedly with ever since the day of creation would start up and knock the whole thing over.
altogether - ganz und gar, ohne Ausnahme, ausnahmslos, insgesamt
go to pieces - in die Brüche gehen, entzweigehen
sunset - Sonnenuntergang; Lebensabend
confounded - verwirrt; verwirren, verschlimmern, verschlechtern, besiegen
contentedly - Zufrieden
creation - Erfindung, Werk, Kreation, Schöpfung
start up - hochfahren, starten, auffahren, aufspringen
knock - Klopfen; Schlag; schlagen
"After this I got embraced, told to wear flannel, be sure to write often, and so on"and I left. In the street"I don't know why"a queer feeling came to me that I was an imposter. odd thing that I, who used to clear out for any part of the world at twenty-four hours'notice, with less thought than most men give to the crossing of a street, had a moment"I won't say of hesitation, but of startled pause, before this commonplace affair.
embraced - umarmt; umarmen, annehmen, umarmen, Umarmung
flannel - Flanell
imposter - Hochstapler; Gaukler
odd thing - Merkwürdigkeit
clear out - entrümpeln
hesitation - Zögern
startled - erschrocken; aufschrecken, scheuen, erschrecken
pause - Eine Pause; pausieren, innehalten, Pause
commonplace - alltäglich, banal, gang und gäbe, gewöhnlich, Gemeinplatz
The best way I can explain it to you is by saying that, for a second or two, I felt as though, instead of going to the centre of a continent, I were about to set off for the centre of the earth.
instead - stattdessen, anstatt
"I left in a French steamer, and she called in every blamed port they have out there, for, as far as I could see, the sole purpose of landing soldiers and custom-house officers. I watched the coast. Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you"smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, Come and find out.'This one was almost featureless, as if still in the making, with an aspect of monotonous grimness. The edge of a colossal jungle, so dark-green as to be almost black, fringed with white surf, ran straight, like a ruled line, far, far away along a blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist. The sun was fierce, the land seemed to glisten and drip with steam. Here and there greyish-whitish specks showed up clustered inside the white surf, with a flag flying above them perhaps. Settlements some centuries old, and still no bigger than pinheads on the untouched expanse of their background. We pounded along, stopped, landed soldiers; went on, landed custom-house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God-forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag-pole lost in it; landed more soldiers"to take care of the custom-house clerks, presumably. Some, I heard, got drowned in the surf; but whether they did or not, nobody seemed particularly to care. They were just flung out there, and on we went. Every day the coast looked the same, as though we had not moved; but we passed various places"trading places"with names like Gran'Bassam, Little Popo; names that seemed to belong to some sordid farce acted in front of a sinister back-cloth. The idleness of a passenger, my isolation amongst all these men with whom I had no point of contact, the oily and languid sea, the uniform sombreness of the coast, seemed to keep me away from the truth of things, within the toil of a mournful and senseless delusion.
blamed - beschuldigt; jemadem die Schuld zuweisen
port - Schlitz, Backbord, Portwein, Hafen; portieren, übertragen
sole - Seezunge, Sohle, einzig
purpose - absicht, Absicht, Einsatzzweck, Zweck
soldiers - Soldaten; Soldat, Soldatin, Kämpfer
custom-house - (custom-house) Zollhaus
officers - Offiziere; Funktionär, Funktionärin, Beamter, Beamtin, Offizier
slips - Ausrutscher; Versprecher; Rutschen (geradeaus); Lapsus
enigma - rätselhaft; Rätsel, Mysterium, Knobelei, Rateaufgabe
smiling - lächelnd; (smile); Lächeln
frowning - Stirnrunzeln; die Stirn runzeln
grand - großartig, prächtig, groß, bedeutend
insipid - geschmacklos
savage - Wilde; wild, wüst, unbebaut, unbändig, rasend
mute - stumm; sprachlos; abdämpfen, dämpfen
whispering - Geflüster; (whisper); Geflüster, Flüstern, Wispern
almost - fast, beinahe, so gut wie
featureless - funktionslos; nichtssagend
monotonous - eintönig
grimness - Grimmigkeit
edge - Rand; Seite, Kante, Vorsprung, Klinge, Schneide, schieben
colossal - kolossal
jungle - Urwald, Dschungel
fringed - ausgefranst; Franse, Saum, Einfassung, Rand, Peripherie
surf - Brandung; wellenreiten, surfen
glitter - Glitter; glitzern
blurred - verschwimmen, verwischen, verschmieren, verschwimmen
creeping - schleichend; kriechen, schleichen, schleichen, kriechen
fierce - wild, heftig, bedrohlich
glisten - glitzern, glänzen, gleißen
drip - Tropfen; sickern, tröpfeln, träufeln
Steam - Wasserdampf, Kraft, Energie, dämpfen, dünsten
greyish - gräulich
whitish - weißlich
specks - Flecken; Fleckchen
clustered - geclustert; Anhäufung, Büschel, Gruppe, Haufen, Schwarm, Traube
flag - markieren, beflaggen, kennzeichnen; Kennzeichen, Platte, Flag
settlements - Siedlungen; Regelung, Regulierung, Erledigung, Ansiedlung
pinheads - Stecknadelköpfe; Dummkopf, Holzkopf, Dummbatz
untouched - unangetastet
expanse - Fläche, Ausdehnung, Weite
background - Hintergrund
levy - Umlage; Erhebung; erheben
Toll - Maut; Zoll, Gebühr
God - Gott
forsaken - im Stich gelassen; aufgeben
tin - Zinn
shed - Schuppen; (to shed) vergießen, abstoßen, lsowerden
pole - Pfahl; (North Pole) Nordpol
care - kümmern; Sorgfalt, Aufbewahrung, Behandlung
presumably - Vermutlich
drowned - ertrunken; ertrinken, ertränken, überwältigen
flung - geschleudert; Affäre (Liebesaffäre)
passed - bestanden; (to pass) durchgehen, passieren, durchlaufen
various - verschiedene
belong - zugehören; gehören (zu)
sordid - dreckig, schäbig, schmutzig, geizig
farce - eine Farce; Posse
acted - gehandelt; Handlung, Tat, Akt, Gesetz
sinister - unheimlich
idleness - Untätigkeit, Stillstand, Müßiggang, Trägheit
passenger - Passagier, Passagierin, Fahrgast, Fahrgästin
isolation - Isolierung, Isolation
point of contact - Berührpunkt , Berührungspunkt
oily - ölig; ölhaltig
languid - träge; schwach
uniform - gleichförmig, gleichmäßig, einheitlich, Uniform, Dienstkleidung
sombreness - Düsternis
toil - Mühe; schuften, sich plagen, sich quälen, roboten
senseless - empfindungslos, ohne Gefühl, ohnmächtig, bewusstlos
delusion - Täuschung, Irreführung, Wahn, Wahnvorstellung
The voice of the surf heard now and then was a positive pleasure, like the speech of a brother. It was something natural, that had its reason, that had a meaning. Now and then a boat from the shore gave one a momentary contact with reality. It was paddled by black fellows. You could see from afar the white of their eyeballs glistening. They shouted, sang; their bodies streamed with perspiration; they had faces like grotesque masks"these chaps; but they had bone, muscle, a wild vitality, an intense energy of movement, that was as natural and true as the surf along their coast. They wanted no excuse for being there. They were a great comfort to look at. For a time I would feel I belonged still to a world of straightforward facts; but the feeling would not last long. Something would turn up to scare it away. Once, I remember, we came upon a man-of-war anchored off the coast. There wasn't even a shed there, and she was shelling the bush. It appears the French had one of their wars going on thereabouts. Her ensign dropped limp like a rag; the muzzles of the long six-inch guns stuck out all over the low hull; the greasy, slimy swell swung her up lazily and let her down, swaying her thin masts. In the empty immensity of earth, sky, and water, there she was, incomprehensible, firing into a continent. Pop, would go one of the six-inch guns; a small flame would dart and vanish, a little white smoke would disappear, a tiny projectile would give a feeble screech"and nothing happened. Nothing could happen. There was a touch of insanity in the proceeding, a sense of lugubrious drollery in the sight; and it was not dissipated by somebody on board assuring me earnestly there was a camp of natives"he called them enemies!"hidden out of sight somewhere.
pleasure - Vergnügen; Freude, Spaß, Wollust
Speech - Sprache; Rede, Ansprache
momentary - Momentan
contact - Kontakt, Berührung, Verbindung, Kontaktlinse, berühren
reality - Wirklichkeit, Realität, checkRealität
paddled - gepaddelt; verhauen; planschen, watscheln, rudern
from afar - weiter
eyeballs - Augäpfel; Augapfel, nach Augenmaß abschätzen
glistening - glitzern, glänzen, gleißen
shouted - geschrien; Schrei, Zuruf; rufen, schreien, laut schreien
streamed - gestreamt; Bach, Strom, Datenstrom, strömen, streamen
perspiration - Schwitzen
grotesque - grotesk
masks - Masken; Maske; abkleben (zum Schutz); abdecken, maskieren
bone - Knochen
muscle - Muskeln; Muskel
vitality - Vitalität, Lebenskraft
intense - intensiv; hochgradig
energy - Energie
movement - Bewegung; Satz
Excuse - Wie bitte; entschuldigen, verzeihen, sich entschuldigen
comfort - Behaglichkeit, Bequemlichkeit, Komfort, Trost, Tröstung
belonged - gehörte; zugehören; gehören (zu)
straightforward - geradlinig; aufrichtig, einfach, offen
turn up - aufbinden, erscheinen, auftauchen
scare - jemanden ängstigen, aufschrecken, erschrecken
anchored - verankert; Anker
shelling - Beschuss; Bombardierung; (shell); Schale, Eierschale, Hülse
wars - Kriege; Krieg, Krieg, Krieg führen, qualifier
thereabouts - so ungefähr; daherum, dortherum, in der Gegend, um die Ecke
ensign - Fähnrich; Fahne
limp - schlaff; schlapp; hinken, lahmen
rag - Fummel, Lumpen, Putzlappen, Unfug
muzzles - Maulkörbe; Schnauze, Maulkorb, Mündung, einen Maulkorb anlegen
inch - Zoll (2, 54 cm), Zoll (Längenmaß)
guns - Pistolen; Geschütz, Gewehr, Knarre, Revolver
stuck out - (stick out) herausragen, rausstrecken (ugs.), herausstehen
hull - Rumpf; Hülse, Schale, Hülle
greasy - schmierig, rutschig, fettig
slimy - schleimig; schmierig, aalglatt
swell - anschwellen; Schwellen
swaying - schwankend; (sway); Schwingen, Schwenken, Hin- und Herschwingen
masts - Masten; Mast
empty - leer; leeren, entleeren, ausleeren, leer machen
pop - knallen
flame - Flamme, poetic, anmachen
dart - Pfeil, Satz
vanish - verschwinden, vergehen, sich verflüchtigen
disappear - verschwinden, entschwinden, zum Verschwinden bringen
tiny - winzig; Kleinkind
projectile - Projektil, Geschoss
feeble - kraftlos, schwach, dürftig
screech - Kreischen, Quietschen, Kreischen, Aufschreien
insanity - Wahnsinn
proceeding - Wie geht es weiter; fortsetzend, verfahrend; (proceed); vorgehen
lugubrious - schwermütig; düster, kummervoll
drollery - Komödie
sight - Sehenswürdigkeit, Gesicht, Visier, erblicken, anvisieren
dissipated - verpufft; zerstreuen, zerteilen, verscheuchen, lösen, abbauen
assuring - sichern, versichern
earnestly - ernsthaft
enemies - Feinde; Feind, Feindin, Gegner, Gegnerin, feindlich
hidden - versteckt; verbergen, verheimlichen, verstecken, verdecken
"We gave her her letters (I heard the men in that lonely ship were dying of fever at the rate of three a day) and went on. We called at some more places with farcical names, where the merry dance of death and trade goes on in a still and earthy atmosphere as of an overheated catacomb; all along the formless coast bordered by dangerous surf, as if Nature herself had tried to ward off intruders; in and out of rivers, streams of death in life, whose banks were rotting into mud, whose waters, thickened into slime, invaded the contorted mangroves, that seemed to writhe at us in the extremity of an impotent despair. Nowhere did we stop long enough to get a particularized impression, but the general sense of vague and oppressive wonder grew upon me.
lonely - einsam, alleinig, abgeschieden, öde
fever - Fieber, Temperaturerhöhung
rate - Wechselkurs, Devisenkurs, Kurs; Kommunalsteuer
places with - vergibt
farcical - lächerlich
merry - fröhlich, heiter
earthy - erdig
overheated - überhitzt; überhitzen, überhitzen
catacomb - Katakombe
formless - formlos
bordered - umrandet; Grenze, Rand, Rand, Beet
nature - Natur, Art
ward - Station; abwehren, abhalten
intruders - Eindringlinge; Eindringling
streams - Bach, Strom, Datenstrom, strömen, streamen
thickened - verdickt; verdicken
slime - Schleim
invaded - eindringen, verletzen, überfallen, einmarschieren, einfallen
contorted - verzerrt; verzerren
mangroves - Mangrovenbaum, Mangrove
writhe - sich winden; winden, krümmen
extremity - Extremität, äußerstes Ende, Äußerste, Extremste
impotent - impotent
despair - verzweifeln; Verzweiflung
nowhere - nirgendwo, nirgends
particularized - spezifiziert; ins einzelne gehen; ausführlich angeben
general - allgemein, generell, General
vague - vage; nebelhaft, schwach, unklar, undeutlich
oppressive - bedrückend
wonder - Wunder, Mirakel, wundern
It was like a weary pilgrimage amongst hints for nightmares.
weary - müde
pilgrimage - Wallfahrt, Pilgerfahrt, pilgern
hints - Hinweise; Hinweis, Tipp, Wink, Fingerzeig, Anleitung, Andeutung
nightmares - Albträume; Albtraum, Alptraum, qualifier
"It was upward of thirty days before I saw the mouth of the big river. We anchored off the seat of the government. But my work would not begin till some two hundred miles farther on. So as soon as I could I made a start for a place thirty miles higher up.
upward - nach oben; ansteigend, aufwärts
seat - Sitz, Sitzplatz, Sitzgelegenheit, Stuhl, Sitzmöbel
government - staatlich;Regierung , Regierung , Landesregierung
start for - aufbrechen nach
"I had my passage on a little sea-going steamer. Her captain was a Swede, and knowing me for a seaman, invited me on the bridge. He was a young man, lean, fair, and morose, with lanky hair and a shuffling gait. As we left the miserable little wharf, he tossed his head contemptuously at the shore. Been living there?'he asked. I said, Yes.'Fine lot these government chaps"are they not?'he went on, speaking English with great precision and considerable bitterness. It is funny what some people will do for a few francs a month. I wonder what becomes of that kind when it goes upcountry?
passage - Durchfahrt, Ăśbergang, Gang
Swede - Schwede, Schwedin, Svear
invited - eingeladen; auffordern, einladen
Bridge - überbrücken, eine Brücke schlagen; Einschraubbrücke; Brücke
lean - knapp, schlank, hager, mager
fair - gerecht, fair, heiter, schön, angemessen
morose - mürrisch; verdrießlich, missmutig
lanky - schlaksig
shuffling - schlurfend, schiebend; (shuffle); Mischen, Mischeln, Schlurfen
gait - Gang, Gangart (eines Pferdes)
miserable - unglücklich; elend, erbärmlich, jämmerlich, miserabel
wharf - Werft; Kai, Wharf
tossed - geworfen; Wurf, Münzwurf, werfen, werfen, verwerfen, wegwerfen
contemptuously - verächtlich
Government - Regierung; Rektion
precision - Präzision, Genauigkeit, Messpräzision, Wiederholgenauigkeit
considerable - erheblich, beträchtlich, beachtlich
bitterness - Bitterkeit, Bitternis
francs - Franc, Franken, Franken
upcountry - im Landesinneren; landeinwärts
I said to him I expected to see that soon. So-o-o!'he exclaimed. He shuffled athwart, keeping one eye ahead vigilantly. Don't be too sure,'he continued. The other day I took up a man who hanged himself on the road. He was a Swede, too.'Hanged himself! Why, in God's name?'I cried. He kept on looking out watchfully. Who knows? The sun too much for him, or the country perhaps.'
expected - erwartet; erwarten, erwarten, erwarten
exclaimed - ausgerufen; ausrufen
shuffled - gemischt; Mischen
athwart - quer
ahead - voraus, vorne, vorn, oben, geradeaus
vigilantly - Wachsamkeit
continued - fortgesetzt; fortsetzen, weiterhin
hanged - aufgehängt
cried - geweint hat; weinen, schreien, schreien, rufen, Weinen
watchfully - wachsam
"At last we opened a reach. A rocky cliff appeared, mounds of turned-up earth by the shore, houses on a hill, others with iron roofs, amongst a waste of excavations, or hanging to the declivity. A continuous noise of the rapids above hovered over this scene of inhabited devastation. A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants. A jetty projected into the river. A blinding sunlight drowned all this at times in a sudden recrudescence of glare. There's your Company's station,'said the Swede, pointing to three wooden barrack-like structures on the rocky slope. I will send your things up.
Rocky - felsig
cliff - Kliff, Felsvorsprung, Klippe
mounds - Hügeln; Erdhügel, Erdwall, Hügel
Hill - Hügel; Hang, Steigung, Steigung, Anstieg, häufeln
iron - eisern; bügeln; in Eisen legen
roofs - Dächer; überdachen; Autodach, Dach
waste - Abfall; verschwenden
excavations - Ausgrabungen; Grabung, Ausgrabung g, Ausschachtung, Aushub
hanging - (to hang) hängen, schweben; (hang) (to hang) hängen, schweben
declivity - Deklination; Abhang
continuous - kontinuierlich
noise - Lärm, Geräusch, Krach, Rauschen, Störung
rapids - Stromschnellen; schnell, Stromschnelle
hovered - schwebte; rütteln, verweilen, zögern, bewegen
scene - Szene
inhabited - bewohnt; bewohnen
devastation - Verwüstung, Zerstörung
naked - nackt, kahl, bloß
Ants - Ameisen; Ameise
jetty - Steg; Pier, Landungsbrücke
blinding - geblendet; blendend, grell; (blind); blind, unkritisch
sunlight - Sonnenlicht
sudden - plötzlich, jäh
recrudescence - Rekrudeszenz
wooden - hölzern, Holz-
barrack - Kaserne; Baracke
structures - Strukturen; Struktur, Struktur, Struktur, Datenstruktur
slope - Steigung, Hang, Abhang, Ableitung
Four boxes did you say? So. Farewell.'
Farewell - Abschied nehmen; Lebewohl, Adieu, Abschied, Lebewohl sagen
"I came upon a boiler wallowing in the grass, then found a path leading up the hill. It turned aside for the boulders, and also for an undersized railway-truck lying there on its back with its wheels in the air. One was off. The thing looked as dead as the carcass of some animal. I came upon more pieces of decaying machinery, a stack of rusty rails. To the left a clump of trees made a shady spot, where dark things seemed to stir feebly.
boiler - Dampfkessel, Kocher, Erhitzer; Badeofen
wallowing - Schwelgen; (wallow) im Schmutz wälzen; (wallow) Schwelgen; (wallow) im Schmutz wälzen
path - Weg, Pfad
aside - beiseite, zur Seite
boulders - Felsbrocken, Felsblock, Fels
undersized - unterdimensioniert
Railway - Eisenbahnlinie, Gleis, Eisenbahn
truck - Lkw, Lastkraftwagen; Lastkraftwagen, Lastwagen, Lastauto
wheels - Räder; Rad
carcass - Karkasse; Aas, Aase
decaying - verrotten; Verfall, Verwesung, Fäulnis, verfallen, verderben
machinery - Maschinen; Maschinerie, maschinelle Ausrüstung
stack - Stapel; Stapelspeicher; stapeln
rusty - rostig, verrostet
rails - Schienen; Gleis, Schiene, Reling, Geländer
clump - Klumpen; Büschel; Plumps
shady - schattig; schattenspendend, Schatten, zwielichtig
feebly - schwächlich; schwach
I blinked, the path was steep. A horn tooted to the right, and I saw the black people run. A heavy and dull detonation shook the ground, a puff of smoke came out of the cliff, and that was all. No change appeared on the face of the rock. They were building a railway. The cliff was not in the way or anything; but this objectless blasting was all the work going on.
blinked - geblinzelt; blinzeln, lichthupen, aufblenden, blinken, morsen
steep - steil; einweichen, abschüssig
horn - Horn; Waldhorn; Jagdhorn; Hupe, Trichter, Blech, Muschel
tooted - getrommelt; tuten, blasen
detonation - Detonation
ground - Masse (elektrisch); Erdboden, Grund, Boden
puff - pusten; Hauch
Rock - schaukeln, schütteln, rocken, sich wiegen (Boot); Geldstück
objectless - objektlos
blasting - Sprengen; Ăśbersteuerung
"A slight clinking behind me made me turn my head. Six black men advanced in a file, toiling up the path. They walked erect and slow, balancing small baskets full of earth on their heads, and the clink kept time with their footsteps. Black rags were wound round their loins, and the short ends behind waggled to and fro like tails. I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking. Another report from the cliff made me think suddenly of that ship of war I had seen firing into a continent. It was the same kind of ominous voice; but these men could by no stretch of imagination be called enemies. They were called criminals, and the outraged law, like the bursting shells, had come to them, an insoluble mystery from the sea.
Slight - geringfügig, leicht, unbedeutend
clinking - tönen, klirren, klingen
advanced - fortgeschritten; erhöhen, erheben, befördern, vorrücken
file - Datei; Kartei, File, Aktenmappe, Reihe; ablegen (Briefe usw.)
toiling - schuftend, quälend; (toil); Mühe; schuften, sich plagen
balancing - Ausgewogenheit, Bilanz, Saldo, Guthaben
baskets - Körbe; Korb
Footsteps - Fußstapfen; Fußabdruck, Schritt
rags - Fummel, Lumpen, Putzlappen, Unfug
wound - anschießen, verwunden
loins - Lenden; Lende, Rippenstück
waggled - gewackelt; wackeln, wedeln
tails - Schwänze; Zipfel
rib - Rippe (Profil); Drehschiene, Spant, Rippe, Lamelle
joints - Gelenke; gemeinschaftlich, gemeinsam, gemeinsame, gemeinsamer
limbs - Gliedmaßen; Schenkel (geol. Falte), Glied
knots - Knoten, Knäuel
rope - Tau, Seil, Strang
collar - Kragen; Halskette; Halsband; Ring
neck - knutschen; Genick, Zapfen (Wellenhals), Nacken
connected - verbunden; verbinden, anschließen, verbinden
chain - Kette; anketten
bights - Bucht
rhythmically - rhythmisches, rhythmisch
war - Krieg; Krieg führen
stretch - strecken, dehnen, langziehen, dehnen
imagination - Phantasie; Vorstellungskraft, Imagination, Einbildungskraft
criminals - kriminell, kriminell, kriminell, Krimineller, Kriminelle
outraged - empört; Untat, Gräueltat, (empörendes) Verbrechen, Beleidigung
law - Gesetz, Jura, Rechtswissenschaft
bursting - platzen, zerplatzen, bersten, sprengen, Bersten
shells - Muscheln; Schale, Schale, Eierschale, Schale, Hülse, Granate
insoluble - unlösbar; unerklärlich
All their meagre breasts panted together, the violently dilated nostrils quivered, the eyes stared stonily uphill. They passed me within six inches, without a glance, with that complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages. Behind this raw matter one of the reclaimed, the product of the new forces at work, strolled despondently, carrying a rifle by its middle. He had a uniform jacket with one button off, and seeing a white man on the path, hoisted his weapon to his shoulder with alacrity. This was simple prudence, white men being so much alike at a distance that he could not tell who I might be. He was speedily reassured, and with a large, white, rascally grin, and a glance at his charge, seemed to take me into partnership in his exalted trust. After all, I also was a part of the great cause of these high and just proceedings.
meagre - notdürftig (knapp, spärlich); karg (Einkommen, Mahl), mager
breasts - Brüste; Brust, Brust, Brust, -brust, Entenbrust
panted - keuchte; keuchen, hecheln, schnaufen (i. S. v. keuchen)
violently - gewaltsam; gewalttätig
dilated - geweitet; dilatieren, weiten, vergrößern, erweitern, dehnen
nostrils - Nasenlöcher; Nasenloch
quivered - gezittert; zittern
stonily - steinig
uphill - bergauf
inches - Zoll (2, 54 cm), Zoll (Längenmaß)
deathlike - todesähnlich; totengleich
indifference - Gleichgültigkeit
unhappy - unglücklich
raw - roh; Roh-; rau
reclaimed - zurückgewonnen; zurückfordern, reklamieren, bessern
forces - Kräfte; zwingen, forcieren, erzwingen; Stärke, Macht, Einfluss
strolled - spazieren gegangen; Spaziergang, Bummel, spazieren gehen
despondently - verzweifelt
rifle - Gewehr, Karabiner
button - Schaltfläche, Taster, Knopf, Taste
hoisted - hochgezogen; hochziehen, hissen, Hebezeug
weapon - Waffe
alacrity - Eilfertigkeit; Eifer; Unverzüglichkeit
prudence - Klugheit, Umsicht, Besonnenheit
alike - ähneln; gleich; gleichermaßen
distance - Distanz, Entfernung, Abstand, Ferne, Weite, entfernen
speedily - zügig; beeilt, schnell
reassured - beruhigt; versichern, beruhigen
rascally - schurkisch; gemein, schuftig
grin - (to grin) grinsen, strahlen
partnership - Partnerschaft; Personengesellschaft
exalted - erhaben; ehren, erhöhen
trust - Vertrauen, Hoffnung, Trust, anschreiben
proceedings - fortsetzend, verfahrend
"Instead of going up, I turned and descended to the left. My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill. You know I am not particularly tender; I've had to strike and to fend off. I've had to resist and to attack sometimes"that's only one way of resisting"without counting the exact cost, according to the demands of such sort of life as I had blundered into. I've seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men"men, I tell you.
descended - abstammen; absteigen, niedergehen, herunterkommen, herabsteigen
gang - Clique, Bande, Rotte, Gruppe; abgleichen
tender - zärtlich; empfindlich, Ausschreibung, Angebot, zart; andienen
strike - streichen; schlagen; prägen; streiken; scheinen; die Fahne streichen; Strike; Streik; Schlag
fend - abwehren
resist - widerstehen, erwehren;gegen etw. bestehen
attack - Attacke, Angriff, Anfall, angreifen, attackieren
resisting - Widerstand leisten; widerstreben, widerstehen, widerstreiten
counting - rechnen, abzählen, zählen
exact - exakt, genau, fordern, abverlangen
according - nach; Übereinstimmung, Einvernehmen
demands - Forderungen; Nachfrage, Bedarf, Nachfrage, Anspruch, verlangen
blundered - verpatzt; Patzer, Schnitzer, Fehler, Fehlgriff, Mißgriff
greed - Gier, Habsucht, Habgier, Raffgier; (gree); Gier, Habsucht
desire - begehren; Begehren, Wunsch
lusty - lüstern; rüstig, kräftig
devils - Teufeln; Teufel, Satan, Teufel, Teufel, Teufel, Teufelin
swayed - schwankte; Schwingen
But as I stood on this hillside, I foresaw that in the blinding sunshine of that land I would become acquainted with a flabby, pretending, weak-eyed devil of a rapacious and pitiless folly. How insidious he could be, too, I was only to find out several months later and a thousand miles farther. For a moment I stood appalled, as though by a warning. Finally I descended the hill, obliquely, towards the trees I had seen.
hillside - Berghang; Bergabhang
foresaw - vorhersehen, voraussehen
acquainted - kennengelernt; vertraut machen, in Kenntnis setzen
flabby - schlaff; schlabberig
pretending - vorgeben, prätendieren, vortäuschen, so tun, als ob, tun
weak - schwach; out, unschön, häßlich, uninteressant
devil - dem Teufel; Teufel, Satan, Teufelin, reizen, ärgern
rapacious - räuberisch
folly - Wahnsinn; Torheit, Narrheit, Dummheit, Tollheit
insidious - heimtückisch
several - mehrere, einige, verschiedene, checkeinige
appalled - entsetzt; erschrecken, entsetzen
finally - schließlich; endlich; definitiv, checkletztendlich
obliquely - schräg
towards - zu, in Richtung, nach, auf, zu, gegenüber, für, um, zwecks
"I avoided a vast artificial hole somebody had been digging on the slope, the purpose of which I found it impossible to divine. It wasn't a quarry or a sandpit, anyhow. It was just a hole. It might have been connected with the philanthropic desire of giving the criminals something to do. I don't know. Then I nearly fell into a very narrow ravine, almost no more than a scar in the hillside. I discovered that a lot of imported drainage-pipes for the settlement had been tumbled in there. There wasn't one that was not broken. It was a wanton smash-up. At last I got under the trees.
avoided - vermieden; ausweichen, meiden, fernbleiben, vermeiden
artificial - künstlich
hole - Bohrung, Markierung, Höhle, Loch
digging - grabend; (dig) grabend
impossible - unmöglich
divine - göttlich
quarry - Steinbruch; stöbern; Beute, Jagdbeute, verfolgtes Wild
sandpit - Sandkasten
ravine - Klamm, Schlucht
scar - Narbe
discovered - entdeckt; entdecken, erleben, erfahren, dabei sein
imported - importiert; importieren; Einfuhr
drainage - Entwässerung, Drainage, Dränage
pipes - Rohre; Flöte, Orgelpfeife, Rohr
settlement - Regelung, Regulierung, Erledigung, Ansiedlung
tumbled - getrommelt; Sturz, Fall, Überschlag, Absturz, Purzelbaum, Rolle
wanton - mutwillig; wild, unkontrolliert, unbeherrscht, unberechenbar
smash - Krachen; Wucht; zerschellen, zerschmettern, zertrümmern
My purpose was to stroll into the shade for a moment; but no sooner within than it seemed to me I had stepped into the gloomy circle of some Inferno. The rapids were near, and an uninterrupted, uniform, headlong, rushing noise filled the mournful stillness of the grove, where not a breath stirred, not a leaf moved, with a mysterious sound"as though the tearing pace of the launched earth had suddenly become audible.
shade - Schatten; Vorhang; Farbton; schattieren
stepped - getreten; treten, treten (du trittst
gloomy - düster, finster, trübe, dunkel
circle - Kreis, Zirkel, Augenringe, umkreisen, einkreisen
Inferno - Hölle, Inferno
uninterrupted - ohne Unterbrechung; ununterbrochen
headlong - kopflos; mit dem Kopf zuerst; kopfüber; Hals über Kopf
rushing - hetzend, sausend; (rush) hetzend, sausend
stillness - Stille
grove - Hain, Gehölz, Wäldchen
breath - Atmen, Atmung, Atemzug, Atem, Atempause
stirred - gerührt; erschüttern, bewegen, sich rühren
leaf - Blatt, Laubblatt, Platte
tearing - zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
pace - Tempo, Stufe, Schritt
launched - gestartet; Markteinführung; anstoßen, starten (Rakete)
audible - hörbar
"Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair. Another mine on the cliff went off, followed by a slight shudder of the soil under my feet. The work was going on. The work! And this was the place where some of the helpers had withdrawn to die.
shapes - Zustand, Form, Form, Form, Gestalt, Form
crouched - gehockt; sich ducken (vor), kriechen; kauern, hocken
lay - legen; richten (Tisch)
trunks - Stamm, Baumstamm, Koffer, Truhe, Schrankkoffer, Schiffskoffer
clinging to - anschmiegend
effaced - ausgelöscht; unkenntlich machen, unlesbar machen, verwischen
dim light - Funzel (ugs.), Abblendlicht
attitudes - Haltungen; Haltung, Einstellung, Attitüde, Orientierung
pain - Schmerzen; Qual, Stich (Schmerz), Schmerz
abandonment - Verzicht; Überlassen, Aufgabe, Preisgabe, Hinterlassung
mine - mein, meiner
shudder - erschaudern; Schauder; (wohliger) Schauder; schaudern; zittern
soil - Boden, (Erd-) Boden; beflecken, beschmutzen, schmutzig machen
helpers - Helfern; Helfer, Helferin
withdrawn - zurückgezogen; annullieren, entziehen, abziehen, ausscheiden
"They were dying slowly"it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now"nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom. Brought from all the recesses of the coast in all the legality of time contracts, lost in uncongenial surroundings, fed on unfamiliar food, they sickened, became inefficient, and were then allowed to crawl away and rest. These moribund shapes were free as air"and nearly as thin. I began to distinguish the gleam of the eyes under the trees. Then, glancing down, I saw a face near my hand. The black bones reclined at full length with one shoulder against the tree, and slowly the eyelids rose and the sunken eyes looked up at me, enormous and vacant, a kind of blind, white flicker in the depths of the orbs, which died out slowly.
clear - klar, durchsichtig, hell, frei
earthly - irdisch; weltlich
shadows - Schatten, beschatten, beschatten
starvation - Verhungern, Hunger
confusedly - verwirrt
greenish - grünlich
recesses - Pausen; Vertiefung, Winkel, Aushöhlung, qualifier
legality - Rechtmäßigkeit; Legalität
contracts - Verträge; Vertrag, Kontrakt; ich/er/sie zog zusammen
uncongenial - unangenehm
fed - abgefütterte, gefüttert; (feed) abgefütterte, gefüttert
unfamiliar - ungewohnt
sickened - erkrankt; erkranken
inefficient - ineffizient
allowed - erlaubt; erlauben, zulassen, akzeptieren, erlauben, zulassen
crawl - krabbeln; kriechen
distinguish - unterscheiden; erkennen; auszeichnen
gleam - Schimmer; durchschimmern, glänzen
glancing - blickend; (glance); blicken; Blick, Streifblick, Glanz
reclined - zurückgelehnt; zurücklehnen, hinlegen, anlehnen
full length - in Lebensgröße
eyelids - Augenlider; Augenlid
enormous - enorm, riesig
vacant - unbesetzt; frei, vakant, leer, nichtssagend, ausdruckslos
orbs - Kugeln; Himmelskörper, Kugel
died out - ausgestorben
The man seemed young"almost a boy"but you know with them it's hard to tell. I found nothing else to do but to offer him one of my good Swede's ship's biscuits I had in my pocket. The fingers closed slowly on it and held"there was no other movement and no other glance. He had tied a bit of white worsted round his neck"Why? Where did he get it? Was it a badge"an ornament"a charm"a propitiatory act? Was there any idea at all connected with it? It looked startling round his black neck, this bit of white thread from beyond the seas.
biscuits - Kekse; Keks
Pocket - Tasche
fingers - fingern
held - gehalten; innehaben
tied - gebunden; zusammenbinden
worsted - Kammgarn; (worst) (bad) schlimm, verdorben, arg, ungezogen
badge - Ausweis; Abzeichen
ornament - Verzierung; musikalische Verzierung
charm - Talisman; Charme, Zauberformel, Lieblichkeit; bezaubern
propitiatory - versöhnlich; versöhnende
act - handeln; Handlung, Tat, Akt, Gesetz, Akte, Spiel
startling - verblüffend; überraschend, alarmierend, erschreckend
thread - Thema; Faden, Garn, Zwirn, Nähgarn
beyond - darüber hinaus; jenseits
"Near the same tree two more bundles of acute angles sat with their legs drawn up. One, with his chin propped on his knees, stared at nothing, in an intolerable and appalling manner: his brother phantom rested its forehead, as if overcome with a great weariness; and all about others were scattered in every pose of contorted collapse, as in some picture of a massacre or a pestilence. While I stood horror-struck, one of these creatures rose to his hands and knees, and went off on all-fours towards the river to drink.
bundles - Bündel
acute - scharf; spitz; akut
angles - Winkeln; Angel
intolerable - unerträglich
appalling - entsetzlich, erschreckend; (appal); entsetzlich, erschreckend
manner - Art und Weise; Weise, Manier
phantom - Gespenst; Phantom
forehead - Stirn
overcome - überwunden; überwinden
weariness - Müdigkeit
collapse - Zusammenbruch; einstürzen, kollabieren, zusammenfallen
massacre - Massaker; massakrieren
pestilence - Pestilenz; Pest, Seuche
horror - Angst, Furcht, Horror, Grauen
struck - angeschlagen; streichen, schlagen, prägen, streiken, scheinen
creatures - Kreaturen; Wesen
He lapped out of his hand, then sat up in the sunlight, crossing his shins in front of him, and after a time let his woolly head fall on his breastbone.
lapped - überrundet; Schoß
shins - Schienbeine; Schienbein; hinaufklettern
woolly - wollig
breastbone - Brustbein, Sternum
"I didn't want any more loitering in the shade, and I made haste towards the station. When near the buildings I met a white man, in such an unexpected elegance of get-up that in the first moment I took him for a sort of vision. I saw a high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clean necktie, and varnished boots.
loitering - Herumlungern; trödelnd; (loiter); rumlungern, rumhängen
haste - Eile, Hast
buildings - Bau, bildend, Erstellung, Gebäude
unexpected - unerwartet
elegance - Eleganz
vision - Sicht, Sehvermögen, Sehkraft, Augenlicht, Trugbild
cuffs - Manschetten; Manschette; Hosenaufschlag, Umschlag (an der Hose)
alpaca - Alpaka, Alpakahengst, Alpakastute
snowy - verschneit; Schnee
necktie - Krawatte, Schlips
No hat. Hair parted, brushed, oiled, under a green-lined parasol held in a big white hand. He was amazing, and had a penholder behind his ear.
brushed - gebürstet; Bürste; glossaint-, Bürste, Busch
oiled - geölt; ölen; Ă–l
parasol - Sonnenschirm
penholder - Federhalter
"I shook hands with this miracle, and I learned he was the Company's chief accountant, and that all the book-keeping was done at this station. He had come out for a moment, he said, to get a breath of fresh air. The expression sounded wonderfully odd, with its suggestion of sedentary desk-life. I wouldn't have mentioned the fellow to you at all, only it was from his lips that I first heard the name of the man who is so indissolubly connected with the memories of that time. Moreover, I respected the fellow. Yes; I respected his collars, his vast cuffs, his brushed hair. His appearance was certainly that of a hairdresser's dummy; but in the great demoralization of the land he kept up his appearance. That's backbone.
miracle - ein Wunder; Wunder, Mirakel
wonderfully - Wunderbar
odd - einzeln; seltsam, merkwürdig, komisch, ungerade
suggestion - Anregung; Vorschlag; Suggestion
mentioned - erwähnt; Erwähnung, erwähnen
lips - Lippen; Lippe, Auslauf, Überlauf, Schnaupe, Ansatz
indissolubly - unauflöslich
respected - respektiert; Achtung, Respekt, respektieren, respektieren
collars - Kragen, Halskette, Halsband
appearance - Erscheinen, Auftritt, Aussehen
Certainly - sicherlich, zweifellos, gewiss, freilich
Hairdresser - Friseur, Friseurin, Coiffeur
dummy - Puppe; Attrappe
demoralization - Demoralisierung
kept up - durchgehalten
backbone - Rückgrat, Wirbelsäule
His starched collars and got-up shirt-fronts were achievements of character. He had been out nearly three years; and, later, I could not help asking him how he managed to sport such linen. He had just the faintest blush, and said modestly, I've been teaching one of the native women about the station. It was difficult. She had a distaste for the work.'Thus this man had verily accomplished something. And he was devoted to his books, which were in apple-pie order.
achievements - Errungenschaften; Errungenschaft, Leistung, Großtat, Heldentat
character - Figur, Person, Charakter, Original, Buchstabe, Zeichen
managed - verwaltet; verwalten, leiten, hinbekommen, schaffen, schaffen
linen - Wäsche; Leinen; Heimtextilien
faintest - am schwächsten; leise, schwach, undeutlich, ohnmächtig werden
blush - Schamröte; erröten, sich schämen
modestly - bescheidene, züchtig, bescheiden
native - gebürtig; einheimisch; nativ; Ureinwohner, Ureinwohnerin
distaste - Abneigung; Widerwille
verily - wahrhaftig; wahrlich; gewiss, natürlich, sicher
accomplished - vollendet; vollenden, vollenden, vollenden, vollenden
devoted - hingebungsvoll; widmen
in apple-pie order - in bester Ordnung
"Everything else in the station was in a muddle"heads, things, buildings. Strings of dusty niggers with splay feet arrived and departed; a stream of manufactured goods, rubbishy cottons, beads, and brass-wire sent into the depths of darkness, and in return came a precious trickle of ivory.
muddle - verwirren; Wirrwarr
strings - Schnur, Zeichenkette, String, Saite, String, auffädeln
dusty - staubig
niggers - Neger, Negerin, Nigger, Niggerin, Bimbo, Kaffer, Kafferin, Mohr
splay - spreizen; ausschrägen; Abkantung, Abschrägung
departed - abgereist; verlassen, aufbrechen, verlassen, abweichen
manufactured - hergestellt; Produktion, Herstellung, Produkt, herstellen
rubbishy - schuttbedeckt
Cottons - Baumwollstoffe; Baumwolle
beads - Perlen; Perle, Tropfen
brass - Messingschild
wire - Draht, Ader, Wanze, Geld
trickle - Rinnsal; Tröpfeln, Getröpfel, träufeln, rieseln
ivory - Elfenbein, Elfenbeinfarbe, elfenbeinern, Elfenbein-
"I had to wait in the station for ten days"an eternity. I lived in a hut in the yard, but to be out of the chaos I would sometimes get into the accountant's office. It was built of horizontal planks, and so badly put together that, as he bent over his high desk, he was barred from neck to heels with narrow strips of sunlight. There was no need to open the big shutter to see. It was hot there, too; big flies buzzed fiendishly, and did not sting, but stabbed. I sat generally on the floor, while, of faultless appearance (and even slightly scented), perching on a high stool, he wrote, he wrote. Sometimes he stood up for exercise. When a truckle-bed with a sick man (some invalid agent from upcountry) was put in there, he exhibited a gentle annoyance. The groans of this sick person,'he said, distract my attention. And without that it is extremely difficult to guard against clerical errors in this climate.
eternity - Ewigkeit
Yard - (der) Yard
chaos - Chaos, Unordnung, Durcheinander . Wirrwarr
horizontal - horizontal, waagrecht, waagerecht
planks - Bretter; Planke, Schwerpunkt
badly - schlecht
bent - verbogen; (to bend) sich niederbeugen, verbiegen
high desk - Stehpult
barred - verwehrt; Takt; Schankstube; Latte (Sport); Balken, Leiste
heels - Absätze; Hinterende des Hobels, Ferse
strips - Zeichenketten
shutter - Auslöser; Verschließender, Verschließer, Fensterladen; q
buzzed - angeheitert; Summen
fiendishly - teuflische
sting - stechen; Stachel, brennender Schmerz, Stich; schmerzlich treffen
stabbed - erstochen; Stich (Messer-); erstechen
faultless - einwandfrei; fehlerfrei
scented - parfümiert; Geruch, Duft, Parfüm
perching - hocken; Vogelstange; Barsch
stool - Stuhl, Kot, Hocker
truckle - kriechen
invalid - ungültig; zum Invaliden machen; Invalide, Kranken.., Kranke
agent - Agent; Wirkstoff; Agens
exhibited - ausgestellt; zeigen, zur Schau stellen, ausstellen, vorzeigen
gentle - liebenswürdig; einfühlsam, sanftmütig, gemächlich, sachte
annoyance - Ärger, Ärgernis, Verärgerung, Verdruss
groans - stöhnt; Stöhnen
sick person - Kranke {m,f}
distract - ablenken
attention - Aufmerksamkeit, Beachtung, Wachsamkeit, Achtung, Habachtstellung
extremely - extrem, äußerst, krass
guard - Wächter; Parierstange; Schutz; schützen, bewachen
clerical - kirchlich; klerikal, geistlich, priesterlich
errors - Fehler, Fehler, Irrtum
"One day he remarked, without lifting his head, In the interior you will no doubt meet Mr. Kurtz.'On my asking who Mr. Kurtz was, he said he was a first-class agent; and seeing my disappointment at this information, he added slowly, laying down his pen, He is a very remarkable person.'Further questions elicited from him that Mr.
interior - inner; Interieur, Inneres, Innenraum, offener Kern
Mr - Herr
first-class - (first-class) erstklassig
disappointment - Enttäuschung, Verdruss, Misserfolg, Fehlschlag, Reinfall
laying down - Niederlegung , hinlegend
remarkable - bemerkenswert, verwunderlich, denkwürdig, beachtenswert
further - fördern; weiter, ferner, des Weiteren
elicited - erregt; hervorlocken, hervorrufen, auslösen, erzeugen
Kurtz was at present in charge of a trading-post, a very important one, in the true ivory-country, at the very bottom of there. Sends in as much ivory as all the others put together...'He began to write again. The sick man was too ill to groan. The flies buzzed in a great peace.
bottom - unten; Boden, Grund, Unterseite, passiv
ill - krank, siech, übel, schlecht, Übel
groan - Stöhnen; Seufzen, Ächzen, Knarren
peace - Ruhe, Frieden, Friede
"Suddenly there was a growing murmur of voices and a great tramping of feet. A caravan had come in. A violent babble of uncouth sounds burst out on the other side of the planks. All the carriers were speaking together, and in the midst of the uproar the lamentable voice of the chief agent was heard giving it up'tearfully for the twentieth time that day.... He rose slowly. What a frightful row,'he said. He crossed the room gently to look at the sick man, and returning, said to me, He does not hear.'What! Dead?'I asked, startled. No, not yet,'he answered, with great composure. Then, alluding with a toss of the head to the tumult in the station-yard, When one has got to make correct entries, one comes to hate those savages"hate them to the death.'He remained thoughtful for a moment.
murmur - Rauschen, Murmeln, Gemurmel, Raunen, Herzgeräusch
voices - Stimmen; äußern
tramping - (to tramp) trampeln, wandern, maschieren; (tramp); Vagabund
caravan - Karawane; Wohnwagen, Caravan
violent - heftig, gewaltig, brutal, gewalttätig, gewaltbereit, grell
babble - brabbeln, murmeln, schwätzen, plappern, babbeln, plätschern
uncouth - ungehobelt; fremd, fremdartig, sonderbar, tölpelhaft
burst - geplatzt; platzen, zerplatzen, bersten, sprengen, Bersten
side - Seite; Flanke, Rand, Mannschaft, Team
carriers - Träger, Frachtunternehmen
uproar - Aufruhr
lamentable - beklagenswert
tearfully - weinerlich; tränenreich
twentieth - zwanzigste
frightful - schrecklich
Row - Rudern; Reihe, Zeile
crossed - gekreuzt; Kreuz
gently - sanft
composure - Gelassenheit, Fassung, Haltung, innere Ruhe
alluding - anspielend; andeuten, erwähnen
toss - zu werfen; Wurf; Münzwurf; werfen; verwerfen, wegwerfen
tumult - Aufruhr; Tumult, Krach, Lärm, lautes Stimmengewirr
entries - Einträge; Eintritt, Zutritt, Eingang, Flur, Eintrag, Eintrag
thoughtful - nachdenklich, bedächtig, aufmerksam
When you see Mr. Kurtz'he went on, tell him from me that everything here'"he glanced at the deck"'is very satisfactory. I don't like to write to him"with those messengers of ours you never know who may get hold of your letter"at that central station.'He stared at me for a moment with his mild, bulging eyes. Oh, he will go far, very far,'he began again. He will be a somebody in the Administration before long. They, above"the Council in Europe, you know"mean him to be.'
deck - Verdeck; jdm. eine knallen
satisfactory - befriedigend, zufriedenstellend
central station - Hbf. Hauptbahnhof
mild - mild, ausgeglichen, checkzahm, schwach
bulging - Ausbeulen; Ausbuchtung, Beule, Delle, Wölbung, hervorstechen
before long - in kurzem
Council - Rat
"He turned to his work. The noise outside had ceased, and presently in going out I stopped at the door. In the steady buzz of flies the homeward-bound agent was lying finished and insensible; the other, bent over his books, was making correct entries of perfectly correct transactions; and fifty feet below the doorstep I could see the still tree-tops of the grove of death.
steady - beständig; stetig; stabilisieren
buzz - Summen, Brummen, Gemurmel, Raunen, Surren
homeward - nach Hause; (homeward journey) Heimfahrt, heimwärts
insensible - unempfindlich
perfectly - perfekt, einwandfrei, vollkommen, durchaus
transactions - Transaktionen; Geschäftsabwicklung, Geschäftsdurchführung
doorstep - Eingangsstufe, Türschwelle
tops - Oberteil, Spitze, Gipfel, Deckel, Kappe, Oberteil
"Next day I left that station at last, with a caravan of sixty men, for a two-hundred-mile tramp.
tramp - Landstreicher; Vagabund, Penner, Schlampe, Flittchen
"No use telling you much about that. Paths, paths, everywhere; a stamped-in network of paths spreading over the empty land, through the long grass, through burnt grass, through thickets, down and up chilly ravines, up and down stony hills ablaze with heat; and a solitude, a solitude, nobody, not a hut. The population had cleared out a long time ago. Well, if a lot of mysterious niggers armed with all kinds of fearful weapons suddenly took to travelling on the road between Deal and Gravesend, catching the yokels right and left to carry heavy loads for them, I fancy every farm and cottage thereabouts would get empty very soon. Only here the dwellings were gone, too. Still I passed through several abandoned villages. There's something pathetically childish in the ruins of grass walls. Day after day, with the stamp and shuffle of sixty pair of bare feet behind me, each pair under a 60-lb. load. Camp, cook, sleep, strike camp, march. Now and then a carrier dead in harness, at rest in the long grass near the path, with an empty water-gourd and his long staff lying by his side. A great silence around and above. Perhaps on some quiet night the tremor of far-off drums, sinking, swelling, a tremor vast, faint; a sound weird, appealing, suggestive, and wild"and perhaps with as profound a meaning as the sound of bells in a Christian country. Once a white man in an unbuttoned uniform, camping on the path with an armed escort of lank Zanzibaris, very hospitable and festive"not to say drunk. Was looking after the upkeep of the road, he declared. Can't say I saw any road or any upkeep, unless the body of a middle-aged negro, with a bullet-hole in the forehead, upon which I absolutely stumbled three miles farther on, may be considered as a permanent improvement. I had a white companion, too, not a bad chap, but rather too fleshy and with the exasperating habit of fainting on the hot hillsides, miles away from the least bit of shade and water. Annoying, you know, to hold your own coat like a parasol over a man's head while he is coming to.
paths - Wege; Weg, Pfad
everywhere - überall
stamped-in - (stamped-in) eingestanzt
network - Netzwerk; vernetzen
spreading - Ausbreitung; Verteilen, Verteilung, Verbreiten
burnt - angebrannt, verbrannt, brennen, verbrennen; (burn) angebrannt
thickets - Dickicht
chilly - frostig, kalt, kühl
ravines - Schluchten; Klamm, Schlucht
stony - steinig; steinern
ablaze - in Flammen stehen; lodernd; in Flammen
solitude - Einsamkeit, Alleinsein
hut - Hütte
cleared out - (clear out) entrümpeln
fearful - furchtbar; furchtsam, ängstlich, verängstigt
weapons - Waffen; Waffe
travelling on - befahrend
catching - nehmend, fangend
yokels - Bauerntölpel, Hinterwäldler, Tölpel, Hanswurst, Simpel
loads - Last, Beschickung (Ladung), Belastung; beladen, ich lüde
cottage - Cottage, Häuschen, Kotten
dwellings - Behausungen; Wohnung, Behausung
passed through - durchgelaufen
abandoned - im Stich lassen, preisgeben, verlassen, abbrechen
pathetically - erbärmlich
childish - kindgerecht; kindisch
ruins - Ruinen; Ruine, Ruin, Ruin, ruinieren, auf die Knie zwingen
shuffle - Mischen, Mischeln, Schlurfen
bare - knapp, kahl, nackt, bloß; entblößen, abnehmen, freimachen
lb - Pfund (Masseeinheit); Pfund (Gewicht)
carrier - Träger; Frachtunternehmen; Trägersignal, Überträger
harness - Gurtzeug; Geschirr, Pferdegeschirr, Gurt, Anschnallgurt
gourd - Kalebasse
staff - Stab
tremor - Zittern; Tremor; Beben
drums - Schlagzeug; Trommel
sinking - sinken; Untergang; (sink); sinken; senken, versenken, Spüle
swelling - Schwellungen; Anschwellen
weird - geheimnisvoll, unheimlich, übernatürlich, seltsam, komisch
appealing - ansprechend; Revision, Wirkung, Anziehungskraft; reizen
suggestive - suggestiv
bells - Glocken; Klingel, Schelle, Glocke
Christian - Christ, Christin, Christian, christlich
unbuttoned - aufgeknöpft; aufknöpfen
camping - Camping, Zelten; (camp); Camping, Zelten
escort - Eskorte, Geleit, Begleitperson, eskortieren
lank - schlaff; strähnig, dünn, schmächtig
hospitable - gastfreundlich, gastfrei
festive - festlich
looking after - betreuend
upkeep - Wartung, Unterhalt
declared - erklärt; bekanntmachen, bekanntgeben, deklarieren, ausrufen
negro - schwarz; Neger
bullet-hole - (bullet-hole) Einschuss (Loch)
absolutely - absolut, durchaus, total, unbedingt
stumbled - gestolpert; Stolpern
considered - berücksichtigt; überlegen, überlegen, halten, betrachten
permanent - dauerhaft; permanent, ständig, beständig, unbefristet
improvement - Verbesserung
companion - Begleiter, Freund, Liebhaber, Kamerad
fleshy - fleischig
exasperating - verärgernd; verärgern, aufbringen, auf die Palme bringen
habit - Gepflogenheit, Angewohnheit
Fainting - Ohnmacht; (faint); Ohnmacht
hillsides - Abhänge; Bergabhang
annoying - stören, ärgern, belästigen, nerven, verägern, verdrießen
I couldn't help asking him once what he meant by coming there at all. To make money, of course. What do you think?'he said, scornfully. Then he got fever, and had to be carried in a hammock slung under a pole. As he weighed sixteen stone I had no end of rows with the carriers. They jibbed, ran away, sneaked off with their loads in the night"quite a mutiny. So, one evening, I made a speech in English with gestures, not one of which was lost to the sixty pairs of eyes before me, and the next morning I started the hammock off in front all right. An hour afterwards I came upon the whole concern wrecked in a bush"man, hammock, groans, blankets, horrors. The heavy pole had skinned his poor nose. He was very anxious for me to kill somebody, but there wasn't the shadow of a carrier near. I remembered the old doctor"It would be interesting for science to watch the mental changes of individuals, on the spot.'I felt I was becoming scientifically interesting. However, all that is to no purpose. On the fifteenth day I came in sight of the big river again, and hobbled into the Central Station. It was on a back water surrounded by scrub and forest, with a pretty border of smelly mud on one side, and on the three others enclosed by a crazy fence of rushes. A neglected gap was all the gate it had, and the first glance at the place was enough to let you see the flabby devil was running that show. White men with long staves in their hands appeared languidly from amongst the buildings, strolling up to take a look at me, and then retired out of sight somewhere. One of them, a stout, excitable chap with black moustaches, informed me with great volubility and many digressions, as soon as I told him who I was, that my steamer was at the bottom of the river. I was thunderstruck. What, how, why? Oh, it was all right.'The manager himself'was there. All quite correct. Everybody had behaved splendidly! splendidly!'"you must,'he said in agitation, go and see the general manager at once. He is waiting!'
scornfully - verächtlich; verachtend
hammock - Hängematte; Bauminsel
slung - geschleudert; Armschlinge
weighed - gewogen; wiegen, wägen, abwiegen, auswiegen, abwägen, erwägen
stone - Stein; Edelstein, Schmuckstein, Kern, steinigen
rows - Reihen; Reihe, Zeile
jibbed - überrumpelt; widerstreben
sneaked - geschlichen; Duckmäuser, Duckmäuserin, Kriecher, Kriecherin
mutiny - Meuterei
gestures - Gesten; Geste, Gebärde, Geste, gestikulieren
wrecked - ruiniert; Wrack
blankets - Decke, Wolldecke, Bettdecke, Schicht, Lage, allgemein
horrors - Schrecken; Angst, Furcht, Horror, Grauen
skinned - gehäutet; Haut, Haut, tHäutchen
kill - vernichten, totmachen, löschen, zerstören, töten
scientifically - wissenschaftlich
no purpose - umsonst
Fifteenth - fünfzehnte
hobbled - gehumpelt; Fußfessel, Spannstrick
central - zentral, mittig
surrounded - umgeben, umringen, umzingeln, umringen
scrub - Unterholz, Gestrüpp; auswaschen, scheuern, schrubben
border - Grenze; Rand; Beet, Streifen, begrenzen, angrenzen, säumen
smelly - stinken; muffig, üblen
enclosed - eingeschlossen; beifügen, einschliessen
crazy - verrückt
fence - Zaun
rushes - eilt; stürzen, drängen, hetzen, rasen; Eile, Andrang
neglected - vernachlässigt; vernachlässigen, verabsäumen, versäumen
gap - Zahnlücke; Lücke, Bresche, Leerstelle, Kluft
Gate - Tor, Flugsteig, Pforte, Schranke
staves - Dauben; Daube, Sprosse, Strophe, Vers, Notenlinien-p
languidly - träge; matt, schwache
strolling - spazieren; schlendernd, umherziehend; (stroll); Spaziergang
retired - im Ruhestand; pensionieren, zurücktreten, sich zurückziehen
stout - beleibt
excitable - erregbar
moustaches - Schnurrbärte; Schnurrbart, Oberlippenbart, Schnauzbart
informed - informiert; benachrichtigen, mitteilen, informieren
volubility - Flüchtigkeit
digressions - Abschweifungen; Exkurs, Umschweif, Abschweifung
manager - Direktor, Direktorin, Manager, Managerin
behaved - benommen; benehmen
splendidly - prächtig; großartig, herrlich, glanzvoll, in großartiger Weise
agitation - Aufregung; Aufwühlung, Agitation
"I did not see the real significance of that wreck at once. I fancy I see it now, but I am not sure"not at all. Certainly the affair was too stupid"when I think of it"to be altogether natural. Still... But at the moment it presented itself simply as a confounded nuisance. The steamer was sunk. They had started two days before in a sudden hurry up the river with the manager on board, in charge of some volunteer skipper, and before they had been out three hours they tore the bottom out of her on stones, and she sank near the South Bank.
significance - Bedeutung, Signifikanz (1)
wreck - Wrack, Schrott, Schrotthaufen, Schrottkiste, Zusammenstoß
stupid - dumm, doof, blöd, Dummkopf
Simply - einfach
nuisance - Ärgernis, Ärger, Quälgeist, Belästigung
sunk - versenkt; nachlassen, untergehen, abgesackt
volunteer - Freiwilliger, Freiwillige, Ehrenamtlicher, Ehrenamtliche
tore - gerissen; (to tear) zerreißen, reißen
bottom out - Stauchung
South Bank - Südkurve
I asked myself what I was to do there, now my boat was lost. As a matter of fact, I had plenty to do in fishing my command out of the river. I had to set about it the very next day. That, and the repairs when I brought the pieces to the station, took some months.
plenty - viel; Fülle, Überfluss
Command - Befehl, Kommando, befehlen, kommandieren, gebieten, beherrschen
set about - darangemacht, hergemacht
repairs - Reparaturen; reparieren, instandsetzen, ausbessern
"My first interview with the manager was curious. He did not ask me to sit down after my twenty-mile walk that morning. He was commonplace in complexion, in features, in manners, and in voice. He was of middle size and of ordinary build. His eyes, of the usual blue, were perhaps remarkably cold, and he certainly could make his glance fall on one as trenchant and heavy as an axe. But even at these times the rest of his person seemed to disclaim the intention. Otherwise there was only an indefinable, faint expression of his lips, something stealthy"a smile"not a smile"I remember it, but I can't explain. It was unconscious, this smile was, though just after he had said something it got intensified for an instant. It came at the end of his speeches like a seal applied on the words to make the meaning of the commonest phrase appear absolutely inscrutable. He was a common trader, from his youth up employed in these parts"nothing more. He was obeyed, yet he inspired neither love nor fear, nor even respect. He inspired uneasiness. That was it! Uneasiness. Not a definite mistrust"just uneasiness"nothing more. You have no idea how effective such a... a... faculty can be. He had no genius for organizing, for initiative, or for order even. That was evident in such things as the deplorable state of the station. He had no learning, and no intelligence. His position had come to him"why? Perhaps because he was never ill... He had served three terms of three years out there.
Curious - neugierig, sonderbar, merkwürdig
features - Merkmale; Besonderheit, Charakteristikum
manners - Manieren; Weise, Manier
middle size - mittelgroß
ordinary - Heroldsbild; gewöhnlich, normal
usual - gewöhnlich, üblich
remarkably - bemerkenswert
trenchant - Scharfsinnig; schneidend; treffsicher, prägnant, beißend
axe - Axt, Beil
disclaim - ablehnen, dementieren
intention - Absicht
otherwise - sonst
indefinable - undefinierbar
faint - leise, schwach, undeutlich, ohnmächtig werden
stealthy - geheim, heimlich, verstohlen
smile - Lächeln
unconscious - bewusstlos; spontan, unbewusst, unterbewusst, Unbewusstes
intensified - intensiviert; intensifizieren, intensivieren
instant - sofort; augenblicklich, tafelfertig, Moment
speeches - Reden; Sprache, Rede, Ansprache
seal - versiegeln;Siegel , Stempel , Seehund , Robbe ;sich etw. sichern;Plombe
applied - angewendet; zutreffen, auflegen, anwenden, anlegen
youth - Jugend, Jugendlichkeit, Jugendzeit, Jugendlicher, Jugendliche
employed - beschäftigt; einstellen, anstellen, anwerben, einsetzen
obeyed - gehorcht; gehorchen, befolgen
inspired - inspiriert; inspirieren, inspirieren, beatmen, einhauchen
neither - weder; weder X noch Y; keiner, keines
nor - weder noch, auch nicht
fear - fürchten, befürchten, Angst haben; Furcht, Schreck, Befürchtung
uneasiness - Unbehagen
definite - Definitiv
mistrust - Misstrauen
effective - wirksam, effektiv, wirkungsvoll, in Kraft
faculty - der Fakultät; Kollegium, Lehrpersonal, Fakultät, Vermögen
genius - Genie; Genialität
organizing - organisieren, organisieren
initiative - Initiative
evident - offensichtlich; offenkundig
deplorable - bedauernswert
state - Umstände ;Status , Zustand , Stand , Staat ;staatlich;darlegen, festlegen, konstatieren, festsetzen;Bundesland
intelligence - Intelligenz, Klugheit, intelligentes Leben
position - Stellung, Position, Arbeitsplatz, Stelle, positionieren
terms - Bedingungen; Termin, Semester, Begriff; Spielzeit
. Because triumphant health in the general rout of constitutions is a kind of power in itself. When he went home on leave he rioted on a large scale"pompously. Jack ashore"with a difference"in externals only. This one could gather from his casual talk. He originated nothing, he could keep the routine going"that's all. But he was great. He was great by this little thing that it was impossible to tell what could control such a man. He never gave that secret away. Perhaps there was nothing within him. Such a suspicion made one pause"for out there there were no external checks. Once when various tropical diseases had laid low almost every agent'in the station, he was heard to say, Men who come out here should have no entrails.'He sealed the utterance with that smile of his, as though it had been a door opening into a darkness he had in his keeping. You fancied you had seen things"but the seal was on. When annoyed at meal-times by the constant quarrels of the white men about precedence, he ordered an immense round table to be made, for which a special house had to be built. This was the station's mess-room. Where he sat was the first place"the rest were nowhere. One felt this to be his unalterable conviction. He was neither civil nor uncivil. He was quiet. He allowed his boy'"an overfed young negro from the coast"to treat the white men, under his very eyes, with provoking insolence.
rout - Routine; Rotte
constitutions - Verfassungen; Verfassen
power - Macht, Kraft, Großmacht, Stärke, Strom
rioted - randaliert; Aufruhr, Aufruhr, Tumult, Krawall, Randale-p
pompously - pompös; prunkvoll, prunkvolle
Jack - Hans, Hanns, Hannes, Hänsel
externals - Äußerlichkeiten; außen-, extern, äußerlich
gather from - entnehmen, schließen aus
originated - entstanden ist; entwickeln, erzeugen, entstehen, entspringen
control - steuern, kontrollieren, regeln, Kontrolle, Kontrollen, Regelung
suspicion - Verdacht, Argwohn, Verdächtigung
tropical - tropisch
diseases - Krankheiten; Krankheit, qualifier
laid - gelegt; richten (Tisch)
sealed - versiegelt; versiegeln; Siegel, Stempel, Seehund
utterance - Äußerung
fancied - Lust gehabt; extravagant, originell
constant - beständig, konstant, regelmäßig, stetig
quarrels - Streitigkeiten; sich streiten, zanken
precedence - Vorrang
mess - Chaos; Unordnung, Kuddelmuddel, Schlamassel
unalterable - unabänderlich
conviction - Überzeugung; Verurteilung
uncivil - unhöflich
overfed - überfüttert; überernähren; q
treat - behandeln; bewirten, einladen, heilen, kurieren
provoking - provozieren, aufreizen, aufwühlen, aufhetzen, aufpeitschen
insolence - Unverfrorenheit, Frechheit, Unverschämtheit, Dreistigkeit
"He began to speak as soon as he saw me. I had been very long on the road. He could not wait. Had to start without me. The up-river stations had to be relieved. There had been so many delays already that he did not know who was dead and who was alive, and how they got on"and so on, and so on. He paid no attention to my explanations, and, playing with a stick of sealing-wax, repeated several times that the situation was very grave, very grave.'There were rumours that a very important station was in jeopardy, and its chief, Mr. Kurtz, was ill. Hoped it was not true. Mr. Kurtz was... I felt weary and irritable. Hang Kurtz, I thought. I interrupted him by saying I had heard of Mr. Kurtz on the coast. Ah! So they talk of him down there,'he murmured to himself. Then he began again, assuring me Mr. Kurtz was the best agent he had, an exceptional man, of the greatest importance to the Company; therefore I could understand his anxiety.
relieved - Erleichtert; erleichtern, lindern, entlasten, ablösen
delays - Verzögerungen; Verspätung, Verzögerung, Verzug
alive - lebendig
explanations - Erklärungen; Erläuterung, Erklärung, Ausführung, Erklärung
sealing-wax - (sealing-wax) Siegellack
grave - Grab; feierlich, Gruft, massiv, würdig, ernst
rumours - Gerüchte; Sage, Gerücht; munkeln
jeopardy - Gefährdung; Gefahr, Risiko
irritable - reizbar
hang - hängen
importance - Bedeutung; Wichtigkeit, Belang
anxiety - Ängste; Besorgnis, Angst, Sorge
He was, he said, very, very uneasy.'Certainly he fidgeted on his chair a good deal, exclaimed, Ah, Mr. Kurtz!'broke the stick of sealing-wax and seemed dumfounded by the accident. Next thing he wanted to know how long it would take to'... I interrupted him again. Being hungry, you know, and kept on my feet too. I was getting savage. How can I tell?'I said. I haven't even seen the wreck yet"some months, no doubt.'All this talk seemed to me so futile. Some months,'he said. Well, let us say three months before we can make a start. Yes. That ought to do the affair.'I flung out of his hut (he lived all alone in a clay hut with a sort of verandah) muttering to myself my opinion of him. He was a chattering idiot. Afterwards I took it back when it was borne in upon me startlingly with what extreme nicety he had estimated the time requisite for the affair.'
fidgeted - Gezappelt; zappeln, herumzappeln, Zappelphilipp
sealing - siegelnd, Abdichtung; (seal) siegelnd, Abdichtung
wax - das Wachs
futile - sinnlos, vergeblich
all alone - allein sein, mutterseelenallein
clay - Lehm, Ton, Asche
verandah - die Veranda
muttering - Gemurmel; murmeln, brummeln; (mutter) Gemurmel; murmeln
chattering - Geplapper; plappernd
idiot - Idiot, Idiotin, Narr, Närrin
startlingly - Erstaunlich; aufschreckende
extreme - extrem; Extrem
nicety - Nettigkeit; Feinheit
estimated - geschätzt; Schätzung, Abschätzung, Kostenvoranschlag
requisite - erforderlich, notwendig, Erfordernis, Voraussetzung
"I went to work the next day, turning, so to speak, my back on that station. In that way only it seemed to me I could keep my hold on the redeeming facts of life. Still, one must look about sometimes; and then I saw this station, these men strolling aimlessly about in the sunshine of the yard. I asked myself sometimes what it all meant. They wandered here and there with their absurd long staves in their hands, like a lot of faithless pilgrims bewitched inside a rotten fence.
redeeming - erlösend; zurückkaufen, loslösen, freikaufen, befreien
aimlessly - ziellos
wandered - gewandert; umherstreifen, umherstreichen, herumziehen, stromern
absurd - absurd
faithless - ungläubig, unzuverlässig, treulos
pilgrims - Pilger, Wallfahrer
bewitched - verzaubert; verhexen
rotten - verrottet; faul, faulig, verfault, morsch
The word ivory'rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! I've never seen anything so unreal in my life. And outside, the silent wilderness surrounding this cleared speck on the earth struck me as something great and invincible, like evil or truth, waiting patiently for the passing away of this fantastic invasion.
whispered - geflüstert; Geflüster
sighed - geseufzt; Seufzen, Seufzer, Säuseln (Wind); säuseln (Wind)
praying - flehend, betend; (pray) flehend, betend
taint - beflecken; verderben
imbecile - Schwachkopf; Schwachsinnige, geistesschwach
rapacity - Raubgier
blew - geblasen; (to blow) blasen, wehen, pusten
whiff - riechen; Hauch
corpse - Leiche, Leichnam
unreal - unwirklich, irreal
silent - still
surrounding - Umgebung; umliegend; (surround); umgeben, umringen, umzingeln
invincible - unbesiegbar
evil - böse; Sünde, übel, üblen, Ăśbel
passing away - (pass away) sterben, dahinscheiden, versterben, verscheiden
invasion - Invasion, Überfall, Einfall, Einmarsch
"Oh, these months! Well, never mind. Various things happened. One evening a grass shed full of calico, cotton prints, beads, and I don't know what else, burst into a blaze so suddenly that you would have thought the earth had opened to let an avenging fire consume all that trash.
calico - Kattun, Kaliko
cotton - Baumwolle
prints - drucken, Druckschrift, Schrift, Abdruck, Druck, Abzug, Kopie
avenging - Rache; rächen, ahnden
consume - verbrauchen; verzehren; aufnehmen
trash - Müll, Abfall, Papierkorb, wegwerfen, in Unordnung bringen
I was smoking my pipe quietly by my dismantled steamer, and saw them all cutting capers in the light, with their arms lifted high, when the stout man with moustaches came tearing down to the river, a tin pail in his hand, assured me that everybody was behaving splendidly, splendidly,'dipped about a quart of water and tore back again. I noticed there was a hole in the bottom of his pail.
smoking - rauchen; (smoke) rauchen
pipe - Flöte; Orgelpfeife; Rohr; senkrechter Strich
quietly - ruhig, leise
dismantled - demontiert; entmanteln, abwracken, ausschlachten, demontieren
capers - Kapern; Streich (übermütiger), Kaper, Kapriole
tearing down - (tear down) abbrechen
pail - Eimer
behaving - benehmen
dipped - getaucht; einfallen, sich senken, sich neigen, färben; Dip
quart - Quart
noticed - bemerkt; Bekanntmachung, Benachrichtigung, Mitteilung
"I strolled up. There was no hurry. You see the thing had gone off like a box of matches. It had been hopeless from the very first. The flame had leaped high, driven everybody back, lighted up everything"and collapsed. The shed was already a heap of embers glowing fiercely. A nigger was being beaten near by. They said he had caused the fire in some way; be that as it may, he was screeching most horribly. I saw him, later, for several days, sitting in a bit of shade looking very sick and trying to recover himself; afterwards he arose and went out"and the wilderness without a sound took him into its bosom again. As I approached the glow from the dark I found myself at the back of two men, talking. I heard the name of Kurtz pronounced, then the words, take advantage of this unfortunate accident.'One of the men was the manager. I wished him a good evening. Did you ever see anything like it"eh? it is incredible,'he said, and walked off. The other man remained. He was a first-class agent, young, gentlemanly, a bit reserved, with a forked little beard and a hooked nose. He was stand-offish with the other agents, and they on their side said he was the manager's spy upon them. As to me, I had hardly ever spoken to him before. We got into talk, and by and by we strolled away from the hissing ruins. Then he asked me to his room, which was in the main building of the station. He struck a match, and I perceived that this young aristocrat had not only a silver-mounted dressing-case but also a whole candle all to himself. Just at that time the manager was the only man supposed to have any right to candles. Native mats covered the clay walls; a collection of spears, assegais, shields, knives was hung up in trophies. The business intrusted to this fellow was the making of bricks"so I had been informed; but there wasn't a fragment of a brick anywhere in the station, and he had been there more than a year"waiting.
gone off - (go off) losgehen
matches - Streichhölzer; Wettkampf, Kampf (Sport)
hopeless - hoffnungslos
leaped - gesprungen; hervorspringen, hüpfen, überspringen
lighted up - aufgeleuchtet
collapsed - zusammengebrochen; einstürzen, kollabieren, zusammenfallen
heap - Menschenmenge, Masse, Haufen, Haufe, Heap
embers - Glut; Asche
fiercely - heftig, wütend
beaten - besiegt; Schlag; jdn. bezwingen
near by - dabei, in der Nähe
caused - verursacht; Ursache, Anlass, Grund, Sache, verursachen
screeching - Kreischen
horribly - furchtbar; fürchterlich
arose - entstanden ist; sich erheben, aufstehen, entstehen, auftreten
bosom - Busen, Brust, der Busenfreund (bosom buddy)
approached - angesprochen; sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
pronounced - ausgeprägt; verkünden, aussprechen, pronunzieren, aussprechen
advantage - Vorteil; Vorzug
unfortunate - unglücklich, unglückselig
wished - gewollt; Wunsch, wünschen, wünschen
gentlemanly - gentlemanlike
reserved - Reservieren
forked - verzweigt; gabeln, aufspalten; Aufspaltung, Gabelung, Gabel
beard - Bart; Alibifreundin
hooked - süchtig; Haken, Hookline, Haken, haken, haken, einhaken, haken
offish - fisch; reserviert
agents - Agenten; Agent, Wirkstoff, Agens
spy upon - nachspionieren, abhören, jemanden bespitzeln
hardly ever - fast gar nicht, fast nie, niemals, nie
perceived - wahrgenommen; wahrnehmen
aristocrat - Aristokrat, Aristokratin
mounted - montiert; Reittier, Berg, Lafette (Waffe); einbauen, aufsteigen
case - Fall; Gehäuse, Prozess, Kiste, Fach
supposed - angenommen; annehmen, vermuten, vermeinen, vermuten, annehmen
candles - Kerzen; Kerze
mats - Matten; Matte
covered - abgedeckt; Deckel, Abdeckung, Deckung, Versteck
collection - Sammlung, Kollektion, Menge, Sammeln
spears - Speere; Speer, Lanze (Wurflanze); aufspießen, spießen
assegais - Assagai
shields - Schilder; Schild, abgeschirmt, Abschirmung; abschirmen
knives - Messer
trophies - Trophäen; Trophäe
intrusted - anvertraut; anvertrauen
bricks - Ziegelsteine; Backstein, Ziegel, Ziegel, externes Netzteil
fragment - Fragment, Bruchstück, Satzfragment, fragmentieren
anywhere - überall, irgendwo
It seems he could not make bricks without something, I don't know what"straw maybe. Anyway, it could not be found there and as it was not likely to be sent from Europe, it did not appear clear to me what he was waiting for. An act of special creation perhaps. However, they were all waiting"all the sixteen or twenty pilgrims of them"for something; and upon my word it did not seem an uncongenial occupation, from the way they took it, though the only thing that ever came to them was disease"as far as I could see. They beguiled the time by back-biting and intriguing against each other in a foolish kind of way. There was an air of plotting about that station, but nothing came of it, of course. It was as unreal as everything else"as the philanthropic pretence of the whole concern, as their talk, as their government, as their show of work. The only real feeling was a desire to get appointed to a trading-post where ivory was to be had, so that they could earn percentages. They intrigued and slandered and hated each other only on that account"but as to effectually lifting a little finger"oh, no. By heavens! there is something after all in the world allowing one man to steal a horse while another must not look at a halter. Steal a horse straight out. Very well. He has done it. Perhaps he can ride. But there is a way of looking at a halter that would provoke the most charitable of saints into a kick.
Seems - Scheint; scheinen, dünken
anyway - sowieso; trotzdem, ohnehin, auf jeden Fall, jedenfalls
Likely - gleicht, ähnlich, wahrscheinlich, voraussichtlich
occupation - Beschäftigung, Beruf, Besatzung; Besetzung; q
beguiled - betört; irreleiten, irreführen, in die Irre führen, betören
biting - beißend; bissig, beißend; stechend; (bit); beißend; bissig
intriguing - Faszinierend; Intrige, intrigieren, faszinieren
plotting - Verschwörungen; Handlung, Plot, Ausdruck, Komplott
earn - verdienen, sich einhandeln
percentages - Prozentsätze; Prozentsatz, Hundertsatz, Vomhundertsatz
intrigued - neugierig; Intrige, intrigieren, faszinieren
slandered - verleumdet; (mündliche) Verleumdung, Lästerung
on that account - dafür
effectually - wirksam
allowing - erlauben, zulassen, akzeptieren, erlauben, zulassen, erlauben
steal - stehlen, entwenden, klauen, rauben, Schnäppchen, Diebstahl
halter - Halfter; Schlinge, Strik; (halt) Halfter; Schlinge, Strik
straight out - glätten
provoke - provozieren, aufreizen, aufwühlen, aufhetzen
most charitable - karitativste
Saints - Heilige; Sankt
kick - treten, (Pferd) ausschlagen; Stoß
"I had no idea why he wanted to be sociable, but as we chatted in there it suddenly occurred to me the fellow was trying to get at something"in fact, pumping me. He alluded constantly to Europe, to the people I was supposed to know there"putting leading questions as to my acquaintances in the sepulchral city, and so on. His little eyes glittered like mica discs"with curiosity"though he tried to keep up a bit of superciliousness. At first I was astonished, but very soon I became awfully curious to see what he would find out from me. I couldn't possibly imagine what I had in me to make it worth his while.
sociable - gesellig
chatted - geplaudert; Unterhaltung, Plausch, Schwatz; sich unterhalten
occurred - aufgetreten; passieren, vorkommen, stattfinden, vorkommen
pumping - Pumps; Pumpe; aufpumpen, pumpen
alluded - angedeutet; andeuten, erwähnen
constantly - ständig; regelmäßig; konstant
acquaintances - Bekanntschaft, Umgang, Bekannter, Bekannte
glittered - glitzert; Glitter, glitzern
mica - Glimmer
discs - Scheiben; Scheibe, Radschüssel, Radscheibe; Bandscheibe
curiosity - Neugier, Neugierde, Kuriosität, Kuriosum
superciliousness - Hochmütigkeit
astonished - erstaunt; erstaunen
awfully - furchtbar, entsetzlich
Possibly - vielleicht, eventuell, möglicherweise, negated: unmöglich
It was very pretty to see how he baffled himself, for in truth my body was full only of chills, and my head had nothing in it but that wretched steamboat business. It was evident he took me for a perfectly shameless prevaricator. At last he got angry, and, to conceal a movement of furious annoyance, he yawned. I rose. Then I noticed a small sketch in oils, on a panel, representing a woman, draped and blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch. The background was sombre"almost black. The movement of the woman was stately, and the effect of the torchlight on the face was sinister.
baffled - verblüfft; verblüffen, verdutzen, verwirren, ratlos machen
in truth - ungelogen
chills - Schüttelfrost; Mutlosigkeit, Frostgefühl
wretched - unglücklich; sehr schlecht, miserabel, wertlos
shameless - schamlos, unverschämt
prevaricator - Ausflüchte machen; Tatsachenverdreher, Schönredner
conceal - verbergen, verheimlichen, verschleiern, verschweigen
furious - wütend, erbost, furios
yawned - gähnte; gähnen, Gähnen
sketch in - einzeichnen
oils - ölen; Ă–l
panel - Verkleidung, Platte, Tafel, Paneel
representing - vorstellen, darstellen, vertreten
draped - drapiert; drapieren, drapieren
blindfolded - mit verbundenen Augen; Augenbinde, die Augen verbinden
stately - stattlich
torchlight - Fackelschein
"It arrested me, and he stood by civilly, holding an empty half-pint champagne bottle (medical comforts) with the candle stuck in it. To my question he said Mr. Kurtz had painted this"in this very station more than a year ago"while waiting for means to go to his trading post. Tell me, pray,'said I, who is this Mr. Kurtz?'
arrested - verhaftet; Verhaftung, Festnahme, Arrest, arretieren
stood by - beigesprungen
civilly - zivilrechtlich; höflich
pint - Pint
champagne bottle - Sektflasche
medical - medizinisch
comforts - Annehmlichkeiten; Behaglichkeit, Bequemlichkeit, Komfort, Trost
candle - Kerze
stuck - stecken; stich!, ich/er/sie stäche, ich/er/sie stach; Schläger
Pray - Bitte bedenken Sie doch!; beten
"The chief of the Inner Station,'he answered in a short tone, looking away. Much obliged,'I said, laughing. And you are the brickmaker of the Central Station. Every one knows that.'He was silent for a while. He is a prodigy,'he said at last. He is an emissary of pity and science and progress, and devil knows what else. We want,'he began to declaim suddenly, for the guidance of the cause intrusted to us by Europe, so to speak, higher intelligence, wide sympathies, a singleness of purpose.'Who says that?'I asked. Lots of them,'he replied. Some even write that; and so he comes here, a special being, as you ought to know.'Why ought I to know?'I interrupted, really surprised.
looking away - wegblickend
obliged - verpflichtet; verpflichten, einen Gefallen tun
brickmaker - Ziegelbrenner
prodigy - Orakel; Wunder; Wunderkind
pity - Mitleid; schade; bemitleiden, Mitleid haben mit
declaim - vortragen, deklamieren
guidance - Anleitung, Richtungsweisung, Handlungsempfehlung
wide - breit, weit
sympathies - Sympathien; Mitleid
singleness - Singularität; Ehelosigkeit
replied - geantwortet; antworten, erwidern, Antwort, Entgegnung, Antwort
He paid no attention. Yes. Today he is chief of the best station, next year he will be assistant-manager, two years more and... but I dare-say you know what he will be in two years'time. You are of the new gang"the gang of virtue. The same people who sent him specially also recommended you. Oh, don't say no. I've my own eyes to trust.'Light dawned upon me. My dear aunt's influential acquaintances were producing an unexpected effect upon that young man. I nearly burst into a laugh. Do you read the Company's confidential correspondence?'I asked. He hadn't a word to say. It was great fun. When Mr. Kurtz,'I continued, severely, is General Manager, you won't have the opportunity.'
assistant - Assistentin; helfend, hilfreich, Assistent, Mitarbeiter, Helfer
dare - sich getrauen, wagen, jemanden herausfordern
virtue - Tugend; Keuschheit
specially - speziell
recommended - empfohlen; empfehlen, empfehlen
dawned - dämmerte; dämmern, Morgendämmerung, Dämmerung, Morgengrauen
influential - einflussreich
producing - produzieren, herstellen, vorlegen, produzieren, Produkt
confidential - vertraulich
correspondence - Briefwechsel, Korrespondenz
severely - ernsthaft
"He blew the candle out suddenly, and we went outside. The moon had risen. Black figures strolled about listlessly, pouring water on the glow, whence proceeded a sound of hissing; steam ascended in the moonlight, the beaten nigger groaned somewhere. WHat a row the brute makes!'said the indefatigable man with the moustaches, appearing near us. Serve him right. Transgression"punishment"bang! Pitiless, pitiless. That's the only way. This will prevent all conflagrations for the future. I was just telling the manager...'He noticed my companion, and became crestfallen all at once. Not in bed yet,'he said, with a kind of servile heartiness; it's so natural. Ha! Danger"agitation.'He vanished. I went on to the riverside, and the other followed me. I heard a scathing murmur at my ear, Heap of muffs"go to.'The pilgrims could be seen in knots gesticulating, discussing.
risen - aufgestiegen; Kursanstieg; Aufgang, Gehaltszulage, Aufschwung
figures - Zahlen; Abbildung, Figur, Gestalt, Ziffer, Form
listlessly - lustlose, lustlos
pouring - gießend, einschenkend; (pour) gießend, einschenkend
whence - woher; von daher
proceeded - fortgefahren; vorgehen
steam - etwas dünsten;Dampf
ascended - aufgestiegen; steigen, aufsteigen
moonlight - Mondlicht, Mondschein, Mondenschein
groaned - gestöhnt; Stöhnen
ha - Das war jetzt aber ernst!
brute - Tier, brutaler Kerl, brutal, Vieh
indefatigable - unermüdlich
appearing - erscheinen, auftauchen, erscheinen, auftauchen, erscheinen
serve - Angabe; dienen; servieren; aufschlagen, den Aufschlag haben
transgression - Transgression, Verstoß, Übertretung, Überschreitung
punishment - Strafe, Bestrafung
bang - Peng; Schlag, Knall; knallen (derb koitieren), schlagen
prevent - verhindern, vorbeugen, etwas daran hindern (zu geschehen)
conflagrations - Feuersbrünste; Feuersbrunst, Großbrand, Flächenbrand
crestfallen - geknickt
servile - sklavisch, unterwürfig, servil, hündisch
heartiness - Herzlichkeit; Herzhaftigkeit
danger - Gefahr, Risiko, Bedrohung; (dang); Gefahr, Risiko, Bedrohung
riverside - Flussufer
scathing - vernichtend; Beleidigung
muffs - Schalldämpfer; Muff
gesticulating - gestikulieren, gestikulieren
Several had still their staves in their hands. I verily believe they took these sticks to bed with them. Beyond the fence the forest stood up spectrally in the moonlight, and through that dim stir, through the faint sounds of that lamentable courtyard, the silence of the land went home to one's very heart"its mystery, its greatness, the amazing reality of its concealed life. The hurt nigger moaned feebly somewhere near by, and then fetched a deep sigh that made me mend my pace away from there. I felt a hand introducing itself under my arm. My dear sir,'said the fellow, I don't want to be misunderstood, and especially by you, who will see Mr. Kurtz long before I can have that pleasure. I wouldn't like him to get a false idea of my disposition....'
sticks to - (stick to) einhalten (Regeln )
spectrally - spektral
courtyard - Innenhof; Hof
concealed - versteckt; verbergen, verheimlichen, verschleiern, verschweigen
hurt - weh tun, schmerzen, verletzen, quälen, verletzt
moaned - gestöhnt; Stöhnen
fetched - geholt; holen, einfangen, abrufen, apportieren
sigh - Seufzen, Seufzer, Säuseln (Wind); säuseln (Wind)
misunderstood - missverstanden; missverstehen, falsch verstehen
disposition - Neigung, Gesinnung, Hang, Veranlagung, Einteilung
"I let him run on, this papier-mache Mephistopheles, and it seemed to me that if I tried I could poke my forefinger through him, and would find nothing inside but a little loose dirt, maybe. He, don't you see, had been planning to be assistant-manager by and by under the present man, and I could see that the coming of that Kurtz had upset them both not a little. He talked precipitately, and I did not try to stop him. I had my shoulders against the wreck of my steamer, hauled up on the slope like a carcass of some big river animal. The smell of mud, of primeval mud, by Jove! was in my nostrils, the high stillness of primeval forest was before my eyes; there were shiny patches on the black creek. The moon had spread over everything a thin layer of silver"over the rank grass, over the mud, upon the wall of matted vegetation standing higher than the wall of a temple, over the great river I could see through a sombre gap glittering, glittering, as it flowed broadly by without a murmur. All this was great, expectant, mute, while the man jabbered about himself. I wondered whether the stillness on the face of the immensity looking at us two were meant as an appeal or as a menace. What were we who had strayed in here? Could we handle that dumb thing, or would it handle us? I felt how big, how confoundedly big, was that thing that couldn't talk, and perhaps was deaf as well. What was in there? I could see a little ivory coming out from there, and I had heard Mr. Kurtz was in there. I had heard enough about it, too"God knows! Yet somehow it didn't bring any image with it"no more than if I had been told an angel or a fiend was in there.
mache - machen
poke - stoßen, stecken, stöbern
dirt - Schmutz; Erde, Boden, Dreck
upset - verärgert; aufgebracht, aufgewühlt, verstimmt, gereizt, nervös
precipitately - überstürzt
shoulders - schultern
hauled - geschleppt; ziehen, schleppen, transportieren, befödern
smell - Geruch; Geruchssinn, Riechen, stinken
primeval forest - Urwald
shiny - glänzend; leuchtend, funkelnd, wunderbar
patches - notdürftig reparieren, reparieren, einsetzen; Flicken
Creek - Bucht; Bach
moon - Mond, Erdtrabant, Erdsatellit
layer - durch Ableger vermehren, überlagern, schichten; Auflage
rank - (sozialer) Stand, Rang, Dienstgrad
matted - verfilzt; Matte
vegetation - Vegetation, Pflanzenwuchs
Temple - Tempel, Schläfe, Bethaus, Synagoge
see through - jdn. durchschauen
glittering - glitzernd, funkelnd; (glitter); Glitter; glitzern
flowed - geflossen; Wasserführung; ich flösse, ich/er/sie floss (floß
broadly - im Großen und Ganzen; allgemein
expectant - erwartend, erwartungsvoll, schwanger, guter Hoffnung
jabbered - geplappert; plappern
wondered - gewundert; Wunder
appeal - Berufung; Revision, Wirkung, Anziehungskraft; reizen, zusagen
menace - Bedrohung; Landplage, androhen
strayed - verirrt; Streuverlust; abirren, vagabundieren, streunen, irren
dumb - dumm; stumm, sprachlos, blöd, doof
confoundedly - verwirrt
deaf - taub, gehörlos, die gehörlos
image - Bild, Abbild, Image, Speicherabbild, Erscheinungsbild
angel - Engel
fiend - Unhold; Dämon, Dämonin, böser Geist, Teufel, Monster
I believed it in the same way one of you might believe there are inhabitants in the planet Mars. I knew once a Scotch sailmaker who was certain, dead sure, there were people in Mars. If you asked him for some idea how they looked and behaved, he would get shy and mutter something about walking on all-fours.'If you as much as smiled, he would"though a man of sixty"offer to fight you. I would not have gone so far as to fight for Kurtz, but I went for him near enough to a lie. You know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appalls me. There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies"which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world"what I want to forget. It makes me miserable and sick, like biting something rotten would do. Temperament, I suppose. Well, I went near enough to it by letting the young fool there believe anything he liked to imagine as to my influence in Europe. I became in an instant as much of a pretence as the rest of the bewitched pilgrims. This simply because I had a notion it somehow would be of help to that Kurtz whom at the time I did not see"you understand. He was just a word for me. I did not see the man in the name any more than you do. Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything? It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream"making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible which is of the very essence of dreams...."
lie - lügen; (lie down) sich hinlegen
inhabitants - Einwohner, Einwohnerin, Bewohner, Bewohnerin
planet - Planet, Wandelstern
Mars - schädigt, Mars; (Mar) schädigt, Mars
Scotch - Scotch
sailmaker - Segelmacher
dead sure - todsicher
Shy - schüchtern, scheu, verlegen
mutter - murmeln; (mut) murmeln
fight - kämpfen; Kampf, Schlacht
detest - verabscheuen
bear - Bär; (to bear) ertragen, aushalten
straighter - geradliniger; gerade, aufrecht, aufrichtig, offen, ungeschminkt
appalls - entsetzt; entsetzen, abstoßen
flavour of - riechen nach, schmecken nach
mortality - Sterblichkeit, Mortalität, Sterbeziffer, Mortalitätsziffer
temperament - Temperament, Charakter, Veranlagung, Stimmung
vain - eitel; unnützlich
relation - Beziehung; Relation; Verwandter, Verwandte, Verwandtschaft
convey - vermitteln; befördern, transportieren, verfrachten, übermitteln
sensation - Gefühl, Empfindung, Sensation
commingling - Vermischung; mischen, zusammenfügen, vermischen, mixen
absurdity - Absurdität
bewilderment - Verwirrung; Fassungslosigkeit, Verblüfftheit, Verdutztheit
struggling - sich abmühen; kämpfend, ringend; (struggle); Kampf, Gefecht
revolt - revoltieren; Revolte
captured - gefangen genommen; Fang, Festnahme, Gefangennahme, Erfassung
essence - Wesen; Essenz, Extrakt, Parfüm
He was silent for a while.
"... No, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one's existence"that which makes its truth, its meaning"its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream"alone...."
epoch - Epoche, Ära
subtle - subtil, fast unmerklich, haarfein, dezent
penetrating - durchdringend; eindringen, penetrieren, penetrieren
alone - allein, einsam, selbst, nur, ausschließlich
He paused again as if reflecting, then added:
reflecting - reflektieren, zurückspiegeln, spiegeln, sich spiegeln
"Of course in this you fellows see more than I could then. You see me, whom you know...."
It had become so pitch dark that we listeners could hardly see one another. For a long time already he, sitting apart, had been no more to us than a voice. There was not a word from anybody. The others might have been asleep, but I was awake.
pitch dark - pechschwarz
listeners - Zuhörer, Zuhörerin, Beobachter
hardly - hart, rau, kaum
apart - auseinander; getrennt; beiseite; entzwei, in Stücke
Anybody - Ist da jemand; jemand, wer
asleep - schlafen, schlafen
awake - munter, wach; erwachen, aufwachen
I listened, I listened on the watch for the sentence, for the word, that would give me the clue to the faint uneasiness inspired by this narrative that seemed to shape itself without human lips in the heavy night-air of the river.
clue - Anhaltspunkt, Hinweis, Faden, Indiz, informieren, unterrichten
narrative - erzählend, erzählerisch, in erzählender Form darlegend
shape - Zustand, Form, Gestalt, Form
human - menschlich
"... Yes"I let him run on," Marlow began again, "and think what he pleased about the powers that were behind me. I did! And there was nothing behind me! There was nothing but that wretched, old, mangled steamboat I was leaning against, while he talked fluently about the necessity for every man to get on.'And when one comes out here, you conceive, it is not to gaze at the moon.'Mr. Kurtz was a universal genius,'but even a genius would find it easier to work with adequate tools"intelligent men.'He did not make bricks"why, there was a physical impossibility in the way"as I was well aware; and if he did secretarial work for the manager, it was because no sensible man rejects wantonly the confidence of his superiors.'Did I see it? I saw it. What more did I want? What I really wanted was rivets, by heaven! Rivets. To get on with the work"to stop the hole.
powers - Kräfte; Macht, Kraft, Macht, Macht, Großmacht, Kraft, Stärke
mangled - verstümmelt; zerfleischen, verstümmeln
fluently - fließend
necessity - Notwendigkeit, Nezessität, Not, Bedürfnis
conceive - schwanger werden; konzipieren, erdenken, ersinnen, empfangen
gaze - Blicken; anstarren
universal - allgemein, Allgemein-, universell, weltweit, Welt-
adequate - angemessen, adäquat, entsprechend
tools - Werkzeuge; Gerät
intelligent - klug; intelligent
physical - physisch, materiell, stofflich, physikalisch, körperlich
impossibility - Unmöglichkeit
aware - wachsam, gewahr, bewusst, checkgewahr
secretarial work - Sekretariatsarbeit
sensible - wahrnehmbar; spürbar; der Empfindung fähig; gewahr; vernünftig
rejects - ablehnt; verwerfen, ablehnen, zurückweisen
wantonly - mutwillig
confidence - Selbstgewissheit; Zuversicht; Vertrauen, Zutrauen
superiors - Vorgesetzten; überlegen, höher, höherstehend, übergeordnet
rivets - Niet, vernieten, nieten, Aufmerksamkeit richten auf
Heaven - Der Himmel; Himmel, Firmament, Paradies
Rivets I wanted. There were cases of them down at the coast"cases"piled up"burst"split! You kicked a loose rivet at every second step in that station-yard on the hillside. Rivets had rolled into the grove of death. You could fill your pockets with rivets for the trouble of stooping down"and there wasn't one rivet to be found where it was wanted. We had plates that would do, but nothing to fasten them with. And every week the messenger, a long negro, letter-bag on shoulder and staff in hand, left our station for the coast. And several times a week a coast caravan came in with trade goods"ghastly glazed calico that made you shudder only to look at it, glass beads value about a penny a quart, confounded spotted cotton handkerchiefs. And no rivets. Three carriers could have brought all that was wanted to set that steamboat afloat.
cases - Fälle; Gehäuse, Prozess, Kiste, Fach
piled up - angeschichtet
split - gespalten; Riss, Spalt, Spaltung, Spagat
kicked - getreten; treten, (Pferd) ausschlagen; Stoß
Rivet - Niet; vernieten; Aufmerksamkeit richten auf, Blick heften auf
step - treten, treten (du trittst
rolled - gerollt; Rolle, Roulade, Walze, Semmel; drehen, wälzen, wickeln
pockets - Taschen; Tasche
stooping - Bücken; Buckel, sich beugen
plates - Teller; Platte (Druckplatte); Lagerplatte, Lochstein (Uhr)
fasten - befestigen, festmachen
messenger - Kurier, Bote, Botschafter
ghastly - geisterhaft; grässlich, gespenstisch, haarsträubend
glazed - glasiert; Glasur, Lasur, Reif, glasieren, lasieren
glass beads - Glasperlen
value - Wert, Wichtigkeit, Notenwert, Tonwert, Werte, schätzen
spotted - entdeckt; Fleck, Punkt, Fleck, Pickel, Pustel, Bisschen
handkerchiefs - Taschentücher; Taschentuch
afloat - schwimmend; schuldenfrei, über Wasser
"He was becoming confidential now, but I fancy my unresponsive attitude must have exasperated him at last, for he judged it necessary to inform me he feared neither God nor devil, let alone any mere man. I said I could see that very well, but what I wanted was a certain quantity of rivets"and rivets were what really Mr. Kurtz wanted, if he had only known it. Now letters went to the coast every week.... My dear sir,'he cried, I write from dictation.'I demanded rivets. There was a way"for an intelligent man. He changed his manner; became very cold, and suddenly began to talk about a hippopotamus; wondered whether sleeping on board the steamer (I stuck to my salvage night and day) I wasn't disturbed. There was an old hippo that had the bad habit of getting out on the bank and roaming at night over the station grounds. The pilgrims used to turn out in a body and empty every rifle they could lay hands on at him. Some even had sat up o'nights for him. All this energy was wasted, though. That animal has a charmed life,'he said; but you can say this only of brutes in this country. No man"you apprehend me?"no man here bears a charmed life.
unresponsive - unempfänglich
attitude - Haltung; Einstellung, Attitüde, Orientierung, Ausrichtung
exasperated - verärgert; verärgern, aufbringen, auf die Palme bringen
judged - verurteilt; urteilen (nach), richten; Richter, Jurist
necessary - nötig, notwendig, erforderlich, zwangsläufig, geboten
inform - benachrichtigen, mitteilen, informieren
feared - gefürchtet; fürchten, befürchten, Angst haben; Furcht, Schreck
quantity - Quantität, Menge, in Klammern
from dictation - nach Diktat
demanded - gefordert; Nachfrage, Bedarf, Nachfrage, Anspruch, verlangen
hippopotamus - Flusspferd, Nilpferd
sleeping on - überschlafend
stuck to - (stick to) einhalten (Regeln )
salvage - Bergung; Rettung, Altmaterial; erretten, bergen, retten
disturbed - beunruhigt; stören
bad habit - Unsitte , Unart
roaming - wandern, umherziehen
grounds - Gründe; Masse (elektrisch); Erdboden, Grund, Boden, geschliffen
wasted - verschwendet; verschwenden
brutes - Bestien; Tier, brutaler Kerl, brutal, Vieh
apprehend - begreifen, verstehen, fangen, festnehmen
bears - Bären; (to bear) ertragen, aushalten
He stood there for a moment in the moonlight with his delicate hooked nose set a little askew, and his mica eyes glittering without a wink, then, with a curt Good-night, he strode off. I could see he was disturbed and considerably puzzled, which made me feel more hopeful than I had been for days. It was a great comfort to turn from that chap to my influential friend, the battered, twisted, ruined, tin-pot steamboat. I clambered on board. She rang under my feet like an empty Huntley & Palmer biscuit-tin kicked along a gutter; she was nothing so solid in make, and rather less pretty in shape, but I had expended enough hard work on her to make me love her. No influential friend would have served me better. She had given me a chance to come out a bit"to find out what I could do. No, I don't like work. I had rather laze about and think of all the fine things that can be done. I don't like work"no man does"but I like what is in the work"the chance to find yourself. Your own reality"for yourself, not for others"what no other man can ever know. They can only see the mere show, and never can tell what it really means.
delicate - empfindlich, heikel, schwierig, feingliedrig, filigran
wink - zwinkern, blinzeln, funkeln, zuzwinkern
curt - brüsk, knapp, kurzangebunden, barsch
strode - schritt; schreiten
Considerably - Erheblich; wesentlich, beträchtlich, beachtlich
puzzled - verwirrt; Rätsel
more hopeful - hoffnungsvollere
battered - ramponiert; zerschlagen, ich/er/sie stieß ab, schlagen
twisted - verdreht; Zwirn, Biegung, Wendung, Twist, verziehen, drehen
ruined - ruiniert; Ruine, Ruin, Ruin, ruinieren, auf die Knie zwingen
pot - Blumentopf
clambered - erklommen; klettern, erklimmen, kraxeln, herumturnen
biscuit - Kekse; Keks
gutter - Regenrinne, Rinnstein, Gosse
solid - fest, massiv, kompakt, deftig, solide, robust, bündig
expended - verbraucht; aufwenden, ausgeben (Geld), aufbrauchen
laze - faulenzen
"I was not surprised to see somebody sitting aft, on the deck, with his legs dangling over the mud. You see I rather chummed with the few mechanics there were in that station, whom the other pilgrims naturally despised"on account of their imperfect manners, I suppose. This was the foreman"a boiler-maker by trade"a good worker. He was a lank, bony, yellow-faced man, with big intense eyes. His aspect was worried, and his head was as bald as the palm of my hand; but his hair in falling seemed to have stuck to his chin, and had prospered in the new locality, for his beard hung down to his waist. He was a widower with six young children (he had left them in charge of a sister of his to come out there), and the passion of his life was pigeon-flying.
dangling - baumelnd; (dangle); baumeln
chummed - anbiedernd; anfreunden
mechanics - Mechaniker, Mechanikerin
naturally - natürlich
despised - verachtet; verachten
on account - auf Rechnung
imperfect - unvollkommen, mangelhaft, unvollständig, fehlerhaft, Imperfekt
foreman - Vorarbeiter, Polier, Sprecher der Geschworenen
Maker - Schöpfer; Macher, Hersteller, Fabrikant
bony - knöchern; grätig; knochig
bald - kahl, glatzköpfig; q
prospered - gediehen; gedeihen, prosperieren, florieren
locality - Ortschaft
waist - Taille; Rumpf
widower - Witwer
pigeon - Taube
He was an enthusiast and a connoisseur. He would rave about pigeons. after work hours he used sometimes to come over from his hut for a talk about his children and his pigeons; at work, when he had to crawl in the mud under the bottom of the steamboat, he would tie up that beard of his in a kind of white serviette he brought for the purpose. It had loops to go over his ears. In the evening he could be seen squatted on the bank rinsing that wrapper in the creek with great care, then spreading it solemnly on a bush to dry.
enthusiast - Enthusiasten; Enthusiast
connoisseur - Kenner, Kennerin
rave - schwärmen, rasen
pigeons - Tauben; Taube
after work - nach Feierabend
tie up - verschnüren, zusammen binden, fest ziehen
serviette - die Serviette
loops - Schleifen; Schlaufe, Schlaufe, Schleife, Endlosschleife
rinsing - Spülung; (rins) Spülung
wrapper - Verpackung, Umschlag, Wrapper-Klasse; (wrap); Verpackung
solemnly - feierlich, festlich, ernst
dry - trocken; trocknen, abtrocknen
"I slapped him on the back and shouted, We shall have rivets!'He scrambled to his feet exclaiming, No! Rivets!'as though he couldn't believe his ears. Then in a low voice, You... eh?'I don't know why we behaved like lunatics. I put my finger to the side of my nose and nodded mysteriously. Good for you!'he cried, snapped his fingers above his head, lifting one foot. I tried a jig. We capered on the iron deck. A frightful clatter came out of that hulk, and the virgin forest on the other bank of the creek sent it back in a thundering roll upon the sleeping station. It must have made some of the pilgrims sit up in their hovels. A dark figure obscured the lighted doorway of the manager's hut, vanished, then, a second or so after, the doorway itself vanished, too. We stopped, and the silence driven away by the stamping of our feet flowed back again from the recesses of the land. The great wall of vegetation, an exuberant and entangled mass of trunks, branches, leaves, boughs, festoons, motionless in the moonlight, was like a rioting invasion of soundless life, a rolling wave of plants, piled up, crested, ready to topple over the creek, to sweep every little man of us out of his little existence.
slapped - geohrfeigt; Klaps, Schlag, Makeup
scrambled - verschlüsselt; krabbeln, drängeln, verrühren, verquirlen
exclaiming - ausrufen
lunatics - Verrückte; Irre
nodded - abgenickt; nicken, einnicken, Kopfnicken
mysteriously - geheimnisvoll, geheimnisvolle
snapped - geschnappt; Knacken
jig - Hilfsmittel, Montagegestell
capered - gekapert; Streich (übermütiger), Kaper, Kapriole
clatter - klappern, poltern, Geklapper, Gepolter, Klappern
hulk - Klotz, Koloss
Virgin - Jungfrau; jungfräulich; nativ
thundering - donnernd; (thunder); Donner; Donnern
roll - Rolle, Roulade, Walze, Semmel; drehen, wälzen, wickeln, rollen
sit up - aufrichten, aufbleiben
hovels - Hütten; Unterstand, Bruchbude, Baracke
figure - Abbildung; Figur; Gestalt; Ziffer; Form
obscured - verdunkelt; obskur, dunkel, vernebelt, finster, düster
doorway - Türöffnung
driven away - (drive away) wegjagen, vertreiben
stamping - Stempeln; stampfen; (stamp); Stempel; stempeln; freimachen
exuberant - überschwänglich
entangled - verwickelt; verwickeln
mass - Masse; Messe (kirchlich), Gottesdienst, Menge
branches - Ast, t+Zweig, Abzweigung, (''rare'') tÄstelung
boughs - Zweige; Ast
festoons - Girlanden; Feston
rioting - Unruhen; randalierend; (riot); Aufruhr, Tumult, Krawall, Randale
soundless - lautlos, geräuschlos
wave - wehen, winken mit, flattern
piled - gestapelt; Haufen, Pfahl, Pulk
crested - gekrönt; Gipfel, Kamm, Haube, Krone, Helmzier, Zimir
topple - stürzen, umkippen, umfallen, wackeln
sweep - fegen, kehren, rauschen, auf den Kopf stellen, fahren
And it moved not. A deadened burst of mighty splashes and snorts reached us from afar, as though an icthyosaurus had been taking a bath of glitter in the great river. After all,'said the boiler-maker in a reasonable tone, why shouldn't we get the rivets?'Why not, indeed! I did not know of any reason why we shouldn't. They'll come in three weeks,'I said confidently.
deadened - abgestumpft; abtöten
splashes - Spritzer; Spritzen, plätschern, platschen
snorts - schnaubt; Schnauben
reached - erreicht; erzielen, greifen (nach), sich erstrecken; eintreffen
reasonable - vernünftig
confidently - zuversichtlich
"But they didn't. Instead of rivets there came an invasion, an infliction, a visitation. It came in sections during the next three weeks, each section headed by a donkey carrying a white man in new clothes and tan shoes, bowing from that elevation right and left to the impressed pilgrims. A quarrelsome band of footsore sulky niggers trod on the heels of the donkey; a lot of tents, camp-stools, tin boxes, white cases, brown bales would be shot down in the courtyard, and the air of mystery would deepen a little over the muddle of the station.
infliction - Zufügung
visitation - Besuche; Umgangsrecht
donkey - Esel; Grauchen
tan - bräunen; gerben
bowing - Verbeugung; (bow) sich vorbeugen; (bow) Verbeugung; (bow) sich vorbeugen
elevation - Höhenlage; Hebung, Erheben, Anhebung, Anheben
impressed - beeindruckt; beeindrucken, prägen
quarrelsome - zänkisch
footsore - fußkrank
sulky - mürrisch; schmollend, verdrossen, Sulky
trod - getreten; schritt, zertrat, trat; (tread) getreten; schritt
tents - Zelte; Zelt
stools - Stuhl, Kot, Hocker
bales - bündeln; Ballen, Pack, Bündel
shot down - niedergeschossen
deepen - aushölen, vertiefen, zunehmen, vergrößern
Five such instalments came, with their absurd air of disorderly flight with the loot of innumerable outfit shops and provision stores, that, one would think, they were lugging, after a raid, into the wilderness for equitable division. It was an inextricable mess of things decent in themselves but that human folly made look like the spoils of thieving.
instalments - Ratenzahlungen; Abzahlung, Teilzahlung, Rate
disorderly - unordentlich
loot - Beute; plündern; Knete (sl. Geld), Zaster (ugs. Geld)
outfit - Outfit
provision - Bestimmung; Vorrat
lugging - zerren, schleppen; Anschlussklemme, Vorsprung, Ă–se
raid - Razzia, Überfall, überfallen
equitable - gerecht
Division - Teilung; Teil; Division; Abteilung
inextricable - unentwirrbar
themselves - selbst; sich; sich selber
spoils - plündern, ruinieren, verderben, kaputtmachen, verwöhnen
thieving - Diebstahl; (thieve); stehlen
"This devoted band called itself the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, and I believe they were sworn to secrecy. Their talk, however, was the talk of sordid buccaneers: it was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage; there was not an atom of foresight or of serious intention in the whole batch of them, and they did not seem aware these things are wanted for the work of the world.
exploring - erforschen, erforschen, erforschen, untersuchen
expedition - Expedition
sworn - geschworen; schwören
secrecy - Geheimhaltung; Geheimniskrämerei, Geheimnistuerei
buccaneers - Freibeuter; Seeräuber
reckless - rücksichtslos; waghalsig, unverantwortlich, unbekümmert
hardihood - Hartnäckigkeit; Kühnheit
greedy - gierig, habgierig, habsüchtig, gefräßig
audacity - Kühnheit, Verwegenheit, Frechheit, Wagemut
cruel - schrecklich; grausam (gegen)
courage - Courage, Herz, Mut, Tapferkeit
atom - Atom
foresight - Vorausschauend; Voraussicht, Hellsichtigkeit, Weitsicht
serious - ernst, seriös, ernsthaft, schwerwiegend
batch - Charge; stapeln (Computer); Stapel, Stoß, Batch, Schub
To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe. Who paid the expenses of the noble enterprise I don't know; but the uncle of our manager was leader of that lot.
tear - zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
bowels - Därme; Dickdarm, Darm, Inneres
moral - moralisch, sittlich, Moral
burglars - Einbrecher, Einbrecherin, Dieb, Diebin, Räuber, Räuberin
safe - sicher, gefahrlos, Tresor, Safe, Geldschrank
expenses - Ausgaben; Ausgabe, Aufwand, Verlust
enterprise - Unternehmen; Unterfangen, Vorhaben, Unternehmungsgeist
leader - Anführer, Anführerin, Leiter, Hauptmann
"In exterior he resembled a butcher in a poor neighbourhood, and his eyes had a look of sleepy cunning. He carried his fat paunch with ostentation on his short legs, and during the time his gang infested the station spoke to no one but his nephew. You could see these two roaming about all day long with their heads close together in an everlasting confab.
exterior - Außen-; Äußeres, Außenseite
butcher - niedermetzeln, niedermachen; Metzger, Schlächter
neighbourhood - Viertel (Wohngegend), Nachbarschaft; Nähe, Stadtteil
sleepy - schläfrig; verschlafen
cunning - gerissen; schlau, clever, süß, niedlich
paunch - Pansen; Wampe, Plauze, Wanst
ostentation - Zurschaustellung, Pomp, Prahlerei
infested - verseucht; befallen
nephew - Neffe
everlasting - ewig; endlos
confab - Konfab
"I had given up worrying myself about the rivets. One's capacity for that kind of folly is more limited than you would suppose. I said Hang!"and let things slide. I had plenty of time for meditation, and now and then I would give some thought to Kurtz.
worrying - beunruhigend; (worry) sorgen, sich Gedanken machen, quälen
capacity - Kapazität; Befugnis
more limited - beschränktere
let things slide - die Dinge laufen lassen
meditation - Meditation
I wasn't very interested in him. No. Still, I was curious to see whether this man, who had come out equipped with moral ideas of some sort, would climb to the top after all and how he would set about his work when there."
equipped - ausgestattet; ausrüsten, ausstatten, anlegen, ausrüsten
top - oben; Oberteil, Spitze, Gipfel, Deckel, Kappe, Oberteil, Topp
"One evening as I was lying flat on the deck of my steamboat, I heard voices approaching"and there were the nephew and the uncle strolling along the bank. I laid my head on my arm again, and had nearly lost myself in a doze, when somebody said in my ear, as it were: I am as harmless as a little child, but I don't like to be dictated to. Am I the manager"or am I not? I was ordered to send him there. It's incredible.'... I became aware that the two were standing on the shore alongside the forepart of the steamboat, just below my head. I did not move; it did not occur to me to move: I was sleepy. It is unpleasant,'grunted the uncle. He has asked the Administration to be sent there,'said the other, with the idea of showing what he could do; and I was instructed accordingly. Look at the influence that man must have. Is it not frightful?'They both agreed it was frightful, then made several bizarre remarks: Make rain and fine weather"one man"the Council"by the nose'"bits of absurd sentences that got the better of my drowsiness, so that I had pretty near the whole of my wits about me when the uncle said, The climate may do away with this difficulty for you. Is he alone there?
approaching - sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
doze - dösen; Halbschlaf
dictated - diktiert; Diktat
alongside - nebenher, entlang, an der Seite
forepart - Vorderteil
occur - auftreten; passieren, vorkommen, stattfinden, einfallen
unpleasant - unangenehm
grunted - gegrunzt; Grunzer, Stöhnen
instructed - belehrt; instruieren, briefen, anweisen
bizarre - bizarr, komisch, seltsam
remarks - Bemerkungen; bemerken; Anmerkung, Bemerkung
bits - Häppchen, Gebiss, Bit, Bissen
drowsiness - Schläfrigkeit
wits - Verstand; nämlich, und zwar
Yes,'answered the manager; he sent his assistant down the river with a note to me in these terms: "Clear this poor devil out of the country, and Don't bother sending more of that sort. I had rather be alone than have the kind of men you can dispose of with me." It was more than a year ago. Can you imagine such impudence!'Anything since then?'asked the other hoarsely. Ivory,'jerked the nephew; lots of it"prime sort"lots"most annoying, from him.'And with that?'questioned the heavy rumble. Invoice,'was the reply fired out, so to speak. Then silence. They had been talking about Kurtz.
Don't bother - Bemühe dich nicht!, Lass doch!
dispose of - verfügen über
impudence - Unverfrorenheit; Flegelei, Frechheit, Unverschämtheit
hoarsely - heiser
jerked - gerissen; Zuckung, Satz, Reflex
prime - wichtigste
rumble - Poltern, Rumpeln, hunder, Schlägerei, rumpeln
invoice - Rechnung, Faktura
reply - antworten, erwidern, Antwort, Entgegnung
"I was broad awake by this time, but, lying perfectly at ease, remained still, having no inducement to change my position. How did that ivory come all this way?'growled the elder man, who seemed very vexed. The other explained that it had come with a fleet of canoes in charge of an English half-caste clerk Kurtz had with him; that Kurtz had apparently intended to return himself, the station being by that time bare of goods and stores, but after coming three hundred miles, had suddenly decided to go back, which he started to do alone in a small dugout with four paddlers, leaving the half-caste to continue down the river with the ivory. The two fellows there seemed astounded at anybody attempting such a thing. They were at a loss for an adequate motive. As to me, I seemed to see Kurtz for the first time. It was a distinct glimpse: the dugout, four paddling savages, and the lone white man turning his back suddenly on the headquarters, on relief, on thoughts of home"perhaps; setting his face towards the depths of the wilderness, towards his empty and desolate station. I did not know the motive. Perhaps he was just simply a fine fellow who stuck to his work for its own sake. His name, you understand, had not been pronounced once. He was that man.'The half-caste, who, as far as I could see, had conducted a difficult trip with great prudence and pluck, was invariably alluded to as that scoundrel.'The scoundrel'had reported that the man'had been very ill"had recovered imperfectly.... The two below me moved away then a few paces, and strolled back and forth at some little distance. I heard: Military post"doctor"two hundred miles"quite alone now"unavoidable delays"nine months"no news"strange rumours.'They approached again, just as the manager was saying, No one, as far as I know, unless a species of wandering trader"a pestilential fellow, snapping ivory from the natives.'Who was it they were talking about now? I gathered in snatches that this was some man supposed to be in Kurtz's district, and of whom the manager did not approve. We will not be free from unfair competition till one of these fellows is hanged for an example,'he said.
at ease - ungezwungen
inducement - Ansporn; Veranlassung
growled - geknurrt; Knurren
vexed - verärgert; ärgern, verärgern, reizen, irritieren, beunruhigen
canoes - Kanus; Kanu
caste - Kaste
clerk - Angestellter; Büroangestellte, Buchhalter, Bürokaufmann
intended - beabsichtigt; gedacht; (intend); beabsichtigen, vorhaben
Lone - Einsam; einzeln
dugout - Unterstand; Einbaum; Erdloch
continue - fortsetzen, weiterhin
astounded - verblüfft; verblüffen, überraschen
attempting - versuchen, Versuch, Bestreben
Loss - Verlust, Ausfall; Kursverlust
motive - Motiv, Beweggrund
distinct - deutlich
Glimpse - Ein Blick; Blick; Aufblitzen, Aufleuchten, Schimmer, entdecken
paddling - paddelnd; (paddle) paddelnd
headquarters - Hauptsitz; Hauptquartier
relief - Erleichterung, Befreiung, Linderung, Unterstützung
thoughts - Gedanken; Gedanke
setting - Kontext; Einstellung; Vertonung; untergehend; (set); Seth
desolate - verzweifelt; verlassen; verlassen
conducted - durchgeführt; Leitung, Führung, leiten, führen, sich verhalten
pluck - pflücken, abrupfen, zupfen, schlagen, ausrupfen
invariably - ausnahmslos
scoundrel - Schurke, Gauner, Gaunerin, Halunke
recovered - erholt; wiederfinden, sich erholen, beikommen
imperfectly - unvollkommen
moved away - abgerückt
paces - Schritte; Tempo, Stufe, Schritt
unavoidable - unvermeidlich
strange - seltsam, sonderbar, komisch, verwunderlich, fremd, ausländisch
species - Arten; Hartgeld
wandering - wandernd; (wander) irren, wandern
pestilential - pestilentiell
Snapping - schnappend, knipsend, Ermittlung; (snap); Knacken, Knallen
gathered - gesammelt; sammeln, versammeln
snatches - Fetzen; klauen, stehlen, Reißen
district - Bezirk, Kreis, Landkreis, Stadtteil
approve - billigen, genehmigen, zusagen
unfair competition - unlauterer Wettbewerb
Certainly,'grunted the other; get him hanged! Why not? Anything"anything can be done in this country. That's what I say; nobody here, you understand, here, can endanger your position. And why? You stand the climate"you outlast them all. The danger is in Europe; but there before I left I took care to"'They moved off and whispered, then their voices rose again. The extraordinary series of delays is not my fault. I did my best.'The fat man sighed. Very sad.'And the pestiferous absurdity of his talk,'continued the other; he bothered me enough when he was here. "Each station should be like a beacon on the road towards better things, a centre for trade of course, but also for humanizing, improving, instructing." Conceive you"that ass! And he wants to be manager! No, it's"'Here he got choked by excessive indignation, and I lifted my head the least bit. I was surprised to see how near they were"right under me. I could have spat upon their hats. They were looking on the ground, absorbed in thought. The manager was switching his leg with a slender twig: his sagacious relative lifted his head. You have been well since you came out this time?'he asked. The other gave a start. Who? I? Oh! Like a charm"like a charm. But the rest"oh, my goodness! All sick. They die so quick, too, that I haven't the time to send them out of the country"it's incredible!'Hm'm. Just so,'grunted the uncle. Ah! my boy, trust to this"I say, trust to this.'I saw him extend his short flipper of an arm for a gesture that took in the forest, the creek, the mud, the river"seemed to beckon with a dishonouring flourish before the sunlit face of the land a treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart. It was so startling that I leaped to my feet and looked back at the edge of the forest, as though I had expected an answer of some sort to that black display of confidence. You know the foolish notions that come to one sometimes. The high stillness confronted these two figures with its ominous patience, waiting for the passing away of a fantastic invasion.
endanger - gefährden
outlast - überdauern, überleben
took care - (take care) sich Mühe geben, sich hüten, achten auf
extraordinary - außerordentlich, außergewöhnlich
series - Serie, Fernsehserie, Reihe
fault - Fehler; Schuld; Fehler, Charakterschwäche, Verfehlung
pestiferous - Schädlingsbekämpfungsmittel
bothered - belästigt; stören, verdammt, Mist
beacon - Leuchtfeuer; Bake, Orientierungspunkt
humanizing - vermenschlichen
instructing - unterrichten; instruieren, briefen, anweisen
choked - gewürgt; erwürgen, erdrosseln, ersticken, überwältigen
excessive - übertrieben; übermäßig, exzessiv
indignation - Empörung, Entrüstung
spat - gespuckt; laichen; Gamasche
absorbed in thought - in Gedanken versunken
switching - Umschalten; schaltend; (switch); Schalter; Weiche; Spießrute; Switch
slender - schlank
twig - Zweig
sagacious - klug
relative - vergleichsweise, relativ, Verwandter, Blutsverwandter, Verwandte
extend - erweitern; ausdehnen, ausweiten
flipper - Flosse; Flipperhebel; (flip); Flosse; Flipperhebel
gesture - Geste, Gebärde, gestikulieren, erman: (jemandem etwas) bedeuten
took in - (take in) enger machen, hereinlegen, einnehmen
beckon - heranwinken, herbeiwinken, zuwinken, einladen
dishonouring - Entehrend; Schande, schänden
flourish - gedeihen, blühen, spriessen, grünen
sunlit - sonnenbeschienen; sonnenbestrahlt
treacherous - verräterisch
lurking - auf der Lauer liegen; lauernd; (lurk); lauern
display - Anzeige; Vorführung, Vorstellung, Display, Monitor, Bildschirm
notions - Vorstellungen; Ahnung, Ansicht, Auffassung, Begriff, Denkbild
confronted - konfrontiert; konfrontieren, entgegentreten, Sache
patience - Geduld
passing - vorübergehend, verrinnend ''(poetic)'', hervorragend
"They swore aloud together"out of sheer fright, I believe"then pretending not to know anything of my existence, turned back to the station. The sun was low; and leaning forward side by side, they seemed to be tugging painfully uphill their two ridiculous shadows of unequal length, that trailed behind them slowly over the tall grass without bending a single blade.
swore - geschworen; schwören
aloud - laut
sheer - durchsichtig; scheren, ausreißen, gieren; rein, blank
fright - erschrecken; Angst, Schreck, Schrecken
forward - nachsenden, fördern, befördern, versenden, senden; dreist
tugging - zerrt; zerrend; (tug); zerren; schleppen; Ruck
painfully - schmerzhaft
ridiculous - lächerlich
unequal - ungleich
Length - Länge, Längenmaß, Pferdelänge
trailed - nachgezogen; folgen, verfolgen, nachstellen, nacheilen
bending - beugend, biegend; (bend); beugen; biegen, durchbiegen, Kurve
single - einzeln, einzig, allein, einheitlich
blade - Klinge; Turbinenschaufel; Grashalm; Blatt
"In a few days the Eldorado Expedition went into the patient wilderness, that closed upon it as the sea closes over a diver. Long afterwards the news came that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals. They, no doubt, like the rest of us, found what they deserved.
patient - geduldig; Patient, Patientin, Kranker, Kranke, Patiens
diver - Taucher, Taucherin; (div); Taucher, Taucherin
donkeys - Esel; Grauchen
fate - Schicksal, Los, Geschick
valuable - wertvoll; Wertgegenstand, Wertsache
deserved - Verdient; verdienen
I did not inquire. I was then rather excited at the prospect of meeting Kurtz very soon. When I say very soon I mean it comparatively. It was just two months from the day we left the creek when we came to the bank below Kurtz's station.
inquire - erkundigen
prospect - Anwärter; Sicht, Perspektive, Aussicht, Erwartung, Chance
comparatively - vergleichsweise
"Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. The long stretches of the waterway ran on, deserted, into the gloom of overshadowed distances. On silvery sand-banks hippos and alligators sunned themselves side by side. The broadening waters flowed through a mob of wooded islands; you lost your way on that river as you would in a desert, and butted all day long against shoals, trying to find the channel, till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off for ever from everything you had known once"somewhere"far away"in another existence perhaps. There were moments when one's past came back to one, as it will sometimes when you have not a moment to spare for yourself; but it came in the shape of an unrestful and noisy dream, remembered with wonder amongst the overwhelming realities of this strange world of plants, and water, and silence.
beginnings - Anfänge; Beginn, Anfang
impenetrable - undurchdringlich; undurchlässig
thick - dick; dicht; plump; mitten in
sluggish - träge; faul, schwach, inaktiv, lustlos
joy - Wonne (Freude, Vergnügen); Freude (über)
stretches - dehnt sich; strecken, dehnen, langziehen, dehnen
overshadowed - überschattet; überschatten, überschatten
distances - Entfernungen; Distanz, Entfernung, Abstand, Ferne, Weite
silvery - silbrig, silberig, silberhell, silbern
hippos - Nilpferde; Nilpferd, Flusspferd
alligators - Alligatoren; Alligator
broadening - Ausweitung; weiten
mob - Meute, Pöbel
shoals - Untiefen; Schar, Untiefe
spare - überflüssig, frei, sparsam, Ersatz; sparsam umgehen
unrestful - unruhig
noisy - lärmend; laut, geräuschvoll
overwhelming - überwältigend; überwältigen, übermannen, überrumpeln, de
realities - Realitäten; Wirklichkeit, Realität, Realität, Realität
And this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect. I got used to it afterwards; I did not see it any more; I had no time. I had to keep guessing at the channel; I had to discern, mostly by inspiration, the signs of hidden banks; I watched for sunken stones; I was learning to clap my teeth smartly before my heart flew out, when I shaved by a fluke some infernal sly old snag that would have ripped the life out of the tin-pot steamboat and drowned all the pilgrims; I had to keep a lookout for the signs of dead wood we could cut up in the night for next day's steaming. When you have to attend to things of that sort, to the mere incidents of the surface, the reality"the reality, I tell you"fades. The inner truth is hidden"luckily, luckily. But I felt it all the same; I felt often its mysterious stillness watching me at my monkey tricks, just as it watches you fellows performing on your respective tight-ropes for"what is it? half-a-crown a tumble""
resemble - ähneln, gleichen
implacable - unerbittlich
force - Kraft; zwingen, forcieren, erzwingen; Stärke, Macht, Einfluss
vengeful - rachsüchtig
discern - erkennen, wahrnehmen, bemerken, feststellen
inspiration - Einatmung, Einatmen, Einschnaufen, göttliche Eingebung
signs - Wert, Zeichen, Hinweistafel, Indiz; unterschreiben, signieren
clap - Tripper, Beifall; klatschen
smartly - klug; schlau, elegant
flew out - (fly out) ausfliegen
shaved - rasiert; rasieren
fluke - Glücksfall; der Dusel
infernal - höllisch, infernalisch, Höllen-, checkinfernalisch
sly - schlau, gerissen, listig, verschmitzt
snag - Haken; Aststumpf, Pferdefuß, Zahnstumpf
ripped - gerissen; Riss; reißen, der Länge nach auftrennen
keep a lookout - Schmiere stehen
wood - Holz
cut up - zerstückeln, zerschneiden
steaming - Dämpfen; dampfend; (steam); Wasserdampf, Kraft, Energie
attend to - bedienen
Incidents - Vorfälle; Vorfall, Begebenheit, Ereignis
surface - Oberfläche; auftauchen; publik werden, ans Licht kommen
fades - verblasst; Mode, Trend, Modeerscheinung, Fimmel
luckily - glücklicherweise, auf glückliche Weise, mit Glück, zum Glück
monkey - Affe, Äffin
tricks - List, Falle, Finte, Trick, Trick, Kunststück
performing - durchführen; ausführend, Ausführen, aufführend
respective - bzw
tight - knapp, eng, dicht, tight, fest
ropes - Seile; Tau, Seil, Strang
crown - Zenit; krönen; Bombage (ballige Fläche), Zahnkrone; Baumkrone
tumble - purzeln; Sturz, Fall, Überschlag, Absturz
"Try to be civil, Marlow," growled a voice, and I knew there was at least one listener awake besides myself.
civil - zivil, bürgerlich, zivilisiert
listener - Zuhörer, Zuhörerin, Beobachter
"I beg your pardon. I forgot the heartache which makes up the rest of the price. And indeed what does the price matter, if the trick be well done? You do your tricks very well. And I didn't do badly either, since I managed not to sink that steamboat on my first trip. It's a wonder to me yet. Imagine a blindfolded man set to drive a van over a bad road. I sweated and shivered over that business considerably, I can tell you. After all, for a seaman, to scrape the bottom of the thing that's supposed to float all the time under his care is the unpardonable sin. No one may know of it, but you never forget the thump"eh? A blow on the very heart. You remember it, you dream of it, you wake up at night and think of it"years after"and go hot and cold all over. I don't pretend to say that steamboat floated all the time. More than once she had to wade for a bit, with twenty cannibals splashing around and pushing. We had enlisted some of these chaps on the way for a crew. Fine fellows"cannibals"in their place. They were men one could work with, and I am grateful to them. And, after all, they did not eat each other before my face: they had brought along a provision of hippo-meat which went rotten, and made the mystery of the wilderness stink in my nostrils. Phoo! I can sniff it now. I had the manager on board and three or four pilgrims with their staves"all complete. Sometimes we came upon a station close by the bank, clinging to the skirts of the unknown, and the white men rushing out of a tumble-down hovel, with great gestures of joy and surprise and welcome, seemed very strange"had the appearance of being held there captive by a spell. The word ivory would ring in the air for a while"and on we went again into the silence, along empty reaches, round the still bends, between the high walls of our winding way, reverberating in hollow claps the ponderous beat of the stern-wheel. Trees, trees, millions of trees, massive, immense, running up high; and at their foot, hugging the bank against the stream, crept the little begrimed steamboat, like a sluggish beetle crawling on the floor of a lofty portico. It made you feel very small, very lost, and yet it was not altogether depressing, that feeling.
heartache - Liebeskummer; Herzenskummer
makes up - (make up) umbrechen (Drucktechnik), zurechtmachen
trick - List, Falle, Finte, Trick, Trick
sink - Waschbecken; sinken; senken, versenken, Spüle, Spülbecken
van - Lieferwagen; Van
sweated - geschwitzt; schwitzen; Schweiß
shivered - gezittert; Schauder, Schauer, zittern, frösteln
scrape - abkratzen, schaben, scharren
float - treiben, schwimmen, schweben, gleiten
unpardonable - unverzeihlich
thump - Klopfen; dumpfer Schlag
blow - (to blow) blasen, wehen, pusten
pretend - vorgeben, prätendieren, vortäuschen, so tun, als ob
wade - waten
cannibals - Kannibalen; Kannibale, qualifieremale
splashing - anspritzend, platschend
pushing - schieben, drängen, stoßen
enlisted - angeworben; eintragen
crew - Mannschaft, Crew
grateful - dankbar, erkenntlich, wohltuend, zufrieden
brought along - mitgebracht
hippo - Nilpferd, Flusspferd
stink - stinken, riechen, müffeln, Gestank
phoo - puh
sniff - schnüffeln, züngeln (for reptiles)
clinging - anhaftend; anschmiegen
hovel - Unterschlupf; Unterstand; Bruchbude, Baracke
captive - Gefangener, Gefangene
ring in - einläuten, sich telefonisch melden, nach jemandem klingeln
bends - biegt; beugen, biegen, biegen, durchbiegen, beugen, Kurve
winding - (wind) aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln
reverberating - nachhallt; nachhallen, nachklingen, nachdröhnen
hollow - hohl, dumpf
claps - klatscht; Tripper, Beifall; klatschen
ponderous - schwerfällig
beat - Schlag ;jdn. bezwingen
stern - ernst, Heck
wheel - Rad; Steuerrad; Felge; kreisen
massive - massiv
running up - anlaufend
hugging - Umarmung, umarmen
crept - gekrochen; kriechen, schleichen, schleichen, kriechen, Kriechen
begrimed - Begrenzt; beschmutzen
Beetle - Stampfer (allg.), Käfer; flitzen
crawling - (crawl) krabbeln, kriechen; (crawl) (crawl) krabbeln, kriechen
lofty - erhaben; hoch
portico - Säulengang; Portikus
depressing - deprimierend; deprimieren
After all, if you were small, the grimy beetle crawled on"which was just what you wanted it to do. Where the pilgrims imagined it crawled to I don't know. To some place where they expected to get something. I bet! For me it crawled towards Kurtz"exclusively; but when the steam-pipes started leaking we crawled very slow. The reaches opened before us and closed behind, as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to bar the way for our return. We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. It was very quiet there. At night sometimes the roll of drums behind the curtain of trees would run up the river and remain sustained faintly, as if hovering in the air high over our heads, till the first break of day. Whether it meant war, peace, or prayer we could not tell. The dawns were heralded by the descent of a chill stillness; the wood-cutters slept, their fires burned low; the snapping of a twig would make you start. We were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil. But suddenly, as we struggled round a bend, there would be a glimpse of rush walls, of peaked grass-roofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping of feet stamping, of bodies swaying, of eyes rolling, under the droop of heavy and motionless foliage. The steamer toiled along slowly on the edge of a black and incomprehensible frenzy. The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us"who could tell? We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse. We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember because we were travelling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign"and no memories.
grimy - schmuddelig, schmierig, schmutzig
crawled - gekrabbelt; kriechen
some place - irgendwo
bet - Wetteinsatz, wetten, Wette; riskieren
exclusively - ausschließlich, exklusiv, allein, alleinig
leaking - undicht
leisurely - gemütlich; gemächlich
bar - Takt; Schankstube; Latte (Sport); Balken, Leiste, Stange, Strich
penetrated - durchdrungen; eindringen, penetrieren, penetrieren
deeper - tiefer; tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tiefgründig
curtain - Vorhang
run up - hochfahren, hissen
remain - Überrest (2); Überreste (3); sterbliche Überreste (3); bleiben
sustained - unterhalten, aufrechterhalten, versorgen, unterhalten
faintly - kaum, schwach, entfernt, leicht
hovering - schwebend; rütteln, verweilen, zögern, bewegen
prayer - Gebet; (the Lord's Prayer) Paternoster
dawns - dämmert; dämmern, Morgendämmerung, Dämmerung, Morgengrauen
heralded - verkündet; Herold, Bote, Vorbote
descent - Abstieg, Runterweg, Herkunft, Abstammung, Verschlechterung
chill - chillen; Mutlosigkeit, Frostgefühl
cutters - Abschneider, Kutter, Beiboot
burned - verbrannt; brennen, feuern, leuchten
wanderers - Wanderer
taking possession of - bemächtigend
inheritance - Vererbung; Erbschaft; Erbe, Erbteil
subdued - gedämpft; unter Kontrolle bringen, unterwerfen, unterwerfen
anguish - Ängste; Pein, Angst, Qual
struggled - gekämpft; Kampf, Gefecht
bend - beugen; biegen, durchbiegen, Kurve, Biegung, Schrägbalken
yells - schreit; kreischen, schreien
whirl - wirbeln, lschnell, Wirbeln, Wirbel, Trubel, Durcheinander
clapping - Klatschen; (clap); Klatschen
droop - durchhängen, herabhängen, herunterhängen, herabsinken
foliage - Blätter, Laub, Laubwerk, Blätterwerk
toiled - geschuftet; Mühe, schuften, sich plagen, sich quälen, roboten
frenzy - Raserei; Wahn, Rausch, Wut
prehistoric man - Urmensch
cursing - Fluchen; verwünschend; (curs) Fluchen; verwünschend
comprehension - Verständnis, Verstehen
phantoms - Gespenster; Phantom
wondering - und fragen sich; (wonder) sich wundern (über)
secretly - heimlich, insgeheim
appalled - entsetzt; entsetzen, abstoßen
sane - vernünftig; zurechnungsfähig
outbreak - Ausbruch, Auftreten, Entfesselung, sprunghafter Anstieg
madhouse - Irrenhaus, Irrenanstalt, Klapsmühle, Tollhaus
"The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there"there you could look at a thing monstrous and free. It was unearthly, and the men were"No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it"this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity"like yours"the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough; but if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of there being a meaning in it which you"you so remote from the night of first ages"could comprehend. And why not? The mind of man is capable of anything"because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future. What was there after all? Joy, fear, sorrow, devotion, valour, rage"who can tell?"but truth"truth stripped of its cloak of time. Let the fool gape and shudder"the man knows, and can look on without a wink. But he must at least be as much of a man as these on the shore. He must meet that truth with his own true stuff"with his own inborn strength. Principles won't do. Acquisitions, clothes, pretty rags"rags that would fly off at the first good shake. No; you want a deliberate belief. An appeal to me in this fiendish row"is there? Very well; I hear; I admit, but I have a voice, too, and for good or evil mine is the speech that cannot be silenced. Of course, a fool, what with sheer fright and fine sentiments, is always safe. Who's that grunting? You wonder I didn't go ashore for a howl and a dance? Well, no"I didn't. Fine sentiments, you say? Fine sentiments, be hanged! I had no time. I had to mess about with white-lead and strips of woolen blanket helping to put bandages on those leaky steam-pipes"I tell you.
unearthly - unheimlich
accustomed - Gewöhnt; gewöhnen, gewöhnen
shackled - gefesselt; Schäkel; fesseln
conquered - erobert; erobern
monster - Monster, Ungeheuer
inhuman - unmenschlich
howled - geheult; Heulen
spun - gesponnen; durchdrehen, spinnen
thrilled - aufgeregt; Nervenkitzel; erregen, erschauern, durchdringen
humanity - die Menschheit; Menschheit; Humanität, Menschlichkeit
remote - ferngesteuert; fern, entfernt, abgelegen, fernbetrieb
kinship - Verwandtschaft; Verwandtschaftsbeziehung
passionate - leidenschaftlich
ugly - hässlich
admit to - aufnehmen in, eingestehen, hereinlassen, zugeben
trace - verfolgen; Zeichen, Spur
response - Antwort
frankness - Offenheit
comprehend - umfassen; verstehen, begreifen, erfassen, einsehen
capable - fähig
sorrow - Kummer, Traurigkeit, Trauer, Sorge
valour - Tapferkeit, Heldenmut, Mannhaftigkeit
rage - Wut, Zorn, Raserei, Rage, wüten
stripped - entkleidet; Zeichenketten
cloak - Umhang, Pelerine, Deckmantel, verhüllen
gape - klaffen; gähnen; gaffe, angaffen
stuff - Sachen, Kram, Zeug, Ding, Stoff, Material
inborn - angeboren
principles - Grundsätze; Grundsatz, Prinzip
acquisitions - Erwerbe; Erwerb, Aneignung, Erwerb
shake - schütteln, erschüttern, händeschütteln, Schütteln, Milchshake
deliberate - absichtlich, bewusst, vorsätzlich, wohlerwogen, wohlüberlegt
fiendish - teuflisch
silenced - zum Schweigen gebracht; Stille, Schweigen
sentiments - Empfindungen; Gefühl
grunting - grunzend; (grunt); Grunzer, Stöhnen, Grunzen, Hucker
mess about - Fisimatenten machen
woolen - wollen, Woll-, Wollware
blanket - Decke, Wolldecke, Bettdecke, Schicht, Lage, allgemein
bandages - Verbände; Verband, bandagieren
leaky - undicht; leck
I had to watch the steering, and circumvent those snags, and get the tin-pot along by hook or by crook. There was surface-truth enough in these things to save a wiser man. And between whiles I had to look after the savage who was fireman. He was an improved specimen; he could fire up a vertical boiler. He was there below me, and, upon my word, to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat, walking on his hind-legs. A few months of training had done for that really fine chap. He squinted at the steam-gauge and at the water-gauge with an evident effort of intrepidity"and he had filed teeth, too, the poor devil, and the wool of his pate shaved into queer patterns, and three ornamental scars on each of his cheeks. He ought to have been clapping his hands and stamping his feet on the bank, instead of which he was hard at work, a thrall to strange witchcraft, full of improving knowledge. He was useful because he had been instructed; and what he knew was this"that should the water in that transparent thing disappear, the evil spirit inside the boiler would get angry through the greatness of his thirst, and take a terrible vengeance. So he sweated and fired up and watched the glass fearfully (with an impromptu charm, made of rags, tied to his arm, and a piece of polished bone, as big as a watch, stuck flatways through his lower lip), while the wooded banks slipped past us slowly, the short noise was left behind, the interminable miles of silence"and we crept on, towards Kurtz. But the snags were thick, the water was treacherous and shallow, the boiler seemed indeed to have a sulky devil in it, and thus neither that fireman nor I had any time to peer into our creepy thoughts.
steering - Lenkung; (steer); Lenkung
circumvent - umgehen; umlagern; ausmanövrieren
snags - Hindernisse; Aststumpf, Pferdefuß, Zahnstumpf
save - retten; erretten; sichern, speichern, sparen, aufbewahren (2)
wiser - weiser; klug, vernünftig
look after - aufpassen, sich bemühen, pfleglich behandeln
fireman - Feuerwehrmann; Heizer
specimen - Exemplar, Muster, Spezimen, Probe
vertical - vertikal, senkrecht
edifying - erbaulich; bestärken, erbauen, edifizieren
parody - Parodie; parodieren
breeches - Reithosen; Schwanzschraube
feather - eine Feder; Feder, Vogelfeder, befiedern
squinted - blinzeln, schielen, schielen, Schielen
gauge - Meter, Messgerät, Maß, Meter, messen
effort - Anstrengung, Aufwand
intrepidity - Unerschrockenheit; Furchtlosigkeit
filed - eingereicht; Kartei, File, Aktenmappe
pate - Kopf
patterns - Muster
ornamental - Zier-, dekorativ, Zierpflanze
scars - Narben; Narbe
thrall - Sklave; Leibeigene
witchcraft - Hexerei, Hexenkunst
knowledge - Wissen, Kenntnis
thirst - Durst; dürsten
vengeance - Rache, Vergeltung
fearfully - furchtsam, ängstlich
impromptu - aus dem Stegreif; improvisiert; Impromptu
polished - poliert; polnisch, Polnisch
flatways - flache Wege
lip - Lippe; Auslauf, Überlauf, Schnaupe, Ansatz
shallow - flach; q
peer - seinesgleichen, Beaufsichtigende; schielen, starren
creepy - kriechend; gruselig, schaurig, schauerlich, unheimlich
"Some fifty miles below the Inner Station we came upon a hut of reeds, an inclined and melancholy pole, with the unrecognizable tatters of what had been a flag of some sort flying from it, and a neatly stacked wood-pile. This was unexpected. We came to the bank, and on the stack of firewood found a flat piece of board with some faded pencil-writing on it. When deciphered it said: Wood for you. Hurry up. Approach cautiously.'There was a signature, but it was illegible"not Kurtz"a much longer word. Hurry up.'Where? Up the river? Approach cautiously.'We had not done so. But the warning could not have been meant for the place where it could be only found after approach. Something was wrong above. But what"and how much? That was the question. We commented adversely upon the imbecility of that telegraphic style. The bush around said nothing, and would not let us look very far, either. A torn curtain of red twill hung in the doorway of the hut, and flapped sadly in our faces. The dwelling was dismantled; but we could see a white man had lived there not very long ago. There remained a rude table"a plank on two posts; a heap of rubbish reposed in a dark corner, and by the door I picked up a book. It had lost its covers, and the pages had been thumbed into a state of extremely dirty softness; but the back had been lovingly stitched afresh with white cotton thread, which looked clean yet. It was an extraordinary find. Its title was, An Inquiry into some Points of Seamanship, by a man Towser, Towson"some such name"Master in his Majesty's Navy.
reeds - Schilf, Ried, Schilfrohr
inclined - geneigt; neigen, neigen, neigen, Neigung, Anstieg, Gefälle
melancholy - Melancholie, Schwermut, Wehmut
unrecognizable - unerkennbar
tatters - zerfetzen, zerfleddern, zerfledern; Lumpen, Fetzen
neatly - sauber, ordentlich, geschickt
stacked - gestapelt; Stapel, Stapelspeicher, stapeln
pile - Haufen, Pfahl, Pulk
firewood - Brennholz, Feuerholz
faded - verblasst; verfärben, Ausblendung; verblassen, nachlassen
deciphered - dechiffriert; dechiffrieren, entschlüsseln, entziffern
cautiously - behutsam; vorsichtig
signature - Unterschrift; Signatur
illegible - unleserlich
commented - kommentiert; kommentieren; Erläuterung, Anmerkung, Vermerk
adversely - nachteilig
imbecility - Geistesschwäche, Schwachsinn
telegraphic style - Telegrammstiel
torn - zerrissen; zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
twill - Köperbindung, Köper
flapped - geflattert; Klappe, klappen
sadly - traurig, traurigerweise
dwelling - Wohnung, Behausung; (dwell); leben, verbleiben, wohnen
rude - grob, unhöflich, frech, unverschämt
plank - ein Brett; Planke; Schwerpunkt
rubbish - Quatsch, Blödsinn, Unsinn, Mist, Müll
corner - Ecke, Winkel, in die Enge treiben
picked - ausgewählt; Foto
covers - Abdeckungen; Deckel, Abdeckung, Deckung, Versteck
thumbed - gedumpt; Daumen, durchblättern
state - Staat, Land, Bundesland, Zustand, erklären, darlegen, nennen
softness - Weichheit
lovingly - liebevoll, lieb, liebende
stitched - genäht; Stich (Näh-), Stich (Schmerz); nähen, absteppen
afresh - von neuem; neu, wieder
inquiry - Anfrage, Erkundigung, Abfrage, Untersuchung, Erforschung
seamanship - Seemannschaft; Seemannskunst, Seemannserfahrung
towser - Abschleppwagen
Master - Haupt.., Grund, Meister, führend, leitend; bewältigen, meistern
Majesty - Majestät
Navy - Die Marine; Marine, Flotte, Seestreitkräfte, Marineamt
The matter looked dreary reading enough, with illustrative diagrams and repulsive tables of figures, and the copy was sixty years old. I handled this amazing antiquity with the greatest possible tenderness, lest it should dissolve in my hands. Within, Towson or Towser was inquiring earnestly into the breaking strain of ships'chains and tackle, and other such matters. Not a very enthralling book; but at the first glance you could see there a singleness of intention, an honest concern for the right way of going to work, which made these humble pages, thought out so many years ago, luminous with another than a professional light. The simple old sailor, with his talk of chains and purchases, made me forget the jungle and the pilgrims in a delicious sensation of having come upon something unmistakably real. Such a book being there was wonderful enough; but still more astounding were the notes pencilled in the margin, and plainly referring to the text. I couldn't believe my eyes! They were in cipher! Yes, it looked like cipher. Fancy a man lugging with him a book of that description into this nowhere and studying it"and making notes"in cipher at that! It was an extravagant mystery.
dreary - öde, trostlos, trüb, freudlos
illustrative - anschaulich
diagrams - Diagramme; Diagramm
repulsive - abstoßend
copy - Kopie; Exemplar
handled - behandelt; Henkel, Hantel, Griff, Türklinke; abarbeiten
antiquity - der Antike; Antike, Altertum
tenderness - Zärtlichkeit
dissolve - auflösen; auflösen
inquiring - Erkundigen Sie sich; erkundigen
breaking strain - Bruchdehnung (Dämme)
chains - Kette, Kette, Kette, Kette, anketten, ketten
matters - zählt; Materie, Materie, Masse, Substanz, Stoff, Angelegenheit
enthralling - fesselnd; (enthral) fesselnd
honest - ehrlich, aufrichtig; (hon); ehrlich, aufrichtig
humble - bescheiden; demütig, ergeben
professional - Profi, Professioneller, Professionelle, Beruf
purchases - Käufe; Einkauf, Kauf, Kauf, Anschaffung, Anschaffung, kaufen
unmistakably - unmissverständlich
astounding - verblüffend; verblüffen, überraschen
margin - Seitenrand; Gewinnspanne, Gewinnmarge, Einschuss
plainly - klar und deutlich; klar
referring - verweisen; überweisen (an)
cipher - Ziffer; Verschlüsselung; Verschlüsselungssystem; Chiffre
"I had been dimly aware for some time of a worrying noise, and when I lifted my eyes I saw the wood-pile was gone, and the manager, aided by all the pilgrims, was shouting at me from the riverside. I slipped the book into my pocket. I assure you to leave off reading was like tearing myself away from the shelter of an old and solid friendship.
dimly - undeutlich; trübe
aided - unterstützt; Hilfsmittel, Hilfe, Mithilfe; helfen, beispringen
shouting at - anschreiend
shelter - Unterkunft; Zuflucht, Obdach, Zufluchtsort, Schutzraum
friendship - Freundschaft
"I started the lame engine ahead. It must be this miserable trader"this intruder,'exclaimed the manager, looking back malevolently at the place we had left. He must be English,'I said. It will not save him from getting into trouble if he is not careful,'muttered the manager darkly. I observed with assumed innocence that no man was safe from trouble in this world.
lame - lähmen; lahm
engine - Motor, Triebwerk, Antrieb
intruder - Eindringling
malevolently - böswillig
careful - vorsichtig, behutsam, sorgfältig
muttered - gemurmelt; murmeln
darkly - düster; dunkle, dunkel
observed - beobachtet; beobachten, beachten, halten, bemerken
assumed - angenommen; annehmen, voraussetzen, vermuten, unterstellen
innocence - Unschuld; Harmlosigkeit
safe from - sicher vor
"The current was more rapid now, the steamer seemed at her last gasp, the stern-wheel flopped languidly, and I caught myself listening on tiptoe for the next beat of the boat, for in sober truth I expected the wretched thing to give up every moment. It was like watching the last flickers of a life. But still we crawled. Sometimes I would pick out a tree a little way ahead to measure our progress towards Kurtz by, but I lost it invariably before we got abreast. To keep the eyes so long on one thing was too much for human patience.
rapid - schnell; Stromschnelle
gasp - keuchen; japsen, prusten, Atemzug, Luftholen
flopped - gefloppt; versagen; Pleite, Reinfall, Versager
caught - erwischt; Fang, Fang, Haken, Fang, fangen, fangen, einfangen
on tiptoe - auf Zehenspitzen
beat - schlagen; Schlag; jdn. bezwingen
sober - nüchtern, besonnen, ernst, gedeckt, ernüchtern, ausnüchtern
flickers - flackert; flimmern, flattern, flackern
pick out - aussuchen
abreast - übereinstimmend; beieinander, nebeneinander, auf dem Laufenden
The manager displayed a beautiful resignation. I fretted and fumed and took to arguing with myself whether or no I would talk openly with Kurtz; but before I could come to any conclusion it occurred to me that my speech or my silence, indeed any action of mine, would be a mere futility. What did it matter what any one knew or ignored? What did it matter who was manager? One gets sometimes such a flash of insight. The essentials of this affair lay deep under the surface, beyond my reach, and beyond my power of meddling.
displayed - angezeigt; Vorführung, Vorstellung, Display
resignation - Rücktritt, Niederlegung, Kündigung, Rücktrittserklärung
fretted - beunruhigt; sich grämen
fumed - wütend; Rauch, Qualm, rauchen, qualmen, schäumen
arguing - diskutieren, erörtern, streiten, argumentieren
openly - offen, öffentlich
conclusion - Schluss, Ende, Abschluss, Ergebnis, Schlussfolgerung
futility - Sinnlosigkeit, Vergeblichkeit
ignored - ignoriert; ignorieren, missachten
insight - Einblick; Einsicht; Gespür, Kundenverständnis, Ahnung, Eingebung
essentials - Wesentliches; essenziell, notwendig, unverzichtbar, wesentlich
meddling - Einmischung; einmischen
"Towards the evening of the second day we judged ourselves about eight miles from Kurtz's station. I wanted to push on; but the manager looked grave, and told me the navigation up there was so dangerous that it would be advisable, the sun being very low already, to wait where we were till next morning. Moreover, he pointed out that if the warning to approach cautiously were to be followed, we must approach in daylight"not at dusk or in the dark. This was sensible enough. Eight miles meant nearly three hours'steaming for us, and I could also see suspicious ripples at the upper end of the reach. Nevertheless, I was annoyed beyond expression at the delay, and most unreasonably, too, since one night more could not matter much after so many months. As we had plenty of wood, and caution was the word, I brought up in the middle of the stream. The reach was narrow, straight, with high sides like a railway cutting. The dusk came gliding into it long before the sun had set. The current ran smooth and swift, but a dumb immobility sat on the banks. The living trees, lashed together by the creepers and every living bush of the undergrowth, might have been changed into stone, even to the slenderest twig, to the lightest leaf. It was not sleep"it seemed unnatural, like a state of trance. Not the faintest sound of any kind could be heard. You looked on amazed, and began to suspect yourself of being deaf"then the night came suddenly, and struck you blind as well. About three in the morning some large fish leaped, and the loud splash made me jump as though a gun had been fired. When the sun rose there was a white fog, very warm and clammy, and more blinding than the night. It did not shift or drive; it was just there, standing all round you like something solid. At eight or nine, perhaps, it lifted as a shutter lifts.
push - schieben, drängen, stoßen
navigation - Navigation; Schifffahrt
advisable - ratsam
daylight - Tageslicht; Tag
suspicious - verdächtig; misstrauisch, argwöhnisch
ripples - plätschert; Brummspannung, Welligkeit
nevertheless - nichtsdestoweniger, trotzdem, lauch wenn, dennoch
delay - Verspätung, Verzögerung, Verzug
unreasonably - unangemessen
caution - Warnung, Vorsicht, Achtsamkeit, Behutsamkeit, Kaution, warnen
sides - Seiten; Flanke, Rand, Mannschaft, Team
gliding - Segelfliegen; Segelflug
smooth - glatt; reibungslos, problemlos, glätten
immobility - Unbeweglichkeit; Immobilität
lashed - festgezurrt; Peitsche, Wimper; anbinden
creepers - Kriechtiere; Kriecher, Strampler, Strampelanzug, Kriechpflanze
undergrowth - Gestrüpp; Unterholz, Unterwuchs
slenderest - am schlanksten; schlank
unnatural - unnatürlich
trance - Trance
amazed - erstaunt; verwundern
loud - laut
splash - Spritzen; plätschern, platschen
jump - (to jump) springen, hüpfen
gun - Waffe; Geschütz, Gewehr, Knarre, Revolver
clammy - klamm
shift - Schicht; Verschiebung, Verlagerung, Verstellung, Gangschaltung
lifts - Aufzüge; Lüften (Bremse), Lift, Aufzug; fördern, Auftrieb geben
We had a glimpse of the towering multitude of trees, of the immense matted jungle, with the blazing little ball of the sun hanging over it"all perfectly still"and then the white shutter came down again, smoothly, as if sliding in greased grooves. I ordered the chain, which we had begun to heave in, to be paid out again. Before it stopped running with a muffled rattle, a cry, a very loud cry, as of infinite desolation, soared slowly in the opaque air. It ceased. A complaining clamour, modulated in savage discords, filled our ears. The sheer unexpectedness of it made my hair stir under my cap. I don't know how it struck the others: to me it seemed as though the mist itself had screamed, so suddenly, and apparently from all sides at once, did this tumultuous and mournful uproar arise. It culminated in a hurried outbreak of almost intolerably excessive shrieking, which stopped short, leaving us stiffened in a variety of silly attitudes, and obstinately listening to the nearly as appalling and excessive silence. Good God! What is the meaning"'stammered at my elbow one of the pilgrims"a little fat man, with sandy hair and red whiskers, who wore sidespring boots, and pink pyjamas tucked into his socks. Two others remained open-mouthed a while minute, then dashed into the little cabin, to rush out incontinently and stand darting scared glances, with Winchesters at ready'in their hands. What we could see was just the steamer we were on, her outlines blurred as though she had been on the point of dissolving, and a misty strip of water, perhaps two feet broad, around her"and that was all. The rest of the world was nowhere, as far as our eyes and ears were concerned. Just nowhere. Gone, disappeared; swept off without leaving a whisper or a shadow behind.
towering - überragend; starker Rückhalt, Turm; emporragen, hochragen, ragen
multitude - Vielfältigkeit; Vielzahl, Menge, Menschenmenge, Volk
matted - verfilzt; Passepartout
blazing - lodernd; Lohe, Brand, Großbrand, brenne, Glut
hanging over - überhängend
smoothly - reibungslos; ruhig, weich
sliding - schiebend, abgleitend; (slid) schiebend, abgleitend
Greased - GETRAGEN; Fett
grooves - Rillen; Rille, Nut, gewöhnlicher Gang, üblicher Ablauf
heave - heben, hieven, werfen, wuchten, schleudern
muffled - gedämpft; umhüllen, einhüllen
rattle - klappern, rasseln, erschüteln, knattern
cry - weinen; schreien; rufen; Weinen; Schrei
infinite - unendlich, endlos, unzählige
soared - aufgestiegen; schweben, hochfliegen, gleiten, hochschnellen
opaque - matt, dunkel, undurchsichtig, undurchlässig, opak
complaining - beschweren; (complain); sich beschweren, klagen, sich beklagen
clamour - zetern; Geschrei, Aufschrei, Lärm
modulated - moduliert; abstimmen, anpassen, modulieren
discords - Misstöne; Zerwürfnis, Misston, Dissonanz
unexpectedness - Unerwartetes; Plötzlichkeit
cap - Ventilkappe; Mütze, Haube, Kappe, Deckel; Laufflächenkrone
screamed - geschrien; Schrei, schreien
all sides - allseitig
tumultuous - stürmisch; tumultuarisch
arise - sich erheben, aufstehen, entstehen, auftreten, erwachsen
culminated - kulminiert; kulminieren, gipfeln, kulminieren, kulminieren
hurried - eilig; Eile, beeilen
intolerably - unerträglich
shrieking - schreien; kreischend; (shriek); Kreischen
stiffened - Versteift; aussteifen, versteifen, verstärken, ertüchtigen
variety - Vielfalt; Sorte; Varietät, Sprachform, Sprachvarietät
obstinately - hartnäckig
stammered - gestottert; stammeln, stottern, Stottern
Sandy - sandig, sandfarben
whiskers - Schnurrhaare; Barthaar
sidespring - Seitenfederung
tucked - gesteckt; zurückstreifen, einklemmen; Bundfalte
socks - Socken, Socke, Faustschlag
dashed - gestrichelt; Bindestrich, Gedankenstrich, Querstrich, Strich
cabin - Hütte, Blockhütte, Kabine, Kajüte
incontinently - inkontinent
darting - Pfeil, Satz
scared - verängstigt; erschrocken, bange
glances - blicken, Blick, Streifblick, Glanz, Steinkohle
outlines - Umrisse; Umriss, Kontur, Umriss, Skizze, Skizzierung
dissolving - auflöst; auflösend; (dissolve); auflösen; auflösen
strip - Zeichenketten
concerned - besorgt; Sorge, Anliegen
disappeared - verschwunden; verschwinden, entschwinden
whisper - Geflüster, Flüstern, Wispern
"I went forward, and ordered the chain to be hauled in short, so as to be ready to trip the anchor and move the steamboat at once if necessary. Will they attack?'whispered an awed voice. We will be all butchered in this fog,'murmured another. The faces twitched with the strain, the hands trembled slightly, the eyes forgot to wink. It was very curious to see the contrast of expressions of the white men and of the black fellows of our crew, who were as much strangers to that part of the river as we, though their homes were only eight hundred miles away. The whites, of course greatly discomposed, had besides a curious look of being painfully shocked by such an outrageous row. The others had an alert, naturally interested expression; but their faces were essentially quiet, even those of the one or two who grinned as they hauled at the chain. Several exchanged short, grunting phrases, which seemed to settle the matter to their satisfaction. Their headman, a young, broad-chested black, severely draped in dark-blue fringed cloths, with fierce nostrils and his hair all done up artfully in oily ringlets, stood near me. Aha!'I said, just for good fellowship's sake. Catch 'im,'he snapped, with a bloodshot widening of his eyes and a flash of sharp teeth"catch 'im. Give 'im to us.'To you, eh?'I asked; what would you do with them?'Eat 'im!'he said curtly, and, leaning his elbow on the rail, looked out into the fog in a dignified and profoundly pensive attitude. I would no doubt have been properly horrified, had it not occurred to me that he and his chaps must be very hungry: that they must have been growing increasingly hungry for at least this month past. They had been engaged for six months (I don't think a single one of them had any clear idea of time, as we at the end of countless ages have. They still belonged to the beginnings of time"had no inherited experience to teach them as it were), and of course, as long as there was a piece of paper written over in accordance with some farcical law or other made down the river, it didn't enter anybody's head to trouble how they would live. Certainly they had brought with them some rotten hippo-meat, which couldn't have lasted very long, anyway, even if the pilgrims hadn't, in the midst of a shocking hullabaloo, thrown a considerable quantity of it overboard. It looked like a high-handed proceeding; but it was really a case of legitimate self-defence. You can't breathe dead hippo waking, sleeping, and eating, and at the same time keep your precarious grip on existence. Besides that, they had given them every week three pieces of brass wire, each about nine inches long; and the theory was they were to buy their provisions with that currency in riverside villages. You can see how that worked. There were either no villages, or the people were hostile, or the director, who like the rest of us fed out of tins, with an occasional old he-goat thrown in, didn't want to stop the steamer for some more or less recondite reason. So, unless they swallowed the wire itself, or made loops of it to snare the fishes with, I don't see what good their extravagant salary could be to them.
awed - ehrfürchtig; Ehrfurcht, Staunen
butchered - geschlachtet; niedermetzeln, niedermachen; Metzger, Schlächter
twitched - gezuckt; zupfen
strain - Belastung; Spannung, starke Inanspruchnahme, Zug; anstrengen
trembled - gezittert; zittern, Zittern
contrast - Kontrast; Gegensatz, Unterschied, gegenüberstellen
expressions - Ausdrücke; Ausdruck, Redensart, Ausdruck, Miene, Ausdruck
strangers - Fremde, Fremdling, Unbekannte
greatly - sehr; außerordentlich, großartig
discomposed - verwirrt; aufregen
shocked - schockiert; Schock, Betroffenheit, Empörung, Schlag, Stoß
alert - alarmiert; alarmieren; Alarm, Warnton, Alarmruf, wachsam
essentially - im Wesentlichen
grinned - grinst; (to grin) grinsen, strahlen
settle - regeln; abklären
satisfaction - Befriedigung; Zufriedenheit; Satisfaktion, Genugtuung
headman - Schulleiter; Führer
chested - mit Brustkorb; (chest) Kiste, Brustkasten, Brust, Koffer
dark-blue - (dark-blue) dunkelblau
cloths - Tücher; Stoff, Tuch
done up - (do up) nachbessern
artfully - listige, kunstvoll
ringlets - Ringellocken; Haarlocke
Aha - aha
fellowship - Gemeinschaft, Kameradschaft
catch - Fang; Haken; fangen; einfangen; verstehen, begreifen, bekommen
bloodshot - blutunterlaufen
widening - Verbreiterung; erman: sich weiten, erweitern, weiten, erweitern
sharp - scharf; scharfsinning; spitz, -is, hoch, stechend
curtly - schroff; knapp, kurz
rail - Gleis, Schiene, Reling, Geländer
dignified - würdevoll; ehren
profoundly - zutiefst; tief
pensive - nachdenklich, gedankenvoll, gedankenverloren
properly - ordnungsgemäß, ordentlich, richtig, vernünftig
horrified - entsetzt; entsetzen, erschrecken, schockieren
increasingly - zunehmend
countless - unzählige; unzählig, unzählbar, zahllos
inherited - geerbt; erben, übernehmen, erben, erben, vererben
Experience - Erlebnis, Erfahrung, Praxis
accordance - Übereinstimmung
enter - reingehen, hineingehen, hereingehen, eintreten
lasted - gedauert; letzte, zuletzt, letzter, vorig; dauern, andauern
shocking - schockierend; Schock, Betroffenheit, Empörung, Schlag, Stoß
hullabaloo - Tohuwabohu; Aufheben, Aufregung, Aufruhr, Bohei
overboard - über Bord
legitimate - rechtmäßig; gültig; legitim
defence - Verteidigung, Abwehr
breathe - atmen; einatmen; hauchen
precarious - prekär
Provisions - Bestimmungen; Vorrat-p
currency - Währung
hostile - feindlich, feindselig, gegnerisch, unversöhnlich, antagonistisch
tins - Zinn
occasional - gelegentlich, okkasionell
he-goat - (he-goat) Ziegenbock
thrown in - eingeworfen
swallowed - verschluckt; schlucken, verschlingen, anbeißen, einstecken
snare - Schlinge, Falle
salary - Gehalt, Lohn
I must say it was paid with a regularity worthy of a large and honourable trading company. For the rest, the only thing to eat"though it didn't look eatable in the least"I saw in their possession was a few lumps of some stuff like half-cooked dough, of a dirty lavender colour, they kept wrapped in leaves, and now and then swallowed a piece of, but so small that it seemed done more for the looks of the thing than for any serious purpose of sustenance. Why in the name of all the gnawing devils of hunger they didn't go for us"they were thirty to five"and have a good tuck-in for once, amazes me now when I think of it. They were big powerful men, with not much capacity to weigh the consequences, with courage, with strength, even yet, though their skins were no longer glossy and their muscles no longer hard. And I saw that something restraining, one of those human secrets that baffle probability, had come into play there. I looked at them with a swift quickening of interest"not because it occurred to me I might be eaten by them before very long, though I own to you that just then I perceived"in a new light, as it were"how unwholesome the pilgrims looked, and I hoped, yes, I positively hoped, that my aspect was not so"what shall I say?"so"unappetizing: a touch of fantastic vanity which fitted well with the dream-sensation that pervaded all my days at that time. Perhaps I had a little fever, too. One can't live with one's finger everlastingly on one's pulse. I had often a little fever,'or a little touch of other things"the playful paw-strokes of the wilderness, the preliminary trifling before the more serious onslaught which came in due course. Yes; I looked at them as you would on any human being, with a curiosity of their impulses, motives, capacities, weaknesses, when brought to the test of an inexorable physical necessity. Restraint! What possible restraint? Was it superstition, disgust, patience, fear"or some kind of primitive honour? No fear can stand up to hunger, no patience can wear it out, disgust simply does not exist where hunger is; and as to superstition, beliefs, and what you may call principles, they are less than chaff in a breeze. Don't you know the devilry of lingering starvation, its exasperating torment, its black thoughts, its sombre and brooding ferocity? Well, I do. It takes a man all his inborn strength to fight hunger properly. It's really easier to face bereavement, dishonour, and the perdition of one's soul"than this kind of prolonged hunger. Sad, but true. And these chaps, too, had no earthly reason for any kind of scruple. Restraint! I would just as soon have expected restraint from a hyena prowling amongst the corpses of a battlefield. But there was the fact facing me"the fact dazzling, to be seen, like the foam on the depths of the sea, like a ripple on an unfathomable enigma, a mystery greater"when I thought of it"than the curious, inexplicable note of desperate grief in this savage clamour that had swept by us on the river-bank, behind the blind whiteness of the fog.
regularity - Regelmäßigkeit
honourable - ehrenhaft
trading company - Handelsgesellschaft
eatable - essbar
lumps - Klumpen, Kloß, Stück
dough - Teig; Knete
lavender - Lavendel
wrapped - eingewickelt; einhüllen, einwickeln, wickeln, einpacken, hüllen
sustenance - Lebensunterhalt; Nahrung, Verpflegung
gnawing - abnagend, nagend; (gnaw); nagen, kauen, knabbern, verfolgen
hunger - hungern; Hunger
tuck - zurückstreifen, einklemmen; Bundfalte
amazes - erstaunt; verwundern
powerful - mächtig
weigh - wiegen, wägen, abwiegen, auswiegen, abwägen, erwägen, lasten
consequences - Folgen; Konsequenz, Folge, Konsequenz, Folge, Konsequenz
skins - Haut, Haut, tHäutchen
glossy - glänzend
muscles - Muskeln; Muskel
restraining - zurückhaltend; zurückhalten
baffle - Ablenkungsmanöver; verblüffen, verdutzen, verwirren
probability - Wahrscheinlichkeit
quickening - Belebung; beschleunigend; (quicken) Belebung; beschleunigend
unwholesome - ungesund
positively - positiv
unappetizing - unappetitlich
vanity - Vergänglichkeit; Eitelkeit; Leere
fitted - angepasst; (to be fit) in Form sein
pervaded - durchdrungen; durchziehen
everlastingly - für immer und ewig
playful - spielerisch; verspielt
paw - Tatze, Pfote, Pranke
strokes - Schlaganfälle; streicheln; Stoß, Schlag, Streich, Hub
preliminary - vorläufig, vorbereitend
trifling - unbedeutend; Leichtfertigkeit
onslaught - Angriff, Ansturm, Strum
due - fällig
impulses - Impulsen; Impuls, Triebkraft, Drang, innerer Antrieb, Kraftstoß
motives - Motiven; Motiv
capacities - Kapazitäten; Kapazität, Befugnis
weaknesses - Schwächen; Schwäche, Schwäche, Faible
inexorable - unaufhaltsam
restraint - Zurückhaltung; Beschränkung, Zügelung, Einschränkung, Zwang
superstition - Aberglaube
primitive - primitiv; Wortstamm & Stamm, Stammwort, Urwort
No fear - Keine Bange!
exist - bestehen, existieren
beliefs - Überzeugungen; Glauben, Glaube, Glaube, Glauben, Glauben
chaff - Spreu, q ow rare, Düppel
breeze - Brise, Hauch
devilry - Unfug, böser, Quälerei, Hexerei, Teufelei
Lingering - nachklingend, verweilend, zögernd; (linger); herumlungern
torment - Qualen; Qual; quälen, peinigen
ferocity - Grausamkeit, Wildheit
bereavement - Trauerfall
dishonour - Entehrung; Schande; schänden
perdition - Verderben; ewige; Hölle
prolonged - langwierig; ausdehnen, verlängern, hinauszögern
scruple - Skrupel
hyena - Hyäne
prowling - herumtreibend; (prowl); durchstreifen, herumstreifen
corpses - Leichen; Leiche, Leichnam
battlefield - Schlachtfeld
dazzling - schillernd; blendend, grell, umwerfend, betörend
foam - Schaum; Schaumgummi; schäumen
ripple - wellenförmig; Brummspannung, Welligkeit
unfathomable - undurchschaubar
inexplicable - unerklärlich
desperate - verzweifelt bemüht, sehnsuchtsvoll verlangend, aussichtslos
grief - Kummer, Gram, Leid
whiteness - Weiße, Weißheit, Weißsein
"Two pilgrims were quarrelling in hurried whispers as to which bank. Left.'no, no; how can you? Right, right, of course.'It is very serious,'said the manager's voice behind me; I would be desolated if anything should happen to Mr. Kurtz before we came up.'I looked at him, and had not the slightest doubt he was sincere. He was just the kind of man who would wish to preserve appearances. That was his restraint. But when he muttered something about going on at once, I did not even take the trouble to answer him. I knew, and he knew, that it was impossible. Were we to let go our hold of the bottom, we would be absolutely in the air"in space. We wouldn't be able to tell where we were going to"whether up or down stream, or across"till we fetched against one bank or the other"and then we wouldn't know at first which it was. Of course I made no move.
quarrelling - (quarell) sich streiten
whispers - Geflüster
desolated - verödet; verlassen, verlassen
slightest - das Geringste; geringfügig, leicht, gering, unbedeutend, wenig
sincere - aufrichtig
wish - Wunsch; wünschen
preserve - Konserve, Eingemachtes, Naturschutzgebiet, Naturreservat
appearances - Erscheinungen; Erscheinen
take the trouble - sich die Mühe machen
I had no mind for a smash-up. You couldn't imagine a more deadly place for a shipwreck. Whether we drowned at once or not, we were sure to perish speedily in one way or another. I authorize you to take all the risks,'he said, after a short silence. I refuse to take any,'I said shortly; which was just the answer he expected, though its tone might have surprised him. Well, I must defer to your judgment. You are captain,'he said with marked civility. I turned my shoulder to him in sign of my appreciation, and looked into the fog. How long would it last? It was the most hopeless lookout. The approach to this Kurtz grubbing for ivory in the wretched bush was beset by as many dangers as though he had been an enchanted princess sleeping in a fabulous castle. Will they attack, do you think?'asked the manager, in a confidential tone.
shipwreck - Schiffswrack; Schiffbruch
perish - untergehen; verderben, schlecht werden, umkommen
authorize - autorisieren, berechtigen, befugen, ermächtigen
risks - Risiken; Risiko
refuse - Müll; abweisen, verweigern, abschlagen, ablehnen
shortly - in Kürze; bald
defer - verzögern, verschieben, aufschieben
judgment - Urteil; Urteilsvermögen; Beurteilung; Richtspruch
civility - Anstand, Höflichkeit, Verbindlichkeit
appreciation - Anerkennung, Würdigung, Dankbarkeit, Wertschätzung
most hopeless - aussichtsloseste
lookout - Ausschau halten; Ausguck
grubbing - Grabbeln; Larve, Wurm, Fressalien, Futter
beset - bedrängt; befallen, bedrängen
dangers - Gefahren; Gefahr, Risiko
enchanted - verzaubert; verzaubern, verzaubern
princess - Prinzessin, Königstochter
Fabulous - Fabelhaft; mythisch, unglaubhaft, nicht glaubwürdig, sagenhaft
castle - Burg, Festung, Schloss, rochieren
"I did not think they would attack, for several obvious reasons. The thick fog was one. If they left the bank in their canoes they would Get lost in it, as we would be if we attempted to move. Still, I had also judged the jungle of both banks quite impenetrable"and yet eyes were in it, eyes that had seen us. The riverside bushes were certainly very thick; but the undergrowth behind was evidently penetrable. However, during the short lift I had seen no canoes anywhere in the reach"certainly not abreast of the steamer. But what made the idea of attack inconceivable to me was the nature of the noise"of the cries we had heard.
obvious - offensichtlich; selbstverständlich; deutlich; überdeutlich; offenbar; q
Get lost - Zieh Leine!, Mach dich vom Acker!;sich verirren, abhanden kommen, verloren gehen
attempted - Versucht; versuchen, Versuch, Bestreben
penetrable - durchdringbar
bushes - Büsche; Buchse, Strauch, Busch
lift - Lüften (Bremse), Lift, Aufzug; fördern, Auftrieb geben, heben
inconceivable - unvorstellbar
cries - weint; weinen, schreien, schreien, rufen, Weinen
They had not the fierce character boding immediate hostile intention. Unexpected, wild, and violent as they had been, they had given me an irresistible impression of sorrow. The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief. The danger, if any, I expounded, was from our proximity to a great human passion let loose. Even extreme grief may ultimately vent itself in violence"but more generally takes the form of apathy....
boding - Vorahnung; prophezeiend; (bod) Vorahnung; prophezeiend
immediate - sofortig; unmittelbar, immediat
irresistible - unwiderstehlich
unrestrained - hemmungslos
expounded - dargelegt; erläutern, erklären, darlegen, verbreiten
proximity - Nähe, Nachbarschaft
ultimately - letztendlich
vent - Entlüftung; entlüften
apathy - Apathie
"You should have seen the pilgrims stare! They had no heart to grin, or even to revile me: but I believe they thought me gone mad"with fright, maybe. I delivered a regular lecture. My dear boys, it was no good bothering. Keep a lookout? Well, you may guess I watched the fog for the signs of lifting as a cat watches a mouse; but for anything else our eyes were of no more use to us than if we had been buried miles deep in a heap of cotton-wool.
stare - starren, anstarren
revile - schmähen, beschimpfen, verunglimpfen, stänkern gegen
delivered - geliefert; erlösen, befreien, gebären, liefern, abliefern
lecture - Vortrag; Vorlesung
bothering - stören, verdammt, Mist
buried - vergraben, verbergen, begraben
cotton-wool - (cotton-wool) Watte
It felt like it, too"choking, warm, stifling. Besides, all I said, though it sounded extravagant, was absolutely true to fact. What we afterwards alluded to as an attack was really an attempt at repulse. The action was very far from being aggressive"it was not even defensive, in the usual sense: it was undertaken under the stress of desperation, and in its essence was purely protective.
choking - erwürgen, erdrosseln, ersticken, überwältigen
stifling - erstickend; (stifle) erstickend
repulse - abwehren; zurückschlagen, abweisen
aggressive - aggressiv
defensive - Verteidigungs-, Abwehr-, defensiv, zurückhaltend, abwehrend
undertaken - unternommen; unternehmen, ausführen, verpflichten
stress - Spannung; Stress; Betonung; beanspruchen; stressen; betonen
desperation - Verzweiflung
purely - rein, bloß
protective - Schutz
"It developed itself, I should say, two hours after The fog lifted, and its commencement was at a spot, roughly speaking, about a mile and a half below Kurtz's station. We had just floundered and flopped round a bend, when I saw an islet, a mere grassy hummock of bright green, in the middle of the stream. It was the only thing of the kind; but as we opened the reach more, I perceived it was the head of a long sand-bank, or rather of a chain of shallow patches stretching down the middle of the river.
The fog lifted - Der Nebel lichtete sich.
commencement - Beginn; Anfang
roughly - ungefähr; grob; uneben
floundered - gestrampelt; sich abquälen, taumeln, stolpern
islet - Inselchen; Werder
grassy - grasbewachsen
hummock - Eishügel
bright - fröhlich, aufgeweckt, leuchtend, klar, hell
stretching - strecken, dehnen, langziehen, dehnen
They were discoloured, just awash, and the whole lot was seen just under the water, exactly as a man's backbone is seen running down the middle of his back under the skin. Now, as far as I did see, I could go to the right or to the left of this. I didn't know either channel, of course. The banks looked pretty well alike, the depth appeared the same; but as I had been informed the station was on the west side, I naturally headed for the western passage.
discoloured - verfärbt; verfärben
awash - überschwemmt
skin - Haut, tHäutchen, Design, Fell
depth - Tiefe
Western - westlich, West-, Western
"No sooner had we fairly entered it than I became aware it was much narrower than I had supposed. To the left of us there was the long uninterrupted shoal, and to the right a high, steep bank heavily overgrown with bushes. Above the bush the trees stood in serried ranks. The twigs overhung the current thickly, and from distance to distance a large limb of some tree projected rigidly over the stream.
entered - eingegeben; reingehen, hineingehen, hereingehen, eintreten
narrower - Enger; eng, schmal, knapp
shoal - Schwarm; Schar, Untiefe
heavily - schwerlich, stark
overgrown - überwuchert; überwuchern
ranks - Dienstgrade; (sozialer) Stand, Rang, Dienstgrad
twigs - Zweige; Zweig
overhung - überhängend; überhängen, Ăśberhang; hervorstehen
thickly - dick auftragen; dick
limb - Gliedmaßen; Schenkel (geol. Falte), Glied
rigidly - starr, steif
It was then well on in the afternoon, the face of the forest was gloomy, and a broad strip of shadow had already fallen on the water. In this shadow we steamed up"very slowly, as you may imagine. I sheered her well inshore"the water being deepest near the bank, as the sounding-pole informed me.
steamed - gedämpft; Wasserdampf, Dampf, Dampf, Kraft, Energie, dämpfen
sheered - geschert; scheren, ausreißen, gieren; rein, blank
inshore - in Küstennähe; an der Küste
deepest - tiefsten; tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tiefgründig
"One of my hungry and forbearing friends was sounding in the bows just below me. This steamboat was exactly like a decked scow. On the deck, there were two little teakwood houses, with doors and windows. The boiler was in the fore-end, and the machinery right astern. Over the whole there was a light roof, supported on stanchions. The funnel projected through that roof, and in front of the funnel a small cabin built of light planks served for a pilot-house. It contained a couch, two camp-stools, a loaded Martini-Henry leaning in one corner, a tiny table, and the steering-wheel. It had a wide door in front and a broad shutter at each side. All these were always thrown open, of course.
forbearing - nachsichtig; Vorfahr
decked - ausstaffiert; Verdeck; jdm. eine knallen
teakwood - Teakholz
fore - vorn
astern - achtern; achterlich
roof - überdachen; Autodach, Dach
supported - unterstützt; Rückendeckung, Auflage, Unterstützung; abstützen
stanchions - Rungen; Pfosten, Stütze, Pfeiler, Ständer, Strebe, Haltestange
funnel - Trichter
contained - enthalten
couch - Liege
loaded - geladen; Last, Beschickung (Ladung), Belastung; beladen
Martini - Martini
thrown - geworfen; Wurf; werfen (du wirfst, er wirft), ich/er/sie würfe
I spent my days perched up there on the extreme fore-end of that roof, before the door. At night I slept, or tried to, on the couch. An athletic black belonging to some coast tribe and educated by my poor predecessor, was the helmsman. He sported a pair of brass earrings, wore a blue cloth wrapper from the waist to the ankles, and thought all the world of himself. He was the most unstable kind of fool I had ever seen. He steered with no end of a swagger while you were by; but if he lost sight of you, he became instantly the prey of an abject funk, and would let that cripple of a steamboat get the upper hand of him in a minute.
perched - hockt; Vogelstange; Barsch
athletic - athletisch, sportlich
belonging - Zugehörigkeit; gehörend
tribe - Stamm, Volksstamm, Sippe, Volk
educated - Gebildet; ausbilden, erziehen
helmsman - Steuermann, Rudergänger
earrings - Ohrringe; Ohrring
ankles - Knöchel, Fußknöchel
most unstable - haltloseste
steered - Gesteuert; steuern, führen, lenken; junger Ochse, Rind
swagger - Prahlerei; schwadronieren
instantly - sofort; unmittelbar
prey - Beute; lauern, auflauern
abject - unterwürfig; verächtlich, demütig, jämmerlich, bitter (Armut)
funk - Schiss, Bammel
cripple - Krüppel; verkrüppeln, lahm legen, lähmen, zunichte machen
upper hand - Oberhand
"I was looking down at the sounding-pole, and feeling much annoyed to see at each try a little more of it stick out of that river, when I saw my poleman give up on the business suddenly, and stretch himself flat on the deck, without even taking the trouble to haul his pole in. He kept hold on it though, and it trailed in the water. At the same time the fireman, whom I could also see below me, sat down abruptly before his furnace and ducked his head. I was amazed. Then I had to look at the river mighty quick, because there was a snag in the fairway. Sticks, little sticks, were flying about"thick: they were whizzing before my nose, dropping below me, striking behind me against my pilot-house. All this time the river, the shore, the woods, were very quiet"perfectly quiet. I could only hear the heavy splashing thump of the stern-wheel and the patter of these things. We cleared the snag clumsily. Arrows, by Jove! We were being shot at! I stepped in quickly to close the shutter on the landside. That fool-helmsman, his hands on the spokes, was lifting his knees high, stamping his feet, champing his mouth, like a reined-in horse. Confound him! And we were staggering within ten feet of the bank. I had to lean right out to swing the heavy shutter, and I saw a face amongst the leaves on the level with my own, looking at me very fierce and steady; and then suddenly, as though a veil had been removed from my eyes, I made out, deep in the tangled gloom, naked breasts, arms, legs, glaring eyes"the bush was swarming with human limbs in movement, glistening of bronze colour. The twigs shook, swayed, and rustled, the arrows flew out of them, and then the shutter came to.
stick out - herausragen, rausstrecken (ugs.), herausstehen
haul - Beutezug; ziehen, schleppen, transportieren, befödern
see below - s.u. siehe unten
abruptly - abrupt, plötzlich, unerwartet, abgerissen, abschüssig
furnace - Ofen, Hochofen, Schmelzofen, Heizung
ducked - geduckt; untertauchen (in); Schiertuch, Ente
sticks - Stöcke; stich!, ich/er/sie stäche, ich/er/sie stach; Schläger
whizzing - schwirren; (whiz) schwirren
dropping - Fallenlassen; Kot; (drop) Fallenlassen; Kot
striking - auffällig; (strike); streichen; schlagen; prägen; streiken; scheinen; die Fahne streichen; Strike; Streik; Schlag
patter - Sprüche; schwatzen; (pat) Sprüche; schwatzen
clumsily - unbeholfen; plump
arrows - Pfeile; Richtungspfeil, Pfeil
shot - Schuss; (to shoot up) aufschießen
landside - Landseite
spokes - Speichen; Radspeiche, Speiche, gesprochen
champing - mampfen; kauen
reined - gezügelt; Zügel
Confound - verwirren; verschlimmern, verschlechtern, besiegen, verfluchen
staggering - taumelnd, wankend, torkelnd; (stagger); taumelnd, wankend
swing - schwingen, schaukeln, schwanken, baumeln, Schaukel, Hutsche
level - Niveau; eben; auf gleicher Höhe
veil - Vorhang; Schleier; verschleiern, verhüllen
removed - entfernt; entfernen, beseitigen, verdrängen, umziehen
tangled - verwickelt; Wirrwarr, Gewirr
glaring - grell; Blendung, entrüstetes Starren, missbilligend anstarren
swarming - Ausschwärmen; (to swarm) wimmeln, schwärmen
bronze - Bronze; bronzen
rustled - geraschelt; Rascheln
Steer her straight,'I said to the helmsman. He held his head rigid, face forward; but his eyes rolled, he kept on lifting and setting down his feet gently, his mouth foamed a little. Keep quiet!'I said in a fury. I might just as well have ordered a tree not to sway in the wind. I darted out. Below me there was a great scuffle of feet on the iron deck; confused exclamations; a voice screamed, Can you turn back?'I caught sight of a V-shaped ripple on the water ahead. What? Another snag! A fusillade burst out under my feet. The pilgrims had opened with their Winchesters, and were simply squirting lead into that bush. A deuce of a lot of smoke came up and drove slowly forward. I swore at it. Now I couldn't see the ripple or the snag either. I stood in the doorway, peering, and the arrows came in swarms. They might have been poisoned, but they looked as though they wouldn't kill a cat. The bush began to howl. Our wood-cutters raised a warlike whoop; the report of a rifle just at my back deafened me. I glanced over my shoulder, and the pilot-house was yet full of noise and smoke when I made a dash at the wheel. The fool-nigger had dropped everything, to throw the shutter open and let off that Martini-Henry. He stood before the wide opening, glaring, and I yelled at him to come back, while I straightened the sudden twist out of that steamboat. There was no room to turn even if I had wanted to, the snag was somewhere very near ahead in that confounded smoke, there was no time to lose, so I just crowded her into the bank"right into the bank, where I knew the water was deep.
steer - steuern, führen, lenken; junger Ochse, Rind
foamed - aufgeschäumt; Schaum, Schaumgummi, schäumen
fury - Wut; Furie
sway - schwanken; Schwingen, Schwenken, Hin- und Herschwingen
darted - geworfen; Pfeil, Satz
confused - verwirrt; verwirren, konfundieren, verwechseln, vermischen
exclamations - Ausrufe; Ausruf, Exklamation
turn back - umkehren
fusillade - Gewehrfeuer, Geschützsalve, Schusswechsel
squirting - Abspritzen; verspritzend; (squirt); spritzen
peering - spähen; seinesgleichen, Beaufsichtigende; schielen, starren
swarms - Schwärme; Schwarm, Schwarm
poisoned - vergiftet; Gift
howl - Heulen, jaulen
raised - angehoben; Gehaltszulage; aufsteigen, anheben, erhöhen
warlike - streitlustig, angriffslustig, kampfeslustig, kriegerisch
whoop - hoppla; schreien
deafened - ertaubt; betäuben
throw - Wurf; werfen (du wirfst, er wirft), ich/er/sie würfe
let off - abgelassen;abfeuern, aussteigen lassen
yelled - geschrien; kreischen, schreien
straightened - begradigt; richten (gerade biegen); gerade machen, gerade werden
twist - Zwirn; Biegung; Wendung; Twist; verziehen, drehen, wickeln
"We tore slowly along the overhanging bushes in a whirl of broken twigs and flying leaves. The fusillade below stopped short, as I had foreseen it would when the squirts got empty. I threw my head back to a glinting whizz that traversed the pilot-house, in at one shutter-hole and out at the other. Looking past that mad helmsman, who was shaking the empty rifle and yelling at the shore, I saw vague forms of men running bent double, leaping, gliding, distinct, incomplete, evanescent. Something big appeared in the air before the shutter, the rifle went overboard, and the man stepped back swiftly, looked at me over his shoulder in an extraordinary, profound, familiar manner, and fell upon my feet. The side of his head hit the wheel twice, and the end of what appeared a long cane clattered round and knocked over a little camp-stool. It looked as though after wrenching that thing from somebody ashore he had lost his balance in the effort. The thin smoke had blown away, we were clear of the snag, and looking ahead I could see that in another hundred yards or so I would be free to sheer off, away from the bank; but my feet felt so very warm and wet that I had to look down. The man had rolled on his back and stared straight up at me; both his hands clutched that cane. It was the shaft of a spear that, either thrown or lunged through the opening, had caught him in the side, just below the ribs; the blade had gone in out of sight, after making a frightful gash; my shoes were full; a pool of blood lay very still, gleaming dark-red under the wheel; his eyes shone with an amazing lustre.
overhanging - überhängend; überhängen, Ăśberhang; hervorstehen
foreseen - vorhersehbar; vorhersehen, voraussehen
squirts - spritzt; spritzen
glinting - Glitzern
Whizz - zischen, flitzen
traversed - durchquert; durchkreuzen, durchqueren, überqueren
shaking - schüttelnd, erschütternd; (shake); schütteln, erschüttern
yelling - (yell) kreischen, schreien; (yell) (yell) kreischen, schreien
leaping - hervorspringen, hüpfen, überspringen
incomplete - unvollständig
evanescent - flüchtig
Swiftly - Zügig; schnell, flink, behände
familiar - vertraut; bekannt
hit - getroffen; schlagen
cane - Schilfrohr; Rohr; Rohrstock; Blindenstock, weisser Langstock
clattered - geklappert; klappern, poltern, Geklapper, Gepolter, Klappern
knocked over - umgeschlagen
wrenching - Verrenkungen; reißen
balance - Gleichgewicht; Ausgewogenheit; Bilanz, Saldo, Guthaben, Rest
blown away - verwehtem
yards - (der) Yard
wet - nass, feucht, befeuchten, durchnässen, nass machen
look down - den Blick senken, herabblicken, herunterschauen
straight up - ungelogen;ohne Eis [Cocktails]
clutched - umklammert; Vogelgelege; Kupplung (Auto), Gelege
shaft - Welle; Schaft; Strahl; Schacht; hereinlegen, übervorteilen
lunged - longiert; Ausfall, Ausfallschritt, losstürzen, ausfallen
gash - tiefer Schnitt, tiefer Riss, klaffende Wunde; einschneiden
blood - anbluten
gleaming - durchschimmernd, schimmernd, glänzend; (gleam) durchschimmernd
lustre - Kronleuchter, Glanz, Glanzton
The fusillade burst out again. He looked at me anxiously, gripping the spear like something precious, with an air of being afraid I would try to take it away from him. I had to make an effort to free my eyes from his gaze and attend to the steering. With one hand I felt above my head for the line of the steam whistle, and jerked out screech after screech hurriedly. The tumult of angry and warlike yells was checked instantly, and then from the depths of the woods went out such a tremulous and prolonged wail of mournful fear and utter despair as may be imagined to follow the flight of the last hope from the earth. There was a great commotion in the bush; the shower of arrows stopped, a few dropping shots rang out sharply"then silence, in which the languid beat of the stern-wheel came plainly to my ears. I put the helm hard a-starboard at the moment when the pilgrim in pink pyjamas, very hot and agitated, appeared in the doorway. The manager sends me"'he began in an official tone, and stopped short. Good God!'he said, glaring at the wounded man.
anxiously - ängstlich; besorgt, bang, unruhig
gripping - fesselnd; packen, fassen; Griffigkeit, Heft (von Säge, Feile)
attend - teilnehmen; (to attend) mit etwas verbunden sein
head for - anfliegen, Kurs nehmen auf
hurriedly - eilig, hastig, schleuning
tremulous - zitternd
wail - heulen; jammern, wehklagen, klagen
commotion - Aufruhr; Aufregung; Spektakel, Theater, Zirkus, Aufstand
shots - Schüsse; (to shoot up) aufschießen, emporschießen
helm - Pinne, Ruder, Steuer, Steuerruder
starboard - Steuerbord
pilgrim - Pilger, Wallfahrer
agitated - aufgewühlt; aufwühlen, aufrühren, rühren, schütteln, umrühren
official - offiziell, amtlich, dienstlich, Beamter, Beamtin
wounded - verwundet; anschießen, verwunden
"We two whites stood over him, and his lustrous and inquiring glance enveloped us both. I declare it looked as though he would presently put to us some questions in an understandable language; but he died without uttering a sound, without moving a limb, without twitching a muscle. Only in the very last moment, as though in response to some sign we could not see, to some whisper we could not hear, he frowned heavily, and that frown gave to his black death-mask an inconceivably sombre, brooding, and menacing expression.
lustrous - glänzend
enveloped - umhüllt; einhüllen, umhüllen
declare - bekanntmachen, bekanntgeben, deklarieren, ausrufen, aussagen
understandable - verständlich
uttering - auszusprechen; (utter) auszusprechen
twitching - Zuckungen; zupfend, zupfen; (twitch) Zuckungen; zupfend, zupfen
frowned - die Stirn gerunzelt; die Stirn runzeln
mask - Maske; abkleben (zum Schutz); abdecken, maskieren
inconceivably - unvorstellbar
menacing - bedrohlich; Landplage, androhen
The lustre of inquiring glance faded swiftly into vacant glassiness. Can you steer?'I asked the agent eagerly. He looked very dubious; but I made a grab at his arm, and he understood at once I meant him to steer whether or no. To tell you the truth, I was morbidly anxious to change my shoes and socks. He is dead,'murmured the fellow, immensely impressed. No doubt about it,'said I, tugging like mad at the shoe-laces. And by the way, I suppose Mr. Kurtz is dead as well by this time.'
faded - verblasst; Mode, Trend, Modeerscheinung, Fimmel
glassiness - Glasigkeit
eagerly - eifrig
dubious - zweifelhaft; dubios, fragwürdig, ominös, zwielichtig, unsicher
grab - greifen; kapern, aufbereiten
morbidly - morbide; morbid, krankhaft
immensely - immens
laces - Schnürsenkel; schnüren, Spitze (Gewebe)
"For the moment that was the dominant thought. There was a sense of extreme disappointment, as though I had found out I had been striving after something altogether without a substance. I couldn't have been more disgusted if I had travelled all this way for the sole purpose of talking with Mr. Kurtz. Talking with... I flung one shoe overboard, and became aware that that was exactly what I had been looking forward to"a talk with Kurtz. I made the strange discovery that I had never imagined him as doing, you know, but as discoursing. I didn't say to myself, Now I will never see him,'or Now I will never shake him by the hand,'but, Now I will never hear him.'The man presented himself as a voice.
dominant - dominant
striving - bestrebend, strebsam, strebend; (strive) bestrebend, strebsam
substance - Substanz, Stoff
disgusted - angewidert; ekeln, Ekel
discovery - Entdeckung
discoursing - eine Rede halten; Diskurs, Diskurs, Abhandlung, Diskurs
Not of course that I did not connect him with some sort of action. Hadn't I been told in all the tones of jealousy and admiration that he had collected, bartered, swindled, or stolen more ivory than all the other agents together? That was not the point. The point was in his being a gifted creature, and that of all his gifts the one that stood out preeminently, that carried with it a sense of real presence, was his ability to talk, his words"the gift of expression, the bewildering, the illuminating, the most exalted and the most contemptible, the pulsating stream of light, or the deceitful flow from the heart of an impenetrable darkness.
connect - verbinden; anschließen
tones - Töne; Farbton, Klang, Umgangston, Ton
jealousy - Eifersucht, Missgunst, Neid
admiration - Bewunderung
bartered - verschachert; Tauschhandel, Tauschgeschäft
swindled - geschwindelt; betrügen, schwindeln, Schwindel
stolen - gestohlen; stehlen, entwenden, klauen, stehlen, stehlen, rauben
gifts - Geschenke; Geschenk
preeminently - überragend
presence - Anwesenheit
ability - Fähigkeit
bewildering - verwirrend; verwirren, durcheinanderbringen
illuminating - erhellend; beleuchten, erhellen, illuminieren
most contemptible - verächtlichste
pulsating - pulsieren, pulsieren, pulsieren
deceitful - betrügerisch
flow - Wasserführung; ich flösse, ich/er/sie floss (floß
"The other shoe went flying unto the devil-god of that river. I thought, By Jove! It's all over. We are too late; he has vanished"the gift has vanished, by means of some spear, arrow, or club. I will never hear that chap speak after all'"and my sorrow had a startling extravagance of emotion, even such as I had noticed in the howling sorrow of these savages in the bush.
unto - zu
It's all over - Es ist zu Ende.
gift - Geschenk, Präsent, Begabung, Talent, schenken
arrow - Richtungspfeil, Pfeil
my sorrow - zu meinem Leidwesen
extravagance - Extravaganz; Ăśberspanntheit
emotion - Emotionen; Gefühl, Empfindung
howling - brüllen, heulen, niederschreien; (howl); Heulen, jaulen
I couldn't have felt more of lonely desolation somehow, had I been robbed of a belief or had missed my destiny in life.... Why do you sigh in this beastly way, somebody? Absurd? Well, absurd. Good Lord! mustn't a man ever"Here, give me some tobacco."...
robbed - ausgeraubt; rauben, berauben, Raubbau treiben, ausrauben
beastly - bestialisch; garstig
Lord - Gebieter; Herr; herrschen
mustn - darf nicht
tobacco - Tabak, Tabakpflanze
There was a pause of profound stillness, then a match flared, and Marlow's lean face appeared, worn, hollow, with downward folds and dropped eyelids, with an aspect of concentrated attention; and as he took vigorous draws at his pipe, it seemed to retreat and advance out of the night in the regular flicker of tiny flame. The match went out.
match - Wettkampf, Kampf (Sport), Spiel (Sport); sich messen mit
flared - abgefackelt; Fackel, Leuchtfackel, Bengalo
downward - abwärts, nach unten, runter, nach unten gehend, absteigend
concentrated - konzentriert; konzentrieren, sich konzentrieren, konzentrieren
vigorous - kräftig, stark, energisch, lebhaft
retreat - Rückzug
advance - erhöhen, erheben, befördern, vorrücken, Fortschritt, Vorschuss
"Absurd!" he cried. "This is the worst of trying to tell.... Here you all are, each moored with two good addresses, like a hulk with two anchors, a butcher round one corner, a policeman round another, excellent appetites, and temperature normal"you hear"normal from year's end to year's end. And you say, Absurd! Absurd be"exploded! Absurd! My dear boys, what can you expect from a man who out of sheer nervousness had just flung overboard a pair of new shoes! Now I think of it, it is amazing I did not shed tears. I am, upon the whole, proud of my fortitude. I was cut to the quick at the idea of having lost the inestimable privilege of listening to the gifted Kurtz.
moored - vertäut; verankern; Moor
anchors - Ankern; Anker
appetites - Appetit, Begierde, Lust
temperature - Temperatur; erhöhte Temperatur
normal - normal; Normale
exploded - explodiert; sprengen, explodieren, explodieren, platzen
nervousness - Nervosität, Unruhe
shed tears - Tränen vergießen
fortitude - Tapferkeit; innere
inestimable - unschätzbar
privilege - Privileg, Vergünstigung, privilegieren
Of course I was wrong. The privilege was waiting for me. Oh, yes, I heard more than enough. And I was right, too. A voice. He was very little more than a voice. And I heard"him"it"this voice"other voices"all of them were so little more than voices"and the memory of that time itself lingers around me, impalpable, like a dying vibration of one immense jabber, silly, atrocious, sordid, savage, or simply mean, without any kind of sense. Voices, voices"even the girl herself"now""
memory - Gedächtnis; Erinnerung; Speicher
lingers - verweilt; herumlungern, verzögern, Zeit brauchen, verweilen
impalpable - ungreifbar
vibration - Vibration, Schwingung
jabber - plappern
atrocious - entsetzlich
He was silent for a long time.
"I laid the ghost of his gifts at last with a lie," he began, suddenly. "Girl! What? Did I mention a girl? Oh, she is out of it"completely. They"the women, I mean"are out of it"should be out of it. We must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own, lest ours gets worse. Oh, she had to be out of it. You should have heard the disinterred body of Mr. Kurtz saying, My Intended.'You would have perceived directly then how completely she was out of it. And the lofty frontal bone of Mr. Kurtz! They say the hair goes on growing sometimes, but this"ah"specimen, was impressively bald. The wilderness had patted him on the head, and, behold, it was like a ball"an ivory ball; it had caressed him, and"lo!"he had withered; it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation. He was its spoiled and pampered favourite. Ivory? I should think so. Heaps of it, stacks of it. The old mud shanty was bursting with it. You would think there was not a single tusk left either above or below the ground in the whole country. Mostly fossil,'the manager had remarked, disparagingly. It was no more fossil than I am; but they call it fossil when it is dug up. It appears these niggers do bury the tusks sometimes"but evidently they couldn't bury this parcel deep enough to save the gifted Mr. Kurtz from his fate. We filled the steamboat with it, and had to pile a lot on the deck. Thus he could see and enjoy as long as he could see, because the appreciation of this favour had remained with him to the last. You should have heard him say, My ivory.'Oh, yes, I heard him. My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my"'everything belonged to him. It made me hold my breath in expectation of hearing the wilderness burst into a prodigious peal of laughter that would shake the fixed stars in their places. Everything belonged to him"but that was a trifle. The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own. That was the reflection that made you creepy all over. It was impossible"it was not good for one either"trying to imagine. He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land"I mean literally. You can't understand. How could you?"with solid pavement under your feet, surrounded by kind neighbours ready to cheer you or to fall on you, stepping delicately between the butcher and the policeman, in the holy terror of scandal and gallows and lunatic asylums"how can you imagine what particular region of the first ages a man's untrammelled feet may take him into by the way of solitude"utter solitude without a policeman"by the way of silence"utter silence, where no warning voice of a kind neighbour can be heard whispering of public opinion? These little things make all the great difference. When they are gone you must fall back upon your own innate strength, upon your own capacity for faithfulness. Of course you may be too much of a fool to go wrong"too dull even to know you are being assaulted by the powers of darkness. I take it, no fool ever made a bargain for his soul with the devil; the fool is too much of a fool, or the devil too much of a devil"I don't know which. Or you may be such a thunderingly exalted creature as to be altogether deaf and blind to anything but heavenly sights and sounds. Then the earth for you is only a standing place"and whether to be like this is your loss or your gain I won't pretend to say. But most of us are neither one nor the other. The earth for us is a place to live in, where we must put up with sights, with sounds, with smells, too, by Jove!"breathe dead hippo, so to speak, and not be contaminated. And there, don't you see? Your strength comes in, the faith in your ability for the digging of unostentatious holes to bury the stuff in"your power of devotion, not to yourself, but to an obscure, back-breaking business. And that's difficult enough. Mind, I am not trying to excuse or even explain"I am trying to account to myself for"for"Mr. Kurtz"for the shade of Mr. Kurtz. This initiated wraith from the back of Nowhere honoured me with its amazing confidence before it vanished altogether. This was because it could speak English to me.
ghost - Gespenst, Geist, Phantom, Spuk
mention - Erwähnung; erwähnen
completely - vollständig, völlig, ganz, vollumfänglich
gets worse - verschärft
disinterred - exhumiert; exhumieren
directly - direkt, gerade, unmittelbar
frontal bone - Stirnbein
impressively - eindrucksvoll
patted - getätschelt; Pat
behold - betrachten, sehen, schauen, anschauen
caressed - gestreichelt; (care for) sich akk um jemanden/etwas kümmern
withered - verwelkt; welken, verblühen, verdorren
veins - Venen; Vene, Ader, Geäder
consumed - verbraucht; verbrauchen, verzehren, verzehren, aufnehmen
flesh - Fleisch; Haut, Leib, Fruchtfleisch, Fleischfarbe, zunehmen
devilish - teuflisch
spoiled - verwöhnt; plündern, ruinieren, verderben, kaputtmachen
pampered - verhätschelt; verwöhnen, hätscheln
heaps - haufenweise; Menschenmenge, Masse, Haufen, Haufe, Heap, Haufen
stacks - Stapel, Stapelspeicher, stapeln
shanty - Bude, Baracke, Schuppen
fossil - Fossil
disparagingly - abschätzig
dug up - umgegraben
bury - vergraben, verbergen, begraben
tusks - Stoßzähne; Hauer, Stoßzahn, Fangzahn eines Ebers
parcel - Paket; Parzelle
favour - Gefallen; begünstigen, bevorzugen
expectation - Erwartung
prodigious - erstaunlich; ungeheuer, gewaltig, verwunderlich
peal - läuten; Geläut
laughter - Gelächter, Lachen
fixed stars - Fixsterne
trifle - eine Lappalie; Trifle; Kleinigkeit, ein bisschen, ein wenig
claimed - behauptet; Anspruch, Rechtstitel, Anspruch, Behauptung
reflection - Reflexion, Abbild, Reflektion, Abwägung
literally - buchstäblich
pavement - Bürgersteig; Asphalt, Pflaster
cheer - anfeuern, jauchzen, aufmuntern, jubeln
stepping - treten, treten (du trittst
delicately - zart
holy - heilig
Scandal - Skandal
gallows - Galgen; (gallow) Galgen
lunatic - Verrückte; Irre
asylums - Asylantenheime; Asyl, psychiatrische Anstalt
particular - besonders; speziell, bestimmt, spezifisch, genau
region - Gegend, Region, Raum, Gebiet, Bezirk
untrammelled - ungehindert
public - öffentlich; Publikum, Öffentlichkeit
fall back - zurückfallen, herunterschalten, zurückschalten
innate - angeboren, checkeigen, checkimmanent
faithfulness - Treue
go wrong - fehlschlagen, missraten, schiefgehen
assaulted - angegriffen; Anschlag, Überfall, Angriff, überfallen, angreifen
bargain for - handeln um, feilschen
thunderingly - donnernd
sights - Sehenswürdigkeiten; Sehenswürdigkeit, Gesicht
smells - riecht; Geruch, Geruchssinn, t+Riechen
contaminated - verseucht; verunreinigen; verseuchen, kontaminieren
unostentatious - unaufdringlich
holes - Löcher; Bohrung, Markierung, Höhle, Loch
obscure - obskur, dunkel, vernebelt, finster
initiated - Eingeweihter, Eingeweihte, Initiierter, Initiierte
wraith - Gespenst
honoured - geehrt; Ehrung, Ehre; ehren; beehren, akzeptieren, annehmen
The original Kurtz had been educated partly in England, and"as he was good enough to say himself"his sympathies were in the right place. His mother was half-English, his father was half-French. All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz; and by and by I learned that, most appropriately, the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs had intrusted him with the making of a report, for its future guidance. And he had written it, too. I've seen it. I've read it. It was eloquent, vibrating with eloquence, but too high-strung, I think. Seventeen pages of close writing he had found time for! But this must have been before his"let us say"nerves, went wrong, and caused him to preside at certain midnight dances ending with unspeakable rites, which"as far as I reluctantly gathered from what I heard at various times"were offered up to him"do you understand?"to Mr. Kurtz himself. But it was a beautiful piece of writing. The opening paragraph, however, in the light of later information, strikes me now as ominous. He began with the argument that we whites, from the point of development we had arrived at, must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of supernatural beings"we approach them with the might of a deity,'and so on, and so on. By the simple exercise of our will we can exert a power for good practically unbounded,'etc., etc. From that point he soared and took me with him. The peroration was magnificent, though difficult to remember, you know. It gave me the notion of an exotic Immensity ruled by an august Benevolence. It made me tingle with enthusiasm. This was the unbounded power of eloquence"of words"of burning noble words. There were no practical hints to interrupt the magic current of phrases, unless a kind of note at the foot of the last page, scrawled evidently much later, in an unsteady hand, may be regarded as the exposition of a method. It was very simple, and at the end of that moving appeal to every altruistic sentiment it blazed at you, luminous and terrifying, like a flash of lightning in a serene sky: Exterminate all the brutes!'The curious part was that he had apparently forgotten all about that valuable postscriptum, because, later on, when he in a sense came to himself, he repeatedly entreated me to take good care of my pamphlet'(he called it), as it was sure to have in the future a good influence upon his career. I had full information about all these things, and, besides, as it turned out, I was to have the care of his memory. I've done enough for it to give me the indisputable right to lay it, if I choose, for an everlasting rest in the dust-bin of progress, amongst all the sweepings and, figuratively speaking, all the dead cats of civilization. But then, you see, I can't choose. He won't be forgotten. Whatever he was, he was not common. He had the power to charm or frighten rudimentary souls into an aggravated witch-dance in his honour; he could also fill the small souls of the pilgrims with bitter misgivings: he had one devoted friend at least, and he had conquered one soul in the world that was neither rudimentary nor tainted with self-seeking. No; I can't forget him, though I am not prepared to affirm the fellow was exactly worth the life we lost in getting to him. I missed my late helmsman awfully"I missed him even while his body was still lying in the pilot-house. Perhaps you will think it passing strange this regret for a savage who was no more account than a grain of sand in a black Sahara. Well, don't you see, he had done something, he had steered; for months I had him at my back"a help"an instrument. It was a kind of partnership. He steered for me"I had to look after him, I worried about his deficiencies, and thus a subtle bond had been created, of which I only became aware when it was suddenly broken. And the intimate profundity of that look he gave me when he received his hurt remains to this day in my memory"like a claim of distant kinship affirmed in a supreme moment.
partly - teilweise, zum Teil
contributed - beigetragen; beisteuern, beitragen
International - international, zwischenstaatlich
suppression - Unterdrückung; Verdrängung
customs - Brauch, Gewohnheit, Gewohnheit, Brauch, Sitte, Usus, Gewohnheit
eloquent - wortgewandt
vibrating - vibrieren, Vibration
eloquence - Redegewandtheit, Eloquenz, Sprachfertigkeit, Beredsamkeit
strung - bespannt; Schnur, Zeichenkette, String, Saite, String
nerves - Nerven; Nerv, Nerv, Nerv, Nerv, Nerv
preside - den Vorsitz führen; den Vorsitz haben, präsidieren
unspeakable - unaussprechlich
rites - Riten; Ritus, Brauch
reluctantly - widerstrebend
A beautiful piece - ein schönes Einzelstück
strikes - Streiks; streichen, schlagen, prägen, streiken, scheinen
argument - Diskussion, Auseinandersetzung, Beweis
development - Entwicklung
necessarily - unbedingt
beings - Wesen
Deity - Gott, Gottheit
exert - anstrengen; ausüben
practically - praktisch
unbounded - unbegrenzt
peroration - Zusammenfassung, Redeschluss
exotic - exotisch; Exot
benevolence - Wohlwollen; Gutmütigkeit
tingle - kribbeln, prickeln, Prickeln
enthusiasm - Begeisterung, Enthusiasmus, Schwärmerei
burning - Verbrennen; brennend; Verbrennung; (burn) Verbrennen; brennend; Verbrennung
interrupt - unterbrechen
magic - Zauberei, Zauber, Magie, Hexerei
scrawled - Gekritzelt; Sudelarbeit; kritzeln
unsteady - wackelig; unstet
regarded - betrachtet; schätzen, betrachten, berücksichtigen
exposition - Ausstellung, Exposition, Einführung
method - Methode; Verfahrensweise, Art und Weise, Weg
altruistic - altruistisch
sentiment - Gefühlen; Gefühl
blazed - gebrannt; Lohe, Brand, Großbrand, brenne, Glut
terrifying - erschreckend; erschrecken
serene - Gelassenheit; heiter
exterminate - ausrotten
postscriptum - Postskriptum
repeatedly - wiederholt
entreated - angefleht; ersuchen
pamphlet - Flugschrift
indisputable - unbestreitbar
dust - Staub; entstauben, abstauben, ein Sandbad nehmen, sandbaden
bin - Eimer, Kasten
sweepings - Kehricht; erman:, Fegen, Kehren
figuratively - im übertragenen Sinne
civilization - Zivilisation, Kultur, Zivilisiertwerden
whatever - Jacke wie Hose; was immer, was auch immer, egal, naja, nebbich
frighten - Angst machen, erschrecken, beängstigen
rudimentary - rudimentär
souls - Seelen; Inbrunst, Seele, Gefühl, Herz
witch - Zauberin [f}, Hexe
honour - Ehrung, Ehre; ehren; beehren, akzeptieren, annehmen, honorieren
Bitter - herb, rau, bitter
misgivings - Befürchtungen; Zweifel
tainted - verunreinigt; verderben
seeking - suchen
regret - bedauern, bereuen, leidtun, Reue, Bedauern
grain of sand - Sandkorn
Sahara - Sahara
instrument - Instrument, Musikinstrument, Meßinstrument, Werkzeug, Dokument
deficiencies - Unzulänglichkeiten; Mangel
intimate - vertraut, innig, intim, vorsichtig andeuten
profundity - Tiefgründigkeit, Tiefe
claim - Anspruch; Rechtstitel, Behauptung, Mutung, beanspruchen
distant - weit entfernt; abgelegen, abstehend, distanziert, entfernt
affirmed - bejaht; zustimmen, bejahen, bestätigen, unterstützen
supreme - übergeordnet; höchster, oberster
"Poor fool! If he had only left that shutter alone. He had no restraint, no restraint"just like Kurtz"a tree swayed by the wind. As soon as I had put on a dry pair of slippers, I dragged him out, after first jerking the spear out of his side, which operation I confess I performed with my eyes shut tight. His heels leaped together over the little doorstep; his shoulders were pressed to my breast; I hugged him from behind desperately. Oh! he was heavy, heavy; heavier than any man on earth, I should imagine. Then without more ado I tipped him overboard. The current snatched him as though he had been a wisp of grass, and I saw the body roll over twice before I lost sight of it for ever. All the pilgrims and the manager were then congregated on the awning-deck about the pilot-house, chattering at each other like a flock of excited magpies, and there was a scandalized murmur at my heartless promptitude.
dragged - geschleppt; Planierschleppe; nachschleppen, schleppen, ziehen
jerking - Ruckeln; stoßweise, zusammenzuckend
operation - Betrieb; Operation, Verknüpfung, Aktion, Unternehmen
confess - gestehen, bekennen, verraten, beichten
performed - durchgeführt; verrichten, Arbeit leisten, Arbeit verrichten
shut - geschlossen; (to shut) schließen, zumachen
pressed - gedrückt; (pre) vor..
breast - Brust; -brust, Entenbrust
hugged - umarmt; Umarmung, umarmen
desperately - verzweifelt
heavier - Schwerer; heftig, schwer, stark (Regen)
ado - Getue; Getöse, checkLärm, checkMühe
tipped - gekippt; Tip
snatched - geschnappt; klauen, stehlen, Reißen
wisp - Haarbüschel, Strohbündel, Wisch, Strähne
body roll - Wanken
congregated - versammelt; ansammeln, versammeln, zusammenkommen
awning - Markise; Sonnenschutz; (awn); Granne
flock - Schwarm; (to flock together) sich rotten, sich zusammenrotten
magpies - Elstern; Elster
scandalized - skandalisiert; anecken
heartless - herzlos
promptitude - Pünktlichkeit
What they wanted to keep that body hanging about for I can't guess. Embalm it, maybe. But I had also heard another, and a very ominous, murmur on the deck below. My friends the wood-cutters were likewise scandalized, and with a better show of reason"though I admit that the reason itself was quite inadmissible. Oh, quite! I had made up my mind that if my late helmsman was to be eaten, the fishes alone should have him. He had been a very second-rate helmsman while alive, but now he was dead he might have become a first-class temptation, and possibly cause some startling trouble. Besides, I was anxious to take the wheel, the man in pink pyjamas showing himself a hopeless duffer at the business.
hanging about - herumdrückend
embalm - einbalsamieren
likewise - ebenfalls
admit - einlassen, zulassen, zugeben, eingestehen, erlauben, einweisen
inadmissible - unzulässig
temptation - Versuchung, Verführung
duffer - Puffer; Niete
"This I did directly the simple funeral was over. We were going half-speed, keeping right in the middle of the stream, and I listened to the talk about me. They had given up Kurtz, they had given up the station; Kurtz was dead, and the station had been burnt"and so on"and so on. The red-haired pilgrim was beside himself with the thought that at least this poor Kurtz had been properly avenged. Say! We must have made a glorious slaughter of them in the bush. Eh? What do you think? Say?'He positively danced, the bloodthirsty little gingery beggar.
funeral - Bestattung, Beerdigung, Begräbnis
Speed - Geschwindigkeit; Drehzahl, Gang, rasen, Tempo, Eile
beside - daneben; neben
avenged - gerächt; rächen, ahnden
slaughter - Gemetzel; Schlachtung, rituelles Schlachten, Schächten
bloodthirsty - blutrünstig, blutdürstig
gingery - ingwerartig
beggar - Bettler, Bettlerin
And he had nearly fainted when he saw the wounded man! I could not help saying, You made a glorious lot of smoke, anyhow.'I had seen, from the way the tops of the bushes rustled and flew, that almost all the shots had gone too high. You can't hit anything unless you take aim and fire from the shoulder; but these chaps fired from the hip with their eyes shut. The retreat, I maintained"and I was right"was caused by the screeching of the steam whistle. Upon this they forgot Kurtz, and began to howl at me with indignant protests.
fainted - in Ohnmacht gefallen; leise, schwach, undeutlich
aim - zielen (auf); Ziel, Zweck; beabsichtigen
from the shoulder - geradeheraus
Hip - Hipp; Hüfte
maintained - unterhalten, warten, beibehalten, aufrechterhalten
indignant - entrüstet
protests - Proteste; protestieren, demonstrieren, Einspruch erheben
"The manager stood by the wheel murmuring confidentially about the necessity of getting well away down the river before dark at all events, when I saw in the distance a clearing on the riverside and the outlines of some sort of building. What's this?'I asked. He clapped his hands in wonder. The station!'he cried. I edged in at once, still going half-speed.
murmuring - murmelnd, raunend; (murmur); Rauschen, Murmeln, Gemurmel
confidentially - vertraulich
at all events - jedenfalls, auf alle Fälle, allenfalls
clearing - Klärung, Aufklärung, Lichtung, Rodung
clapped - geklatscht; Tripper, Beifall; klatschen
edged - kantig; Rand, Seite, Kante, Kante, Vorsprung, Klinge, Schneide
"Through my glasses I saw the slope of a hill interspersed with rare trees and perfectly free from undergrowth. A long decaying building on the summit was half buried in the high grass; the large holes in the peaked roof gaped black from afar; the jungle and the woods made a background. There was no enclosure or fence of any kind; but there had been one apparently, for near the house half-a-dozen slim posts remained in a row, roughly trimmed, and with their upper ends ornamented with round carved balls. The rails, or whatever there had been between, had disappeared. Of course the forest surrounded all that.
interspersed - eingestreut; einstreuen
rare - selten; rar, blutig (Steak)
summit - Gipfel
gaped - gähnt; gähnen; gaffe, angaffen
enclosure - Anlage, Beilage, Beilegen, Beifügen, Hinzufügen, Gehege
dozen - Dutzend; Dutzende (''of'': von)
trimmed - zurechtgestutzt; kürzen, nachschneiden, schneiden, stutzen
ornamented - verziert; Verzierung, musikalische Verzierung
carved - geschnitzt; schneiden, tranchieren, zerlegen, schnitzen
The river-bank was clear, and on the waterside I saw a white man under a hat like a cart-wheel beckoning persistently with his whole arm. Examining the edge of the forest above and below, I was almost certain I could see movements"human forms gliding here and there. I steamed past prudently, then stopped the engines and let her drift down. The man on the shore began to shout, urging us to land. We have been attacked,'screamed the manager. I know"I know. It's all right,'yelled back the other, as cheerful as you please. Come along. It's all right. I am glad.'
waterside - am Wasser
cart - Pferdewagen, Wagen, Karren
beckoning - heranwinken, herbeiwinken, winken, zuwinken, einladen
persistently - beharrliche, beharrlich
examining - die Prüfung; untersuchen, untersuchen, untersuchen, prüfen
movements - Bewegungen; Bewegung, Bewegung, Satz
prudently - mit Bedacht; klug, kluge
engines - Motoren; Motor, Triebwerk
drift - Drift; driften, treiben, irren, ziellos ziehen, ziellos wandern
shout - Schrei, Zuruf; rufen, schreien, laut schreien
urging - drängend; (urge); Drang; drängen, mahnen, treiben, anspornen
attacked - angegriffen; Attacke, Angriff, Angriff, Attacke, Anfall, Anfall
cheerful - fröhlich, vergnügt, freundlich
"His aspect reminded me of something I had seen"something funny I had seen somewhere. As I manoeuvred to get alongside, I was asking myself, What does this fellow look like?'Suddenly I got it. He looked like a harlequin. His clothes had been made of some stuff that was brown holland probably, but it was covered with patches all over, with bright patches, blue, red, and yellow"patches on the back, patches on the front, patches on elbows, on knees; coloured binding around his jacket, scarlet edging at the bottom of his trousers; and the sunshine made him look extremely gay and wonderfully neat withal, because you could see how beautifully all this patching had been done. A beardless, boyish face, very fair, no features to speak of, nose peeling, little blue eyes, smiles and frowns chasing each other over that open countenance like sunshine and shadow on a wind-swept plain.
reminded - Erinnert; erinnern, in Erinnerung bringen
manoeuvred - manövriert; manövrieren; Manöver
harlequin - Harlekin
Holland - Holland
elbows - Ellbogen, Rohrbogen, Ellbogenstoß, ellbögeln
binding - verbindlich; Bindung; (bind); binden; verbinden, konnektieren
scarlet - Scharlachrot, Scharlach
edging - Paspel, Einfassung; (edge); Rand; Seite, Kante, Vorsprung
gay - vergnügt, schwul, homosexuell, lustig, heiter
neat - ordentlich, sauber, geschickt, hübsch
withal - mit
beautifully - schön
patching - Patchen; Flickerei, flickend; (patch) Patchen; Flickerei
beardless - bartlos, ohne Bart
boyish - jungenhaft, knabenhaft
peeling - Schälen; (peel); Schälen
smiles - lächelt; Lächeln
frowns - Stirnrunzeln; die Stirn runzeln
chasing - ziselierend, jagend; (chas) ziselierend, jagend
countenance - Antlitz, Gesichtsausdruck, Miene, Unterstützung, Fassung
Look out, captain!'he cried; there's a snag lodged in here last night.'What! Another snag? I confess I swore shamefully. I had nearly holed my cripple, to finish off that charming trip. The harlequin on the bank turned his little pug-nose up to me. You English?'he asked, all smiles. Are you?'I shouted from the wheel. The smiles vanished, and he shook his head as if sorry for my disappointment. Then he brightened up. Never mind!'he cried encouragingly. Are we in time?'I asked. He is up there,'he replied, with a toss of the head up the hill, and becoming gloomy all of a sudden. His face was like the autumn sky, overcast One moment and bright the next.
lodged - hinterlegt; Lodge, Loge, Loge, Biberburg, feststecken
shamefully - beschämend
holed - durchlöchert; Bohrung, Markierung, Höhle, Loch
charming - charmant; (charm); charmant
pug - Boxer, Mops, Lehm
brightened - aufgehellt; aufhellen, schönen, aufhellen, aufhellen
encouragingly - aufmunternd
overcast - bedeckt, bewölkt
One moment - Einen Augenblick bitte!
"When the manager, escorted by the pilgrims, all of them armed to the teeth, had gone to the house this chap came on board. I say, I don't like this. These natives are in the bush,'I said. He assured me earnestly it was all right. They are simple people,'he added; well, I am glad you came. It took me all my time to keep them off.'But you said it was all right,'I cried. Oh, they meant no harm,'he said; and as I stared he corrected himself, Not exactly.'Then vivaciously, My faith, your pilot-house wants a clean-up!'In the next breath he advised me to keep enough steam on the boiler to blow the whistle in case of any trouble. One good screech will do more for you than all your rifles. They are simple people,'he repeated. He rattled away at such a rate he quite overwhelmed me. He seemed to be trying to make up for lots of silence, and actually hinted, laughing, that such was the case. Don't you talk with Mr.
escorted - Eskortiert; Eskorte, Geleit
harm - Schaden
vivaciously - temperamentvoll
Faith - Glaube; Vertrauen
advised - raten, beraten, empfehlen, mitteilen, informieren, verständigen
rifles - Gewehre; Gewehr
rattled - verunsichert; klappern, rasseln, erschüteln, knattern
overwhelmed - überwältigt; überwältigen, übermannen, überrumpeln, de
actually - Ja, also eigentlich ...;eigentlich, wirklich, tatsächlich
hinted - angedeutet; Hinweis, Tipp, Wink, Fingerzeig, Anleitung
Kurtz?'I said. You don't talk with that man"you listen to him,'he exclaimed with severe exaltation. But now"'He waved his arm, and in the twinkling of an eye was in the uttermost depths of despondency. In a moment he came up again with a jump, possessed himself of both my hands, shook them continuously, while he gabbled: Brother sailor... honour... pleasure... delight... introduce myself... Russian... son of an arch-priest... Government of Tambov... What? Tobacco! English tobacco; the excellent English tobacco! Now, that's brotherly. Smoke? Where's a sailor that does not smoke?"
severe - schwerwiegend; streng
exaltation - Erhöhen, Erhöhung
waved - winkte; wehen, winken mit, flattern
in the twinkling of an eye - im Handumdrehen
despondency - Verzagtheit, Mutlosigkeit, Niedergeschlagenheit
possessed - besessen; besitzen, besitzen
gabbled - geschnattert; schnattern
delight - Freude, Entzückung, Wohlgefallen, Lust
Russian - russisch, russländisch, altrussisch, Russe, Russin
arch - Bogen
priest - Priester, Priesterin, Pfarrer, Pfarrerin; (prey); Beute; lauern
brotherly - brüderlich, geschwisterlich
"The pipe soothed him, and gradually I made out he had run away from school, had gone to sea in a Russian ship; ran away again; served some time in English ships; was now reconciled with the arch-priest. He made a point of that. But when one is young one must see things, gather experience, ideas; enlarge the mind.'Here!'I interrupted. You can never tell! Here I met Mr. Kurtz,'he said, youthfully solemn and reproachful. I held my tongue after that. It appears he had persuaded a Dutch trading-house on the coast to fit him out with stores and goods, and had started for the interior with a light heart and no more idea of what would happen to him than a baby. He had been wandering about that river for nearly two years alone, cut off from everybody and everything. I am not so young as I look. I am twenty-five,'he said.
soothed - besänftigt; Wahrheit
gradually - nach und nach, allmählich, stufenweise, schrittweise
reconciled - versöhnt; versöhnen
gather - sammeln, versammeln
enlarge - vergrößern
youthfully - jugendlich
solemn - feierlich; ernst
reproachful - vorwurfsvoll
tongue - Zunge, Lasche
persuaded - überredet; überreden, gewinnen, verführen, bestechen
Dutch - niederländisch, holländisch, Niederländisch, Holländisch
At first old Van Shuyten would tell me to go to the devil,'he narrated with keen enjoyment; but I stuck to him, and talked and talked, till at last he got afraid I would talk the hind-leg off his favourite dog, so he gave me some cheap things and a few guns, and told me he hoped he would never see my face again. Good old Dutchman, Van Shuyten. I've sent him one small lot of ivory a year ago, so that he can't call me a little thief when I get back. I hope he got it. And for the rest I don't care. I had some wood stacked for you. That was my old house. Did you see?'
Narrated - Erzählt; erzählen, berichten
keen - eifrig, scharf
enjoyment - Genuss, Vergnügen
hind-leg - (hind-leg) Hinterbein
Dutchman - Niederländer, Holländer
thief - Dieb, Diebin
"I gave him Towson's book. He made as though he would kiss me, but restrained himself. The only book I had left, and I thought I had lost it,'he said, looking at it ecstatically. So many accidents happen to a man going about alone, you know. Canoes get upset sometimes"and sometimes you've got to clear out so quick when the people get angry.'He thumbed the pages. You made notes in Russian?'I asked. He nodded. I thought they were written in cipher,'I said. He laughed, then became serious. I had lots of trouble to keep these people off,'he said. Did they want to kill you?'I asked.
kiss - küssen
restrained - zurückhaltend; zurückhalten
ecstatically - ekstatisch
accidents - Unfälle; Unfall, Zufall, Unfall, Unfall, Unfall
Oh, no!'he cried, and checked himself. Why did they attack us?'I pursued. He hesitated, then said shamefacedly, They don't want him to go.'Don't they?'I said curiously. He nodded a nod full of mystery and wisdom. I tell you,'he cried, this man has enlarged my mind.'He opened his arms wide, staring at me with his little blue eyes that were perfectly round."
pursued - Verfolgt; verfolgen, folgen, beschreiten, nachjagen, nachgehen
hesitated - gezögert; zögern, zögern, stammeln
shamefacedly - schamhaft
curiously - neugierige
nod - nicken; einnicken; Kopfnicken
enlarged - vergrößert; vergrößern
"I looked at him, lost in astonishment. There he was before me, in motley, as though he had absconded from a troupe of mimes, enthusiastic, fabulous. His very existence was improbable, inexplicable, and altogether bewildering. He was an insoluble problem. It was inconceivable how he had existed, how he had succeeded in getting so far, how he had managed to remain"why he did not instantly disappear. I went a little farther,'he said, then still a little farther"till I had gone so far that I don't know how I'll ever get back. Never mind. Plenty time. I can manage. You take Kurtz away quick"quick"I tell you.'The glamour of youth enveloped his parti-coloured rags, his destitution, his loneliness, the essential desolation of his futile wanderings. For months"for years"his life hadn't been worth a day's purchase; and there he was gallantly, thoughtlessly alive, to all appearances indestructible solely by the virtue of his few years and of his unreflecting audacity.
astonishment - Staunen, Erstaunen, Verwunderung
motley - kunterbunt; zusammengewürfelt, bunt zusammengeworfen
absconded - untergetaucht; sich, sich, sich
Troupe - Truppe
mimes - Pantomimen; mimt; (mime) Pantomimen; mimt
improbable - unwahrscheinlich
existed - existierte; bestehen, existieren
succeeded - erfolgreich; nachfolgen, gelingen, geraten, nachfolgen
manage - verwalten, leiten, hinbekommen, schaffen
enveloped - umhüllt; verhüllen; Kuvert, Versandtasche, Hüllenkurve
destitution - Verzweiflung; Armut
loneliness - Einsamkeit
essential - unerlässlich; essenziell, notwendig, unverzichtbar, wesentlich
wanderings - Wanderungen; (wander) irren, wandern, umherschweifen
purchase - Einkauf, Anschaffung, kaufen, anschaffen
gallantly - galante
thoughtlessly - gedankenlos
all appearances - allem Anschein nach
indestructible - unzerstörbar
solely - nur; einzig und allein; ausschließlich, exklusiv, alleinig
unreflecting - unreflektiert
I was seduced into something like admiration"like envy. Glamour urged him on, glamour kept him unscathed. He surely wanted nothing from the wilderness but space to breathe in and to push on through. His need was to exist, and to move onwards at the greatest possible risk, and with a maximum of privation. If the absolutely pure, uncalculating, unpractical spirit of adventure had ever ruled a human being, it ruled this bepatched youth. I almost envied him the possession of this modest and clear flame. It seemed to have consumed all thought of self so completely, that even while he was talking to you, you forgot that it was he"the man before your eyes"who had gone through these things. I did not envy him his devotion to Kurtz, though. He had not meditated over it. It came to him, and he accepted it with a sort of eager fatalism. I must say that to me it appeared about the most dangerous thing in every way he had come upon so far.
seduced - verführt; verführen, verführen, verleiten
envy - Neid; beneiden
urged - gedrängt; Drang, drängen, mahnen, treiben, anspornen
unscathed - unversehrt
surely - bestimmt, sicherlich
onwards - weiter; vorwärts
Risk - Risiko; riskieren; wagen
maximum - Maximum, höchstmöglich, maximal
privation - Entbehrung, Einschränkung, Mangel, Armut, Not
pure - bloß, rein
uncalculating - unberechenbar
unpractical - unpraktisch
spirit of adventure - Abenteuerlust
envied - beneidet; Neid, beneiden
modest - bescheiden, maßvoll, klein, gering; (mod); bescheiden, maßvoll
meditated - meditiert; meditieren
eager - eifrig, erwartungsvoll, begierig
fatalism - Fatalismus
most dangerous - gefährlichste
"They had come together unavoidably, like two ships becalmed near each other, and lay rubbing sides at last. I suppose Kurtz wanted an audience, because on a certain occasion, when encamped in the forest, they had talked all night, or more probably Kurtz had talked. We talked of everything,'he said, quite transported at the recollection.
unavoidably - Unvermeidlich
becalmed - beruhigt; beruhigen
rubbing - Reiben, Polieren; (rub); reiben, abreiben, sich abreiben
audience - Publikum, Zuschauer, Audienzen, Audienz
Occasion - Gelegenheit; Anlass
encamped - gelagert; lagern
transported - transportiert; transportieren, befördern, Beförderung
recollection - Erinnern Sie sich; Erinnerung
I forgot there was such a thing as sleep. The night did not seem to last an hour. Everything! Everything!... Of love, too.'Ah, he talked to you of love!'I said, much amused. It isn't what you think,'he cried, almost passionately. It was in general. He made me see things"things.'
amused - amüsiert; amüsieren, vergnügen, belustigen, erheitern
passionately - leidenschaftlich
"He threw his arms up. We were on deck at the time, and the headman of my wood-cutters, lounging near by, turned upon him his heavy and glittering eyes. I looked around, and I don't know why, but I assure you that never, never before, did this land, this river, this jungle, the very arch of this blazing sky, appear to me so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness.
lounging - faulenzend; (lounge); Lounge, Wartezimmer, Warteraum, Wohnzimmer
And, ever since, you have been with him, of course?'I said.
"On the contrary. It appears their intercourse had been very much broken by various causes. He had, as he informed me proudly, managed to nurse Kurtz through two illnesses (he alluded to it as you would to some risky feat), but as a rule Kurtz wandered alone, far in the depths of the forest. Very often coming to this station, I had to wait days and days before he would turn up,'he said. Ah, it was worth waiting for!"sometimes.'What was he doing? exploring or what?'I asked. Oh, yes, of course'; he had discovered lots of villages, a lake, too"he did not know exactly in what direction; it was dangerous to inquire too much"but mostly his expeditions had been for ivory. But he had no goods to trade with by that time,'I objected. There's a good lot of cartridges left even yet,'he answered, looking away. To speak plainly, he raided the country,'I said. He nodded. Not alone, surely!'He muttered something about the villages round that lake. Kurtz got the tribe to follow him, did he?'I suggested. He fidgeted a little. They adored him,'he said. The tone of these words was so extraordinary that I looked at him searchingly. It was curious to see his mingled eagerness and reluctance to speak of Kurtz. The man filled his life, occupied his thoughts, swayed his emotions. What can you expect?'he burst out; he came to them with thunder and lightning, you know"and they had never seen anything like it"and very terrible. He could be very terrible. You can't judge Mr. Kurtz as you would an ordinary man. No, no, no! Now"just to give you an idea"I don't mind telling you, he wanted to shoot me, too, one day"but I don't judge him.'Shoot you!'I cried What for?'Well, I had a small lot of ivory the chief of that village near my house gave me. You see I used to shoot game for them. Well, he wanted it, and wouldn't hear reason. He declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory and then cleared out of the country, because he could do so, and had a fancy for it, and there was nothing on earth to prevent him killing whom he jolly well pleased. And it was true, too. I gave him the ivory. What did I care! But I didn't clear out. No, no. I couldn't leave him. I had to be careful, of course, till we got friendly again for a time. He had his second illness then. Afterwards I had to Keep out of the way; but I didn't mind. He was living for the most part in those villages on the lake. When he came down to the river, sometimes he would take to me, and sometimes it was better for me to be careful. This man suffered too much. He hated all this, and somehow he couldn't get away. When I had a chance I begged him to try and leave while there was time; I offered to go back with him. And he would say yes, and then he would remain; go off on another ivory hunt; disappear for weeks; forget himself amongst these people"forget himself"you know.'Why! he's mad,'I said. He protested indignantly. Mr. Kurtz couldn't be mad. If I had heard him talk, only two days ago, I wouldn't dare hint at such a thing..
contrary - entgegengesetzt, gegenläufig, entgegenstehend, ungünstig
intercourse - Beziehungen, Umgang, Verkehr, Geschlechtsverkehr
causes - Ursache, Anlass, Grund, Sache, verursachen, auslösen, lassen
proudly - stolze, stolz
illnesses - Krankheiten; Krankheit
risky - riskant, gefährlich, gewagt, pikant
feat - Leistung; Kunststück
lake - Binnensee, See
direction - Richtung; Führung; Regie
expeditions - Expeditionen; Expedition
cartridges - Patronen; Patrone, Patrone, Kartusche
raided - Razzia, Überfall, überfallen
suggested - vorgeschlagen; vorschlagen, vorschlagen
adored - verehrt; anbeten, verehren, anbeten, verehren
searchingly - suchend; gründlich
mingled - vermengt; vermischen, vermengen, untermischen
reluctance - Widerstreben, Widerwillen, Widerwille, Zögern, Zaudern
occupied - besetzt; in Anspruch nehmen, belegen, bewohnen, besetzen
emotions - Emotionen; Gefühl
thunder - Donner; Donnern
I don't mind - Meinetwegen!
shoot - schießen; Jagd, Spross (Pflanze), Schuss; flitzen (Auto)
nothing on earth - keine Macht der Welt
killing - Töten, Erlegen; (kill); Töten, Erlegen
Keep out - Eintritt verboten!;Betreten verboten!
suffered - gelitten; leiden, leiden, erleiden
begged - gebettelt; Männchen machen; etwas erbitten (von jemandem); bitten (um)
hunt - jagen; suchen; Jagd
protested - protestiert; protestieren, demonstrieren, Einspruch erheben
indignantly - entrüstet
hint at - anspielen
. I had taken up my binoculars while we talked, and was looking at the shore, sweeping the limit of the forest at each side and at the back of the house. The consciousness of there being people in that bush, so silent, so quiet"as silent and quiet as the ruined house on the hill"made me uneasy. There was no sign on the face of nature of this amazing tale that was not so much told as suggested to me in desolate exclamations, completed by shrugs, in interrupted phrases, in hints ending in deep sighs. The woods were unmoved, like a mask"heavy, like the closed door of a prison"they looked with their air of hidden knowledge, of patient expectation, of unapproachable silence. The Russian was explaining to me that it was only lately that Mr. Kurtz had come down to the river, bringing along with him all the fighting men of that lake tribe. He had been absent for several months"getting himself adored, I suppose"and had come down unexpectedly, with the intention to all appearance of making a raid either across the river or down stream. Evidently the appetite for more ivory had got the better of the"what shall I say?"less material aspirations. However he had got much worse suddenly. I heard he was lying helpless, and so I came up"took my chance,'said the Russian. Oh, he is bad, very bad.'I directed my glass to the house. There were no signs of life, but there was the ruined roof, the long mud wall peeping above the grass, with three little square window-holes, no two of the same size; all this brought within reach of my hand, as it were. And then I made a brusque movement, and one of the remaining posts of that vanished fence leaped up in the field of my glass. You remember I told you I had been struck at the distance by certain attempts at ornamentation, rather remarkable in the ruinous aspect of the place. Now I had suddenly a nearer view, and its first result was to make me throw my head back as if before a blow. Then I went carefully from post to post with my glass, and I saw my mistake. These round knobs were not ornamental but symbolic; they were expressive and puzzling, striking and disturbing"food for thought and also for vultures if there had been any looking down from the sky; but at all events for such ants as were industrious enough to ascend the pole. They would have been even more impressive, those heads on the stakes, if their faces had not been turned to the house. Only one, the first I had made out, was facing my way. I was not so shocked as you may think. The start back I had given was really nothing but a movement of surprise. I had expected to see a knob of wood there, you know. I returned deliberately to the first I had seen"and there it was, black, dried, sunken, with closed eyelids"a head that seemed to sleep at the top of that pole, and, with the shrunken dry lips showing a narrow white line of the teeth, was smiling, too, smiling continuously at some endless and jocose dream of that eternal slumber.
taken up - aufgegriffen
binoculars - Ferngläser; binokular
sweeping - erman:; Fegen, Kehren; (sweep); fegen, kehren, rauschen
limit - Begrenzung, Grenze, Obergrenze; begrenzen
at the back of the house - hinter dem Haus
consciousness - Bewusstsein, Gewahrsein, Erkenntnis, Bewusstheit
shrugs - Schulterzucken
sighs - seufzt; Seufzen, Seufzer, Säuseln (Wind); säuseln (Wind)
unmoved - ungerührt, unbewegt
prison - Gefängnis, Knast, Haft, Gefangenschaft
unapproachable - unnahbar
lately - in letzter Zeit; neulich, kürzlich, letztlich
bringing along - mitbringend
fighting - (fight) kämpfen, sich streiten; (fight) (fight) kämpfen
been absent - gefehlt
unexpectedly - unerwartet, unerwarteterweise
appetite - Appetit; Begierde, Lust
material - materiell; Material, Rohstoff
aspirations - Bestrebungen; Aufsaugung, Einsaugung
helpless - hilflos
directed - gerichtet; direkt, unmittelbar, beaufsichtigen, inszenieren
peeping - spähen; (peep hole) Schauloch; (to peep through) durchgucken
square - quadratisch; Quadrat; Platz; Feld
size - Konfektionsgröße, Körpergröße, Format; ausmessen
brusque - brüsk, brüskierend, plötzlich
remaining - Überrest (2), de
field - Feld, Gefilde, Heide, tHeideland
attempts - versuchen, Versuch, Bestreben
ornamentation - Ausschmückung
ruinous - ruinös; verderblich
view - Aussicht; Anblick, Ansicht, Aufruf, View, sehen
knobs - Knöpfe; Knopf, Knauf
symbolic - symbolisch, symbolträchtig
expressive - ausdrucksvoll, ausdrucksstark
puzzling - verwirrend, rätselhaft; (puzzle); Rätsel; Puzzle, Geduldspiel
disturbing - beunruhigend; stören
vultures - Geier, Geierin, Aasgeier
industrious - fleißig
ascend - steigen, aufsteigen
more impressive - imposantere
stakes - Pfahl, Pflock, Marterpfahl, Scheiterhaufen, Anteil, Einsatz
deliberately - absichtlich
dried - getrocknet; trocken, trocken, trocknen, trocknen, t+abtrocknen
shrunken - eingefallen, geschrumpft; (shrink); schrumpfen, abnehmen
endless - endlos, unbegrenzt, unbeschränkt, unendlich
jocose - scherzhaft; drollig, launig, scherzend
eternal - ewig
slumber - Halbschlaf, Schlummer, Schläfchen, schlummern, dösen, träumen
"I am not disclosing any trade secrets. In fact, the manager said afterwards that Mr. Kurtz's methods had ruined the district. I have no opinion on that point, but I want you clearly to understand that there was nothing exactly profitable in these heads being there. They only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him"some small matter which, when the pressing need arose, could not be found under his magnificent eloquence. Whether he knew of this deficiency himself I can't say. I think the knowledge came to him at last"only at the very last.
disclosing - offenlegen; enthüllen, veröffentlichen, bekanntgeben
methods - Methoden; Verfahrensweise, Art und Weise, Weg
Clearly - Eindeutig; klar, deutlich
profitable - gewinnbringend, profitabel, lukrativ, einträglich
lacked - gefehlt; Gummilack
gratification - Befriedigung
lusts - Begierden; Wollust, Lust, Lust, Begehren
pressing - auf etwas drücken, zusammendrücken, nachdrücklich
deficiency - Mangel
But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion. I think it had whispered to him things about himself which he did not know, things of which he had no conception till he took counsel with this great solitude"and the whisper had proved irresistibly fascinating. It echoed loudly within him because he was hollow at the core.... I put down the glass, and the head that had appeared near enough to be spoken to seemed at once to have leaped away from me into inaccessible distance.
conception - Empfängnis; Vorstellung, Konzeption
counsel - Ratschläge; Beratung; Rat, Ratschlag, Anwalt, Anwältin
proved - er/sie hat/hatte bewiesen, beweisen, erhärten
irresistibly - unwiderstehlich
echoed - widerhallt; Echo
loudly - lautstark; laut
core - Reaktorkern (Kerntechnik); Kernstück, Mark, Mittelstück, Kern
inaccessible - unzugänglich; unerreichbar
"The admirer of Mr. Kurtz was a bit crestfallen. In a hurried, indistinct voice he began to assure me he had not dared to take these"say, symbols"down. He was not afraid of the natives; they would not stir till Mr. Kurtz gave the word. His ascendancy was extraordinary. The camps of these people surrounded the place, and the chiefs came every day to see him. They would crawl.... I don't want to know anything of the ceremonies used when approaching Mr. Kurtz,'I shouted. Curious, this feeling that came over me that such details would be more intolerable than those heads drying on the stakes under Mr. Kurtz's windows. After all, that was only a savage sight, while I seemed at one bound to have been transported into some lightless region of subtle horrors, where pure, uncomplicated savagery was a positive relief, being something that had a right to exist"obviously"in the sunshine. The young man looked at me with surprise. I suppose it did not occur to him that Mr. Kurtz was no idol of mine. He forgot I hadn't heard any of these splendid monologues on, what was it? on love, justice, conduct of life"or what not.
admirer - Bewunderer, Bewundrerin, Bewunderin
indistinct - undeutlich
dared - gewagt; sich getrauen, wagen, jemanden herausfordern
symbols - Symbole; Symbol
ascendancy - die Vorherrschaft; Vormacht, Vormachtstellung, Einfluss
camps - lagern, zelten, campen, kampieren; Lager
chiefs - Häuptlinge; Häuptling, Oberhaupt
more intolerable - unerträglichere
drying - Trocknen; Dörren; (dry); trocken; trocknen, abtrocknen
lightless - lichtlos
uncomplicated - Unkompliziert
Obviously - Offensichtlich; augenscheinlich
splendid - glänzend; prächtig; hervorragend
monologues - Monologe; Monolog, Selbstgespräch
justice - Gerechtigkeit, Genugtuung, Justiz
conduct - Leitung, Führung, leiten, führen, sich verhalten, sich benehmen
If it had come to crawling before Mr. Kurtz, he crawled as much as the veriest savage of them all. I had no idea of the conditions, he said: these heads were the heads of rebels. I shocked him excessively by laughing. Rebels! What would be the next definition I was to hear? There had been enemies, criminals, workers"and these were rebels. Those rebellious heads looked very subdued to me on their sticks. You don't know how such a life tries a man like Kurtz,'cried Kurtz's last disciple. Well, and you?'I said. I! I! I am a simple man. I have no great thoughts. I want nothing from anybody. How can you compare me to...?'His feelings were too much for speech, and suddenly he broke down. I don't understand,'he groaned. I've been doing my best to keep him alive, and that's enough. I had no hand in all this. I have no abilities. There hasn't been a drop of medicine or a mouthful of invalid food for months here. He was shamefully abandoned. A man like this, with such ideas. Shamefully! Shamefully! I"I"haven't slept for the last ten nights...'
conditions - Bedingungen; Bedingung, Kondition, Bedingung, Voraussetzung
rebels - Rebellen; Rebell; auflehnen, aufbäumen
excessively - übermäßig; exzessiv
definition - Begriffserklärung, Definition, Definierung
rebellious - rebellisch
disciple - Schülerin; Jünger, Jüngerin
broke down - (break down) aufspalten, versagen, abreißen, zusammen brechen
abilities - Fähigkeiten; Fähigkeit
drop - fallen lassen, senken, weglassen, aufgeben
Medicine - Medizin; Heilkunst, Heilkunde, Arznei
mouthful - mundvoll
"His voice lost itself in the calm of the evening. The long shadows of the forest had slipped downhill while we talked, had gone far beyond the ruined hovel, beyond the symbolic row of stakes. All this was in the gloom, while we down there were yet in the sunshine, and the stretch of the river abreast of the clearing glittered in a still and dazzling splendour, with a murky and overshadowed bend above and below. Not a living soul was seen on the shore.
downhill - bergab; Abfahrt
splendour - Pracht; Brillanz
murky - trübe; düster, trüb
The bushes did not rustle.
rustle - Rascheln, Rauschen, Knistern
"Suddenly round the corner of the house a group of men appeared, as though they had come up from the ground. They waded waist-deep in the grass, in a compact body, bearing an improvised stretcher in their midst. Instantly, in the emptiness of the landscape, a cry arose whose shrillness pierced the still air like a sharp arrow flying straight to the very heart of the land; and, as if by enchantment, streams of human beings"of naked human beings"with spears in their hands, with bows, with shields, with wild glances and savage movements, were poured into the clearing by the dark-faced and pensive forest.
round the corner - um die Ecke
waded - gewatet; waten
compact - zusammengedrängt
improvised - improvisiert; improvisieren
stretcher - Trage, Tragbahre, Rahmen (2)
emptiness - Leere, Leerheit
landscape - Landschaft; Querformat
shrillness - Schrillheit; schrille Stimme
pierced - gepierct; lochen, durchbohren
enchantment - Verzauberung, Bezauberung
poured - geschüttet; schütten, einschenken, gießen
The bushes shook, the grass swayed for a time, and then everything stood still in attentive immobility.
attentive - Aufmerksam
"Now, if he does not say the right thing to them we are all done for,'said the Russian at my elbow. The knot of men with the stretcher had stopped, too, halfway to the steamer, as if petrified. I saw the man on the stretcher sit up, lank and with an uplifted arm, above the shoulders of the bearers. Let us hope that the man who can talk so well of love in general will find some particular reason to spare us this time,'I said. I resented bitterly the absurd danger of our situation, as if to be at the mercy of that atrocious phantom had been a dishonouring necessity. I could not hear a sound, but through my glasses I saw the thin arm extended commandingly, the lower jaw moving, the eyes of that apparition shining darkly far in its bony head that nodded with grotesque jerks. Kurtz"Kurtz"that means short in German"don't it? Well, the name was as true as everything else in his life"and death. He looked at least seven feet long. His covering had fallen off, and his body emerged from it pitiful and appalling as from a winding-sheet.
knot - Knoten, Knäuel
halfway - auf halbem Weg; halbwegs
Petrified - Versteinert; versteinern, versteinern, erstarren
uplifted - Erhöht; hochheben, erheben
resented - verübelt; zurückgesandt; verübeln, übelnehmen
bitterly - verbittert; bitterlich
mercy - Barmherzigkeit, Erbarmen, Gnade, Mitleid
extended - erweitert; erweitern, ausdehnen, erweitern, ausdehnen, ausweiten
commandingly - befehlend
lower jaw - Unterkiefer
apparition - Erscheinung
shining - glänzen; Schienbein; hinaufklettern
jerks - Idioten; Zuckung, Satz, Reflex, ruckweise; Wichser; erschüttern
German - Deutscher, Deutsche, Germane, Germanin, Achtelcicero, Deutsch
covering - Abdeckung; zudeckend; (cover); Deckel, Abdeckung, Versteck
fallen off - abgefallen
emerged - aufgetaucht; erscheinen, auftauchen, herauskommen, davonkommen
pitiful - Mitleid erregend; erbärmlich, kläglich, jämmerlich
as from - mit Wirkung vom
sheet - Blatt, Bogen, Blech, Platte, Lage, Schicht, Schot
I could see the cage of his ribs all astir, the bones of his arm waving. It was as though an animated image of death carved out of old ivory had been shaking its hand with menaces at a motionless crowd of men made of dark and glittering bronze. I saw him open his mouth wide"it gave him a weirdly voracious aspect, as though he had wanted to swallow all the air, all the earth, all the men before him. A deep voice reached me faintly. He must have been shouting. He fell back suddenly. The stretcher shook as the bearers staggered forward again, and almost at the same time I noticed that the crowd of savages was vanishing without any perceptible movement of retreat, as if the forest that had ejected these beings so suddenly had drawn them in again as the breath is drawn in a long aspiration.
cage - Käfig
astir - rege
waving - (wave) wehen, winken mit, flattern; (wave) (wave) wehen
animated - animiert; lebendig, beseelt, bewegt, lebhaft, belebt, beleben
menaces - Bedrohungen; Landplage, androhen
weirdly - Seltsam
voracious - gefräßig, unersättlich, gierig
swallow - schlucken, verschlingen, anbeißen, einstecken
shouting - Schreien, Geschrei; (shout); Schreien, Geschrei
staggered - gestaffelt; Staffelung; abstufen, staffeln, wanken
perceptible - wahrnehmbar, spürbar, fühlbar
ejected - rausgeschmissen; hinauswerfen, ausstoßen
aspiration - Bestreben; Aufsaugung, Einsaugung
"Some of the pilgrims behind the stretcher carried his arms"two shot-guns, a heavy rifle, and a light revolver-carbine"the thunderbolts of that pitiful Jupiter. The manager bent over him murmuring as he walked beside his head. They laid him down in one of the little cabins"just a room for a bed place and a camp-stool or two, you know. We had brought his belated correspondence, and a lot of torn envelopes and open letters littered his bed.
revolver - Revolver
Carbine - Karabiner
Thunderbolts - Donnerkeil, Blitzstrahl, Blitz mit Donnerschlag
Jupiter - Jupiter, Jupiter
cabins - Kabinen; Hütte, Blockhütte, Kabine, Kajüte, Kajüte, Kabine
envelopes - Briefumschläge; verhüllen; Kuvert, Versandtasche, Hüllenkurve
littered - verstreut; Sänfte, Trage, Bahre, Wurf, Streu, Stroh
His hand roamed feebly amongst these papers. I was struck by the fire of his eyes and the composed languor of his expression. It was not so much the exhaustion of disease. He did not seem in pain. This shadow looked satiated and calm, as though for the moment it had had its fill of all the emotions.
roamed - durchstreiften; wandern, umherziehen
composed - komponiert; zusammenstellen, zusammensetzen, komponieren
languor - Trägheit; Mattigkeit, Schwäche
exhaustion - Erschöpfung, Ermattung
satiated - gesättigt; sättigen, übersättigen
"He rustled one of the letters, and looking straight in my face said, I am glad.'Somebody had been writing to him about me. These special recommendations were turning up again. The volume of tone he emitted without effort, almost without the trouble of moving his lips, amazed me.
recommendations - Empfehlungen; Empfehlung, Empfehlung
turning up - aufbindend
volume - Volumen; Lautstärke; Jahrgang; Band; Volume
emitted - emittiert; emittieren, aussenden
A voice! a voice! It was grave, profound, vibrating, while the man did not seem capable of a whisper. However, he had enough strength in him"factitious no doubt"to very nearly make an end of us, as you shall hear directly.
factitious - Erfunden
"The manager appeared silently in the doorway; I stepped out at once and he drew the curtain after me. The Russian, eyed curiously by the pilgrims, was staring at the shore. I followed the direction of his glance.
silently - leise; schweigend, still
stepped out - ausgeschritten
"Dark human shapes could be made out in the distance, flitting indistinctly against the gloomy border of the forest, and near the river two bronze figures, leaning on tall spears, stood in the sunlight under fantastic head-dresses of spotted skins, warlike and still in statuesque repose. And from right to left along the lighted shore moved a wild and gorgeous apparition of a woman.
flitting - hüpfend; wandernd; (flit); gaukeln
indistinctly - undeutlich
statuesque - statuesk
repose - ruhen
gorgeous - fantastisch, großartig, herrlich, hinreißend
"She walked with measured steps, draped in striped and fringed cloths, treading the earth proudly, with a slight jingle and flash of barbarous ornaments. She carried her head high; her hair was done in the shape of a helmet; she had brass leggings to the knee, brass wire gauntlets to the elbow, a crimson spot on her tawny cheek, innumerable necklaces of glass beads on her neck; bizarre things, charms, gifts of witch-men, that hung about her, glittered and trembled at every step.
measured - gemessen; Maß
steps - Schritte; treten, treten (du trittst
striped - gestreift; Streifen
treading - Trittbrettfahren; (tread on) treten; (tread) Trittbrettfahren; (tread on) treten
jingle - Jingle
barbarous - barbarisch, grausam
ornaments - Ornamente; Verzierung, musikalische Verzierung
helmet - Helm
leggings - Überhose
gauntlets - Fehdehandschuhe; Fehdehandschuh, Schutzhandschuh
crimson - Karmesinrot; Purpur, Purpurrot, Karmesin, purpurn
tawny - gelbbraun; lohfarben
necklaces - Halsketten; Halskette, Collier
charms - Reize; Talisman; Charme, Zauberformel, Lieblichkeit; bezaubern
hung about - herumgedrückt
She must have had the value of several elephant tusks upon her. She was savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent; there was something ominous and stately in her deliberate progress. And in the hush that had fallen suddenly upon the whole sorrowful land, the immense wilderness, the colossal body of the fecund and mysterious life seemed to look at her, pensive, as though it had been looking at the image of its own tenebrous and passionate soul.
superb - großartig, superb
Hush - Pst; verstummen, still werden, zum Schweigen bringen, Stille
sorrowful - Traurig
fecund - fruchtbar, produktiv
"She came abreast of the steamer, stood still, and faced us. Her long shadow fell to the water's edge. Her face had a tragic and fierce aspect of wild sorrow and of dumb pain mingled with the fear of some struggling, half-shaped resolve. She stood looking at us without a stir, and like the wilderness itself, with an air of brooding over an inscrutable purpose. A whole minute passed, and then she made a step forward. There was a low jingle, a glint of yellow metal, a sway of fringed draperies, and she stopped as if her heart had failed her. The young fellow by my side growled.
tragic - tragisch
resolve - auflösen, beschließen
step forward - hervortreten
glint - funkeln; Glitzern
metal - Metall; Metal
draperies - Vorhänge; Vorhang
failed - gescheitert; mangelhaft (Zensur 5)
The pilgrims murmured at my back. She looked at us all as if her life had depended upon the unswerving steadiness of her glance. Suddenly she opened her bared arms and threw them up rigid above her head, as though in an uncontrollable desire to touch the sky, and at the same time the swift shadows darted out on the earth, swept around on the river, gathering the steamer into a shadowy embrace. A formidable silence hung over the scene.
depended - abhängt; abhängen, ankommen
unswerving - unerschütterlich
steadiness - Zuverlässigkeit, Beständigkeit
bared - entblößt; Takt; Schankstube; Latte (Sport); Balken, Leiste
uncontrollable - unkontrollierbar
gathering - Erfassung, Sammeln, Lese; (gather); sammeln, versammeln
shadowy - schattenhaft; schattig
Embrace - umarmen; annehmen, Umarmung
formidable - Beeindruckend; respekteinflößend, furchteinflößend
hung over - überhängte
"She turned away slowly, walked on, following the bank, and passed into the bushes to the left. Once only her eyes gleamed back at us in the dusk of the thickets before she disappeared.
gleamed - schimmerte; Schimmer; durchschimmern, glänzen
"If she had offered to come aboard I really think I would have tried to shoot her,'said the man of patches, nervously. I have been risking my life every day for the last fortnight to keep her out of the house. She got in one day and kicked up a row about those miserable rags I picked up in the storeroom to mend my clothes with. I wasn't decent.
aboard - an Bord
nervously - nervös, erregbar, gereizt, hektisch
risking - Risiko
fortnight - vierzehn Tage; vierzehn Tag age, zwei Wochen
picked - ausgewählt; Hacke, Pickel, Spitzhacke, Dietrich, pflücken
storeroom - Lager, Lagerraum, Abstellraum
At least it must have been that, for she talked like a fury to Kurtz for an hour, pointing at me now and then. I don't understand the dialect of this tribe. Luckily for me, I fancy Kurtz felt too ill that day to care, or there would have been mischief. I don't understand.... No"it's too much for me. Ah, well, it's all over now.'
I don't understand - Ich verstehe nicht.
dialect - Dialekt, Mundart
mischief - Unfug, Unheil, Querulantentum
"At this moment I heard Kurtz's deep voice behind the curtain: Save me!"save the ivory, you mean. Don't tell me. Save me! Why, I've had to save you. You are interrupting my plans now. Sick! Sick! Not so sick as you would like to believe. Never mind. I'll carry my ideas out yet"I will return. I'll show you what can be done. You with your little peddling notions"you are interfering with me. I will return. I....'
interrupting - unterbrechen
peddling - hausieren gehen; verbreiten
interfering - eingreifen, einmischen
"The manager came out. He did me the honour to take me under the arm and lead me aside. He is very low, very low,'he said. He considered it necessary to sigh, but neglected to be consistently sorrowful. We have done all we could for him"haven't we? But there is no disguising the fact, Mr. Kurtz has done more harm than good to the Company. He did not see the time was not ripe for vigorous action. Cautiously, cautiously"that's my principle. We must be cautious yet. The district is closed to us for a time. Deplorable! Upon the whole, the trade will suffer. I don't deny there is a remarkable quantity of ivory"mostly fossil. We must save it, at all events"but look how precarious the position is"and why? Because the method is unsound.'Do you,'said I, looking at the shore, call it "unsound method?"'Without doubt,'he exclaimed hotly.
consistently - konsequent
disguising - verkleidend; (disguise); Verkleidung; Tarnung; verstellen
ripe - reif
cautious - zurückhaltend; vorsichtig, zaghaft, behutsam
principle - Grundsatz, Prinzip, Naturgesetz
suffer - leiden; erleiden
deny - verweigern, leugnen;gegen jdn. retten
unsound - unsolide; unzuverlässig, ungesund
hotly - heiß; erregt, hitzig
Don't you?'... No method at all,'I murmured after a while. Exactly,'he exulted. I anticipated this. Shows a complete want of judgment. It is my duty to point it out in the proper quarter.'Oh,'said I, that fellow"what's his name?"the brickmaker, will make a readable report for you.'He appeared confounded for a moment. It seemed to me I had never breathed an atmosphere so vile, and I turned mentally to Kurtz for relief"positively for relief. Nevertheless I think Mr. Kurtz is a remarkable man,'I said with emphasis. He started, dropped on me a heavy glance, said very quietly, he was,'and turned his back on me. My hour of favour was over; I found myself lumped along with Kurtz as a partisan of methods for which the time was not ripe: I was unsound! Ah! but it was something to have at least a choice of nightmares.
exulted - gejubelt; jubeln, jauchzen
anticipated - vorweggenommen; vorgreifen, voraussehen, vorausahnen
Duty - Die Pflicht; Pflicht; Schicht, Arbeitszeit, Zoll, Einfuhrsteuer
readable - lesbar
breathed - geatmet; atmen, einatmen, hauchen
vile - abscheulich, gemein, schnöde
mentally - geistig, psychisch, mental
emphasis - Nachdruck, Eindringlichkeit, Emphase, Schwerpunkt
lumped - verklumpt; Klumpen, Kloß, Stück
partisan - parteiisch; der/die Partisanen
choice - Wahl; Auswahl; erlesen
"I had turned to the wilderness really, not to Mr. Kurtz, who, I was ready to admit, was as good as buried. And for a moment it seemed to me as if I also were buried in a vast grave full of unspeakable secrets. I felt an intolerable weight oppressing my breast, the smell of the damp earth, the unseen presence of victorious corruption, the darkness of an impenetrable night.... The Russian tapped me on the shoulder. I heard him mumbling and stammering something about brother seaman"couldn't conceal"knowledge of matters that would affect Mr. Kurtz's reputation.'I waited. For him evidently Mr. Kurtz was not in his grave; I suspect that for him Mr.
weight - Gewicht; beschweren, gewichten
oppressing - unterdrücken
damp - feucht; Feuchtigkeit; ersticken, dämpfen
unseen - ungesehen; unbesehen, unsichtbar
victorious - siegreich, obsiegend, triumphierend, triumphal, siegesstrahlend
corruption - Korruption; Verderbnis, Verdorbenheit, Verkommenheit
tapped - angezapft; Wasserhahn; Schlacke abstechen
mumbling - Nuscheln; Genuschel, murmelnd; (mumble); murmeln, nuscheln
stammering - Stottern; Gestotter; (stammer); stammeln, stottern, Stottern
affect - beeinflussen; beeinträchtigen, eine Vorliebe haben für, bewohnen
reputation - Ansehen, Ruf, Klang, Bekanntheit
Kurtz was one of the immortals. Well!'said I at last, speak out. As it happens, I am Mr. Kurtz's friend"in a way.'
immortals - Unsterbliche; unsterblich, unvergesslich
"He stated with a good deal of formality that had we not been of the same profession,'he would have kept the matter to himself without regard to consequences. He suspected there was an active ill-will towards him on the part of these white men that"'You are right,'I said, remembering a certain conversation I had overheard. The manager thinks you ought to be hanged.'He showed a concern at this intelligence which amused me at first. I had better get out of the way quietly,'he said earnestly. I can do no more for Kurtz now, and they would soon find some excuse.
stated - erklärt; Staat, Staat, Land
profession - Bekenntnis; Beruf, Profession, Profess, Gelübde
regard - schätzen, betrachten, berücksichtigen, achten; Aufmerksamkeit
suspected - verdächtigt; vermuten, misstrauen, verdächtigen
active - aktiv; gewandt, flink, tätig, rührig
ill-will - (ill-will) Groll
overheard - mitgehört; zufällig mit anhören
What's to stop them? There's a military post three hundred miles from here.'Well, upon my word,'said I, perhaps you had better go if you have any friends amongst the savages near by.'Plenty,'he said. They are simple people"and I want nothing, you know.'He stood biting his lip, then: I don't want any harm to happen to these whites here, but of course I was thinking of Mr. Kurtz's reputation"but you are a brother seaman and"'All right,'said I, after a time. Mr. Kurtz's reputation is safe with me.'I did not know how truly I spoke.
truly - wirklich, wahrhaft, ehrlich, echt
"He informed me, lowering his voice, that it was Kurtz who had ordered the attack to be made on the steamer. He hated sometimes the idea of being taken away"and then again.... But I don't understand these matters. I am a simple man. He thought it would scare you away"that you would give it up, thinking him dead. I could not stop him. Oh, I had an awful time of it this last month.'Very well,'I said. He is all right now.'Ye-e-es,'he muttered, not very convinced apparently. Thanks,'said I; I shall keep my eyes open.'But quiet-eh?'he urged anxiously. It would be awful for his reputation if anybody here"'I promised a complete discretion with great gravity. I have a canoe and three black fellows waiting not very far. I am off. Could you give me a few Martini-Henry cartridges?'I could, and did, with proper secrecy. He helped himself, with a wink at me, to a handful of my tobacco. Between sailors"you know"good English tobacco.
lowering - Senken; Abbau (von Kosten)
Convinced - Überzeugt; überzeugen
promised - versprochen; Versprechen
discretion - Diskretion, Takt, Verschwiegenheit, Angemessenheit
gravity - Bedenklichkeit, Ernst, Erdanziehung, Gravitation, Schwerkraft
canoe - Kanu, Kanadier, paddeln
wink at - zublinzeln
handful - Handvoll; Handbreite
Sailors - Matrosen; Matrose, Matrosin, Seemann, Seefrau, Seemännin
At the door of the pilot-house he turned round"I say, haven't you a pair of shoes you could spare?'He raised one leg. Look.'The soles were tied with knotted strings sandalwise under his bare feet. I rooted out an old pair, at which he looked with admiration before tucking it under his left arm. One of his pockets (bright red) was bulging with cartridges, from the other (dark blue) peeped Towson's Inquiry,'etc., etc. He seemed to think himself excellently well equipped for a renewed encounter with the wilderness. Ah! I'll never, never meet such a man again. You ought to have heard him recite poetry"his own, too, it was, he told me. Poetry!'He rolled his eyes at the recollection of these delights. Oh, he enlarged my mind!'Good-bye,'said I. He shook hands and vanished in the night. Sometimes I ask myself whether I had ever really seen him"whether it was possible to meet such a phenomenon!...
soles - Sohlen; Seezunge, Sohle, einzig
knotted - verknotet; Knoten, Knäuel
sandalwise - sandalenmäßig
rooted - verwurzelt; wurzeln; Haupt, Wurzel, Nullstelle [math.]
tucking - zurückstreifen, einklemmen; Bundfalte
peeped - gepiepst; (peep hole) Schauloch; (to peep through) durchgucken
excellently - vorzüglich
renewed - erneuert; erneuern, erneuern
encounter - mit etw. in Berührung kommen;entgegentreten, sich begegnen, treffen auf;Begegnung , Treffen , Zusammenstoß
recite - vortragen; rezitieren; zu Gehör bringen; q oem also:
poetry - Dichtkunst, Poesie, checkDichtung, checkDichtkunst
delights - Köstlichkeiten; Freude, Entzückung, Wohlgefallen
phenomenon - Phänomen, Erscheinung
"When I woke up shortly after midnight his warning came to my mind with its hint of danger that seemed, in the starred darkness, real enough to make me get up for the purpose of having a look round. On the hill a big fire burned, illuminating fitfully a crooked corner of the station-house. One of the agents with a picket of a few of our blacks, armed for the purpose, was keeping guard over the ivory; but deep within the forest, red gleams that wavered, that seemed to sink and rise from the ground amongst confused columnar shapes of intense blackness, showed the exact position of the camp where Mr. Kurtz's adorers were keeping their uneasy vigil. The monotonous beating of a big drum filled the air with muffled shocks and a lingering vibration.
look round - umschauen
fitfully - unruhig; unbeständige, ruckartig
crooked - schief; (to crook) sich krümmen
station-house - (station-house) Polizeiwache , Polizeidienststelle
picket - Mahnwache; Pfosten, Pfahl, Zaunlatte, Vorposten, Streikposten
wavered - wankte; wanken, zögern, schweben, flattern, schwanken
rise - steigen; Kursanstieg; Aufgang, Gehaltszulage, Aufschwung
columnar - säulenförmig
blackness - Schwärze
adorers - Anbeterinnen; Anbeter, Anbeterin
vigil - Wache, Nachtwache, Vigil, Mahnwache
beating - Schlagen, Prügel, Verprüglung, vernichtende Niederlage
drum - Trommel
shocks - Schocks; Schock, Betroffenheit, Empörung, Schlag, Stoß
A steady droning sound of many men chanting each to himself some weird incantation came out from the black, flat wall of the woods as the humming of bees comes out of a hive, and had a strange narcotic effect upon my half-awake senses. I believe I dozed off leaning over the rail, till an abrupt burst of yells, an overwhelming outbreak of a pent-up and mysterious frenzy, woke me up in a bewildered wonder. It was cut short all at once, and the low droning went on with an effect of audible and soothing silence. I glanced casually into the little cabin. A light was burning within, but Mr. Kurtz was not there.
droning - dröhnen, brummen, eintönig reden, herleiern; Drohne, Basspfeife
chanting - skandieren; Kirchenlied, Gesang
incantation - Beschwörung
humming - Brummen; (to hum) summen, murmeln; (hum); Summen
bees - Bienen; Wettbewerb, Biene
hive - Bienenstock
narcotic - Rauschgift; narkotisierend, Betäubungsmittel, narkotisch
senses - Sinne; Sinn, Gefühl
dozed - gedöst; Halbschlaf
abrupt - abrupt, jäh, schroff, steil
pent - gefesselt
bewildered - verwirrt; verwirren, durcheinanderbringen
cut short - abbrechen, abkürzen
soothing - erleichternd, lindernd, beruhigend; (sooth); Wahrheit
"I think I would have raised an outcry if I had believed my eyes. But I didn't believe them at first"the thing seemed so impossible. The fact is I was completely unnerved by a sheer blank fright, pure abstract terror, unconnected with any distinct shape of physical danger. What made this emotion so overpowering was"how shall I define it?"the moral shock I received, as if something altogether monstrous, intolerable to thought and odious to the soul, had been thrust upon me unexpectedly.
outcry - Schrei; Aufschrei, Sturm der Entrüstung
unnerved - entnervt; entnerven
abstract - Auszug, Zusammenfassung, abstrakt, trennen, entziehen
unconnected - unverbunden
overpowering - überwältigend; überwältigen, übermannen
define - bestimmen; definieren
shock - Schock, Betroffenheit, Empörung, Schlag, Stoß
odious - abscheulich, scheußlich, abstoßend, widerlich
thrust - Stoß, Stich, Vorstoß, Schub, Schubkraft
This lasted of course the merest fraction of a second, and then the usual sense of commonplace, deadly danger, the possibility of a sudden onslaught and massacre, or something of the kind, which I saw impending, was positively welcome and composing. It pacified me, in fact, so much that I did not raise an alarm.
merest - nur, schier, bloß
fraction - Fraktion; Bruchteil; Bruch
deadly danger - Todesgefahr
possibility - Möglichkeit
impending - bevorstehend; bevorstehen, drohen, sich ankündigen
composing - zusammenstellen, zusammensetzen, komponieren, enthalten
pacified - befriedet; befrieden, friedlich stimmen
raise - Gehaltszulage; aufsteigen, anheben, erhöhen, heranziehen
alarm - Alarm, Alarmsignal, Alarmstimmung, Wecker, Alarm schlagen
"There was an agent buttoned up inside an ulster and sleeping on a chair on deck within three feet of me. The yells had not awakened him; he snored very slightly; I left him to his slumbers and leaped ashore. I did not betray Mr. Kurtz"it was ordered I should never betray him"it was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice.
buttoned up - (button up) zuknöpfen
ulster - Ulster
awakened - geweckt; aufwecken, wecken, aufwachen, erwachen, wach werden
snored - geschnarcht; schnarchen, Schnarchen
slumbers - schlummert; Halbschlaf, Schlummer, Schläfchen
betray - verraten; im Stich lassen, von etwas zeugen, verleiten
loyal - loyal, treu
nightmare - Albtraum, Alptraum
I was anxious to deal with this shadow by myself alone"and to this day I don't know why I was so jealous of sharing with any one the peculiar blackness of that experience.
jealous - eifersüchtig; eifrig, eifernd, neidisch
peculiar - eigentümlich; merkwürdig, seltsam
"As soon as I got on the bank I saw a trail"a broad trail through the grass. I remember the exultation with which I said to myself, He can't walk"he is crawling on all-fours"I've got him.'The grass was wet with dew. I strode rapidly with clenched fists. I fancy I had some vague notion of falling upon him and giving him a drubbing. I don't know. I had some imbecile thoughts. The knitting old woman with the cat obtruded herself upon my memory as a most improper person to be sitting at the other end of such an affair. I saw a row of pilgrims squirting lead in the air out of Winchesters held to the hip. I thought I would never get back to the steamer, and imagined myself living alone and unarmed in the woods to an advanced age.
trail - Pfad; folgen, verfolgen, nachstellen, nacheilen
exultation - Jubel
dew - tauen; Tau
rapidly - schnell
clenched - geballt; ballen
fists - Fäuste; fausten; Faust
drubbing - verprügelt; Tracht Prügel
obtruded - aufgedrängt; aufdrängen
most improper - ungebührlichste
unarmed - unbewaffnet; entwaffnen
advanced age - fortgeschrittenes Alter
Such silly things"you know. And I remember I confounded the beat of the drum with the beating of my heart, and was pleased at its calm regularity.
"I kept to the track though"then stopped to listen. The night was very clear; a dark blue space, sparkling with dew and starlight, in which black things stood very still. I thought I could see a kind of motion ahead of me. I was strangely cocksure of everything that night. I actually left the track and ran in a wide semicircle (I verily believe chuckling to myself) so as to get in front of that stir, of that motion I had seen"if indeed I had seen anything.
track - Spur; Fußspur; Fußsohle; Trampelpfad; Bahn, Strecke, Kurs
sparkling - glitzernd, funkelnd, prickelnd, sprudelnd; (sparkle); glitzernd
starlight - Sternenlicht
motion - Bewegung
strangely - seltsame, merkwürdige
cocksure - völlig sicher, todsicher
actually - eigentlich, tatsächlich, in Wirklichkeit, in Wahrheit
semicircle - Halbkreis
chuckling - glucksend, kichernd; (chuckle) glucksend, kichernd
if indeed - wenn überhaupt
I was circumventing Kurtz as though it had been a boyish game.
circumventing - Umgehung; umgehen, umlagern, ausmanövrieren
"I came upon him, and, if he had not heard me coming, I would have fallen over him, too, but he got up in time. He rose, unsteady, long, pale, indistinct, like a vapour exhaled by the earth, and swayed slightly, misty and silent before me; while at my back the fires loomed between the trees, and the murmur of many voices issued from the forest. I had cut him off cleverly; but when actually confronting him I seemed to come to my senses, I saw the danger in its right proportion. It was by no means over yet. Suppose he began to shout? Though he could hardly stand, there was still plenty of vigour in his voice. Go away"hide yourself,'he said, in that profound tone. It was very awful. I glanced back. We were within thirty yards from the nearest fire. A black figure stood up, strode on long black legs, waving long black arms, across the glow. It had horns"antelope horns, I think"on its head. Some sorcerer, some witch-man, no doubt: it looked fiendlike enough.
vapour - Wasserdampf; der Dampf
exhaled - ausgeatmet; ausatmen
loomed - aufgetaucht; Webstuhl; undeutlich sichtbar werden
issued - ausgestellt; ausgehen
cleverly - klug, pfiffig, schlau
confronting - konfrontieren, entgegentreten, Sache, konfrontieren
proportion - Verhältnis; Teil, Proportion, Anteil
vigour - Vitalität; Ausdruckskraft, Energie, Leidenschaftlichkeit
horns - Hörner; Horn
antelope - Antilope
sorcerer - Zauberer
fiendlike - teuflisch
Do you know what you are doing?'I whispered. Perfectly,'he answered, raising his voice for that single word: it sounded to me far off and yet loud, like a hail through a speaking-trumpet. If he makes a row we are lost,'I thought to myself. This clearly was not a case for fisticuffs, even apart from the very natural aversion I had to beat that Shadow"this wandering and tormented thing. You will be lost,'I said"utterly lost.'One gets sometimes such a flash of inspiration, you know. I did say the right thing, though indeed he could not have been more irretrievably lost than he was at this very moment, when the foundations of our intimacy were being laid"to endure"to endure"even to the end"even beyond.
raising - Erhöhung; Erhebung; Großziehen, Aufziehen
hail - jdm. zujubeln;(Hail to thee!) Wohl dir!, Sei gegrüßt!
trumpet - Trompete
aversion - Abneigung, Vorbehalt, Widerwillen, Aversion
tormented - gequält; Qual, quälen, peinigen
be lost - verloren gehen, nicht mehr weiterwissen, sich verirrt haben
utterly - völlig
irretrievably - unwiederbringlich
foundations - Stiftungen; Gründung, Grundlage, Fundament
intimacy - Intimität
endure - ertragen, aushalten, dulden, von Bestand sein
"I had immense plans,'he muttered irresolutely. Yes,'said I; but if you try to shout I'll smash your head with"'There was not a stick or a stone near. I will throttle you for good,'I corrected myself. I was on the threshold of great things,'he pleaded, in a voice of longing, with a wistfulness of tone that made my blood run cold. And now for this stupid scoundrel"'Your success in Europe is assured in any case,'I affirmed steadily. I did not want to have the throttling of him, you understand"and indeed it would have been very little use for any practical purpose. I tried to break the spell"the heavy, mute spell of the wilderness"that seemed to draw him to its pitiless breast by the awakening of forgotten and brutal instincts, by the memory of gratified and monstrous passions. This alone, I was convinced, had driven him out to the edge of the forest, to the bush, towards the gleam of fires, the throb of drums, the drone of weird incantations; this alone had beguiled his unlawful soul beyond the bounds of permitted aspirations. And, don't you see, the terror of the position was not in being knocked on the head"though I had a very lively sense of that danger, too"but in this, that I had to deal with a being to whom I could not appeal in the name of anything high or low. I had, even like the niggers, to invoke him"himself"his own exalted and incredible degradation. There was nothing either above or below him, and I knew it. He had kicked himself loose of the earth. Confound the man! he had kicked the very earth to pieces. He was alone, and I before him did not know whether I stood on the ground or floated in the air.
irresolutely - unentschlossen
throttle - erdrosseln, drosseln; abdrosseln
threshold - Schwelle, Türschwelle
pleaded - plädiert; plädieren, bekennen, (dringend) bitten, anflehen
wistfulness - Wehmut
steadily - beständig; stetige, stet, zuverlässig
Throttling - Drosselung; erdrosselnd, drosselnd
practical - praktisch; Praktikum
awakening - Erwachen; (awaken); aufwecken, aufwachen, erwachen, wach werden
brutal - brutal
instincts - Instinkte; Instinkt
gratified - befriedigt; befriedigen, erfreuen
passions - Leidenschaften; Leidenschaft, Passion, Leidenschaft, Passion
throb - klopfen, schlagen, pochen, pulsieren, Pochen
drone - dröhnen, brummen, eintönig reden, herleiern; Drohne, Basspfeife
incantations - Beschwörungen; Beschwörung
unlawful - rechtswidrig
bounds - Grenzen; Sprung
permitted - erlaubt; zulassen, erlauben; Erlaubnis, Erlaubnisschein
knocked - angeklopft; Klopfen
lively - lebendig, munter (lebhaft), lebhaft, quirlig
invoke - anrufen; sich berühmen; aufrufen
degradation - Verschlechterung; Degradierung
I've been telling you what we said"repeating the phrases we pronounced"but what's the good? They were common everyday words"the familiar, vague sounds exchanged on every waking day of life. But what of that? They had behind them, to my mind, the terrific suggestiveness of words heard in dreams, of phrases spoken in nightmares. Soul! If anybody ever struggled with a soul, I am the man. And I wasn't arguing with a lunatic either. Believe me or not, his intelligence was perfectly clear"concentrated, it is true, upon himself with horrible intensity, yet clear; and therein was my only chance"barring, of course, the killing him there and then, which wasn't so good, on account of unavoidable noise. But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad. I had"for my sins, I suppose"to go through the ordeal of looking into it myself. No eloquence could have been so withering to one's belief in mankind as his final burst of sincerity. He struggled with himself, too. I saw it"I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself. I kept my head pretty well; but when I had him at last stretched on the couch, I wiped my forehead, while my legs shook under me as though I had carried half a ton on my back down that hill. And yet I had only supported him, his bony arm clasped round my neck"and he was not much heavier than a child.
everyday - jeden Tag
terrific - großartig; fürchterlich, furchtbar, schrecklich
suggestiveness - Suggestivität; Zweideutigkeit
struggled with - abgemüht
horrible - schrecklich, abscheulich, fies, makaber
intensity - Intensität
Therein - darin
barring - Sperrung; ausgenommen; (bar) Sperrung; ausgenommen
sins - Sünden; Sünde, sündigen; eine Sünde begehen
ordeal - Tortur; Gottesurteil, Feuerprobe
withering - verdorren; vernichtend, zerstörerisch, alleszerstörend
mankind - die Menschheit; Menschheit, Menschengeschlecht, Mann
sincerity - Aufrichtigkeit, Ehrlichkeit
blindly - blindlings
wiped - abgewischt; löschen, abstreifen, abwischen, aufreiben, wischen
ton - Tonne (Massemaß)
clasped - umklammert; Spange, Klammer, Schnalle, Griff, greifen
"When next day we left at noon, the crowd, of whose presence behind the curtain of trees I had been acutely conscious all the time, flowed out of the woods again, filled the clearing, covered the slope with a mass of naked, breathing, quivering, bronze bodies. I steamed up a bit, then swung down stream, and two thousand eyes followed the evolutions of the splashing, thumping, fierce river-demon beating the water with its terrible tail and breathing black smoke into the air.
at noon - mittags
acutely - akut
conscious - bei Bewusstsein, wach, aufmerksam
flowed out - ausgeflossen
breathing - Atmen, Atmung; (breath); Atmen, Atmung, Atemzug, Atem, Atempause
quivering - zitternd; zittern
evolutions - Weiterentwicklungen; Evolution, Evolution
thumping - Klopfen; dumpfer Schlag, dumpf
demon - Dämon, Teufel
In front of the first rank, along the river, three men, plastered with bright red earth from head to foot, strutted to and fro restlessly. When we came abreast again, they faced the river, stamped their feet, nodded their horned heads, swayed their scarlet bodies; they shook towards the fierce river-demon a bunch of black feathers, a mangy skin with a pendent tail"something that looked a dried gourd; they shouted periodically together strings of amazing words that resembled no sounds of human language; and the deep murmurs of the crowd, interrupted suddenly, were like the responses of some satanic litany.
plastered - verputzt; Salbe, Creme, Putz, Verputz, Stuck, Gips, Wandputz
strutted - stolziert; Stütze (Bauwesen), Strebebalken; stolzieren
restlessly - rastlose
stamped - abgestempelt
horned - gehörnt; Horn
bunch - Bund, lowers, Traube, bündeln, anordnen
feathers - Federn; Feder, Vogelfeder, befiedern
mangy - krätzig, räudig, schäbig
pendent - Anhängsel
periodically - in regelmäßigen Abständen
murmurs - murmelt; Rauschen
responses - Antworten; Antwort
satanic - satanisch
litany - Litanei, Wechselgesang
"We had carried Kurtz into the pilot-house: there was more air there. Lying on the couch, he stared through the open shutter. There was an eddy in the mass of human bodies, and the woman with helmeted head and tawny cheeks rushed out to the very brink of the stream. She put out her hands, shouted something, and all that wild mob took up the shout in a roaring chorus of articulated, rapid, breathless utterance.
eddy - Strudel
helmeted - behelmt; Helm
rushed - überstürzt; stürzen, drängen, hetzen, rasen; Eile, Andrang
brink - Rande; Rand
roaring - brüllend; Gebrüll; (roar); brüllen; Tosen; Brüllen; Aufheulen
chorus - Chor; Refrain, Kehrreim, Chorus
articulated - artikuliert; wortgewandt; artikulieren, deutlich aussprechen
breathless - atemlos
"Do you understand this?'I asked.
"He kept on looking out past me with fiery, longing eyes, with a mingled expression of wistfulness and hate. He made no answer, but I saw a smile, a smile of indefinable meaning, appear on his colourless lips that a moment after twitched convulsively. Do I not?'he said slowly, gasping, as if the words had been torn out of him by a supernatural power.
fiery - feurig, Feuer
colourless - farblos
convulsively - krampfhafte
gasping - keuchend; (gasp); keuchen; japsen, prusten, Atemzug, Luftholen
torn out - herausgerissen
"I pulled the string of the whistle, and I did this because I saw the pilgrims on deck getting out their rifles with an air of anticipating a jolly lark. At the sudden screech there was a movement of abject terror through that wedged mass of bodies. Don't! don't you frighten them away,'cried some one on deck disconsolately. I pulled the string time after time.
pulled - gezogen; ziehen, ziehen
string - Schnur; Zeichenkette, String, Saite, auffädeln, einfädeln
anticipating - vorausschauend; vorgreifen, voraussehen, vorausahnen
lark - Lerche
wedged - verkeilt; verkeilen, festklemmen
disconsolately - untröstlich
They broke and ran, they leaped, they crouched, they swerved, they dodged the flying terror of the sound. The three red chaps had fallen flat, face down on the shore, as though they had been shot dead. Only the barbarous and superb woman did not so much as flinch, and stretched tragically her bare arms after us over the sombre and glittering river.
swerved - ausgewichen; ausweichen, abschweifen, Schlenker
dodged - abgewichen; ausweichen, beiseite springen, ausweichen, umgehen
face down - Schriftseite nach unten
flinch - zusammenzucken; zurückweichen
tragically - tragisch
"And then that imbecile crowd down on the deck started their little fun, and I could see nothing more for smoke.
"The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress; and Kurtz's life was running swiftly, too, ebbing, ebbing out of his heart into the sea of inexorable time. The manager was very placid, he had no vital anxieties now, he took us both in with a comprehensive and satisfied glance: the affair'had come off as well as could be wished.
ebbing - ebbend; Ebbe, ebben, abebben
vital - Leben
anxieties - Ängste; Besorgnis, Angst, Sorge, Angst
comprehensive - umfassend, umfangreich
come off - glücken, gelingen, klappen
I saw the time approaching when I would be left alone of the party of unsound method.'The pilgrims looked upon me with disfavour. I was, so to speak, numbered with the dead. It is strange how I accepted this unforeseen partnership, this choice of nightmares forced upon me in the tenebrous land invaded by these mean and greedy phantoms.
disfavour - missbilligen; Ungunst
unforeseen - unvorhergesehen
forced - gezwungen; zwingen, forcieren, erzwingen; Stärke, Macht
"Kurtz discoursed. A voice! a voice! It rang deep to the very last. It survived his strength to hide in the magnificent folds of eloquence the barren darkness of his heart. Oh, he struggled! he struggled! The wastes of his weary brain were haunted by shadowy images now"images of wealth and fame revolving obsequiously round his unextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression. My Intended, my station, my career, my ideas"these were the subjects for the occasional utterances of elevated sentiments.
discoursed - erörtert; Diskurs, Diskurs, Abhandlung, Diskurs, Gespräch
barren - steril, unfruchtbar, dürr, karg, ausgetrocknet
wastes - Abfälle; verschwenden
brain - Gehirn, Superhirn, Intelligenzbestie, Kopf, Verstand, Köpfchen
haunted - spuken, verfolgen, Treffpunkt
images - Bilder; Bild
revolving - drehend, rotierend; (revolve); drehen
obsequiously - unterwürfig
unextinguishable - unauslöschlich
elevated - erhöht; gehoben; (elevate); erhöhen, anheben
The shade of the original Kurtz frequented the bedside of the hollow sham, whose fate it was to be buried presently in the mould of primeval earth. But both the diabolic love and the unearthly hate of the mysteries it had penetrated fought for the possession of that soul satiated with primitive emotions, avid of lying fame, of sham distinction, of all the appearances of success and power.
frequented - frequentiert; häufig; aufsuchen
bedside - am Krankenbett; Krankenbett
sham - Schwindel; Schein., Fälschung
mould - Schimmel; Heizform, Form; Gussform, Gießform, Moder; formen
primeval - urzeitlich
diabolic - diabolisch
fought - gekämpft; Kampf, Schlacht
avid - passioniert, begeistert, eifrig, leidenschaftlich
distinction - Unterscheidung; Unterschied; Auszeichnung
"Sometimes he was contemptibly childish. He desired to have kings meet him at railway-stations on his return from some ghastly Nowhere, where he intended to accomplish great things. You show them you have in you something that is really profitable, and then there will be no limits to the recognition of your ability,'he would say. Of course you must take care of the motives"right motives"always.'The long reaches that were like one and the same reach, monotonous bends that were exactly alike, slipped past the steamer with their multitude of secular trees looking patiently after this grimy fragment of another world, the forerunner of change, of conquest, of trade, of massacres, of blessings. I looked ahead"piloting.
contemptibly - verächtlich
desired - gewünscht; begehren, begehren, Begehren
accomplish - zu erreichen; vollenden
limits - Begrenzung, Grenze, Obergrenze; begrenzen
recognition - Erkennen, Wiedererkennen, Erkennung, Anerkennung
secular - säkular, weltlich
forerunner - Vornewegläufer, Frontläufer, Vorbote, Vorzeichen, Vorläufer
massacres - Massaker
blessings - Segnungen; Segen, Segnung, Segnen, Segen, Segnung, Segnen
piloting - Piloten; lotsend, Steuerung (Flugzeug); (pilot); Pilot, Pilotin
Close the shutter,'said Kurtz suddenly one day; I can't bear to look at this.'I did so. There was a silence. Oh, but I will wring your heart yet!'he cried at the invisible wilderness.
wring - abbringen, erzwingen
invisible - unsichtbar; versteckt
"We broke down"as I had expected"and had to lie up for repairs at the head of an island. This delay was the first thing that shook Kurtz's confidence. One morning he gave me a packet of papers and a photograph"the lot tied together with a shoe-string. Keep this for me,'he said. This noxious fool'(meaning the manager) is capable of prying into my boxes when I am not looking.'In the afternoon I saw him. He was lying on his back with closed eyes, and I withdrew quietly, but I heard him mutter, Live rightly, die, die..
packet - Päckchen; paketieren; Datenpaket, Paket
noxious - Schaden
prying - neugierig schauend, neugierig; (pry) neugierig schauend
withdrew - zurückgezogen; annullieren, entziehen, abziehen, ausscheiden
rightly - zurecht, zu Recht, richtig
'I listened. There was nothing more. Was he rehearsing some speech in his sleep, or was it a fragment of a phrase from some newspaper article? He had been writing for the papers and meant to do so again, for the furthering of my ideas. It's a duty.'
rehearsing - probend; (rehears) probend
newspaper article - Zeitungsartikel
furthering - zu fördern; fördern, fördern, weiter, ferner, weiter, weiter
"His was an impenetrable darkness. I looked at him as you peer down at a man who is lying at the bottom of a precipice where the sun never shines. But I had not much time to give him, because I was helping the engine-driver to take to pieces the leaky cylinders, to straighten a bent connecting-rod, and in other such matters.
precipice - Abgrund, Steilhang
shines - leuchtet; schimmern, wienern; Schein; putzen (Schuhe)
engine-driver - (engine-driver) Maschinist
cylinders - Zylindern; Zylinder, Zylinder, Zylinder, Zylinder, Brennkammer
straighten - begradigen; richten (gerade biegen); gerade machen
connecting - Verbindung; verbinden, anschließen, verbinden
rod - Rute; Stange, Stock, Stab, Latte
I lived in an infernal mess of rust, filings, nuts, bolts, spanners, hammers, ratchet-drills"things I abominate, because I don't get on with them. I tended the little forge we fortunately had aboard; I toiled wearily in a wretched scrap-heap"unless I had the shakes too bad to stand.
rust - rosten, verrosten, einrosten; Rost (Eisen)
filings - Einreichungen; Span
nuts - Nüsse; Schraubenmutter, Nuß
bolts - Riegel, Ballen, Blitz, Bolzen; durchgehen (Pferd), sausen
spanners - Schraubenschlüssel, Schlüssel, Knüppel (zwischen den Beinen)
hammers - Hammer, Schlagstück
ratchet - Knarre, Schaltrad, Ratsche
drills - einexerzieren, abrichten, drillen; Bohrer, Bohrmaschine
abominate - verabscheuen
tended - gepflegt; abzielen
forge - schmieden; sich Bahn brechen, formen, erfinden
fortunately - mit Glück, glücklich, zum Glück; Gott sei Dank
wearily - müde
scrap - ausrangieren; Abfallholz, Teil, Schrott
shakes - schüttelt; schütteln, erschüttern, schütteln, erschüttern
"One evening coming in with a candle I was startled to hear him say a little tremulously, I am lying here in the dark waiting for death.'The light was within a foot of his eyes. I forced myself to murmur, Oh, nonsense!'and stood over him as if transfixed.
tremulously - bebend
nonsense - Blödsinn, Nonsens
transfixed - verblüfft; durchstechen, durchbohren
"Anything approaching the change that came over his features I have never seen before, and hope never to see again. Oh, I wasn't touched. I was fascinated. It was as though a veil had been rent.
rent - Mietpreis, Wohnungsmiete, Hausmiete; anmieten; (rend); zerreißen
I saw on that ivory face the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror"of an intense and hopeless despair. Did he live his life again in every detail of desire, temptation, and surrender during that supreme moment of complete knowledge? He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision"he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath:
pride - Hochmut; Stolz, Trotz, Dünkel, Machtbewusstsein, Rudel
ruthless - rücksichtslos; unbarmherzig, ruchlos
Craven - feige; Feigling, feiger Hund
"The horror! The horror!'
"I blew the candle out and left the cabin. The pilgrims were dining in the mess-room, and I took my place opposite the manager, who lifted his eyes to give me a questioning glance, which I successfully ignored. He leaned back, serene, with that peculiar smile of his sealing the unexpressed depths of his meanness.
dining - Essen; Lärm, Getöse; dröhnen
successfully - erfolgreich
leaned - gelehnt; knapp, schlank, hager, mager
unexpressed - unausgesprochen
meanness - Gemeinheit, Fiesheit, gemeines Benehmen
A continuous shower of small flies streamed upon the lamp, upon the cloth, upon our hands and faces. Suddenly the manager's boy put his insolent black head in the doorway, and said in a tone of scathing contempt:
insolent - unverschämt; beleidigend, verletzend, anmaßend, überheblich
contempt - Verachtung; Schande, Blamage, Mißachtung, Beamtenbeleidigung
"Mistah Kurtz"he dead.'
"All the pilgrims rushed out to see. I remained, and went on with my dinner. I believe I was considered brutally callous. However, I did not eat much.
brutally - brutal
callous - gefühllos, verhärtet, abgestumpft, herzlos, schwielig
There was a lamp in there"light, don't you know"and outside it was so beastly, beastly dark. I went no more near the remarkable man who had pronounced a judgment upon the adventures of his soul on this earth. The voice was gone. What else had been there? But I am of course aware that next day the pilgrims buried something in a muddy hole.
adventures - Abenteuern; Abenteuer
Muddy - trübe, schlammig
"And then they very nearly buried me.
"However, as you see, I did not go to join Kurtz there and then. I did not. I remained to dream the nightmare out to the end, and to show my loyalty to Kurtz once more. Destiny. My destiny! Droll thing life is"that mysterious arrangement of merciless logic for a futile purpose. The most you can hope from it is some knowledge of yourself"that comes too late"a crop of unextinguishable regrets. I have wrestled with death. It is the most unexciting contest you can imagine. It takes place in an impalpable greyness, with nothing underfoot, with nothing around, without spectators, without clamour, without glory, without the great desire of victory, without the great fear of defeat, in a sickly atmosphere of tepid scepticism, without much belief in your own right, and still less in that of your adversary. If such is the form of ultimate wisdom, then life is a greater riddle than some of us think it to be. I was within a hair's breadth of the last opportunity for pronouncement, and I found with humiliation that probably I would have nothing to say. This is the reason why I affirm that Kurtz was a remarkable man. He had something to say. He said it. Since I had peeped over the edge myself, I understand better the meaning of his stare, that could not see the flame of the candle, but was wide enough to embrace the whole universe, piercing enough to penetrate all the hearts that beat in the darkness.
loyalty - Treue, Loyalität
droll - komisch; drollig
arrangement - Vereinbarung; Anordnung
merciless - unbarmherzig
logic - Logik, logische
crop - Ernte, Haarschnitt, Schnitt
wrestled - gerungen; ringen
unexciting - unaufregend
contest - Auseinandersetzung, Debatte, Wettkampf, Wettbewerb, Wettstreit
greyness - Grauen
underfoot - unter den Füßen
spectators - Zuschauer, Zuschauerin, Schaulustiger
glory - Pracht, Herrlichkeit, Prunk, Gepränge, Ruhm
victory - Sieg
defeat - vernichten, ablehnen, vereiteln, besiegen; Niederlage
sickly - kränklich
tepid - lauwarm
scepticism - Skepsis
adversary - Gegner, Gegnerin, Widersacher, Widersacherin
ultimate - letzter, ultimativ, äußerster
riddle - Rätsel
breadth - Weite; Breite
pronouncement - Verkündigung; Äußerung
humiliation - Demütigung, Erniedrigung
affirm - zustimmen, bejahen, bestätigen, unterstützen
universe - Universum, Weltall
piercing - Piercing; durchdringend, stechend, beißend
penetrate - durchdringen; eindringen, penetrieren
He had summed up"he had judged. The horror!'He was a remarkable man. After all, this was the expression of some sort of belief; it had candour, it had conviction, it had a vibrating note of revolt in its whisper, it had the appalling face of a glimpsed truth"the strange commingling of desire and hate. And it is not my own extremity I remember best"a vision of greyness without form filled with physical pain, and a careless contempt for the evanescence of all things"even of this pain itself. No! It is his extremity that I seem to have lived through. True, he had made that last stride, he had stepped over the edge, while I had been permitted to draw back my hesitating foot. And perhaps in this is the whole difference; perhaps all the wisdom, and all truth, and all sincerity, are just compressed into that inappreciable moment of time in which we step over the threshold of the invisible. Perhaps! I like to think my summing-up would not have been a word of careless contempt. Better his cry"much better. It was an affirmation, a moral victory paid for by innumerable defeats, by abominable terrors, by abominable satisfactions. But it was a victory! That is why I have remained loyal to Kurtz to the last, and even beyond, when a long time after I heard once more, not his own voice, but the echo of his magnificent eloquence thrown to me from a soul as translucently pure as a cliff of crystal.
summed up - (sum up) zusammen fassen, addieren, zusammenfassen
candour - Offenheit, Aufrichtigkeit
glimpsed - flüchtig gesehen; Blick, Aufblitzen
evanescence - Vergänglichkeit; Dahinschwinden, Schwinden
stride - schreiten
compressed - komprimiert; komprimieren; Kompresse, Umschlag [med.]
inappreciable - unschätzbar
summing-up - (summing-up) (sum up) zusammen fassen, addieren, zusammenfassen
affirmation - Bejahung; Bestätigung, Zustimmung, Autosuggestion, Selbsteinrede
defeats - Niederlagen; vernichten, ablehnen, vereiteln
abominable - verabscheuungswürdig, verhasst, abscheulich, riesig, monströs
terrors - Schrecken, Grauen
satisfactions - Befriedigungen; Befriedigung, Zufriedenheit, Satisfaktion
Echo - Echo, Widerhall, Tastaturecho, Bildschirmecho, widerhallen
translucently - lichtdurchlässig
crystal - Kristall; Kristallglas, Kristall (neuter, not masculine)
"No, they did not bury me, though there is a period of time which I remember mistily, with a shuddering wonder, like a passage through some inconceivable world that had no hope in it and no desire. I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other, to devour their infamous cookery, to gulp their unwholesome beer, to dream their insignificant and silly dreams. They trespassed upon my thoughts. They were intruders whose knowledge of life was to me an irritating pretence, because I felt so sure they could not possibly know the things I knew. Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of commonplace individuals going about their business in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of a danger it is unable to comprehend. I had no particular desire to enlighten them, but I had some difficulty in restraining myself from laughing in their faces so full of stupid importance. I daresay I was not very well at that time. I tottered about the streets"there were various affairs to settle"grinning bitterly at perfectly respectable persons. I admit my behaviour was inexcusable, but then my temperature was seldom normal in these days. My dear aunt's endeavours to nurse up my strength'seemed altogether beside the mark. It was not my strength that wanted nursing, it was my imagination that wanted soothing. I kept the bundle of papers given me by Kurtz, not knowing exactly what to do with it. His mother had died lately, watched over, as I was told, by his Intended. A clean-shaved man, with an official manner and wearing gold-rimmed spectacles, called on me one day and made inquiries, at first circuitous, afterwards suavely pressing, about what he was pleased to denominate certain documents.'I was not surprised, because I had had two rows with the manager on the subject out there. I had refused to give up the smallest scrap out of that package, and I took the same attitude with the spectacled man. He became darkly menacing at last, and with much heat argued that the Company had the right to every bit of information about its territories.'And said he, Mr. Kurtz's knowledge of unexplored regions must have been necessarily extensive and peculiar"owing to his great abilities and to the deplorable circumstances in which he had been placed: therefore"'I assured him Mr. Kurtz's knowledge, however extensive, did not bear upon the problems of commerce or administration.
mistily - nebelhaft; neblig
shuddering - Schütteln; schaudernd; (shudder); Schauder; (wohliger) Schauder; schaudern; zittern
resenting - nachtragend; zurückgesandt; verübeln, übelnehmen
hurrying - Beeilung; beeilend, eilend; (hurry); Eile; beeilen
filch - filzen; klauen
devour - verschlingen, fressen, herunterschlingen, zerstören
infamous - berüchtigt
cookery - kochen; Kochkunst
gulp - Schluck; schlucken; schlingen, verschlingen
insignificant - unbedeutend
trespassed - unbefugt betreten; widerrechtlich betreten; Ăśbertretung
irritating - irritierend; reizen, irritieren, ärgern
assurance - Sicherheit; Zusicherung, Versicherung, Zusage, Beteuerung
safety - Sicherheit, Gefahrlosigkeit, Griffsicherung, Safety
offensive - beleidigend; offensiv; Offensive, Angriff
flauntings - Zurschaustellungen
unable - unfähig, untauglich
enlighten - aufklären
daresay - wagen Sie es; Ich möchte sagen.., Ich könnte mir denken..
tottered - getorkelt; schwanken, taumeln, torkeln, Schwanken
affairs - Angelegenheiten; Angelegenheit, Angelegenheit, Scharmützel
grinning - (to grin) grinsen, strahlen
respectable - respektabel; angesehen, geachtet
behaviour - Verhalten, Benehmen, Betragen; Fahrverhalten
inexcusable - unentschuldbar
seldom - selten
endeavours - Bestrebungen; sich nach Kräften bemühen; Bestrebung
mark - Markus
gold-rimmed spectacles - Goldrandbrille
inquiries - Erkundigungen; Anfrage, Erkundigung, Abfrage, Untersuchung
circuitous - umständlich
suavely - sanfte, freundlich
denominate - benennen, bezeichnen
documents - Dokumente; Unterlagen, Dokument
refused - abgelehnt; Müll; abweisen, verweigern, abschlagen, ablehnen
package - Paket; packen, einpacken
spectacled - bebrillt
argued - argumentiert; diskutieren, erörtern, streiten, argumentieren
territories - Territorien; Territorium
unexplored - unerforscht
regions - Regionen; Gegend, Region, Raum, Gebiet
extensive - umfangreich
owing to - aufgrund, dank, durch, infolge
circumstances - Umstände; Umstand, Umstand
commerce - Handel, Kommerz
He invoked then the name of science. It would be an incalculable loss if,'etc., etc. I offered him the report on the Suppression of Savage Customs,'with the postscriptum torn off. He took it up eagerly, but ended by sniffing at it with an air of contempt. This is not what we had a right to expect,'he remarked. Expect nothing else,'I said. There are only private letters.'He withdrew upon some threat of legal proceedings, and I saw him no more; but another fellow, calling himself Kurtz's cousin, appeared two days later, and was anxious to hear all the details about his dear relative's last moments. Incidentally he gave me to understand that Kurtz had been essentially a great musician. There was the making of an immense success,'said the man, who was an organist, I believe, with lank grey hair flowing over a greasy coat-collar. I had no reason to doubt his statement; and to this day I am unable to say what was Kurtz's profession, whether he ever had any"which was the greatest of his talents. I had taken him for a painter who wrote for the papers, or else for a journalist who could paint"but even the cousin (who took snuff during the interview) could not tell me what he had been"exactly. He was a universal genius"on that point I agreed with the old chap, who thereupon blew his nose noisily into a large cotton handkerchief and withdrew in senile agitation, bearing off some family letters and memoranda without importance. Ultimately a journalist anxious to know something of the fate of his dear colleague'turned up. This visitor informed me Kurtz's proper sphere ought to have been politics on the popular side.'He had furry straight eyebrows, bristly hair cropped short, an eyeglass on a broad ribbon, and, becoming expansive, confessed his opinion that Kurtz really couldn't write a bit"but heavens! how that man could talk. He electrified large meetings. He had faith"don't you see?"he had the faith. He could get himself to believe anything"anything. He would have been a splendid leader of an extreme party.'What party?'I asked. Any party,'answered the other. He was an"an"extremist.'Did I not think so? I assented. Did I know, he asked, with a sudden flash of curiosity, what it was that had induced him to go out there?'Yes,'said I, and forthwith handed him the famous Report for publication, if he thought fit. He glanced through it hurriedly, mumbling all the time, judged it would do,'and took himself off with this plunder.
invoked - angerufen; anrufen, sich berühmen, aufrufen
incalculable - unberechenbar
torn off - abgerissen
sniffing - schnüffelnd, abschnüffeln, schnobend; (sniff); schnüffeln
private - privat; privat
threat - drohen; Bedrohung, Drohung
legal - juristisch, rechtlich, legal
incidentally - zufällig
musician - Musiker, q
organist - Organist, Organistin, Orgelspieler, Orgelspielerin
flowing - fließend; Wasserführung; ich flösse, ich/er/sie floss (floß
talents - Talente; Talent
painter - Lackierer, Kunstmaler, Maler
journalist - Journalist, Journalistin, Reporter
took snuff - schnupfte
noisily - geräuschvoll
handkerchief - Taschentuch
senile - senil
memoranda - Memoranden; Vermerke
colleague - Kollege, Kollegin, Mitarbeiter, Mitarbeiterin
sphere - Kugel; Sphäre, Bereich
politics - Politik; diplomatisch
furry - pelzig, Pelz-, Furry
eyebrows - Augenbrauen; Braue, Augenbraue
bristly - borstig; struppig
cropped - abgeschnitten; Ernte, Haarschnitt, Schnitt
eyeglass - Brillenglas; Augenglas
ribbon - Band; Farbband
expansive - expansiv
confessed - gestanden; gestehen, bekennen, verraten, beichten
electrified - elektrifiziert; elektrifizieren, elektrifizieren
meetings - Versammlung, Treffen, Sitzung
extremist - Extremist, Extremistin, extremistisch
assented - zugestimmt; zustimmen, behaupten
induced - veranlasst; dazu bringen, anstacheln, bewirken, verursachen
publication - Veröffentlichung, Publikation
plunder - ausplündern, ausbeuten, Plünderung, Beute, Raubgut
"Thus I was left at last with a slim packet of letters and the girl's portrait. She struck me as beautiful"I mean she had a beautiful expression. I know that the sunlight can be made to lie, too, yet one felt that no manipulation of light and pose could have conveyed the delicate shade of truthfulness upon those features. She seemed ready to listen without mental reservation, without suspicion, without a thought for herself. I concluded I would go and give her back her portrait and those letters myself. Curiosity? Yes; and also some other feeling perhaps. All that had been Kurtz's had passed out of my hands: his soul, his body, his station, his plans, his ivory, his career.
portrait - Portrait, Porträt, Hochformat
manipulation - Manipulation; Manipulierung, Manipulieren
conveyed - übermittelt; befördern, transportieren, verfrachten, befördern
truthfulness - Wahrhaftigkeit
reservation - Reservierung; Vorbehalt; Bedenken, Reservat, Vorbestellung
concluded - abgeschlossen; beenden, schließen, zu Ende führen, abschließen
There remained only his memory and his Intended"and I wanted to give that up, too, to the past, in a way"to surrender personally all that remained of him with me to that oblivion which is the last word of our common fate. I don't defend myself. I had no clear perception of what it was I really wanted. Perhaps it was an impulse of unconscious loyalty, or the fulfilment of one of those ironic necessities that lurk in the facts of human existence. I don't know. I can't tell. But I went.
personally - persönlich, personaliter
oblivion - Vergessen; Vergessenheit
defend - verteidigen
perception - Wahrnehmung
impulse - Anstoß; Impuls, Triebkraft, Drang, innerer Antrieb, Kraftstoß
fulfilment - Erfüllung
ironic - ironisch
necessities - Notwendigkeiten; Notwendigkeit, Nezessität, Not, Bedürfnis
lurk - lauern
"I thought his memory was like the other memories of the dead that accumulate in every man's life"a vague impress on the brain of shadows that had fallen on it in their swift and final passage; but before the high and ponderous door, between the tall houses of a street as still and decorous as a well-kept alley in a cemetery, I had a vision of him on the stretcher, opening his mouth voraciously, as if to devour all the earth with all its mankind. He lived then before me; he lived as much as he had ever lived"a shadow insatiable of splendid appearances, of frightful realities; a shadow darker than the shadow of the night, and draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence. The vision seemed to enter the house with me"the stretcher, the phantom-bearers, the wild crowd of obedient worshippers, the gloom of the forests, the glitter of the reach between the murky bends, the beat of the drum, regular and muffled like the beating of a heart"the heart of a conquering darkness. It was a moment of triumph for the wilderness, an invading and vengeful rush which, it seemed to me, I would have to keep back alone for the salvation of another soul.
accumulate - ansammeln; aufstauen; sich vermehren
impress - beeindrucken; prägen
decorous - anständig
alley - Allee, Bahn, Weg, Gasse, Pfad
cemetery - Friedhof, Gottesacker, Totenacker
voraciously - gefräßig
insatiable - unersättlich
nobly - großmütig, edel
obedient - gehorsam, folgsam
worshippers - Verehrer; Anbeter, Anbeterin
conquering - Eroberung; erobern
triumph - Sieg, Erfolg
Salvation - Erlösung, Rettung
And the memory of what I had heard him say afar there, with the horned shapes stirring at my back, in the glow of fires, within the patient woods, those broken phrases came back to me, were heard again in their ominous and terrifying simplicity. I remembered his abject pleading, his abject threats, the colossal scale of his vile desires, the meanness, the torment, the tempestuous anguish of his soul. And later on I seemed to see his collected languid manner, when he said one day, This lot of ivory now is really mine. The Company did not pay for it. I collected it myself at a very great personal risk. I am afraid they will try to claim it as theirs though. H'm. It is a difficult case. What do you think I ought to do"resist? Eh? I want no more than justice.'... He wanted no more than justice"no more than justice. I rang the bell before a mahogany door on the first floor, and while I waited he seemed to stare at me out of the glassy panel"stare with that wide and immense stare embracing, condemning, loathing all the universe. I seemed to hear the whispered cry, "The horror! The horror!"
stirring - rührend; ergreifend, bewegend
pleading - flehend; flehentlich, Verteidigungsschrift
threats - Bedrohungen; drohen; Bedrohung, Drohung
desires - Sehnsüchte; begehren, begehren, Begehren
tempestuous - stürmisch
resist - widerstreben; widerstehen; widerstreiten; zuwider sein; Deckmittel
bell - Klingel, Schelle, Glocke
mahogany - Mahagoni; Mahagonibaum
first floor - Parterre ;Obergeschoss ;Erdgeschoss
glassy - glasig, gläsern, glasartig
embracing - umarmen, annehmen, umarmen, Umarmung
condemning - Verurteilung; verurteilen, verurteilen, verdammen, verurteilen
loathing - Hass, Ekel, Abscheu; (loathe); verabscheuen, ablehnen, hassen
"The dusk was falling. I had to wait in a lofty drawing-room with three long windows from floor to ceiling that were like three luminous and bedraped columns. The bent gilt legs and backs of the furniture shone in indistinct curves.
ceiling - Zimmerdecke; Zimmerdecke; (ceil) Zimmerdecke; Zimmerdecke
columns - Spalten; Säule, Spalte, Spalte, Druckspalte, Kolumne, Kolonne
gilt - vergoldet, vergoldete, vergolden; (gild) vergoldet, vergoldete
furniture - Möbel
curves - Kurve, Kurve, Linie, Kurven, biegen, verbiegen
The tall marble fireplace had a cold and monumental whiteness. A grand piano stood massively in a corner; with dark gleams on the flat surfaces like a sombre and polished sarcophagus. A high door opened"closed. I rose.
marble - Marmor; Murmel; marmorieren
fireplace - Kamin, Feuerstelle, Herd
grand piano - Flügel
massively - massiv
surfaces - Oberflächen; Oberfläche, Fläche, auftauchen, publik werden
sarcophagus - Sarkophag
"She came forward, all in black, with a pale head, floating towards me in the dusk. She was in mourning. It was more than a year since his death, more than a year since the news came; she seemed as though she would remember and mourn forever. She took both my hands in hers and murmured, I had heard you were coming.'I noticed she was not very young"I mean not girlish. She had a mature capacity for fidelity, for belief, for suffering. The room seemed to have grown darker, as if all the sad light of the cloudy evening had taken refuge on her forehead. This fair hair, this pale visage, this pure brow, seemed surrounded by an ashy halo from which the dark eyes looked out at me. Their glance was guileless, profound, confident, and trustful. She carried her sorrowful head as though she were proud of that sorrow, as though she would say, I"I alone know how to mourn for him as he deserves.'But while we were still shaking hands, such a look of awful desolation came upon her face that I perceived she was one of those creatures that are not the playthings of Time.
floating - schwebend; schwimmend, fließend, gleiten
mourning - trauern; Trauer; Trauerkleidung
forever - für immer, ewig, unaufhörlich, auf immer
girlish - mädchenhaft;Mädchen...
mature - ausgereift, mündig, erwachsen, reif
fidelity - Redlichkeit; Genauigkeit; Treue; Wiedergabetreue, Klangtreue
suffering - leidend; Leiden; (suffer); leiden; erleiden
cloudy - bewölkt, wolkig, trüb
refuge - Zuflucht; Herberge
visage - Gesicht
brow - Stirn; Braue, Augenbraue
ashy - aschig; aschfahl
halo - Halo; Heiligenschein; Nimbus
guileless - arglos
confident - selbstbewusst; zuversichtlich, sicher
trustful - vertrauensvoll
deserves - verdient; verdienen
playthings - Spielzeuge; Spielzeug
For her he had died only yesterday. And, by Jove! the impression was so powerful that for me, too, he seemed to have died only yesterday"nay, this very minute. I saw her and him in the same instant of time"his death and her sorrow"I saw her sorrow in the very moment of his death. Do you understand? I saw them together"I heard them together. She had said, with a deep catch of the breath, I have survived'while my strained ears seemed to hear distinctly, mingled with her tone of despairing regret, the summing up whisper of his eternal condemnation. I asked myself what I was doing there, with a sensation of panic in my heart as though I had blundered into a place of cruel and absurd mysteries not fit for a human being to behold. She motioned me to a chair. We sat down. I laid the packet gently on the little table, and she put her hand over it.... You knew him well,'she murmured, after a moment of mourning silence.
only yesterday - erst gestern
Nay - Nein; oder sogar
strained - angespannt; Spannung, starke Inanspruchnahme, Zug; anstrengen
distinctly - deutlich
despairing - verzweifelt; verzweifeln, Verzweiflung
summing - summierend, resümierend; (sum) summierend, resümierend
condemnation - Verurteilung; Verdammung; Verdammnis
motioned - einen Antrag gestellt; Bewegung
"Intimacy grows quickly out there,'I said. I knew him as well as it is possible for one man to know another.'
"And you admired him,'she said. It was impossible to know him and not to admire him. Was it?'
admired - bewundert; bewundern, verehren, hochschätzen
"He was a remarkable man,'I said, unsteadily. Then before the appealing fixity of her gaze, that seemed to watch for more words on my lips, I went on, It was impossible not to"'
unsteadily - wackelig
fixity - Festigkeit; Beständigkeit
"Love him,'she finished eagerly, silencing me into an appalled dumbness. How true! how true! But when you think that no one knew him so well as I! I had all his noble confidence. I knew him best.'
silencing - Stille, Schweigen
dumbness - Stummheit, Mutitas
"You knew him best,'I repeated. And perhaps she did. But with every word spoken the room was growing darker, and only her forehead, smooth and white, remained illumined by the inextinguishable light of belief and love.
illumined - erhellt; beleuchten
inextinguishable - unauslöschlich
"You were his friend,'she went on. His friend,'she repeated, a little louder. You must have been, if he had given you this, and sent you to me. I feel I can speak to you"and oh! I must speak. I want you"you who have heard his last words"to know I have been worthy of him.
louder - lauter; laut
.. It is not pride.... Yes! I am proud to know I understood him better than any one on earth"he told me so himself. And since his mother died I have had no one"no one"to"to"'
"I listened. The darkness deepened. I was not even sure whether he had given me the right bundle. I rather suspect he wanted me to take care of another batch of his papers which, after his death, I saw the manager examining under the lamp. And the girl talked, easing her pain in the certitude of my sympathy; she talked as thirsty men drink.
deepened - vertieft; aushölen, vertiefen, zunehmen, vergrößern, vergrößern
easing - Erleichterung; EAS
certitude - Gewissheit, Sicherheit
I had heard that her engagement with Kurtz had been disapproved by her people. He wasn't rich enough or something. And indeed I don't know whether he had not been a pauper all his life. He had given me some reason to infer that it was his impatience of comparative poverty that drove him out there.
engagement - Verpflichtung; Bindung; Verlobung, Verlöbnis, Gefecht
disapproved - missbilligt; missbilligen
pauper - verarmt; Bettelknabe, Armer, Unterstützungsempfänger
infer - schlussfolgern, schließen, Schlüsse ziehen, zur Folge haben
Impatience - Ungeduld
comparative - vergleichend; komparativ; verhältnismäßig, relativ, Höherstufe
poverty - Armut
"... Who was not his friend who had heard him speak once?'she was saying. He drew men towards him by what was best in them.'She looked at me with intensity. It is the gift of the great,'she went on, and the sound of her low voice seemed to have the accompaniment of all the other sounds, full of mystery, desolation, and sorrow, I had ever heard"the ripple of the river, the soughing of the trees swayed by the wind, the murmurs of the crowds, the faint ring of incomprehensible words cried from afar, the whisper of a voice speaking from beyond the threshold of an eternal darkness.
accompaniment - Begleitung
soughing - Husten; rauschen
crowds - Menschenmassen; Menschenmenge, Masse
ring - Ring, Kreis
But you have heard him! You know!'she cried.
"Yes, I know,'I said with something like despair in my heart, but bowing my head before the faith that was in her, before that great and saving illusion that shone with an unearthly glow in the darkness, in the triumphant darkness from which I could not have defended her"from which I could not even defend myself.
saving - Sparen; Ersparnisse; (save); retten; erretten; sichern
illusion - Illusion, Wahnvorstellung, Sinnestäuschung
defended - verteidigt; verteidigen
"What a loss to me"to us!'"she corrected herself with beautiful generosity; then added in a murmur, To the world.'By the last gleams of twilight I could see the glitter of her eyes, full of tears"of tears that would not fall.
generosity - Großzügigkeit, Generosität, Großmut, Freizügigkeit, Edelmut
twilight - Dämmerung, Zwielicht, Halbdunkel
Tears - Tränen; zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
"I have been very happy"very fortunate"very proud,'she went on. Too fortunate. Too happy for a little while. And now I am unhappy for"for life.'
fortunate - glücklich; günstig, verheißungsvoll
"She stood up; her fair hair seemed to catch all the remaining light in a glimmer of gold. I rose, too.
glimmer - Schimmern; Schimmer; glimmern
gold - Gold
"And of all this,'she went on mournfully, of all his promise, and of all his greatness, of his generous mind, of his noble heart, nothing remains"nothing but a memory. You and I"'
mournfully - trauernd; traurig, klagend, trübsinnig
promise - Versprechen
generous - großzügig, generös
"We shall always remember him,'I said hastily.
"No!'she cried. It is impossible that all this should be lost"that such a life should be sacrificed to leave nothing"but sorrow. You know what vast plans he had. I knew of them, too"I could not perhaps understand"but others knew of them. Something must remain. His words, at least, have not died.'
sacrificed - geopfert; opfern, opfern, Opfer
"His words will remain,'I said.
"And his example,'she whispered to herself. Men looked up to him"his goodness shone in every act. His example"'
"True,'I said; his example, too. Yes, his example. I forgot that.'
"But I do not. I cannot"I cannot believe"not yet. I cannot believe that I shall never see him again, that nobody will see him again, never, never, never.'
"She put out her arms as if after a retreating figure, stretching them back and with clasped pale hands across the fading and narrow sheen of the window. Never see him! I saw him clearly enough then. I shall see this eloquent phantom as long as I live, and I shall see her, too, a tragic and familiar Shade, resembling in this gesture another one, tragic also, and bedecked with powerless charms, stretching bare brown arms over the glitter of the infernal stream, the stream of darkness.
retreating - den Rückzug antreten; Rückzug
fading - (fade away) schwinden, verblassen, zerinnen
sheen - glänzen; Glanz
bedecked - geschmückt; schmücken, verzieren
She said suddenly very low, He died as he lived.'
"His end,'said I, with dull anger stirring in me, was in every way worthy of his life.'
anger - Ärger, Zorn, Wut, Groll
"And I was not with him,'she murmured. My anger subsided before a feeling of infinite pity.
subsided - nachgelassen; einsinken, abklingen, nachlassen, abschwellen
"Everything that could be done"'I mumbled.
"Ah, but I believed in him more than any one on earth"more than his own mother, more than"himself. He needed me! Me! I would have treasured every sigh, every word, every sign, every glance.'
treasured - wertgeschätzt; Schatz, Schatz, Schatz, schätzen
"I felt like a chill grip on my chest. Don't,'I said, in a muffled voice.
chest - Kiste, Brustkasten, Brust, Koffer
"Forgive me. I"I have mourned so long in silence"in silence.... You were with him"to the last? I think of his loneliness. Nobody near to understand him as I would have understood. Perhaps no one to hear....'
forgive - vergeben, verzeihen, entschuldigen
mourned - betrauert; trauern
"To the very end,'I said, shakily. I heard his very last words....'I stopped in a fright.
shakily - wackelig; wacklig, schwankend
"Repeat them,'she murmured in a heart-broken tone. I want"I want"something"something"to"to live with.'
"I was on the point of crying at her, Don't you hear them?'The dusk was repeating them in a persistent whisper all around us, in a whisper that seemed to swell menacingly like the first whisper of a rising wind. The horror! The horror!'
crying - Weinen; (cry); weinen; schreien; rufen; Weinen; Schrei
persistent - ausdauernd, hartnäckig, beharrlich, ständig, anhaltend
menacingly - bedrohlich
rising - steigend, aufgehend; (rise); steigend, aufgehend
"His last word"to live with,'she insisted. Don't you understand I loved him"I loved him"I loved him!'
insisted - darauf bestanden; auf , bestehen
"I pulled myself together and spoke slowly.
pulled myself together - (pull oneself together) aufraffen
"The last word he pronounced was"your name.'
"I heard a light sigh and then my heart stood still, stopped dead short by an exulting and terrible cry, by the cry of inconceivable triumph and of unspeakable pain. I knew it"I was sure!'... She knew. She was sure. I heard her weeping; she had hidden her face in her hands. It seemed to me that the house would collapse before I could escape, that the heavens would fall upon my head.
exulting - jubelnd; jubeln, jauchzen
weeping - weinen; .; (weep) weinen
But nothing happened. The heavens do not fall for such a trifle. Would they have fallen, I wonder, if I had rendered Kurtz that justice which was his due? Hadn't he said he wanted only justice? But I couldn't. I could not tell her. It would have been too dark"too dark altogether...."
rendered - erbracht; leisten, wiedergeben
Marlow ceased, and sat apart, indistinct and silent, in the pose of a meditating Buddha. Nobody moved for a time. "We have lost the first of the ebb," said the Director suddenly. I raised my head. The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky"seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.
meditating - meditieren