earth - Erde, Land, Grund
Chapter - Kapitel, Abschnitt, Verband, Ortsverband, Sektion
discovery - Entdeckung
Looking back to all that has occurred to me since that eventful day, I am scarcely able to believe in the reality of my adventures. They were truly so wonderful that even now I am bewildered when I think of them.
occurred - aufgetreten; passieren, vorkommen, stattfinden, vorkommen
Since - Seit wann; seitdem, seither, weil, da
eventful - ereignisreich
scarcely - knapp, kaum, wohl nicht, gerade erst
reality - Wirklichkeit, Realität, checkRealität
adventures - Abenteuern; Abenteuer
truly - wirklich, wahrhaft, ehrlich, echt
bewildered - verwirrt; verwirren, durcheinanderbringen
My uncle was a German, having married my mother's sister, an Englishwoman. Being very much attached to his fatherless nephew, he invited me to study under him in his home in the fatherland. This home was in a large town, and my uncle a professor of philosophy, chemistry, geology, mineralogy, and many other ologies.
German - Deutscher, Deutsche, Germane, Germanin, Achtelcicero, Deutsch
Englishwoman - Engländerin
attached - befestigt; anbringen
fatherless - vaterlos
nephew - Neffe
invited - eingeladen; auffordern, einladen
fatherland - Vaterland
professor - Professor, Professorin, Professorsgattin, Bekenner, Bekennerin
Philosophy - Philosophie
chemistry - Chemie
geology - Geologie
mineralogy - Mineralogie
One day, after passing some hours in the laboratory-my uncle being absent at the time-I suddenly felt the necessity of renovating the tissues-i.e., I was hungry, and was about to rouse up our old French cook, when my uncle, Professor Von Hardwigg, suddenly opened the street door, and came rushing upstairs.
passing - vorübergehend, verrinnend ''(poetic)'', hervorragend
laboratory - Labor, Laboratorium, Laborgebäude
being absent - fehlend
suddenly - plötzlich, urplötzlich
necessity - Notwendigkeit, Nezessität, Not, Bedürfnis
renovating - renovieren, erneuern, restaurieren
tissues - Taschentücher; Gewebe
rouse - aufrütteln; wachrufen, wecken
French - Französisch
rushing - hetzend, sausend; (rush) hetzend, sausend
Now Professor Hardwigg, my worthy uncle, is by no means a bad sort of man; he is, however, choleric and original. To bear with him means to obey; and scarcely had his heavy feet resounded within our joint domicile than he shouted for me to attend upon him.
worthy - würdig
sort - Sortierung, Gattung, Art, Sorte; sortieren, ordnen
choleric - Choleriker
original - ursprünglich, ur-, original, originell, Original, ext
bear - Bär; (to bear) ertragen, aushalten
obey - gehorchen; befolgen
heavy - heftig, schwer, stark (Regen)
resounded - ertönte; widerhallen
within - in, innerhalb
joint - Gelenk; gemeinschaftlich, gemeinsam, gemeinsame, gemeinsamer
domicile - Domizil
shouted - geschrien; Schrei, Zuruf; rufen, schreien, laut schreien
attend - teilnehmen; (to attend) mit etwas verbunden sein
upon - auf; mit
"Harry-Harry-Harry-"
Harry - Harry
I hastened to obey, but before I could reach his room, jumping three steps at a time, he was stamping his right foot upon the landing.
hastened to - zugeeilt
reach - erreichen; erzielen, greifen (nach)
jumping - (to jump) springen, hüpfen
steps - Schritte; treten, treten (du trittst
stamping - Stempeln; stampfen; (stamp); Stempel; stempeln; freimachen
"Harry!" he cried, in a frantic tone, "are you coming up?"
cried - geweint hat; weinen, schreien, schreien, rufen, Weinen
frantic - verzweifelt; außer sich, rasend
tone - Farbton, Klang, Umgangston, Ton
Now to tell the truth, at that moment I was far more interested in the question as to what was to constitute our dinner than in any problem of science; to me soup was more interesting than soda, an omelette more tempting than arithmetic, and an artichoke of ten times more value than any amount of asbestos.
truth - Wahrheit, Treue
constitute - gründen, begründen, bilden, einrichten
soda - Soda; Sprudel, saurer Sprudel, Sprudelwasser, Limonade
omelette - Omelett
more tempting - verleitendere
Arithmetic - Arithmetik, Rechenkunst, Rechenkunde, arithmetisch
artichoke - Artischocke
value - Wert, Wichtigkeit, Notenwert, Tonwert, Werte, schätzen
amount - Anzahl, Menge, Betrag, beträgt
asbestos - Asbest
But my uncle was not a man to be kept waiting; so adjourning therefore all minor questions, I presented myself before him.
adjourning - vertagt; unterbrechen, aufschieben, schließen, aufheben, begeben
therefore - deswegen, deshalb, darum, also (folglich), daher
minor - minderjährig; gering, geringfügig, klein, unbedeutend
myself - mich selbst; mich
He was a very learned man. Now most persons in this category supply themselves with information, as peddlers do with goods, for the benefit of others, and lay up stores in order to diffuse them abroad for the benefit of society in general.
category - Kategorie
supply - Stellvertretung, Versorgung, Vorrat; liefern
themselves - selbst; sich; sich selber
peddlers - Hausierer, Schwätzer, Fabulant
benefit - Vorteil; Nutzen; Leistung; Benefizkonzert, Benefizveranstaltung
lay - legen; richten (Tisch)
stores - Geschäfte; Lager
diffuse - verbreiten, diffundieren, sich vermischen; diffus (Licht)
abroad - Ausland
Society - Gesellschaft
general - allgemein, generell, General
Not so my excellent uncle, Professor Hardwigg; he studied, he consumed the midnight oil, he pored over heavy tomes, and digested huge quartos and folios in order to keep the knowledge acquired to himself.
excellent - ausgezeichnet, hervorragend, großartig
consumed - verbraucht; verbrauchen, verzehren, verzehren, aufnehmen
oil - ölen; Ă–l
pored - gebohrt; Pore
tomes - Bände; Band, Wälzer, Schinken
digested - verdaut; digerieren, verdauen; Ăśbersicht
huge - riesig
quartos - Quartformat
folios - Seitenzahl
knowledge - Wissen, Kenntnis
acquired - erworben; erwerben, erwerben, akquirieren
There was a reason, and it may be regarded as a good one, why my uncle objected to display his learning more than was absolutely necessary: he stammered; and when intent upon explaining the phenomena of the heavens, was apt to find himself at fault, and allude in such a vague way to sun, moon, and stars that few were able to comprehend his meaning.
regarded - betrachtet; schätzen, betrachten, berücksichtigen
objected to - beanstandete
display - Anzeige; Vorführung, Vorstellung, Display, Monitor, Bildschirm
absolutely - absolut, durchaus, total, unbedingt
necessary - nötig, notwendig, erforderlich, zwangsläufig, geboten
stammered - gestottert; stammeln, stottern, Stottern
intent - Absicht
phenomena - Phänomene
heavens - Himmel, Firmament
apt - passend; Hochgeschwindigkeitszug; geeignet, begabt
fault - Fehler; Schuld; Fehler, Charakterschwäche, Verfehlung
allude - anspielen; andeuten, erwähnen
such - solch, derartig, so ein
vague - vage; nebelhaft, schwach, unklar, undeutlich
moon - Mond, Erdtrabant, Erdsatellit
comprehend - umfassen; verstehen, begreifen, erfassen, einsehen
To tell the honest truth, when the right word would not come, it was generally replaced by a very powerful adjective.
honest - ehrlich, aufrichtig; (hon); ehrlich, aufrichtig
generally - im Allgemeinen
replaced - ersetzt; zurückstellen, ersetzen
powerful - mächtig
adjective - Adjektiv, Eigenschaftswort, Beiwort, Wiewort
In connection with the sciences there are many almost unpronounceable names-names very much resembling those of Welsh villages; and my uncle being very fond of using them, his habit of stammering was not thereby improved. In fact, there were periods in his discourse when he would finally give up and swallow his discomfiture-in a glass of water.
connection - Verbindung, Verknüpfung, Anschluss
almost - fast, beinahe, so gut wie
unpronounceable - unaussprechlich
resembling - ähneln, gleichen
those - die; jene
Welsh - walisisch, walisisch, Walisisch
fond - (to be fond of sb/sth) jemanden/etwas gerne mögen
habit - Gepflogenheit, Angewohnheit
stammering - Stottern; Gestotter; (stammer); stammeln, stottern, Stottern
thereby - dabei; dadurch, damit, deswegen, darum
discourse - Diskurs, Abhandlung, Gespräch, reden, Rede halten
finally - schließlich; endlich; definitiv, checkletztendlich
swallow - schlucken, verschlingen, anbeißen, einstecken
discomfiture - Unbehagen; Niederlage
As I said, my uncle, Professor Hardwigg, was a very learned man; and I now add a most kind relative. I was bound to him by the double ties of affection and interest. I took deep interest in all his doings, and hoped some day to be almost as learned myself. It was a rare thing for me to be absent from his lectures.
relative - vergleichsweise, relativ, Verwandter, Blutsverwandter, Verwandte
bound - gebunden; Sprung; (bind); binden; verbinden, konnektieren
double - doppelt; doppel-; doppellagig, zweilagig, gefüllt, kontra-
ties - Krawatten; zusammenbinden
affection - Zuneigung; Rührung
deep - tief, tiefgründig, dunkel, Tiefe
doings - tun, tuend
some day - eines Tages, einst, irgendwann, dereinst
rare - selten; rar, blutig (Steak)
be absent - fehlen
lectures - Vorlesungen; Vorlesung
Like him, I preferred mineralogy to all the other sciences. My anxiety was to gain real knowledge of the earth. Geology and mineralogy were to us the sole objects of life, and in connection with these studies many a fair specimen of stone, chalk, or metal did we break with our hammers.
anxiety - Ängste; Besorgnis, Angst, Sorge
gain - Gewinn, Zunahme, Verstärkung; erwerben, gewinnen, erlangen
sole - Seezunge, Sohle, einzig
many a - manch ein, manches, manche
fair - gerecht, fair, heiter, schön, angemessen
specimen - Exemplar, Muster, Spezimen, Probe
stone - Stein; Edelstein, Schmuckstein, Kern, steinigen
chalk - Kreide; Magnesiapulver
metal - Metall; Metal
hammers - Hammer, Schlagstück
Steel rods, loadstones, glass pipes, and bottles of various acids were oftener before us than our meals. My uncle Hardwigg was once known to classify six hundred different geological specimens by their weight, hardness, fusibility, sound, taste, and smell.
steel - verstählen; Stahl
rods - Ruten; Stange, Stock, Stab, Latte, Stange, Stab, Zeltstab
pipes - Rohre; Flöte, Orgelpfeife, Rohr
various - verschiedene
acids - Säuren; sauer, sauer, Säure, Säure
classify - einordnen, einstufen, unterteilen, klassifizieren
specimens - Exemplare; Exemplar
weight - Gewicht; beschweren, gewichten
hardness - Härte
fusibility - Schmelzbarkeit
taste - Geschmack, Schmecken, kosten, probieren
smell - Geruch; Geruchssinn, Riechen, stinken
He corresponded with all the great, learned, and scientific men of the age. I was, therefore, in constant communication with, at all events the letters of, Sir Humphry Davy, Captain Franklin, and other great men.
corresponded - korrespondiert; entsprechen, korrespondieren, korrespondieren
scientific - wissenschaftlich
constant - beständig, konstant, regelmäßig, stetig
communication - Kommunikation, Informationsaustausch, Mitteilung
at all events - jedenfalls, auf alle Fälle, allenfalls
captain - Stabshauptmann, Kapitän zur See, Kapitän, Flugkapitän
But before I state the subject on which my uncle wished to confer with me, I must say a word about his personal appearance. Alas! my readers will see a very different portrait of him at a future time, after he has gone through the fearful adventures yet to be related.
state - Umstände ;Status , Zustand , Stand , Staat ;staatlich;darlegen, festlegen, konstatieren, festsetzen;Bundesland
wished - gewollt; Wunsch, wünschen, wünschen
confer - übertragen, erteilen, verleihen, beraten, konferieren
appearance - Erscheinen, Auftritt, Aussehen
Alas - leider [Gottes]; (ala) leider [Gottes]
portrait - Portrait, Porträt, Hochformat
fearful - furchtbar; furchtsam, ängstlich, verängstigt
related - verwandt; sich beziehen, erzählen, berichten
My uncle was fifty years old; tall, thin, and wiry. Large spectacles hid, to a certain extent, his vast, round, and goggle eyes, while his nose was irreverently compared to a thin file. So much indeed did it resemble that useful article, that a compass was said in his presence to have made considerable N (Nasal) deviation.
wiry - drahtig
spectacles - Brillen; Spektakel
hid - versteckt; (hide) verstecken
Certain - gewiss, sicher, irgendein, bestimmt
extent - Umfang, Ausdehnung, Ausmaß, Größe
vast - riesig; beträchtlich, weit, ausgedehnt, enorm
round - runden; Kontrollgang, Runde, Rundgang, rund
goggle - Brillengläser; glotzen
irreverently - pietätlos
file - Datei; Kartei, File, Aktenmappe, Reihe; ablegen (Briefe usw.)
indeed - tatsächlich; in der Tat, genau, allerdings, checkgewiss
resemble - ähneln, gleichen
compass - Kompass
presence - Anwesenheit
considerable - erheblich, beträchtlich, beachtlich
nasal - nasal; Nasenlaut; Nasallaut, Nasal, Nasalis
deviation - Abweichung, Abweichen, Übertretung, Verfehlung, Sünde
The truth being told, however, the only article really attracted to my uncle's nose was tobacco.
attracted - angezogen; anziehen, anziehen (1, 2)
tobacco - Tabak, Tabakpflanze
Another peculiarity of his was, that he always stepped a yard at a time, clenched his fists as if he were going to hit you, and was, when in one of his peculiar humors, very far from a pleasant companion.
peculiarity - Singularität, Einzigartigkeit, Besonderheit
stepped - getreten; Steppe, Steppe
Yard - (der) Yard
clenched - geballt; ballen
fists - Fäuste; fausten; Faust
hit - getroffen; schlagen
humors - Komik, Humor
pleasant - angenehm
companion - Begleiter, Freund, Liebhaber, Kamerad
It is further necessary to observe that he lived in a very nice house, in that very nice street, the Konigstrasse at Hamburg. Though lying in the centre of a town, it was perfectly rural in its aspect-half wood, half bricks, with old-fashioned gables-one of the few old houses spared by the great fire of 1842.
further - fördern; weiter, ferner, des Weiteren
observe - beobachten; beachten, halten, bemerken
Hamburg - Hamburg
though - aber; trotzdem, doch, allerdings, obwohl, obgleich
lying - Lügen; liegend; (lie) Lügen; liegend
perfectly - perfekt, einwandfrei, vollkommen, durchaus
rural - ländlich, dörflich
aspect - Aspekt, Aktionsart
wood - Holz
bricks - Ziegelsteine; Backstein, Ziegel, Ziegel, externes Netzteil
old-fashioned - (old-fashioned) altmodisch
gables - Giebel, Gabel
spared - verschont; Sparring; Holm (Tragfläche); Holm (Rotorblatt); boxen
When I say a nice house, I mean a handsome house-old, tottering, and not exactly comfortable to English notions: a house a little off the perpendicular and inclined to fall into the neighboring canal; exactly the house for a wandering artist to depict; all the more that you could scarcely see it for ivy and a magnificent old tree which grew over the door.
handsome - gut aussehend; hübsch, stattlich, gutaussehend, ansehnlich
Tottering - Taumelnd; wackelnd, schwankend; (totter); schwanken, taumeln
exactly - genau; ganz genau
comfortable - komfortabel, bequem, behaglich, kommod, gemütlich
notions - Vorstellungen; Ahnung, Ansicht, Auffassung, Begriff, Denkbild
perpendicular - rechtwinklig; lotrecht, senkrecht, perpendikular, perpendikulär
inclined - geneigt; neigen, neigen, neigen, Neigung, Anstieg, Gefälle
neighboring - Nachbarn; Nachbar, Nachbarin
Canal - Kanal, Gang
wandering - wandernd; (wander) irren, wandern
depict - darstellen, beschreiben, abbilden
ivy - Efeu
magnificent - großartig; prächtig; ausgezeichnet
My uncle was rich; his house was his own property, while he had a considerable private income. To my notion the best part of his possessions was his god-daughter, Gretchen. And the old cook, the young lady, the Professor and I were the sole inhabitants.
property - Eigentum, Besitz, Anwesen, Grundbesitz, Grundstück, Eigenschaft
private - privat; privat
income - Einkommen
notion - Ahnung, Ansicht, Auffassung, Begriff
possessions - Besitztümer; Gut
God - Gott
lady - Herrin des Hauses, Hausherrin, Ehefrau des Hausherrn
inhabitants - Einwohner, Einwohnerin, Bewohner, Bewohnerin
I loved mineralogy, I loved geology. To me there was nothing like pebbles-and if my uncle had been in a little less of a fury, we should have been the happiest of families. To prove the excellent Hardwigg's impatience, I solemnly declare that when the flowers in the drawing-room pots began to grow, he rose every morning at four o'clock to make them grow quicker by pulling the leaves!
pebbles - Kieselsteine; Stein, Steinchen
fury - Wut; Furie
Prove - er/sie hat/hatte bewiesen, beweisen, erhärten
Impatience - Ungeduld
solemnly - feierlich, festlich, ernst
declare - bekanntmachen, bekanntgeben, deklarieren, ausrufen, aussagen
pots - Töpfe; Blumentopf
rose - Rosa; (rise); Rosa
pulling - herausziehen; (pull); ziehen
Having described my uncle, I will now give an account of our interview.
account - Rechnung, Bericht, Rechnung, Konto
He received me in his study; a perfect museum, containing every natural curiosity that can well be imagined-minerals, however, predominating. Every one was familiar to me, having been catalogued by my own hand. My uncle, apparently oblivious of the fact that he had summoned me to his presence, was absorbed in a book. He was particularly fond of early editions, tall copies, and unique works.
received - bekommen, erhalten, empfangen, kriegen, empfangen
containing - enthalten
curiosity - Neugier, Neugierde, Kuriosität, Kuriosum
minerals - Mineralien; Mineral
predominating - vorherrschend; vorherrschen
familiar - vertraut; bekannt
catalogued - katalogisiert; Katalog, Liste, Katalog, Liste, Verzeichnis
apparently - offensichtlich, offenbar, scheinbar, anscheinend
oblivious - vergesslich
summoned - vorgeladen; auffordern, vorladen
absorbed in - vertieft in
particularly - besonders
editions - Editionen; Ausgabe, Auflage
copies - Kopien; Kopie, Exemplar
unique - einzigartig, unikal
"Wonderful!" he cried, tapping his forehead. "Wonderful-wonderful!"
tapping - anzapfend, klopfend, steppend; (tap) anzapfend, klopfend
forehead - Stirn
It was one of those yellow-leaved volumes now rarely found on stalls, and to me it appeared to possess but little value. My uncle, however, was in raptures.
leaved - blättert; (leave) Abschied, Urlaub
volumes - Volumen
rarely - selten
stalls - Stände; Strömungsabriss
appeared - erschienen; erscheinen, auftauchen, erscheinen, auftauchen
possess - besitzen
raptures - Ekstase, Taumel, Verzückung, Entzücken
He admired its binding, the clearness of its characters, the ease with which it opened in his hand, and repeated aloud, half a dozen times, that it was very, very old.
admired - bewundert; bewundern, verehren, hochschätzen
binding - verbindlich; Bindung; (bind); binden; verbinden, konnektieren
clearness - Klarheit; Ăśbersichtlichkeit, Deutlichkeit
characters - Figur, Person, Charakter, Charakter, Original
ease - Leichtigkeit, Mühelosigkeit, Behaglichkeit, Bequemlichkeit
aloud - laut
dozen - Dutzend; Dutzende (''of'': von)
To my fancy he was making a great fuss about nothing, but it was not my province to say so. On the contrary, I professed considerable interest in the subject, and asked him what it was about.
fancy - schick; extravagant, originell
great fuss - Staatsaktion
province - Provinz, Land
contrary - entgegengesetzt, gegenläufig, entgegenstehend, ungünstig
professed - bekennt; bekennen
"It is the Heims-Kringla of Snorre Tarleson," he said, "the celebrated Icelandic author of the twelfth century-it is a true and correct account of the Norwegian princes who reigned in Iceland."
celebrated - gefeiert; feiern, zelebrieren, feiern, zelebrieren, halten
Icelandic - Isländisch
author - Autor, Autorin, Verfasser, Verfasserin
twelfth - zwölften; zwölfte
Norwegian - Norweger, Norwegerin, Norwegisch, norwegischsprachig
princes - Prinzen; (prince) Fürst, Prinz
reigned - herrschte; Herrschaft, Regentschaft, Regentschaft, herrschen
My next question related to the language in which it was written. I hoped at all events it was translated into German.
translated into German - verdeutschte
My uncle was indignant at the very thought, and declared he wouldn't give a penny for a translation. His delight was to have found the original work in the Icelandic tongue, which he declared to be one of the most magnificent and yet simple idioms in the world-while at the same time its grammatical combinations were the most varied known to students.
indignant - entrüstet
declared - erklärt; bekanntmachen, bekanntgeben, deklarieren, ausrufen
penny - Penny
translation - Übersetzung, Übersetzen, Translation
delight - Freude, Entzückung, Wohlgefallen, Lust
tongue - Zunge, Lasche
simple - einfach, simpel
idioms - Redewendungen; Idiom
grammatical - grammatikalisch
combinations - Kombinationen; Kombinieren
varied - abwechslungsreich; variieren, verändern, sich ändern, de
"About as easy as German?" was my insidious remark.
insidious - heimtückisch
remark - bemerken; Anmerkung, Bemerkung
My uncle shrugged his shoulders.
shrugged - gezuckt; Schulterzucken
shoulders - schultern
"The letters at all events," I said, "are rather difficult of comprehension."
comprehension - Verständnis, Verstehen
"It is a Runic manuscript, the language of the original population of Iceland, invented by Odin himself," cried my uncle, angry at my ignorance.
Runic - Runen; runisch
manuscript - Handschrift, Manuskript, Handschrift, Manuskript
population - Bevölkerung; Population; Bevölkerungszahl, Einwohnerzahl
Iceland - Island
invented - erfunden; erfinden, ausdenken, erfinden
Odin - Wotan, Odin, Wüeti
ignorance - Unwissenheit, Unwissen, Nichtwissen
I was about to venture upon some misplaced joke on the subject, when a small scrap of parchment fell out of the leaves. Like a hungry man snatching at a morsel of bread the Professor seized it. It was about five inches by three and was scrawled over in the most extraordinary fashion.
Venture - Wagnis
misplaced - deplatziert; verlegen
joke - Witz; Scherz, Streich, Spaß, scherzen, Witze machen
scrap - ausrangieren; Abfallholz, Teil, Schrott
parchment - Pergament; Pergamentpapier
fell out - (fall out) ausfallen
snatching - Schnappen; klauen, stehlen, Reißen
morsel - ein Häppchen; Happen
seized - beschlagnahmt; ergreifen, fassen, greifen, packen, ergreifen
inches - Zoll (2, 54 cm), Zoll (Längenmaß)
scrawled - Gekritzelt; Sudelarbeit; kritzeln
extraordinary - außerordentlich, außergewöhnlich
fashion - Mode; Stil; fertigen, anfertigen
The lines shown here are an exact facsimile of what was written on the venerable piece of parchment-and have wonderful importance, as they induced my uncle to undertake the most wonderful series of adventures which ever fell to the lot of human beings.
exact - exakt, genau, fordern, abverlangen
facsimile - Faksimile, Reproduktion
venerable - ehrwürdig, geschätzt, respektabel, verehrenswert
importance - Bedeutung; Wichtigkeit, Belang
induced - veranlasst; dazu bringen, anstacheln, bewirken, verursachen
undertake - unternehmen, ausführen, verpflichten
most wonderful - wunderbarste
series - Serie, Fernsehserie, Reihe
human - menschlich
beings - Wesen
My uncle looked keenly at the document for some moments and then declared that it was Runic. The letters were similar to those in the book, but then what did they mean? This was exactly what I wanted to know.
keenly - scharfsinnig; scharfe
document - Unterlagen, Dokument, Aktenstück, Schriftstück, dokumentieren
Now as I had a strong conviction that the Runic alphabet and dialect were simply an invention to mystify poor human nature, I was delighted to find that my uncle knew as much about the matter as I did-which was nothing. At all events the tremulous motion of his fingers made me think so.
conviction - Überzeugung; Verurteilung
alphabet - ABC, Alphabet
dialect - Dialekt, Mundart
Simply - einfach
invention - Erfindung; Erfinden; Einfallsreichtum; Invention
mystify - verblüffen, irritieren
nature - Natur, Art
delighted - erfreut; Freude, Entzückung, Wohlgefallen
matter - Materie; Masse, Substanz, Stoff, Angelegenheit, Anlass
tremulous - zitternd
motion - Bewegung
fingers - fingern
"And yet," he muttered to himself, "it is old Icelandic, I am sure of it."
muttered - gemurmelt; murmeln
And my uncle ought to have known, for he was a perfect polyglot dictionary in himself. He did not pretend, like a certain learned pundit, to speak the two thousand languages and four thousand idioms made use of in different parts of the globe, but he did know all the more important ones.
polyglot - polyglott, mehrsprachig, Polyglotte, Polyglotter
pretend - vorgeben, prätendieren, vortäuschen, so tun, als ob
pundit - Fachmann; Experte, Kommentator; q
globe - Erde, Erdkugel, Globus
It is a matter of great doubt to me now, to what violent measures my uncle's impetuosity might have led him, had not the clock struck two, and our old French cook called out to let us know that dinner was on the table.
doubt - bezweifeln, Zweifel
violent - heftig, gewaltig, brutal, gewalttätig, gewaltbereit, grell
measures - Maßnahmen; Maß
impetuosity - Ungezügeltheit; Unvorsichtigkeit, Heftigkeit, Ungestüm
led - geführt; LED; (lead) führen, anführen
struck - angeschlagen; streichen, schlagen, prägen, streiken, scheinen
"Bother the dinner!" cried my uncle.
But as I was hungry, I sallied forth to the dining room, where I took up my usual quarters. Out of politeness I waited three minutes, but no sign of my uncle, the Professor. I was surprised. He was not usually so blind to the pleasure of a good dinner. It was the acme of German luxury-parsley soup, a ham omelette with sorrel trimmings, an oyster of veal stewed with prunes, delicious fruit, and sparkling Moselle.
sallied - geflüchtet; aufbrechen
forth - weiter; heraus, hervor
dining - Essen; Lärm, Getöse; dröhnen
usual - gewöhnlich, üblich
politeness - Höflichkeit
sign - Wert, Zeichen, Hinweistafel, Indiz; unterschreiben, signieren
surprised - überrascht; Überraschung, Überraschung
blind - blind, unkritisch, ignorant, Jalousie, Blind, Blinder, Blinde
pleasure - Vergnügen; Freude, Spaß, Wollust
acme - Höhepunkt, Gipfel, Blüte des Lebens
luxury - Luxus
parsley - Petersilie
Ham - Schinken
sorrel - Sauerampfer
trimmings - Garnituren; Beschneiden, Entgraten, Trimmung
oyster - Auster; Pfaffenschnittchen, Pfaffenstückchen
veal - Kalbfleisch
stewed - gedünstet; schmoren, dämpfen; Kohl, Stew, Eintopfgericht
prunes - Pflaumen; zurechtstutzen, beschneiden, verschneiden
sparkling - glitzernd, funkelnd, prickelnd, sprudelnd; (sparkle); glitzernd
Moselle - Mosel
For the sake of poring over this musty old piece of parchment, my uncle forbore to share our meal. To satisfy my conscience, I ate for both.
sake - (for your sake) deinetwegen, euretwegen, Ihretwegen, dir zuliebe
poring - nachhaken; Pore
musty - miefig, muffig
forbore - verbieten; Vorfahr
satisfy - befriedigen, zufriedenstellen
conscience - Gewissen
The old cook and housekeeper was nearly out of her mind. After taking so much trouble, to find her master not appear at dinner was to her a sad disappointment-which, as she occasionally watched the havoc I was making on the viands, became also alarm. If my uncle were to come to table after all?
housekeeper - Haushälterin; Hausfrau; (hired) Haushälterin; (hired) Haushälter
nearly - beinahe, fast
mind - Verstand, Geist, Sinn, Bewusstsein, Gedächtnis, Gedanken
trouble - Probleme; Ärger; Schwierigkeit; Anstrengung, Bemühung, Mühe
Master - Haupt.., Grund, Meister, führend, leitend; bewältigen, meistern
appear - erscheinen, auftauchen, auftreten
disappointment - Enttäuschung, Verdruss, Misserfolg, Fehlschlag, Reinfall
Occasionally - gelegentlich
havoc - Zerstörung, Verwüstung, Chaos, Durcheinander
alarm - Alarm, Alarmsignal, Alarmstimmung, Wecker, Alarm schlagen
Suddenly, just as I had consumed the last apple and drunk the last glass of wine, a terrible voice was heard at no great distance. It was my uncle roaring for me to come to him. I made very nearly one leap of it-so loud, so fierce was his tone.
Last - letzte, zuletzt, letzter, vorig; dauern, andauern
voice - Stimme; äußern
distance - Distanz, Entfernung, Abstand, Ferne, Weite, entfernen
roaring - brüllend; Gebrüll; (roar); brüllen; Tosen; Brüllen; Aufheulen
leap - hervorspringen, hüpfen, überspringen
loud - laut
fierce - wild, heftig, bedrohlich
"I declare," cried my uncle, striking the table fiercely with his fist, "I declare to you it is Runic-and contains some wonderful secret, which I must get at, at any price."
striking - auffällig; (strike); streichen; schlagen; prägen; streiken; scheinen; die Fahne streichen; Strike; Streik; Schlag
fiercely - heftig, wütend
fist - fausten; Faust
contains - enthält; enthalten
secret - Geheimnis
I was about to reply when he stopped me.
reply - antworten, erwidern, Antwort, Entgegnung
"Sit down," he said, quite fiercely, "and write to my dictation."
dictation - Diktat
I obeyed.
obeyed - gehorcht; gehorchen, befolgen
"I will substitute," he said, "a letter of our alphabet for that of the Runic: we will then see what that will produce. Now, begin and make no mistakes."
substitute - ersetzen; auswechseln; Ersatz; Ersatzspieler, Austauschspieler
produce - produzieren, herstellen, vorlegen, Produkt, Obst und Gemüse
The dictation commenced with the following incomprehensible result:
commenced - begonnen; anfangen, beginnen
incomprehensible - unverständlich
mm.rnlls esruel seecJde
Mm - der Millimeter
sgtssmf unteief niedrke
unteief - ungläubig
kt,samn atrateS Saodrrn
emtnaeI nuaect rrilSa
Atvaar .nscrc ieaabs
ccdrmi eeutul frantu
dt,iac oseibo KediiY
Scarcely giving me time to finish, my uncle snatched the document from my hands and examined it with the most rapt and deep attention.
snatched - geschnappt; klauen, stehlen, Reißen
examined - untersucht; untersuchen, untersuchen, untersuchen, prüfen
rapt - entzückt; hingerissen, gebannt, fasziniert, begeistert
attention - Aufmerksamkeit, Beachtung, Wachsamkeit, Achtung, Habachtstellung
"I should like to know what it means," he said, after a long period.
I certainly could not tell him, nor did he expect me to-his conversation being uniformly answered by himself.
Certainly - sicherlich, zweifellos, gewiss, freilich
nor - weder noch, auch nicht
expect - erwarten
uniformly - einheitlich
"I declare it puts me in mind of a cryptograph," he cried, "unless, indeed, the letters have been written without any real meaning; and yet why take so much trouble? Who knows but I may be on the verge of some great discovery?"
cryptograph - Kryptograph; Schriftstück in Geheimschrift
Unless - wenn nicht, es sei denn
My candid opinion was that it was all rubbish! But this opinion I kept carefully to myself, as my uncle's choler was not pleasant to bear. All this time he was comparing the book with the parchment.
candid - unvoreingenommen, vorurteilsfrei, unparteiisch, freimütig
rubbish - Quatsch, Blödsinn, Unsinn, Mist, Müll
carefully - sorgfältig; vorsichtig
choler - Ärger, Gereiztheit, Choleriker
"The manuscript volume and the smaller document are written in different hands," he said, "the cryptograph is of much later date than the book; there is an undoubted proof of the correctness of my surmise. [An irrefragable proof I took it to be.] The first letter is a double M, which was only added to the Icelandic language in the twelfth century-this makes the parchment two hundred years posterior to the volume."
volume - Volumen; Lautstärke; Jahrgang; Band; Volume
undoubted - unzweifelhaft
Proof - Beweise; Beweis; polierte Platte; aufgehen lassen
correctness - Richtigkeit, Korrektheit
surmise - Vermutung, Mutmaßung, vermuten, mutmaßen, annehmen
irrefragable - unanfechtbar
posterior - Hinterteil; hinterer, rück-
The circumstances appeared very probable and very logical, but it was all surmise to me.
circumstances - Umstände; Umstand, Umstand
probable - glaubhaft, wahrscheinlich
logical - logisch
"To me it appears probable that this sentence was written by some owner of the book. Now who was the owner, is the next important question. Perhaps by great good luck it may be written somewhere in the volume."
Appears - Erscheint; erscheinen, auftauchen, erscheinen, auftauchen
Perhaps - vielleicht, wohl
luck - Glück
somewhere - irgendwo; irgendwohin
With these words Professor Hardwigg took off his spectacles, and, taking a powerful magnifying glass, examined the book carefully.
magnifying glass - Lupe , Vergrößerungsglas
On the fly leaf was what appeared to be a blot of ink, but on examination proved to be a line of writing almost effaced by time. This was what he sought; and, after some considerable time, he made out these letters:
leaf - Blatt, Laubblatt, Platte
blot - Fleck, Klecks, Schandfleck, beflecken, kleckern, ablöschen
ink - Tinte
examination - Prüfung, Untersuchung, Test, Überprüfung
proved - er/sie hat/hatte bewiesen, beweisen, erhärten
effaced - ausgelöscht; unkenntlich machen, unlesbar machen, verwischen
sought - gesucht; suchen
"Arne Saknussemm!" he cried in a joyous and triumphant tone, "that is not only an Icelandic name, but of a learned professor of the sixteenth century, a celebrated alchemist."
joyous - freudig
triumphant - triumphieren
Sixteenth - sechzehnte; Sechzehntel
alchemist - Alchemist, Alchemistin
I bowed as a sign of respect.
bowed - gebeugt; Verneigung (vor), Verbeugung; Bogen, Bug (Schiff)
respect - Achtung, Respekt, respektieren
"These alchemists," he continued, "Avicenna, Bacon, Lully, Paracelsus, were the true, the only learned men of the day. They made surprising discoveries. May not this Saknussemm, nephew mine, have hidden on this bit of parchment some astounding invention? I believe the cryptograph to have a profound meaning-which I must make out."
alchemists - Alchemisten; Alchemist, Alchemistin
continued - fortgesetzt; fortsetzen, weiterhin
bacon - Speck
surprising - überraschend, verwunderlich
discoveries - Entdeckungen; Entdeckung, Entdeckung
mine - mein, meiner
hidden - versteckt; verbergen, verheimlichen, verstecken, verdecken
bit - Häppchen, Gebiss, Bit
astounding - verblüffend; verblüffen, überraschen
profound - tiefgründig; tiefgehend, profund
My uncle walked about the room in a state of excitement almost impossible to describe.
state - Staat, Land, Bundesland, Zustand, erklären, darlegen, nennen
excitement - Aufregung, Begeisterung, Spannung, Erregung
impossible - unmöglich
"It may be so, sir," I timidly observed, "but why conceal it from posterity, if it be a useful, a worthy discovery?"
timidly - ängstlich, schüchtern, scheu
observed - beobachtet; beobachten, beachten, halten, bemerken
conceal - verbergen, verheimlichen, verschleiern, verschweigen
posterity - Nachwelt
"Why-how should I know? Did not Galileo make a secret of his discoveries in connection with Saturn? But we shall see. Until I discover the meaning of this sentence I will neither eat nor sleep."
Saturn - Saturn, Saturn
shall - sollen
discover - entdecken; erleben, erfahren, dabei sein
neither - weder; weder X noch Y; keiner, keines
"My dear uncle-" I began.
"Nor you neither," he added.
It was lucky I had taken double allowance that day.
lucky - glücklich
allowance - Erlaubnis
"In the first place," he continued, "there must be a clue to the meaning. If we could find that, the rest would be easy enough."
clue - Anhaltspunkt, Hinweis, Faden, Indiz, informieren, unterrichten
rest - Ruhe, Stütze, Lehne, ein Ăśbriges; bleiben, ruhen, ausruhen
I began seriously to reflect. The prospect of going without food and sleep was not a promising one, so I determined to do my best to solve the mystery. My uncle, meanwhile, went on with his soliloquy.
seriously - ernst, ernsthaft
reflect - nachdenken; reflektieren, zurückspiegeln, sich spiegeln
prospect - Anwärter; Sicht, Perspektive, Aussicht, Erwartung, Chance
promising - vielversprechend; Versprechen
determined - bestimmt; bestimmen, eingrenzen, festlegen
solve - lösen
mystery - Geheimnis, Rätsel
Meanwhile - In der Zwischenzeit; währenddessen, inzwischen, derweil
soliloquy - Selbstgespräch, Monolog
"The way to discover it is easy enough. In this document there are one hundred and thirty-two letters, giving seventy-nine consonants to fifty-three vowels. This is about the proportion found in most southern languages, the idioms of the north being much more rich in consonants. We may confidently predict, therefore, that we have to deal with a southern dialect."
consonants - Konsonanten; Konsonant, Mitlaut, Konsonant, Mitlaut
vowels - Vokale; Vokal; q
proportion - Verhältnis; Teil, Proportion, Anteil
most southern - südlichste
confidently - zuversichtlich
predict - vorhersagen; prophezeien
deal - Menge, Handel, Teil, Abkommen
Nothing could be more logical.
"Now," said Professor Hardwigg, "to trace the particular language."
trace - verfolgen; Zeichen, Spur
particular - besonders; speziell, bestimmt, spezifisch, genau
"As Shakespeare says, 'that is the question,"'was my rather satirical reply.
satirical - satirisch
"This man Saknussemm," he continued, "was a very learned man: now as he did not write in the language of his birthplace, he probably, like most learned men of the sixteenth century, wrote in Latin. If, however, I prove wrong in this guess, we must try Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, and even Hebrew. My own opinion, though, is decidedly in favor of Latin."
write in - einschreiben, einspeichern
birthplace - Geburtsort
Latin - lateinisch, Latein
Spanish - spanisch; Spanisch; Spanier
Italian - italienisch, italienischsprachig, italienischsprachlich
Greek - griechisch; Griechisch, griechische Sprache, Grieche, Griechin
Hebrew - hebräisch; Hebräer, Hebräerin, Hebräisch
decidedly - entschieden, deutlich, bestimmt
favor - Gefallen, Gefälligkeit, Gunst, Gnade, Huld, begünstigen
This proposition startled me. Latin was my favorite study, and it seemed sacrilege to believe this gibberish to belong to the country of Virgil.
proposition - Vorschlag; Satz
startled - erschrocken; aufschrecken, scheuen, erschrecken
favorite - Favorit, Liebling; favorisieren
seemed - schien; scheinen, dünken
sacrilege - Sakrileg
gibberish - Kauderwelsch, Kokolores, Gequassel, Geschwafel, Fachchinesisch
belong - zugehören; gehören (zu)
Virgil - Vergil
"Barbarous Latin, in all probability," continued my uncle, "but still Latin."
barbarous - barbarisch, grausam
probability - Wahrscheinlichkeit
"Very probably," I replied, not to contradict him.
replied - geantwortet; antworten, erwidern, Antwort, Entgegnung, Antwort
contradict - widersprechen
"Let us see into the matter," continued my uncle; "here you see we have a series of one hundred and thirty-two letters, apparently thrown pell-mell upon paper, without method or organization. There are words which are composed wholly of consonants, such as mm.rnlls, others which are nearly all vowels, the fifth, for instance, which is unteief, and one of the last oseibo.
thrown - geworfen; Wurf; werfen (du wirfst, er wirft), ich/er/sie würfe
mell - mischen
method - Methode; Verfahrensweise, Art und Weise, Weg
organization - Organisation; Ordnung
composed - komponiert; zusammenstellen, zusammensetzen, komponieren
wholly - ganz
instance - Beispiel, Fall, Instanz
This appears an extraordinary combination. Probably we shall find that the phrase is arranged according to some mathematical plan. No doubt a certain sentence has been written out and then jumbled up-some plan to which some figure is the clue. Now, Harry, to show your English wit-what is that figure?"
combination - Kombinieren; Kombination, Kombinierte, Kombinat, Vereinigung
arranged - vereinbart; arrangieren, systematisieren, aufstellen, ordnen
according - nach; Übereinstimmung, Einvernehmen
mathematical - mathematisch; rechnerisch
written out - (write out) herausschreiben, ausfertigen, ausgeben
jumbled - Mischmasch, Durcheinander, durcheinander
figure - Abbildung; Figur; Gestalt; Ziffer; Form
wit - Witz; nämlich, und zwar
I could give him no hint. My thoughts were indeed far away. While he was speaking I had caught sight of the portrait of my cousin Gretchen, and was wondering when she would return.
hint - Hinweis, Tipp, Wink, Fingerzeig
thoughts - Gedanken; Gedanke
caught - erwischt; Fang, Fang, Haken, Fang, fangen, fangen, einfangen
sight - Sehenswürdigkeit, Gesicht, Visier, erblicken, anvisieren
wondering - und fragen sich; (wonder) sich wundern (über)
We were affianced, and loved one another very sincerely. But my uncle, who never thought even of such sublunary matters, knew nothing of this. Without noticing my abstraction, the Professor began reading the puzzling cryptograph all sorts of ways, according to some theory of his own. Presently, rousing my wandering attention, he dictated one precious attempt to me.
affianced - verlobt; Verlobung; sich verloben
sincerely - aufrichtig
sublunary - sublunar
matters - zählt; Materie, Materie, Masse, Substanz, Stoff, Angelegenheit
noticing - Bekanntmachung, Benachrichtigung, Mitteilung, Kündigungsfrist
abstraction - Abstraktion
puzzling - verwirrend, rätselhaft; (puzzle); Rätsel; Puzzle, Geduldspiel
sorts - Sorten; Sortierung, Gattung, Art, Sorte; sortieren, ordnen
theory - Theorie
Presently - Gegenwärtig; sogleich
rousing - mitreißend; wachrufen, wecken
dictated - diktiert; Diktat
precious - kostbar, wertvoll, süßlich, kitschig
attempt - versuchen; Versuch, Bestreben, Bestrebung, Anschlag, Attentat
I mildly handed it over to him. It read as follows:
mildly - sanft, mild
mmessunkaSenrA.icefdoK.segnittamurtn
ecertserrette,rotaivsadua,ednecsedsadne
lacartniiilrJsiratracSarbmutabiledmek
meretarcsilucoYsleffenSnI.
I could scarcely keep from laughing, while my uncle, on the contrary, got in a towering passion, struck the table with his fist, darted out of the room, out of the house, and then taking to his heels was presently lost to sight.
keep from - abhalten von
towering - überragend; starker Rückhalt, Turm; emporragen, hochragen, ragen
passion - Leidenschaft, Passion
darted - geworfen; Pfeil, Satz
taking to - (take to) angewöhnen, die Gewohnheit annehmen
heels - Absätze; Hinterende des Hobels, Ferse
"What is the matter?" cried the cook, entering the room; "when will master have his dinner?"
entering - eintreten; eingegeben; (enter); reingehen, hineingehen
"Never."
"And, his supper?"
supper - Abendbrot; Abendessen
"I don't know. He says he will eat no more, neither shall I. My uncle has determined to fast and make me fast until he makes out this abominable inscription," I replied.
makes out - (make out) zusammenreimen [alt], entziffern, zusammen reimen
abominable - verabscheuungswürdig, verhasst, abscheulich, riesig, monströs
inscription - Inschrift; Aufschrift, Münzaufschrift, Widmung
"You will be starved to death," she said.
starved - verhungert; verhungern, Hungers sterben, verhungern
Death - Tod, Exitus, der Tod, Untergang
I was very much of the same opinion, but not liking to say so, sent her away, and began some of my usual work of classification. But try as I might, nothing could keep me from thinking alternately of the stupid manuscript and of the pretty Gretchen.
classification - Klassifikation, Klassifizierung
alternately - abwechselnd
stupid - dumm, doof, blöd, Dummkopf
Several times I thought of going out, but my uncle would have been angry at my absence. At the end of an hour, my allotted task was done. How to pass the time? I began by lighting my pipe. Like all other students, I delighted in tobacco; and, seating myself in the great armchair, I began to think.
several - mehrere, einige, verschiedene, checkeinige
absence - Abwesenheit, Absenz, Fehlen, Absence
allotted - zugeteilt; verteilen, zuteilen, austeilen
task - Pensum; beschäftigen, in Anspruch nehmen; Arbeit, Aufgabe
pass - passen; (to pass) durchgehen, passieren, durchlaufen
pipe - Flöte; Orgelpfeife; Rohr; senkrechter Strich
seating - Bestuhlung, Gestühl, Sitzgelegenheiten; (seat); Sitz, Sitzplatz
armchair - Armsessel, Fauteuil, Polstersessel, Polsterstuhl
Where was my uncle? I could easily imagine him tearing along some solitary road, gesticulating, talking to himself, cutting the air with his cane, and still thinking of the absurd bit of hieroglyphics. Would he hit upon some clue? Would he come home in better humor? While these thoughts were passing through my brain, I mechanically took up the execrable puzzle and tried every imaginable way of grouping the letters.
easily - leicht
tearing - zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
along - entlang, längs, weiter
solitary - einsam, einzeln
gesticulating - gestikulieren, gestikulieren
cane - Schilfrohr; Rohr; Rohrstock; Blindenstock, weisser Langstock
absurd - absurd
hieroglyphics - Hieroglyphen; hieroglyphisch, hieroglyphisch
hit upon - auf etwas stoßen
humor - Komik, Humor
passing through - durchlaufend
brain - Gehirn, Superhirn, Intelligenzbestie, Kopf, Verstand, Köpfchen
mechanically - mechanisch
execrable - abscheulich
puzzle - Rätsel; Puzzle, Geduldspiel, Geduldsspiel
imaginable - vorstellbar
I put them together by twos, by threes, fours, and fives-in vain. Nothing intelligible came out, except that the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth made ice in English; the eighty-fourth, eighty-fifth, and eighty-sixth, the word sir; then at last I seemed to find the Latin words rota, mutabile, ira, nec, atra.
vain - eitel; unnützlich
intelligible - Verständlich
Except - ausnehmen, ausklammern, ausschließen, widersprechen, außer
Fourteenth - vierzehnte
Fifteenth - fünfzehnte
sixth - sechste; Sechster; Sechstel; Sexte
rota - der Dienstplan
"Ha! there seems to be some truth in my uncle's notion," thought I.
ha - Das war jetzt aber ernst!
Seems - Scheint; scheinen, dünken
Then again I seemed to find the word luco, which means sacred wood. Then in the third line I appeared to make out labiled, a perfect Hebrew word, and at the last the syllables mere, are, mer, which were French.
sacred - heilig
third - dritte; Dritter, Dritte, Drittel, Drittel, Terz, dreiteilen
labiled - gelabelt
syllables - Silben; Silbe
mere - einfach; nur, schier, bloß
It was enough to drive one mad. Four different idioms in this absurd phrase. What connection could there be between ice, sir, anger, cruel, sacred wood, changing, mother, are, and sea? The first and the last might, in a sentence connected with Iceland, mean sea of ice. But what of the rest of this monstrous cryptograph?
mad - wahnsinnig, verrückt, toll, irre
anger - Ärger, Zorn, Wut, Groll
cruel - schrecklich; grausam (gegen)
connected - verbunden; verbinden, anschließen, verbinden
monstrous - ungeheuerlich, monströs, grotesk, monsterhaft, monsterartig
I was, in fact, fighting against an insurmountable difficulty; my brain was almost on fire; my eyes were strained with staring at the parchment; the whole absurd collection of letters appeared to dance before my vision in a number of black little groups. My mind was possessed with temporary hallucination-I was stifling. I wanted air. Mechanically I fanned myself with the document, of which now I saw the back and then the front.
fighting - (fight) kämpfen, sich streiten; (fight) (fight) kämpfen
against - gegen, mit, wider
insurmountable - unüberwindbar
difficulty - Schwierigkeiten; Schwierigkeit
strained - angespannt; Spannung, starke Inanspruchnahme, Zug; anstrengen
collection - Sammlung, Kollektion, Menge, Sammeln
vision - Sicht, Sehvermögen, Sehkraft, Augenlicht, Trugbild
possessed - besessen; besitzen, besitzen
temporary - zeitweilig, temporär, vorübergehend, Zeitarbeitskraft
hallucination - Halluzination, Wahnvorstellung, Sinnestäuschung, Illusion
stifling - erstickend; (stifle) erstickend
fanned - gefächert; wedeln (Seitenruder); Fächer, Lüfter, Gebläse
Imagine my surprise when glancing at the back of the wearisome puzzle, the ink having gone through, I clearly made out Latin words, and among others craterem and terrestre.
my surprise - zu meiner Ăśberraschung
glancing - blickend; (glance); blicken; Blick, Streifblick, Glanz
wearisome - ermüdend, langweilig, lästig
Clearly - Eindeutig; klar, deutlich
among - unter, zwischen, untereinander
I had discovered the secret!
discovered - entdeckt; entdecken, erleben, erfahren, dabei sein
It came upon me like a flash of lightning. I had got the clue. All you had to do to understand the document was to read it backwards. All the ingenious ideas of the Professor were realized; he had dictated it rightly to me; by a mere accident I had discovered what he so much desired.
flash - Blitzlicht; aufleuchten, blitzen, aufflammen
lightning - Blitzschlag; Blitz; Entladung
backwards - zurück, nach hinten, rückwärts, rückwärts, zögerlich, gehemmt
ingenious - ingeniös, genial, findig
realized - realisiert; verwirklichen, realisieren
rightly - zurecht, zu Recht, richtig
accident - Unfall; Zufall
desired - gewünscht; begehren, begehren, Begehren
My delight, my emotion may be imagined, my eyes were dazzled and I trembled so that at first I could make nothing of it. One look, however, would tell me all I wished to know.
emotion - Emotionen; Gefühl, Empfindung
dazzled - geblendet; blenden, verblüffen, faszinieren, bezaubern, betören
trembled - gezittert; zittern, Zittern
"Let me read," I said to myself, after drawing a long breath.
breath - Atmen, Atmung, Atemzug, Atem, Atempause
I spread it before me on the table, I passed my finger over each letter, I spelled it through; in my excitement I read it out.
spread - verteilen; spreizen; ausstreuen, verbreiten, auftragen
passed - bestanden; (to pass) durchgehen, passieren, durchlaufen
finger - fingern
What horror and stupefaction took possession of my soul. I was like a man who had received a knock-down blow. Was it possible that I really read the terrible secret, and it had really been accomplished! A man had dared to do-what?
horror - Angst, Furcht, Horror, Grauen
stupefaction - Verblödung; Benommenheit, Schock, Betäubung, Bestürzung
took possession of - bemächtigte
soul - Inbrunst, Seele, Gefühl, Herz
knock-down - (knock-down) überfahren, zuschlagen, niederschlagen
blow - (to blow) blasen, wehen, pusten
accomplished - vollendet; vollenden, vollenden, vollenden, vollenden
dared - gewagt; sich getrauen, wagen, jemanden herausfordern
No living being should ever know.
"Never!" cried I, jumping up. "Never shall my uncle be made aware of the dread secret. He would be quite capable of undertaking the terrible journey. Nothing would check him, nothing stop him. Worse, he would compel me to accompany him, and we should be lost forever. But no; such folly and madness cannot be allowed."
jumping up - aufspringend
aware - wachsam, gewahr, bewusst, checkgewahr
dread - schaudern, grauen, gruseln, grausen
capable - fähig
undertaking - Unternehmung; Unternehmen; (undertake); unternehmen, ausführen
compel - zwingen, nötigen
accompany - begleiten, geleiten, beiliegen
be lost - verloren gehen, nicht mehr weiterwissen, sich verirrt haben
forever - für immer, ewig, unaufhörlich, auf immer
folly - Wahnsinn; Torheit, Narrheit, Dummheit, Tollheit
madness - Wahnsinn, Verrücktheit, Tollheit
allowed - erlaubt; erlauben, zulassen, akzeptieren, erlauben, zulassen
I was almost beside myself with rage and fury.
beside - daneben; neben
rage - Wut, Zorn, Raserei, Rage, wüten
"My worthy uncle is already nearly mad," I cried aloud. "This would finish him. By some accident he may make the discovery; in which case, we are both lost. Perish the fearful secret-let the flames forever bury it in oblivion."
case - Fall; Gehäuse, Prozess, Kiste, Fach
perish - untergehen; verderben, schlecht werden, umkommen
flames - Flammen; Flamme, q
bury - vergraben, verbergen, begraben
oblivion - Vergessen; Vergessenheit
I snatched up book and parchment, and was about to cast them into the fire, when the door opened and my uncle entered.
snatched up - zusammen gerafft, zusammengerafft [alt]
cast - werfen; wegwerfen, hinwerfen, gießen, Cast, Besetzung, Ensemble
entered - eingegeben; reingehen, hineingehen, hereingehen, eintreten
I had scarcely time to put down the wretched documents before my uncle was by my side. He was profoundly absorbed. His thoughts were evidently bent on the terrible parchment. Some new combination had probably struck him while taking his walk.
wretched - unglücklich; sehr schlecht, miserabel, wertlos
documents - Dokumente; Unterlagen, Dokument
side - Seite; Flanke, Rand, Mannschaft, Team
profoundly - zutiefst; tief
absorbed - absorbiert; absorbieren, aufnehen
evidently - offensichtlich
bent on - versessen sein
He seated himself in his armchair, and with a pen began to make an algebraical calculation. I watched him with anxious eyes. My flesh crawled as it became probable that he would discover the secret.
seated - sitzend; Sitz, Sitzplatz, Sitzgelegenheit, Stuhl, Sitzmöbel
algebraical - algebraisch
calculation - Berechnung
anxious - ängstlich, besorgt
flesh - Fleisch; Haut, Leib, Fruchtfleisch, Fleischfarbe, zunehmen
crawled - gekrabbelt; kriechen
His combinations I knew now were useless, I having discovered the one only clue. For three mortal hours he continued without speaking a word, without raising his head, scratching, rewriting, calculating over and over again. I knew that in time he must hit upon the right phrase. The letters of every alphabet have only a certain number of combinations. But then years might elapse before he would arrive at the correct solution.
useless - nutzlos, unnützlich, wertlos
mortal - sterblich; tödlich; Sterblicher, Sterbliche
raising - Erhöhung; Erhebung; Großziehen, Aufziehen
scratching - sich kratzen, zerkratzen; (scratch); kratzen; zerkratzen
rewriting - umzuschreiben; umschreiben, neu schreiben
calculating - kalkulieren, berechnen, ausrechnen, rechnen, kalkulieren
elapse - vergehen, verrinnen
solution - Lösung
Still time went on; night came, the sounds in the streets ceased-and still my uncle went on, not even answering our worthy cook when she called us to supper.
ceased - eingestellt; aufhören, aufhören, einstellen
I did not dare to leave him, so waved her away, and at last fell asleep on the sofa.
dare - sich getrauen, wagen, jemanden herausfordern
waved - winkte; wehen, winken mit, flattern
asleep - schlafen, schlafen
sofa - Sofa, Couch
When I awoke my uncle was still at work. His red eyes, his pallid countenance, his matted hair, his feverish hands, his hectically flushed cheeks, showed how terrible had been his struggle with the impossible, and what fearful fatigue he had undergone during that long sleepless night. It made me quite ill to look at him.
awoke - erwacht; munter, wach; erwachen, aufwachen
ill - krank, siech, übel, schlecht, Übel
pallid - fahl, bleich, blass
countenance - Antlitz, Gesichtsausdruck, Miene, Unterstützung, Fassung
matted - verfilzt; Matte
feverish - fiebrig, febril, fieberhaft
hectically - hektisch
flushed - gespült; Wasserspülung, Wallung, Schwall; spülen
cheeks - Wangen; Backe, qualifierormal, Backe, Stirn, Mick, Pumpenmick
Struggle - Kämpfen; Kampf, Gefecht, sich durchbeißen, sich schwer tun
fatigue - Müdigkeit, Ermüdung, Schlappheit, Überdruss
undergone - durchlaufen; durchmachen
sleepless - schlaflos
Though he was rather severe with me, I loved him, and my heart ached at his sufferings. He was so overcome by one idea that he could not even get in a passion! All his energies were focused on one point. And I knew that by speaking one little word all this suffering would cease. I could not speak it.
severe - schwerwiegend; streng
heart - Herz, Herzstück
ached - schmerzen; Schmerz
sufferings - leidend, Leiden
overcome - überwunden; überwinden
energies - Energien; Energie, Energie, Energie
focused - konzentriert; Brennpunkt, Fokus, Brennpunkt, Fokus, Fokus
cease - aufhören, einstellen
My heart was, nevertheless, inclining towards him. Why, then, did I remain silent? In the interest of my uncle himself.
nevertheless - nichtsdestoweniger, trotzdem, lauch wenn, dennoch
inclining - geneigt; sich neigend, neigend; (incline); neigen; Neigung
towards - zu, in Richtung, nach, auf, zu, gegenüber, für, um, zwecks
remain - Überrest (2); Überreste (3); sterbliche Überreste (3); bleiben
silent - still
"Nothing shall make me speak," I muttered. "He will want to follow in the footsteps of the other! I know him well. His imagination is a perfect volcano, and to make discoveries in the interests of geology he would sacrifice his life. I will therefore be silent and strictly keep the secret I have discovered. To reveal it would be suicidal. He would not only rush, himself, to destruction, but drag me with him."
Footsteps - Fußstapfen; Fußabdruck, Schritt
imagination - Phantasie; Vorstellungskraft, Imagination, Einbildungskraft
volcano - Vulkan, q oetic
sacrifice - opfern; Opfer
be silent - schweigen
strictly - strenges, grundsätzlich, pingelig
reveal - enthüllen; offenbaren
suicidal - selbstmordgefährdet
rush - stürzen, drängen, hetzen, rasen; Eile, Andrang
destruction - Zerstörung, Vernichtung
drag - Planierschleppe; nachschleppen, schleppen, ziehen
I crossed my arms, looked another way and smoked-resolved never to speak.
crossed - gekreuzt; Kreuz
smoked - geraucht; Rauch
resolved - geklärt; auflösen, beschließen
When our cook wanted to go out to market, or on any other errand, she found the front door locked and the key taken away. Was this done purposely or not? Surely Professor Hardwigg did not intend the old woman and myself to become martyrs to his obstinate will.
errand - Besorgungen; Besorgung, Auftrag
locked - gesperrt; Schloss
purposely - absichtlich
surely - bestimmt, sicherlich
intend - beabsichtigen, vorhaben, intendieren
martyrs - Märtyrer, Märtyrerin, Märtyrer
obstinate - hartnäckig, starrköpfig, stur, widerspenstig, widerborstig
Were we to be starved to death? A frightful recollection came to my mind. Once we had fed on bits and scraps for a week while he sorted some curiosities. It gave me the cramp even to think of it!
frightful - schrecklich
recollection - Erinnern Sie sich; Erinnerung
fed - abgefütterte, gefüttert; (feed) abgefütterte, gefüttert
bits - Häppchen, Gebiss, Bit, Bissen
scraps - Abfälle; ausrangieren; Abfallholz, Teil, Schrott
sorted - sortiert; Sortierung, Gattung, Art, Sorte; sortieren, ordnen
curiosities - Kuriositäten; Neugier, Neugierde, Kuriosität, Kuriosum
cramp - Krämpfe; Krampf; krampfen
I wanted my breakfast, and I saw no way of getting it. Still my resolution held good. I would starve rather than yield. But the cook began to take me seriously to task. What was to be done? She could not go out; and I dared not.
resolution - Entschlossenheit, Standfestigkeit, Vorsatz, Auflösung
held - gehalten; innehaben
starve - verhungern, Hungers sterben, verhungern lassen, aushungern
yield - Ertrag; hervorbringen, er/sie hat/hatte ergeben, weichen
My uncle continued counting and writing; his imagination seemed to have translated him to the skies. He neither thought of eating nor drinking. In this way twelve o'clock came round. I was hungry, and there was nothing in the house. The cook had eaten the last bit of bread. This could not go on. It did, however, until two, when my sensations were terrible. After all, I began to think the document very absurd. Perhaps it might only be a gigantic hoax.
counting - rechnen, abzählen, zählen
translated - übersetzt; übersetzen, übertragen, verdolmetschen, dolmetschen
skies - Himmel; (am) Firmament
sensations - Empfindungen; Gefühl
gigantic - gigantisch, kolossal
hoax - Scherz; anführen, hereinlegen, einen Bären aufbinden, foppen
Besides, some means would surely be found to keep my uncle back from attempting any such absurd expedition. On the other hand, if he did attempt anything so quixotic, I should not be compelled to accompany him. Another line of reasoning partially decided me. Very likely he would make the discovery himself when I should have suffered starvation for nothing. Under the influence of hunger this reasoning appeared admirable. I determined to tell all.
besides - Außerdem; neben, neben
attempting - versuchen, Versuch, Bestreben
expedition - Expedition
compelled - gezwungen; zwingen, zwingen, nötigen, zwingen
partially - teilweise, teils, zum Teil
Likely - gleicht, ähnlich, wahrscheinlich, voraussichtlich
suffered - gelitten; leiden, leiden, erleiden
starvation - Verhungern, Hunger
influence - Einfluss; Beeinflussung, Beeinflusser, beeinflussen
hunger - hungern; Hunger
admirable - bewundernswert
The question now arose as to how it was to be done. I was still dwelling on the thought, when he rose and put on his hat.
arose - entstanden ist; sich erheben, aufstehen, entstehen, auftreten
dwelling - Wohnung, Behausung; (dwell); leben, verbleiben, wohnen
What! go out and lock us in? Never!
lock - sperren; Schloss
"Uncle," I began.
He did not appear even to hear me.
"Professor Hardwigg," I cried.
"What," he retorted, "did you speak?"
retorted - erwiderte; Retorte; erwidern (scharf)
"How about the key?"
"What key-the key of the door?"
"No-of these horrible hieroglyphics?"
horrible - schrecklich, abscheulich, fies, makaber
He looked at me from under his spectacles, and started at the odd expression of my face. rushing forward, he clutched me by the arm and keenly examined my countenance. His very look was an interrogation.
odd - einzeln; seltsam, merkwürdig, komisch, ungerade
expression - Ausdruck; Redensart, Miene
rushing forward - vorstürmend
clutched - umklammert; Vogelgelege; Kupplung (Auto), Gelege
interrogation - Verhör; Befragung
I simply nodded.
nodded - abgenickt; nicken, einnicken, Kopfnicken
With an incredulous shrug of the shoulders, he turned upon his heel. Undoubtedly he thought I had gone mad.
incredulous - ungläubig, skeptisch
shrug - Schulterzucken, Achselzucken, mit den Schultern zucken
heel - Hinterende des Hobels, Ferse, Absatz; flitzen; Brotkanten
Undoubtedly - Zweifelsohne; zweifellos
"I have made a very important discovery."
His eyes flashed with excitement. His hand was lifted in a menacing attitude. For a moment neither of us spoke. It is hard to say which was most excited.
flashed - geflasht; aufleuchten, blitzen, aufflammen
lifted - angehoben; Lüften (Bremse), Lift, Aufzug; fördern
menacing - bedrohlich; Landplage, androhen
attitude - Haltung; Einstellung, Attitüde, Orientierung, Ausrichtung
"You don't mean to say that you have any idea of the meaning of the scrawl?"
scrawl - Sudelarbeit; kritzeln
"I do," was my desperate reply. "Look at the sentence as dictated by you."
desperate - verzweifelt bemüht, sehnsuchtsvoll verlangend, aussichtslos
"Well, but it means nothing," was the angry answer.
"Nothing if you read from left to right, but mark, if from right to left-"
mark - Markus
"Backwards!" cried my uncle, in wild amazement. "Oh most cunning Saknussemm; and I to be such a blockhead!"
wild - wild, rau
amazement - Erstaunen; Staunen, Verwunderung
most cunning - listigste
blockhead - Schwachkopf; Dummkopf
He snatched up the document, gazed at it with haggard eye, and read it out as I had done.
gazed at - angestarrt
haggard - verstört, abgezehrt, wild, abgehärmt
It read as follows:
In Sneffels Yoculis craterem kem delibat
umbra Scartaris Julii intra calendas descende,
umbra - Kernschatten; Umbra
intra - intern, innerhalb
audas viator, et terrestre centrum attinges.
et - und
centrum - zentrum
Kod feci. Arne Saknussemm
Which dog Latin being translated, reads as follows:
Descend into the crater of Yocul of Sneffels, which the shade of
descend - absteigen, niedergehen, herunterkommen, herabsteigen
crater - Krater; Becher
shade - Schatten; Vorhang; Farbton; schattieren
Scartaris caresses, before the kalends of July, audacious traveler,
caresses - Liebkosungen; Liebkosung, Umarmung, Streicheln
kalends - Kalenden
audacious - kühn
and you will reach the centre of the earth. I did it.
ARNE SAKNUSSEMM
My uncle leaped three feet from the ground with joy. He looked radiant and handsome. He rushed about the room wild with delight and satisfaction. He knocked over tables and chairs. He threw his books about until at last, utterly exhausted, he fell into his armchair.
leaped - gesprungen; hervorspringen, hüpfen, überspringen
ground - Masse (elektrisch); Erdboden, Grund, Boden
joy - Wonne (Freude, Vergnügen); Freude (über)
radiant - strahlend; Radiant
rushed - überstürzt; stürzen, drängen, hetzen, rasen; Eile, Andrang
satisfaction - Befriedigung; Zufriedenheit; Satisfaktion, Genugtuung
knocked over - umgeschlagen
threw - geworfen; Wurf; werfen (du wirfst, er wirft), ich/er/sie würfe
utterly - völlig
exhausted - erschöpft; erschöpfen, dezimieren, erschöpfen, Auspuff, Abgas
"What's o'clock?" he asked.
"About three."
"My dinner does not seem to have done me much good," he observed. "Let me have something to eat. We can then start at once. Get my portmanteau ready."
Seem - scheinen, dünken
portmanteau - Handkoffer
"What for?"
"And your own," he continued. "We start at once."
My horror may be conceived. I resolved however to show No fear. Scientific reasons were the only ones likely to influence my uncle. Now, there were many against this terrible journey. The very idea of going down to the centre of the earth was simply absurd. I determined therefore to argue the point after dinner.
conceived - erdacht; konzipieren, erdenken, ersinnen, empfangen, verstehen
No fear - Keine Bange!
against this - hiergegen
argue - diskutieren, erörtern, streiten, argumentieren
My uncle's rage was now directed against the cook for having no dinner ready. My explanation however satisfied him, and having gotten the key, she soon contrived to get sufficient to satisfy our voracious appetites.
directed - gerichtet; direkt, unmittelbar, beaufsichtigen, inszenieren
explanation - Erläuterung, Erklärung, Ausführung
satisfied - befriedigen, zufriedenstellen
gotten - bekommen
contrived - ausgeklügelt; ersinnen, entwerfen, bewerkstelligen
sufficient - genügend, ausreichend, hinreichend
voracious - gefräßig, unersättlich, gierig
appetites - Appetit, Begierde, Lust
During the repast my uncle was rather gay than otherwise. He made some of those peculiar jokes which belong exclusively to the learned. As soon, however, as dessert was over, he called me to his study. We each took a chair on opposite sides of the table.
repast - Mahl, Mahlzeit
gay - vergnügt, schwul, homosexuell, lustig, heiter
otherwise - sonst
peculiar - eigentümlich; merkwürdig, seltsam
jokes - Witz, Scherz, Streich, Witz, Spaß, Witz, scherzen, Witze machen
exclusively - ausschließlich, exklusiv, allein, alleinig
dessert - Nachtisch, Nachspeise, Dessert
sides - Seiten; Flanke, Rand, Mannschaft, Team
"Henry," he said, in a soft and winning voice; "I have always believed you ingenious, and you have rendered me a service never to be forgotten. Without you, this great, this wondrous discovery would never have been made. It is my duty, therefore, to insist on your sharing the glory."
soft - sanft, mild, weich
rendered - erbracht; leisten, wiedergeben
service - warten; Bedienung, Dienstleistung, Betrieb
wondrous - wunderbar, wundersam, erstaunlich, verwunderlich, bemerkenswert
Duty - Die Pflicht; Pflicht; Schicht, Arbeitszeit, Zoll, Einfuhrsteuer
insist - darauf bestehen; auf , bestehen
glory - Pracht, Herrlichkeit, Prunk, Gepränge, Ruhm
"He is in a good humor," thought I; "I'll soon let him know my opinion of glory."
"In the first place," he continued, "you must keep the whole affair a profound secret. There is no more envious race of men than scientific discoverers. Many would start on the same journey. At all events, we will be the first in the field."
affair - Angelegenheit; Scharmützel; Ding; Beziehung, Affäre
more envious - neidischere
race - um die Wette rennen; Rasse, Menschenschlag, Rennen
discoverers - Entdecker
field - Feld, Gefilde, Heide, tHeideland
"I doubt your having many competitors," was my reply.
competitors - Konkurrenten; Konkurrent, Konkurrentin, Wettkämpfer
"A man of real scientific acquirements would be delighted at the chance. We should find a perfect stream of pilgrims on the traces of Arne Saknussemm, if this document were once made public."
acquirements - Errungenschaften; Erwerbung, Erlangung
chance - riskieren, zufällig geschehen; Chance, Zufall, Gelegenheit
stream - Bach; Strom; Datenstrom; strömen; streamen
pilgrims - Pilger, Wallfahrer
traces - Spuren; Zeichen, Spur
public - öffentlich; Publikum, Öffentlichkeit
"But, my dear sir, is not this paper very likely to be a hoax?" I urged.
urged - gedrängt; Drang, drängen, mahnen, treiben, anspornen
"The book in which we find it is sufficient proof of its authenticity," he replied.
authenticity - Authentizität
"I thoroughly allow that the celebrated Professor wrote the lines, but only, I believe, as a kind of mystification," was my answer.
thoroughly - gründlich, vollkommen, total, durch und durch
allow - erlauben, zulassen, akzeptieren, mit einberechnen
mystification - Mystifizierung; Verblüffung
Scarcely were the words out of my mouth, when I was sorry I had uttered them. My uncle looked at me with a dark and gloomy scowl, and I began to be alarmed for the results of our conversation. His mood soon changed, however, and a smile took the place of a frown.
uttered - geäußert; äußerst
gloomy - düster, finster, trübe, dunkel
scowl - Stirnrunzeln; mürrischer Gesichtsausdruck; finster blicken
be alarmed - sich ängstigen (um)
mood - Anwandlung, Stimmung, launisch
smile - Lächeln
frown - Stirnrunzeln; die Stirn runzeln
"We shall see," he remarked, with decisive emphasis.
remarked - bemerkt; bemerken; Anmerkung, Bemerkung
decisive - entscheidend
emphasis - Nachdruck, Eindringlichkeit, Emphase, Schwerpunkt
"But see, what is all this about Yocul, and Sneffels, and this Scartaris? I have never heard anything about them."
"The very point to which I am coming. I lately received from my friend Augustus Peterman, of Leipzig, a map. take down the third atlas from the second shelf, series Z, plate 4."
lately - in letzter Zeit; neulich, kürzlich, letztlich
Augustus - Augustus, August, Augustus
Leipzig - Leipzig
take down - herunternehmen, abnehmen, aufschreiben
atlas - Atlant, Atlas
shelf - Regal; Schelf
plate - Teller; Platte (Druckplatte); Lagerplatte, Lochstein (Uhr)
I rose, went to the shelf, and presently returned with the volume indicated.
indicated - angezeigt; anzeigen, anweisen, andeuten, anzeigen, andeuten
"This," said my uncle, "is one of the best maps of Iceland. I believe it will settle all your doubts, difficulties and objections."
settle - regeln; abklären
doubts - bezweifeln, zweifeln, Zweifel
difficulties - Schwierigkeiten; Schwierigkeit
objections - Einwände; Beanstandung, Einwand, Widerspruch, Einspruch
With a grim hope to the contrary, I stooped over the map.
grim - makaber, grimmig
stooped - gekrümmt; Buckel, sich beugen
"You see, the whole island is composed of volcanoes," said the Professor, "and remark carefully that they all bear the name of Yocul. The word is Icelandic, and means a glacier. In most of the lofty mountains of that region the volcanic eruptions come forth from icebound caverns. Hence the name applied to every volcano on this extraordinary island."
composed - komponiert; compos
volcanoes - Vulkane; Vulkan, qoetic
glacier - Gletscher, Ferner, Kees
lofty - erhaben; hoch
region - Gegend, Region, Raum, Gebiet, Bezirk
volcanic - vulkanisch
eruptions - Ausbrüche; Eruption, Ausbruch, Vulkanausbruch, Ausbruch
icebound - eisgebunden
caverns - Kavernen; große, Kaverne
hence - von hier, fort, von dannen, daher, deshalb
applied - angewendet; zutreffen, auflegen, anwenden, anlegen
"But what does this word Sneffels mean?"
To this question I expected no rational answer. I was mistaken.
expected - erwartet; erwarten, erwarten, erwarten
rational - vernünftig
"Follow my finger to the western coast of Iceland, there you see Reykjavik, its capital. Follow the direction of one of its innumerable fjords or arms of the sea, and what do you see below the sixty-fifth degree of latitude?"
Western - westlich, West-, Western
coast - Küste
direction - Richtung; Führung; Regie
innumerable - Unzählige
fjords - Fjorde; Fjord
see below - s.u. siehe unten
degree - Abschluss; Diplom, akademischer Diplom, Grad, Winkelgrad
Latitude - Breite, geographische Breite, Breitengrad, Breitenkreis
"A peninsula-very like a thighbone in shape."
Peninsula - Halbinsel
thighbone - Oberschenkelknochen, Femur
shape - Zustand, Form, Gestalt, Form
"And in the centre of it-?"
"A mountain."
"Well, that's Sneffels."
I had nothing to say.
"That is Sneffels-a mountain about five thousand feet in height, one of the most remarkable in the whole island, and certainly doomed to be the most celebrated in the world, for through its crater we shall reach the centre of the earth."
height - Höhe; Größe
most remarkable - beachtenswerteste
doomed - dem Untergang geweiht; Bann, Urteil
"Impossible!" cried I, startled and shocked at the thought.
shocked - schockiert; Schock, Betroffenheit, Empörung, Schlag, Stoß
"Why impossible?" said Professor Hardwigg in his severest tones.
severest - am schwersten; streng
tones - Töne; Farbton, Klang, Umgangston, Ton
"Because its crater is choked with lava, by burning rocks-by infinite dangers."
choked - gewürgt; erwürgen, erdrosseln, ersticken, überwältigen
lava - Lava
burning - Verbrennen; brennend; Verbrennung; (burn) Verbrennen; brennend; Verbrennung
rocks - schaukeln, schütteln, rocken, sich wiegen (Boot); Geldstück
infinite - unendlich, endlos, unzählige
dangers - Gefahren; Gefahr, Risiko
"But if it be extinct?"
extinct - erloschen; aussterben
"That would make a difference."
"Of course it would. There are about three hundred volcanoes on the whole surface of the globe-but the greater number are extinct. Of these Sneffels is one. No eruption has occurred since 1219-in fact it has ceased to be a volcano at all."
surface - Oberfläche; auftauchen; publik werden, ans Licht kommen
eruption - Eruption, Ausbruch, Vulkanausbruch
After this what more could I say? Yes,-I thought of another objection.
objection - Beanstandung; Einwand, Widerspruch, Einspruch
"But what is all this about Scartaris and the kalends of July-?"
My uncle reflected deeply. Presently he gave forth the result of his reflections in a sententious tone. "What appears obscure to you, to me is light. This very phrase shows how particular Saknussemm is in his directions. The Sneffels mountain has many craters. He is careful therefore to point the exact one which is the highway into the Interior of the Earth.
reflected - reflektiert; reflektieren, zurückspiegeln, spiegeln
deeply - tief; zutiefst
reflections - Überlegungen; Reflexion, Abbild
sententious - sententiös
obscure - obskur, dunkel, vernebelt, finster
directions - Richtungen; Richtung, Führung, Regie
craters - Krater; Becher
careful - vorsichtig, behutsam, sorgfältig
highway - Autobahn; Hauptstraße, Chaussee
interior - inner; Interieur, Inneres, Innenraum, offener Kern
He lets us know, for this purpose, that about the end of the month of June, the shadow of Mount Scartaris falls upon the one crater. There can be no doubt about the matter."
purpose - absicht, Absicht, Einsatzzweck, Zweck
shadow - Schatten; beschatten
mount - Reittier, Berg, Lafette (Waffe); einbauen, aufsteigen
My uncle had an answer for everything.
answer for - verantworten
"I accept all your explanations" I said, "and Saknussemm is right. He found out the entrance to the bowels of the earth, he has indicated correctly, but that he or anyone else ever followed up the discovery is madness to suppose."
Accept - annehmen, abnehmen, akzeptieren, aufnehmen
explanations - Erklärungen; Erläuterung, Erklärung, Ausführung, Erklärung
entrance - Eingang, Einfahrt, Antritt
bowels - Därme; Dickdarm, Darm, Inneres
correctly - korrekt, genau, richtig
suppose - annehmen, vermuten, vermeinen
"Why so, young man?"
"All scientific teaching, theoretical and practical, shows it to be impossible."
theoretical - theoretisch
practical - praktisch; Praktikum
"I care nothing for theories," retorted my uncle.
care - kümmern; Sorgfalt, Aufbewahrung, Behandlung
theories - Theorien; Theorie, Theorie, Theorie, Theorie
"But is it not well-known that heat increases one degree for every seventy feet you descend into the earth? Which gives a fine idea of the central heat. All the matters which compose the globe are in a state of incandescence; even gold, platinum, and the hardest rocks are in a state of fusion. What would become of us?"
heat - Hitze, Wärme
increases - erhöht; zunehmen, steigen, ansteigen, wachsen, anwachsen
central - zentral, mittig
compose - zusammenstellen, zusammensetzen, komponieren, enthalten, umfasst
incandescence - Erglühen
gold - Gold
platinum - Platin
fusion - Schmelzen; Verschmelzen
"Don't be alarmed at the heat, my boy."
alarmed - beunruhigt; Alarm, Alarm, Alarmsignal
"How so?"
"Neither you nor anybody else know anything about the real state of the earth's interior. All modern experiments tend to explode the older theories. Were any such heat to exist, the upper crust of the earth would be shattered to atoms, and the world would be at an end."
Anybody - Ist da jemand; jemand, wer
experiments - Experimente; Experiment
tend - tendieren; abzielen
explode - sprengen, explodieren, platzen
exist - bestehen, existieren
crust - Kruste, Rinde
shattered - zertrümmert; zum Zerspringen bringen, zerschmettern
atoms - Atome; Atom
A long, learned and not uninteresting discussion followed, which ended in this wise:
discussion - Diskussion, Erörterung, Besprechung
wise - weise; klug, vernünftig
"I do not believe in the dangers and difficulties which you, Henry, seem to multiply; and the only way to learn, is like Arne Saknussemm, to go and see."
multiply - multiplizieren
"Well," cried I, overcome at last, "let us go and see. Though how we can do that in the dark is another mystery."
"Fear nothing. We shall overcome these, and many other difficulties. Besides, as we approach the centre, I expect to find it luminous-"
fear - fürchten, befürchten, Angst haben; Furcht, Schreck, Befürchtung
approach - sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
luminous - leuchtend
"Nothing is impossible."
"And now that we have come to a thorough understanding, not a word to any living soul. Our success depends on secrecy and dispatch."
thorough - gründlich
depends - abhängt; abhängen, ankommen
secrecy - Geheimhaltung; Geheimniskrämerei, Geheimnistuerei
dispatch - Versand; verschicken, versenden, beeilen, besiegen, entziehen
Thus ended our memorable conference, which roused a perfect fever in me. Leaving my uncle, I went forth like one possessed. Reaching the banks of the Elbe, I began to think. Was all I had heard really and truly possible? Was my uncle in his sober senses, and could the interior of the earth be reached? Was I the victim of a madman, or was he a discoverer of rare courage and grandeur of conception?
thus - also; auf diese Weise, so, demnach, folglich, dieses
memorable - erinnerungswürdig; denkwürdig, merkwürdig, einprägsam
conference - Konferenz, Tagung
roused - geweckt; wachrufen, wecken
fever - Fieber, Temperaturerhöhung
possessed - besessen; Schutzpolizeiaufgebote
reaching - erreichen; erzielen, greifen (nach)
Elbe - Elbe
sober - nüchtern, besonnen, ernst, gedeckt, ernüchtern, ausnüchtern
senses - Sinne; Sinn, Gefühl
reached - erreicht; erzielen, greifen (nach), sich erstrecken; eintreffen
victim - Opfer
madman - Irrer, Wahnsinniger, Verrückter
Discoverer - Entdecker
courage - Courage, Herz, Mut, Tapferkeit
grandeur - Erhabenheit; Herrlichkeit, Pracht, Hoheit
conception - Empfängnis; Vorstellung, Konzeption
To a certain extent I was anxious to be off. I was afraid my enthusiasm would cool. I determined to pack up at once. At the end of an hour, however, on my way home, I found that my feelings had very much changed.
be off - geplatzt sein, fortgehen, weggehen, sich wegscheren, frei haben, weg sein
enthusiasm - Begeisterung, Enthusiasmus, Schwärmerei
pack up - zusammen packen, zusammenpacken [alt]
feelings - Gefühle; Gefühl, Eindruck
"I'm all abroad," I cried; "'tis a nightmare-I must have dreamed it."
Tis - (it is) es ist; (Ti) (it is) es ist
nightmare - Albtraum, Alptraum
dreamed - geträumt; Traum, Traum, t+Wunsch, träumen, träumen, t+wünschen
At this moment I came face to face with Gretchen, whom I warmly embraced.
whom - wen; wem; dem, der, den, die
warmly - herzlich
embraced - umarmt; umarmen, annehmen, umarmen, Umarmung
"So you have come to meet me," she said; "how good of you. But what is the matter?"
Well, it was no use mincing the matter, I told her all. She listened with awe, and for some minutes she could not speak.
mincing - Faschieren; zerhackend, affektiert; (mince); Hackfleisch
awe - Ehrfurcht; Staunen; einschüchtern
"Well?" I at last said, rather anxiously.
anxiously - ängstlich; besorgt, bang, unruhig
"What a magnificent journey. If I were only a man! A journey worthy of the nephew of Professor Hardwigg. I should look upon it as an honor to accompany him."
honor - Ehre; ehren
"My dear Gretchen, I thought you would be the first to cry out against this mad enterprise."
cry - weinen; schreien; rufen; Weinen; Schrei
enterprise - Unternehmen; Unterfangen, Vorhaben, Unternehmungsgeist
"No; on the contrary, I glory in it. It is magnificent, splendid-an idea worthy of my father. Henry Lawson, I envy you."
splendid - glänzend; prächtig; hervorragend
envy - Neid; beneiden
This was, as it were, conclusive. The final blow of all.
conclusive - schlüssig
When we entered the house we found my uncle surrounded by workmen and porters, who were packing up. He was pulling and hauling at a bell.
surrounded - umgeben, umringen, umzingeln, umringen
workmen - Handwerker; Arbeiter
porters - Gepäckträger, Pförtner, Portier
packing up - zusammenpackend [alt], zusammen packend
hauling - ziehen, schleppen, transportieren, befödern
bell - Klingel, Schelle, Glocke
"Where have you been wasting your time? Your portmanteau is not packed-my papers are not in order-the precious tailor has not brought my clothes, nor my gaiters-the key of my carpet bag is gone!"
wasting - Verschwendung, Vergeudung; (wast) Verschwendung, Vergeudung
packed - verpackt; packen, einpacken; packen (verstauen); Bündel, Meute
tailor - Schneider, Schneiderin, schneidern, zuschneiden, anpassen
gaiters - Gamaschen; Pflaster, Faltenbalg, Gamasche
carpet - Teppich, Teppichboden, auslegen, bedecken
I looked at him stupefied. And still he tugged away at the bell.
stupefied - verblüfft; betäuben
tugged - gezerrt; zerren, zerren, schleppen, Ruck
"We are really off, then?" I said.
"Yes-of course, and yet you go out for a stroll, unfortunate boy!"
stroll - Spaziergang, Bummel, spazieren gehen, bummeln, schlendern
unfortunate - unglücklich, unglückselig
"And when do we go?"
"The day after tomorrow, at daybreak."
daybreak - Tagesanbruch
I heard no more; but darted off to my little bedchamber and locked myself in. There was no doubt about it now. My uncle had been hard at work all the afternoon. The garden was full of ropes, rope ladders, torches, gourds, iron clamps, crowbars, alpenstocks, and pickaxes-enough to load ten men.
bedchamber - Schlafgemach
ropes - Seile; Tau, Seil, Strang
ladders - Leitern; Leiter, Laufmasche
torches - Fackeln; Fackel, anzünden
gourds - Kürbisse; Kalebasse
iron - eisern; bügeln; in Eisen legen
clamps - Zwinge; klammern, halten, einklemmen, klemmen
crowbars - Brechstangen; Brechstange, Brecheisen
pickaxes - Spitzhacken; Spitzhacke, Pickel
load - Last, Beschickung (Ladung), Belastung; beladen, ich lüde
I passed a terrible night. I was called early the next day to learn that the resolution of my uncle was unchanged and irrevocable. I also found my cousin and affianced wife as warm on the subject as was her father.
unchanged - unverändert
irrevocable - unwiderruflich
Next day, at five o'clock in the morning, the post chaise was at the door. Gretchen and the old cook received the keys of the house; and, scarcely pausing to wish anyone good-by, we started on our adventurous journey into the centre of the earth.
pausing - pausierend; (pause); pausieren, innehalten, Pause
wish - Wunsch; wünschen
good-by - (good-by) leb wohl
adventurous - abenteuerlich
At Altona, a suburb of Hamburg, is the Chief Station of the Kiel railway, which was to take us to the shores of the Belt. In twenty minutes from the moment of our departure we were in Holstein, and our carriage entered the station. Our heavy luggage was taken out, weighed, labeled, and placed in a huge van. We then took our tickets, and exactly at seven o'clock were seated opposite each other in a firstclass railway carriage.
suburb - Vorstadt, Vorort, Stadtteil, Bezirk, Stadtbezirk
chief - Häuptling, Oberhaupt, Chef
shores - Ufern; Ufer, Stützbalken, Küste, Strebe
belt - Gürtel; Gurt; Riemen, Zone, schmettern
departure - Abreise; Abfahrt
luggage - Gepäck, Gepäckstück, Reisegepäck, etaphorical
weighed - gewogen; wiegen, wägen, abwiegen, auswiegen, abwägen, erwägen
labeled - beschriftet; Etikett
van - Lieferwagen; Van
firstclass - erste Klasse
railway carriage - Eisenbahnwagen
My uncle said nothing. He was too busy examining his papers, among which of course was the famous parchment, and some letters of introduction from the Danish consul which were to pave the way to an introduction to the Governor of Iceland.
examining - die Prüfung; untersuchen, untersuchen, untersuchen, prüfen
introduction - Einführung; Vorstellung
Danish - Dänisch
consul - Konsul, Konsulin
pave - mit Platten auslegen; pflastern, bepflastern
governor - Gouverneur, Gouverneurin, Regler
My only amusement was looking out of the window. But as we passed through a flat though fertile country, this occupation was slightly monotonous. In three hours we reached Kiel, and our baggage was at once transferred to the steamer.
amusement - Belustigung; Amüsement
passed through - durchgelaufen
fertile - fruchtbar, geil
occupation - Beschäftigung, Beruf, Besatzung; Besetzung; q
slightly - ein wenig, leicht
monotonous - eintönig
baggage - Gepäck, Reisegepäck
transferred - übertragen, versetzen, bringen, Übertragung, Versetzung
steamer - Dampfschiff, Dampfer
We had now a day before us, a delay of about ten hours. Which fact put my uncle in a towering passion. We had nothing to do but to walk about the pretty town and bay. at length, however, we went on board, and at half past ten were steaming down the Great Belt.
delay - Verspätung, Verzögerung, Verzug
bay - Erker, Bucht, Gestell, Bellen
at length - schließlich, endlich, ausführlich
board - Brett, Tafel
steaming - Dämpfen; dampfend; (steam); Wasserdampf, Kraft, Energie
It was a dark night, with a strong breeze and a rough sea, nothing being visible but the occasional fires on shore, with here and there a lighthouse. At seven in the morning we left Korsor, a little town on the western side of Seeland.
breeze - Brise, Hauch
rough sea - hoher Seegang
visible - sichtbar
occasional - gelegentlich, okkasionell
on shore - an Land, an der Küste
lighthouse - Leuchtturm
Here we took another railway, which in three hours brought us to the capital, Copenhagen, where, scarcely taking time for refreshment, my uncle hurried out to present one of his letters of introduction.
Railway - Eisenbahnlinie, Gleis, Eisenbahn
Copenhagen - Kopenhagen
refreshment - Erfrischung
hurried - eilig; Eile, beeilen
It was to the director of the Museum of Antiquities, who, having been informed that we were tourists bound for Iceland, did all he could to assist us. One wretched hope sustained me now. Perhaps no vessel was bound for such distant parts.
director - Direktor, Direktorin, Regisseur, Regisseurin
Antiquities - Antiquitäten; Antike, Altertum
informed - informiert; benachrichtigen, mitteilen, informieren
assist - assistieren, helfen, beistehen, unterstützen, vorlegen, Vorlage
sustained - unterhalten, aufrechterhalten, versorgen, unterhalten
vessel - Schiff, Boot, Wasserfahrzeug, Gefäß, Behälter
distant - weit entfernt; abgelegen, abstehend, distanziert, entfernt
Alas! a little Danish schooner, the Valkyrie, was to sail on the second of June for Reykjavik. The captain, M. Bjarne, was on board, and was rather surprised at the energy and cordiality with which his future passenger shook him by the hand. To him a voyage to Iceland was merely a matter of course. My uncle, on the other hand, considered the event of sublime importance.
schooner - Schoner
Valkyrie - Walküre
sail - segeln, abfahren (nach); Segel; schippern (ugs.), segeln
energy - Energie
cordiality - Herzlichkeit
passenger - Passagier, Passagierin, Fahrgast, Fahrgästin
shook - geschüttelt; (to shake) erschüttern, schütteln
Voyage - Die Reise; Reise
merely - bloß, lediglich, nur, schier
considered - berücksichtigt; überlegen, überlegen, halten, betrachten
sublime - sublimierens, erhaben
The honest sailor took advantage of the Professor's enthusiasm to double the fare.
sailor - Matrose, Matrosin, Seemann, Seefrau
advantage - Vorteil; Vorzug
fare - Tarifzone, Fahrpreiszone, Teilstrecke; Nahrung, Fahrpreis
"On Tuesday morning at seven o'clock be on board," said M. Bjarne, handing us our receipts.
receipts - Quittungen; Empfang, Einnahme, Empfangsbestätigung, Quittung
"Excellent! Capital! Glorious!" remarked my uncle as we sat down to a late breakfast; "refresh yourself, my boy, and we will take a run through the town."
glorious - ruhmvoll, glorreich, herrlich, prachtvoll
refresh - erfrischen, erquicken, auffrischen, aktualisieren, neu laden
run through - durchströmen
Our meal concluded, we went to the Kongens-Nye-Torw; to the king's magnificent palace; to the beautiful bridge over the canal near the Museum; to the immense cenotaph of Thorwaldsen with its hideous naval groups; to the castle of Rosenberg; and to all the other lions of the place-none of which my uncle even saw, so absorbed was he in his anticipated triumphs.
concluded - abgeschlossen; beenden, schließen, zu Ende führen, abschließen
king - König
Palace - Palast; Schloss
Bridge - überbrücken, eine Brücke schlagen; Einschraubbrücke; Brücke
immense - immens
cenotaph - Ehrenmal, Kenotaph, Scheingrab
hideous - scheußlich; abscheulich
naval - Flotten.., von der Marine, Marine.., See..
castle - Burg, Festung, Schloss, rochieren
none - kein, nichts, keines, keine, keiner, gar nicht
anticipated - vorweggenommen; vorgreifen, voraussehen, vorausahnen
triumphs - Triumphe; Sieg, Erfolg
But one thing struck his fancy, and that was a certain singular steeple situated on the Island of Amak, which is the southeast quarter of the city of Copenhagen. My uncle at once ordered me to turn my steps that way, and accordingly we went on board the steam ferry boat which does duty on the canal, and very soon reached the noted dockyard quay.
singular - einzeln; einzigartig; ungewöhnlich; singularisch; singulär; Einzahl
steeple - Kirchturm
situated - gelegen; aufstellen, unterbringen
southeast - Südosten
accordingly - dementsprechend; logischerweise
steam - etwas dünsten;Dampf
ferry boat - Fährboot , Fähre
Dockyard - Werft
quay - Kai
In the first instance we crossed some narrow streets, where we met numerous groups of galley slaves, with particolored trousers, grey and yellow, working under the orders and the sticks of severe taskmasters, and finally reached the Vor-Frelser's-Kirk.
narrow - eng, schmal, knapp
numerous - zahlreich, vielzählig
galley - Galeere; Kombüse
slaves - Sklaven; Sklave, t+Sklavin, Sklave, t+Sklavin, Sklave
particolored - besonders gefärbt
sticks - Stöcke; stich!, ich/er/sie stäche, ich/er/sie stach; Schläger
taskmasters - Zuchtmeister, Antreiber, Aufseher
This church exhibited nothing remarkable in itself; in fact, the worthy Professor had only been attracted to it by one circumstance, which was, that its rather elevated steeple started from a circular platform, after which there was an exterior staircase, which wound round to the very summit.
church - Kirche; Gottesdienst, Messe
exhibited - ausgestellt; zeigen, zur Schau stellen, ausstellen, vorzeigen
remarkable - bemerkenswert, verwunderlich, denkwürdig, beachtenswert
itself - von selbst, von allein, sich selbst
circumstance - Umstand
elevated - erhöht; gehoben; (elevate); erhöhen, anheben
circular - Kreis
platform - Plattform, Podest, Programm, Parteiprogramm, Grundsatzprogramm
exterior - Außen-; Äußeres, Außenseite
staircase - Treppe
wound - anschießen, verwunden
summit - Gipfel
"Let us ascend," said my uncle.
ascend - steigen, aufsteigen
"But I never could climb church towers," I cried, "I am subject to dizziness in my head."
towers - Türme; starker Rückhalt, Turm; emporragen, hochragen, ragen
dizziness - Schwindel, Schwindelgefühl, Schwindelanfall, Benommenheit
"The very reason why you should go up. I want to cure you of a bad habit."
cure - räuchern (Fleisch), heilen, abbinden (Leim); Kur, Heilung
bad habit - Unsitte , Unart
"But, my good sir-"
"I tell you to come. What is the use of wasting so much valuable time?"
valuable - wertvoll; Wertgegenstand, Wertsache
It was impossible to dispute the dictatorial commands of my uncle. I yielded with a groan. On payment of a fee, a verger gave us the key. He, for one, was not partial to the ascent. My uncle at once showed me the way, running up the steps like a schoolboy. I followed as well as I could, though no sooner was I outside the tower, than my head began to swim. There was nothing of the eagle about me. The earth was enough for me, and no ambitious desire to soar ever entered my mind.
dispute - Streit, Disput, Debatte, erörtern, bestreiten
dictatorial - diktatorisch
commands - Befehl, Kommando
yielded - nachgegeben; hervorbringen, er/sie hat/hatte ergeben, weichen
groan - Stöhnen; Seufzen, Ächzen, Knarren
payment - Bezahlung
fee - Gebühr
partial - teilweise, partiell, parteiisch
ascent - erman: Anstieg g; Aufstieg g; Besteigung g; Aufstieg; Anhöhe; Steigung
running up - anlaufend
schoolboy - Schüler, Schuljunge
tower - starker Rückhalt, Turm; emporragen, hochragen, ragen
eagle - Adler, Eagle
ambitious - ehrgeizig
desire - begehren; Begehren, Wunsch
soar - aufsteigen; schweben; hochfliegen; gleiten; hochschnellen
Still things did not go badly until I had ascended 150 steps, and was near the platform, when I began to feel the rush of cold air. I could scarcely stand, when clutching the railings, I looked upwards. The railing was frail enough, but nothing to those which skirted the terrible winding staircase, that appeared, from where I stood, to ascend to the skies.
badly - schlecht
ascended - aufgestiegen; steigen, aufsteigen
cold air - Kaltluft
clutching - Umklammern; Vogelgelege; Kupplung (Auto), Gelege
railings - Geländer
upwards - nach oben; ansteigend, aufwärts
frail - zerbrechlich, schwächliche, gebrechlich
winding - (wind) aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln
skies - Himmel; Ski, Schi, Ski fahren, Schi fahren, Ski laufen
"now then, Henry."
now then - nun also
"I can't do it!" I cried, in accents of despair.
I can't do it - Ich kann es nicht machen.
accents - Akzente; Dialekt, Akzent, Betonung; betonen, akzentuieren
despair - verzweifeln; Verzweiflung
"Are you, after all, a coward, sir?" said my uncle in a pitiless tone. "Go up, I say!"
coward - Feigling
To this there was no reply possible. And yet the keen air acted violently on my nervous system; sky, earth, all seemed to swim round, while the steeple rocked like a ship. My legs gave way like those of a drunken man. I crawled upon my hands and knees; I hauled myself up slowly, crawling like a snake. Presently I closed my eyes, and allowed myself to be dragged upwards.
keen - eifrig, scharf
acted - gehandelt; Handlung, Tat, Akt, Gesetz
violently - gewaltsam; gewalttätig
nervous system - Nervensystem
sky - Himmel; (am) Firmament
rocked - gerockt; schaukeln, schütteln, rocken
ship - verschicken, verschiffen, abfertigen, befördern; Schiff
gave way - wich
drunken - betrunken, trunken
hauled - geschleppt; ziehen, schleppen, transportieren, befödern
slowly - langsam
crawling - (crawl) krabbeln, kriechen; (crawl) (crawl) krabbeln, kriechen
dragged - geschleppt; Planierschleppe; nachschleppen, schleppen, ziehen
"Look around you," said my uncle in a stern voice, "heaven knows what profound abysses you may have to look down. This is excellent practice."
stern - ernst, Heck
Heaven - Der Himmel; Himmel, Firmament, Paradies
abysses - Abgründe; Abgrund, Hölle, Abgrund, Abgrund
look down - den Blick senken, herabblicken, herunterschauen
Slowly, and shivering all the while with cold, I opened my eyes. What then did I see? My first glance was upwards at the cold fleecy clouds, which as by some optical delusion appeared to stand still, while the steeple, the weathercock, and our two selves were carried swiftly along. Far away on one side could be seen the grassy plain, while on the other lay the sea bathed in translucent light.
shivering - Frösteln; schlotternde, schlotternd
glance - blicken; Blick, Streifblick, Glanz, Steinkohle
fleecy - flauschig; wollig
clouds - Wolken; verschleiern
optical - optisch
delusion - Täuschung, Irreführung, Wahn, Wahnvorstellung
stand still - Stillstandszeit
weathercock - Wetterhahn; Wetterfahne
selves - Selbst
Swiftly - Zügig; schnell, flink, behände
grassy - grasbewachsen
plain - unscheinbar, einfach, vollständige, ehrlich
translucent - lichtdurchlässig
The Sund, or Sound as we call it, could be discovered beyond the point of Elsinore, crowded with white sails, which, at that distance looked like the wings of seagulls; while to the east could be made out the far-off coast of Sweden. The whole appeared a magic panorama.
beyond - darüber hinaus; jenseits
crowded - überfüllt; Menschenmenge, Masse
sails - segeln, abfahren (nach); Segel; schippern (ugs.), segeln
wings - Flügel, t+Schwinge, Flügel, Flügel, t+Gebäudeflügel, Flügel
seagulls - Möwen; Seemöwe
Sweden - Schweden
magic - Zauberei, Zauber, Magie, Hexerei
panorama - Panorama, Rundblick
But faint and bewildered as I was, there was no remedy for it. Rise and stand up I must. Despite my protestations my first lesson lasted quite an hour. When, nearly two hours later, I reached the bosom of mother earth, I was like a rheumatic old man bent double with pain.
faint - leise, schwach, undeutlich, ohnmächtig werden
remedy for - Mittel gegen
rise - steigen; Kursanstieg; Aufgang, Gehaltszulage, Aufschwung
despite - trotz
lasted - gedauert; letzte, zuletzt, letzter, vorig; dauern, andauern
bosom - Busen, Brust, der Busenfreund (bosom buddy)
rheumatic - rheumatisch
bent - verbogen; (to bend) sich niederbeugen, verbiegen
pain - Schmerzen; Qual, Stich (Schmerz), Schmerz
"Enough for one day," said my uncle, rubbing his hands, "we will begin again tomorrow."
rubbing - Reiben, Polieren; (rub); reiben, abreiben, sich abreiben
There was no remedy. My lessons lasted five days, and at the end of that period, I ascended blithely enough, and found myself able to look down into the depths below without even winking, and with some degree of pleasure.
remedy - Abhilfe; Gegenmittel; Heilmittel; beheben
blithely - fröhlich; ungerührt, unbekümmert
depths - Untiefen; Tiefe
winking - (wink) (mit einem) Augenzwinkern; (wink) (wink) (mit einem) Augenzwinkern
The hour of departure came at last. The night before, the worthy Mr. Thompson brought us the most cordial letters of introduction for Baron Trampe, Governor of Iceland, for M. Pictursson, coadjutor to the bishop, and for M. Finsen, mayor of the town of Reykjavik. In return, my uncle nearly crushed his hands, so warmly did he shake them.
Mr - Herr
most cordial - herzlichste
Baron - Baron, Freiherr
coadjutor - Koadjutor
bishop - Läufer (Schach), Bischof
mayor - Bürgermeister, Bürgermeisterin
crushed - erdrückt; Schwarm, zerdrücken
shake - schütteln, erschüttern, händeschütteln, Schütteln, Milchshake
On the second of the month, at two in the morning, our precious cargo of luggage was taken on board the good ship Valkyrie. We followed, and were very politely introduced by the captain to a small cabin with two standing bed places, neither very well ventilated nor very comfortable. But in the cause of science men are expected to suffer.
cargo - Fracht, Ladung, Cargo
politely - höflich
cabin - Hütte, Blockhütte, Kabine, Kajüte
ventilated - belüftet; lüften, belüften, ventilieren, lüften, belüften
cause - Ursache, Anlass, Grund, verursachen, auslösen, lassen
suffer - leiden; erleiden
"Well, and have we a fair wind?" cried my uncle, in his most mellifluous accents.
wind - aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln, abspulen
mellifluous - einschmeichelnd
"An excellent wind!" replied Captain Bjarne; "we shall leave the Sound, going free with all sails set."
set - gesetzt; Seth
A few minutes afterwards, the schooner started before the wind, under all the canvas she could carry, and entered the channel. An hour later, the capital of Denmark seemed to sink into the waves, and we were at no great distance from the coast of Elsinore. My uncle was delighted; for myself, moody and dissatisfied, I appeared almost to expect a glimpse of the ghost of Hamlet.
canvas - Leinwand, Segeltuch
Channel - kanalisieren; Kanal
Denmark - Dänemark
sink - Waschbecken; sinken; senken, versenken, Spüle, Spülbecken
waves - Wellen; wehen, winken mit, flattern
moody - launisch; mürrisch; schwermütig
dissatisfied - unzufrieden; nicht befriedigen, missfallen
Glimpse - Ein Blick; Blick; Aufblitzen, Aufleuchten, Schimmer, entdecken
ghost - Gespenst, Geist, Phantom, Spuk
hamlet - Weiler, Dorf, Hamletbarsche
"Sublime madman," thought I, "you doubtless would approve our proceedings. You might perhaps even follow us to the centre of the earth, there to resolve your eternal doubts."
doubtless - zweifelsfrei, zweifellos
approve - billigen, genehmigen, zusagen
proceedings - fortsetzend, verfahrend
resolve - auflösen, beschließen
eternal - ewig
But no ghost or anything else appeared upon the ancient walls. The fact is, the castle is much later than the time of the heroic prince of Denmark. It is now the residence of the keeper of the Strait of the Sound, and through that Sound more than fifteen thousand vessels of all nations pass every year.
ancient - alt, uralt, antik
heroic - heldenhaft, heroisch
prince - Fürst; Prinz, Königssohn, Königsenkel, König
residence - Wohnsitz, Wohnort, Wohnhaus, Firmensitz
keeper - Hüter; Wächter, Hüter, Torwart, Tormann
Strait - Meerenge, Straße
vessels - Schiffe; Schiff, Boot
nations - Nationen; Staat, Nation, Volk
The castle of Kronborg soon disappeared in the murky atmosphere, as well as the tower of Helsinborg, which raises its head on the Swedish Bank. And here the schooner began to feel in earnest the breezes of the Kattegat. The Valkyrie was swift enough, but with all sailing boats there is the same uncertainty.
disappeared - verschwunden; verschwinden, entschwinden
murky - trübe; düster, trüb
atmosphere - Atmosphäre
raises - erhebt; Gehaltszulage; aufsteigen, anheben, erhöhen
Swedish - Schwedisch
earnest - ernsthaft; gesetzt, ernst; (earn) ernsthaft; gesetzt, ernst
breezes - Brisen; Brise, Hauch
swift - Mauersegler; schnell; Segler; Garnwinde
sailing - absegelnd, segelnd; (sail) absegelnd, segelnd
uncertainty - Unsicherheit, Ungewissheit
Her cargo was coal, furniture, pottery, woolen clothing, and a load of corn. As usual, the crew was small, five Danes doing the whole of the work.
coal - Kohle, Steinkohle
furniture - Möbel
pottery - Töpfern; Töpferware, Tongerät, Töpfergeschirr, Töpferei
woolen - wollen, Woll-, Wollware
clothing - Kleidung; (cloth); Stoff, Tuch
corn - Mais; Korn, Getreide, Hühnerauge
crew - Mannschaft, Crew
Danes - Dänen; Däne, Dänin
"How long will the voyage last?" asked my uncle.
"Well, I should think about ten days," replied the skipper, "unless, indeed, we meet with some northeast gales among the Faroe islands."
skipper - Schiffer, Schiffskapitän
northeast - Nordosten
gales - Stürme; Wach auf!; Mädel
Faroe islands - Färöer
"At all events, there will be no very considerable delay," cried the impatient Professor.
impatient - ungeduldig
"No, Mr. Hardwigg," said the captain, "no fear of that. At all events, we shall get there some day."
towards evening the schooner doubled Cape Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, crossed the Skagerrak during the night-skirted the extreme point of Norway through the gut of Cape Lindesnes, and then reached the Northern Seas. Two days later we were not far from the coast of Scotland, somewhere near what Danish sailors call Peterhead, and then the Valkyrie stretched out direct for the Faroe Islands, between Orkney and Shetland.
towards evening - gegen Abend
doubled - verdoppelt; doppelt, doppelt, doppel-, doppellagig, zweilagig
Cape - Umhang, Kap
northernmost - Nördlichste
extreme - extrem; Extrem
Norway - Norwegen
Gut - Darm, Eingeweide, Bauch, Ranzen, Darm, Darmsaite, ausnehmen
Scotland - Schottland
Sailors - Matrosen; Matrose, Matrosin, Seemann, Seefrau, Seemännin
stretched - gestreckt; strecken, dehnen, langziehen, dehnen
Direct - direkt, unmittelbar, beaufsichtigen, inszenieren, befehlen
Our vessel now felt the full force of the ocean waves, and the wind shifting, we with great difficulty made the Faroe Isles. On the eighth day, the captain made out Myganness, the westernmost of the isles, and from that moment headed direct for Portland, a cape on the southern shores of the singular island for which we were bound.
force - Kraft; zwingen, forcieren, erzwingen; Stärke, Macht, Einfluss
Ocean - Weltmeer, Ozean
shifting - Verschieben; wechseln; (shift); Schicht; Verschiebung
Isles - Eiland
Eighth - achte; Achtel
westernmost - ganz im Westen
southern - südlich, Süd
The voyage offered no incident worthy of record. I bore it very well, but my uncle to his great annoyance, and even shame, was remarkably seasick! This mal de mer troubled him the more that it prevented him from questioning Captain Bjarne as to the subject of Sneffels, as to the means of communication, and the facilities of transport.
offered - angeboten; offerieren, anbieten, bieten, zeigen; Antrag
incident - Vorfall, Begebenheit, Ereignis, Geschehnis
record - protokollieren, erfassen, aufzeichnen, aufnehmen; Akte
bore - langweilig; (to bear fruit) Früchte tragen; (bear) langweilig; (to bear fruit) Früchte tragen
annoyance - Ärger, Ärgernis, Verärgerung, Verdruss
shame - Schamgefühl; Scham, Schande
remarkably - bemerkenswert
seasick - seekrank
troubled - beunruhigt; Ärger, Schwierigkeit, Anstrengung, Bemühung, Mühe
prevented - verhindert; verhindern, vorbeugen
facilities - Einrichtungen; Leichtigkeit, Einrichtung, Vorrichtung, Anlage
transport - transportieren, befördern, Beförderung
All these explanations he had to adjourn to the period of his arrival. His time, meanwhile, was spent lying in bed groaning, and dwelling anxiously on the hoped-for termination of the voyage. I didn't pity him.
adjourn - vertagen; unterbrechen; aufschieben; schließen, aufheben
arrival - Ankunft
groaning - ächzend, stöhnend, Ächzen, Geächze
hoped-for - (hoped-for) erhoffte
termination - Beendigung; Abbruch, Kündigung, Endung
pity - Mitleid; schade; bemitleiden, Mitleid haben mit
On the eleventh day we sighted Cape Portland, over which towered Mount Myrdals Yokul, which, the weather being clear, we made out very readily. The cape itself is nothing but a huge mount of granite standing naked and alone to meet the Atlantic waves. The Valkyrie kept off the coast, steering to the westward. On all sides were to be seen whole "schools" of whales and sharks. After some hours we came in sight of a solitary rock in the ocean, forming a mighty vault, through which the foaming waves poured with intense fury.
eleventh - elfte, elfter
sighted - gesichtet; Sehenswürdigkeit, Gesicht
towered - aufgetürmt; starker Rückhalt, Turm; emporragen, hochragen, ragen
clear - klar, durchsichtig, hell, frei
readily - bereitwillig
granite - Granit
naked - nackt, kahl, bloß
alone - allein, einsam, selbst, nur, ausschließlich
Atlantic - Atlantik; atlantisch
steering - Lenkung; (steer); Lenkung
westward - westwärts
all sides - allseitig
Whales - Wale; (whale) Wale
sharks - Haie; Haifisch, Hai
Rock - schaukeln, schütteln, rocken, sich wiegen (Boot); Geldstück
mighty - gewaltig, mächtig
vault - Tresor; sich wölben, überwölben
foaming - schaumig, schäumend; (foam); Schaum; Schaumgummi; schäumen
poured - geschüttet; schütten, einschenken, gießen
intense - intensiv; hochgradig
The islets of Westman appeared to leap from the ocean, being so low in the water as scarcely to be seen until you were right upon them. From that moment the schooner was steered to the westward in order to round Cape Reykjanes, the western point of Iceland.
islets - Inselchen; Werder
low - tief, niedrig, nieder, leise (Stimme); muhen, blöken (Rind)
steered - Gesteuert; steuern, führen, lenken; junger Ochse, Rind
My uncle, to his great disgust, was unable even to crawl on deck, so heavy a sea was on, and thus lost the first view of the Land of Promise. Forty-eight hours later, after a storm which drove us far to sea under bare poles, we came once more in sight of land, and were boarded by a pilot, who, after three hours of dangerous navigation, brought the schooner safely to an anchor in the bay of Faxa before Reykjavik.
disgust - Abscheu; ekeln; Ekel
unable - unfähig, untauglich
crawl - krabbeln; kriechen
deck - Verdeck ;jdm. eine knallen
view - Aussicht; Anblick, Ansicht, Aufruf, View, sehen
promise - Versprechen
storm - stürmen; Sturm
bare - knapp, kahl, nackt, bloß; entblößen, abnehmen, freimachen
poles - Stangen; (North Pole) Nordpol
boarded - an Bord; Brett, Tafel
pilot - Pilot, Pilotin, Flugzeugführer, Flugzeugführerin, Lotse, führen
navigation - Navigation; Schifffahrt
safely - sicher
anchor - Anker
My uncle came out of his cabin pale, haggard, thin, but full of enthusiasm, his eyes dilated with pleasure and satisfaction. Nearly the whole population of the town was on foot to see us land. The fact was, that scarcely any one of them but expected some goods by the periodical vessel.
pale - Pfahl, blass; bleich (vor), blass (vor)
dilated - geweitet; dilatieren, weiten, vergrößern, erweitern, dehnen
periodical - Zeitschrift; Periodikum
Professor Hardwigg was in haste to leave his prison, or rather as he called it, his hospital; but before he attempted to do so, he caught hold of my hand, led me to the quarterdeck of the schooner, took my arm with his left hand, and pointed inland with his right, over the northern part of the bay, to where rose a high two-peaked mountain-a double cone covered with eternal snow.
haste - Eile, Hast
prison - Gefängnis, Knast, Haft, Gefangenschaft
attempted - Versucht; versuchen, Versuch, Bestreben
hold - halten; innehaben
quarterdeck - Achterdeck, Hinterdeck
inland - im Inland; binnenländisch, binnen
Northern - Nordisch; nördlich, Nord
peaked - einen Höhepunkt erreicht; Höchstwert, Pik (Berg), Spitze
cone - Kegel, Kegelmantel, Zapfen
covered - abgedeckt; Deckel, Abdeckung, Deckung, Versteck
"Behold he whispered in an awe-stricken voice, behold-Mount Sneffels!"
behold - betrachten, sehen, schauen, anschauen
whispered - geflüstert; Geflüster
stricken - angeschlagen; ergriffen, heimgesucht, betroffen
Then without further remark, he put his finger to his lips, frowned darkly, and descended into the small boat which awaited us. I followed, and in a few minutes we stood upon the soil of mysterious Iceland!
lips - Lippen; Lippe, Auslauf, Überlauf, Schnaupe, Ansatz
frowned - die Stirn gerunzelt; die Stirn runzeln
darkly - düster; dunkle, dunkel
descended - abstammen; absteigen, niedergehen, herunterkommen, herabsteigen
awaited - erwartet; erwarten, harren, warten
soil - Boden, (Erd-) Boden; beflecken, beschmutzen, schmutzig machen
Scarcely were we fairly on shore when there appeared before us a man of excellent appearance, wearing the costume of a military officer. He was, however, but a civil servant, a magistrate, the governor of the island-Baron Trampe. The Professor knew whom he had to deal with. He therefore handed him the letters from Copenhagen, and a brief conversation in Danish followed, to which I of course was a stranger, and for a very good reason, for I did not know the language in which they conversed.
fairly - gerecht
shore - Ufer, Stützbalken, Küste, Strebe
costume - Kostüm, Tracht, kostümieren
military officer - Korporal
civil servant - Beamter , Staatsbeamte
magistrate - Magistrat; richterlicher Beamter
brief - kurz; prägnant; kurze Zusammenfassung; briefen, instruieren
Stranger - Ein Fremder; Fremde, Fremdling
conversed - unterhielten; Umkehrung, umgekehrt, Gegenteil
I afterwards heard, however, that Baron Trampe placed himself entirely at the beck and call of Professor Hardwigg.
entirely - vollständig; ganz, total, entirely
beck - Wink
My uncle was most graciously received by M. Finsen, the mayor, who as far as costume went, was quite as military as the governor, but also from character and occupation quite as pacific. As for his coadjutor, M. Pictursson, he was absent on an episcopal visit to the northern portion of the diocese. We were therefore compelled to defer the pleasure of being presented to him. His absence was, however, more than compensated by the presence of M.
graciously - gütige, gnädig
military - Militär
character - Figur, Person, Charakter, Original, Buchstabe, Zeichen
Pacific - Pazifik; ruhig, still, friedlich
absent - (absent-minded) abwesend, geistesabwesend, unaufmerksam
episcopal - bischöflich
portion - Anteil; Teil
diocese - Diözese, Bistum, Eparchie
defer - verzögern, verschieben, aufschieben
compensated - entschädigt; kompensieren, ausgleichen
Fridriksson, professor of natural science in the college of Reykjavik, a man of invaluable ability. This modest scholar spoke no languages save Icelandic and Latin. When, therefore, he addressed himself to me in the language of Horace, we at once came to understand one another. He was, in fact, the only person that I did thoroughly understand during the whole period of my residence in this benighted island.
invaluable - unbezahlbar
ability - Fähigkeit
modest - bescheiden, maßvoll, klein, gering; (mod); bescheiden, maßvoll
scholar - Student, Schüler, Schülerin, Studentin, Gelehrter
save - retten; erretten; sichern, speichern, sparen, aufbewahren (2)
benighted - verblendet; umnachten
Out of three rooms of which his house was composed, two were placed at our service, and in a few hours we were installed with all our baggage, the amount of which rather astonished the simple inhabitants of Reykjavik.
installed - installiert; installieren
astonished - erstaunt; erstaunen
"Now, Harry," said my uncle, rubbing his hands, "an goes well, the worse difficulty is now over."
"How the worse difficulty over?" I cried in fresh amazement.
fresh - kess (frech), frisch, frech, pampig (ugs.)
"Doubtless. Here we are in Iceland. Nothing more remains but to descend into the bowels of the earth."
remains - bleibt; Überrest (2), de
"Well, sir, to a certain extent you are right. We have only to go down-but, as far as I am concerned, that is not the question. I want to know how we are to get up again."
concerned - besorgt; Sorge, Anliegen
"That is the least part of the business, and does not in any way trouble me. In the meantime, there is not an hour to lose. I am about to visit the public library. Very likely I may find there some manuscripts from the hand of Saknussemm. I shall be glad to consult them."
meantime - Inzwischen; unterdessen
public library - öffentliche Bibliothek , Volksbibliothek
manuscripts - Manuskripte; Handschrift, Manuskript, Handschrift, Manuskript
be glad - sich freuen
consult - Rat halten; beraten, beratschlagen, um Rat fragen
"In the meanwhile," I replied, "I will take a walk through the town. Will you not likewise do so?"
likewise - ebenfalls
"I feel no interest in the subject," said my uncle. "What for me is curious in this island, is not what is above the surface, but what is below."
Curious - neugierig, sonderbar, merkwürdig
I bowed by way of reply, put on my hat and furred cloak, and went out.
furred - bepelzt; Fell, Pelz, Fell (gegerbt)
cloak - Umhang, Pelerine, Deckmantel, verhüllen
It was not an easy matter to lose oneself in the two streets of Reykjavik; I had therefore no need to ask my way. The town lies on a flat and marshy plain, between two hills. A vast field of lava skirts it on one side, falling away in terraces towards the sea.
oneself - sich selbst; selbst, sich
lies - Lügen; (lie down) sich hinlegen
marshy - sumpfig, morastig, versumpft, moosig
hills - Hügeln; Hügel, Hang, Steigung, Steigung, Anstieg, häufeln
Terraces - Terrassen; Dachterrasse, Terrasse, Terrasse
On the other hand is the large bay of Faxa, bordered on the north by the enormous glacier of Sneffels, and in which bay the Valkyrie was then the only vessel at anchor. Generally there were one or two English or French gunboats, to watch and protect the fisheries in the offing. They were now, however, absent on duty.
bordered - umrandet; Grenze, Rand, Rand, Beet
enormous - enorm, riesig
gunboats - Kanonenboote; Kanonenboot
protect - schützen, beschützen
fisheries - Fischerei
on duty - i.D. im Dienst, v.D. vom Dienst, diensthabend
The longest of the streets of Reykjavik runs parallel to the shore. In this street the merchants and traders live in wooden huts made with beams of wood, painted red-mere log huts, such as you find in the wilds of America. The other street, situated more to the west, runs toward a little lake between the residences of the bishop and the other personages not engaged in commerce.
parallel - parallel; parallel zu; Parallele; Breitengrad, Breitenkreis
merchants - Kaufleute; Kaufmann, Kauffrau
traders - Händler, Händlerin, Kaufmann, Kauffrau
wooden - hölzern, Holz-
huts - Hütten; Hütte
beams - Balken, Balken, Breite, Pflugbaum, Grindel, Strahl, Balken
log - Logbuch; Log, Holzklotz, Kloben (Holzklotz); aufzeichnen
wilds - Wildnis; wild, rau
toward - zu, in Richtung, nach, auf
lake - Binnensee, See
residences - Wohnsitze; Wohnsitz, Wohnort, Wohnhaus
personages - Persönlichkeiten; Persönlichkeit
engaged - verlobt; beschäftigen, anstellen, angreifen, anlegen, einrasten
commerce - Handel, Kommerz
I had soon seen all I wanted of these weary and dismal thoroughfares. Here and there was a strip of discolored turf, like an old worn-out bit of woolen carpet; and now and then a bit of kitchen garden, in which grew potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce, almost diminutive enough to suggest the idea of Lilliput.
weary - müde
dismal - düster; unzureichend, unzulänglich, jämmerlich, kläglich
thoroughfares - Durchgangsstraßen; Durchfahrt, Durchgangsstraße
strip - Zeichenketten
discolored - verfärbt; verfärben
turf - Grasnarbe; Rasen; Grassode
kitchen garden - Gemüsegarten
cabbage - stehlen; Kraut, kohl, Kohl, Kohlkopf
lettuce - Gartensalat, Salat; q
diminutive - winzig, diminutiv, verkleinernd, Diminutiv, Diminutivum
suggest - vorschlagen
In the centre of the new commercial street, I found the public cemetery, enclosed by an earthen wall. Though not very large, it appeared not likely to be filled for centuries. From hence I went to the house of the Governor-a mere hut in comparison with the Mansion House of Hamburg-but a palace alongside the other Icelandic houses. Between the little lake and the town was the church, built in simple Protestant style, and composed of calcined stones, thrown up by volcanic action.
commercial - Werbung; kommerziell
cemetery - Friedhof, Gottesacker, Totenacker
enclosed - eingeschlossen; beifügen, einschliessen
earthen - Irdisch; Erden
hut - Hütte
comparison - Vergleich, Komparation, Vergleichen, Vergleichung
mansion - Herrenhaus, Villa, Anwesen
alongside - nebenher, entlang, an der Seite
Protestant - Protestant, Protestantin, protestantisch, evangelisch
calcined - kalziniert; calcinieren, kalzinieren, ausglühen, brennen
stones - Steine; Stein, Stein, Edelstein, t+Schmuckstein, Stein, Kern
I have not the slightest doubt that in high winds its red tiles were blown out, to the great annoyance of the pastor and congregation. Upon an eminence close at hand was the national school, in which were taught Hebrew, English, French, and Danish.
slightest - das Geringste; geringfügig, leicht, gering, unbedeutend, wenig
winds - Winde; aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln, abspulen
tiles - Fliesen; Kachel, Fliese; Dachziegel
blown out - ausgeblasen
pastor - Pastor, checkPastorin, checkPfarrer, checkPfarrerin
congregation - Versammeln, Zusammenführen, Gemeindeversammlung
eminence - Eminenz
national - national, Staats-, Staatsangehöriger, Staatsangehörige
In three hours my tour was complete. The general impression upon my mind was sadness. No trees, no vegetation, so to speak-on all sides volcanic peaks-the huts of turf and earth-more like roofs than houses. Thanks to the heat of these residences, grass grows on the roof, which grass is carefully cut for hay. I saw but few inhabitants during my excursion, but I met a crowd on the beach, drying, salting and loading codfish, the principal article of exportation.
Tour - Tournee; Arbeitsschicht, Umlauf, Tour
impression - Abdruck; Eindruck, Impression, Werbeeinblendung
sadness - Traurigkeit; Schicksalsschlag, Pech
vegetation - Vegetation, Pflanzenwuchs
peaks - Spitzenwerte; Höchstwert, Pik (Berg), Spitze
roofs - Dächer; überdachen; Autodach, Dach
grass - Gras; Rasen; Spitzel; verpfeifen
Hay - Heu
excursion - Ausflug, Exkursion, Abschweifung, Exkurs, Digression
crowd - Menschenmenge, Masse
drying - Trocknen; Dörren; (dry); trocken; trocknen, abtrocknen
loading - Ladung, Laden; (load); Ladung, Laden
codfish - Dorsch, Kabeljau
principal - Auftraggeber; hauptsächlich, Haupt-, wesentlich, Rektor
article of exportation - Ausfuhrartikel , Exportartikel
The men appeared robust but heavy; fair-haired like Germans, but of pensive mien-exiles of a higher scale in the ladder of humanity than the Eskimos, but, I thought, much more unhappy, since with superior perceptions they are compelled to live within the limits of the polar circle.
robust - robust
haired - behaart
Germans - Deutscher, Deutscher, Deutsche, Germane, Germanin, Achtelcicero
pensive - nachdenklich, gedankenvoll, gedankenverloren
mien - Miene
exiles - Exilanten; Exil
scale - Maßstab; Skala, Kesselsteine, Schuppe; ersteigen, erklettern
ladder - Leiter; Laufmasche
humanity - die Menschheit; Menschheit; Humanität, Menschlichkeit
Eskimos - Eskimo-p, Eskimo
unhappy - unglücklich
superior - überlegen, höher, höherstehend, übergeordnet, Vorgesetzter
perceptions - Wahrnehmungen; Wahrnehmung
limits - Begrenzung, Grenze, Obergrenze; begrenzen
polar circle - Polarkreis
Sometimes they gave vent to a convulsive laugh, but by No chance did they smile. Their costume consists of a coarse capote of black wool, known in Scandinavian countries as the "vadmel," a broad-brimmed hat, trousers of red serge, and a piece of leather tied with strings for a shoe-a coarse kind of moccasin. The women, though sad-looking and mournful, had rather agreeable features, without much expression. They wear a bodice and petticoat of somber vadmel.
vent - Entlüftung; entlüften
convulsive - krampfhaft
No chance - Ist nicht drin!, Unmöglich!
consists - zusammensetzend, besteht aus; bestehen (aus)
coarse - grob, grobkörnig, derb, primitiv
Wool - Wolle
Scandinavian - Skandinavier, Skandinavierin, skandinavisch
broad - breit, deutliche, großräumig
brimmed - umrandet; übersprudeln; Rand
serge - Serge
leather - Leder; ledern
tied - gebunden; zusammenbinden
strings - Schnur, Zeichenkette, String, Saite, String, auffädeln
moccasin - der Mokassin
mournful - schwermütig; traurig, melancholisch, trübsinnig
agreeable - angenehm; verträglich, liebenswürdig, gefällig
features - Merkmale; Besonderheit, Charakteristikum
bodice - Mieder
petticoat - Petticoat; Unterrock
somber - düster
When unmarried they wear a little brown knitted cap over a crown of plaited hair; but when married, they cover their heads with a colored handkerchief, over which they tie a white scarf.
unmarried - unverheiratet, ledig, solo; (unmarry); unverheiratet, ledig
knitted - gestrickt; stricken, stricken
cap - Ventilkappe; Mütze, Haube, Kappe, Deckel; Laufflächenkrone
crown - Zenit; krönen; Bombage (ballige Fläche), Zahnkrone; Baumkrone
plaited - geflochten; Falte
cover - Versicherungsdeckung ;überdecken;bespannen (mit Stoff ...), decken, überziehen;Ăśberzug , Umschlag , Hülle , Titel
handkerchief - Taschentuch
tie - Unentschieden; zusammenbinden
scarf - Halstuch, Schal
When I returned, dinner was ready. This meal was devoured by my worthy relative with avidity and voracity. His shipboard diet had turned his interior into a perfect gulf. The repast, which was more Danish than Icelandic, was in itself nothing, but the excessive hospitality of our host made us enjoy it doubly.
devoured - verschlungen; verschlingen, fressen, schlingen
avidity - Begierde; Avidität
voracity - Unersättlichkeit
shipboard - an Bord
Gulf - Golf, Meerbusen
excessive - übertrieben; übermäßig, exzessiv
hospitality - Gastfreundlichkeit, Gastfreundschaft, Gastlichkeit, Gastgewerbe
Host - Zeremonienmeister, Hausherr, Menge; Hostie; Gastgeber sein
doubly - zweifach; doppelt
The conversation turned upon scientific matters, and M. Fridriksson asked my uncle what he thought of the public library.
"Library, sir?" cried my uncle; "it appears to me a collection of useless odd volumes, and a beggarly amount of empty shelves."
beggarly - bettelarm; arm
empty - leer; leeren, entleeren, ausleeren, leer machen
shelves - Regale; Regal
"What!" cried M. Fridriksson; "why, we have eight thousand volumes of most rare and valuable works-some in the Scandinavian language, besides all the new publications from Copenhagen."
publications - Veröffentlichungen; Veröffentlichung, Veröffentlichung
"Eight thousand volumes, my dear sir-why, where are they?" cried my uncle.
"Scattered over the country, Professor Hardwigg. We are very studious, my dear sir, though we do live in Iceland. Every farmer, every laborer, every fisherman can both read and write-and we think that books instead of being locked up in cupboards, far from the sight of students, should be distributed as widely as possible.
scattered - verstreut; zerstreuen, zerstreuen, streuen, verstreuen
studious - besonnen; fleißig, lernbegierig
laborer - Arbeiter
fisherman - Fischer, Fischerin, Angler, Anglerin, Fischereiboot
instead - stattdessen, anstatt
cupboards - Schränke; Schrank, Küchenschrank
distributed - verteilt; aufteilen, verteilen, ausliefern, verteilen
widely - weit verbreitet; breit; entfernt
The books of our library are therefore passed from hand to hand without returning to the library shelves perhaps for years."
shelves - Regale; Einbauplatte, Brennplatte; aufschieben, einstellen
"Then when foreigners visit you, there is nothing for them to see?"
foreigners - Ausländern; Ausländer, Ausländerin
"Well, sir, foreigners have their own libraries, and our first consideration is, that our humbler classes should be highly educated. Fortunately, the love of study is innate in the Icelandic people. In 1816 we founded a Literary Society and Mechanics'Institute; many foreign scholars of eminence are honorary members; we publish books destined to educate our people, and these books have rendered valuable services to our country.
consideration - Berücksichtigung; Erwägung, Überlegung, Rücksicht, Vergütung
humbler - bescheidener; demütiger
highly - am Höchsten, hoch
educated - Gebildet; ausbilden, erziehen
fortunately - mit Glück, glücklich, zum Glück; Gott sei Dank
innate - angeboren, checkeigen, checkimmanent
founded - gegründet; gefunden, aufgefunden; begründen, gründen
literary - literarisch
mechanics - Mechaniker, Mechanikerin
Institute - einrichten, gründen; Anstalt, Institut
foreign - Ausland; fremd, ausländisch
scholars - Student, Schüler, Schülerin, Studentin, Gelehrter, Gelehrter
honorary - ehrenamtlich; Ehren-, ehrenhalber
publish - herausgeben, publizieren, veröffentlichen
destined - bestimmt; bestimmen, vorbestimmen
services - Dienstleistungen; warten; Bedienung, Dienstleistung, Betrieb
Allow me to have the honor, Professor Hardwigg, to enroll you as an honorary member?"
enroll - anmelden, einschreiben, immatrikulieren
honorary member - Ehrenmitglied
My uncle, who already belonged to nearly every literary and scientific institution in Europe, immediately yielded to the amiable wishes of good M. Fridriksson.
belonged - gehörte; zugehören; gehören (zu)
Institution - Institution
immediately - sofort, alsbald, unverzüglich, auf der Stelle
amiable - liebenswürdig, liebenswert, gutmütig
wishes - Wunsch, wünschen, wünschen
"And now," he said, after many expressions of gratitude and good will, "if you will tell me what books you expected to find, perhaps I may be of some assistance to you."
expressions - Ausdrücke; Ausdruck, Redensart, Ausdruck, Miene, Ausdruck
gratitude - Dankbarkeit
good will - Wohlwollen
assistance - Unterstützung; Hilfe
I watched my uncle keenly. For a minute or two he hesitated, as if unwilling to speak; to speak openly was, perhaps, to unveil his projects. Nevertheless, after some reflection, he made up his mind.
hesitated - gezögert; zögern, zögern, stammeln
openly - offen, öffentlich
unveil - enthüllen; offenbaren
reflection - Reflexion, Abbild, Reflektion, Abwägung
"Well, M. Fridriksson," he said in an easy, unconcerned kind of way, "I was desirous of ascertaining, if among other valuable works, you had any of the learned Arne Saknussemm."
unconcerned - unbesorgt; Unbekümmertheit, Sorglosigkeit
desirous - begehrt
ascertaining - feststellen
"Arne Saknussemm!" cried the Professor of Reykjavik; "you speak of one of the most distinguished scholars of the sixteenth century, of the great naturalist, the great alchemist, the great traveler."
most distinguished - vornehmste
naturalist - Naturforscher, Naturforscherin, Naturalist, Naturalistin
"Exactly so."
"One of the most distinguished men connected with Icelandic science and literature."
distinguished - ausgezeichnet; unterscheiden, erkennen, auszeichnen
literature - Literatur
"As you say, sir-"
"A man illustrious above all."
illustrious - erlaucht; glorreich
"Yes, sir, all this is true, but his works?"
"We have none of them."
"Not in Iceland?"
"There are none in Iceland or elsewhere," answered the other, sadly.
elsewhere - anderswo
sadly - traurig, traurigerweise
"Why so?"
"Because Arne Saknussemm was persecuted for heresy, and in 1573 his works were publicly burnt at Copenhagen, by the hands of the common hangman."
Persecuted - Verfolgt; verfolgen, schikanieren, bedrängen, peinigen, plagen
heresy - Häresie, Ketzerei
publicly - öffentlich
burnt - angebrannt, verbrannt, brennen, verbrennen; (burn) angebrannt
hangman - Henker; Galgenmännchen
"Very good! capital!" murmured my uncle, to the great astonishment of the worthy Icelander.
murmured - gemurmelt; Rauschen
astonishment - Staunen, Erstaunen, Verwunderung
Icelander - Isländer, Isländerin
"You said, sir-"
"Yes, yes, all is clear, I see the link in the chain; everything is explained, and I now understand why Arne Saknussemm, put out of court, forced to hide his magnificent discoveries, was compelled to conceal beneath the veil of an incomprehensible cryptograph, the secret-"
link - Verknüpfung, Gelenk, Bindeglied; verbinden, binden; Kulisse
chain - Kette; anketten
Court - Hof, Hofstaat, Gericht, Gerichtshof, Platz, werben
forced - gezwungen; zwingen, forcieren, erzwingen; Stärke, Macht
hide - verbergen, verheimlichen, verstecken, verdecken
beneath - unter
veil - Vorhang; Schleier; verschleiern, verhüllen
"What secret?"
"A secret-which," stammered my uncle.
"Have you discovered some wonderful manuscript?" cried M. Fridriksson.
"No! no, I was carried away by my enthusiasm. A mere supposition."
carried away - davongetragen
supposition - Vermutung; Annahme, Supposition, Annehmen
"Very good, sir. But, really, to turn to another subject, I hope you will not leave our island without examining into its mineralogical riches."
mineralogical - mineralogisch
"Well, the fact is, I am rather late. So many learned men have been here before me."
"Yes, yes, but there is still much to be done," cried M. Fridriksson.
"You think so," said my uncle, his eyes twinkling with hidden satisfaction.
twinkling - Funkeln; kurzer Augenblick
"Yes, you have no idea how many unknown mountains, glaciers, volcanoes there are which remain to be studied. Without moving from where we sit, I can show you one. Yonder on the edge of the horizon, you see Sneffels."
unknown - unbekannt; Unbekannte; Unbekannter
glaciers - Gletscher, Ferner, Kees
yonder - dort drüben
edge - Rand; Seite, Kante, Vorsprung, Klinge, Schneide, schieben
horizon - Horizont
"Oh yes, Sneffels," said my uncle.
"One of the most curious volcanoes in existence, the crater of which has been rarely visited."
most curious - neugierigste, kurioseste
existence - Existenz, Dasein
"Extinct?"
"Extinct, any time these five hundred years," was the ready reply.
five hundred - fünfhundert
"Well," said my uncle, who dug his nails into his flesh, and pressed his knees tightly together to prevent himself leaping up with joy. "I have a great mind to begin my studies with an examination of the geological mysteries of this Mount Seffel-Feisel-what do you call it?"
dug - gegraben; (dig) gegraben
nails - Nägel; nageln (derb. koitieren); annageln, Nagel, nageln
pressed - gedrückt; (pre) vor..
tightly - eng
prevent - verhindern, vorbeugen, etwas daran hindern (zu geschehen)
leaping - hervorspringen, hüpfen, überspringen
mysteries - Geheimnisse; Geheimnis
"Sneffels, my dear sir."
This portion of the conversation took place in Latin, and I therefore understood all that had been said. I could scarcely keep my countenance when I found my uncle so cunningly concealing his delight and satisfaction. I must confess that his artful grimaces, put on to conceal his happiness, made him look like a new Mephistopheles.
cunningly - schlau
concealing - verbergen, verheimlichen, verschleiern, verschweigen, verstecken
confess - gestehen, bekennen, verraten, beichten
artful - kunstvoll; geschickt, trickreich
grimaces - Grimasse, Grimassen schneiden
Happiness - Glücklich sein; Glück, Glücklichkeit, Fröhlichkeit
"Yes, yes," he continued, "your proposition delights me. I will endeavor to climb to the summit of Sneffels, and, if possible, will descend into its crater."
delights - Köstlichkeiten; Freude, Entzückung, Wohlgefallen
endeavor - Bemühen; Bemühung, Bestreben, Unternehmen, Unterfangen
if possible - womöglich
"I very much regret," continued M. Fridriksson, "that my occupation will entirely preclude the possibility of my accompanying you. It would have been both pleasurable and profitable if I could have spared the time."
regret - bedauern, bereuen, leidtun, Reue, Bedauern
preclude - ausschließen, verhindern, unmöglich machen
possibility - Möglichkeit
accompanying - begleiten, begleiten, begleiten, begleiten, geleiten, beiliegen
pleasurable - vergnüglich
profitable - gewinnbringend, profitabel, lukrativ, einträglich
spared - verschont; überflüssig, frei, sparsam, Ersatz; sparsam umgehen
"No, no, a thousand times no," cried my uncle. "I do not wish to disturb the serenity of any man. I thank you, however, with all my heart. The presence of one so learned as yourself, would no doubt have been most useful, but the duties of your office and profession before everything."
disturb - stören
serenity - Gelassenheit, Gleichmut, Klarheit, Heiterkeit, Abgeklärtheit
duties - Pflichten; Pflicht, Schicht, Arbeitszeit, Zoll, Einfuhrsteuer
profession - Bekenntnis; Beruf, Profession, Profess, Gelübde
In the innocence of his simple heart, our host did not perceive the irony of these remarks.
innocence - Unschuld; Harmlosigkeit
perceive - wahrnehmen
irony - Ironie
remarks - Bemerkungen; bemerken; Anmerkung, Bemerkung
"I entirely approve your project," continued the Icelander after some further remarks. "It is a good idea to begin by examining this volcano. You will make a harvest of curious observations. In the first place, how do you propose to get to Sneffels?"
harvest - Ernte; Frucht
observations - Beobachtungen; Beobachtung, Bemerkung
propose - vorschlagen; einen Heiratsantrag machen; beabsichtigen
"By sea. I shall cross the bay. Of course that is the most rapid route."
Cross - Kreuz; Kreuzzeichen; Kreuzung; Cross; Flanke; quer; entgegengesetzt
rapid - schnell; Stromschnelle
route - Route, Leitung, Strecke, Richtung; leiten, routen, lotsen
"Of course. But still it cannot be done."
"Why?"
"We have not an available boat in all Reykjavik," replied the other.
available - verfügbar
"What is to be done?"
"You must go by land along the coast. It is longer, but much more interesting."
by land - auf dem Landweg
"Then I must have a guide."
Guide - Leitfaden; lenken, führen, anleiten, leiten; Handbuch
"Of course; and I have your very man."
"Somebody on whom I can depend."
Depend - abhängen, ankommen
"Yes, an inhabitant of the peninsula on which Sneffels is situated. He is a very shrewd and worthy man, with whom you will be pleased. He speaks Danish like a Dane."
inhabitant - Einwohner, Einwohnerin, Bewohner, Bewohnerin
shrewd - klug, clever, gewitzt, schlau, listig
Dane - Däne, Dänin
"When can I see him-today?"
"No, tomorrow; he will not be here before."
"Tomorrow be it," replied my uncle, with a deep sigh.
sigh - Seufzen, Seufzer, Säuseln (Wind); säuseln (Wind)
The conversation ended by compliments on both sides. During the dinner my uncle had learned much as to the history of Arne Saknussemm, the reasons for his mysterious and hieroglyphical document. He also became aware that his host would not accompany him on his adventurous expedition, and that next day we should have a guide.
compliments - Komplimente; Kompliment
hieroglyphical - hieroglyphisch
CHAPTER 8. THE EIDER-DOWN HUNTER-OFF AT LAST
Eider - Eiderente
Hunter - Jäger, Jagdhund, Jäger, Verfolger
That evening I took a brief walk on the shore near Reykjavik, after which I returned to an early sleep on my bed of coarse planks, where I slept the sleep of the just. When I awoke I heard my uncle speaking loudly in the next room. I rose hastily and joined him. He was talking in Danish with a man of tall stature, and of perfectly Herculean build. This man appeared to be possessed of very great strength. His eyes, which started rather prominently from a very large head, the face belonging to which was simple and naive, appeared very quick and intelligent.
sleep on - überschlafen
planks - Bretter; Planke, Schwerpunkt
loudly - lautstark; laut
hastily - hastig
stature - Körpergröße, Statur
strength - Stärke, Kraft, Festigkeit, Mumm
prominently - auffällig
belonging - Zugehörigkeit; gehörend
naive - unbefangen, naiv, blauäugig
intelligent - klug; intelligent
Very long hair, which even in England would have been accounted exceedingly red, fell over his athletic shoulders. This native of Iceland was active and supple in appearance, though he scarcely moved his arms, being in fact one of those men who despise the habit of gesticulation common to southern people.
accounted - erklärt; Rechnung, Bericht, Rechnung, Konto
exceedingly - übermäßig; überaus, äußerst, außerordentlich, ungemein
athletic - athletisch, sportlich
native of - gebürtig
active - aktiv; gewandt, flink, tätig, rührig
supple - geschmeidig
despise - verachten
gesticulation - Gestikulation; Gestikulierung
Everything in this man's manner revealed a calm and phlegmatic temperament. There was nothing indolent about him, but his appearance spoke of tranquillity. He was one of those who never seemed to expect anything from anybody, who liked to work when he thought proper, and whose philosophy nothing could astonish or trouble.
manner - Art und Weise; Weise, Manier
revealed - aufgedeckt; enthüllen, offenbaren
Calm - ruhig; windstill; Ruhe; Windstille; beruhigen, ruhig stellen
phlegmatic - phlegmatisch
temperament - Temperament, Charakter, Veranlagung, Stimmung
tranquillity - Gelassenheit; Ruhe, Stille
proper - richtig, passend, angemessen, eigentlich, Eigenname
whose - wessen; dessen, deren, wem gehört/gehören?
astonish - in Erstaunen versetzen; erstaunen
I began to comprehend his character, simply from the way in which he listened to the wild and impassioned verbiage of my worthy uncle. While the excellent Professor spoke sentence after sentence, he stood with folded arms, utterly still, motionless to all my uncle's gesticulations.
verbiage - Wortwahl; Wortschwall
folded - falten, zusammenlegen, verschränken (Arme); Falte, gefaltete
motionless - unbeweglich, reglos, bewegungslos
gesticulations - Gestikulationen; Gestikulierung
When he wanted to say No he moved his head from left to right; when he acquiesced he nodded, so slightly that you could scarcely see the undulation of his head. This economy of motion was carried to the length of avarice.
acquiesced - geduldet; hinnehmen, einwilligen, dulden
undulation - wellenförmig; Wellenbewegung, Wellenform
economy - Wirtschaft, Ökonomie, Binnenwirtschaft
Length - Länge, Längenmaß, Pferdelänge
avarice - Geiz; Gier
Judging from his appearance I should have been a long time before I had suspected him to be what he was, a mighty hunter. Certainly his manner was not likely to frighten the game. How, then, did he contrive to get at his prey?
judging - urteilen (nach), richten; Richter, Jurist
suspected - verdächtigt; vermuten, misstrauen, verdächtigen
frighten - Angst machen, erschrecken, beängstigen
contrive - ausdenken; ersinnen; entwerfen; bewerkstelligen
prey - Beute; lauern, auflauern
My surprise was slightly modified when I knew that this tranquil and solemn personage was only a hunter of the eider duck, the down of which is, after all, the greatest source of the Icelanders'wealth.
surprise - Überraschung; Überraschung
modified - geändert; ändern, abändern, modifizieren
tranquil - ruhig, gelassen
solemn - feierlich; ernst
personage - Persönlichkeit
Duck - untertauchen (in); Schiertuch, Ente, Segeltuch; kneifen
source - Quelle, Ursprung, belegen, beziehen
Icelanders - Isländer, Isländerin
wealth - Reichtum, Vermögen, Fülle
In the early days of summer, the female of the eider, a pretty sort of duck, builds its nest amid the rocks of the fjords-the name given to all narrow gulfs in Scandinavian countries-with which every part of the island is indented. No sooner has the eider duck made her nest than she lines the inside of it with the softest down from her breast.
female - weiblich; Weib, Weibchen
nest - Nest
amid - inmitten; mitten unter
gulfs - Klüfte; Golf, Meerbusen
indented - eingerückt; Vertiefung, Kerbe, Einbuchtung, Beschaffungsauftrag
inside - Innenseite, Inneres, Innen-, Inner-, drinnen, hinein, innerhalb
softest - am weichsten; sanft, mild, weich
breast - Brust; -brust, Entenbrust
Then comes the hunter or trader, taking away the nest, the poor bereaved female begins her task over again, and this continues as long as any eider down is to be found.
trader - Händler, Händlerin, Kaufmann, Kauffrau; (trade); Handel
taking away - fortschaffend
bereaved - Hinterbliebene; berauben
continues - fortsetzen, weiterhin
When she can find no more the male bird sets to work to see what he can do. As, however, his down is not so soft, and has therefore no commercial value, the hunter does not take the trouble to rob him of his nest lining. The nest is accordingly finished, the eggs are laid, the little ones are born, and next year the harvest of eider down is again collected.
male bird - Vogelmännchen
sets - Seth
commercial value - Handelswert
take the trouble - sich die Mühe machen
rob - rauben, berauben, Raubbau treiben, ausrauben
laid - gelegt; richten (Tisch)
collected - gesammelt; eintreiben (Schulden), sammeln, einsammeln
Now, as the eider duck never selects steep rocks or aspects to build its nest, but rather sloping and low cliffs near to the sea, the Icelandic hunter can carry on his trade operations without much difficulty. He is like a farmer who has neither to plow, to sow, nor to harrow, only to collect his harvest.
selects - wählt; auswählen
steep - steil; einweichen, abschüssig
Aspects - Aspekte; Aspekt, Aspekt, Aktionsart
sloping - schräg; Schmutzwasser
cliffs - Klippen; Kliff, Felsvorsprung, Klippe
trade - handeln (mit), eintauschen, schachern mit etwas;Handel , Handwerk , Geschäft , Trade;gewerblich {adj};eintauschen (für)
operations - Operationen; Betrieb, Betrieb, Operation, Operation, Operation
plow - pflügen; Pflug
sow - Sau; aussäen
Harrow - eggen; Egge
collect - eintreiben (Schulden), sammeln, einsammeln
This grave, sententious, silent person, as phlegmatic as an Englishman on the French stage, was named Hans Bjelke. He had called upon us in consequence of the recommendation of M. Fridriksson. He was, in fact, our future guide. It struck me that had I sought the world over, I could not have found a greater contradiction to my impulsive uncle.
grave - Grab; feierlich, Gruft, massiv, würdig, ernst
Englishman - Engländer
stage - Stufe, Etappe, Bühne
Hans - Bauer; (Han) Bauer
consequence - Konsequenz, Folge
recommendation - Empfehlung
contradiction - Widerspruch; Gegensatz
impulsive - impulsiv
They, however, readily understood one another. Neither of them had any thought about money; one was ready to take all that was offered him, the other ready to offer anything that was asked. It may readily be conceived, then, that an understanding was soon come to between them.
Now, the understanding was, that he was to take us to the village of Stapi, situated on the southern slope of the peninsula of Sneffels, at the very foot of the volcano. Hans, the guide, told us the distance was about twenty-two miles, a journey which my uncle supposed would take about two days.
slope - Steigung, Hang, Abhang, Ableitung
supposed - angenommen; annehmen, vermuten, vermeinen, vermuten, annehmen
But when my uncle came to understand that they were Danish miles, of eight thousand yards each, he was obliged to be more moderate in his ideas, and, considering the horrible roads we had to follow, to allow eight or ten days for the journey.
yards - (der) Yard
obliged - verpflichtet; verpflichten, einen Gefallen tun
more moderate - mäßigere
considering - in Betracht ziehen; entsprechend, unter Berücksichtigung
Four horses were prepared for us, two to carry the baggage, and two to bear the important weight of myself and uncle. Hans declared that nothing ever would make him climb on the back of any animal. He knew every inch of that part of the coast, and promised to take us the very shortest way.
inch - Zoll (2, 54 cm), Zoll (Längenmaß)
promised - versprochen; Versprechen
His engagement with my uncle was by no means to cease with our arrival at Stapi; he was further to remain in his service during the whole time required for the completion of his scientific investigations, at the fixed salary of three rix-dollars a week, being exactly fourteen shillings and twopence, minus one farthing, English currency.
engagement - Verpflichtung; Bindung; Verlobung, Verlöbnis, Gefecht
required - erforderlich; erfordern, brauchen, benötigen
completion - Fertigstellung, Vervollständigung, Vollendung
investigations - Ermittlungen; Untersuchung
fixed - repariert; reparieren, flicken, fixieren, befestigen
salary - Gehalt, Lohn
shillings - Schillinge; Schilling, alte britische Münze im Wert von 5 Pence
Twopence - zwei Pence
minus - weniger, minus, Minus
farthing - Groschen, Heller, Pfifferling, Pfennig
currency - Währung
One stipulation, however, was made by the guide-the money was to be paid to him every Saturday night, failing which, his engagement was at an end.
stipulation - Vorschrift; Abmachung, Ausbedingung, Bestimmung, Maßgabe
failing - scheitern; Schwäche, Mangel, Fehler
The day of our departure was fixed. My uncle wished to hand the eider-down hunter an advance, but he refused in one emphatic word-
advance - erhöhen, erheben, befördern, vorrücken, Fortschritt, Vorschuss
refused - abgelehnt; Müll; abweisen, verweigern, abschlagen, ablehnen
emphatic - nachdrücklich; emphatisch
"Efter."
Which being translated from Icelandic into plain English means-"After."
The treaty concluded, our worthy guide retired without another word.
Treaty - Vertrag, Bündnis
retired - im Ruhestand; pensionieren, zurücktreten, sich zurückziehen
"A splendid fellow," said my uncle; "only he little suspects the marvelous part he is about to play in the history of the world."
fellow - Stipendiat, Typ, Kerl, Bursche; Gefährte, Kerl
suspects - vermuten, misstrauen, verdächtigen, einen Verdacht haben
marvelous - Wunderbar
"You mean, then," I cried in amazement, "that he should accompany us?"
"To the interior of the earth, yes," replied my uncle. "Why not?"
There were yet forty-eight hours to elapse before we made our final start. To my great regret, our whole time was taken up in making preparations for our journey. All our industry and ability were devoted to packing every object in the most advantageous manner-the instruments on one side, the arms on the other, the tools here and the provisions there. There were, in fact, four distinct groups.
taken up - aufgegriffen
preparations - Vorbereitungen; Vorbereitung, Präparat
industry - Bestreben; Branche, Wirtschaftszweig, Industrie
devoted - hingebungsvoll; widmen
packing - Kühleinbauten (Kühlturm); Aufzug (Drucktechnik); Abdichtung (Dichtung)
most advantageous - vorteilhafteste
instruments - Instrumente; Instrument
tools - Werkzeuge; Gerät
Provisions - Bestimmungen; Vorrat-p
distinct - deutlich
The instruments were of course of the best manufacture:
manufacture - Produktion, Herstellung, Produkt, herstellen, erzeugen
1. A centigrade thermometer of Eigel, counting up to 150 degrees, which to me did not appear half enough-or too much. Too hot by half, if the degree of heat was to ascend so high-in which case we should certainly be cooked-not enough, if we wanted to ascertain the exact temperature of springs or metal in a state of fusion.
centigrade - Grad Celsius
thermometer - Thermometer, Wärmemesser, Temperaturmesser
counting up - aufrechnend
degrees - Abschlüsse; Diplom, akademischer Diplom, Grad, Winkelgrad
degree of heat - Hitzegrad
ascertain - festzustellen; feststellen
temperature - Temperatur; erhöhte Temperatur
2. A manometer worked by compressed air, an instrument used to ascertain the upper atmospheric pressure on the level of the ocean. Perhaps a common barometer would not have done as well, the atmospheric pressure being likely to increase in proportion as we descended below the surface of the earth.
manometer - Druckmessgerät, Manometer
compressed air - Druckluft , Pressluft
instrument - Instrument, Musikinstrument, Meßinstrument, Werkzeug, Dokument
atmospheric pressure - Atmosphärendruck
level - Niveau; eben; auf gleicher Höhe
barometer - Barometer
increase - erhöhen; zunehmen, steigen, ansteigen, wachsen
3. A first-class chronometer made by Boissonnas, of Geneva, set at the meridian of Hamburg, from which Germans calculate, as the English do from Greenwich, and the French from Paris.
first-class - (first-class) erstklassig
chronometer - Chronometer
Geneva - Genf
meridian - Meridian
calculate - kalkulieren, berechnen, ausrechnen, sich etwas ausrechnen
4. Two compasses, one for horizontal guidance, the other to ascertain the dip.
compasses - Kompasse; Kompass
horizontal - horizontal, waagrecht, waagerecht
guidance - Anleitung, Richtungsweisung, Handlungsempfehlung
dip - eintauchen; einfallen, sich senken, sich neigen, färben; Dip
5. A night glass.
6. Two Ruhmkorff coils, which, by means of a current of electricity, would ensure us a very excellent, easily carried, and certain means of obtaining light.
Coils - Spulen; Wendel, Spule, Wicklung; aufwickeln
current - Strömung; Strom; gegenwärtig, aktuell, zeitnah
electricity - Elektrizität; Strom
ensure - sicherstellen, gewährleisten
obtaining - zu erhalten; erlangen, erhalten, bestehen
7. A voltaic battery on the newest principle.[1]
voltaic - voltaisch
Battery - Batterie; Körperverletzung, tätlicher Angriff
principle - Grundsatz, Prinzip, Naturgesetz
[1] Thermometer (thermos, and metron, measure); an instrument for measuring the temperature of the air.-Manometer (manos,and metron, measure); an instrument to show the density or rarity of gases.-Chronometer (chronos. time, and metros, measure) a time measurer, or superior watch-Ruhmkorff's coil, an instrument for producing currents of induced electricity of great intensity. It consists of a coil of copper wire, insulated by being covered with silk, surrounded by another coil of fine wire, also insulated, in which a momentary current is induced when a current is passed through the inner coil from a voltaic battery. When the apparatus is in action, the gas becomes luminous, and produces a white and continued light. The battery and wire are carried in a leather bag, which the traveler fastens by a strap to his shoulders.
thermos - Thermoskanne; Thermos.., Thermosflasche
measuring - Mess.., messend; (measure); Maß; Messung, Maßstab, Takt
density - Dichte, Massendichte
rarity - Seltenheit, Rarität
gases - vergasen (töten durch Gas); Benzin, Gas; Benzin, Blähungen
metros - U-Bahnen; Metro
measurer - Messgerät
coil - Wendel, Spule, Wicklung; aufwickeln
producing - produzieren, herstellen, vorlegen, produzieren, Produkt
currents - Strömungen; Strömung, Strom, gegenwärtig, aktuell, zeitnah
intensity - Intensität
copper wire - Kupferdraht
insulated - isoliert; isolieren, isolieren
silk - Seide
momentary - Momentan
apparatus - Gerät; Apparat; Apparat
produces - produziert; produzieren, herstellen, vorlegen, produzieren
fastens - befestigt; befestigen, festmachen
strap - Gurt; Riemen; Streichriemen; Achselklappe, Schulterklappe
The lantern is in front, and enables the benighted wanderer to see in the most profound obscurity. He may venture without fear of explosion into the midst of the most inflammable gases, and the lantern will burn beneath the deepest waters. H. D. Ruhmkorff, an able and learned chemist, discovered the induction coil. In 1864 he won the quinquennial French prize of Ł2,000 for this ingenious application of electricity-A voltaic battery, so called from Volta, its designer, is an apparatus consisting of a series of metal plates arranged in pairs and subjected to the action of saline solutions for producing currents of electricity.
lantern - Laterne
enables - ermöglicht; berechtigen, befähigen, ermöglichen, anordnen
wanderer - Wanderer
most profound - tiefsinnigste
obscurity - Dunkelheit, Unklarheit
explosion - Explosion
midst - mittendrin; Mitten, Mitte, inmitten
most inflammable - entzündbarste
burn - verbrennen; brennen, feuern, leuchten
deepest - tiefsten; tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tiefgründig
chemist - Chemiker, Chemikerin
induction coil - Induktionsspule
quinquennial - Quinquennium
prize - Prämie, Preis, Gewinn
application - Anwendung; Anwendung, Applikation, App, Antrag, Bewerbung
so called - sogenannt
designer - Designer, Designerin
consisting - zusammensetzend, besteht aus; bestehen (aus)
plates - Teller; Platte (Druckplatte); Lagerplatte, Lochstein (Uhr)
in pairs - paarweise
saline - Kochsalzlösung; salzhaltig
solutions - Lösungen; Lösung, Lösung, Lösung
Our arms consisted of two rifles, with two revolving six-shooters. Why these arms were provided it was impossible for me to say. I had every reason to believe that we had neither wild beasts nor savage natives to fear.
consisted - bestand; zusammensetzend, besteht aus; bestehen (aus)
rifles - Gewehre; Gewehr
revolving - drehend, rotierend; (revolve); drehen
shooters - Scharfschützen; Schütze, Schützin, Schießer, Schießerin, Knarre
provided - zur Verfügung gestellt; sorgen, den Unterhalt sichern, besorgen
beasts - Biester; Tier
savage - Wilde; wild, wüst, unbebaut, unbändig, rasend
natives - Einheimische; gebürtig, gebürtig, einheimisch, nativ
My uncle, on the other hand, was quite as devoted to his arsenal as to his collection of instruments, and above all was very careful with his provision of fulminating or gun cotton, warranted to keep in any climate, and of which the expansive force was known to be greater than that of ordinary gunpowder.
arsenal - Zeughaus, Waffenkammer, Arsenal, Waffenlager
provision - Bestimmung; Vorrat
fulminating - Wutanfälle; donnern, wettern
gun cotton - Schießbaumwolle
warranted - gerechtfertigt; Nachweis, Befehl, garantieren
climate - Klima
expansive - expansiv
ordinary - Heroldsbild; gewöhnlich, normal
gunpowder - Schießpulver
Our tools consisted of two pickaxes, two crowbars, a silken ladder, three iron-shod Alpine poles, a hatchet, a hammer, a dozen wedges, some pointed pieces of iron, and a quantity of strong rope. You may conceive that the whole made a tolerable parcel, especially when I mention that the ladder itself was three hundred feet long!
silken - seidig; seiden
Alpine - alpin
hatchet - Beile; Beil
hammer - Hammer; Schlagstück, Hahn, Schlaghebel, tMalleus
wedges - verkeilen, festklemmen, mit einem Keil spalten; keilen
of iron - stählern (Körper, Wille)
quantity - Quantität, Menge, in Klammern
rope - Tau, Seil, Strang
conceive - schwanger werden; konzipieren, erdenken, ersinnen, empfangen
tolerable - erträglich
parcel - Paket; Parzelle
especially - besonders, extra, speziell, außergewöhnlich, originell
mention - Erwähnung; erwähnen
Then there came the important question of provisions. The hamper was not very large but tolerably satisfactory, for I knew that in concentrated essence of meat and biscuit there was enough to last six months. The only liquid provided by my uncle was Schiedam. Of water, not a drop. We had, however, an ample supply of gourds, and my uncle counted on finding water, and enough to fill them, as soon as we commenced our downward journey.
hamper - stören, behindern, hemmen, hindern; Geschenkkorb
tolerably - erträglich
satisfactory - befriedigend, zufriedenstellend
concentrated - konzentriert; konzentrieren, sich konzentrieren, konzentrieren
essence - Wesen; Essenz, Extrakt, Parfüm
biscuit - Kekse; Keks
liquid - Flüssigkeit; Fließlaut, Liquida, Liquid, disponibel
drop - fallen lassen, senken, weglassen, aufgeben
ample - reichlich; groß, umfangreich, üppig
counted - gezählt; rechnen, abzählen, zählen
downward - abwärts, nach unten, runter, nach unten gehend, absteigend
My remarks as to the temperature, the quality, and even as to the possibility of none being found, remained wholly without effect.
quality - Qualität, Eigenschaft, Qualität
remained - geblieben; Überrest (2), de
effect - Auswirkung, Eindruck, Effekt, Kraft
My uncle had also been careful to lay in a goodly supply of tobacco, several flasks of very fine gunpowder, boxes of tinder, besides a large belt crammed full of notes and gold. Good boots rendered watertight were to be found to the number of six in the tool box.
lay in - einkellern
goodly - gutartig; schön
flasks - Fläschchen; Flasche, Flachmann, Taschenflasche, Kolben, Flakon
tinder - Zunder
crammed - vollgestopft; stopfen, vollpacken, mästen, vollstopfen, büffeln
watertight - wasserdicht
tool box - Werkzeugkoffer , Werkzeugkasten
"My boy, with such clothing, with such boots, and such general equipment," said my uncle, in a state of rapturous delight, "we may hope to travel far."
equipment - Ausrüstung
rapturous - schwärmerisch
It took a whole day to put all these matters in order. In the evening we dined with Baron Trampe, in company with the Mayor of Reykjavik, and Doctor Hyaltalin, the great medical man of Iceland. M. Fridriksson was not present, and I was afterwards sorry to hear that he and the governor did not agree on some matters connected with the administration of the island.
dined - zu Abend gegessen; Lärm, Getöse; dröhnen
medical - medizinisch
administration - Verwaltung, Administration, Verabreichung
Unfortunately, the consequence was, that I did not understand a word that was said at dinner-a kind of semiofficial reception. One thing I can say, my uncle never left off speaking.
unfortunately - leider, unglücklicherweise
semiofficial - halbamtlich
reception - Aufnahme, Empfang, Rezeption, checkAufnahme
The next day our labor came to an end. Our worthy host delighted my uncle, Professor Hardwigg, by giving him a good map of Iceland, a most important and precious document for a mineralogist.
labor - Arbeit
mineralogist - Mineraloge, Mineralogin
Our last evening was spent in a long conversation with M. Fridriksson, whom I liked very much-the more that I never expected to see him or anyone else again. After this agreeable way of spending an hour or so, I tried to sleep. in vain; with the exception of a few dozes, my night was miserable.
in vain - vergebens
exception - Ausnahme, Ausnahmebedingung, Exception
dozes - döst; Halbschlaf
miserable - unglücklich; elend, erbärmlich, jämmerlich, miserabel
At five o'clock in the morning I was awakened from the only real half hour's sleep of the night by the loud neighing of horses under my window. I hastily dressed myself and went down into the street. Hans was engaged in putting the finishing stroke to our baggage, which he did in a silent, quiet way that won my admiration, and yet he did it admirably well.
awakened - geweckt; aufwecken, wecken, aufwachen, erwachen, wach werden
neighing - Wiehern
stroke - Schlaganfall; streicheln; Stoß, Schlag, Streich, Hub
admiration - Bewunderung
admirably - bewundernswert
My uncle wasted a great deal of breath in giving him directions, but worthy Hans took not the slightest notice of his words.
wasted - verschwendet; verschwenden
notice - Bekanntmachung; Benachrichtigung, Mitteilung, Kündigungsfrist
At six o'clock all our preparations were completed, and M. Fridriksson shook hands heartily with us. My uncle thanked him warmly, in the Icelandic language, for his kind hospitality, speaking truly from the heart.
heartily - von Herzen; herzlich
As for myself I put together a few of my best Latin phrases and paid him the highest compliments I could. This fraternal and friendly duty performed, we sallied forth and mounted our horses.
fraternal - geschwisterlich
performed - durchgeführt; verrichten, Arbeit leisten, Arbeit verrichten
mounted - montiert; Reittier, Berg, Lafette (Waffe); einbauen, aufsteigen
As soon as we were quite ready, M. Fridriksson advanced, and by way of farewell, called after me in the words of Virgil-words which appeared to have been made for us, travelers starting for an uncertain destination:
advanced - fortgeschritten; erhöhen, erheben, befördern, vorrücken
Farewell - Abschied nehmen; Lebewohl, Adieu, Abschied, Lebewohl sagen
travelers - der/die Reisende
uncertain - unsicher
destination - Zielort; Bestimmung; Reiseziel, Bestimmungsort
"Et quacunque viam dederit fortuna sequamur."
("And whichsoever way thou goest, may fortune follow!")
whichsoever - was auch immer
thou - du
Fortune - Fortuna; Schicksal, Glück, Vermögen
CHAPTER 9. OUR START-WE MEET WITH ADVENTURES BY THE WAY
The weather was overcast but settled, when we commenced our adventurous and perilous journey. We had neither to fear fatiguing heat nor drenching rain. It was, in fact, real tourist weather.
overcast - bedeckt, bewölkt
settled - erledigt; abklären
perilous - lebensgefährlich; gefährlich, gefahrvoll
fatiguing - Ermüdend; Müdigkeit, Ermüdung, Schlappheit, Überdruss
drenching - Durchnässen; Regenguss
As there was nothing I liked better than horse exercise, the pleasure of riding through an unknown country caused the early part of our enterprise to be particularly agreeable to me.
an unknown - eine Unbekannte (Mathematik)
caused - verursacht; Ursache, Anlass, Grund, Sache, verursachen
I began to enjoy the exhilarating delight of traveling, a life of desire, gratification and liberty. The truth is, that my spirits rose so rapidly, that I began to be indifferent to what had once appeared to be a terrible journey.
exhilarating - erheiternd; beglücken, beschwingen, erregen, berauschen
gratification - Befriedigung
liberty - Freiheit
spirits - Geister; Geist, Seele, Geist, Stimmung, Schnaps, qualifier
rapidly - schnell
indifferent - gleichgültig
"After all," I said to myself, "what do I risk? Simply to take a journey through a curious country, to climb a remarkable mountain, and if the worst comes to the worst, to descend into the crater of an extinct volcano."
Risk - Risiko; riskieren; wagen
journey through - Durchreise
There could be no doubt that this was all this terrible Saknussemm had done. As to the existence of a gallery, or of subterraneous passages leading into the interior of the earth, the idea was simply absurd, the hallucination of a distempered imagination. All, then, that may be required of me I will do cheerfully, and will create no difficulty.
gallery - Galerie
subterraneous - unterirdisch
passages - Passagen; Durchfahrt, Ăśbergang, Gang
leading - führend; führen; (lead) führend; führen
distempered - unzufrieden; Staupe
cheerfully - fröhlich, vergnügt, heiter
It was just before we left Reykjavik that I came to this decision.
decision - Entscheidung, Beschluss
Hans, our extraordinary guide, went first, walking with a steady, rapid, unvarying step. Our two horses with the luggage followed of their own accord, without requiring whip or spur. My uncle and I came behind, cutting a very tolerable figure upon our small but vigorous animals.
steady - beständig; stetig; stabilisieren
unvarying - gleichbleibend
step - treten, treten (du trittst
accord - Vereinbarung; Übereinstimmung, Einvernehmen, Übereinkommen
requiring - erfordern; verlangend, verlangt; (require); erfordern; brauchen
whip - Peitsche, Knute, Zagel, peitschen, auspeitschen
spur - anspornen, ankurbeln (Wirtsch.), beflügeln; Ansporn
vigorous - kräftig, stark, energisch, lebhaft
Iceland is one of the largest islands in Europe. It contains thirty thousand square miles of surface, and has about seventy thousand inhabitants. Geographers have divided it into four parts, and we had to cross the southwest quarter which in the vernacular is called Sudvestr Fjordungr.
square - quadratisch; Quadrat; Platz; Feld
Geographers - Geographen; Geograf, Geografin, Geograph, Geographin
divided - geteilt; aufteilen, teilen, einteilen, teilen, dividieren
southwest - Südwesten
vernacular - Nationalsprache; Umgangssprache, Vernakularsprache
Hans, on taking his departure from Reykjavik, had followed the line of the sea. We took our way through poor and sparse meadows, which made a desperate effort every year to show a little green. They very rarely succeed in a good show of yellow.
sparse - spärlich, dünn
meadows - Wiesen; Wiese, Weide, Aue
effort - Anstrengung, Aufwand
Succeed - Erfolgreich; nachfolgen; gelingen, geraten
The rugged summits of the rocky hills were dimly visible on the edge of the horizon, through the misty fogs; every now and then some heavy flakes of snow showed conspicuous in the morning light, while certain lofty and pointed rocks were first lost in the grey low clouds, their summits clearly visible above, like jagged reefs rising from a troublous sea.
rugged - robust, schroff; (rug); Teppich, Brücke
summits - Gipfeltreffen; Gipfel
Rocky - felsig
dimly - undeutlich; trübe
misty - neblig, nebelhaft
fogs - Nebelscheinwerfer; umnebeln, verschleiern; (dicker) Nebel, Nebel
flakes - Spinner; sich abschälen, abblättern; Fetzen, Flocke
conspicuous - auffallend; auffällig, augenfällig, offensichtlich, sichtbar
jagged - zerklüftet; zackig; (jag) zerklüftet; zackig
reefs - Riffe; Segel reffen; Riff
rising - steigend, aufgehend; (rise); steigend, aufgehend
troublous - beunruhigend
Every now and then a spur of rock came down through the arid ground, leaving us scarcely room to pass. Our horses, however, appeared not only well acquainted with the country, but by a kind of instinct, knew which was the best road. My uncle had not even the satisfaction of urging forward his steed by whip, spur, or voice.
arid - arid
acquainted - kennengelernt; vertraut machen, in Kenntnis setzen
instinct - Instinkt
urging - drängend; (urge); Drang; drängen, mahnen, treiben, anspornen
forward - nachsenden, fördern, befördern, versenden, senden; dreist
steed - ein Pferd; erman: Ross (see also Stute )
It was utterly useless to show any signs of impatience. I could not help smiling to see him look so big on his little horse; his long legs now and then touching the ground made him look like a six-footed centaur.
signs - Wert, Zeichen, Hinweistafel, Indiz; unterschreiben, signieren
smiling - lächelnd; (smile); Lächeln
touching - (to touch) anfassen, streifen, berühren; (touch); anfassen
centaur - Zentaur
"Good beast, good beast," he would cry. "I assure you, that I begin to think no animal is more intelligent than an Icelandic horse. Snow, tempest, impracticable roads, rocks, icebergs-nothing stops him. He is brave; he is sober; he is safe; he never makes a false step; never glides or slips from his path. I dare to say that if any river, any fjord has to be crossed-and I have no doubt there will be many-you will see him enter the water without hesitation like an amphibious animal, and reach the opposite side in safety.
beast - Tier, Bestie, Unmensch, Biest
assure - sichern; versichern
more intelligent - intelligentere
tempest - Unwetter; Sturm; (temp) Unwetter; Sturm
impracticable - undurchführbar
icebergs - Eisberge; Eisberg
Brave - tapfer, mutig, Krieger
glides - gleitet; gleiten, gleiten, gleiten lassen
slips - Ausrutscher; Versprecher; Rutschen (geradeaus); Lapsus
path - Weg, Pfad
fjord - Fjord
enter - reingehen, hineingehen, hereingehen, eintreten
hesitation - Zögern
amphibious - amphibisch
opposite side - Gegenseite
safety - Sicherheit, Gefahrlosigkeit, Griffsicherung, Safety
We must not, however, attempt to hurry him; we must allow him to have his own way, and I will undertake to say that between us we shall do our ten leagues a day."
hurry - Eile; beeilen
leagues - Ligen; Liga, Spielklasse, Bund
"We may do so," was my reply, "but what about our worthy guide?"
"I have not the slightest anxiety about him: that sort of people go ahead without knowing even what they are about. Look at Hans. He moves so little that it is impossible for him to become fatigued. Besides, if he were to complain of weariness, he could have the loan of my horse. I should have a violent attack of the cramp if I were not to have some sort of exercise. My arms are right-but my legs are getting a little stiff."
ahead - voraus, vorne, vorn, oben, geradeaus
fatigued - Ermüdet; Müdigkeit, Ermüdung, Schlappheit, Überdruss
complain - sich beschweren, klagen, sich beklagen, meckern
weariness - Müdigkeit
loan - ausleihen; Anleihe, Kredit, Darlehen, Leihe
attack - Attacke, Angriff, Anfall, angreifen, attackieren
stiff - steif, starr, Steifer, Zechpreller, prellen, abspeisen
All this while we were advancing at a rapid pace. The country we had reached was already nearly a desert. Here and there could be seen an isolated farm, some solitary bur, or Icelandic house, built of wood, earth, fragments of lava-looking like beggars on the highway of life. These wretched and miserable huts excited in us such pity that we felt half disposed to leave alms at every door.
advancing - fortschreitend; erhöhen, erheben, befördern, vorrücken
pace - Tempo, Stufe, Schritt
desert - Wüste, wüst, Ă–de; verlassen, desertieren, im Stich lassen
isolated - isoliert; isolieren, absondern, abdichten
bur - andauerndes Summen, Fahrgeräusch, Klette
fragments - Fragmente; Fragment
beggars - Bettler, Bettlerin
disposed - entsorgt; beseitigen, entsorgen, ordnen
alms - Almosen
In this country there are no roads, paths are nearly unknown, and vegetation, poor as it was, slowly as it reached perfection, soon obliterated all traces of the few travelers who passed from place to place.
paths - Wege; Weg, Pfad
perfection - Vollkommenheit, Perfektion
obliterated - ausgelöscht; auslöschen, verwischen
Nevertheless, this division of the province, situated only a few miles from the capital, is considered one of the best cultivated and most thickly peopled in all Iceland. What, then, must be the state of the less known and more distant parts of the island? After traveling fully half a Danish mile, we had met neither a farmer at the door of his hut, nor even a wandering shepherd with his wild and savage flock.
Division - Teilung; Teil; Division; Abteilung
cultivated - kultiviert; kultivieren, anbauen, kultivieren, pflegen
thickly - dick auftragen; dick
fully - vollständig; völlig
shepherd - Schafhirte; Schäfer, Schafhirt, q
flock - Schwarm; (to flock together) sich rotten, sich zusammenrotten
A few stray cows and sheep were only seen occasionally. What, then, must we expect when we come to the upheaved regions-to the districts broken and roughened from volcanic eruptions and subterraneous commotions?
stray - verirrt; Streuverlust; abirren, vagabundieren, streunen, irren
upheaved - emporheben
regions - Regionen; Gegend, Region, Raum, Gebiet
districts - Bezirke; Bezirk, Kreis, Landkreis, Stadtteil
roughened - aufgeraut; aufrauen, anrauen, rau machen, rauen, rau werden
commotions - Aufregungen; Aufregung, Spektakel
We were to learn this all in good time. I saw, however, on consulting the map, that we avoided a good deal of this rough country, by following the winding and desolate shores of the sea.
in good time - rechtzeitig, beizeiten, frühzeitig
consulting - Beratung; Rat halten, beraten, beratschlagen, beraten
avoided - vermieden; ausweichen, meiden, fernbleiben, vermeiden
rough - rau, grob, Rough
desolate - verzweifelt; verlassen; verlassen
In reality, the great volcanic movement of the island, and all its attendant phenomena, are concentrated in the interior of the island; there, horizontal layers or strata of rocks, piled one upon the other, eruptions of basaltic origin, and streams of lava, have given this country a kind of supernatural reputation.
movement - Bewegung; Satz
attendant - Betreuer; Begleiter, Wächter, Aufpasser, Aufseher
layers - durch Ableger vermehren, überlagern, schichten; Auflage
strata - Schichten; (stratum); Bank
piled - gestapelt; Haufen, Pfahl, Pulk
basaltic - basaltisch
origin - Ursprung, Anfang, Entstehung, Quelle, Herkunft
streams - Bach, Strom, Datenstrom, strömen, streamen
supernatural - übernatürlich
reputation - Ansehen, Ruf, Klang, Bekanntheit
Little did I expect, however, the spectacle which awaited us when we reached the peninsula of Sneffels, where agglomerations of nature's ruins form a kind of terrible chaos.
spectacle - Spektakel, Schauspiel
agglomerations - Agglomerationen; Sammlung, Ansammlung, Ballungsraum
ruins - Ruinen; Ruine, Ruin, Ruin, ruinieren, auf die Knie zwingen
chaos - Chaos, Unordnung, Durcheinander . Wirrwarr
Some two hours or more after we had left the city of Reykjavik, we reached the little town called Aoalkirkja, or the principal church. It consists simply of a few houses-not what in England or Germany we should call a hamlet.
Germany - Deutschland
Hans stopped here one half hour. He shared our frugal breakfast, answered Yes, and No to my uncle's questions as to the nature of the road, and at last when asked where we were to pass the night was as laconic as usual.
frugal - genügsam, sparsam, schlicht
pass the night - nächtige
laconic - lakonisch
"Gardar!" was his one-worded reply.
I took occasion to consult the map, to see where Gardar was to be found. After looking keenly I found a small town of that name on the borders of the Hvalfjord, about four miles from Reykjavik. I pointed this out to my uncle, who made a very energetic grimace.
Occasion - Gelegenheit; Anlass
borders - Grenze, Rand, Rand, Beet
energetic - energisch, energiegeladen, Energie
grimace - Grimasse; Grimassen schneiden
"Only four miles out of twenty-two? Why it is only a little walk."
He was about to make some energetic observation to the guide, but Hans, without taking the slightest notice of him, went in front of the horses, and walked ahead with the same imperturbable phlegm he had always exhibited.
observation - Beobachtung; Bemerkung
imperturbable - unerschütterlich
phlegm - Phlegma; Schleim, Nasenschleim, Popel, Gemütsruhe, Gleichmut
Three hours later, still traveling over those apparently interminable and sandy prairies, we were compelled to go round the Kollafjord, an easier and shorter cut than crossing the gulfs. Shortly after we entered a place of communal jurisdiction called Ejulberg, and the clock of which would then have struck twelve, if any Icelandic church had been rich enough to possess so valuable and useful an article.
interminable - unendlich
Sandy - sandig, sandfarben
prairies - Prärien; Prärie
go round - umgehen, umrunden, kursieren
Crossing - Kreuzung; Überfahrt; (cross); Kreuz; Kreuzzeichen; Kreuzung; Cross; Flanke; quer; entgegengesetzt
shortly - in Kürze; bald
communal - kommunal
jurisdiction - Zuständigkeit; Jurisdiktion
These sacred edifices are, however, very much like these people, who do without watches-and never miss them.
edifices - Bauten; Bauwerk
do without - entbehren, entbehren können, es schaffen ohne, verzichten auf
Here the horses were allowed to take some rest and refreshment, then following a narrow strip of shore between high rocks and the sea, they took us without further halt to the Aoalkirkja of Brantar, and after another mile to Saurboer Annexia, a chapel of ease, situated on the southern bank of the Hvalfjord.
halt - anhalten; unterbrechen, halten; Halt
chapel - Kapelle
It was four o'clock in the evening and we had traveled four Danish miles, about equal to twenty English.
Equal - Gleichberechtigt; gleich; gleichen; Gleichgestellter
The fjord was in this place about half a mile in width. The sweeping and broken waves came rolling in upon the pointed rocks; the gulf was surrounded by rocky walls-a mighty cliff, three thousand feet in height, remarkable for its brown strata, separated here and there by beds of tufa of a reddish hue.
width - Breite, Weite
sweeping - erman:; Fegen, Kehren; (sweep); fegen, kehren, rauschen
rolling in - Einrollen
cliff - Kliff, Felsvorsprung, Klippe
separated - einzeln, getrennt, separat, getrennt, separat, trennen
tufa - Tuffstein; Kalktuff
reddish - rötlich
hue - Farbe, Tönung, Geschrei, Farbton
Now, whatever may have been the intelligence of our horses, I had not the slightest reliance upon them, as a means of crossing a stormy arm of the sea. To ride over salt water upon the back of a little horse seemed to me absurd.
whatever - Jacke wie Hose; was immer, was auch immer, egal, naja, nebbich
intelligence - Intelligenz, Klugheit, intelligentes Leben
reliance - Verlass, Vertrauen, Abhängigkeit, Vertrauende, Abhängige
stormy - stürmisch
salt water - Salzwasser
"If they are really intelligent," I said to myself, "they will certainly not make the attempt. In any case, I shall trust rather to my own intelligence than theirs."
trust - Vertrauen, Hoffnung, Trust, anschreiben
But my uncle was in no humor to wait. He dug his heels into the sides of his steed, and made for the shore. His horse went to the very edge of the water, sniffed at the approaching wave and retreated.
sniffed - geschnüffelt; schnüffeln, züngeln (for reptiles)
approaching - sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
wave - wehen, winken mit, flattern
retreated - zurückgezogen; Rückzug
My uncle, who was, sooth to say, quite as obstinate as the beast he bestrode, insisted on his making the desired advance. This attempt was followed by a new refusal on the part of the horse which quietly shook his head. This demonstration of rebellion was followed by a volley of words and a stout application of whipcord; also followed by kicks on the part of the horse, which threw its head and heels upwards and tried to throw his rider.
sooth - beruhigen; Wahrheit
bestrode - rittlings sitzen
insisted - darauf bestanden; auf , bestehen
refusal - Ablehnung, Weigerung, Verweigerung
quietly - ruhig, leise
demonstration - Demonstration, Vorführung, Kundgebung
rebellion - Rebellion, Aufstand, Aufruhr
volley - Salve; Volley
stout - beleibt
whipcord - Peitschenschnur
kicks - treten, (Pferd) ausschlagen; Stoß
throw - Wurf; werfen (du wirfst, er wirft), ich/er/sie würfe
rider - Reiter, Reiterin, Mitfahrer, Mitfahrerin, Zusatzklausel
At length the sturdy little pony, spreading out his legs, in a stiff and ludicrous attitude, got from under the Professor's legs, and left him standing, with both feet on a separate stone, like the Colossus of Rhodes.
sturdy - solide; robust; stabil
pony - Pony (kleines Pferd)
spreading - Ausbreitung; Verteilen, Verteilung, Verbreiten
ludicrous - lächerlich
separate - einzeln, getrennt, separat, trennen
colossus - Koloss, Riese, Gigant
"Wretched animal!" cried my uncle, suddenly transformed into a foot passenger-and as angry and ashamed as a dismounted cavalry officer on the field of battle.
transformed - verwandelt; verwandeln, transformieren, umwandeln
ashamed - schämen
dismounted - Abgesessen; abnehmen, absteigen
cavalry - Reiterei, Kavallerie
officer - Funktionär, Funktionärin, Beamter, Beamtin, Offizier, Offizierin
battle - sich schlagen, kämpfen; Schlacht, Kampf; Gefecht (Luftwaffe)
"Farja," said the guide, tapping him familiarly on the shoulder.
familiarly - Vertraut
"What, a ferry boat!"
ferry - Fähre
"Der," answered Hans, pointing to where lay the boat in question-"there."
"Well," I cried, quite delighted with the information; "so it is."
"Why did you not say so before," cried my uncle; "why not start at once?"
"Tidvatten," said the guide.
"What does he say?" I asked, considerably puzzled by the delay and the dialogue.
Considerably - Erheblich; wesentlich, beträchtlich, beachtlich
puzzled - verwirrt; Rätsel
"He says tide," replied my uncle, translating the Danish word for my information.
tide - Gezeiten, Ebbe
translating - übersetzen, übertragen, verdolmetschen, dolmetschen, übertragen
"Of course I understand-we must wait till the tide serves."
serves - dient; Angabe, dienen, servieren, aufschlagen
"For bida?" asked my uncle.
"Ja," replied Hans.
My uncle frowned, stamped his feet and then followed the horses to where the boat lay.
stamped - abgestempelt
I thoroughly understood and appreciated the necessity for waiting, before crossing the fjord, for that moment when the sea at its highest point is in a state of slack water. As neither the ebb nor flow can then be felt, the ferry boat was in no danger of being carried out to sea, or dashed upon the rocky coast.
appreciated - gewürdigt; zu schätzen wissen, würdigen, zu schätzen wissen
Slack - Schlupf, flau, schlaff
Ebb - Ebbe; ebben, abebben
flow - Wasserführung; ich flösse, ich/er/sie floss (floß
danger - Gefahr, Risiko, Bedrohung; (dang); Gefahr, Risiko, Bedrohung
dashed - gestrichelt; Bindestrich, Gedankenstrich, Querstrich, Strich
The favorable moment did not come until six o'clock in the evening. Then my uncle, myself, and guide, two boatmen and the four horses got into a very awkward flat-bottom boat. Accustomed as I had been to the steam ferry boats of the Elbe, I found the long oars of the boatmen but sorry means of locomotion. We were more than an hour in crossing the fjord; but at length the passage was concluded without accident.
favorable - vorteilhaft; günstig (für); gefällig
boatmen - Schiffer; Ruderer
awkward - peinlich; ungeschickt, unbeholfen, umständlich, tollpatschig
bottom - unten; Boden, Grund, Unterseite, passiv
accustomed - Gewöhnt; gewöhnen, gewöhnen
Steam - Wasserdampf, Kraft, Energie, dämpfen, dünsten
oars - Ruder
locomotion - Fortbewegungsfähigkeit, Lokomotion
passage - Durchfahrt, Ăśbergang, Gang
Half an hour later we reached Gardar.
It ought, one would have thought, to have been night, even in the sixty-fifth parallel of latitude; but still the nocturnal illumination did not surprise me. For in Iceland, during the months of June and July, the sun never sets.
nocturnal - nachtaktiv; nächtlich
illumination - Beleuchtung
The temperature, however, was very much lower than I expected. I was cold, but even that did not affect me so much as ravenous hunger. Welcome indeed, therefore, was the hut which hospitably opened its doors to us.
lower - niedriger, niedrigerer, ausfahren (Fahrgestell); abdämpfen
affect - beeinflussen; beeinträchtigen, eine Vorliebe haben für, bewohnen
ravenous - gefräßig
hospitably - gastfreundlich
It was merely the house of a peasant, but in the matter of hospitality, it was worthy of being the palace of a king. As we alighted at the door the master of the house came forward, held out his hand, and without any further ceremony, signaled to us to follow him.
peasant - arm
alighted - Ausgestiegen; landen
ceremony - Zeremonie, feierliche Handlung, Ritual, Feier
signaled - signalisiert; Signal
We followed him, for to accompany him was impossible. A long, narrow, gloomy passage led into the interior of this habitation, made from beams roughly squared by the ax. This passage gave ingress to every room. The chambers were four in number-the kitchen, the workshop, where the weaving was carried on, the general sleeping chamber of the family, and the best room, to which strangers were especially invited.
habitation - Wohnsitz; Wohnen; Behausung
roughly - ungefähr; grob; uneben
squared - zum Quadrat; Quadrat
ax - mit der Axt niederschlagen
ingress - eindringen; Eintritt; Zutritt, Eintrittsrecht, Eingang, Zugang
chambers - Kammern; Raum, Schlafzimmer
workshop - Werkstatt; Workshop
weaving - Weben; Webstück; (weave) Weben; Webstück
strangers - Fremde, Fremdling, Unbekannte
My uncle, whose lofty stature had not been taken into consideration when the house was built, contrived to knock his head against the beams of the roof.
knock - Klopfen; Schlag; schlagen
roof - überdachen; Autodach, Dach
We were introduced into our chamber, a kind of large room with a hard earthen floor, and lighted by a window, the panes of which were made of a sort of parchment from the intestines of sheep-very far from transparent.
chamber - Raum, Schlafzimmer, Kammer
panes - Scheiben; Scheibe, Fensterscheibe
intestines - Därme; Darm
The bedding was composed of dry hay thrown into two long red wooden boxes, ornamented with sentences painted in Icelandic. I really had no idea that we should be made so comfortable. There was one objection to the house, and that was, the very powerful odor of dried fish, of macerated meat, and of sour milk, which three fragrances combined did not at all suit my olfactory nerves.
dry - trocken; trocknen, abtrocknen
ornamented - verziert; Verzierung, musikalische Verzierung
odor - Geruch
dried - getrocknet; trocken, trocken, trocknen, trocknen, t+abtrocknen
macerated - mazeriert; mazerieren
sour - sauer, herb, säuerlich, sauer vergoren
fragrances - Düfte; Duft, Duftnote
combined - kombiniert; kombinieren, verbinden, vereinen
suit - Anzug; Anzugträger; Farbe; passen
olfactory - Geruchssinn; geruchlich
nerves - Nerven; Nerv, Nerv, Nerv, Nerv, Nerv
As soon as we had freed ourselves from our heavy traveling costume, the voice of our host was heard calling to us to come into the kitchen, the only room in which the Icelanders ever make any fire, no matter how cold it may be.
ourselves - uns selbst; uns
My uncle, nothing loath, hastened to obey this hospitable and friendly invitation. I followed.
loath - verabscheuen; abgeneigt
hastened - beeilt; hasten, beeilen
hospitable - gastfreundlich, gastfrei
invitation - Einladung, Einladen
The kitchen chimney was made on an antique model. A large stone standing in the middle of the room was the fireplace; above, in the roof, was a hole for the smoke to pass through. This apartment was kitchen, parlor and dining room all in one.
chimney - Kamin, Esse, Schlot, Schornstein, Spalte
antique - antik; Antiquität
Middle - Mittelpunkt; Mitte; Mittel-, mittlere, mittig
fireplace - Kamin, Feuerstelle, Herd
hole - Bohrung, Markierung, Höhle, Loch
smoke - rauchen; Rauch
pass through - durchfahren, durchlaufen, durchgehen, durchreisen
parlor - Saloon; Wohnzimmer, Salon, Empfangszimmer, Sprechzimmer
dining - Essen; speisen
On our entrance, our worthy host, as if he had not seen us before, advanced ceremoniously, uttered a word which means "be happy," and then kissed both of us on the cheek.
ceremoniously - feierlich
kissed - geküsst; küssen
cheek - Frechheit; Backe, ormal, Stirn, Mick, Pumpenmick
His wife followed, pronounced the same word, with the same ceremonial, then the husband and wife, placing their right hands upon their hearts, bowed profoundly.
pronounced - ausgeprägt; verkünden, aussprechen, pronunzieren, aussprechen
ceremonial - feierlich; zeremoniell
hearts - Herzen; Herz, Herzstück
This excellent Icelandic woman was the mother of nineteen children, who, little and big, rolled, crawled, and walked about in the midst of volumes of smoke arising from the angular fireplace in the middle of the room. Every now and then I could see a fresh white head, and a slightly melancholy expression of countenance, peering at me through the vapor.
rolled - gerollt; Rolle, Roulade, Walze, Semmel; drehen, wälzen, wickeln
arising from - entspringend
angular - eckig
melancholy - Melancholie, Schwermut, Wehmut
peering - spähen; seinesgleichen, Beaufsichtigende; schielen, starren
vapor - Wasserdampf; Dampf; prahlen
Both my uncle and myself, however, were very friendly with the whole party, and before we were aware of it, there were three or four of these little ones on our shoulders, as many on our boxes, and the rest hanging about our legs. Those who could speak kept crying out saellvertu in every possible and impossible key. Those who did not speak only made all the more noise.
hanging about - herumdrückend
crying out - aufschreiend
noise - Lärm, Geräusch, Krach, Rauschen, Störung
This concert was interrupted by the announcement of supper. At this moment our worthy guide, the eider-duck hunter, came in after seeing to the feeding and stabling of the horses-which consisted in letting them loose to browse on the stunted green of the Icelandic prairies. There was little for them to eat, but moss and some very dry and innutritious grass; next day they were ready before the door, some time before we were.
interrupted - unterbrochen; unterbrechen
announcement - Ankündigung; Bekanntmachung, Mitteilung
feeding - Verfütterung, Speisung, Zuführung; (feed) Verfütterung
stabling - Stallungen; Stallung; (stable) Stallungen; Stallung
loose - verlassen, lose, locker
browse - blättern, durchsuchen, stöbern, durchstöbern, browsen
stunted - verkrüppelt; verkrüppeln; Kunststück
moss - Moos; bemoosen
innutritious - Ungenießbar
"Welcome," said Hans.
Then tranquilly, with the air of an automaton, without any more expression in one kiss than another, he embraced the host and hostess and their nineteen children.
tranquilly - ruhig
automaton - Automaten; Automat
kiss - küssen
hostess - Gastgeberin, Wirtin, Stewardess, Flugbegleiterin, Hostess
This ceremony concluded to the satisfaction of all parties, we all sat down to table, that is twenty-four of us, somewhat crowded. Those who were best off had only two juveniles on their knees.
somewhat - etwas, einigermaßen
juveniles - Jugendliche; jugendlich, jung, unreif, kindisch
As soon, however, as the inevitable soup was placed on the table, the natural taciturnity, common even to Icelandic babies, prevailed over all else. Our host filled our plates with a portion of lichen soup of Iceland moss, of by no means disagreeable flavor, an enormous lump of fish floating in sour butter.
inevitable - unvermeidlich, unabwendbar, zwangsläufig
taciturnity - Wortkargheit; Schweigsamkeit
prevailed - sich durchgesetzt; erman: die Vorherrschaft erringen (''over'' über)
lichen - Flechten; Flechte
disagreeable - unangenehm, unsympathisch
flavor - Geschmacksrichtung; Geschmack; Geschmacksstoff
lump - Klumpen, Kloß, Stück (Würfelzucker )
floating - schwebend; schwimmend, fließend, gleiten
After that there came some skyr, a kind of curds and whey, served with biscuits and juniper-berry juice. To drink, we had blanda, skimmed milk with water. I was hungry, so hungry, that by way of dessert I finished up with a basin of thick oaten porridge.
curds - Quark; Käsebruch
whey - Molke
served - bedient; Angabe, dienen, servieren, aufschlagen
biscuits - Kekse; Keks
juniper - Wacholder
berry - Beere
skimmed milk - Magermilch , fettarme Milch
basin - Becken
thick - dick; dicht; plump; mitten in
oaten - Hafer
porridge - Brei
As soon as the meal was over, the children disappeared, whilst the grown people sat around the fireplace, on which was placed turf, heather, cow dung and dried fish-bones. As soon as everybody was sufficiently warm, a general dispersion took place, all retiring to their respective couches.
whilst - während
heather - Besenheide, Heidekraut, Erika
cow dung - Kuhmist
bones - Knochen
sufficiently - ausreichend; hinreichend, genügend, zureichende
dispersion - Verteilung
retiring - in den Ruhestand gehen; pensionieren, zurücktreten
respective - bzw
couches - Liege
Our hostess offered to pull off our stockings and trousers, according to the custom of the country, but as we graciously declined to be so honored, she left us to our bed of dry fodder.
pull - ziehen
stockings - Strümpfe; Strumpf
custom - Brauch, Gewohnheit, Sitte, Usus, Zoll, maßgeschneidert
declined - abgelehnt; Sinken
honored - geehrt; Ehre, Ehre, ehren, ehren
fodder - Futtermittel; Futter
Next day, at five in the morning, we took our leave of these hospitable peasants. My uncle had great difficulty in making them accept a sufficient and proper remuneration.
peasants - Landwirte; arm
remuneration - Vergütung, Belohnung, Lohn, Arbeitsvergütung, Entlohnung
Hans then gave the signal to start.
signal - Signal; Signal; signalisieren
We had scarcely got a hundred yards from Gardar, when the character of the country changed. The soil began to be marshy and boggy, and less favorable to progress. To the right, the range of mountains was prolonged indefinitely like a great system of natural fortifications, of which we skirted the glacis. We met with numerous streams and rivulets which it was necessary to ford, and that without wetting our baggage. As we advanced, the deserted appearance increased, and yet now and then we could see human shadows flitting in the distance.
boggy - sumpfig
progress - fortschreiten, Fortschritte machen, weiterkommen; Fortgang
range - Reichweite; Gebirgskette, Gebirge, Gebirgszug, Herd, Spanne
prolonged - langwierig; ausdehnen, verlängern, hinauszögern
indefinitely - auf unbestimmte Zeit
system - System, Ordnung, Verbund, Akkolade
fortifications - Befestigungen; Festungsbau, Befestigen
rivulets - Rinnsale; Flüsschen
ford - Furt; durchqueren
wetting - Befeuchten; (wet) anfeuchten, wässern; (wet); nass, feucht
deserted - Wüste, wüst, Ă–de; verlassen, desertieren, im Stich lassen
increased - erhöht; zunehmen, steigen, ansteigen, wachsen, anwachsen
shadows - Schatten, beschatten, beschatten
flitting - hüpfend; wandernd; (flit); gaukeln
When a sudden turn of the track brought us within easy reach of one of these specters, I felt a sudden impulse of disgust at the sight of a swollen head, with shining skin, utterly without hair, and whose repulsive and revolting wounds could be seen through his rags. The unhappy wretches never came forward to beg; on the contrary, they ran away; not so quick, however, but that Hans was able to salute them with the universal saellvertu.
sudden - plötzlich, jäh
track - Spur; Fußspur; Fußsohle; Trampelpfad; Bahn, Strecke, Kurs
easy reach - gute Verkehrsanbindung
specters - Gespenster; Gespenst
impulse - Anstoß; Impuls, Triebkraft, Drang, innerer Antrieb, Kraftstoß
swollen - geschwollen; Schwellen
shining - glänzen; schimmern, wienern; Schein; putzen (Schuhe)
skin - Haut, tHäutchen, Design, Fell
repulsive - abstoßend
revolting - revoltieren, Revolte
wounds - anschießen, verwunden
seen through - durchgeschaut
rags - Fummel, Lumpen, Putzlappen, Unfug
wretches - Schufte; das Wesen
beg - Männchen machen; etwas erbitten (von jemandem); bitten (um)
salute - Salut; salutieren
universal - allgemein, Allgemein-, universell, weltweit, Welt-
"Spetelsk," said he.
"A leper," explained my uncle.
leper - Leprakranke; Aussätziger; q edicine now usually
The very sound of such a word caused a feeling of repulsion. The horrible affliction known as leprosy, which has almost vanished before the effects of modern science, is common in Iceland. It is not contagious but hereditary, so that marriage is strictly prohibited to these unfortunate creatures.
repulsion - Abstoßung, Repulsion, Abscheu
affliction - Bedrängnis; Leiden, Behinderung
leprosy - Lepra, Aussatz
vanished - verschwunden; verschwinden, vergehen, sich verflüchtigen
effects - Auswirkungen; Auswirkung, Wirkung, Eindruck, Effekt, Effekt
contagious - ansteckend
hereditary - vererbt
marriage - Ehe, Heirat, Hochzeit, Eheschließung
prohibited - verboten; verbieten
creatures - Kreaturen; Wesen
These poor lepers did not tend to enliven our journey, the scene of which was inexpressibly sad and lonely. The very last tufts of grassy vegetation appeared to die at our feet. Not a tree was to be seen, except a few stunted willows about as big as blackberry bushes.
lepers - Leprakranke; Aussätziger; qedicine now usually
enliven - beleben, ermuntern
scene - Szene
inexpressibly - unaussprechlich
lonely - einsam, alleinig, abgeschieden, öde
tufts - Büschel
willows - Weide, Weidenbaum
blackberry bushes - Brombeersträucher
Now and then we watched a falcon soaring in the grey and misty air, taking his flight towards warmer and sunnier regions. I could not help feeling a sense of melancholy come over me. I sighed for my own native land, and wished to be back with Gretchen.
falcon - Falke
soaring - sich erhebend
sunnier - sonniger; sonnig, heiter
sense - Sinn; Gefühl, Verstand, Bedeutung, wahrnehmen, empfinden
sighed - geseufzt; Seufzen, Seufzer, Säuseln (Wind); säuseln (Wind)
native land - Heimatland
We were compelled to cross several little fjords, and at last came to a real gulf. The tide was at its height, and we were able to go over at once, and reach the hamlet of Alftanes, about a mile farther.
That evening, after fording the Alfa and the Heta, two rivers rich in trout and pike, we were compelled to pass the night in a deserted house, worthy of being haunted by all the fays of Scandinavian mythology. The King of Cold had taken up his residence there, and made us feel his presence all night.
fording - Furt, durchqueren
trout - Forellen; Forelle
Pike - Spitze, Hecht
haunted - spuken, verfolgen, Treffpunkt
fays - Fay
mythology - Mythologie, Sagenwelt, Götterlehre
The following day was remarkable by its lack of any particular incidents. Always the same damp and swampy soil; the same dreary uniformity; the same sad and monotonous aspect of scenery. In the evening, having accomplished the half of our projected journey, we slept at the Annexia of Krosolbt.
lack - ermangeln, fehlen
Incidents - Vorfälle; Vorfall, Begebenheit, Ereignis
damp - feucht; Feuchtigkeit; ersticken, dämpfen
Swampy - sumpfig
dreary - öde, trostlos, trüb, freudlos
uniformity - Einheitlichkeit, Uniformität
scenery - Landschaften; Landschaft; Kulisse
For a whole mile we had under our feet nothing but lava. This disposition of the soil is called hraun: the crumbled lava on the surface was in some instances like ship cables stretched out horizontally, in others coiled up in heaps; an immense field of lava came from the neighboring mountains, all extinct volcanoes, but whose remains showed what once they had been. Here and there could be made out the steam from hot water springs.
disposition - Neigung, Gesinnung, Hang, Veranlagung, Einteilung
crumbled - zerkrümelt; bröckeln, zerbröckeln, krümeln, zerkrümeln, Crumble
instances - Instanzen; Beispiel
cables - Seil, Tau, Kabel
horizontally - Horizontal
coiled - aufgerollt; Wendel, Spule, Wicklung; aufwickeln
in heaps - haufenweise
There was no time, however, for us to take more than a cursory view of these phenomena. We had to go forward with what speed we might. Soon the soft and swampy soil again appeared under the feet of our horses, while at every hundred yards we came upon one or more small lakes.
cursory - oberflächlich, flüchtig
Speed - Geschwindigkeit; Drehzahl, Gang, rasen, Tempo, Eile
lakes - Seen; Binnensee, See
Our journey was now in a westerly direction; we had, in fact, swept round the great bay of Faxa, and the twin white summits of Sneffels rose to the clouds at a distance of less than five miles.
westerly - westlich; Westwind
swept - gekehrt; fegen, kehren, fegen, rauschen, auf den Kopf stellen
twin - doppelt, Zwilling
The horses now advanced rapidly. The accidents and difficulties of the soil no longer checked them. I confess that fatigue began to tell severely upon me; but my uncle was as firm and as hard as he had been on the first day. I could not help admiring both the excellent Professor and the worthy guide; for they appeared to regard this rugged expedition as a mere walk!
accidents - Unfälle; Unfall, Zufall, Unfall, Unfall, Unfall
severely - ernsthaft
firm - fest, straff (Busen), Fa. Firma, gesetzt, hart
admiring - bewundern, verehren, hochschätzen
regard - schätzen, betrachten, berücksichtigen, achten; Aufmerksamkeit
On Saturday, the 20th June, at six o'clock in the evening, we reached Budir, a small town picturesquely situated on the shore of the ocean; and here the guide asked for his money. My uncle settled with him immediately. It was now the family of Hans himself, that is to say, his uncles, his cousins-german, who offered us hospitality. We were exceedingly well received, and without taking too much advantage of the goodness of these worthy people, I should have liked very much to have rested with them after the fatigues of the journey.
picturesquely - pittoresk
goodness - Güte, Gütigkeit
rested - ausgeruht; Ruhe, Stütze, Lehne, ein Ăśbriges; bleiben, ruhen
fatigues - Müdigkeit, Ermüdung, Schlappheit, Überdruss, Erschöpfung
But my uncle, who did not require rest, had no idea of anything of the kind; and despite the fact that next day was Sunday, I was compelled once more to mount my steed.
require - erfordern; brauchen, benötigen
The soil was again affected by the neighborhood of the mountains, whose granite peered out of the ground like tops of an old oak. We were skirting the enormous base of the mighty volcano. My uncle never took his eyes from off it; he could not keep from gesticulating, and looking at it with a kind of sullen defiance as much as to say "That is the giant I have made up my mind to conquer."
affected - betroffen; beeinträchtigen, eine Vorliebe haben für, bewohnen
neighborhood - Nachbarschaft, Umgebung, Kiez, Viertel
peered - spähte; seinesgleichen, Beaufsichtigende; schielen, starren
tops - Oberteil, Spitze, Gipfel, Deckel, Kappe, Oberteil
oak - Eiche, Eichenholz, Eichen-
base - Grundzahl, Unterlage, Basis, Grund; Bettrost
sullen - mürrisch, schlecht gelaunt, sauer, missmutig
defiance - Trotzigkeit; Trotz, Auflehnung, Widerstand, offener Ungehorsam
giant - Riese, Riesin, Gigant, Gigantin
conquer - erobern
After four hours of steady traveling, the horses stopped of themselves before the door of the presbytery of Stapi.
presbytery - Presbyterium
CHAPTER 11. WE REACH MOUNT SNEFFELS-THE "REYKIR"
Stapi is a town consisting of thirty huts, built on a large plain of lava, exposed to the rays of the sun, reflected from the volcano. It stretches its humble tenements along the end of a little fjord, surrounded by a basaltic wall of the most singular character.
exposed - ausgesetzt; aufdecken, offenbaren, entblößen, bloßlegen
rays - Schimmer, Strahl; ausstrahlen
stretches - dehnt sich; strecken, dehnen, langziehen, dehnen
humble - bescheiden; demütig, ergeben
tenements - Mietskasernen; Mietskaserne, Wohnungsblock; q
Basalt is a brown rock of igneous origin. It assumes regular forms, which astonish by their singular appearance. Here we found Nature proceeding geometrically, and working quite after a human fashion, as if she had employed the plummet line, the compass and the rule.
basalt - Basalt
igneous - eruptiv, vulkanisch
assumes - vermutet; annehmen, voraussetzen, vermuten, unterstellen
regular - regulär, regelmäßig, Gleichmäßig, normal, gewöhnlich, Stammgast
proceeding - Wie geht es weiter; fortsetzend, verfahrend; (proceed); vorgehen
geometrically - geometrisch
employed - beschäftigt; einstellen, anstellen, anwerben, einsetzen
plummet - abstürzen; Lot, Blei, Senker, Senklot
If elsewhere she produces grand artistic effects by piling up huge masses without order or connection-if elsewhere we see truncated cones, imperfect pyramids, with an odd succession of lines; here, as if wishing to give a lesson in regularity, and preceding the architects of the early ages, she has erected a severe order of architecture, which neither the splendors of Babylon nor the marvels of Greece ever surpassed.
grand - großartig, prächtig, groß, bedeutend
artistic - künstlerisch, gestalterisch, kunstvoll
piling up - anschichtend
masses - Massen; Messe (kirchlich), Gottesdienst, Menge
truncated - Abgeschnitten; kürzen
cones - Kegel, Kegelmantel, Kegel, Kegel, Zapfen
imperfect - unvollkommen, mangelhaft, unvollständig, fehlerhaft, Imperfekt
pyramids - Pyramiden; Pyramide, Pyramide
succession - Nachfolge; Abfolge; Thronfolge
wishing - (wish) wünschen, möchten; (wish); Wunsch; wünschen
regularity - Regelmäßigkeit
preceding - vorangegangen; vorangehen, vorausgehen
architects - Architekten; Architekt, Architektin
erected - errichtet; stramm (Haltung), steif; errichten
architecture - Architektur, Baustil
splendors - Prachtstücke; Pracht
Babylon - Babylon
marvels - Erstaunen; wundern
Greece - Griechenland
surpassed - übertroffen; übersteigen, übertreffen, überschreiten
I had often heard of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, and of Fingal's Cave in one of the Hebrides, but the grand spectacle of a real basaltic formation had never yet come before my eyes.
causeway - Damm, Dammweg, Dammstraße, Fahrdamm
Ireland - Irland
cave - nachgeben, aufgeben; Höhle
Hebrides - Hebriden
formation - Bildung
This at Stapi gave us an idea of one in all its wonderful beauty and grace.
beauty - Schönheit; Schöner, Schöne, Prachtstück
grace - Tischgebet; Anmut, Grazie, Aufschub, Fristverlängerung
The wall of the fjord, like nearly the whole of the peninsula, consisted of a series of vertical columns, in height about thirty feet.
vertical - vertikal, senkrecht
columns - Spalten; Säule, Spalte, Spalte, Druckspalte, Kolumne, Kolonne
These upright pillars of stone, of the finest proportions, supported an archivault of horizontal columns which formed a kind of half-vaulted roof above the sea. At certain intervals, and below this natural basin, the eye was pleased and surprised by the sight of oval openings through which the outward waves came thundering in volleys of foam. Some banks of basalt, torn from their fastenings by the fury of the waves, lay scattered on the ground like the ruins of an ancient temple-ruins eternally young, over which the storms of ages swept without producing any perceptible effect!
upright - aufrecht; hochkant
pillars - Pfeilern; Pfeiler, Säule
proportions - Proportionen; Teil, Proportion, Anteil
supported - unterstützt; Rückendeckung, Auflage, Unterstützung; abstützen
archivault - archiviert
vaulted - gewölbt; sich wölben, überwölben
intervals - Intervalle; Abstand, Zwischenraum, Intervall
oval - Oval
openings - Eröffnungen; Erschließung; aufklappend, Ă–ffnung, Eröffnung
outward - nach außen; äußerlich, auswärts
thundering - donnernd; (thunder); Donner; Donnern
volleys - Salven; Salve, Volley
foam - Schaum; Schaumgummi; schäumen
torn - zerrissen; zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
fastenings - Befestigungen; befestigend, anbindend
Temple - Tempel, Schläfe, Bethaus, Synagoge
eternally - auf ewig
storms - stürmen; Sturm
perceptible - wahrnehmbar, spürbar, fühlbar
This was the last stage of our journey. Hans had brought us along with fidelity and intelligence, and I began to feel somewhat more comfortable when I reflected that he was to accompany us still farther on our way.
fidelity - Redlichkeit; Genauigkeit; Treue; Wiedergabetreue, Klangtreue
When we halted before the house of the Rector, a small and incommodious cabin, neither handsome nor more comfortable than those of his neighbors, I saw a man in the act of shoeing a horse, a hammer in his hand, and a leathern apron tied round his waist.
halted - angehalten; unterbrechen, halten; Halt
rector - Rektor
incommodious - lästig
neighbors - Nachbarn; Nachbar, Nachbarin
act - handeln; Handlung, Tat, Akt, Gesetz, Akte, Spiel
leathern - ledern
apron - Schürze; Vorfeld; Fußsack
tied round - umgebunden
waist - Taille; Rumpf
"Be happy," said the eider-down hunter, using his national salutation in his own language.
salutation - Begrüßung; Titel
"God dag-good day!" replied the former, in excellent Danish.
former - erstgenannt, ehem. ehemalig, frühere, früher
"Kyrkoherde," cried Hans, turning round and introducing him to my uncle.
turning round - umlenkend
"The Rector," repeated the worthy Professor; "it appears, my dear Harry, that this worthy man is the Rector, and is not above doing his own work."
During the speaking of these words the guide intimated to the Kyrkoherde what was the true state of the case. The good man, ceasing from his occupation, gave a kind of halloo, upon which a tall woman, almost a giantess, came out of the hut. She was at least six feet high, which in that region is something considerable.
intimated - angedeutet; vertraut, innig, intim, vorsichtig andeuten
ceasing - aufhören; beendend, endend; (cease); aufhören, einstellen
Halloo - hallo
giantess - Riesin
My first impression was one of horror. I thought she had come to give us the Icelandic kiss. I had, however, nothing to fear, for she did not even show much inclination to receive us into her house.
inclination - Neigung
receive - bekommen, erhalten, empfangen, kriegen
The room devoted to strangers appeared to me to be by far the worst in the presbytery; it was narrow, dirty and offensive. There was, however, no choice about the matter. The Rector had no notion of practicing the usual cordial and antique hospitality. Far from it. Before the day was over, I found we had to deal with a blacksmith, a fisherman, a hunter, a carpenter, anything but a clergyman.
offensive - beleidigend; offensiv; Offensive, Angriff
choice - Wahl; Auswahl; erlesen
cordial - herzlich; Sirup; Likör
blacksmith - Eisenschmied, Eisenschmiedin, Grobschmied, Grobschmiedin
Carpenter - Schreiner; Zimmermann, Zimmerfrau
clergyman - Pfarrer, Pastor, Kleriker, Geistlicher
It must be said in his favor that we had caught him on a weekday; probably he appeared to greater advantage on the Sunday.
weekday - Wochentag, Werktag
These poor priests receive from the Danish government a most ridiculously inadequate salary, and collect one quarter of the tithe of their parish-not more than sixty marks current, or about L3 10s. sterling. Hence the necessity of working to live. in truth, we soon found that our host did not count civility among the cardinal virtues.
priests - Priester, Priesterin, Pfarrer, Pfarrerin, Pastor, Pastorin
government - staatlich;Regierung , Regierung , Landesregierung
ridiculously - lächerlich
inadequate - unzureichend, unzulänglich, unangemessen, ungeeignet
tithe - den Zehnten; Zehnt
parish - Pfarrgemeinde, Gemeinde, Kirchenkreis
marks - Zeichen; Markus, Markus, Markus
sterling - der Sterling
in truth - ungelogen
count - rechnen, abzählen, zählen
civility - Anstand, Höflichkeit, Verbindlichkeit
cardinal - grundsätzlich; kardinalrot; Grundzahl, Kardinalzahl, Kardinal
virtues - Tugenden; Tugend, Tugend, Keuschheit, Tugend
My uncle soon became aware of the kind of man he had to deal with. Instead of a worthy and learned scholar, he found a dull ill-mannered peasant. He therefore resolved to start on his great expedition as soon as possible. He did not care about fatigue, and resolved to spend a few days in the mountains.
dull - stumpf; fad, langweilig, matt, blöd, blöde
mannered - manieriert
The preparations for our departure were made the very next day after our arrival at Stapi; Hans now hired three Icelanders to take the place of the horses-which could no longer carry our luggage. When, however, these worthy islanders had reached the bottom of the crater, they were to go back and leave us to ourselves. This point was settled before they would agree to start.
hired - angestellt; leihen, Entgelt, anstellen, mieten; dingen
islanders - Inselbewohner, Inselbewohnerin, Insulaner, Insulanerin
On this occasion, my uncle partly confided in Hans, the eider-duck hunter, and gave him to understand that it was his intention to continue his exploration of the volcano to the last possible limits.
partly - teilweise, zum Teil
confided - anvertraut; vertrauen, einweihen, ins Vertrauen ziehen
intention - Absicht
continue - fortsetzen, weiterhin
exploration - Erkundung, Erforschung, Untersuchung, Entdeckungsreise
Hans listened calmly, and then nodded his head. To go there, or elsewhere, to bury himself in the bowels of the earth, or to travel over its summits, was all the same to him! As for me, amused and occupied by the incidents of travel, I had begun to forget the inevitable future; but now I was once more destined to realize the actual state of affairs.
calmly - ruhig
amused - amüsiert; amüsieren, vergnügen, belustigen, erheitern
occupied - besetzt; in Anspruch nehmen, belegen, bewohnen, besetzen
realize - verwirklichen, realisieren
actual - tatsächlich, konkret, gegenwärtig, aktuell
affairs - Angelegenheiten; Angelegenheit, Angelegenheit, Scharmützel
What was to be done? Run away? But if I really had intended to leave Professor Hardwigg to his fate, it should have been at Hamburg and not at the foot of Sneffels.
intended - beabsichtigt; gedacht; (intend); beabsichtigen, vorhaben
fate - Schicksal, Los, Geschick
One idea, above all others, began to trouble me: a very terrible idea, and one calculated to shake the nerves of a man even less sensitive than myself.
calculated - berechnet; kalkulieren, berechnen, ausrechnen, rechnen
sensitive - empfindlich, sensibel
"Let us consider the matter," I said to myself; "we are going to ascend the Sneffels mountain. Well and good. We are about to pay a visit to the very bottom of the crater. Good, still. Others have done it and did not perish from that course.
Consider - überlegen; halten; betrachten, in Betracht ziehen
pay a visit - einen Besuch abstatten
"That, however, is not the whole matter to be considered. If a road does really present itself by which to descend into the dark and subterraneous bowels of Mother Earth, if this thrice unhappy Saknussemm has really told the truth, we shall be most certainly lost in the midst of the labyrinth of subterraneous galleries of the volcano.
thrice - dreimal
labyrinth - Labyrinth
galleries - Galerien; Galerie, Galerie, Galerie, Galerie
Now, we have no evidence to prove that Sneffels is really extinct. What proof have we that an eruption is not shortly about to take place? Because the monster has slept soundly since 1219, does it follow that he is never to wake?
evidence - Beweise; Beweis, Indiz, Beweismittel
monster - Monster, Ungeheuer
soundly - solide; gründlich, ordentlich
"If he does wake what is to become of us?"
These were questions worth thinking about, and upon them I reflected long and deeply. I could not lie down in search of sleep without dreaming of eruptions. The more I thought, the more I objected to be reduced to the state of dross and ashes.
worth - wert
lie - lügen; (lie down) sich hinlegen
search - Suche; suchen, absuchen, durchsuchen
dreaming - phantasierend, träumend; (dream); Traum, Wunsch, träumen
reduced - ermäßigt; reduzieren, herabsetzen, vermindern, abnehmen
dross - Müll, Schrott, Schlacke, Krätze, Abschaum, Schund
ashes - Esche, Asche
I could stand it no longer; so I determined at last to submit the whole case to my uncle, in the most adroit manner possible, and under the form of some totally irreconcilable hypothesis.
submit - sich unterwerfen;ich/er/sie gab ab, abgeben;ermöglichen, vorlegen, vorschlagen, einreichen
adroit - geschickt, gewandt
totally - total; vollständig, komplett, völlig, absolut
irreconcilable - unversöhnlich, unvereinbar, unverträglich
hypothesis - Hypothese
I sought him. I laid before him my fears, and then drew back in order to let him get his passion over at his ease.
fears - Ängste; fürchten, befürchten, Angst haben; Furcht, Schreck
"I have been thinking about the matter," he said, in the quietest tone in the world.
What did he mean? Was he at last about to listen to the voice of reason? Did he think of suspending his projects? It was almost too much happiness to be true.
suspending - suspendieren, aufhängen, suspendieren, aufheben, aussetzen
I however made no remark. In fact, I was only too anxious not to interrupt him, and allowed him to reflect at his leisure. After some moments he spoke out.
interrupt - unterbrechen
leisure - Muße; Freizeit
"I have been thinking about the matter," he resumed. "Ever since we have been at Stapi, my mind has been almost solely occupied with the grave question which has been submitted to me by yourself-for nothing would be unwiser and more inconsistent than to act with imprudence."
resumed - wiederaufgenommen; weiter; Lebenslauf; fortsetzen
solely - nur; einzig und allein; ausschließlich, exklusiv, alleinig
occupied with - befasst mit
submitted - vorgelegt; sich fügen, vorlegen, einreichen, unterwerfen
unwiser - ungeschickter; unklug
more inconsistent - inkonsequentere
imprudence - Unvorsichtigkeit; Leichtsinn, Nachlässigkeit
"I heartily agree with you, my dear uncle," was my somewhat hopeful rejoinder.
hopeful - hoffnungsvoll
rejoinder - Gegenerwiderung, Duplik, schlagfertige Erwiderung
"It is now six hundred years since Sneffels has spoken, but though now reduced to a state of utter silence, he may speak again. New volcanic eruptions are always preceded by perfectly well-known phenomena. I have closely examined the inhabitants of this region; I have carefully studied the soil, and I beg to tell you emphatically, my dear Harry, there will be no eruption at present."
utter - Äußerlich; äußerst
silence - Stille, Schweigen, zum Schweigen bringen, Ruhe
preceded - vorausgegangen; vorangehen, vorausgehen
closely - dicht, eng, nah, nahe
emphatically - mit Nachdruck
As I listened to his positive affirmations, I was stupefied and could say nothing.
affirmations - Affirmationen; Bestätigung, Zustimmung, Autosuggestion
"I see you doubt my word," said my uncle; "follow me."
I obeyed mechanically.
Leaving the presbytery, the Professor took a road through an opening in the basaltic rock, which led far away from the sea. We were soon in open country, if we could give such a name to a place all covered with volcanic deposits. The whole land seemed crushed under the weight of enormous stones-of trap, of basalt, of granite, of lava, and of all other volcanic substances.
deposits - Einlagen; Ablagerung, Vorkommen
trap - eine Falle; Fallgrube, Falle, Fahrt (im Bergwerk); einfangen
substances - Stoffe; Substanz, Stoff, Substanz, Substanz, Substanz
I could see many spouts of steam rising in the air. These white vapors, called in the Icelandic language "reykir," come from hot water fountains, and indicate by their violence the volcanic activity of the soil. Now the sight of these appeared to justify my apprehension. I was, therefore, all the more surprised and mortified when my uncle thus addressed me.
spouts - Ausgüsse; Tülle, Ausguss, Schnabel, Auslauf, Schnaupe, Schnauze
vapors - Dämpfe; Dampf, prahlen
fountains - Springbrunnen, Fontäne, Brunnen
indicate - anzeigen, anweisen, andeuten, auf etwas deuten, blinken
violence - Gewalt, Gewalttaten, Gewalttätigkeiten
justify - rechtfertigen; ausrichten, justieren
apprehension - Befürchtungen; Greifen, Ergreifen, Fassen, Anfassen
mortified - gedemütigt; abtöten, töten, abtöten
"You see all this smoke, Harry, my boy?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, as long as you see them thus, you have nothing to fear from the volcano."
"How can that be?"
"Be careful to remember this," continued the Professor. "At the approach of an eruption these spouts of vapor redouble their activity-to disappear altogether during the period of volcanic eruption; for the elastic fluids, no longer having the necessary tension, seek refuge in the interior of the crater, instead of escaping through the fissures of the earth. If, then, the steam remains in its normal or habitual state, if their energy does not increase, and if you add to this, the remark that the wind is not replaced by heavy atmospheric pressure and dead calm, you may be quite sure that there is no fear of any immediate eruption.
redouble - verdoppeln
disappear - verschwinden, entschwinden, zum Verschwinden bringen
altogether - ganz und gar, ohne Ausnahme, ausnahmslos, insgesamt
elastic - dehnbar, elastisch, Gummiband
fluids - Flüssigkeiten; Fluid
tension - Spannung
seek refuge in - sich flüchten in ..., Zuflucht nehmen in ...
escaping - fliehen; entgehen, entgehen, ausweichen, davonkommen, Flucht
fissures - Risse; Riss, Spalte, rissig werden
normal - normal; Normale
habitual - gewohnheitsmäßig; gewohnt; gewöhnlich, habituell
atmospheric - stimmungsvoll; atmosphärisch
pressure - Druck; unter Druck setzen
dead calm - Flaute
immediate - sofortig; unmittelbar, immediat
"But-"
"Enough, my boy. When science has sent forth her fiat-it is only to hear and obey."
fiat - Anordnung, Befehl, Erlass, Vorschrift
I came back to the house quite downcast and disappointed. My uncle had completely defeated me with his scientific arguments. Nevertheless, I had still one hope, and that was, when once we were at the bottom of the crater, that it would be impossible in default of a gallery or tunnel, to descend any deeper; and this, despite all the learned Saknussemms in the world.
downcast - niedergeschlagen, geknickt, entmutigt
disappointed - enttäuscht; enttäuschen, vorenthalten, berauben
completely - vollständig, völlig, ganz, vollumfänglich
defeated - besiegt; vernichten, ablehnen, vereiteln, besiegen; Niederlage
arguments - Argumente; Diskussion, Auseinandersetzung, Beweis
default - Standard; Fristversäumnis, Säumnis, Zahlungseinstellung
tunnel - Tunnel, Stollen
deeper - tiefer; tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tief, tiefgründig
I passed the whole of the following night with a nightmare on my chest! and, after unheard-of miseries and tortures, found myself in the very depths of the earth, from which I was suddenly launched into planetary space, under the form of an eruptive rock!
chest - Kiste, Brustkasten, Brust, Koffer
unheard - ungehört
miseries - Misere, Elend
tortures - foltert; Folter, Tortur, foltern
launched - gestartet; Markteinführung; anstoßen, starten (Rakete)
planetary - planetarisch; planetar
eruptive - eruptiv
Next day, June 23d, Hans calmly awaited us outside the presbytery with his three companions loaded with provisions, tools, and instruments. Two iron-shod poles, two guns, and two large game bags, were reserved for my uncle and myself. Hans, who was a man who never forgot even the minutest precautions, had added to our baggage a large skin full of water, as an addition to our gourds. This assured us water for eight days.
Companions - Gefährten; Begleiter, Freund, Liebhaber, Kamerad, Gefährte
loaded - geladen; Last, Beschickung (Ladung), Belastung; beladen
guns - Pistolen; Geschütz, Gewehr, Knarre, Revolver
reserved - Reservieren
precautions - Vorsichtsmaßnahmen; Vorsorge, Vorsichtsmaßnahme
Addition - Zufügung, Hinzufügung, Zusatz, Addition, Summant
assured - gesichert; beteuerte, versicherte, versichert
It was nine o'clock in the morning when we were quite ready. The rector and his huge wife or servant, I never knew which, stood at the door to see us off. They appeared to be about to inflict on us the usual final kiss of the Icelanders. To our supreme astonishment their adieu took the shape of a formidable bill, in which they even counted the use of the pastoral house, really and truly the most abominable and dirty place I ever was in.
servant - Diener, Dienerin, Lakai, Kammerdiener
inflict - auferlegen; zufügen, checkverhängen
supreme - übergeordnet; höchster, oberster
adieu - Adieu
formidable - Beeindruckend; respekteinflößend, furchteinflößend
most abominable - scheußlichste
The worthy couple cheated and robbed us like a Swiss innkeeper, and made us feel, by the sum we had to pay, the splendors of their hospitality.
couple - Paar; einige, ein paar
cheated - betrogen; schummeln, bescheißen (sl.), betrügen
robbed - ausgeraubt; rauben, berauben, Raubbau treiben, ausrauben
Swiss - schweizerisch
innkeeper - Gastwirt, Gastwirtin
sum - Betrag, Summe, Geldbetrag
My uncle, however, paid without bargaining. A man who had made up his mind to undertake a voyage into the Interior of the Earth, is not the man to haggle over a few miserable rix-dollars.
bargaining - verhandeln; Angebot
haggle over - feilschen, handeln um
This important matter settled, Hans gave the signal for departure, and some few moments later we had left Stapi.
The commencement of the great undertaking filled me with awe. Now that we had actually started, I began to believe in the reality of the undertaking!
commencement - Beginn; Anfang
actually - Ja, also eigentlich ...;eigentlich, wirklich, tatsächlich
Our party formed quite a procession. We walked in single file, preceded by Hans, the imperturbable eider-duck hunter. He calmly led us by narrow paths where two persons could by no possibility walk abreast. Conversation was wholly impossible. We had all the more opportunity to reflect and admire the awful grandeur of the scene around.
procession - Prozession, Umzug
single - einzeln, einzig, allein, einheitlich
abreast - übereinstimmend; beieinander, nebeneinander, auf dem Laufenden
opportunity - Gelegenheit, Chance, Möglichkeit
admire - bewundern, verehren, hochschätzen
awful - schrecklich, furchtbar, schrecklich (1), checkfurchtbar (1)
Beyond the extraordinary basaltic wall of the fjord of Stapi we found ourselves making our way through fibrous turf, over which grew a scanty vegetation of grass, the residuum of the ancient vegetation of the swampy peninsula. The vast mass of this combustible, the field of which as yet is utterly unexplored, would suffice to warm Iceland for a whole century.
fibrous - faserig
scanty - spärlich; dürftig, kärglich, knapp
mass - Masse; Messe (kirchlich), Gottesdienst, Menge
combustible - brennbar, verbrennbar, Brennstoff
as yet - bislang, bis jetzt
unexplored - unerforscht
suffice - ausreichen, genügen, genug sein, zufriedenstellen
This mighty turf pit, measured from the bottom of certain ravines, is often not less than seventy feet deep, and presents to the eye the view of successive layers of black burned-up rocky detritus, separated by thin streaks of porous sandstone.
pit - Fallgrube, Schachtgrube, Box (Sport)
measured - gemessen; Maß
ravines - Schluchten; Klamm, Schlucht
successive - erfolgreich
burned - verbrannt; brennen, feuern, leuchten
detritus - Gerümpel; Detritus, Geröll, Gesteinschutt
streaks - Schliere, Später Ginsterspanner, schlieren, flitzen
porous - porös
sandstone - Sandstein
The grandeur of the spectacle was undoubted, as well as its arid and deserted air.
As a true nephew of the great Professor Hardwigg, and despite my preoccupation and doleful fears of what was to come, I observed with great interest the vast collection of mineralogical curiosities spread out before me in this vast museum of natural history. Looking back to my recent studies, I went over in thought the whole geological history of Iceland.
preoccupation - Besorgniserregend; Vertieftsein, Beschäftigtsein
doleful - traurig, trübsinnig
natural history - Naturgeschichte , Naturkunde
recent - jüngst, neu, kürzlich, frisch
This extraordinary and curious island must have made its appearance from out of the great world of waters at a comparatively recent date. Like the coral islands of the Pacific, it may, for aught we know, be still rising by slow and imperceptible degrees.
comparatively - vergleichsweise
coral - Korallen; Koralle
aught - etwas
imperceptible - nicht wahrnehmbar
If this really be the case, its origin can be attributed to only one cause-that of the continued action of subterranean fires.
attributed - zugeschrieben; Eigenschaft, Merkmal
subterranean - unterirdisch
This was a happy thought.
If so, if this were true, away with the theories of Sir Humphry Davy; away with the authority of the parchment of Arne Saknussemm; the wonderful pretensions to discovery on the part of my uncle-and to our journey!
authority - Autorität; Autorität; Behörde
pretensions - Anmaßungen; Anspruch, Ăśberheblichkeit, Anmaßung
All must end in smoke.
end in smoke - sich in Luft auflösen
Charmed with the idea, I began more carefully to look about me. A serious study of the soil was necessary to negative or confirm my hypothesis. I took in every item of what I saw, and I began to comprehend the succession of phenomena which had preceded its formation.
charmed - verzaubert; Talisman; Charme, Zauberformel
serious - ernst, seriös, ernsthaft, schwerwiegend
confirm - bestätigen, bekräftigen
took in - (take in) enger machen, hereinlegen, einnehmen
item - Ding, Gegenstand, Stück, Artikel
Iceland, being absolutely without sedimentary soil, is composed exclusively of volcanic tufa; that is to say, of an agglomeration of stones and of rocks of a porous texture. Long before the existence of volcanoes, it was composed of a solid body of massive trap rock lifted bodily and slowly out of the sea, by the action of the centrifugal force at work in the earth.
sedimentary - sedimentär
agglomeration - Sammlung; Ansammlung; Ballungsraum
texture - Textur; texturieren
solid - fest, massiv, kompakt, deftig, solide, robust, bündig
massive - massiv
bodily - körperlich, Körper
centrifugal force - Fliehkraft
The internal fires, however, had not as yet burst their bounds and flooded the exterior cake of Mother Earth with hot and raging lava.
internal - intern, checkinnerlich, checkinländisch
burst - geplatzt; platzen, zerplatzen, bersten, sprengen, Bersten
bounds - Grenzen; Sprung
flooded - überschwemmt; Flut, Flut, überschwemmen, überfluten, überfüllen
raging - wütend; Wut, Zorn, Raserei, Rage, wüten, rasen, toben, toben
My readers must excuse this brief and somewhat pedantic geological lecture. But it is necessary to the complete understanding of what follows.
Excuse - Wie bitte; entschuldigen, verzeihen, sich entschuldigen
pedantic - pedantisch
lecture - Vortrag; Vorlesung
It was at this epoch that the rocks called feldspars, syenites, and porphyries appeared.
epoch - Epoche, Ära
feldspars - Feldspat
But as a natural consequence of this overflow, the depth of the island increased. It can readily be believed what an enormous quantity of elastic fluids were piled up within its centre, when at last it afforded no other openings, after the process of cooling the crust had taken place.
overflow - überfließen, überlaufen, checküberfluten, überströmen
depth - Tiefe
piled up - angeschichtet
afforded - gewährt wird; leisten
process - weiter verarbeiten, verarbeiten, entwickeln; Verfahren
At length a time came when despite the enormous thickness and weight of the upper crust, the mechanical forces of the combustible gases below became so great, that they actually upheaved the weighty back and made for themselves huge and gigantic shafts. Hence the volcanoes which suddenly arose through the upper crust, and next the craters, which burst forth at the summit of these new creations.
thickness - Dicke
mechanical - mechanisch
forces - Kräfte; zwingen, forcieren, erzwingen; Stärke, Macht, Einfluss
actually - eigentlich, tatsächlich, in Wirklichkeit, in Wahrheit
weighty - wichtig; schwergewichtig
shafts - Schächte; Schaft, Strahl, Schaft, Schacht, Schacht, Schacht
creations - Kreationen; Erfindung, Werk
It will be seen that the first phenomena in connection with the formation of the island were simply eruptive; to these, however, shortly succeeded the volcanic phenomena.
succeeded - erfolgreich; nachfolgen, gelingen, geraten, nachfolgen
Through the newly formed openings, escaped the marvelous mass of basaltic stones with which the plain we were now crossing was covered. We were trampling our way over heavy rocks of dark grey color, which, while cooling, had been moulded into six-sided prisms. In the "back distance" we could see a number of flattened cones, which formerly were so many fire-vomiting mouths.
newly - neu
escaped - entkommen; entgehen, entgehen, ausweichen, davonkommen, Flucht
trampling - zerstampfend, Getrampel, trampelnd; (trample); trampeln
moulded - geformt; Heizform, Form; Gussform, Gießform, Moder; formen
sided - Flanke, Rand, Mannschaft, Team
Prisms - Prisma
flattened - abgeflacht; plätten, flachmachen, planieren, plattmachen
Formerly - früher, ehemals
vomiting - (vomit) erbrechen, kotzen (sl.); (vomit); übergeben
After the basaltic eruption was appeased and set at rest, the volcano, the force of which increased with that of the extinct craters, gave free passage to the fiery overflow of lava, and to the mass of cinders and pumice stone, now scattered over the sides of the mountain, like disheveled hair on the shoulders of a Bacchante.
appeased - beschwichtigt; besänftigen, friedlich stimmen, beschwichtigen
fiery - feurig, Feuer
cinders - Asche, Schlacke, Zunder, verkohlen, verschwelen, einäschern
pumice - Bimsstein; Bims
disheveled - zerzaust; in Unordnung bringen, herumschmeißen, verwirren
Bacchante - Bacchantin
Here, in a nutshell, I had the whole history of the phenomena from which Iceland arose. All take their rise in the fierce action of interior fires, and to believe that the central mass did not remain in a state of liquid fire, white hot, was simply and purely madness.
nutshell - Nussschale
purely - rein, bloß
This being satisfactorily proved (Q.E.D.), what insensate folly to pretend to penetrate into the interior of the mighty earth!
satisfactorily - zufriedenstellend
insensate - unempfindlich
penetrate - durchdringen; eindringen, penetrieren
This mental lecture delivered to myself while proceeding on a journey, did me good. I was quite reassured as to the fate of our enterprise; and therefore went, like a brave soldier mounting a bristling battery, to the assault of old Sneffels.
mental - seelisch, geistig
delivered - geliefert; erlösen, befreien, gebären, liefern, abliefern
reassured - beruhigt; versichern, beruhigen
soldier - Soldat, Soldatin, Kämpfer
mounting - Befestigung; ersteigend, Halterung
bristling - sträuben; Borste, Borste
assault - Anschlag, Überfall, Angriff, überfallen, angreifen
As we advanced, the road became every moment more difficult. The soil was broken and dangerous. The rocks broke and gave way under our feet, and we had to be scrupulously careful in order to avoid dangerous and constant falls.
scrupulously - peinlich genau
avoid - ausweichen; meiden, fernbleiben, vermeiden, entkräften
Hans advanced as calmly as if he had been walking over Salisbury Plain; sometimes he would disappear behind huge blocks of stone, and we momentarily lost sight of him. There was a little period of anxiety and then there was a shrill whistle, just to tell us where to look for him.
blocks - Blöcke; Kloben, Block, Klotz, Trakt; absperren, blockieren
momentarily - Momentan
shrill - schrill; scharf
whistle - Pfeife, Trillerpfeife, Flöte, Pfeifen, Pfiff
Occasionally he would take it into his head to stop to pick up lumps of rock, and silently pile them up into small heaps, in order that we might not lose our way on our return.
pick - wählen; Hacke, Pickel, Spitzhacke, Dietrich, pflücken
lumps - Klumpen, Kloß, Stück
silently - leise; schweigend, still
pile - Haufen, Pfahl, Pulk
heaps - haufenweise; Menschenmenge, Masse, Haufen, Haufe, Heap, Haufen
He had no idea of the journey we were about to undertake.
At all events, the precaution was a good one; though how utterly useless and unnecessary-but I must not anticipate.
precaution - Vorsorge; Vorsichtsmaßnahme
unnecessary - nicht notwendig, unnötig
anticipate - antizipieren; vorgreifen; voraussehen, vorausahnen
Three hours of terrible fatigue, walking incessantly, had only brought us to the foot of the great mountain. This will give some notion of what we had still to undergo.
incessantly - unaufhörlich
undergo - unterziehen; durchmachen
Suddenly, however, Hans cried a halt-that is, he made signs to that effect-and a summary kind of breakfast was laid out on the lava before us. My uncle, who now was simply Professor Hardwigg, was so eager to advance, that he bolted his food like a greedy clown.
summary - zusammenfassend; Zusammenfassung
eager - eifrig, erwartungsvoll, begierig
bolted - verriegelt; Riegel, Ballen, Blitz, Bolzen; durchgehen (Pferd)
greedy - gierig, habgierig, habsüchtig, gefräßig
clown - Clown, Clownin, Trottel
This halt for refreshment was also a halt for repose. The Professor was therefore compelled to wait the good pleasure of his imperturbable guide, who did not give the signal for departure for a good hour.
repose - ruhen
The three Icelanders, who were as taciturn as their comrade, did not say a word; but went on eating and drinking very quietly and soberly.
taciturn - schweigsam, wortkarg, maulfaul
comrade - Kamerad; Genosse, Genossin
soberly - nüchtern
From this, our first real stage, we began to ascend the slopes of the Sneffels volcano. Its magnificent snowy nightcap, as we began to call it, by an optical delusion very common in mountains, appeared to me to be close at hand; and yet how many long weary hours must elapse before we reached its summit. What unheard-of fatigue must we endure!
slopes - Pisten; Steigung, Hang, Abhang, Steigung, Steigung, Steigung
snowy - verschneit; Schnee
nightcap - Schlummertrunk; Schlafmütze; Absacker
endure - ertragen, aushalten, dulden, von Bestand sein
The stones on the mountain side, held together by no cement of soil, bound together by no roots or creeping herbs, gave way continually under our feet, and went rushing below into the plains, like a series of small avalanches.
held together - zusammengehalten
cement - Zement; Zementleim, Zementmörtel, Zementmasse
bound together - zusammen gebunden, zusammengebunden [alt]
roots - wurzeln; Haupt, Wurzel, Nullstelle [math.]
creeping - schleichend; kriechen, schleichen, schleichen, kriechen
herbs - Kräuter; Kraut
continually - ständig, andauernd, immer wieder, immerzu
plains - Ebenen; unscheinbar, einfach, vollständige, ehrlich
avalanches - Lawinen; Lawine, Schneelawine, Lawine
In certain places the sides of this stupendous mountain were at an angle so steep that it was impossible to climb upwards, and we were compelled to get round these obstacles as best we might.
stupendous - überwältigend
angle - Winkel; Angel
obstacles - Hindernisse; Hindernis
Those who understand Alpine climbing will comprehend our difficulties. Often we were obliged to help each other along by means of our climbing poles.
I must say this for my uncle, that he stuck as close to me as possible. He never lost sight of me, and on many occasions his arm supplied me with firm and solid support. He was strong, wiry, and apparently insensible to fatigue. Another great advantage with him was that he had the innate sentiment of equilibrium-for he never slipped or failed in his steps. The Icelanders, though heavily loaded, climbed with the agility of mountaineers.
stuck - stecken; stich!, ich/er/sie stäche, ich/er/sie stach; Schläger
occasions - Anlässe; Gelegenheit, Gelegenheit, Anlass
supplied - geliefert; Stellvertretung, Versorgung, Vorrat; liefern
support - Rückendeckung, Auflage, Unterstützung; abstützen, befürworten
insensible - unempfindlich
sentiment - Gefühlen; Gefühl
equilibrium - Gleichgewicht, Balance, Ausgeglichenheit
slipped - ausgerutscht; Versprecher; Rutschen (geradeaus); Lapsus
failed - gescheitert; mangelhaft (Zensur 5)
heavily - schwerlich, stark
agility - Beweglichkeit, Agilität, Wendigkeit
mountaineers - Bergbewohner, Bergbewohnerin, Bergsteiger, Bergsteigerin
Looking up, every now and then, at the height of the great volcano of Sneffels, it appeared to me wholly impossible to reach to the summit on that side; at all events, if the angle of inclination did not speedily change.
speedily - zügig; beeilt, schnell
Fortunately, after an hour of unheard-of fatigues, and of gymnastic exercises that would have been trying to an acrobat, we came to a vast field of ice, which wholly surrounded the bottom of the cone of the volcano. The natives called it the tablecloth, probably from some such reason as the dwellers in the Cape of Good Hope call their mountain Table Mountain, and their roads Table Bay.
gymnastic exercises - Leibesübungen
acrobat - Akrobat, Akrobatin
tablecloth - Tischdecke, Tischtuch
dwellers - Bewohnern; Bewohner
Here, to our mutual surprise, we found an actual flight of stone steps, which wonderfully assisted our ascent. This singular flight of stairs was, like everything else, volcanic. It had been formed by one of those torrents of stones cast up by the eruptions, and of which the Icelandic name is stina.
mutual - wechselseitig, gegenseitig, beiderseitig, gemeinsam
wonderfully - Wunderbar
assisted - assistiert; assistieren, helfen, beistehen, unterstützen
stairs - Stufe, Treppenstufe, Treppe
torrents - Sturzbach, Sturzflut
If this singular torrent had not been checked in its descent by the peculiar shape of the flanks of the mountain, it would have swept into the sea, and would have formed new islands.
torrent - Sturzbach, Sturzflut
checked in - (check in) einchecken
descent - Abstieg, Runterweg, Herkunft, Abstammung, Verschlechterung
flanks - Flanken; in der Flanke angreifen, flankieren, Flanke, Flanke
Such as it was, it served us admirably. The abrupt character of the slopes momentarily increased, but these remarkable stone steps, a little less difficult than those of the Egyptian pyramids, were the one simple natural means by which we were enabled to proceed.
abrupt - abrupt, jäh, schroff, steil
Egyptian - ägyptisch; Ägypter, Ägypterin, Ägyptisch
enabled - aktiviert; berechtigen, befähigen, ermöglichen, anordnen
proceed - fortfahren; vorgehen
About seven in the evening of that day, after having clambered up two thousand of these rough steps, we found ourselves overlooking a kind of spur or projection of the mountain-a sort of buttress upon which the conelike crater, properly so called, leaned for support.
clambered - erklommen; klettern, erklimmen, kraxeln, herumturnen
overlooking - Übersicht, Überblick, bemerken
projection - Vorsprung; Projizieren, Projektion, Prognose, Vorhersage
buttress - Stützpfeiler, Strebepfeiler, Gewölbepfeiler
conelike - kegelförmig
properly - ordnungsgemäß, ordentlich, richtig, vernünftig
leaned - gelehnt; knapp, schlank, hager, mager
The ocean lay beneath us at a depth of more than three thousand two hundred feet-a grand and mighty spectacle. We had reached the region of eternal snows.
The cold was keen, searching and intense. The wind blew with extraordinary violence. I was utterly exhausted.
searching - Suche, suchen, absuchen, durchsuchen, suchen
blew - geblasen; (to blow) blasen, wehen, pusten
My worthy uncle, the Professor, saw clearly that my legs refused further service, and that, in fact, I was utterly exhausted. Despite his hot and feverish impatience, he decided, with a sigh, upon a halt. He called the eider-duck hunter to his side. That worthy, however, shook his head.
"Ofvanfor," was his sole spoken reply.
"It appears," says my uncle with a woebegone look, "that we must go higher."
woebegone - weinerlich
He then turned to Hans, and asked him to give some reason for this decisive response.
response - Antwort
"Mistour," replied the guide.
"Ja, mistour-yes, the mistour," cried one of the Icelandic guides in a terrified tone.
guides - lenken, führen, anleiten, leiten; Handbuch, Anleitung, Führer
terrified - verängstigt; erschrecken
It was the first time he had spoken.
"What does this mysterious word signify?" I anxiously inquired.
signify - bedeuten
inquired - nachgefragt; erkundigen
"Look," said my uncle.
I looked down upon the plain below, and I saw a vast, a prodigious volume of pulverized pumice stone, of sand, of dust, rising to the heavens in the form of a mighty waterspout. It resembled the fearful phenomenon of a similar character known to the travelers in the desert of the great Sahara.
prodigious - erstaunlich; ungeheuer, gewaltig, verwunderlich
pulverized - pulverisiert; zerreiben, pulverisieren, vermahlen
of sand - sandig
dust - Staub; entstauben, abstauben, ein Sandbad nehmen, sandbaden
waterspout - Wasserhose; Wasserspeier
resembled - ähnelte; ähneln, gleichen
phenomenon - Phänomen, Erscheinung
Sahara - Sahara
The wind was driving it directly towards that side of Sneffels on which we were perched. This opaque veil standing up between us and the sun projected a deep shadow on the flanks of the mountain. If this sand spout broke over us, we must all be infallibly destroyed, crushed in its fearful embraces. This extraordinary phenomenon, very common when the wind shakes the glaciers, and sweeps over the arid plains, is in the Icelandic tongue called "mistour.
directly - direkt, gerade, unmittelbar
perched - hockt; Vogelstange; Barsch
opaque - matt, dunkel, undurchsichtig, undurchlässig, opak
sand - Sand
spout - Tülle, Ausguss, Schnabel, Auslauf
infallibly - unfehlbar
destroyed - zerstört; zerstören, vernichten, qualifier
embraces - umarmt; umarmen, annehmen, umarmen, Umarmung
shakes - schüttelt; schütteln, erschüttern, schütteln, erschüttern
sweeps - fegen, kehren, fegen, rauschen, auf den Kopf stellen, fegen
"Hastigt, hastigt!" cried our guide.
Now I certainly knew nothing of Danish, but I thoroughly understood that his gestures were meant to quicken us.
gestures - Gesten; Geste, Gebärde, Geste, gestikulieren
quicken - beschleunigen
The guide turned rapidly in a direction which would take us to the back of the crater, all the while ascending slightly.
ascending - aufsteigend; steigen, aufsteigen
We followed rapidly, despite our excessive fatigue.
A quarter of an hour later Hans paused to enable us to look back. The mighty whirlwind of sand was spreading up the slope of the mountain to the very spot where we had proposed to halt. Huge stones were caught up, cast into the air, and thrown about as during an eruption.
paused - innegehalten; pausieren, innehalten, pausieren, Pause
enable - berechtigen, befähigen, ermöglichen, anordnen, aktivieren
whirlwind - Wirbelwind, Wirbelsturm
spot - Fleck, Punkt, Pickel, Pustel, Bisschen, Stelle, Ort, Werbespot
proposed - vorgeschlagen; vorschlagen, einen Heiratsantrag machen
We were happily a little out of the direction of the wind, and therefore out of reach of danger. But for the precaution and knowledge of our guide, our dislocated bodies, our crushed and broken limbs, would have been cast to the wind, like dust from some unknown meteor.
Happily - glücklicherweise, fröhlich, bereitwillig, gerne
dislocated - ausgekugelt; auskugeln, ausrenken, verrenken, dislozieren
limbs - Gliedmaßen; Schenkel (geol. Falte), Glied
meteor - Meteor
Hans, however, did not think it prudent to pass the night on the bare side of the cone. We therefore continued our journey in a zigzag direction. The fifteen hundred feet which remained to be accomplished took us at least five hours. The turnings and windings, the no-thoroughfares, the marches and marches, turned that insignificant distance into at least three leagues.
Prudent - umsichtig, vorsichtig
zigzag - im Zickzack; Zickzack
turnings - Drehungen; Abdrehen, schaltend, drehend
windings - Wicklungen; (wind) aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln
insignificant - unbedeutend
I never felt such misery, fatigue and exhaustion in my life. I was ready to faint from hunger and cold. The rarefied air at the same time painfully acted upon my lungs.
misery - Misere, Elend
exhaustion - Erschöpfung, Ermattung
rarefied - verdünnt; verdünnen, evakuieren, rarefizieren, verfeinern
painfully - schmerzhaft
lungs - Lunge
I no longer wondered at people traveling all the way from England to Norway to behold this magical and wondrous spectacle.
wondered - gewundert; Wunder
magical - magisch
Our supper was eaten with ease and rapidity, after which everybody did the best he could for himself within the hollow of the crater. The bed was hard, the shelter unsatisfactory, the situation painful-lying in the open air, five thousand feet above the level of the sea!
rapidity - Schnelligkeit
hollow - hohl, dumpf
shelter - Unterkunft; Zuflucht, Obdach, Zufluchtsort, Schutzraum
unsatisfactory - nicht zufriedenstellend
painful - schmerzhaft
open air - unter freiem Himmel, im Freiem, Freilicht
Nevertheless, it has seldom happened to me to sleep so well as I did on that particular night. I did not even dream. So much for the effects of what my uncle called "wholesome fatigue."
seldom - selten
dream - Traum, Wunsch, träumen, wünschen
wholesome - gesund, heilsam, gesundheitsfördernd, gesundheitsförderlich
Next day, when we awoke under the rays of a bright and glorious sun, we were nearly frozen by the keen air. I left my granite couch and made one of the party to enjoy a view of the magnificent spectacle which developed itself, panorama-like, at our feet.
bright - fröhlich, aufgeweckt, leuchtend, klar, hell
frozen - eingefroren; frieren
couch - Liege
developed - entwickelt; entwickeln, entwickeln, entwickeln, entwickeln
I stood upon the lofty summit of Mount Sneffels'southern peak. Thence I was able to obtain a view of the greater part of the island. The optical delusion, common to all lofty heights, raised the shores of the island, while the central portions appeared depressed. It was by no means too great a flight of fancy to believe that a giant picture was stretched out before me.
Peak - Höchststand; Höchstwert, Pik (Berg), Spitze
thence - von dort aus; daher
obtain - erlangen, erhalten, bestehen
heights - Höhen; Höhe, Größe
raised - angehoben; Gehaltszulage; aufsteigen, anheben, erhöhen
portions - Portionen; Teil
depressed - deprimiert; deprimieren
I could see the deep valleys that crossed each other in every direction. I could see precipices looking like sides of wells, lakes that seemed to be changed into ponds, ponds that looked like puddles, and rivers that were transformed into petty brooks. To my right were glaciers upon glaciers, and multiplied peaks, topped with light clouds of smoke.
valleys - Tälern; Senke, Tal
precipices - Abgründe; Abgrund, Steilhang
ponds - Teiche; Weiher, Teich
puddles - Pfützen; Pfütze, Lache, Pfuhl
petty - gering, geringfügig, klein, kleinlich
brooks - Bächlein; Bach
multiplied - multipliziert; multiplizieren
topped - getoppt; Oberteil, Spitze, Gipfel, Deckel, Kappe, Oberteil
clouds of smoke - Rauchwolken
The undulation of these infinite numbers of mountains, whose snowy summits make them look as if covered by foam, recalled to my remembrance the surface of a storm-beaten ocean. If I looked towards the west, the ocean lay before me in all its majestic grandeur, a continuation as it were, of these fleecy hilltops.
recalled - zurückgerufen; zurückrufen, erinnern
remembrance - Erinnern; Erinnerung
beaten - besiegt; Schlag; jdn. bezwingen
majestic - majestätisch
continuation - Fortsetzung
hilltops - Bergkuppen; Bergspitze
Where the earth ended and the sea began it was impossible for the eye to distinguish.
distinguish - unterscheiden; erkennen; auszeichnen
I soon felt that strange and mysterious sensation which is awakened in the mind when looking down from lofty hilltops, and now I was able to do so without any feeling of nervousness, having fortunately hardened myself to that kind of sublime contemplation.
strange - seltsam, sonderbar, komisch, verwunderlich, fremd, ausländisch
sensation - Gefühl, Empfindung, Sensation
nervousness - Nervosität, Unruhe
hardened - abgehärtet; härten, verhärten, abhärten
contemplation - Kontemplation; Betrachtung; Meditation; Erwarten
I wholly forgot who I was, and where I was. I became intoxicated with a sense of lofty sublimity, without thought of the abysses into which my daring was soon about to plunge me. I was presently, however, brought back to the realities of life by the arrival of the Professor and Hans, who joined me upon the lofty summit of the peak.
intoxicated - berauscht; berauschen, vergiften, berauschen
sublimity - Erhabenheit
daring - gewagt; mutig; Wagemut, Kühnheit; (dare) gewagt; mutig; Wagemut
plunge - stürzen; eintauchen, tauchen
brought back - wiedergebracht
realities - Realitäten; Wirklichkeit, Realität, Realität, Realität
My uncle, turning in a westerly direction, pointed out to me a light cloud of vapor, a kind of haze, with a faint outline of land rising out of the waters.
turning in - (turn in) einreichen
cloud - Wolke; verschleiern
haze - Schleier, Dunst, Dunstschleier; schikanieren
outline - skizzieren; Umriss, Kontur, Skizze, Skizzierung, Umrisszeichnung
"Greenland!" said he.
Greenland - Grönland
"Greenland?" cried I in reply.
"Yes," continued my uncle, who always when explaining anything spoke as if he were in a professor's chair; "we are not more than thirty-five leagues distant from that wonderful land. When the great annual breakup of the ice takes place, white bears come over to Iceland, carried by the floating masses of ice from the north.
annual - jährlich
breakup - Trennung; Auflösung, Beendigung, Ende
bears - Bären; (to bear) ertragen, aushalten
This, however, is a matter of little consequence. We are now on the summit of the great, the transcendent Sneffels, and here are its two peaks, north and south. Hans will tell you the name by which the people of Iceland call that on which we stand."
transcendent - transzendent; überweltlich
My uncle turned to the imperturbable guide, who nodded, and spoke as usual-one word.
"Scartaris."
My uncle looked at me with a proud and triumphant glance.
proud - stolz, prahlerisch
"A crater," he said, "you hear?"
I did hear, but I was totally unable to make reply.
The crater of Mount Sneffels represented an inverted cone, the gaping orifice apparently half a mile across; the depth indefinite feet. Conceive what this hole must have been like when full of flame and thunder and lightning. The bottom of the funnel-shaped hollow was about five hundred feet in circumference, by which it will be seen that the slope from the summit to the bottom was very gradual, and we were therefore clearly able to get there without much fatigue or difficulty.
represented - vorstellen, darstellen, vertreten
inverted - invertiert; umkehren, invertieren
gaping - klaffend; gähnend, angaffend; (gap) klaffend; gähnend, angaffend
orifice - Blende; Öffnung
indefinite - unbestimmt
flame - Flamme, poetic, anmachen
thunder - Donner; Donnern
funnel-shaped - (funnel-shaped) trichterförmig
circumference - Umfang, Kreisumfang
gradual - allmählich, graduell, schrittweise zunehmend
Involuntarily, I compared this crater to an enormous loaded cannon; and the comparison completely terrified me.
involuntarily - unfreiwillig
cannon - Kanone
"To descend into the interior of a cannon," I thought to myself, "when perhaps it is loaded, and will go off at the least shock, is the act of a madman."
shock - Schock, Betroffenheit, Empörung, Schlag, Stoß
But there was no longer any opportunity for me to hesitate. Hans, with a perfectly calm and indifferent air, took his usual post at the head of the adventurous little band. I followed without uttering a syllable.
hesitate - zögern, stammeln
uttering - auszusprechen; (utter) auszusprechen
syllable - Silbe
I felt like the lamb led to the slaughter.
lamb - Lamm, Lammfleisch
slaughter - Gemetzel; Schlachtung, rituelles Schlachten, Schächten
In order to render the descent less difficult, Hans took his way down the interior of the cone in rather a zigzag fashion, making, as the sailors say, long tracks to the eastward, followed by equally long ones to the west. It was necessary to walk through the midst of eruptive rocks, some of which, shaken in their balance, went rolling down with thundering clamor to the bottom of the abyss.
render - leisten, wiedergeben
tracks - Spuren; Spur, Fußspur, Fußsohle, Trampelpfad, Bahn, Bahn
eastward - ostwärts
equally - gleichermaßen, gleichmäßig
shaken - geschüttelt; schütteln, erschüttern, schütteln, erschüttern
balance - Gleichgewicht; Ausgewogenheit; Bilanz, Saldo, Guthaben, Rest
rolling - rollend, Walzen; (roll) rollend, Walzen
clamor - zetern; Geschrei, Gezeter, Schreierei, Krach, Lärm
abyss - Abgrund, Hölle
These continual falls awoke echoes of singular power and effect.
continual - fortlaufend
Echoes - Echos; Echo
power - Macht, Kraft, Großmacht, Stärke, Strom
Many portions of the cone consisted of inferior glaciers. Hans, whenever he met with one of these obstacles, advanced with a great show of precaution, sounding the soil with his long iron pole in order to discover fissures and layers of deep soft snow.
inferior - untergeordnet, nachgeordnet, unterlegen, tiefer, minderwertig
whenever - wann auch immer
pole - Pfahl; (North Pole) Nordpol
In many doubtful or dangerous places, it became necessary for us to be tied together by a long rope in order that should any one of us be unfortunate enough to slip, he would be supported by his companions. This connecting link was doubtless a prudent precaution, but not by any means unattended with danger.
doubtful - zweifelhaft; zweifelnd
be tied - gebunden sein
slip - Ausrutscher; Versprecher; Rutschen (geradeaus); Lapsus
connecting - Verbindung; verbinden, anschließen, verbinden
unattended - unbeaufsichtigt
Nevertheless, and despite all the manifold difficulties of the descent, along slopes with which our guide was wholly unacquainted, we made considerable progress without accident. One of our great parcels of rope slipped from one of the Iceland porters, and rushed by a short cut to the bottom of the abyss.
manifold - Krümmer; vervielfältigen; Sammelrohr, mehrfach, vielfältig
unacquainted - Unbekannt
parcels - Pakete; Paket
By midday we were at the end of our journey. I looked upwards, and saw only the upper orifice of the cone, which served as a circular frame to a very small portion of the sky-a portion which seemed to me singularly beautiful. Should I ever again gaze on that lovely sunlit sky!
midday - mittags; Mittag, mittägig
frame - ausarbeiten, entwerfen, einfassen, einrahmen, festlegen
singularly - singulär; singularisch
gaze - Blicken; anstarren
lovely - schön, hübsch, wunderbar, herrlich
sunlit - sonnenbeschienen; sonnenbestrahlt
The only exception to this extraordinary landscape, was the Peak of Scartaris, which seemed lost in the great void of the heavens.
landscape - Landschaft; Querformat
void - nichtig
The bottom of the crater was composed of three separate shafts, through which, during periods of eruption, when Sneffels was in action, the great central furnace sent forth its burning lava and poisonous vapors. Each of these chimneys or shafts gaped open-mouthed in our path. I kept as far away from them as possible, not even venturing to take the faintest peep downwards.
furnace - Ofen, Hochofen, Schmelzofen, Heizung
poisonous - giftig
chimneys - Schornsteine; Kamin, Esse, Schlot, Schornstein, Kamin, Schlot
gaped - gähnt; Zahnlücke; Lücke, Bresche, Leerstelle, Kluft
venturing - (venture) wagen, herauswagen; (venture); Wagnis
faintest - am schwächsten; leise, schwach, undeutlich, ohnmächtig werden
peep - piepsen; (peep hole) Schauloch; (to peep through) durchgucken
downwards - abwärts, nach unten, runter, nach unten gehend, absteigend
As for the Professor, after a rapid examination of their disposition and characteristics, he became breathless and panting. He ran from one to the other like a delighted schoolboy, gesticulating wildly, and uttering incomprehensible and disjointed phrases in all sorts of languages.
characteristics - Eigenschaften; charakteristisch, bezeichnend, kennzeichnend
breathless - atemlos
panting - hechelnd; hecheln, keucheln
wildly - wild
disjointed - unzusammenhängend; disjunkt, zertrennen
Hans, the guide, and his humbler companions seated themselves on some piles of lava and looked silently on. They clearly took my uncle for a lunatic; and-waited the result.
piles - Stapel; Haufen, Pfahl, Pulk
lunatic - Verrückte; Irre
Suddenly the Professor uttered a wild, unearthly cry. At first I imagined he had lost his footing, and was falling headlong into one of the yawning gulfs.
unearthly - unheimlich
headlong - kopflos; mit dem Kopf zuerst; kopfüber; Hals über Kopf
yawning - gähnt; (yawn) gähnen; (yawn); gähnen; Gähnen
Nothing of the kind. I saw him, his arms spread out to their widest extent, his legs stretched apart, standing upright before an enormous pedestal, high enough and black enough to bear a gigantic statue of Pluto. His attitude and mien were that of a man utterly stupefied. But his stupefaction was speedily changed to the wildest joy.
widest - am breitesten; breit, weit
apart - auseinander; getrennt; beiseite; entzwei, in Stücke
pedestal - Sockel, Podest, Piedestal, Postament
statue - Statue, Standbild
Pluto - Pluto, Pluto
wildest - am wildesten; wild, rau
"Harry! Harry! come here!" he cried; "make haste-wonderful-wonderful!"
Unable to understand what he meant, I turned to obey his commands. Neither Hans nor the other Icelanders moved a step.
"Look!" said the Professor, in something of the manner of the French general, pointing out the pyramids to his army.
army - Heer, Landstreitkräfte, Armee, Heeresamt
And fully partaking his stupefaction, if not his joy, I read on the eastern side of the huge block of stone, the same characters, half eaten away by the corrosive action of time, the name, to me a thousand times accursed-
partaking - teilzunehmen; teilnehmend; (partake); teilnehmen, mitmachen
read on - weitergelesen
eastern - Osten; östlich, Ost
block - Kloben, Block, Klotz, Trakt; absperren, blockieren
corrosive - ätzend, korrosiv
"Arne Saknussemm!" cried my uncle, "now, unbeliever, do you begin to have faith?"
unbeliever - Ungläubige
Faith - Glaube; Vertrauen
It was totally impossible for me to answer a single word. I went back to my pile of lava, in a state of silent awe. The evidence was unanswerable, overwhelming!
unanswerable - Unbeantwortbar
overwhelming - überwältigend; überwältigen, übermannen, überrumpeln, de
In a few moments, however, my thoughts were far away, back in my German home, with Gretchen and the old cook. What would I have given for one of my cousin's smiles, for one of the ancient domestic's omelettes, and for my own feather bed!
smiles - lächelt; Lächeln
domestic - häuslich, Haus
omelettes - Omeletts; Omelett
feather bed - Deckbett
How long I remained in this state I know not. All I can say is, that when at last I raised my head from between my hands, there remained at the bottom of the crater only myself, my uncle and Hans. The Icelandic porters had been dismissed and were now descending the exterior slopes of Mount Sneffels, on their way to Stapi. How heartily did I wish myself with them!
dismissed - entlassen, entlassen, abweisen, einstellen, zurückweisen
descending - absteigend; absteigen, niedergehen, herunterkommen, herabsteigen
Hans slept tranquilly at the foot of a rock in a kind of rill of lava, where he had made himself a rough and ready bed. MY uncle was walking about the bottom of the crater like a wild beast in a cage. I had no desire, neither had I the strength, to move from my recumbent position.
rill - Rille; Rinnsal
rough and ready - ungehobelt
cage - Käfig
recumbent - Liegerad
position - Stellung, Position, Arbeitsplatz, Stelle, positionieren
Taking example by the guide, I gave way to a kind of painful somnolency, during which I seemed both to hear and feel continued heavings and shudderings in the mountain.
somnolency - Somnolenz
heavings - Schwingen; hebend, hochhebend
shudderings - Erschauern; schaudernd
In this way we passed our first night in the interior of a crater.
first night - Erstaufführung , Premiere
Next morning, a grey, cloudy, heavy sky hung like a funereal pall over the summit of the volcanic cone. I did not notice it so much from the obscurity that reigned around us, as from the rage with which my uncle was devoured.
cloudy - bewölkt, wolkig, trüb
hung - aufgehängt; hängen
funereal - Trauerspiel
Pall - übersättigen, schal werden, langweilen; Sargtuch, Bahrtuch
as from - mit Wirkung vom
I fully understood the reason, and again a glimpse of hope made my heart leap with joy. I will briefly explain the cause.
briefly - kurz
Of the three openings which yawned beneath our steps, only one could have been followed by the adventurous Saknussemm. According to the words of the learned Icelander, it was only to be known by that one particular mentioned in the cryptograph, that the shadow of Scartaris fell upon it, just touching its mouth in the last days of the month of June.
yawned - gähnte; gähnen, Gähnen
mentioned - erwähnt; Erwähnung, erwähnen
We were, in fact, to consider the pointed peak as the stylus of an immense sun-dial, the shadow of which pointed on one given day, like the inexorable finger of fate, to the yawning chasm which led into the interior of the earth.
stylus - Schreibgriffel, Schreibspitze, Stilus, Eingabestift, Stylus
dial - Zifferblatt; Wählscheibe; wählen
inexorable - unaufhaltsam
chasm - Abgrund, Kluft, Spalte
Now, as often happens in these regions, should the sun fail to burst through the clouds, no shadow. Consequently, no chance of discovering the right aperture. We had already reached the 25th June. If the kindly heavens would only remain densely clouded for six more days, we should have to put off our voyage of discovery for another year, when certainly there would be one person fewer in the party.
fail - mangelhaft (Zensur 5), ungenügend (Zensur 6);jdn. im Stich lassen;fehlschlagen, scheitern, misslingen, versagen
consequently - folglich
discovering - Entdeckung; entdecken, erleben, erfahren, dabei sein
aperture - Öffnung; Blende; Blendenzahl
kindly - freundlich, freundlicherweise, gütig, liebenswürdig
densely - dichte, dicht
clouded - getrübt; verschleiern
put off - aufschieben;abgespiesen
I already had sufficient of the mad and monstrous enterprise.
It would be utterly impossible to depict the impotent rage of Professor Hardwigg. The day passed away, and not the faintest outline of a shadow could be seen at the bottom of the crater. Hans the guide never moved from his place. He must have been curious to know what we were about, if indeed he could believe we were about anything.
impotent - impotent
if indeed - wenn überhaupt
As for my uncle, he never addressed a word to me. He was nursing his wrath to keep it warm! His eyes fixed on the black and foggy atmosphere, his complexion hideous with suppressed passion. Never had his eyes appeared so fierce, his nose so aquiline, his mouth so hard and firm.
wrath - Zorn, Wut, Ärger, Ingrimm, Vergeltung
foggy - neblig, diesig
complexion - Teint, Gesichtsfarbe
suppressed - unterdrückt; unterdrücken, unterdrücken, unterdrücken
On the 26th no change for the better. A mixture of rain and snow fell during the whole day. Hans very quietly built himself a hut of lava into which he retired like Diogenes into his tub. I took a malicious delight in watching the thousand little cascades that flowed down the side of the cone, carrying with them at times a stream of stones into the "vasty deep" below.
change for - umsteigen nach
mixture - Mischung
tub - Wanne; Dose; q
malicious - bösartig
delight in - sich freuen an
cascades - Wasserfälle, Kaskaden; (cascade); Wasserfall, Kaskade
flowed - geflossen; Wasserführung; ich flösse, ich/er/sie floss (floß
vasty - gewaltig
My uncle was almost frantic: to be sure, it was enough to make even a patient man angry. He had reached to a certain extent the goal of his desires, and yet he was likely to be wrecked in port.
patient - geduldig; Patient, Patientin, Kranker, Kranke, Patiens
goal - Ziel; Tor; ein Tor schießen
desires - Sehnsüchte; begehren, begehren, Begehren
be wrecked - abgefuckt sein (sl.)
port - Schlitz, Backbord, Portwein, Hafen; portieren, übertragen
But if the heavens and the elements are capable of causing us much pain and sorrow, there are two sides to a medal. And there was reserved for Professor Hardwigg a brilliant and sudden surprise which was to compensate him for all his sufferings.
elements - Elemente; Element
causing - verursacht; Ursache, Anlass, Grund, Sache, verursachen
sorrow - Kummer, Traurigkeit, Trauer, Sorge
medal - Medaille
brilliant - strahlend, brillant, genial, Brillant, Diamant
compensate - kompensieren; ausgleichen; eine Kompensation zahlen
Next day the sky was still overcast, but on Sunday, the 28th, the last day but two of the month, with a sudden change of wind and a new moon there came a change of weather. The sun poured its beaming rays to the very bottom of the crater.
new moon - Neumond
beaming - Beamen; strahlend
Each hillock, every rock, every stone, every asperity of the soil had its share of the luminous effulgence, and its shadow fell heavily on the soil. Among others, to his insane delight, the shadow of Scartaris was marked and clear, and moved slowly with the radiant start of day.
hillock - kleiner Hügel, Ätzhügel, Hügelchen
asperity - Schärfe, Schroffheit
effulgence - Glanz
insane - wahnsinnig, verrückt, geisteskrank
marked - markiert; Markus, Markus, Markus
My uncle moved with it in a state of mental ecstasy.
ecstasy - Ekstase; Ecstasy, Teile, Pillen
At twelve o'clock exactly, when the sun had attained its highest altitude for the day, the shadow fell upon the edge of the central pit!
attained - erlangt; erreichen, erlangen
altitude - Höhe
"Here it is," gasped the Professor in an agony of joy, "here it is-we have found it. Forward, my friends, into the Interior of the Earth."
gasped - keuchte; keuchen, japsen, prusten, keuchen, Atemzug, Luftholen
agony - Qualen; Agonie, Qual, Pein, Todeskampf, Freudenausbruch
I looked curiously at Hans to see what reply he would make to this terrific announcement.
curiously - neugierige
terrific - großartig; fürchterlich, furchtbar, schrecklich
"Forut," said the guide tranquilly.
"Forward it is," answered my uncle, who was now in the seventh heaven of delight.
seventh - siebte; Septime
When we were quite ready, our watches indicated thirteen minutes past one!
Our real journey had now commenced. Hitherto our courage and determination had overcome all difficulties. We were fatigued at times; and that was all. Now we were about to encounter unknown and fearful dangers.
hitherto - bis zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt, bis jetzt, bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt
determination - Bestimmung; Determination; Bestimmtheit; Feststellung; Entschluss; Unterscheidung
encounter - mit etw. in Berührung kommen;entgegentreten, sich begegnen, treffen auf;Begegnung , Treffen , Zusammenstoß
I had not as yet ventured to take a glimpse down the horrible abyss into which in a few minutes more I was about to plunge. The fatal moment had, however, at last arrived. I had still the option of refusing or accepting a share in this foolish and audacious enterprise.
ventured - gewagt; Wagnis
fatal - verhängnisvoll, fatal, tödlich
option - Alternative, Option
refusing - Müll; abweisen, verweigern, abschlagen, ablehnen
accepting - zu akzeptieren; annehmen, abnehmen, akzeptieren, aufnehmen
share in - teilhaben an, teilen;Anteil an
foolish - dumm, närrisch, töricht
But I was ashamed to show more fear than the eider-duck hunter. Hans seemed to accept the difficulties of the journey so tranquilly, with such calm indifference, with such perfect recklessness of all danger, that I actually blushed to appear less of a man than he!
indifference - Gleichgültigkeit
recklessness - Leichtsinnigkeit, Fahrlässigkeit, Gewagtheit
blushed - errötet; Schamröte; erröten, sich schämen
Had I been alone with my uncle, I should certainly have sat down and argued the point fully; but in the presence of the guide I held my tongue. I gave One moment to the thought of my charming cousin, and then I advanced to the mouth of the central shaft.
argued - argumentiert; diskutieren, erörtern, streiten, argumentieren
One moment - Einen Augenblick bitte!
charming - charmant; (charm); charmant
shaft - Welle; Schaft; Strahl; Schacht; hereinlegen, übervorteilen
It measured about a hundred feet in diameter, which made about three hundred in circumference. I leaned over a rock which stood on its edge, and looked down. My hair stood on end, my teeth chattered, my limbs trembled. I seemed utterly to lose my centre of gravity, while my head was in a sort of whirl, like that of a drunken man. There is nothing more powerful than this attraction towards an abyss. I was about to fall headlong into the gaping well, when I was drawn back by a firm and powerful hand. It was that of Hans.
diameter - Durchmesser
chattered - geplappert; klappern, schnattern, schwatzen
centre of gravity - Schwerpunkt
whirl - wirbeln, lschnell, Wirbeln, Wirbel, Trubel, Durcheinander
Attraction - Anziehung, Anziehungskraft, Reiz, Liebreiz, Attraktion
I had not taken lessons enough at the Frelser's-Kirk of Copenhagen in the art of looking down from lofty eminences without blinking!
blinking - blinzeln, lichthupen, aufblenden, blinken, morsen, blinken
However, few as the minutes were during which I gazed down this tremendous and even wondrous shaft, I had a sufficient glimpse of it to give me some idea of its physical conformation. Its sides, which were almost as perpendicular as those of a well, presented numerous projections which doubtless would assist our descent.
gazed - gestarrt; anstarren
tremendous - ungeheuerlich
physical - physisch, materiell, stofflich, physikalisch, körperlich
conformation - Formgebung; Anpassung, Angleichung (an)
projections - Projektionen; Vorsprung, Projizieren
It was a sort of wild and savage staircase, without bannister or fence. A rope fastened above, near the surface, would certainly support our weight and enable us to reach the bottom, but how, when we had arrived at its utmost depth, were we to loosen it above? This was, I thought, a question of some importance.
fence - Zaun
fastened - befestigen, festmachen
utmost - äußerst, höchst, Äußerstes, Möglichstes
loosen - lösen, lockern
My uncle, however, was one of those men who are nearly always prepared with expedients. He hit upon a very simple method of obviating this difficulty. He unrolled a cord about as thick as my thumb, and at least four hundred feet in length. He allowed about half of it to go down the pit and catch in a hitch over a great block of lava which stood on the edge of the precipice. This done, he threw the second half after the first.
expedients - Hilfsmittel; angebracht, opportun, hilfreich, passend
obviating - zu vermeiden; überflüssig machen, umgehen
unrolled - abgerollt; abrollen
cord - Schnur, Kordel, Strick, Kabel, Litze
thumb - Daumen; durchblättern
four hundred - vierhundert
catch - Fang; Haken; fangen; einfangen; verstehen, begreifen, bekommen
Hitch - Anhalter; Festmacher; Anhängerkupplung; Haken; mit einem Ruck ziehen; festmachen
precipice - Abgrund, Steilhang
Each of us could now descend by catching the two cords in one hand. When about two hundred feet below, all the explorer had to do was to let go one end and pull away at the other, when the cord would come falling at his feet. In order to go down farther, all that was necessary was to continue the same operation.
catching - nehmend, fangend
cords - Schnüre; Schnur, Kordel, Strick, Kabel
explorer - Forscher, Forscherin, Entdecker
pull away - davonziehen, wegziehen
operation - Betrieb; Operation, Verknüpfung, Aktion, Unternehmen
This was a very excellent proposition, and no doubt, a correct one. Going down appeared to me easy enough; it was the coming up again that now occupied my thoughts.
"Now," said my uncle, as soon as he had completed this important preparation, "let us see about the baggage. It must be divided into three separate parcels, and each of us must carry one on his back. I allude to the more important and fragile articles."
preparation - Vorbereitung; Präparat
fragile - fragil, zerbrechlich
My worthy and ingenious uncle did not appear to consider that we came under the denomination.
denomination - Benennung; Bezeichnung; Konfession; Stückelung
"Hans," he continued, "you will take charge of the tools and some of the provisions; you, Harry, must take possession of another third of the provisions and of the arms. I will load myself with the rest of the eatables, and with the more delicate instruments."
charge - Gebühr; Entgelt; Ladung; Last; Rempeln; beauftragen, belasten
take possession of - in Besitz nehmen, sich bemächtigen
eatables - Esswaren; essbar
more delicate - zierlichere
"But," I exclaimed, "our clothes, this mass of cord and ladders-who will undertake to carry them down?"
exclaimed - ausgerufen; ausrufen
"They will go down of themselves."
"And how so?" I asked.
"You shall see."
My uncle was not fond of half measures, nor did he like anything in the way of hesitation. Giving his orders to Hans he had the whole of the nonfragile articles made up into one bundle; and the packet, firmly and solidly fastened, was simply pitched over the edge of the gulf.
nonfragile - nicht zerbrechlich
bundle - Bündel
packet - Päckchen; paketieren; Datenpaket, Paket
firmly - sicher, fest
solidly - solide, solidarische
pitched - gepitcht; werfen, festsetzen, errichten; Tonhöhe, Tonlage, Pech
I heard the moaning of the suddenly displaced air, and the noise of falling stones. My uncle leaning over the abyss followed the descent of his luggage with a perfectly self-satisfied air, and did not rise until it had completely disappeared from sight.
moaning - Stöhnen
displaced - verdrängt; umsiedeln, vertreiben, verschieben, verlagern
leaning - (to lean) sich an etwas lehnen
self - Selbst
"Now then," he cried, "it is our turn."
I put it in good faith to any man of common sense-was it possible to hear this energetic cry without a shudder?
shudder - erschaudern; Schauder; (wohliger) Schauder; schaudern; zittern
The Professor fastened his case of instruments on his back. Hans took charge of the tools, I of the arms. The descent then commenced in the following order: Hans went first, my uncle followed, and I went last. Our progress was made in profound silence-a silence only troubled by the fall of pieces of rock, which breaking from the jagged sides, fell with a roar into the depths below.
roar - brüllen; Tosen; Brüllen; Aufheulen
I allowed myself to slide, so to speak, holding frantically on the double cord with one hand and with the other keeping myself off the rocks by the assistance of my iron-shod pole. One idea was all the time impressed upon my brain. I feared that the upper support would fail me.
slide - gleiten; ausrutschen; Rutsche; Erdrutsch; Dia, Klarsichtfolie
holding - haltend; (hold) haltend
frantically - verzweifelt
impressed - beeindruckt; beeindrucken, prägen
feared - gefürchtet; fürchten, befürchten, Angst haben; Furcht, Schreck
fail - mangelhaft (Zensur 5)
The cord appeared to me far too fragile to bear the weight of three such persons as we were, with our luggage. I made as little use of it as possible, trusting to my own agility and doing miracles in the way of feats of dexterity and strength upon the projecting shelves and spurs of lava which my feet seemed to clutch as strongly as my hands.
trusting - vertrauensvoll; Vertrauen
miracles - Wunder
feats - Kunststücke; Kunststück
dexterity - Fingerfertigkeit, Geschicklichkeit, Gewandtheit
spurs - Sporen; anspornen, ankurbeln (Wirtsch.), beflügeln; Ansporn
clutch - Vogelgelege; Kupplung (Auto), Gelege
strongly - stark
The guide went first, I have said, and when one of the slippery and frail supports broke from under his feet he had recourse to his usual monosyllabic way of speaking.
slippery - schlüpfrig; rutschig, glitschig, aalglatt
supports - unterstützt; Rückendeckung, Auflage, Unterstützung; abstützen
recourse - Regress, Rückgriff
monosyllabic - einsilbig
"Gif akt-"
Gif - Gif
"Attention-look out," repeated my uncle.
In about half an hour we reached a kind of small terrace formed by a fragment of rock projecting some distance from the sides of the shaft.
terrace - Dachterrasse; Häuserreihe; Häuserflucht; Stehtribüne; Stehplätze
fragment - Fragment, Bruchstück, Satzfragment, fragmentieren
Hans now began to haul upon the cord on one side only, the other going as quietly upward as the other came down. It fell at last, bringing with it a shower of small stones, lava and dust, a disagreeable kind of rain or hail.
haul - Beutezug; ziehen, schleppen, transportieren, befödern
upward - nach oben; ansteigend, aufwärts
hail - jdm. zujubeln;(Hail to thee!) Wohl dir!, Sei gegrüßt!
While we were seated on this extraordinary bench I ventured once more to look downwards. With a sigh I discovered that the bottom was still wholly invisible. Were we, then, going direct to the interior of the earth?
Bench - Bank, Sitzbank, Richter
invisible - unsichtbar; versteckt
The performance with the cord recommenced, and a quarter of an hour later we had reached to the depth of another two hundred feet.
performance - Durchführung, Leistung, Aufführung, Auftritt, Performance
recommenced - wiederaufgenommen; wieder beginnen
I have very strong doubts if the most determined geologist would, during that descent, have studied the nature of the different layers of earth around him. I did not trouble my head much about the matter; whether we were among the combustible carbon, Silurians, or primitive soil, I neither knew nor cared to know.
most determined - zielstrebigste
geologist - Geologe, Geologin
whether - ob
carbon - Kohlenstoff; Kohlepapier; Durchschlag; Kohle; Kohlendioxid
Silurians - Silurianer; silurisch, Silur
primitive - primitiv; Wortstamm & Stamm, Stammwort, Urwort
Not so the inveterate Professor. He must have taken notes all the way down, for, at one of our halts, he began a brief lecture.
inveterate - unverbesserlich
halts - anhält; unterbrechen, halten; Halt
"The farther we advance," said he, "the greater is my confidence in the result. The disposition of these volcanic strata absolutely confirms the theories of Sir Humphry Davy. We are still within the region of the primordial soil, the soil in which took place the chemical operation of metals becoming inflamed by coming in contact with the air and water.
confidence - Selbstgewissheit; Zuversicht; Vertrauen, Zutrauen
confirms - bestätigt; bestätigen, bestätigen, bekräftigen
primordial - ursprünglich, Ur-, Frühzeit-, primordial
chemical - Chemie; chemisch; Chemikalie
metals - Metalle; Metall
inflamed - entzündet; anzünden, entflammen, anregen, aufregen, erzürnen
contact - Kontakt, Berührung, Verbindung, Kontaktlinse, berühren
I at once regret the old and now forever exploded theory of a central fire. At all events, we shall soon know the truth."
exploded - explodiert; sprengen, explodieren, explodieren, platzen
Such was the everlasting conclusion to which he came. I, however, was very far from being in humor to discuss the matter. I had something else to think of. My silence was taken for consent; and still we continued to go down.
everlasting - ewig; endlos
conclusion - Schluss, Ende, Abschluss, Ergebnis, Schlussfolgerung
consent - zustimmen, einwilligen, Zustimmung, Konsens, Einverständnis
At the expiration of three hours, we were, to all appearance, as far off as ever from the bottom of the well. When I looked upwards, however, I could see that the upper orifice was every minute decreasing in size. The sides of the shaft were getting closer and closer together, we were approaching the regions of eternal night!
expiration - Verfall, Ende
decreasing - abnehmend; abnehmen, verringern, Verringerung
size - Konfektionsgröße, Körpergröße, Format; ausmessen
And still we continued to descend!
At length, I noticed that when pieces of stone were detached from the sides of this stupendous precipice, they were swallowed up with less noise than before. The final sound was sooner heard. We were approaching the bottom of the abyss!
noticed - bemerkt; Bekanntmachung, Benachrichtigung, Mitteilung
detached - losgelöst; entfernen, ablösen, lösen, loslösen, abtrennen
swallowed up - verschluckte
final sound - Auslaut
As I had been very careful to keep account of all the changes of cord which took place, I was able to tell exactly what was the depth we had reached, as well as the time it had taken.
We had shifted the rope twenty-eight times, each operation taking a quarter of an hour, which in all made seven hours. To this had to be added twenty-eight pauses; in all ten hours and a half. We started at one, it was now, therefore, about eleven o'clock at night.
shifted - verlagert; Schicht, Verschiebung, Verlagerung, Verstellung
be added - hinzugefügt
pauses - pausiert; pausieren, innehalten, pausieren, Pause
It does not require great knowledge of arithmetic to know that twenty-eight times two hundred feet makes five thousand six hundred feet in all (more than an English mile).
While I was making this mental calculation a voice broke the silence. It was the voice of Hans.
"Halt!" he cried.
I checked myself very suddenly, just at the moment when I was about to kick my uncle on the head.
kick - treten, (Pferd) ausschlagen; Stoß
"We have reached the end of our journey," said the worthy Professor in a satisfied tone.
"What, the interior of the earth?" said I, slipping down to his side.
slipping - Ausrutschen; Versprecher; Rutschen (geradeaus); Lapsus
"No, you stupid fellow! but we have reached the bottom of the well."
"And I suppose there is no farther progress to be made?" I hopefully exclaimed.
hopefully - hoffentlich
"Oh, yes, I can dimly see a sort of tunnel, which turns off obliquely to the right. At all events, we must see about that tomorrow. Let us sup now, and seek slumber as best we may."
turns off - (turn off) abschalten, ausschalten, abbiegen, abdrehen
obliquely - schräg
sup - Was ist los?; schlürfen
seek - suchen
slumber - Halbschlaf, Schlummer, Schläfchen, schlummern, dösen, träumen
I thought it time, but made no observations on that point. I was fairly launched on a desperate course, and all I had to do was to go forward hopefully and trustingly.
trustingly - zutrauliche, vertrauensvoll
It was not even now quite dark, the light filtering down in a most extraordinary manner.
filtering - Filter, Filter, Filter, filtern, filtern, filtrieren
We opened the provision bag, ate a frugal supper, and each did his best to find a bed amid the pile of stones, dirt, and lava which had accumulated for ages at the bottom of the shaft.
dirt - Schmutz; Erde, Boden, Dreck
accumulated - angehäuft; aufstauen, sich vermehren
I happened to grope out the pile of ropes, ladders, and clothes which we had thrown down; and upon them I stretched myself. After such a day's labor, my rough bed seemed as soft as down!
grope - betatschen; tasten; tappen, herumtasten, begrapschen
thrown down - hingeworfen
For a while I lay in a sort of pleasant trance.
trance - Trance
Presently, after lying quietly for some minutes, I opened my eyes and looked upwards. As I did so I made out a brilliant little dot, at the extremity of this long, gigantic telescope.
dot - stricheln; Punkt
extremity - Extremität, äußerstes Ende, Äußerste, Extremste
telescope - Teleskop, Fernrohr
It was a star without scintillating rays. According to my calculation, it must be Beta in the constellation of the Little Bear.
scintillating - schillernd; flackern, funkeln, szintillieren, flimmern, leuchten
constellation - Sternbild, Asterismus, Konstellation, Sternzeichen
After this little bit of astronomical recreation, I dropped into a sound sleep.
astronomical - astronomisch
recreation - Freizeitgestaltung; Wiederherstellung, Erholung
dropped - fallen gelassen; fallen lassen, senken, weglassen, aufgeben
At eight o'clock the next morning, a faint kind of dawn of day awoke us. The thousand and one prisms of the lava collected the light as it passed and brought it to us like a shower of sparks.
dawn - dämmern; Morgendämmerung, Morgengrauen
sparks - Funken; Funke; aufkeimen lassen, entfachen
We were able with ease to see objects around us.
"Well, Harry, my boy," cried the delighted Professor, rubbing his hands together, "what say you now? Did you ever pass a more tranquil night in our house in the Konigstrasse? No deafening sounds of cart wheels, no cries of hawkers, no bad language from boatmen or watermen!"
deafening - ohrenbetäubend, ohrenzerreißend; (deafen); betäuben
cart - Pferdewagen, Wagen, Karren
wheels - Räder; Rad
cries - weint; weinen, schreien, schreien, rufen, Weinen
hawkers - Hausierer
"Well, Uncle, we are quite at the bottom of this well-but to me there is something terrible in this calm."
"Why," said the Professor hotly, "one would say you were already beginning to be afraid. How will you get on presently? Do you know, that as yet, we have not penetrated one inch into the bowels of the earth."
hotly - heiß; erregt, hitzig
penetrated - durchdrungen; eindringen, penetrieren, penetrieren
"What can you mean, sir?" was my bewildered and astonished reply.
"I mean to say that we have only just reached the soil of the island itself. This long vertical tube, which ends at the bottom of the crater of Sneffels, ceases here just about on a level with the sea."
only just - gerade erst
tube - Schlauch; Rohr, Röhre, Tube
ceases - aufhört; aufhören, aufhören, einstellen
"Are you sure, sir?"
"Quite sure. Consult the barometer."
It was quite true that the mercury, after rising gradually in the instrument, as long as our descent was taking place, had stopped precisely at twenty-nine degrees.
mercury - Quecksilber; Bingelkraut
gradually - nach und nach, allmählich, stufenweise, schrittweise
precisely - genau; präzise
"You perceive," said the Professor, "we have as yet only to endure the pressure of air. I am curious to replace the barometer by the manometer."
replace - zurückstellen; ersetzen
The barometer, in fact, was about to become useless-as soon as the weight of the air was greater than what was calculated as above the level of the ocean.
"But," said I, "is it not very much to be feared that this ever-increasing pressure may not in the end turn out very painful and inconvenient?"
increasing - zunehmen; steigernd, anwachsend, ansteigend
inconvenient - Unbequem
"No," said he. "We shall descend very slowly, and our lungs will be gradually accustomed to breathe compressed air. It is well known that aeronauts have gone so high as to be nearly without air at all-why, then, should we not accustom ourselves to breathe when we have, say, a little too much of it? For myself, I am certain I shall prefer it. Let us not lose a moment. Where is the packet which preceded us in our descent?"
breathe - atmen; einatmen; hauchen
compressed - komprimiert; komprimieren; Kompresse, Umschlag [med.]
aeronauts - Aeronauten; Aeronaut, Aeronautin
accustom - gewöhnen; gewöhnen
I smilingly pointed it out to my uncle. Hans had not seen it, and believed it caught somewhere above us: "Huppe" as he phrased it.
smilingly - lächelnde
"Now," said my uncle, "let us breakfast, and break fast like people who have a long day's work before them."
Biscuit and dried meat, washed down by some mouthfuls of water flavored with Schiedam, was the material of our luxurious meal.
dried meat - Dörrfleisch
mouthfuls - Bissen; mundvoll
flavored - aromatisiert; Geschmack, Geschmacksstoff, Geschmacksverstärker
material - materiell; Material, Rohstoff
luxurious - luxuriös
As soon as it was finished, my uncle took from his pocket a notebook destined to be filled by memoranda of our travels. He had already placed his instruments in order, and this is what he wrote:
Pocket - Tasche
notebook - Notizbuch, Notizheft, Notizblock, Merkheft
memoranda - Memoranden; Vermerke
Monday, June 29th
Chronometer, 8h. 17m. morning.
Barometer, 29.6 inches.
Thermometer, 6 degrees [43 degrees Fahr.]
Fahr - (Fahrenheit) F Fahrenheit
Direction, E.S.E.
This last observation referred to the obscure gallery, and was indicated to us by the compass.
referred - verwiesen; überweisen (an)
"Now, Harry," cried the Professor, in an enthusiastic tone of voice, "we are truly about to take our first step into the Interior of the Earth; never before visited by man since the first creation of the world. You may consider, therefore, that at this precise moment our travels really commence."
enthusiastic - enthusiastisch, begeistert
creation - Erfindung, Werk, Kreation, Schöpfung
precise - präzise, genau, exakt, präzisieren
commence - anfangen, beginnen
As my uncle made this remark, he took in one hand the Ruhmkorff coil apparatus, which hung round his neck, and with the other he put the electric current into communication with the worm of the lantern. And a bright light at once illumined that dark and gloomy tunnel!
neck - knutschen; Genick, Zapfen (Wellenhals), Nacken
electric current - elektrischer Strom
worm - Wurm; elender Wurm
illumined - erhellt; beleuchten
The effect was magical!
Hans, who carried the second apparatus, had it also put into operation. This ingenious application of electricity to practical purposes enabled us to Move along by the light of an artificial day, amid even the flow of the most inflammable and combustible gases.
put into operation - in Betrieb setzen
purposes - Zwecke; absicht, Absicht, Einsatzzweck, Zweck
Move along - weitergehen;Platz da!
artificial - künstlich
inflammable - brennbar, entflammbar
"Forward!" cried my uncle. Each took up his burden. Hans went first, my uncle followed, and I going third, we entered the somber gallery!
burden - Belastung; Refrain, Last, Möller (Hüttenwesen); belasten
Just as we were about to engulf ourselves in this dismal passage, I lifted up my head, and through the tubelike shaft saw that Iceland sky I was never to see again!
engulf - überwältigen; verschlingen
Was it the last I should ever see of any sky?
The stream of lava flowing from the bowels of the earth in 1219 had forced itself a passage through the tunnel. It lined the whole of the inside with its thick and brilliant coating. The electric light added very greatly to the brilliancy of the effect.
flowing - fließend; Wasserführung; ich flösse, ich/er/sie floss (floß
Electric - elektrisch; elektronisch, elektrisierend, Elektro-Auto
greatly - sehr; außerordentlich, großartig
brilliancy - Brillanz; Scharfsinn, Glanz, Genialität
The great difficulty of our journey now began. How were we to prevent ourselves from slipping down the steeply inclined plane? Happily some cracks, abrasures of the soil, and other irregularities, served the place of steps; and we descended slowly; allowing our heavy luggage to slip on before, at the end of a long cord.
steeply - steil
cracks - Risse; Riss, Knall, Aufbruch, Bresche; aufbrechen, knallen
abrasures - Abreibungen
irregularities - Unregelmäßigkeiten; Unregelmäßigkeit, Unregelmäßigkeit
allowing - erlauben, zulassen, akzeptieren, erlauben, zulassen, erlauben
slip on - rasch anziehen
But that which served as steps under our feet became in other places stalactites. The lava, very porous in certain places, took the form of little round blisters. Crystals of opaque quartz, adorned with limpid drops of natural glass suspended to the roof like lusters, seemed to take fire as we passed beneath them. One would have fancied that the genii of romance were illuminating their underground palaces to receive the sons of men.
stalactites - Stalaktiten; Stalaktit
blisters - Blase, Blase, kritisieren, Blasen werfen
crystals - Kristalle; Kristall, Kristall, Kristallglas
Quartz - Quarz
adorned - geschmückt; schmücken, zieren, verzieren
limpid - klar, durchsichtig
drops - Tropfen; fallen lassen, senken, weglassen, aufgeben
suspended - ausgesetzt; suspendieren, aufhängen, suspendieren, aufheben
lusters - Lüstlinge; Glanz, Kronleuchter, Glanzton
fancied - Lust gehabt; extravagant, originell
genii - Genie
romance - Romantik; Liebesgeschichte; qual
illuminating - erhellend; beleuchten, erhellen, illuminieren
underground - unterirdisch, Untergrund
palaces - Paläste; Palast; Schloss
"Magnificent, glorious!" I cried in a moment of involuntary enthusiasm, "What a spectacle, Uncle! Do you not admire these variegated shades of lava, which run through a whole series of colors, from reddish brown to pale yellow-by the most insensible degrees? And these crystals, they appear like luminous globes."
involuntary - unabsichtlich, unwillkürlich, ungewollt, unfreiwillig
variegated - vielfarbig; abwandeln, beleben
shades - Schattierungen; Maifisch
globes - Kugeln; Erde, Erdkugel, Globus
"You are beginning to see the charms of travel, Master Harry," cried my uncle. "Wait a bit, until we advance farther. What we have as yet discovered is nothing-onwards, my boy, onwards!"
charms - Reize; Talisman; Charme, Zauberformel, Lieblichkeit; bezaubern
onwards - weiter; vorwärts
It would have been a far more correct and appropriate expression, had he said, "let us slide," for we were going down an inclined plane with perfect ease. The compass indicated that we were moving in a southeasterly direction. The flow of lava had never turned to the right or the left. It had the inflexibility of a straight line.
more correct - korrektere
appropriate - angebracht, angemessen, passend, zugewiesen, anpassen, aneignen
southeasterly - südöstlich
inflexibility - Unflexibilität; Unbeugsamkeit
straight line - Gerade [math.]
Nevertheless, to my surprise, we found no perceptible increase in heat. This proved the theories of Humphry Davy to be founded on truth, and more than once I found myself examining the thermometer in silent astonishment.
in heat - läufig
Two hours after our departure it only marked fifty-four degrees Fahrenheit. I had every reason to believe from this that our descent was far more horizontal than vertical. As for discovering the exact depth to which we had attained, nothing could be easier. The Professor as he advanced measured the angles of deviation and inclination; but he kept the result of his observations to himself.
Fahrenheit - Fahrenheit
more horizontal - waagerechtere
angles - Winkeln; Angel
About eight o'clock in the evening, my uncle gave the signal for halting. Hans seated himself on the ground. The lamps were hung to fissures in the lava rock. We were now in a large cavern where air was not wanting. On the contrary, it abounded. What could be the cause of this-to what atmospheric agitation could be ascribed this draught? But this was a question which I did not care to discuss just then.
halting - anhaltend, zögerlich; (halt) anhaltend, zögerlich
cavern - Höhle; große; Kaverne
abounded - im Überfluss vorhanden; in
agitation - Aufregung; Aufwühlung, Agitation
ascribed - zugeschrieben; zurückführen, zuschreiben, zuschreiben
draught - Tiefgang; Spielstein
Fatigue and hunger made me incapable of reasoning. An unceasing march of seven hours had not been kept up without great exhaustion. I was really and truly worn out; and delighted enough I was to hear the word Halt.
incapable - nicht fähig; unfähig
unceasing - unaufhörlich
kept up - durchgehalten
Hans laid out some provisions on a lump of lava, and we each supped with keen relish. One thing, however, caused us great uneasiness-our water reserve was already half exhausted. My uncle had full confidence in finding subterranean resources, but hitherto we had completely failed in so doing. I could not help calling my uncle's attention to the circumstance.
supped - gegessen; Was ist los?; schlürfen
relish - genüsslich; Aroma, Geschmack, Genuß, Qualität
uneasiness - Unbehagen
reserve - Reservieren, Bedenken, Vorbehalt, Reserviertheit, Reserve
resources - Ressourcen; Betriebsmittel, Hilfsquelle, Ressource
"And you are surprised at this total absence of springs?" he said.
Total - Insgesamt; Gesamtbetrag, Gesamtsumme, ganz, komplett, total
"Doubtless-I am very uneasy on the point. We have certainly not enough water to last us five days."
uneasy - Unbehagen; besorgt, unangenehm, unsicher
"Be quite easy on that matter," continued my uncle. "I answer for it we shall find plenty of water-in fact, far more than we shall want."
plenty - viel; Fülle, Überfluss
"But when?"
"When we once get through this crust of lava. How can you expect springs to force their way through these solid stone walls?"
"But what is there to prove that this concrete mass of lava does not extend to the centre of the earth? I don't think we have as yet done much in a vertical way."
concrete - konkret, bestimmt, genau, aus Beton, Beton
extend - erweitern; ausdehnen, ausweiten
"What puts that into your head, my boy?" asked my uncle mildly.
"Well, it appears to me that if we had descended very far below the level of the sea-we should find it rather hotter than we have."
"According to your system," said my uncle; "but what does the thermometer say?"
"Scarcely fifteen degrees by Reaumur, which is only an increase of nine since our departure."
"Well, and what conclusion does that bring you to?" inquired the Professor.
"The deduction I draw from this is very simple. According to the most exact observations, the augmentation of the temperature of the interior of the earth is one degree for every hundred feet. But certain local causes may considerably modify this figure. Thus at Yakoust in Siberia, it has been remarked that the heat increases a degree every thirty-six feet.
deduction - Abzug; Ableitung; Schlussfolgerung
most exact - genauste
augmentation - Vergrößerung
causes - Ursache, Anlass, Grund, Sache, verursachen, auslösen, lassen
modify - ändern, abändern, modifizieren
Siberia - Sibirien
The difference evidently depends on the conductibility of certain rocks. In the neighborhood of an extinct volcano, it has been remarked that the elevation of temperature was only one degree in every five-and-twenty feet. Let us, then, go upon this calculation-which is the most favorable-and calculate."
conductibility - Leitfähigkeit; Leitungsfähigkeit
elevation - Höhenlage; Hebung, Erheben, Anhebung, Anheben
"Calculate away, my boy."
"Nothing easier," said I, pulling out my notebook and pencil. "Nine times one hundred and twenty-five feet make a depth of eleven hundred and twenty-five feet."
pulling out - herausziehend
"Archimedes could not have spoken more geometrically."
"Well?"
"Well, according to my observations, we are at least ten thousand feet below the level of the sea."
"Can it be possible?"
"Either my calculation is correct, or there is no truth in figures."
either - auch nicht; beide; auch, ebenso, ebenfalls, entweder, entweder
figures - Zahlen; Abbildung, Figur, Gestalt, Ziffer, Form
The calculations of the Professor were perfectly correct. We were already six thousand feet deeper down in the bowels of the earth than anyone had ever been before. The lowest known depth to which man had hitherto penetrated was in the mines of Kitzbuhel, in the Tirol, and those of Wurttemberg.
calculations - Berechnungen; Berechnung
lowest - niedrigsten; Lowe
mines - Minen; mein, meiner
The temperature, which should have been eighty-one, was in this place only fifteen. This was a matter for serious consideration.
The next day was Tuesday, the 30th of June-and at six o'clock in the morning we resumed our journey.
We still continued to follow the gallery of lava, a perfect natural pathway, as easy of descent as some of those inclined planes which, in very old German houses, serve the purpose of staircases. This went on until seventeen minutes past twelve, the precise instant at which we rejoined Hans, who, having been somewhat in advance, had suddenly stopped.
pathway - Weg; Bahn, Pfad
serve the purpose - den Zweck erfüllen
staircases - Treppenhäuser; Treppe
instant - sofort; augenblicklich, tafelfertig, Moment
rejoined - wiedervereinigt; vereinigen
"At last," cried my uncle, "we have reached the end of the shaft."
I looked wonderingly about me. We were in the centre of four cross paths-somber and narrow tunnels. The question now arose as to which it was wise to take; and this of itself was no small difficulty.
wonderingly - verwundert
tunnels - Tunnel, Stollen
My uncle, who did not wish to appear to have any hesitation about the matter before myself or the guide, at once made up his mind. He pointed quietly to the eastern tunnel; and, without delay, we entered within its gloomy recesses.
recesses - Pausen; Vertiefung, Winkel, Aushöhlung, qualifier
Besides, had he entertained any feeling of hesitation it might have been prolonged indefinitely, for there was no indication by which to determine on a choice. It was absolutely necessary to trust to chance and good fortune!
entertained - unterhalten
indication - Anzeichen, Anzeige, Hinweis, Indiz
determine - bestimmen, eingrenzen, festlegen
The descent of this obscure and narrow gallery was very gradual and winding. Sometimes we gazed through a succession of arches, its course very like the aisles of a Gothic cathedral. The great artistic sculptors and builders of the Middle Ages might have here completed their studies with advantage. Many most beautiful and suggestive ideas of architectural beauty would have been discovered by them.
arches - Gewölbe; Bogen
aisles - Gänge; Seitenschiff
Gothic - Gotisch; Gothic
cathedral - Kirche, Münster, Kathedrale, Dom
sculptors - Skulpteur, Bildhauer, Bildhauerin
builders - Bauherren; Bauarbeiter
Middle Ages - MA Mittelalter, Mittelalter
suggestive - suggestiv
architectural - Architektur
After passing through this phase of the cavernous way, we suddenly came, about a mile farther on, upon a square system of arch, adopted by the early Romans, projecting from the solid rock, and keeping up the weight of the roof.
phase - Phase
cavernous - höhlenartig
arch - Bogen
adopted - angenommen; adoptieren, annehmen, übernehmen
Romans - Die Römer; Römer; röm. römisch, römisch
Suddenly we would come upon a series of low subterranean tunnels which looked like beaver holes, or the work of foxes-through whose narrow and winding ways we had literally to crawl!
beaver - Biber
holes - Löcher; Bohrung, Markierung, Höhle, Loch
foxes - Füchse; Fuchs, qualifier
literally - buchstäblich
The heat still remained at quite a supportable degree. With an involuntary shudder, I reflected on what the heat must have been when the volcano of Sneffels was pouring its smoke, flames, and streams of boiling lava-all of which must have come up by the road we were now following. I could imagine the torrents of hot seething stone darting on, bubbling up with accompaniments of smoke, steam, and sulphurous stench!
supportable - unterstützbar
pouring - gießend, einschenkend; (pour) gießend, einschenkend
boiling - kochend; (boil); kochend
seething - kochen; wütend; (seethe); kochen, sieden, schäumen, sprudeln
darting - Pfeil, Satz
bubbling - Blasenbildung; Blase, Blase, Blase, Blase, blubbern
accompaniments - Begleiterscheinungen; Begleitung, Begleitung
sulphurous - schwefelhaltig
stench - Gestank
"Only to think of the consequences," I mused, "if the old volcano were once more to set to work."
consequences - Folgen; Konsequenz, Folge, Konsequenz, Folge, Konsequenz
mused - überlegt; Muse
I did not communicate these rather unpleasant reflections to my uncle. He not only would not have understood them, but would have been intensely disgusted. His only idea was to go ahead. He walked, he slid, he clambered over piles of fragments, he rolled down heaps of broken lava, with an earnestness and conviction it was impossible not to admire.
communicate - mitteilen, übermitteln, kommunizieren, kundtun, weitergeben
unpleasant - unangenehm
intensely - intensiv
disgusted - angewidert; ekeln, Ekel
slid - gerutscht; glitt ab
earnestness - Ernsthaftigkeit; Ernst
At six o'clock in the evening, after a very wearisome journey, but one not so fatiguing as before, we had made six miles towards the southward, but had not gone more than a mile downwards.
as before - wie bisher, wie zuvor, wie vorher
southward - südwärts
My uncle, as usual, gave the signal to halt. We ate our meal in thoughtful silence, and then retired to sleep.
thoughtful - nachdenklich, bedächtig, aufmerksam
Our arrangements for the night were very primitive and simple. A traveling rug, in which each rolled himself, was all our bedding. We had no necessity to fear cold or any unpleasant visit.
arrangements - Vereinbarungen; Anordnung
rug - Vorleger; Teppich, Brücke
Travelers who bury themselves in the wilds and depths of the African desert, who seek profit and pleasure in the forests of the New World, are compelled to take it in turn to watch during the hours of sleep; but in this region of the earth absolute solitude and complete security reigned supreme.
African - afrikanisch; Afrikaner, Afrikanerin
profit - Gewinn, Profit, nützen, profitieren, erreichen, gewinnen
Forests - Wälder; Wald, t+Forst, t+Gehölz
absolute - absolut; rein
solitude - Einsamkeit, Alleinsein
Security - Sicherheit, Schutz, Sicherheitsdienst, Wertpapier
We had nothing to fear either from savages or from wild beasts.
savages - wild, wild, wüst, unbebaut, unbändig, rasend, wütend, roh
After a night's sweet repose, we awoke fresh and ready for action. There being nothing to detain us, we started on our journey. We continued to burrow through the lava tunnel as before. It was impossible to make out through what soil we were making way. The tunnel, moreover, instead of going down into the bowels of the earth, became absolutely horizontal.
sweet - Süßigkeit, Bonbon
ready for action - einsatzbereit, gefechtsbereit {adj}
detain - festhalten; verhaften
burrow - Bau; graben
Moreover - außerdem, überdies, des Weiteren, obendrein
I even thought, after some examination, that we were actually tending upwards. About ten o'clock in the day this state of things became so clear that, finding the change very fatiguing, I was obliged to slacken my pace and finally come to a halt.
tending - pflegend; abzielen
slacken - erlahmen; entspannen
"Well," said the Professor quickly, "what is the matter?"
"The fact is, I am dreadfully tired," was my earnest reply.
dreadfully - furchtbar
"What," cried my uncle, "tired after a three hours'walk, and by so easy a road?"
"Easy enough, I dare say, but very fatiguing."
"But how can that be, when all we have to do is to go downwards."
"I beg your pardon, sir. For some time I have noticed that we are going upwards."
Pardon - Vergebung, Verzeihung, Begnadigung, verzeihen, vergeben
"Upwards," cried my uncle, shrugging his shoulders, "how can that be?"
shrugging - Schulterzucken
"There can be no doubt about it. For the last half hour the slopes have been upward-and if we go on in this way much longer we shall find ourselves back in Iceland."
My uncle shook his head with the air of a man who does not want to be convinced. I tried to continue the conversation. He would not answer me, but once more gave the signal for departure. His silence I thought was only caused by concentrated ill-temper.
Convinced - Überzeugt; überzeugen
temper - Gereiztheit, Laune, Temperament, Anlassen, Ausheizen
However this might be, I once more took up my load, and boldly and resolutely followed Hans, who was now in advance of my uncle. I did not like to be beaten or even distanced. I was naturally anxious not to lose sight of my companions. The very idea of being left behind, lost in that terrible labyrinth, made me shiver as with the ague.
boldly - kühn, tapfer
resolutely - Entschlossenheit
distanced - distanziert; Distanz, Entfernung, Abstand, Ferne, Weite
naturally - natürlich
shiver - Schauder, Schauer, zittern, frösteln
ague - Schüttelfrost; Schüttelfrost
Besides, if the ascending path was more arduous and painful to clamber, I had one source of secret consolation and delight. It was to all appearance taking us back to the surface of the earth. That of itself was hopeful. Every step I took confirmed me in my belief, and I began already to build castles in the air in relation to my marriage with my pretty little cousin.
arduous - mühsam, anstrengend, beschwerlich, erschöpfend, steil
clamber - klettern, erklimmen, kraxeln, herumturnen
consolation - Trost; Trostpreis
confirmed - bestätigt; bestätigen, bestätigen, bekräftigen
belief - Glauben; Glaube
build castles in the air - Luftschlösser bauen
relation - Beziehung; Relation; Verwandter, Verwandte, Verwandtschaft
About twelve o'clock there was a great and sudden change in the aspect of the rocky sides of the gallery. I first noticed it from the diminution of the rays of light which cast back the reflection of the lamp. From being coated with shining and resplendent lava, it became living rock. The sides were sloping walls, which sometimes became quite vertical.
diminution - Verkleinerung; Rückgang
shining - glänzen; Schienbein; hinaufklettern
resplendent - prächtig
sloping - Steigung, Hang, Abhang, Steigung, Steigung, Steigung, Ableitung
We were now in what the geological professors call a state of transition, in the period of Silurian stones, so called because this specimen of early formation is very common in England in the counties formerly inhabited by the Celtic nation known as Silures.
professors - Professoren; Professor, Professorin, Professorsgattin, Bekenner
transition - Übergang
Silurian - silurisch; Silur
Counties - Bezirke; Grafschaft, Landkreis, Grafschaft, Bezirk
inhabited - bewohnt; bewohnen
Celtic - Keltisch
nation - Staat, Nation, Volk
"I can see clearly now," I cried; "the sediment from the waters which once covered the whole earth formed during the second period of its existence these schists and these calcareous rocks. We are turning our backs on the granite rocks, and are like people from Hamburg who would go to Lubeck by way of Hanover."
sediment - Sediment, Satz, Bodensatz
schists - Glimmerschiefer
calcareous - kalkhaltig
Hanover - Hannover
I might just as well have kept my observations to myself. My geological enthusiasm got the better, however, of my cooler judgment, and Professor Hardwigg heard my observations.
judgment - Urteil; Urteilsvermögen; Beurteilung; Richtspruch
"What is the matter now?" he said, in a tone of great gravity.
gravity - Bedenklichkeit, Ernst, Erdanziehung, Gravitation, Schwerkraft
"Well," cried I, "do you not see these different layers of calcareous rocks and the first indication of slate strata?"
slate - Schiefer, Dachschindel
"Well; what then?"
"We have arrived at that period of the world's existence when the first plants and the first animals made their appearance."
"You think so?"
"Yes, look; examine and judge for yourself."
examine - untersuchen, prüfen, befragen
judge - urteilen (nach), richten; Richter, Jurist
I induced the Professor with some difficulty to cast the light of his lamp on the sides of the long winding gallery. I expected some exclamation to burst from his lips. I was very much mistaken. The worthy Professor never spoke a word.
exclamation - Ausruf; Exklamation
It was impossible to say whether he understood me or not. Perhaps it was possible that in his pride-my uncle and a learned professor-he did not like to own that he was wrong in having chosen the eastern tunnel, or was he determined at any price to go to the end of it? It was quite evident we had left the region of lava, and that the road by which we were going could not take us back to the great crater of Mount Sneffels.
pride - Hochmut; Stolz, Trotz, Dünkel, Machtbewusstsein, Rudel
evident - offensichtlich; offenkundig
As we went along I could not help ruminating on the whole question, and asked myself if I did not lay too great a stress on these sudden and peculiar modifications of the earth's crust.
ruminating - wiederkäuen, grübeln
stress - Spannung; Stress; Betonung; beanspruchen; stressen; betonen
modifications - Änderungen; Änderung, Abänderung, Modifikation, Änderung
earth's crust - Erdkruste
After all, I was very likely to be mistaken-and it was within the range of probability and possibility that we were not making our way through the strata of rocks which I believed I recognized piled on the lower layer of granitic formation.
recognized - ich/er/sie erkannte, anerkennen, erkennen
layer - durch Ableger vermehren, überlagern, schichten; Auflage
granitic - granitisch
"At all events, if I am right," I thought to myself, "I must certainly find some remains of primitive plants, and it will be absolutely necessary to give way to such indubitable evidence. Let us have a good search."
give way - nachgeben, ich/er/sie wich, weichen, abtreten
indubitable - unbestreitbar
I accordingly lost no opportunity of searching, and had not gone more than about a hundred yards, when the evidence I sought for cropped up in the most incontestable manner before my eyes. It was quite natural that I should expect to find these signs, for during the Silurian period the seas contained no fewer than fifteen hundred different animal and vegetable species.
cropped - abgeschnitten; Ernte, Haarschnitt, Schnitt
most incontestable - unbestreitbarste
contained - enthalten
species - Arten; Hartgeld
My feet, so long accustomed to the hard and arid lava soil, suddenly found themselves treading on a kind of soft dust, the remains of plants and shells.
treading - Trittbrettfahren; (tread on) treten; (tread) Trittbrettfahren; (tread on) treten
shells - Muscheln; Schale, Schale, Eierschale, Schale, Hülse, Granate
Upon the walls themselves I could clearly make out the outline, as plain as a sun picture, of the fucus and the lycopods. The worthy and excellent Professor Hardwigg could not of course make any mistake about the matter; but I believe he deliberately closed his eyes, and continued on his way with a firm and unalterable step.
deliberately - absichtlich
unalterable - unabänderlich
I began to think that he was carrying his obstinacy a great deal too far. I could no longer act with prudence or composure. I stooped on a sudden and picked up an almost perfect shell, which had undoubtedly belonged to some animal very much resembling some of the present day. Having secured the prize, I followed in the wake of my uncle.
obstinacy - Hartnäckigkeit; Sturheit, Eigensinn
prudence - Klugheit, Umsicht, Besonnenheit
composure - Gelassenheit, Fassung, Haltung, innere Ruhe
picked - ausgewählt; Foto
shell - Muschel; Schale, Eierschale, Hülse, Granate, Hülle, Shell
secured - gesichert; sicher, geschützt, beschützt, sicher, geschützt
"Do you see this?" I said.
"Well, said the Professor, with the most imperturbable tranquillity, "it is the shell of a crustaceous animal of the extinct order of the trilobites; nothing more, I assure you."
crustaceous - Krustentiere
"But," cried I, much troubled at his coolness, "do you draw no conclusion from it?"
coolness - Kühle
"Well, if I may ask, what conclusion do you draw from it yourself?"
"Well, I thought-"
"I know, my boy, what you would say, and you are right, perfectly and incontestably right. We have finally abandoned the crust of lava and the road by which the lava ascended. It is quite possible that I may have been mistaken, but I shall be unable to discover my error until I get to the end of this gallery."
incontestably - unanfechtbar
abandoned - im Stich lassen, preisgeben, verlassen, abbrechen
error - Fehler; Irrtum; aussteigen; fehlschlagen, misslingen
"You are quite right as far as that is concerned," I replied, "and I should highly approve of your decision, if we had not to fear the greatest of all dangers."
"And what is that?"
"Want of water."
"Well, my dear Henry, It can't be helped. We must put ourselves on rations."
It can't be helped - Es lässt sich nicht ändern.
rations - Rationen; Ration, rationieren
And on he went.
CHAPTER 17. DEEPER AND DEEPER-THE coal mine
coal mine - Steinkohlenbergwerk
In truth, we were compelled to put ourselves upon rations. Our supply would certainly last not more than three days. I found this out about supper time. The worst part of the matter was that, in what is called the transition rocks, it was hardly to be expected we should meet with water!
hardly - hart, rau, kaum
I had read of the horrors of thirst, and I knew that where we were, a brief trial of its sufferings would put an end to our adventures-and our lives! But it was utterly useless to discuss the matter with my uncle. He would have answered by some axiom from Plato.
horrors - Schrecken; Angst, Furcht, Horror, Grauen
thirst - Durst; dürsten
trial - Erprobung, Prozess, Versuch, Probe
axiom - Axiom, Annahme, Postulat, Grundannahme
Plato - Plato, Platon
During the whole of next day we proceeded on our journey through this interminable gallery, arch after arch, tunnel after tunnel. We journeyed without exchanging a word. We had become as mute and reticent as Hans, our guide.
proceeded - fortgefahren; vorgehen
exchanging - austauschen, umtauschen, tauschen
mute - stumm; sprachlos; abdämpfen, dämpfen
reticent - zurückhaltend
The road had no longer an upward tendency; at all events, if it had, it was not to be made out very clearly. Sometimes there could be no doubt that we were going downwards. But this inclination was scarcely to be distinguished, and was by no means reassuring to the Professor, because the character of the strata was in no wise modified, and the transition character of the rocks became more and more marked.
tendency - Tendenz (''not often used in this sense; one would rather use a verb such as " zu (...) neigen" or tendieren'')
reassuring - beruhigend; versichern, beruhigen
The greater number of these marbles were stamped with the marks of primitive animals. Since the previous evening, nature and creation had made considerable progress. Instead of the rudimentary trilobites, I perceived the remains of a more perfect order. Among others, the fish in which the eye of a geologist has been able to discover the first form of the reptile.
marbles - Murmeln; Marmor, Murmel, marmorieren
previous - früher; vorhergehend
rudimentary - rudimentär
perceived - wahrgenommen; wahrnehmen
more perfect - einwandfreiere
reptile - Kriechtier, Reptil, Wurm
The Devonian seas were inhabited by a vast number of animals of this species, which were deposited in tens of thousands in the rocks of new formation.
Devonian - devonisch; Devon
deposited - deponiert; Ablagerung, Vorkommen
It was quite evident to me that we were ascending the scale of animal life of which man forms the summit. My excellent uncle, the Professor, appeared not to take notice of these warnings. He was determined at any risk to proceed.
animal life - Tierleben
warnings - Warnungen; Warnung, Mahnung, Warnung, Mahnung, Achtung, Warnung
He must have been in expectation of one of two things; either that a vertical well was about to open under his feet, and thus allow him to continue his descent, or that some insurmountable obstacle would compel us to stop and go back by the road we had so long traveled. But evening came again, and, to my horror, neither hope was doomed to be realized!
expectation - Erwartung
obstacle - Hindernis, Hürde
On Friday, after a night when I began to feel the gnawing agony of thirst, and when in consequence appetite decreased, our little band rose and once more followed the turnings and windings, the ascents and descents, of this interminable gallery. All were silent and gloomy. I could see that even my uncle had ventured too far.
gnawing - abnagend, nagend; (gnaw); nagen, kauen, knabbern, verfolgen
appetite - Appetit; Begierde, Lust
decreased - abgenommen; abnehmen, verringern, Verringerung
ascents - Aufstiege; erman: Anstieg g, Aufstieg g; Besteigung g, Aufstieg
descents - Abfahrten; Abstieg, Runterweg, Abstieg, Abstieg, Herkunft
After about ten hours of further progress-a progress dull and monotonous to the last degree-I remarked that the reverberation, and reflection of our lamps upon the sides of the tunnel, had singularly diminished. The marble, the schist, the calcareous rocks, the red sandstone, had disappeared, leaving in their places a dark and gloomy wall, somber and without brightness.
reverberation - Zurückschlagen; Hall, Nachhall, Widerhall, Widerklang
diminished - vermindert; vermindern, verkleinern, reduzieren, verringern
marble - Marmor; Murmel; marmorieren
schist - Glimmerschiefer
brightness - Funkeln, Glanz, Helligkeit, Aufgewecktheit
When we reached a remarkably narrow part of the tunnel, I leaned my left hand against the rock.
When I took my hand away, and happened to glance at it, it was quite black. We had reached the coal strata of the Central Earth.
"A coal mine!" I cried.
"A coal mine without miners," responded my uncle, a little severely.
miners - Bergleute; Bergmann, Bergarbeiter
responded - geantwortet; antworten, reagieren
"How can we tell?"
"I can tell," replied my uncle, in a sharp and doctorial tone. "I am perfectly certain that this gallery through successive layers of coal was not cut by the hand of man. But whether it is the work of nature or not is of little concern to us. The hour for our evening meal has come-let us sup."
sharp - scharf; scharfsinning; spitz, -is, hoch, stechend
doctorial - promoviert
concern - Bedenken; Sorge, Anliegen, Betroffenheit, Besorgnis, Konzern
evening meal - Abendmahlzeit , Nachtessen
Hans, the guide, occupied himself in preparing food. I had come to that point when I could no longer eat. All I cared about were the few drops of water which fell to my share. What I suffered it is useless to record. The guide's gourd, not quite half full, was all that was left for us three!
gourd - Kalebasse
Having finished their repast, my two companions laid themselves down upon their rugs, and found in sleep a remedy for their fatigue and sufferings. As for me, I could not sleep, I lay counting the hours until morning.
rugs - Teppiche; Teppich, Brücke
The next morning, Saturday, at six o'clock, we started again. Twenty minutes later we suddenly came upon a vast excavation. From its mighty extent I saw at once that the hand of man could have had nothing to do with this coal mine; the vault above would have fallen in; as it was, it was only held together by some miracle of nature.
excavation - Grabung; Ausgrabung g; Ausschachtung; Aushub; Ausgrabung
miracle of nature - Naturwunder
This mighty natural cavern was about a hundred feet wide, by about a hundred and fifty high. The earth had evidently been cast apart by some violent subterranean commotion. The mass, giving way to some prodigious upheaving of nature, had split in two, leaving the vast gap into which we inhabitants of the earth had penetrated for the first time.
wide - breit, weit
commotion - Aufruhr; Aufregung; Spektakel, Theater, Zirkus, Aufstand
giving way - nachgebend
upheaving - aufgewühlt; emporheben
split - gespalten; Riss, Spalt, Spaltung, Spagat
gap - Zahnlücke; Lücke, Bresche, Leerstelle, Kluft
The whole singular history of the coal period was written on those dark and gloomy walls. A geologist would have been able easily to follow the different phases of its formation. The seams of coal were separated by strata of sandstone, a compact clay, which appeared to be crushed down by the weight from above.
phases - Phasen; Phase
seams - Nähte; säumen, schrammen, zerschrammen
compact - zusammengedrängt
clay - Lehm, Ton, Asche
At that period of the world which preceded the secondary epoch, the earth was covered by a coating of enormous and rich vegetation, due to the double action of tropical heat and perpetual humidity. A vast atmospheric cloud of vapor surrounded the earth on all sides, preventing the rays of the sun from ever reaching it.
secondary - sekundär; Armschwinge
due - fällig
tropical - tropisch
perpetual - unbefristet, ewig, immerwährend, unaufhörlich
humidity - Feuchtigkeit; Luftfeuchtigkeit
preventing - verhindern, vorbeugen, etwas daran hindern (zu geschehen)
Hence the conclusion that these intense heats did not arise from this new source of caloric.
heats - heizt; Hitze, Wärme
arise from - sich entwickeln aus, hervorgehen aus;entspringen
caloric - kalorisch, Wärme
Perhaps even the star of day was not quite ready for its brilliant work-to illumine a universe. Climates did not as yet exist, and a level heat pervaded the whole surface of the globe-the same heat existing at the North Pole as at the equator.
illumine - erhellen; beleuchten
universe - Universum, Weltall
Climates - Klimate; Klima
pervaded - durchdrungen; durchziehen
existing - bestehen, existieren
North Pole - Nordpol
Equator - Äquator, Linie
Whence did it come? From the interior of the earth?
whence - woher; von daher
In spite of all the learned theories of Professor Hardwigg, a fierce and vehement fire certainly burned within the entrails of the great spheroid. Its action was felt even to the very topmost crust of the earth; the plants then in existence, being deprived of the vivifying rays of the sun, had neither buds, nor flowers, nor odor, but their roots drew a strong and vigorous life from the burning earth of early days.
spite - Bosheit; trotz
spheroid - Sphäroid
topmost - ganz oben; oberst
deprived of - beraubt
vivifying - belebend; anregen, beleben
buds - Knospe, Knospen treiben
There were but few of what may be called trees-only herbaceous plants, immense turfs, briers, mosses, rare families, which, however, in those days were counted by tens and tens of thousands.
herbaceous - krautig
turfs - Grasnarben; Rasen, Grassode
briers - Dornbüsche; Dornstrauch
mosses - Moos
It is entirely to this exuberant vegetation that coal owes its origin. The crust of the vast globe still yielded under the influence of the seething, boiling mass, which was forever at work beneath. Hence arose numerous fissures, and continual falling in of the upper earth. The dense mass of plants being beneath the waters, soon formed themselves into vast agglomerations.
exuberant - überschwänglich
owes - schuldet; schulden, schuldig sein, schulden, schuldig sein
dense - dicht
Then came about the action of natural chemistry; in the depths of the ocean the vegetable mass at first became turf, then, thanks to the influence of gases and subterranean fermentation, they underwent the complete process of mineralization.
came about - (come about) zustandegekommen [alt], zu Stande gekommen
fermentation - Fermentation, Gärung
underwent - unterzog; durchmachen
mineralization - Mineralisierung
In this manner, in early days, were formed those vast and prodigious layers of coal, which an ever-increasing consumption must utterly use up in about three centuries more, if people do not find some more economic light than gas, and some cheaper motive power than steam.
consumption - Konsum, Verzehr, Verbrauch, Aufnahme
use up - aufzehren, verzehren, aufbrauchen, verfeuern
more economic - wirtschaftlichere
motive power - Triebkraft
All these reflections, the memories of my school studies, came to my mind while I gazed upon these mighty accumulations of coal, whose riches, however, are scarcely likely to be ever utilized. The working of these mines could only be carried out at an expense that would never yield a profit.
memories - Erinnerungen; Gedächtnis
accumulations - Anhäufungen; Anhäufung, Konkurrenz, Anhäufung
utilized - ausgenutzt; anwenden, nutzen, ausbeuten, nutzbar machen
expense - Kosten; Ausgabe, Aufwand, Verlust
yield a profit - sich rentieren, Nutzen abwerfen
The matter, however, is scarcely worthy consideration, when coal is scattered over the whole surface of the globe, within a few yards of the upper crust. As I looked at these untouched strata, therefore, I knew they would remain as long as the world lasts.
untouched - unangetastet
lasts - dauert; letzte, zuletzt, letzter, vorig; dauern, andauern
While we still continued our journey, I alone forgot the length of the road, by giving myself up wholly to these geological considerations. The temperature continued to be very much the same as while we were traveling amid the lava and the schists.
considerations - Überlegungen; Erwägung, Überlegung, Überlegung, Rücksicht
On the other hand my sense of smell was much affected by a very powerful odor. I immediately knew that the gallery was filled to overflowing with that dangerous gas the miners call fire damp, the explosion of which has caused such fearful and terrible accidents, making a hundred widows and hundreds of orphans in a single hour.
much affected by - sehr beliebt bei
overflowing - überschwemmt; überlaufend
fire damp - Schlagwetter
widows - Witwen; Witwe, Hurenkind
Orphans - Waisenkinder; Waise, qualifier
Happily, we were able to illumine our progress by means of the Ruhmkorff apparatus. If we had been so rash and imprudent as to explore this gallery, torch in hand, a terrible explosion would have put an end to our travels, simply because no travelers would be left.
rash - Hautausschlag, voreilig, Ausschlag
imprudent - unvorsichtig; unklug, unbedacht
explore - erkunden; erforschen; untersuchen
torch - Fackel; anzünden
Our excursion through this wondrous coal mine in the very bowels of the earth lasted until evening. My uncle was scarcely able to conceal his impatience and dissatisfaction at the road continuing still to advance in a horizontal direction.
dissatisfaction - Unzufriedenheit
continuing - fortsetzen, weiterhin
The darkness, dense and opaque a few yards in advance and in the rear, rendered it impossible to make out what was the length of the gallery. For myself, I began to believe that it was simply interminable, and would go on in the same manner for months.
darkness - Dunkelheit, Finsternis
rear - hinten; Hinter.., hinterster, Heck, Rück..
Suddenly, at six o'clock, we stood in front of a wall. To the right, to the left above, below, nowhere was there any passage. We had reached a spot where the rocks said in unmistakable accents-No Thoroughfare.
nowhere - nirgendwo, nirgends
unmistakable - unverwechselbar, unverkennbar, unüberhörbar
thoroughfare - Durchfahrt, Durchgangsstraße, Hauptverkehrsstraße, Verkehrsader
I stood stupefied. The guide simply folded his arms. My uncle was silent.
"Well, well, so much the better," cried my uncle, at last, "I now know what we are about. We are decidedly not upon the road followed by Saknussemm. All we have to do is to go back. Let us take one night's good rest, and before three days are over, I promise you we shall have regained the point where the galleries divided."
regained - wiedergewonnen; wiedergewinnen
"Yes, we may, if our strength lasts as long," I cried, in a lamentable voice.
lamentable - beklagenswert
"And why not?"
"Tomorrow, among us three, there will not be a drop of water. It is just gone."
drop of water - Wassertropfen
"And your courage with it," said my uncle, speaking in a severe tone.
What could I say? I turned round on my side, and from sheer exhaustion fell into a heavy sleep disturbed by dreams of water! And I awoke unrefreshed.
sheer - durchsichtig; scheren, ausreißen, gieren; rein, blank
disturbed - beunruhigt; stören
dreams - Traum, Traum, t+Wunsch, träumen, träumen, t+wünschen, träumen
unrefreshed - nicht erfrischt
I would have bartered a diamond mine for a glass of pure spring water!
bartered - verschachert; Tauschhandel, Tauschgeschäft
diamond - Stern, Diamant
pure - bloß, rein
spring water - Quellwasser
Next day, our departure took place at a very early hour. There was no time for the least delay. According to my account, we had five days'hard work to get back to the place where the galleries divided.
I can never tell all the sufferings we endured upon our return. My uncle bore them like a man who has been in the wrong-that is, with concentrated and suppressed anger; Hans, with all the resignation of his pacific character; and I-I confess that I did nothing but complain, and despair. I had no heart for this bad fortune.
endured - ertragen, aushalten, dulden, von Bestand sein
resignation - Rücktritt, Niederlegung, Kündigung, Rücktrittserklärung
But there was one consolation. Defeat at the outset would probably upset the whole journey!
defeat - vernichten, ablehnen, vereiteln, besiegen; Niederlage
outset - Anfang an; negative Einpresstiefe, Anfang
upset - verärgert; aufgebracht, aufgewühlt, verstimmt, gereizt, nervös
As I had expected from the first, our supply of water gave completely out on our first day's march. Our provision of liquids was reduced to our supply of Schiedam; but this horrible-nay, I will say it-this infernal liquor burnt the throat, and I could not even bear the sight of it. I found the temperature to be stifling. I was paralyzed with fatigue.
liquids - Flüssigkeiten; Flüssigkeit, Fließlaut, Liquida, Liquid, flüssig
Nay - Nein; oder sogar
infernal - höllisch, infernalisch, Höllen-, checkinfernalisch
liquor - Schnaps; Spirituose
throat - Kehle, Rachen, Hals, Flaschenhals
paralyzed - gelähmt; paralysieren, lähmen
More than once I was about to fall insensible to the ground. The whole party then halted, and the worthy Icelander and my excellent uncle did their best to console and comfort me. I could, however, plainly see that my uncle was contending painfully against the extreme fatigues of our journey, and the awful torture generated by the absence of water.
console - Konsole; trösten (mit), vertrösten; Bedienungsfeld, Gerät
comfort - Behaglichkeit, Bequemlichkeit, Komfort, Trost, Tröstung
plainly - klar und deutlich; klar
contending - konkurrieren; streitend, disputierend; (contend); streiten
torture - Folter; Tortur; foltern
generated - erzeugt; generieren, erzeugen
At length a time came when I ceased to recollect anything-when all was one awfull hideous, fantastic dream!
recollect - Erinnern Sie sich; sich erinnern an
awfull - furchtbar
At last, on Tuesday, the seventh of the month of July, after crawling on our hands and knees for many hours, more dead than alive, we reached the point of junction between the galleries. I lay like a log, an inert mass of human flesh on the arid lava soil. It was then ten in the morning.
dead - tot, gestorben, leblos, bewegungslos, regungslos, erstarrt
alive - lebendig
junction - Kreuzung, Knotenpunkt, Grenzzone
inert - träge; inaktiv
Hans and my uncle, leaning against the wall, tried to nibble away at some pieces of biscuit, while deep groans and sighs escaped from my scorched and swollen lips. Then I fell off into a kind of deep lethargy.
nibble - knabbern; Halbbyte, kleines Stück
groans - stöhnt; Stöhnen
sighs - seufzt; Seufzen, Seufzer, Säuseln (Wind); säuseln (Wind)
scorched - verbrannt; verbrennen, verbrennen, rasen
lethargy - Trägheit, Lethargie, Teilnahmslosigkeit, Interesselosigkeit
Presently I felt my uncle approach, and lift me up tenderly in his arms.
lift - Lüften (Bremse), Lift, Aufzug; fördern, Auftrieb geben, heben
tenderly - zärtlich, zart, lieb
"Poor boy," I heard him say in a tone of deep commiseration.
commiseration - Mitleid, Mitgefühl
I was profoundly touched by these words, being by no means accustomed to signs of womanly weakness in the Professor. I caught his trembling hands in mine and gave them a gentle pressure. He allowed me to do so without resistance, looking at me kindly all the time. His eyes were wet with tears.
touched - berührt; anfassen, berühren, rühren, Berührung, Berührung
womanly - weiblich, fraulich
weakness - Schwäche, Faible
trembling - Zittern, Beben; (tremble); zittern; Zittern
gentle - liebenswürdig; einfühlsam, sanftmütig, gemächlich, sachte
resistance - Widerstand
wet - nass, feucht, befeuchten, durchnässen, nass machen
Tears - Tränen; zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
I then saw him take the gourd which he wore at his side. To my surprise, or rather to my stupefaction, he placed it to my lips.
"Drink, my boy," he said.
Was it possible my ears had not deceived me? Was my uncle mad? I looked at him, with, I am sure, quite an idiotic expression. I could not believe him. I too much feared the counteraction of disappointment.
deceived - getäuscht; betrügen, täuschen
idiotic - idiotisch, blöd
counteraction - Gegenmaßnahmen; Gegenwirkung
"Drink," he said again.
Had I heard aright? Before, however, I could ask myself the question a second time, a mouthful of water cooled my parched lips and throat-one mouthful, but I do believe it brought me back to life.
aright - nicht wahr; richtig
mouthful - mundvoll
parched - ausgedörrt; ausdörren, ausdörren, rösten
I thanked my uncle by clasping my hands. My heart was too full to speak.
clasping - Umklammerung; klammernd, umklammernd; (clasp); Spange, Klammer
"Yes," said he, "one mouthful of water, the very last-do you hear, my boy-the very last! I have taken care of it at the bottom of my bottle as the apple of my eye. Twenty times, a hundred times, I have resisted the fearful desire to drink it. But-no-no, Harry, I saved it for you."
resisted - widerstanden; widerstreben, widerstehen, widerstreiten
saved - gerettet; retten, erretten, sichern, speichern, sparen
"My dear uncle," I exclaimed, and the big tears rolled down my hot and feverish cheeks.
"Yes, my poor boy, I knew that when you reached this place, this crossroad in the earth, you would fall down half dead, and I saved my last drop of water in order to restore you."
crossroad - Querstraße, Straßenkreuzung
fall down - umstürzen;Niederfallen
restore - wiederherstellen, restaurieren
"Thanks," I cried; "thanks from my heart."
As little as my thirst was really quenched, I had nevertheless partially recovered my strength. The contracted muscles of my throat relaxed-and the inflammation of my lips in some measure subsided. At all events, I was able to speak.
quenched - abgeschreckt; stillen, löschen, löschen, ablöschen, verlöschen
recovered - erholt; wiederfinden, sich erholen, beikommen
contracted - unter Vertrag genommen; Vertrag
muscles - Muskeln; Muskel
inflammation - Entzündung
measure - Maß; Messung, Maßstab, Takt, Maßnahme, messen, abmessen
subsided - nachgelassen; einsinken, abklingen, nachlassen, abschwellen
"Well," I said, "there can be no doubt now as to what we have to do. Water has utterly failed us; our journey is therefore at an end. Let us return."
While I spoke thus, my uncle evidently avoided my face: he held down his head; his eyes were turned in every possible direction but the right one.
turned in - (turn in) einreichen
"Yes," I continued, getting excited by my own words, "we must go back to Sneffels. May heaven give us strength to enable us once more to revisit the light of day. Would that we now stood on the summit of the crater."
revisit - wieder besuchen
"Go back," said my uncle, speaking to himself, "and must it be so?"
"Go back-yes, and without losing a single moment," I vehemently cried.
vehemently - vehement
For some moments there was silence under that dark and gloomy vault.
"So, my dear Harry," said the Professor in a very singular tone of voice, "those few drops of water have not sufficed to restore your energy and courage."
sufficed - genügte; ausreichen, genügen, genug sein, reichen
"Courage!" I cried.
"I see that you are quite as downcast as before-and still give way to discouragement and despair."
discouragement - Entmutigung
What, then, was the man made of, and what other projects were entering his fertile and audacious brain!
"You are not discouraged, sir?"
discouraged - entmutigt; entmutigen, abschrecken, abraten, abraten von
"What! Give up just as we are on the verge of success?" he cried. "Never, never shall it be said that Professor Hardwigg retreated."
"Then we must make up our minds to perish," I cried with a helpless sigh.
minds - Köpfe; Verstand, t+Geist, t+Sinn, Bewusstsein
helpless - hilflos
"No, Harry, my boy, certainly not. Go, leave me, I am very far from desiring your death. Take Hans with you. I will go on alone."
desiring - begehren, begehren, Begehren
"You ask us to leave you?"
"Leave me, I say. I have undertaken this dangerous and perilous adventure. I will carry it to the end-or I will never return to the surface of Mother Earth. Go, Harry-once more I say to you-go!"
undertaken - unternommen; unternehmen, ausführen, verpflichten
adventure - Abenteuer
My uncle as he spoke was terribly excited. His voice, which before had been tender, almost womanly, became harsh and menacing. He appeared to be struggling with desperate energy against the impossible. I did not wish to abandon him at the bottom of that abyss, while, on the other hand, the instinct of preservation told me to fly.
Terribly - Schrecklich; furchtbar
tender - zärtlich; empfindlich, Ausschreibung, Angebot, zart; andienen
harsh - rau, harsch, unwirsch, scharf
struggling with - abmühend
abandon - aufgeben; im Stich lassen, preisgeben, verlassen, abbrechen
preservation - Erhaltung
Meanwhile, our guide was looking on with profound calmness and indifference. He appeared to be an unconcerned party, and yet he perfectly well knew what was going on between us. Our gestures sufficiently indicated the different roads each wished to follow-and which each tried to influence the other to undertake.
calmness - Ruhe, Gelassenheit, Gemütsruhe
But Hans appeared not to take the slightest interest in what was really a question of life and death for us all, but waited quite ready to obey the signal which should say go aloft, or to resume his desperate journey into the interior of the earth.
aloft - in der Luft; oben, droben
resume - weiter; Lebenslauf; fortsetzen, wiedererlangen, wiederaufnehmen
How then I wished with all my heart and soul that I could make him understand my words. My representations, my sighs and groans, the earnest accents in which I should have spoken would have convinced that cold, hard nature. Those fearful dangers and perils of which the stolid guide had no idea, I would have pointed them out to him-I would have, as it were, made him see and feel. Between us, we might have convinced the obstinate Professor.
Representations - DARSTELLUNGEN; Repräsentation, Abzeichen, Darstellung
perils - Gefahren; Gefahr, Risiko
stolid - behäbig; schwerfällig, ungerührt, stoisch, phlegmatisch
If the worst had come to the worst, we could have compelled him to return to the summit of Sneffels.
I quietly approached Hans. I caught his hand in mine. He never moved a muscle. I indicated to him the road to the top of the crater. He remained motionless. My panting form, my haggard countenance, must have indicated the extent of my sufferings. The Icelander gently shook his head and pointed to my uncle.
approached - angesprochen; sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
muscle - Muskeln; Muskel
top - oben; Oberteil, Spitze, Gipfel, Deckel, Kappe, Oberteil, Topp
gently - sanft
"Master," he said.
The word is Icelandic as well as English.
"The master!" I cried, beside myself with fury-"madman! no-I tell you he is not the master of our lives; we must fly! we must drag him with us! do you hear me? Do you understand me, I say?"
I have already explained that I held Hans by the arm. I tried to make him rise from his seat. I struggled with him and tried to force him away. My uncle now interposed.
seat - Sitz, Sitzplatz, Sitzgelegenheit, Stuhl, Sitzmöbel
struggled with - abgemüht
interposed - zwischengeschaltet; zwischenschalten, dazwischenstellen
"My good Henry, be calm," he said. "You will obtain nothing from my devoted follower; therefore, listen to what I have to say."
follower - Mitläufer; Nachfolger, Nachfolgerin, Anhänger, Follower
I folded my arms, as well as I could, and looked my uncle full in the face.
"This wretched want of water," he said, "is the sole obstacle to the success of my project. In the entire gallery, made of lava, schist, and coal, it is true we found not one liquid molecule. It is quite possible that we may be more fortunate in the western tunnel."
entire - vollständig; ganz, gesamt
molecule - Molekül
fortunate - glücklich; günstig, verheißungsvoll
My sole reply was to shake my head with an air of deep incredulity.
incredulity - Ungläubigkeit
"Listen to me to the end," said the Professor in his well-known lecturing voice. "While you lay yonder without life or motion, I undertook a reconnoitering journey into the conformation of this other gallery. I have discovered that it goes directly downwards into the bowels of the earth, and in a few hours will take us to the old granitic formation. In this we shall undoubtedly find innumerable springs. The nature of the rock makes this a mathematical certainty, and instinct agrees with logic to say that it is so.
lecturing - einen Vortrag halten; Vorlesung
undertook - unternommen hat; unternehmen, ausführen, verpflichten
reconnoitering - Aufklärungsarbeit; erkunden, kundschaften, aufklären
certainty - Gewissheit
logic - Logik, logische
Now, this is the serious proposition which I have to make to you. When Christopher Columbus asked of his men three days to discover the land of promise, his men ill, terrified, and hopeless, yet gave him three days-and the New World was discovered. Now I, the Christopher Columbus of this subterranean region, only ask of you one more day. If, when that time is expired, I have not found the water of which we are in search, I swear to you, I will give up my mighty enterprise and return to the earth's surface."
Christopher - Christoph
Columbus - Kolumbus, Christoph Kolumbus, Christoph Columbus
hopeless - hoffnungslos
expired - Abgelaufen; ablaufen, erlöschen, verfallen, ausatmen
swear - schwören
earth's surface - Erdoberfläche
Despite my irritation and despair, I knew how much it cost my uncle to make this proposition, and to hold such conciliatory language. Under the circumstances, what could I do but yield?
irritation - Ärger, Irritation, Verärgerung
conciliatory - versöhnlich
"Well," I cried, "let it be as you wish, and may heaven reward your superhuman energy. But as, unless we discover water, our hours are numbered, let us lose no time, but go ahead."
Reward - Belohnung, Lohn
superhuman - übermenschlich
CHAPTER 19. THE WESTERN GALLERY-A NEW ROUTE
Our descent was now resumed by means of the second gallery. Hans took up his post in front as usual. We had not gone more than a hundred yards when the Professor carefully examined the walls.
"This is the primitive formation-we are on the right road-onwards is our hope!"
When the whole earth got cool in the first hours of the world's morning, the diminution of the volume of the earth produced a state of dislocation in its upper crust, followed by ruptures, crevasses and fissures. The passage was a fissure of this kind, through which, ages ago, had flowed the eruptive granite. The thousand windings and turnings formed an inextricable labyrinth through the ancient soil.
produced - produziert; produzieren, herstellen, vorlegen, produzieren
dislocation - Versetzung; Verrenkung, Luxation
ruptures - Risse; Bruch, Bruch, Zerreißen
crevasses - Gletscherspalten; Gletscherspalte
fissure - Riss, Spalte, rissig werden
inextricable - unentwirrbar
As we descended, successions of layers composing the primitive soil appeared with the utmost fidelity of detail. Geological science considers this primitive soil as the base of the mineral crust, and it has recognized that it is composed of three different strata or layers, all resting on the immovable rock known as granite.
successions - Nachfolge; Abfolge, Thronfolge
composing - zusammenstellen, zusammensetzen, komponieren, enthalten
considers - überlegt; überlegen, überlegen, halten, betrachten
mineral - Mineral
resting - basierend, anhaltend, ausruhend; (rest) basierend, anhaltend
immovable - unbeweglich
No mineralogists had even found themselves placed in such a marvelous position to study nature in all her real and naked beauty. The sounding rod, a mere machine, could not bring to the surface of the earth the objects of value for the study of its internal structure, which we were about to see with our own eyes, to touch with our own hands.
mineralogists - Mineralogen; Mineraloge, Mineralogin
rod - Rute; Stange, Stock, Stab, Latte
structure - Struktur, Datenstruktur, strukturieren
touch - anfassen, berühren, Berührung, Tasten, Spur
Remember that I am writing this after the journey.
Across the streak of the rocks, colored by beautiful green tints, wound metallic threads of copper, of manganese, with traces of platinum and gold. I could not help gazing at these riches buried in the entrails of Mother Earth, and of which no man would have the enjoyment to the end of time!
streak - Strähne; Schliere; Später Ginsterspanner; schlieren; flitzen
tints - färben, tönen; Farbe, Farbton
metallic - metallisch
threads - Fäden; Faden, Garn
copper - Kupfer
manganese - Mangan
gazing at - anstarrend
buried - vergraben, verbergen, begraben
enjoyment - Genuss, Vergnügen
These treasures-mighty and inexhaustible, were buried in the morning of the earth's history, at such awful depths, that no crowbar or pickax will ever drag them from their tomb!
treasures - Schatz, Schatz, Schatz, schätzen
inexhaustible - unerschöpflich
crowbar - Brechstange, Brecheisen, Hebeeisen, Nageleisen
pickax - Spitzhacke
tomb - Grabmal, Gruft
The light of our Ruhmkorff's coil, increased tenfold by the myriad of prismatic masses of rock, sent its jets of fire in every direction, and I could fancy myself traveling through a huge hollow diamond, the rays of which produced myriads of extraordinary effects.
increased tenfold - verzehnfachte
prismatic - prismatisch
jets - Düsenflugzeug, Strahl, Düse; ausstoßen
myriads - Myriade, Unmenge, Myriaden-p, Unzahl, Vielzahl, unzählig
Towards six o'clock, this festival of light began sensibly and visibly to decrease, and soon almost ceased. The sides of the gallery assumed a crystallized tint, with a somber hue; white mica began to commingle more freely with feldspar and quartz, to form what may be called the true rock-the stone which is hard above all, that supports, without being crushed, the four stories of the earth's soil.
sensibly - vernünftig
visibly - sichtbar
decrease - abnehmen; verringern; Verringerung
assumed - angenommen; annehmen, voraussetzen, vermuten, unterstellen
crystallized - kristallisiert; kristallisieren
tint - färben, tönen; Farbe, Farbton
mica - Glimmer
commingle - sich vermischen; mischen, zusammenfügen, vermischen, mixen
freely - frei
feldspar - Feldspat
We were walled by an immense prison of granite!
It was now eight o'clock, and still there was no sign of water. The sufferings I endured were horrible. My uncle now kept at the head of our little column. Nothing could induce him to stop. I, meanwhile, had but one real thought. My ear was keenly on the watch to catch the sound of a spring. But no pleasant sound of falling water fell upon my listening ear.
column - Säule; Spalte, Druckspalte, Kolumne, Kolonne
induce - einleiten; dazu bringen, anstacheln, bewirken, verursachen
But at last the time came when my limbs refused to carry me longer. I contended heroically against the terrible tortures I endured, because I did not wish to compel my uncle to halt. To him I knew this would be the last fatal stroke.
contended - bestritten; streiten, sich auseinandersetzen, ringen mit
heroically - heldenhaft
Suddenly I felt a deadly faintness come over me. My eyes could no longer see; my knees shook. I gave one despairing cry-and fell!
deadly - tödlich
faintness - Ohnmacht; Schwäche, Mattigkeit, Mattheit, Verblasstheit
despairing - verzweifelt; verzweifeln, Verzweiflung
"Help, help, I am dying!"
dying - (to die) sterben, umkommen; (dye) (to die) sterben, umkommen
My uncle turned and slowly retraced his steps. He looked at me with folded arms, and then allowed one sentence to escape, in hollow accents, from his lips:
retraced - zurückverfolgt; nachvollziehen, zurückverfolgen
escape - entgehen, ausweichen, davonkommen, Flucht
"All is over."
The last thing I saw was a face fearfully distorted with pain and sorrow; and then my eyes closed.
fearfully - furchtsam, ängstlich
distorted - verzerrt; verzerren, verzerren
When I again opened them, I saw my companions lying near me, motionless, wrapped in their huge traveling rugs. Were they asleep or dead? For myself, sleep was wholly out of the question. My fainting fit over, I was wakeful as the lark. I suffered too much for sleep to visit my eyelids-the more, that I thought myself sick unto death-dying.
wrapped - eingewickelt; einhüllen, einwickeln, wickeln, einpacken, hüllen
Fainting - Ohnmacht; (faint); Ohnmacht
fit - passen; (to be fit) in Form sein
wakeful - wach
lark - Lerche
eyelids - Augenlider; Augenlid
unto - zu
The last words spoken by my uncle seemed to be buzzing in my ears-all is over! And it was probable that he was right. In the state of prostration to which I was reduced, it was madness to think of ever again seeing the light of day.
buzzing - Brummen; surrend; (buzz); Summen, Brummen, Gemurmel, Raunen
prostration - Kniefall, Niederwerfung
Above were miles upon miles of the earth's crust. As I thought of it, I could fancy the whole weight resting on my shoulders. I was crushed, annihilated! and exhausted myself in vain attempts to turn in my granite bed.
annihilated - ausgelöscht; vernichten
attempts - versuchen, Versuch, Bestreben
turn in - einreichen;abliefern (ugs.)
Hours upon hours passed away. A profound and terrible silence reigned around us-a silence of the tomb. Nothing could make itself heard through these gigantic walls of granite. The very thought was stupendous.
Presently, despite my apathy, despite the kind of deadly calm into which I was cast, something aroused me. It was a slight but peculiar noise. While I was watching intently, I observed that the tunnel was becoming dark. Then gazing through the dim light that remained, I thought I saw the Icelander taking his departure, lamp in hand.
apathy - Apathie
aroused - erregt; reizen, aufreizen, anregen, erregen, entfachen
Slight - geringfügig, leicht, unbedeutend
intently - angespannt, aufmerksam, konzentriert
gazing - starrt; anstarren
dim light - Funzel (ugs.), Abblendlicht
Why had he acted thus? Did Hans the guide mean to abandon us? My uncle lay fast asleep-or dead. I tried to cry out, and arouse him. My voice, feebly issuing from my parched and fevered lips, found no echo in that fearful place. My throat was dry, my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.
arouse - erwecken; reizen, aufreizen, anregen, erregen
feebly - schwächlich; schwach
issuing - ausstellen; ausgehen
fevered - Fieberhaft; Fieber
Echo - Echo, Widerhall, Tastaturecho, Bildschirmecho, widerhallen
stuck to - (stick to) einhalten (Regeln )
The obscurity had by this time become intense, and at last even the faint sound of the guide's footsteps was lost in the blank distance. My soul seemed filled with anguish, and death appeared welcome, only let it come quickly.
blank - ausdruckslos; unbeschrieben, unausgefüllt, Lücke, Leerzeichen
anguish - Ängste; Pein, Angst, Qual
"Hans is leaving us," I cried. "Hans-Hans, if you are a man, come back."
These words were spoken to myself. They could not be heard aloud. Nevertheless, after the first few moments of terror were over, I was ashamed of my suspicions against a man who hitherto had behaved so admirably. Nothing in his conduct or character justified suspicion.
terror - Schrecken, Grauen, schreckliche Furcht, Terror
suspicions - Verdächtigungen; Verdacht, Argwohn, Verdacht, Verdacht, Argwohn
behaved - benommen; benehmen
conduct - Leitung, Führung, leiten, führen, sich verhalten, sich benehmen
justified - gerechtfertigt; rechtfertigen, rechtfertigen, ausrichten
Moreover, a moment's reflection reassured me. His departure could not be a flight. Instead of ascending the gallery, he was going deeper down into the gulf. Had he had any bad design, his way would have been upwards.
This reasoning calmed me a little and I began to hope!
calmed - beruhigt; ruhig, ruhig, windstill, Ruhe, Windstille, beruhigen
The good, and peaceful, and imperturbable Hans would certainly not have arisen from his sleep without some serious and grave motive. Was he bent on a voyage of discovery? During the deep, still silence of the night had he at last heard that sweet murmur about which we were all so anxious?
peaceful - einträchtig, geruhsam, friedlich
arisen from - entsprungen
motive - Motiv, Beweggrund
murmur - Rauschen, Murmeln, Gemurmel, Raunen, Herzgeräusch
During a long, long, weary hour, there crossed my wildly delirious brain all sorts of reasons as to what could have aroused our quiet and faithful guide. The most absurd and ridiculous ideas passed through my head, each more impossible than the other. I believe I was either half or wholly mad.
delirious - im Delirium
faithful - treu
most absurd - absurdeste
ridiculous - lächerlich
Suddenly, however, there arose, as it were from the depths of the earth, a voice of comfort. It was the sound of footsteps! Hans was returning.
Presently the uncertain light began to shine upon the walls of the passage, and then it came in view far down the sloping tunnel. At length Hans himself appeared.
shine - glänzen; schimmern, wienern; Schein; putzen (Schuhe)
He approached my uncle, placed his hand upon his shoulder, and gently awakened him. My uncle, as soon as he saw who it was, instantly arose.
instantly - sofort; unmittelbar
"Well!" exclaimed the Professor.
"Vatten," said the hunter.
I did not know a single word of the Danish language, and yet by a sort of mysterious instinct I understood what the guide had said.
"Water, water!" I cried, in a wild and frantic tone, clapping my hands, and gesticulating like a madman.
clapping - Klatschen; (clap); Klatschen
"Water!" murmured my uncle, in a voice of deep emotion and gratitude. "Hvar?" ("Where?")
"Nedat." ("Below.")
"Where? below!" I understood every word. I had caught the hunter by the hands, and I shook them heartily, while he looked on with perfect calmness.
The preparations for our departure did not take long, and we were soon making a rapid descent into the tunnel.
An hour later we had advanced a thousand yards, and descended two thousand feet.
At this moment I heard an accustomed and well-known sound running along the floors of the granite rock-a kind of dull and sullen roar, like that of a distant waterfall.
waterfall - Wasserfall, Kaskade
During the first half hour of our advance, not finding the discovered spring, my feelings of intense suffering appeared to return. Once more I began to lose all hope. My uncle, however, observing how downhearted I was again becoming, took up the conversation.
suffering - leidend; Leiden; (suffer); leiden; erleiden
observing - Beobachtung; beobachten, beachten, halten, bemerken
downhearted - Niedergeschlagenheit
"Hans was right," he exclaimed enthusiastically; "that is the dull roaring of a torrent."
enthusiastically - enthusiastisch
"A torrent," I cried, delighted at even hearing the welcome words.
"There's not the slightest doubt about it," he replied, "a subterranean river is flowing beside us."
I made no reply, but hastened on, once more animated by hope. I began not even to feel the deep fatigue which hitherto had overpowered me. The very sound of this glorious murmuring water already refreshed me. We could hear it increasing in volume every moment. The torrent, which for a long time could be heard flowing over our heads, now ran distinctly along the left wall, roaring, rushing, spluttering, and still falling.
animated - animiert; lebendig, beseelt, bewegt, lebhaft, belebt, beleben
overpowered - übermächtig; überwältigen, übermannen
murmuring - murmelnd, raunend; (murmur); Rauschen, Murmeln, Gemurmel
refreshed - erfrischt; erfrischen, erquicken, auffrischen, aktualisieren
distinctly - deutlich
spluttering - stotternd; (splutter) stotternd
Several times I passed my hand across the rock hoping to find some trace of humidity-of the slightest percolation. Alas! in vain.
percolation - Perkolation, Versickerung, Durchsickerung
Again a half hour passed in the same weary toil. Again we advanced.
toil - Mühe; schuften, sich plagen, sich quälen, roboten
It now became evident that the hunter, during his absence, had not been able to carry his researches any farther. Guided by an instinct peculiar to the dwellers in mountain regions and water finders, he "smelt" the living spring through the rock. Still he had not seen the precious liquid. He had neither quenched his own thirst, nor brought us one drop in his gourd.
researches - forscht; Forschung, Untersuchung, Forschungsarbeit, forschen
guided - geführt; lenken, führen, anleiten, leiten; Handbuch, Anleitung
finders - Sucher (Foto), Finder
smelt - duftete, riechen (nach), gerochen; (smell); Geruch; Geruchssinn
Moreover, we soon made the disastrous discovery that, if our progress continued, we should soon be moving away from the torrent, the sound of which gradually diminished. We turned back. Hans halted at the precise spot where the sound of the torrent appeared nearest.
disastrous - katastrophal
moving away - abrückend
I could bear the suspense and suffering no longer, and seated myself against the wall, behind which I could hear the water seething and effervescing not two feet away. But a solid wall of granite still separated us from it!
suspense - Hängen; Spannung, Anspannung
effervescing - Sprudelnd; aufbrausen
Hans looked keenly at me, and, strange enough, for once I thought I saw a smile on his imperturbable face.
He rose from a stone on which he had been seated, and took up the lamp. I could not help rising and following. He moved slowly along the firm and solid granite wall. I watched him with mingled curiosity and eagerness. Presently he halted and placed his ear against the dry stone, moving slowly along and listening with the most extreme care and attention. I understood at once that he was searching for the exact spot where the torrent's roar was most plainly heard.
mingled - vermengt; vermischen, vermengen, untermischen
eagerness - Ungeduld; Eifer
care and attention - sorgfältige Beachtung
This point he soon found in the lateral wall on the left side, about three feet above the level of the tunnel floor.
lateral - lateral, seitlich, Seiten-, Lateral, Laterallaut
I was in a state of intense excitement. I scarcely dared believe what the eider-duck hunter was about to do. It was, however, impossible in a moment more not to both understand and applaud, and even to smother him in my embraces, when I saw him raise the heavy crowbar and commence an attack upon the rock itself.
applaud - applaudieren, klatschen, Beifall klatschen, loben, befürworten
smother - erdrücken; ersticken
raise - Gehaltszulage; aufsteigen, anheben, erhöhen, heranziehen
"Saved!" I cried.
"Yes," cried my uncle, even more excited and delighted than myself; "Hans is quite right. Oh, the worthy, excellent man! We should never have thought of such an idea."
more excited - aufgeregter
And nobody else, I think, would have done so. Such a process, simple as it seemed, would most certainly not have entered our heads. Nothing could be more dangerous than to begin to work with pickaxes in that particular part of the globe. Supposing while he was at work a break-up were to take place, and supposing the torrent once having gained an inch were to take an ell, and come pouring bodily through the broken rock!
more dangerous - gefährlichere
supposing - Angenommen; vermutend; (suppose); annehmen, vermuten, vermeinen
Gained - Gewonnen; Gewinn, Zunahme, Verstärkung; erwerben, gewinnen
ell - Elle
Not one of these dangers was chimerical. They were only too real. But at that moment no fear of falling in of the roof, or even of inundation was capable of stopping us. Our thirst was so intense that to quench it we would have dug below the bed of old Ocean itself.
chimerical - chimärisch
inundation - Überschwemmung, Überflutung
quench - Abschrecken; stillen, löschen, ablöschen, verlöschen
Hans went quietly to work-a work which neither my uncle nor I would have undertaken at any price. Our impatience was so great that if we had once begun with pickax and crowbar, the rock would soon have split into a hundred fragments. The guide, on the contrary, calm, ready, moderate, wore away the hard rock by little steady blows of his instrument, making no attempt at a larger hole than about six inches.
split into - aufgeteilt in
moderate - moderat, mäßig, gemäßigt, mittelmäßig, moderieren
blows - Schläge; (to blow) blasen, wehen
As I stood, I heard, or I thought I heard, the roar of the torrent momentarily increasing in loudness, and at times I almost felt the pleasant sensation of water upon my parched lips.
loudness - Lautstärke; Lautheit; Schalldruckpegel
At the end of what appeared an age, Hans had made a hole which enabled his crowbar to enter two feet into the solid rock. He had been at work exactly an hour. It appeared a dozen. I was getting wild with impatience. My uncle began to think of using more violent measures. I had the greatest difficulty in checking him.
more violent - gewaltsamere
He had indeed just got hold of his crowbar when a loud and welcome hiss was heard. Then a stream, or rather jet, of water burst through the wall and came out with such force as to hit the opposite side!
hiss - Zischen, Fauchen, Knurren
jet - Düsenflugzeug, Strahl, Düse; ausstoßen
Hans, the guide, who was half upset by the shock, was scarcely able to keep down a cry of pain and grief. I understood his meaning when, plunging my hands into the sparkling jet, I myself gave a wild and frantic cry. The water was scalding hot!
cry of pain - Schmerzensschrei
grief - Kummer, Gram, Leid
plunging - eintauchen; tauchend; (plunge) eintauchen; tauchend
scalding - Verbrühung; verbrühend; (scald) Verbrühung; verbrühend
"Boiling," I cried, in bitter disappointment.
"Well, never mind," said my uncle, "it will soon get cool."
The tunnel began to be filled by clouds of vapor, while a small stream ran away into the interior of the earth. In a short time we had some sufficiently cool to drink. We swallowed it in huge mouthfuls.
swallowed - verschluckt; schlucken, verschlingen, anbeißen, einstecken
Oh! what exalted delight-what rich and incomparable luxury! What was this water, whence did it come? To us what was that? The simple fact was-it was water; and, though still with a tingle of warmth about it, it brought back to the heart, that life which, but for it, must surely have faded away. I drank greedily, almost without tasting it.
exalted - erhaben; ehren, erhöhen
incomparable - unvergleichlich
tingle - kribbeln, prickeln, Prickeln
warmth - Wärme
faded away - abgeklungen
greedily - gierig
tasting - Verkostung; schmeckend
When, however, I had almost quenched my ravenous thirst, I made a discovery.
"Why, it is chalybeate water!"
chalybeate water - Eisenwasser , Stahlwasser
"A most excellent stomachic," replied my uncle, "and highly mineralized. Here is a journey worth twenty to Spa."
most excellent - famoseste
stomachic - magenfreundlich
mineralized - mineralisiert; mineralisieren, mineralisieren
Spa - Badeort, Bad, Heilbad, Kurort
"It's very good," I replied.
"I should think so. Water found six miles under ground. There is a peculiarly inky flavor about it, which is by no means disagreeable. Hans may congratulate himself on having made a rare discovery. What do you say, nephew, according to the usual custom of travelers, to name the stream after him?"
peculiarly - eigentümlich
inky - tintig; tiefschwarz
congratulate - gratulieren, beglückwünschen
"Good," said I. And the name of "Hansbach" ("Hans Brook") was at once agreed upon.
brook - Bach
Hans was not a bit more proud after hearing our determination than he was before. After having taken a very small modicum of the welcome refreshment, he had seated himself in a corner with his usual imperturbable gravity.
more proud - stolzere
modicum - Bisschen, Hauch, Spur, Winzigkeit
corner - Ecke, Winkel, in die Enge treiben
"Now," said I, "it is not worth while letting this water run to waste."
waste - Abfall; verschwenden
"What is the use," replied my uncle, "the source from which this river rises is inexhaustible."
rises - aufsteigt; Kursanstieg; Aufgang, Gehaltszulage, Aufschwung
"Never mind," I continued, "let us fill our goatskin and gourds, and then try to stop the opening up."
goatskin - Ziegenleder, Ziegenfell
My advice, after some hesitation, was followed or attempted to be followed. Hans picked up all the broken pieces of granite he had knocked out, and using some tow he happened to have about him, tried to shut up the fissure he had made in the wall. All he did was to scald his hands. The pressure was too great, and all our attempts were utter failures.
picked - ausgewählt; Hacke, Pickel, Spitzhacke, Dietrich, pflücken
knocked - angeklopft; Klopfen
tow - Werg; abschleppen, schleppen
shut - geschlossen; (to shut) schließen, zumachen
scald - verbrühen
failures - Misserfolge; Misserfolg, Ausfall, Verschlechterung, Misslingen
"It is evident," I remarked, "that the upper surface of these springs is situated at a very great height above-as we may fairly infer from the great pressure of the jet."
infer - schlussfolgern, schließen, Schlüsse ziehen, zur Folge haben
"That is by no means doubtful," replied my uncle, "if this column of water is about thirty-two thousand feet high, the atmospheric pressure must be something enormous. But a new idea has just struck me."
column of water - Wassersäule
"And what is that?"
"Why be at so much trouble to close this aperture?"
"Because-"
I hesitated and stammered, having no real reason.
"When our water bottles are empty, we are not at all sure that we shall be able to fill them," observed my uncle.
"I think that is very probable."
"Well, then, let this water run. It will, of course, naturally follow in our track, and will serve to guide and refresh us."
serve - Angabe; dienen; servieren; aufschlagen, den Aufschlag haben
"I think the idea a good one," I cried in reply, "and with this rivulet as a companion, there is no further reason why we should not succeed in our marvelous project."
rivulet - Rinnsal; Flüsschen, Bächlein
"Ah, my boy," said the Professor, laughing, "after all, you are coming round."
"More than that, I am now confident of ultimate success."
confident - selbstbewusst; zuversichtlich, sicher
ultimate - letzter, ultimativ, äußerster
"One moment, nephew mine. Let us begin by taking some hours of repose."
I had utterly forgotten that it was night. The chronometer, however, informed me of the fact. Soon we were sufficiently restored and refreshed, and had all fallen into a profound sleep.
restored - wiederhergestellt; wiederherstellen, restaurieren, restaurieren
By the next day we had nearly forgotten our past sufferings. The first sensation I experienced was surprise at not being thirsty, and I actually asked myself the reason. The running stream, which flowed in rippling wavelets at my feet, was the satisfactory reply.
experienced - Erlebnis
rippling - (ripple) sich kräuseln, Wellen schlagen
We breakfasted with a good appetite, and then drank our fill of the excellent water. I felt myself quite a new man, ready to go anywhere my uncle chose to lead. I began to think. Why should not a man as seriously convinced as my uncle, succeed, with so excellent a guide as worthy Hans, and so devoted a nephew as myself? These were the brilliant ideas which now invaded my brain.
anywhere - überall, irgendwo
lead - führen, anführen, leiten;aus Blei;Aufmacher ;Anschlussdraht , Blei , Führung
invaded - eindringen, verletzen, überfallen, einmarschieren, einfallen
Had the proposition now been made to go back to the summit of Mount Sneffels, I should have declined the offer in a most indignant manner.
most indignant - unwilligste
But fortunately there was no question of going up. We were about to descend farther into the interior of the earth.
"Let us be moving," I cried, awakening the echoes of the old world.
awakening - Erwachen; (awaken); aufwecken, aufwachen, erwachen, wach werden
We resumed our march on Thursday at eight o'clock in the morning. The great granite tunnel, as it went round by sinuous and winding ways, presented every now and then sharp turns, and in fact all the appearance of a labyrinth. Its direction, however, was in general towards the southwest. My uncle made several pauses in order to consult his compass.
sinuous - kurvenreich, gewunden
The gallery now began to trend downwards in a horizontal direction, with about two inches of fall in every furlong. The murmuring stream flowed quietly at our feet. I could not but compare it to some familiar spirit, guiding us through the earth, and I dabbled my fingers in its tepid water, which sang like a naiad as we progressed. My good humor began to assume a mythological character.
trend - Trend, Tendenz, Richtung
furlong - Achtelmeile
spirit - Geist, Seele, Stimmung, Schnaps
guiding - Führung; führend; (guid) Führung; führend
dabbled - ausprobiert; platschen, ein wenig befassen, dilettieren
tepid - lauwarm
naiad - Najade
progressed - fortgeschritten; fortschreiten, Fortschritte machen
assume - annehmen, voraussetzen, vermuten, unterstellen
mythological - mythologisch
As for my uncle he began to complain of the horizontal character of the road. His route, he found, began to be indefinitely prolonged, instead of "sliding down the celestial ray," according to his expression.
sliding - schiebend, abgleitend; (slid) schiebend, abgleitend
celestial - himmlisch; Himmels-
ray - Schimmer, Strahl; ausstrahlen
But we had no choice; and as long as our road led towards the centre-however little progress we made, there was no reason to complain.
Moreover, from time to time the slopes were much greater, the naiad sang more loudly, and we began to dip downwards in earnest.
As yet, however, I felt no painful sensation. I had not got over the excitement of the discovery of water.
got over - hinweggekommen
That day and the next we did a considerable amount of horizontal, and relatively very little vertical, traveling.
relatively - relativ, verhältnismäßig
On Friday evening, the tenth of July, according to our estimation, we ought to have been thirty leagues to the southeast of Reykjavik, and about two leagues and a half deep. We now received a rather startling surprise.
tenth - zehnten; zehnte
estimation - Abschätzung, Wertschätzung, Meinung
startling - verblüffend; überraschend, alarmierend, erschreckend
Under our feet there opened a horrible well. My uncle was so delighted that he actually clapped his hands-as he saw how steep and sharp was the descent.
clapped - geklatscht; Tripper, Beifall; klatschen
"Ah, ah!" he cried, in rapturous delight; "this will take us a long way. Look at the projections of the rock. Hah!" he exclaimed, "it's a fearful staircase!"
Hah - Hm; Hah
Hans, however, who in all our troubles had never given up the ropes, took care so to dispose of them as to prevent any accidents. Our descent then began. I dare not call it a perilous descent, for I was already too familiar with that sort of work to look upon it as anything but a very ordinary affair.
troubles - Probleme; Ärger, Schwierigkeit, Anstrengung, Bemühung, Mühe
took care - (take care) sich Mühe geben, sich hüten, achten auf
dispose of - verfügen über
This well was a kind of narrow opening in the massive granite of the kind known as a fissure. The contraction of the terrestrial scaffolding, when it suddenly cooled, had been evidently the cause. If it had ever served in former times as a kind of funnel through which passed the eruptive masses vomited by Sneffels, I was at a loss to explain how it had left no mark.
contraction - Verkleinerung, Kontraktion, Schrumpfung, Schrumpfen
terrestrial - irdisch, terrestrisch, Erde
scaffolding - ein Gerüst; Baugerüst, Grundlage; (scaffold); Gerüst, Baugerüst
in former times - früher, ehemals
funnel - Trichter
vomited - übergeben
Loss - Verlust, Ausfall; Kursverlust
We were, in fact, descending a spiral, something like those winding staircases in use in modern houses.
spiral - Spirale; Helix
in use - gebräuchlich
We were compelled every quarter of an hour or thereabouts to sit down in order to rest our legs. Our calves ached. We then seated ourselves on some projecting rock with our legs hanging over, and gossiped while we ate a mouthful-drinking still from the pleasantly warm running stream which had not deserted us.
thereabouts - so ungefähr; daherum, dortherum, in der Gegend, um die Ecke
calves - Kälber; kalben, werfen, kalben, sich lösen
hanging over - überhängend
gossiped - geklatscht; Tratsche, Tratschtante, Klatschtante, Tratschweib
pleasantly - angenehme, angenehm
It is scarcely necessary to say that in this curiously shaped fissure the Hansbach had become a cascade to the detriment of its size. It was still, however, sufficient, and more, for our wants. Besides we knew that, as soon as the declivity ceased to be so abrupt, the stream must resume its peaceful course.
shaped - geformt; Zustand, Form, Form, Form, Gestalt, Form
cascade - Wasserfall, Kaskade, herabstürzen, hintereinanderschalten
detriment - nachteilig; Schaden
declivity - Deklination; Abhang
At this moment it reminded me of my uncle, his impatience and rage, while when it flowed more peacefully, I pictured to myself the placidity of the Icelandic guide.
reminded - Erinnert; erinnern, in Erinnerung bringen
peacefully - friedlich
placidity - Gemütsruhe, Gelassenheit
During the whole of two days, the sixth and seventh of July, we followed the extraordinary spiral staircase of the fissure, penetrating two leagues farther into the crust of the earth, which put us five leagues below the level of the sea. On the eighth, however, at twelve o'clock in the day, the fissure suddenly assumed a much more gentle slope still trending in a southeast direction.
penetrating - durchdringend; eindringen, penetrieren, penetrieren
more gentle - sanftere
trending - Trend, Tendenz, Richtung
The road now became comparatively easy, and at the same time dreadfully monotonous. It would have been difficult for matters to have turned out otherwise. Our peculiar journey had no chance of being diversified by landscape and scenery. At all events, such was my idea.
been difficult - schwer gefallen, schwergefallen [alt]
diversified - diversifiziert; diversifizieren, variieren
At length, on Wednesday the fifteenth, we were actually seven leagues (twenty-one miles) below the surface of the earth, and fifty leagues distant from the mountain of Sneffels. Though, if the truth be told, we were very tired, our health had resisted all suffering, and was in a most satisfactory state. Our traveler's box of medicaments had not even been opened.
medicaments - Medikamente; Medikament
My uncle was careful to note every hour the indications of the compass, of the manometer, and of the thermometer, all which he afterwards published in his elaborate philosophical and scientific account of our remarkable voyage.
indications - Hinweise; Anzeichen, Anzeige, Hinweis, Indiz
published - veröffentlicht; herausgeben, publizieren, veröffentlichen
elaborate - ausarbeiten; ausführlich, durchdacht, ausführen
philosophical - philosophisch
He was therefore able to give an exact relation of the situation. When, therefore, he informed me that we were fifty leagues in a horizontal direction distant from our starting point, I could not suppress a loud exclamation.
Suppress - unterdrücken
"What is the matter now?" cried my uncle.
"Nothing very important, only an idea has entered my head," was my reply.
"Well, out with it, My boy."
"It is my opinion that if your calculations are correct we are no longer under Iceland."
"Do you think so?"
"We can very easily find out," I replied, pulling out a map and compasses.
"You see," I said, after careful measurement, "that I am not mistaken. We are far beyond Cape Portland; and those fifty leagues to the southeast will take us into the open sea."
measurement - Messung; Maß
open sea - Hochsee
"Under the open sea," cried my uncle, rubbing his hands with a delighted air.
"Yes," I cried, "no doubt old Ocean flows over our heads!"
flows - fließt; Wasserführung; ich flösse, ich/er/sie floss (floß
"Well, my dear boy, what can be more natural! Do you not know that in the neighborhood of Newcastle there are coal mines which have been worked far out under the sea?"
more natural - naturgemäßere
Newcastle - Newcastle
far out - toll, weit entfernt, super
Now my worthy uncle, the Professor, no doubt regarded this discovery as a very simple fact, but to me the idea was by no means a pleasant one.
And yet when one came to think the matter over seriously, what mattered it whether the plains and mountains of Iceland were suspended over our devoted heads, or the mighty billows of the Atlantic Ocean? The whole question rested on the solidity of the granite roof above us. However, I soon got used to the ideal for the passage now level, now running down, and still always to the southeast, kept going deeper and deeper into the profound abysses of Mother Earth.
mattered - von Bedeutung; Materie, Materie, Masse, Substanz, Stoff
billows - Woge, wabern, wogen, bauschen
solidity - Festigkeit
Ideal - ideal, bestmöglich, optimal, vollendet
Three days later, on the eighteenth day of July, on a Saturday, we reached a kind of vast grotto. My uncle here paid Hans his usual rix-dollars, and it was decided that the next day should be a day of rest.
eighteenth - achtzehnten; achtzehnte
grotto - Grotte
day of rest - Ruhetag
I Awoke on Sunday morning without any sense of hurry and bustle attendant on an immediate departure. Though the day to be devoted to repose and reflection was spent under such strange circumstances, and in so wonderful a place, the idea was a pleasant one. Besides, we all began to get used to this kind of existence. I had almost ceased to think of the sun, of the moon, of the stars, of the trees, houses, and towns; in fact, about any terrestrial necessities.
bustle - Betriebsamkeit; Hektik; hasten
necessities - Notwendigkeiten; Notwendigkeit, Nezessität, Not, Bedürfnis
In our peculiar position we were far above such reflections.
The grotto was a vast and magnificent hall. Along its granitic soil the stream flowed placidly and pleasantly. So great a distance was it now from its fiery source that its water was scarcely lukewarm, and could be drunk without delay or difficulty.
hall - Flur, Korridor, Diele, Halle, Saal
placidly - sanften, friedlichen, sanft
lukewarm - lauwarm
After a frugal breakfast, the Professor made up his mind to devote some hours to putting his notes and calculations in order.
devote - widmen
"In the first place," he said, "I have a good many to verify and prove, in order that we may know our exact position. I wish to be able on our return to the upper regions to make a map of our journey, a kind of vertical section of the globe, which will be, as it were, the profile of the expedition."
verify - belegen, beweisen, verifizieren, überprüfen, beglaubigen
profile - Profil, Benutzerprofil
"That would indeed be a curious work, Uncle; but can you make your observations with anything like certainty and precision?"
precision - Präzision, Genauigkeit, Messpräzision, Wiederholgenauigkeit
"I can. I have never on any occasion failed to note with great care the angles and slopes. I am certain as to having made no mistake. Take the compass and examine how she points."
I looked at the instrument with care.
"East one quarter southeast."
"Very good," resumed the Professor, noting the observation, and going through some rapid calculations. "I make out that we have journeyed two hundred and fifty miles from the point of our departure."
"Then the mighty waves of the Atlantic are rolling over our heads?"
"Certainly."
"And at this very moment it is possible that fierce tempests are raging above, and that men and ships are battling against the angry blasts just over our heads?"
tempests - Stürme; Sturm
raging - wütend; Fummel, Lumpen, Putzlappen, Unfug
ships - verschicken, verschiffen, abfertigen, befördern; Schiff
battling - kämpfend; (battle) kämpfend
blasts - Explosionen; schlagen, vernichten
"It is quite within the range of possibility," rejoined my uncle, smiling.
"And that whales are playing in shoals, thrashing the bottom of the sea, the roof of our adamantine prison?"
shoals - Untiefen; Schar, Untiefe
thrashing - Flattern, Dreschen, prügelnd; (thrash); schlagen, dreschen
"Be quite at rest on that point; there is no danger of their breaking through. But to return to our calculations. We are to the southeast, two hundred and fifty miles from the base of Sneffels, and, according to my preceding notes, I think we have gone sixteen leagues in a downward direction."
breaking through - durchbrechend
"Sixteen leagues-fifty miles!" I cried.
"I am sure of it."
"But that is the extreme limit allowed by science for the thickness of the earth's crust," I replied, referring to my geological studies.
limit - Begrenzung, Grenze, Obergrenze; begrenzen
referring - verweisen; überweisen (an)
"I do not contravene that assertion," was his quiet answer.
contravene - zuwiderhandeln, verstoßen, leugnen
assertion - Versicherung, Zusicherung, Behauptung, Beteuerung
"And at this stage of our journey, according to all known laws on the increase of heat, there should be here a temperature of fifteen hundred degrees of Reaumur."
laws - Gesetze; Gesetz, Jura, Rechtswissenschaft
"There should be-you say, my boy."
"In which case this granite would not exist, but be in a state of fusion."
"But you perceive, my boy, that it is not so, and that facts, as usual, are very stubborn things, overruling all theories."
stubborn - starrköpfig; stur, dickköpfig
overruling - überstimmt; überstimmen, verwerfen
"I am forced to yield to the evidence of my senses, but I am nevertheless very much surprised."
"What heat does the thermometer really indicate?" continued the philosopher.
philosopher - Philosophen; Philosoph, Philosophin
"Twenty-seven six-tenths."
tenths - Zehntel; zehnte
"So that science is wrong by fourteen hundred and seventy-four degrees and four-tenths. According to which, it is demonstrated that the proportional increase in temperature is an exploded error. Humphry Davy here shines forth in all his glory. He is right, and I have acted wisely to believe him. Have you any answer to make to this statement?"
demonstrated - demonstriert; demonstrieren, demonstrieren, aufzeigen
proportional - proportional
shines - leuchtet; schimmern, wienern; Schein; putzen (Schuhe)
wisely - weise
Had I chosen to have spoken, I might have said a great deal. I in no way admitted the theory of Humphry Davy-I still held out for the theory of proportional increase of heat, though I did not feel it.
admitted - zugelassen; einlassen, zulassen, zugeben, eingestehen, erlauben
I was far more willing to allow that this chimney of an extinct volcano was covered by lava of a kind refractory to heat-in fact a bad conductor-which did not allow the great increase of temperature to percolate through its sides. The hot water jet supported my view of the matter.
more willing - bereitwilligere
refractory - refraktär; widerborstig, widerspenstig, störrisch, halsstarrig
conductor - Dirigent, Dirigentin, Schaffner, Leiter
percolate - filtern, filtrieren, versickern, durchsickern, aufbrühen
But without entering on a long and useless discussion, or seeking for new arguments to controvert my uncle, I contented myself with taking up facts as they were.
seeking - suchen
controvert - anfechten; bestreiten
contented - Zufrieden; (to be content with) sich mit etwas begnügen
taking up - aufgreifend
"Well, sir, I take for granted that all your calculations are correct, but allow me to draw from them a rigorous and definite conclusion."
take for - halten für
granted - gewährt; gewähren, erteilen, bewilligen
rigorous - rigoros
definite - Definitiv
"Go on, my boy-have your say," cried my uncle goodhumoredly.
goodhumoredly - gut gelaunt
"At the place where we now are, under the latitude of Iceland, the terrestrial depth is about fifteen hundred and eighty-three leagues."
"Fifteen hundred eighty-three and a quarter."
"Well, suppose we say sixteen hundred in round numbers. Now, out of a voyage of sixteen hundred leagues we have completed sixteen."
"As you say, what then?"
"At the expense of a diagonal journey of no less than eighty-five leagues."
diagonal - diagonal, schräg, Diagonale
"Exactly."
"We have been twenty days about it."
"Exactly twenty days."
"Now sixteen is the hundredth part of our contemplated expedition. If we go on in this way we shall be two thousand days, that is about five years and a half, going down."
hundredth - Hundertstel; hundertste, einhundertste, Hundertster, Hundertste
contemplated - in Erwägung gezogen; nachsinnen
The Professor folded his arms, listened, but did not speak.
"Without counting that if a vertical descent of sixteen leagues costs us a horizontal of eighty-five, we shall have to go about eight thousand leagues to the southeast, and we must therefore come out somewhere in the circumference long before we can hope to reach the centre."
"Bother your calculations," cried my uncle in one of his old rages. "On what basis do they rest? How do you know that this passage does not take us direct to the end we require? Moreover, I have in my favor, fortunately, a precedent. What I have undertaken to do, another has done, and he having succeeded, why should I not be equally successful?"
rages - wütet; Wut, Zorn, Raserei, Rage, wüten, rasen, toben, toben
basis - Fundament; Basis, Grundlage
precedent - Präzedenz, Präzedenzfall, Präjudiz
successful - erfolgreich
"I hope, indeed, you will, but still, I suppose I may be allowed to-"
"You are allowed to Hold your tongue," cried Professor Hardwigg, "when you talk so unreasonably as this."
Hold your tongue - Halt den Mund!
unreasonably - unangemessen
I saw at once that the old doctorial Professor was still alive in my uncle-and fearful to rouse his angry passions, I dropped the unpleasant subject.
passions - Leidenschaften; Leidenschaft, Passion, Leidenschaft, Passion
"Now, then," he explained, "consult the manometer. What does that indicate?"
"A considerable amount of pressure."
"Very good. You see, then, that by descending slowly, and by gradually accustoming ourselves to the density of this lower atmosphere, we shall not suffer."
accustoming - Eingewöhnung; gewöhnen, gewöhnen
"Well, I suppose not, except it may be a certain amount of pain in the ears," was my rather grim reply.
"That, my dear boy, is nothing, and you will easily get rid of that source of discomfort by bringing the exterior air in communication with the air contained in your lungs."
rid - loswerden; befreien
discomfort - Unbehagen
"Perfectly," said I, for I had quite made up my mind in no wise to contradict my uncle. "I should fancy almost that I should experience a certain amount of satisfaction in making a plunge into this dense atmosphere. Have you taken note of how wonderfully sound is propagated?"
Experience - Erlebnis, Erfahrung, Praxis
propagated - propagiert; verbreiten, sich vermehren
"Of course I have. There can be no doubt that a journey into the interior of the earth would be an excellent cure for deafness."
deafness - Taubheit
"But then, Uncle," I ventured mildly to observe, "this density will continue to increase."
"Yes-according to a law which, however, is scarcely defined. It is true that the intensity of weight will diminish just in proportion to the depth to which we go. You know very well that it is on the surface of the earth that its action is most powerfully felt, while on the contrary, in the very centre of the earth bodies cease to have any weight at all."
law - Gesetz, Jura, Rechtswissenschaft
defined - definiert; bestimmen, definieren, definieren
diminish - vermindern, verkleinern, reduzieren, verringern, schrumpfen
powerfully - kraftvoll
"I know that is the case, but as we progress will not the atmosphere finally assume the density of water?"
"I know it; when placed under the pressure of seven hundred and ten atmospheres," cried my uncle with imperturbable gravity.
atmospheres - Atmosphären; Atmosphäre, Atmosphäre, Atmosphäre
"And when we are still lower down?" I asked with natural anxiety.
"Well, lower down, the density will become even greater."
"Then how shall we be able to make our way through this atmospheric fog?"
Fog - umnebeln, verschleiern; (dicker) Nebel, Nebel
"Well, my worthy nephew, we must ballast ourselves by filling our pockets with stones," said Professor Hardwigg.
ballast - Ballast; Bettung, Schotter, beschottern
pockets - Taschen; Tasche
"Faith, Uncle, you have an answer for everything," was my only reply.
I began to feel that it was unwise of me to go any farther into the wide field of hypotheses for I should certainly have revived some difficulty, or rather impossibility, that would have enraged the Professor.
unwise - unklug
hypotheses - Hypothesen; Hypothese, Hypothese, Hypothese
revived - wiederbelebt; auffrischen, wiederbeleben
impossibility - Unmöglichkeit
enraged - wütend machen, in Wut versetzen, in Rage versetzen
It was evident, nevertheless, that the air under a pressure which might be multiplied by thousands of atmospheres, would end by becoming perfectly solid, and that then admitting our bodies resisted the pressure, we should have to stop, in spite of all the reasonings in the world. Facts overcome all arguments.
Admitting - einlassen, zulassen, zugeben, eingestehen, erlauben, einweisen
reasonings - Begründungen; Argumentation
But I thought it best not to urge this argument. My uncle would simply have quoted the example of Saknussemm. Supposing the learned Icelander's journey ever really to have taken place-there was one simple answer to be made:
urge - Drang; drängen, mahnen, treiben, anspornen, provozieren
argument - Diskussion, Auseinandersetzung, Beweis
quoted - zitiert; Zitat
In the sixteenth century neither the barometer nor the manometer had been invented-how, then, could Saknussemm have been able to discover when he did reach the centre of the earth?
This unanswerable and learned objection I, however, kept to myself and, bracing up my courage, awaited the course of events-little aware of how adventurous yet were to be the incidents of our remarkable journey.
bracing - Verspannung; erfrischend, anregend; (brace); Klafter, Armspanne
The rest of this day of leisure and repose was spent in calculation and conversation. I made it a point to agree with the Professor in everything; but I envied the perfect indifference of Hans, who, without taking any such trouble about the cause and effect, went blindly onwards wherever destiny chose to lead him.
envied - beneidet; Neid, beneiden
blindly - blindlings
wherever - wo auch immer
destiny - das Schicksal; Los, Geschick, Schicksal
lead - führen, anführen, leiten; aus Blei; Aufmacher; Anschlussdraht
It must in all truth be confessed, things as yet had gone on well, and I should have acted in bad taste to have complained. If the true medium of our difficulties did not increase, it was within the range of possibility that we might ultimately reach the end of our journey.
confessed - gestanden; gestehen, bekennen, verraten, beichten
in bad taste - geschmacklos
complained - beschwert; sich beschweren, klagen, sich beklagen, meckern
medium - Medium; mittelgroß
ultimately - letztendlich
Then what glory would be ours! I began in the newly aroused ardor of my soul to speak enthusiastically to the Professor. Well, was I serious? The whole state in which we existed was a mystery-and it was impossible to know whether or not I was in earnest.
ardor - Leidenschaft; Begeisterung, Feuereifer, Hitze, Überschwang
existed - existierte; bestehen, existieren
For several days after our memorable halt, the slopes became more rapid-some were even of a most frightful character-almost vertical, so that we were forever going down into the solid interior mass. During some days, we actually descended a league and a half, even two leagues towards the centre of the earth. The descents were sufficiently perilous, and while we were engaged in them we learned fully to appreciate the marvelous coolness of our guide, Hans.
League - Liga, Spielklasse, Bund
appreciate - zu schätzen wissen, würdigen, verstehen, begreifen
Without him we should have been wholly lost. The grave and impassible Icelander devoted himself to us with the most incomprehensible sang-froid and ease; and, thanks to him, many a dangerous pass was got over, where, but for him, we should inevitably have stuck fast.
impassible - unangreifbar
most incomprehensible - schleierhafteste
inevitably - unausweichlich; zwangsläufig; erwartbarerweise
His silence increased every day. I think that we began to be influenced by this peculiar trait in his character. It is certain that the inanimate objects by which you are surrounded have a direct action on the brain. It must be that a man who shuts himself up between four walls must lose the faculty of associating ideas and words.
influenced - beeinflusst; Einfluss, Beeinflussung, Einfluss, Beeinflusser
trait - Eigenschaft, Zug
inanimate - unbelebt, leblos
shuts - schließt; (to shut) schließen, zumachen
faculty - der Fakultät; Kollegium, Lehrpersonal, Fakultät, Vermögen
associating - assoziieren; Weggefährte, vereinigen
How many persons condemned to the horrors of solitary confinement have gone mad-simply because the thinking faculties have lain dormant!
condemned - Verurteilt; verurteilen, verurteilen, verdammen, verurteilen
confinement - Eingeschlossenheit; Gefangenschaft
faculties - Fakultäten; Kollegium
lain - (lie down) sich hinlegen
dormant - schlafend, inaktiv
During the two weeks that followed our last interesting conversation, there occurred nothing worthy of being especially recorded.
recorded - aufgenommen; protokollieren, erfassen, aufzeichnen
I have, while writing these memoirs, taxed my memory in vain for one incident of travel during this particular period.
Memoirs - Memoiren-p, Lebenserinnerungen-p
taxed - besteuert; strapazieren, besteuern; Steuer (auf); Abgabe
memory - Gedächtnis; Erinnerung; Speicher
But the next event to be related is terrible indeed. Its very memory, even now, makes my soul shudder, and my blood run cold.
blood - anbluten
It was on the seventh of August. Our constant and successive descents had taken us quite thirty leagues into the interior of the earth, that is to say that there were above us thirty leagues, nearly a hundred miles, of rocks, and oceans, and continents, and towns, to say nothing of living inhabitants. We were in a southeasterly direction, about two hundred leagues from Iceland.
Oceans - Ozeane; Weltmeer
continents - Kontinente; Kontinent, Festland, Erdteil
On that memorable day the tunnel had begun to assume an almost horizontal course.
I was on this occasion walking on in front. My uncle had charge of one of the Ruhmkorff coils, I had possession of the other. By means of its light I was busy examining the different layers of granite. I was completely absorbed in my work.
possession - Gut; Besessenheit; Ballbesitz
Suddenly halting and turning round, I found that I was alone!
"Well," thought I to myself, "I have certainly been walking too fast-or else Hans and my uncle have stopped to rest. The best thing I can do is to go back and find them. Luckily, there is very little ascent to tire me."
luckily - glücklicherweise, auf glückliche Weise, mit Glück, zum Glück
tire - Reifen, Pneu (schweiz.); ermüden
I accordingly retraced my steps and, while doing so, walked for at least a quarter of an hour. Rather uneasy, I paused and looked eagerly around. Not a living soul. I called aloud. No reply. My voice was lost amid the myriad cavernous echoes it aroused!
eagerly - eifrig
myriad - Myriade; Unmenge, Myriaden, Unzahl, Vielzahl, unzählig
I began for the first time to feel seriously uneasy. A cold shiver shook my whole body, and perspiration, chill and terrible, burst upon my skin.
perspiration - Schwitzen
chill - chillen; Mutlosigkeit, Frostgefühl
"I must be calm," I said, speaking aloud, as boys whistle to drive away fear. "There can be no doubt that I shall find my companions. There cannot be two roads. It is certain that I was considerably ahead; all I have to do is to go back."
drive away - wegjagen, vertreiben
Having come to this determination I ascended the tunnel for at least half an hour, unable to decide if I had ever seen certain landmarks before. Every now and then I paused to discover if any loud appeal was made to me, well knowing that in that dense and intensified atmosphere I should hear it a long way off. But no. The most extraordinary silence reigned in this immense gallery. Only the echoes of my own footsteps could be heard.
landmarks - Orientierungspunkte; Wahrzeichen
appeal - Berufung; Revision, Wirkung, Anziehungskraft; reizen, zusagen
intensified - intensiviert; intensifizieren, intensivieren
At last I stopped. I could scarcely realize the fact of my isolation. I was quite willing to think that I had made a mistake, but not that I was lost. If I had made a mistake, I might find my way; if lost-I shuddered to think of it.
isolation - Isolierung, Isolation
shuddered - geschaudert; Schauder, (wohliger) Schauder, schaudern, zittern
"Come, come," said I to myself, "since there is only one road, and they must come by it, we shall at last meet. All I have to do is still to go upwards. Perhaps, however, not seeing me, and forgetting I was ahead, they may have gone back in search of me. Still, even in this case, if I Make haste, I shall get up to them. There can be no doubt about the matter."
gone back - zurückbegeben
Make haste - Beeil dich!
But as I spoke these last words aloud, it would have been quite clear to any listener-had there been one-that I was by no means convinced of the fact. Moreover in order to associate together these simple ideas and to reunite them under the form of reasoning, required some time. I could not all at once bring my brain to think.
listener - Zuhörer, Zuhörerin, Beobachter
associate - Mitarbeiterin; Weggefährte; vereinigen
reunite - wiedervereinen; wiedervereinigen
then another dread doubt fell upon my soul. After all, was I ahead? Of course I was. Hans was no doubt following behind preceded by my uncle. I perfectly recollected his having stopped for a moment to strap his baggage on his shoulder. I now remembered this trifling detail. It was, I believe, just at that very moment that I had determined to continue my route.
then another - Er spricht mal so, mal so.
recollected - erinnerte; sich erinnern an
trifling - unbedeutend; Leichtfertigkeit
"Again," thought I, reasoning as calmly as was possible, "there is another sure means of not losing my way, a thread to guide me through the labyrinthine subterraneous retreat-one which I had forgotten-my faithful river."
thread - Thema; Faden, Garn, Zwirn, Nähgarn
labyrinthine - labyrinthisch
retreat - Rückzug
This course of reasoning roused my drooping spirits, and I resolved to resume my journey without further delay. No time was to be lost.
drooping - hängend; durchhängen, herabhängen, herunterhängen, herabsinken
It was at this moment that I had reason to bless the thoughtfulness of my uncle, when he refused to allow the eider hunter to close the orifices of the hot spring-that small fissure in the great mass of granite. This beneficent spring after having saved us from thirst during so many days would now enable me to regain the right road.
bless - segnen; selig preisen
thoughtfulness - Nachdenklichkeit
orifices - Öffnungen; Öffnung
beneficent - wohltätig
regain - zurückgewinnen; wiedergewinnen
Having come to this mental decision, I made up my mind, before I started upwards, that ablution would certainly do me a great deal of good.
ablution - Waschung, Abwaschung, Ablution
I stopped to plunge my hands and forehead in the pleasant water of the Hansbach stream, blessing its presence as a certain consolation.
blessing - Segen, Segnung, Segnen, Segnen; (bless); Segen, Segnung, Segnen
Conceive my horror and stupefaction!-I was treading a hard, dusty, shingly road of granite. The stream on which I reckoned had wholly disappeared!
dusty - staubig
reckoned - gerechnet; rechnen, damit rechnen, zählen
No words in any human language can depict my utter despair. I was literally buried alive; with no other expectation before me but to die in all the slow horrible torture of hunger and thirst.
Mechanically I crawled about, feeling the dry and arid rock. Never to my fancy had I ever felt anything so dry.
But, I frantically asked myself, how had I lost the course of the flowing stream? There could be no doubt it had ceased to flow in the gallery in which I now was. Now I began to understand the cause of the strange silence which prevailed when last I tried if any appeal from my companions might perchance reach my ear.
flow in - einfließen
perchance - vielleicht; zufällig
It so happened that when I first took an imprudent step in the wrong direction, I did not perceive the absence of the all-important stream.
It was now quite evident that when we halted, another tunnel must have received the waters of the little torrent, and that I had unconsciously entered a different gallery. To what unknown depths had my companions gone? Where was I?
unconsciously - unbewusst
How to get back! Clue or landmark there was absolutely none! My feet left no signs on the granite and shingle. My brain throbbed with agony as I tried to discover the solution of this terrible problem. My situation, after all sophistry and reflection, had finally to be summed up in three awful words-
landmark - Wahrzeichen, Orientierungspunkt, Orientierungshilfe
shingle - Schindel; kurzschneiden
throbbed - geklopft; klopfen, schlagen, pochen, klopfen, pulsieren, Pochen
sophistry - Spitzfindigkeit; Wortklauberei; Haarspalterei
summed up - (sum up) zusammen fassen, addieren, zusammenfassen
Lost! Lost!! LOST!!!
Lost at a depth which, to my finite understanding, appeared to be immeasurable.
finite - endlich
immeasurable - unermesslich
These thirty leagues of the crust of the earth weighed upon my shoulders like the globe on the shoulders of Atlas. I felt myself crushed by the awful weight. It was indeed a position to drive the sanest man to madness!
sanest - am gesündesten; vernünftig, zurechnungsfähig, vernünftig
I tried to bring my thoughts back to the things of the world so long forgotten. It was with the greatest difficulty that I succeeded in doing so. Hamburg, the house on the Konigstrasse, my dear cousin Gretchen-all that world which had before vanished like a shadow floated before my now vivid imagination.
floated - getrieben; treiben, schwimmen, schweben, schwimmen, treiben
vivid - lebendig, lebhaft, anschaulich
There they were before me, but how unreal. Under the influence of a terrible hallucination I saw all the incidents of our journey pass before me like the scenes of a panorama. The ship and its inmates, Iceland, M. Fridriksson, and the great summit of Mount Sneffels!
unreal - unwirklich, irreal
scenes - Szenen; Szene
inmates - Häftlinge; Insasse, Bewohner
I said to myself that, if in my position I retained the most faint and shadowy outline of a hope, it would be a sure sign of approaching delirium. It were better to give way wholly to despair!
retained - zurückgehalten; behalten, festhalten
shadowy - schattenhaft; schattig
delirium - Delirium, Fieberphantasie, Taumel
In fact, did I but reason with calmness and philosophy, what human power was there in existence able to take me back to the surface of the earth, and ready, too, to split asunder, to rend in twain those huge and mighty vaults which stand above my head? Who could enable me to find my road-and regain my companions?
asunder - zerreißen
rend - zerreißen
twain - zwei
vaults - Tresorräume; sich wölben, überwölben
Insensate folly and madness to entertain even a shadow of hope!
entertain - jdn. zu Gast haben;bewirten, unterhalten
"Oh, Uncle!" was my despairing cry.
This was the only word of reproach which came to my lips; for I thoroughly understood how deeply and sorrowfully the worthy Professor would regret my loss, and how in his turn he would patiently seek for me.
reproach - Vorwürfe; Vorwurf; Schande; vorwerfen
sorrowfully - bedauernd
patiently - geduldig
When I at last began to resign myself to the fact that no further aid was to be expected from man, and knowing that I was utterly powerless to do anything for my own salvation, I kneeled with earnest fervor and asked assistance from Heaven. The remembrance of my innocent childhood, the memory of my mother, known only in my infancy, came welling forth from my heart.
resign - zurücktreten; aufgeben, resignieren, abdanken, verzichten (auf)
aid - Hilfsmittel, Hilfe, Mithilfe; helfen, beispringen
powerless - kraftlos; machtlos
Salvation - Erlösung, Rettung
kneeled - gekniet; knien
fervor - Inbrunst, Eifer, Begeisterung, Leidenschaft
innocent - rein; unschuldig
childhood - Kindheit, Kindschaft, Kinderzeit, Anfangszeit
infancy - im Kindesalter; Säuglingsphase, frühe Kindheit, Anfangsphase
I had recourse to prayer. And little as I had a right to be remembered by Him whom I had forgotten in the hour of prosperity, and whom I so tardily invoked, I prayed earnestly and sincerely.
prayer - Gebet; (the Lord's Prayer) Paternoster
prosperity - Prosperität, Wohlstand
tardily - verspätet; langsam, langsame
invoked - angerufen; anrufen, sich berühmen, aufrufen
prayed - gebetet; Bitte bedenken Sie doch!; beten
earnestly - ernsthaft
This renewal of my youthful faith brought about a much greater amount of calm, and I was enabled to concentrate all my strength and intelligence on the terrible realities of my unprecedented situation.
renewal - Erneuerung
youthful - jugendlich, jung
brought about - (bring about) zu Stande bringen, zustande [alt] bringen
concentrate - konzentrieren, sich konzentrieren, konzentrieren
unprecedented - noch nie dagewesen
I had about me that which I had at first wholly forgotten-three days'provisions. Moreover, my water bottle was quite full. Nevertheless, the one thing which it was impossible to do was to remain alone. Try to find my companions I must, at any price. But which course should I take? Should I go upwards, or again descend? Doubtless it was right to retrace my steps in an upward direction.
retrace - nachvollziehen, zurückverfolgen
By doing this with care and coolness, I must reach the point where I had turned away from the rippling stream. I must find the fatal bifurcation or fork. Once at this spot, once the river at my feet, I could, at all events, regain the awful crater of Mount Sneffels. Why had I not thought of this before? This, at last, was a reasonable hope of safety. The most important thing, then, to be done was to discover the bed of the Hansbach.
bifurcation - Gabelung, Bifurkation, Gabelung, Verzweigung, Weggabelung
fork - gabeln, aufspalten; Aufspaltung, Gabelung, Gabel
reasonable - vernünftig
After a slight meal and a draught of water, I rose like a giant refreshed. Leaning heavily on my pole, I began the ascent of the gallery. The slope was very rapid and rather difficult. But I advanced hopefully and carefully, like a man who at last is making his way out of a forest, and knows there is only one road to follow.
forest - Wald, Forst, Gehölz, Hain, aufforsten; (fore); Wald, Forst
During one whole hour nothing happened to check my progress. As I advanced, I tried to recollect the shape of the tunnel-to recall to my memory certain projections of rocks-to persuade myself that I had followed certain winding routes before. But no one particular sign could I bring to mind, and I was soon forced to allow that this gallery would never take me back to the point at which I had separated myself from my companions.
recall - zurückrufen; erinnern
persuade - überzeugen (zu);überzeugen (von);jdn. breitschlagen
routes - Route, Leitung, Strecke, Richtung; leiten, routen, lotsen
bring to mind - vergegenwärtigen
point at - zeigen auf;weist
It was absolutely without issue-a mere blind alley in the earth.
issue - Problem; ausgehen
blind alley - Sackgasse
The moment at length came when, facing the solid rock, I knew my fate, and fell inanimate on the arid floor!
To describe the horrible state of despair and fear into which I then fell would now be vain and impossible. My last hope, the courage which had sustained me, drooped before the sight of this pitiless granite rock!
drooped - gesunken; durchhängen, herabhängen, herunterhängen, herabsinken
Lost in a vast labyrinth, the sinuosities of which spread in every direction, without guide, clue or compass, I knew it was a vain and useless task to attempt flight. All that remained to me was to lie down and die. To lie down and die the most cruel and horrible of deaths!
sinuosities - Unregelmäßigkeiten; Windungen
deaths - Todesfälle; Tod, Exitus, Tod, der Tod, Tod, Untergang
In my state of mind, the idea came into my head that one day perhaps, when my fossil bones were found, their discovery so far below the level of the earth might give rise to solemn and interesting scientific discussions.
fossil - Fossil
discussions - Diskussionen; Diskussion, Erörterung, Besprechung
I tried to cry aloud, but hoarse, hollow, and inarticulate sounds alone could make themselves heard through my parched lips. I literally panted for breath.
hoarse - heiser
inarticulate - sprachlos, unfähig zu sprechen, undeutlich, unartikuliert
panted - keuchte; keuchen, hecheln, schnaufen (i. S. v. keuchen)
In the midst of all these horrible sources of anguish and despair, a new horror took possession of my soul. My lamp, by falling down, had got out of order. I had no means of repairing it. Its light was already becoming paler and paler, and soon would expire.
sources - Quellen; Quelle, Ursprung, Quelle, Quelle, belegen, beziehen
falling down - umfallend
repairing - reparieren, instandsetzen, ausbessern
paler - blasser; Kumpel, Kamerad
expire - ablaufen, erlöschen, verfallen, ausatmen
With a strange sense of resignation and despair, I watched the luminous current in the coil getting less and less. A procession of shadows moved flashing along the granite wall. I scarcely dared to lower my eyelids, fearing to lose the last spark of this fugitive light. Every instant it seemed to me that it was about to vanish and to leave me forever-in utter darkness!
flashing - Witterungsschutz; Blinken, Aufblinken
fearing - fürchten, befürchten, Angst haben; Furcht, Schreck, Befürchtung
spark - Funken; Funke; aufkeimen lassen, entfachen
fugitive - auf der Flucht; Flüchtling; flüchtig, vorübergehend, kurzlebig
vanish - verschwinden, vergehen, sich verflüchtigen
At last, one final trembling flame remained in the lamp; I followed it with all my power of vision; I gasped for breath; I concentrated upon it all the power of my soul, as upon the last scintillation of light I was ever destined to see: and then I was to be lost forever in Cimmerian and tenebrous shades.
scintillation - Szintillation; Geistesblitz
Cimmerian - Cimmerier; kimmerisch
shades - Schattierungen; Schatten, Vorhang, Farbton, schattieren
A wild and plaintive cry escaped my lips. On earth during the most profound and comparatively complete darkness, light never allows a complete destruction and extinction of its power. Light is so diffuse, so subtle, that it permeates everywhere, and whatever little may remain, the retina of the eye will succeed in finding it. In this place nothing-the absolute obscurity made me blind in every sense.
plaintive - traurig, wehleidig, klagend, Klage
allows - erlaubt; erlauben, zulassen, akzeptieren, erlauben, zulassen
extinction - Aussterben
subtle - subtil, fast unmerklich, haarfein, dezent
permeates - durchdringt; durchsickern, durchdringen, verbreiten
everywhere - überall
retina - Netzhaut, Retina
My head was now wholly lost. I raised my arms, trying the effects of the feeling in getting against the cold stone wall. It was painful in the extreme. Madness must have taken possession of me. I knew not what I did.
I began to run, to fly, rushing at haphazard in this inextricable labyrinth, always going downwards, running wildly underneath the terrestrial crust, like an inhabitant of the subterranean furnaces, screaming, roaring, howling, until bruised by the pointed rocks, falling and picking myself up all covered with blood, seeking madly to drink the blood which dripped from my torn features, mad because this blood only trickled over my face, and watching always for this horrid wall which ever presented to me the fearful obstacle against which I could not dash my head.
at haphazard - wahllos, aufs Geratewohl, willkürlich
underneath - darunter; unten; unterhalb
furnaces - Öfen; Ofen, Hochofen, Schmelzofen, Ofen, Heizung
screaming - Schrei, schreien
howling - brüllen, heulen, niederschreien; (howl); Heulen, jaulen
bruised - geprellt; Prellung, Bluterguss, blauer Fleck, Druckstelle
picking - Kommissionierung; pflücken; (pic) Kommissionierung; pflücken
madly - wahnsinnig; irr, verrückt
dripped - getropft; Tropfen; sickern, tröpfeln, träufeln
trickled - getropft; Rinnsal
horrid - schrecklich; entsetzlich, grässlich, gräulich, grauenvoll
Dash - Bindestrich, Gedankenstrich, Querstrich, Spurt, Sprint
Where was I going? It was impossible to say. I was perfectly ignorant of the matter.
ignorant - unwissend; ignorant
Several hours passed in this way. After a long time, having utterly exhausted my strength, I fell a heavy inert mass along the side of the tunnel, and lost consciousness.
consciousness - Bewusstsein, Gewahrsein, Erkenntnis, Bewusstheit
When at last I came back to a sense of life and being, my face was wet, but wet, as I soon knew, with tears. How long this state of insensibility lasted, it is quite impossible for me now to say. I had no means left to me of taking any account of time. Never since the creation of the world had such a solitude as mine existed. I was completely abandoned.
insensibility - Unempfindlichkeit; Gefühllosigkeit
After my fall I lost much blood. I felt myself flooded with the life-giving liquid. My first sensation was perhaps a natural one. Why was I not dead? Because I was alive, there was something left to do. I tried to make up my mind to think no longer. As far as I was able, I drove away all ideas, and utterly overcome by pain and grief, I crouched against the granite wall.
drove away - (drive away) wegjagen, vertreiben
crouched - gehockt; sich ducken (vor), kriechen; kauern, hocken
I just commenced to feel the fainting coming on again, and the sensation that this was the last struggle before complete annihilation-when, on a sudden, a violent uproar reached my ears. It had some resemblance to the prolonged rumbling voice of thunder, and I clearly distinguished sonorous voices, lost one after the other, in the distant depths of the gulf.
annihilation - Vernichtung, Zerstörung, Annihilation
uproar - Aufruhr
resemblance - Ähnlichkeit
rumbling - Rumpeln; Donnern; (rumble); Poltern, Rumpeln, hunder
sonorous - klangvoll
voices - Stimmen; äußern
Whence came this noise? Naturally, it was to be supposed from new phenomena which were taking place in the bosom of the solid mass of Mother Earth! The explosion of some gaseous vapors, or the fall of some solid, of the granitic or other rock.
gaseous - gasförmig; gashaltig, kohlensäurehaltig
Again I listened with deep attention. I was extremely anxious to hear if this strange and inexplicable sound was likely to be renewed! A whole quarter of an hour elapsed in painful expectation. Deep and solemn silence reigned in the tunnel. So still that I could hear the beatings of my own heart! I waited, waited with a strange kind of hopefulness.
extremely - extrem, äußerst, krass
inexplicable - unerklärlich
renewed - erneuert; erneuern, erneuern
elapsed - verstrichen; vergehen, verrinnen
beatings - Schläge; Schlagen
hopefulness - Hoffnungslosigkeit
Suddenly my ear, which leaned accidentally against the wall, appeared to catch, as it were, the faintest echo of a sound. I thought that I heard vague, incoherent and distant voices. I quivered all over with excitement and hope!
accidentally - zufällig, durch Zufall, aus Versehen, versehentlich
incoherent - inkohärent
quivered - gezittert; zittern
"It must be hallucination," I cried. "It cannot be! it is not true!"
But no! By listening more attentively, I really did convince myself that what I heard was truly the sound of human voices. To make any meaning out of the sound, however, was beyond my power. I was too weak even to hear distinctly. Still it was a positive fact that someone was speaking. Of that I was quite certain.
attentively - aufmerksam zuhören; aufmerksam
convince - überzeugen
weak - schwach; out, unschön, häßlich, uninteressant
There was a moment of fear. A dread fell upon my soul that it might be my own words brought back to me by a distant echo. Perhaps without knowing it, I might have been crying aloud. I resolutely closed my lips, and once more placed my ear to the huge granite wall.
crying - Weinen; (cry); weinen; schreien; rufen; Weinen; Schrei
Yes, for certain. It was in truth the sound of human voices.
I now by the exercise of great determination dragged myself along the sides of the cavern, until I reached a point where I could hear more distinctly. But though I could detect the sound, I could only make out uncertain, strange, and incomprehensible words. They reached my ear as if they had been spoken in a low tone-murmured, as it were, afar off.
detect - finden, ermitteln, aufspüren, entdecken, erkennen
afar - in der Ferne; Afar, Danakil
At last, I made out the word forlorad repeated several times in a tone betokening great mental anguish and sorrow.
What could this word mean, and who was speaking it? It must be either my uncle or the guide Hans! If, therefore, I could hear them, they must surely be able to hear me.
"Help," I cried at the top of my voice; "help, I am dying!"
I then listened with scarcely a breath; I panted for the slightest sound in the darkness-a cry, a sigh, a question! But silence reigned supreme. No answer came! In this way some minutes passed. A whole flood of ideas flashed through my mind. I began to fear that my voice, weakened by sickness and suffering, could not reach my companions who were in search of me.
flood - Hochwasser; Flut; überschwemmen, überfluten, überfüllen
weakened - geschwächt; schwächen, abschwächen, schwächeln
sickness - Krankheit; Übelkeit
"It must be they," I cried; "who else could by any possibility be buried a hundred miles below the level of the earth?" The mere supposition was preposterous.
preposterous - lächerlich
I began, therefore, to listen again with the most breathless attention. As I moved my ears along the side of the place I was in, I found a mathematical point as it were, where the voices appeared to attain their maximum of intensity. The word forlorad again distinctly reached my ear. Then came again that rolling noise like thunder which had awakened me out of torpor.
attain - erreichen, erlangen
maximum - Maximum, höchstmöglich, maximal
torpor - Trägheit; Erstarrung; Torpor
"I begin to understand," I said to myself after some little time devoted to reflection; "it is not through the solid mass that the sound reaches my ears. The walls of my cavernous retreat are of solid granite, and the most fearful explosion would not make uproar enough to penetrate them. The sound must come along the gallery itself. The place I was in must possess some peculiar acoustic properties of its own."
Reaches - Erreicht; erzielen, greifen (nach), sich erstrecken; eintreffen
most fearful - angstvollste
Acoustic - akustisch; Akustik
properties - Eigenschaften; Eigentum
Again I listened; and this time-yes, this time-I heard my name distinctly pronounced: cast as it were into space.
It was my uncle, the Professor, who was speaking. He was in conversation with the guide, and the word which had so often reached my ears, forlorad, was a Danish expression.
Then I understood it all. In order to make myself heard, I too must speak as it were along the side of the gallery, which would carry the sound of my voice just as the wire carries the electric fluid from point to point.
wire - Draht, Ader, Wanze, Geld
fluid - Fluid, Flüssigkeit, fließend
But there was no time to lose. If my companions were only to remove a few feet from where they stood, the acoustic effect would be over, my Whispering Gallery would be destroyed. I again therefore crawled towards the wall, and said as clearly and distinctly as I could:
remove - entfernen; beseitigen; verdrängen; umziehen
be destroyed - untergehen
"Uncle Hardwigg."
I then awaited a reply.
Sound does not possess the property of traveling with such extreme rapidity. Besides the density of the air at that depth from light and motion was very far from adding to the rapidity of circulation. Several seconds elapsed, which to my excited imagination, appeared ages; and these words reached my eager ears, and moved my wildly beating heart:
traveling with - mitreisend
Circulation - Kreislauf, Zirkulation, Umlauf, Umlaufen, Zirkulieren
beating - Schlagen, Prügel, Verprüglung, vernichtende Niederlage
"Harry, my boy, is that you?"
A short delay between question and answer.
"Yes-yes."
..........
"Where are you?"
..........
"Lost!"
..........
"And your lamp?"
..........
"Out."
..........
"But the guiding stream?"
..........
"Is lost!"
..........
"Keep your courage, Harry. We will do our best."
..........
"One moment, my uncle," I cried; "I have no longer strength to answer your questions. But-for heaven's sake-do you-continue-to speak-to me!" Absolute silence, I felt, would be annihilation.
"Keep up your courage," said my uncle. "As you are so weak, do not speak. We have been searching for you in all directions, both by going upwards and downwards in the gallery. My dear boy, I had begun to give over all hope-and you can never know what bitter tears of sorrow and regret I have shed. At last, supposing you to be still on the road beside the Hansbach, we again descended, firing off guns as signals.
give over - überantworten
shed - Schuppen; (to shed) vergießen, abstoßen, lsowerden
firing off - abfeuernd
signals - Signale; Signal
Now, however, that we have found you, and that our voices reach each other, it may be a long time before we actually meet. We are conversing by means of some extraordinary acoustic arrangement of the labyrinth. But do not despair, my dear boy. It is something gained even to hear each other."
conversing - unterhalten; Umkehrung, umgekehrt, Gegenteil
arrangement - Vereinbarung; Anordnung
While he was speaking, my brain was at work reflecting. A certain undefined hope, vague and shapeless as yet, made my heart beat wildly. In the first place, it was absolutely necessary for me to know one thing. I once more, therefore, leaned my head against the wall, which I almost touched with my lips, and again spoke.
reflecting - reflektieren, zurückspiegeln, spiegeln, sich spiegeln
undefined - undefiniert
shapeless - unförmig; formlos
beat - Schlag ;jdn. bezwingen
"Uncle."
..........
"My boy?" was his answer after a few moments.
..........
"It is of the utmost consequence that we should know how far we are asunder."
..........
"That is not difficult."
..........
"You have your chronometer at hand?" I asked.
..........
"Certainly."
..........
"Well, take it into your hand. Pronounce my name, noting exactly the second at which you speak. I will reply as soon as I hear your words-and you will then note exactly the moment at which my reply reaches you."
pronounce - auszusprechen; verkünden; aussprechen, pronunzieren
..........
"Very good; and the mean time between my question and your answer will be the time occupied by my voice in reaching you."
..........
"That is exactly what I mean, Uncle," was my eager reply.
..........
"Are you ready?"
..........
"Yes."
..........
"Well, make ready, I am about to pronounce your name," said the Professor.
I applied my ear close to the sides of the cavernous gallery, and as soon as the word "Harry" reached my ear, I turned round and, placing my lips to the wall, repeated the sound.
..........
"Forty seconds," said my uncle. "There has elapsed forty seconds between the two words. The sound, therefore, takes twenty seconds to ascend. Now, allowing a thousand and twenty feet for every second-we have twenty thousand four hundred feet-a league and a half and one-eighth."
These words fell on my soul like a kind of death knell.
death knell - Totenglocke
"A league and a half," I muttered in a low and despairing voice.
..........
"It shall be got over, my boy," cried my uncle in a cheery tone; "depend on us."
cheery - fröhlich; heiter, froh
..........
"But do you know whether to ascend or descend?" I asked faintly enough.
faintly - kaum, schwach, entfernt, leicht
..........
"We have to descend, and I will tell you why. You have reached a vast open space, a kind of bare crossroad, from which galleries diverge in every direction. That in which you are now lying must necessarily bring you to this point, for it appears that all these mighty fissures, these fractures of the globe's interior, radiate from the vast cavern which we at this moment occupy.
diverge - divergieren, auseinandergehen, auseinanderstreben
necessarily - unbedingt
fractures - Frakturen; Knochenbruch, Bruch, Fraktur
radiate - strahlen, ausstrahlen
occupy - in Anspruch nehmen, belegen, bewohnen, besetzen, okkupieren
Rouse yourself, then, have courage and continue your route. Walk if you can, if not drag yourself along-slide, if nothing else is possible. The slope must be rather rapid-and you will find strong arms to receive you at the end of your journey. Make a start, like a good fellow."
These words served to rouse some kind of courage in my sinking frame.
sinking - sinken; Untergang; (sink); sinken; senken, versenken, Spüle
"Farewell for the present, good uncle, I am about to take my departure. As soon as I start, our voices will cease to commingle. Farewell, then, until we meet again."
meet again - wiedersehen
..........
"Adieu, Harry-until we say Welcome." Such were the last words which reached my anxious ears before I commenced my weary and almost hopeless journey.
This wonderful and surprising conversation which took place through the vast mass of the earth's labyrinth, these words exchanged, the speakers being about five miles apart-ended with hopeful and pleasant expressions. I breathed one more prayer to Heaven, I sent up words of thanksgiving-believing in my inmost heart that He had led me to the only place where the voices of my friends could reach my ears.
exchanged - ausgetauscht; austauschen, umtauschen, tauschen
speakers - Sprecher, Sprecherin, Lautsprecher, Vorsitzender, Vorsitzende
breathed - geatmet; atmen, einatmen, hauchen
thanksgiving - Thanksgiving, Erntedankfest, Erntedank
inmost - innerst
This apparently astounding acoustic mystery is easily explainable by simple natural laws; it arose from the conductibility of the rock. There are many instances of this singular propagation of sound which are not perceptible in its less mediate positions. In the interior gallery of St. Paul's, and amid the curious caverns in Sicily, these phenomena are observable. The most marvelous of them all is known as the Ear of Dionysius.
explainable - erklärbar
arose from - entsprang
propagation - Ausbreitung, Ăśbertragung, Verbreitung
mediate - schlichten; vermitteln
positions - Positionen; Stellung, Position, Position, Arbeitsplatz, Stelle
Paul - Paulus, Paul
Sicily - Sizilien
observable - beobachtbar
These memories of the past, of my early reading and studies, came fresh to my thoughts. Moreover, I began to reason that if my uncle and I could communicate at so great a distance, no serious obstacle could exist between us. All I had to do was to follow the direction whence the sound had reached me; and logically putting it, I must reach him if my strength did not fail.
logically - logisch
I accordingly rose to my feet. I soon found, however, that I could not walk; that I must drag myself along. The slope as I expected was very rapid; but I allowed myself to slip down.
slip down - heruntergleiten
Soon the rapidity of the descent began to assume frightful proportions; and menaced a fearful fall. I clutched at the sides; I grasped at projections of rocks; I threw myself backwards. All in vain. My weakness was so great I could do nothing to save myself.
menaced - bedroht; Landplage, androhen
grasped - begriffen; greifen, erfassen, begreifen, verstehen, erfassen
Suddenly earth failed me.
I was first launched into a dark and gloomy void. I then struck against the projecting asperities of a vertical gallery, a perfect well. My head bounded against a pointed rock, and I lost all knowledge of existence. As far as I was concerned, death had claimed me for his own.
asperities - Unebenheiten; Schärfe, Schroffheit
bounded - begrenzt; Sprung
claimed - behauptet; Anspruch, Rechtstitel, Anspruch, Behauptung
When I returned to the consciousness of existence, I found myself surrounded by a kind of semiobscurity, lying on some thick and soft coverlets. My uncle was watching-his eyes fixed intently on my countenance, a grave expression on his face, a tear in his eye.
semiobscurity - Semi-Security
coverlets - Überwürfe; Tagesdecke
tear - zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
At the first sigh which struggled from my bosom, he took hold of my hand. When he saw my eyes open and fix themselves upon his, he uttered a loud cry of joy. "He lives! he lives!"
struggled - gekämpft; Kampf, Gefecht
Fix - reparieren, flicken, fixieren, befestigen
"Yes, my good uncle," I whispered.
"My dear boy," continued the grim Professor, clasping me to his heart, "you are saved!"
I was deeply and unaffectedly touched by the tone in which these words were uttered, and even more by the kindly care which accompanied them. The Professor, however, was one of those men who must be severely tried in order to induce any display of affection or gentle emotion.
unaffectedly - unbeeinflusst
accompanied - begleitet; begleiten, begleiten, begleiten, begleiten, geleiten
At this moment our friend Hans, the guide, joined us. He saw my hand in that of my uncle, and I venture to say that, taciturn as he was, his eyes beamed with lively satisfaction.
beamed - gebeamt; Balken, Balken, Breite, Pflugbaum, Grindel, Strahl
lively - lebendig, munter (lebhaft), lebhaft, quirlig
"God dag," he said.
"Good day, Hans, good day," I replied, in as hearty a tone as I could assume, "and now, Uncle, that we are together, tell me where we are. I have lost all idea of our position, as of everything else."
hearty - herzlich, herzhaft, deftig
"Tomorrow, Harry, tomorrow," he replied. "Today you are far too weak. Your head is surrounded with bandages and poultices that must not be touched. Sleep, my boy, sleep, and tomorrow you will know all that you require."
bandages - Verbände; Verband, bandagieren
poultices - Umschläge; Kataplasma
"But," I cried, "let me know what o'clock it is-what day it is?"
"It is now eleven o'clock at night, and this is once more Sunday. It is now the ninth of the month of August. And I distinctly prohibit you from asking any more questions until the tenth of the same."
ninth - neunte; Neunter; Neuntel
prohibit - verbieten
I was, if the truth were told, very weak indeed, and my eyes soon closed involuntarily. I did require a good night's rest, and I went off reflecting at the last moment that my perilous adventure in the interior of the earth, in total darkness, had lasted four days!
On the morning of the next day, at my awakening, I began to look around me. My sleeping place, made of all our traveling bedding, was in a charming grotto, adorned with magnificent stalagmites, glittering in all the colors of the rainbow, the floor of soft and silvery sand.
stalagmites - Stalagmiten; Stalagmit
glittering - glitzernd, funkelnd; (glitter); Glitter; glitzern
rainbow - Regenbogen; bunt, vielfarbig
silvery - silbrig, silberig, silberhell, silbern
A dim obscurity prevailed. No torch, no lamp was lighted, and yet certain unexplained beams of light penetrated from without, and made their way through the opening of the beautiful grotto.
dim - schummrig; trüb; dämmerig, dunkel
unexplained - unerklärt
I, moreover, heard a vague and indefinite murmur, like the ebb and flow of waves upon a strand, and sometimes I verily believed I could hear the sighing of the wind.
Strand - Strand, Ader, Faden, Strähne; auf den Strand setzen
verily - wahrhaftig; wahrlich; gewiss, natürlich, sicher
sighing - Seufzen, Seufzer, Säuseln (Wind); säuseln (Wind)
I began to believe that, instead of being awake, I must be dreaming. Surely my brain had not been affected by my fall, and all that occurred during the last twenty-four hours was not the frenzied visions of madness? And yet after some reflection, a trial of my faculties, I came to the conclusion that I could not be mistaken. Eyes and ears could not surely both deceive me.
awake - munter, wach; erwachen, aufwachen
frenzied - rasend; Wahn, Rausch, Wut
visions - Visionen; Sicht, Sehvermögen
be mistaken - sich irren
deceive - betrügen, täuschen
"It is a ray of the blessed daylight," I said to myself, "which has penetrated through some mighty fissure in the rocks. But what is the meaning of this murmur of waves, this unmistakable moaning of the salt-sea billows? I can hear, too, plainly enough, the whistling of the wind.
blessed - gesegnet; selig; (bless); gesegnet; selig
daylight - Tageslicht; Tag
whistling - (whistle) pfeifen; (whistle); Pfeife, Trillerpfeife, Flöte
But can I be altogether mistaken? If my uncle, during my illness, has but carried me back to the surface of the earth! Has he, on my account, given up his wondrous expedition, or in some strange manner has it come to an end?"
illness - Krankheit
I was puzzling my brain over these and other questions, when the Professor joined me.
"Good day, Harry," he cried in a joyous tone. "I fancy you are quite well."
"I am very much better," I replied, actually sitting up in my bed.
sitting up - aufbleibend
"I knew that would be the end of it, as you slept both soundly and tranquilly. Hans and I have each taken turn to watch, and every hour we have seen visible signs of amelioration."
amelioration - Verbesserung, Melioration
"You must be right, Uncle," was my reply, "for I feel as if I could do justice to any meal you could put before me."
justice - Gerechtigkeit, Genugtuung, Justiz
put before - vorgemacht
"You shall eat, my boy, you shall eat. The fever has left you. Our excellent friend Hans has rubbed your wounds and bruises with I know not what ointment, of which the Icelanders alone possess the secret. And they have healed your bruises in the most marvelous manner. Ah, he's a wise fellow is Master Hans."
rubbed - gerieben; reiben, reiben, abreiben, sich abreiben
bruises - blaue Flecken; Prellung, Bluterguss, blauer Fleck, Druckstelle
ointment - Salbe, Balsam
healed - geheilt; verheilen, abheilen, heilen
While he was speaking, my uncle was placing before me several articles of food, which, despite his earnest injunctions, I readily devoured. As soon as the first rage of hunger was appeased, I overwhelmed him with questions, to which he now no longer hesitated to give answers.
injunctions - Unterlassungsklagen; Verfügung, Verfügen
overwhelmed - überwältigt; überwältigen, übermannen, überrumpeln, de
I then learned, for the first time, that my providential fall had brought me to the bottom of an almost perpendicular gallery. As I came down, amidst a perfect shower of stones, the least of which falling on me would have crushed me to death, they came to the conclusion that I had carried with me an entire dislocated rock.
providential - Vorsehung
amidst - inmitten von
Riding as it were on this terrible chariot, I was cast headlong into my uncle's arms. And into them I fell, insensible and covered with blood.
chariot - Streitwagen; Triumphwagen
"It is indeed a miracle," was the Professor's final remark, "that you were not killed a thousand times over. But let us take care never to separate; for surely we should risk never meeting again."
miracle - ein Wunder; Wunder, Mirakel
final remark - Schlussbemerkung
killed - getötet; vernichten, totmachen, löschen, zerstören, töten
meeting again - wiedersehend
"Let us take care never again to separate."
never again - nie wieder
These words fell with a sort of chill upon my heart. The journey, then, was not over. I looked at my uncle with surprise and astonishment. My uncle, after an instant's examination of my countenance, said: "What is the matter, Harry?"
"I want to ask you a very serious question. You say that I am all right in health?"
"Certainly you are."
"And all my limbs are sound and capable of new exertion?" I asked.
exertion - Anstrengung, Kraftanstrengung, Anspannung, Ausübung
"Most undoubtedly."
"But what about my head?" was my next anxious question.
"Well, your head, except that you have one or two contusions, is exactly where it ought to be-on your shoulders," said my uncle, laughing.
contusions - Prellungen; Prellung
"Well, my own opinion is that my head is not exactly right. In fact, I believe myself slightly delirious."
"What makes you think so?"
"I will explain why I fancy I have lost my senses," I cried. "Have we not returned to the surface of Mother Earth?"
"Certainly not."
"Then truly I must be mad, for do I not see the light of day? do I not hear the whistling of the wind? and can I not distinguish the wash of a great sea?"
"And that is all that makes you uneasy?" said my uncle, with a smile.
"Can you explain?"
"I will not make any attempt to explain; for the whole matter is utterly inexplicable. But you shall see and judge for yourself. You will then find that geological science is as yet in its infancy-and that we are doomed to enlighten the world."
enlighten - aufklären
"Let us advance, then," I cried eagerly, no longer able to restrain my curiosity.
restrain - zurückhalten
"Wait a moment, my dear Harry," he responded; "you must take precautions after your illness before going into the open air."
take precautions - Vorsichtsmaßnahmen treffen
"The open air?"
"Yes, my boy. I have to warn you that the wind is rather violent-and I have no wish for you to expose yourself without necessary precautions."
warn - warnen, mahnen
wish for - etw. erhoffen
expose - entlarven; aufdecken, offenbaren, entblößen, bloßlegen
"But I beg to assure you that I am perfectly recovered from my illness."
"Have just a little patience, my boy. A relapse would be inconvenient to all parties. We have no time to lose-as our approaching sea voyage may be of long duration."
patience - Geduld
relapse - zurückfallen; sich verschlimmern, sich verschlechtern, Rückfall
duration - Dauer
"Sea voyage?" I cried, more bewildered than ever.
more bewildered - fassungslosere
"Yes. You must take another day's rest, and we shall be ready to go on board by tomorrow," replied my uncle, with a peculiar smile.
"Go on board!" The words utterly astonished me.
Go on board-what and how? Had we come upon a river, a lake, had we discovered some inland sea? Was a vessel lying at anchor in some part of the interior of the earth?
My curiosity was worked up to the very highest pitch. My uncle made vain attempts to restrain me. When at last, however, he discovered that my feverish impatience would do more harm than good-and that the satisfaction of my wishes could alone restore me to a calm state of mind-he gave way.
pitch - werfen, festsetzen, errichten; Tonhöhe, Tonlage, Pech
harm - Schaden
I dressed myself rapidly-and then taking the precaution to please my uncle, of wrapping myself in one of the coverlets, I rushed out of the grotto.
wrapping - verpacken; einpacken, einwickeln
At first I saw absolutely nothing. My eyes, wholly unused to the effulgence of light, could not bear the sudden brightness; and I was compelled to close them. When I was able to reopen them, I stood still, far more stupefied than astonished. Not all the wildest effects of imagination could have conjured up such a scene! "The sea-the sea," I cried.
unused - unbenutzt
reopen - wieder öffnen; wiedereröffnen
conjured up - beschwörtest, beschwörte
"Yes," replied my uncle, in a tone of pardonable pride; "the Central Sea. No future navigator will deny the fact of my having discovered it; and hence of acquiring a right of giving it a name."
pardonable - entschuldbar, verzeihlich
navigator - Navigationsgerät; Navigator; Seefahrer
deny - verweigern, leugnen;gegen jdn. retten
acquiring - Anwerben; erwerben, erwerben, akquirieren
It was quite true. A vast, limitless expanse of water, the end of a lake if not of an ocean, spread before us, until it was lost in the distance. The shore, which was very much indented, consisted of a beautiful soft golden sand, mixed with small shells, the long-deserted home of some of the creatures of a past age. The waves broke incessantly-and with a peculiarly sonorous murmur, to be found in underground localities. A slight frothy flake arose as the wind blew along the pellucid waters; and many a dash of spray was blown into my face.
limitless - grenzenlos, unbegrenzt
expanse - Fläche, Ausdehnung, Weite
Golden - golden, goldgelb
mixed - gemischt; verrühren, mischen, mixen, vermischen, versetzen
localities - Ortschaften; Ortschaft
frothy - schaumig
flake - Spinner; sich abschälen, abblättern; Fetzen, Flocke
spray - Sprühwasser, Gischt; bestäuben (bestäubt), sprühen, spritzen
blown - aufgeflogen; (to blow) blasen, wehen, pusten
The mighty superstructure of rock which rose above to an inconceivable height left only a narrow opening-but where we stood, there was a large margin of strand. On all sides were capes and promontories and enormous cliffs, partially worn by the eternal breaking of the waves, through countless ages! And as I gazed from side to side, the mighty rocks faded away like a fleecy film of cloud.
superstructure - Aufbauten, Überbau
inconceivable - unvorstellbar
margin - Seitenrand; Gewinnspanne, Gewinnmarge, Einschuss
capes - Umhänge; Umhang, Kap
promontories - Vorgebirge; Landzunge
countless - unzählige; unzählig, unzählbar, zahllos
faded - verblasst; verfärben, Ausblendung; verblassen, nachlassen
It was in reality an ocean, with all the usual characteristics of an inland sea, only horribly wild-so rigid, cold and savage.
horribly - furchtbar; fürchterlich
rigid - steif, starr, rigide
One thing startled and puzzled me greatly. How was it that I was able to look upon that vast sheet of water instead of being plunged in utter darkness? The vast landscape before me was lit up like day. But there was wanting the dazzling brilliancy, the splendid irradiation of the sun; the pale cold illumination of the moon; the brightness of the stars.
sheet - Blatt, Bogen, Blech, Platte, Lage, Schicht, Schot
plunged - stürzte; eintauchen, tauchen
dazzling - schillernd; blendend, grell, umwerfend, betörend
irradiation - Bestrahlung
the pale - die Grenze des Erlaubten
The illuminating power in this subterranean region, from its trembling and Rickering character, its clear dry whiteness, the very slight elevation of its temperature, its great superiority to that of the moon, was evidently electric; something in the nature of the aurora borealis, only that its phenomena were constant, and able to light up the whole of the ocean cavern.
whiteness - Weiße, Weißheit, Weißsein
superiority - Überlegenheit
aurora - Polarlicht
light up - aufleuchten
The tremendous vault above our heads, the sky, so to speak, appeared to be composed of a conglomeration of nebulous vapors, in constant motion. I should originally have supposed that, under such an atmospheric pressure as must exist in that place, the evaporation of water could not really take place, and yet from the action of some physical law, which escaped my memory, there were heavy and dense clouds rolling along that mighty vault, partially concealing the roof.
be composed of - bestehen aus
conglomeration - Konglomerat; Anhäufung
nebulous - nebulös
originally - ursprünglich
evaporation of water - Wasserverdunstung
Electric currents produced astonishing play of light and shade in the distance, especially around the heavier clouds. Deep shadows were cast beneath, and then suddenly, between two clouds, there would come a ray of unusual beauty, and remarkable intensity. And yet it was not like the sun, for it gave no heat.
astonishing - Erstaunlich; erstaunen
heavier - Schwerer; heftig, schwer, stark (Regen)
unusual - ungewöhnlich, unüblich, ungebräuchlich
The effect was sad and excruciatingly melancholy. Instead of a noble firmament of blue, studded with stars, there was above me a heavy roof of granite, which seemed to crush me.
excruciatingly - quälend
noble - edel; Adeliger, Adliger, Adelige, Adlige
firmament - Firmament
studded - bespickt; übersäen, verzieren, verstreut sein
crush - verknallt; Schwarm; zerdrücken
Gazing around, I began to think of the theory of the English captain who compared the earth to a vast hollow sphere in the interior of which the air is retained in a luminous state by means of atmospheric pressure, while two stars, Pluto and Proserpine, circled there in their mysterious orbits. After all, suppose the old fellow was right!
sphere - Kugel; Sphäre, Bereich
circled - eingekreist; Kreis, Kreis, Kreis, Kreis, Zirkel, Kreis
orbits - Umlaufbahnen; Umlaufbahn, Orbit, umkreisen, in, umschwirren
In truth, we were imprisoned-bound as it were, in a vast excavation. Its width it was impossible to make out; the shore, on either hand, widening rapidly until lost to sight; while its length was equally uncertain. A haze on the distant horizon bounded our view. As to its height, we could see that it must be many miles to the roof.
imprisoned - inhaftiert; einsperren, einkerkern
widening - Verbreiterung; erman: sich weiten, erweitern, weiten, erweitern
Looking upward, it was impossible to discover where the stupendous roof began. The lowest of the clouds must have been floating at an elevation of two thousand yards, a height greater than that of terrestrial vapors, which circumstance was doubtless owing to the extreme density of the air.
lowest - niedrigsten; tief, niedrig, nieder, leise (Stimme); muhen
owing to - aufgrund, dank, durch, infolge
I use the word "cavern" in order to give an idea of the place. I cannot describe its awful grandeur; human language fails to convey an idea of its savage sublimity. Whether this singular vacuum had or had not been caused by the sudden cooling of the earth when in a state of fusion, I could not say. I had read of most wonderful and gigantic caverns-but, none in any way like this.
fails - versagt; mangelhaft (Zensur 5)
convey - vermitteln; befördern, transportieren, verfrachten, übermitteln
vacuum - Vakuum; staubsaugen
The great grotto of Guachara, in Colombia, visited by the learned Humboldt; the vast and partially explored Mammoth Cave in Kentucky-what were these holes in the earth to that in which I stood in speechless admiration! with its vapory clouds, its electric light, and the mighty ocean slumbering in its bosom! Imagination, not description, can alone give an idea of the splendor and vastness of the cave.
Colombia - Kolumbien
explored - erforscht; erforschen, erforschen, erforschen, untersuchen
Mammoth - Mammut
Kentucky - Kentucky
speechless - sprachlos, fassungslos, stumm
vapory - dampfend; vapory
slumbering - schlummernd; (slumber); Halbschlaf, Schlummer, Schläfchen
splendor - Pracht
vastness - Weite
I gazed at these marvels in profound silence. Words were utterly wanting to indicate the sensations of wonder I experienced. I seemed, as I stood upon that mysterious shore, as if I were some wandering inhabitant of a distant planet, present for the first time at the spectacle of some terrestrial phenomena belonging to another existence.
wonder - Wunder, Mirakel, wundern
planet - Planet, Wandelstern
To give body and existence to such new sensations would have required the coinage of new words-and here my feeble brain found itself wholly at fault. I looked on, I thought, I reflected, I admired, in a state of stupefaction not altogether unmingled with fear!
coinage - Münzprägung
feeble - kraftlos, schwach, dürftig
The unexpected spectacle restored some color to my pallid cheeks. I seemed to be actually getting better under the influence of this novelty. Moreover, the vivacity of the dense atmosphere reanimated my body by inflating my lungs with unaccustomed oxygen.
unexpected - unerwartet
novelty - Neuheit, Neuartigkeit, neues Produkt, Krimskrams
vivacity - Lebendigkeit
reanimated - wiederbelebt; neu beleben
inflating - aufblasen, aufpumpen, aufblähen, aufblasen
unaccustomed - ungewohnt
oxygen - Sauerstoff, Oxygen, Oxygenium, Sauerstoffatom
It will be readily conceived that after an imprisonment of forty-seven days, in a dark and miserable tunnel it was with infinite delight that I breathed this saline air. It was like the genial, reviving influence of the salt sea waves.
imprisonment - Freiheitsentzug; Gefangenschaft
breathed - geatmet; Atmen
genial - großartig
reviving - auferstehend, erneuernd
My uncle had already got over the first surprise.
With the Latin poet Horace his idea was that-
poet - Dichter, Dichterin; i ormal
Not to admire is all the art I know,
To make man happy and to keep him so.
"Well," he said, after giving me time thoroughly to appreciate the marvels of this underground sea, "do you feel strong enough to walk up and down?"
walk up - hinaufgehen
"Certainly," was my ready answer, "nothing would give me greater pleasure."
"Well then, my boy," he said, "lean on my arm, and we will stroll along the beach."
lean - knapp, schlank, hager, mager
I accepted his offer eagerly, and we began to walk along the shores of this extraordinary lake. To our left were abrupt rocks, piled one upon the other-a stupendous titanic pile; down their sides leaped innumerable cascades, which at last, becoming limpid and murmuring streams, were lost in the waters of the lake.
accepted - akzeptiert; annehmen, abnehmen, akzeptieren, aufnehmen
Light vapors, which rose here and there, and floated in fleecy clouds from rock to rock, indicated hot springs, which also poured their superfluity into the vast reservoir at our feet.
hot springs - Thermalbad
superfluity - Überflüssig; Ăśberfluss
reservoir - Reservoir; Stausee
Among them I recognized our old and faithful stream, the Hansbach, which, lost in that wild basin, seemed as if it had been flowing since the creation of the world.
"We shall miss our excellent friend," I remarked, with a deep sigh.
"Bah!" said my uncle testily, "what matters it? That or another, it is all the same."
testily - auf die Probe gestellt; heftig, reizbar
I thought the remark ungrateful, and felt almost inclined to say so; but I forbore.
ungrateful - undankbar
At this moment my attention was attracted by an unexpected spectacle. After we had gone about five hundred yards, we suddenly turned a steep promontory, and found ourselves close to a lofty forest! It consisted of straight trunks with tufted tops, in shape like parasols. The air seemed to have no effect upon these trees-which in spite of a tolerable breeze remained as still and motionless as if they had been petrified.
promontory - Landzunge
straight - gerade; aufrecht, aufrichtig, offen, ungeschminkt
trunks - Stamm, Baumstamm, Koffer, Truhe, Schrankkoffer, Schiffskoffer
tufted - büschelig; Büschel
parasols - Sonnenschirme; Sonnenschirm
Petrified - Versteinert; versteinern, versteinern, erstarren
I hastened forward. I could find no name for these singular formations. Did they not belong to the two thousand and more known trees-or were we to make the discovery of a new growth? By no means. When we at last reached the forest, and stood beneath the trees, my surprise gave way to admiration.
formations - Formationen; Bildung
more known - bekanntere
growth - Wachstum; Bewuchs, Vegetation, Bewucherung, Geschwulst
In truth, I was simply in the presence of a very ordinary product of the earth, of singular and gigantic proportions. My uncle unhesitatingly called them by their real names.
unhesitatingly - ohne zu zögern
"It is only," he said, in his coolest manner, "a forest of mushrooms."
mushrooms - Pilz, Schwamm, Pilz, wuchern, Pilze ernten, Pilze sammeln
On close examination I found that he was not mistaken.
Judge of the development attained by this product of damp hot soils. I had heard that the Lycoperdon giganteum reaches nine feet in circumference, but here were white mushrooms, nearly forty feet high, and with tops of equal dimensions. They grew in countless thousands-the light could not make its way through their massive substance, and beneath them reigned a gloomy and mystic darkness.
development - Entwicklung
soils - Böden; Boden, (Erd-) Boden; beflecken, beschmutzen
dimensions - Abmessungen; Dimension, Dimension, Dimension, Dimension
substance - Substanz, Stoff
mystic - mystisch; Mystiker, Mystikerin
Still I wished to go forward. The cold in the shades of this singular forest was intense. For nearly an hour we wandered about in this visible darkness. At length I left the spot, and once more returned to the shores of the lake, to light and comparative warmth.
wandered - gewandert; umherstreifen, umherstreichen, herumziehen, stromern
comparative - vergleichend; komparativ; verhältnismäßig, relativ, Höherstufe
But the amazing vegetation of subterraneous land was not confined to gigantic mushrooms. New wonders awaited us at every step. We had not gone many hundred yards, when we came upon a mighty group of other trees with discolored leaves-the common humble trees of Mother Earth, of an exorbitant and phenomenal size: lycopods a hundred feet high; flowering ferns as tall as pines; gigantic grasses!
confined - eingesperrt; beschränken, Begrenzung
wonders - fragt sich; Wunder
phenomenal - phänomenal
ferns - Farne; Farn, Farnkraut
pines - Kiefern; pineapple = Ananasa
grasses - Gräser; Gras
"Astonishing, magnificent, splendid!" cried my uncle; "here we have before us the whole flora of the second period of the world, that of transition. Behold the humble plants of our gardens, which in the first ages of the world were mighty trees. Look around you, my dear Harry. No botanist ever before gazed on such a sight!"
Flora - Flora, Pflanzenreich, Pflanzenwelt
botanist - Botaniker, Botanikerin, Pflanzenkundler, Pflanzenkundlerin
My uncle's enthusiasm, always a little more than was required, was now excusable.
excusable - entschuldbar
"You are right, Uncle," I remarked. "Providence appears to have designed the preservation in this vast and mysterious hothouse of antediluvian plants, to prove the sagacity of learned men in figuring them so marvelously on paper."
Providence - Vorsehung, Providence
hothouse - Treibhaus, Gewächshaus, Glashaus, Tepidarium
antediluvian - antediluvianisch; vorsintflutlich, altfränkisch
sagacity - Klugheit; Weisheit
figuring - Feilen; Abbildung, Figur, Gestalt, Ziffer, Form
marvelously - Wunderbar
"Well said, my boy-very well said; it is indeed a mighty hothouse. But you would also be within the bounds of reason and common sense, if you added that it is also a vast menagerie."
menagerie - Menagerie
I looked rather anxiously around. If the animals were as exaggerated as the plants, the matter would certainly be serious.
exaggerated - Übertrieben; übertreiben
"A menagerie?"
"Doubtless. Look at the dust we are treading under foot-behold the bones with which the whole soil of the seashore is covered-"
seashore - Meeresküste, Seeküste, Meeresufer
"Bones," I replied, "yes, certainly, the bones of antediluvian animals."
I stooped down as I spoke, and picked up one or two singular remains, relics of a bygone age. It was easy to give a name to these gigantic bones, in some instances as big as trunks of trees.
relics - Reliquien; Relikt, Reliquie
bygone - vorbei; vergangen
"Here is, clearly, the lower jawbone of a mastodon," I cried, almost as warmly and enthusiastically as my uncle; "here are the molars of the Dinotherium; here is a leg bone which belonged to the Megatherium. You are right, Uncle, it is indeed a menagerie; for the mighty animals to which these bones once belonged, have lived and died on the shores of this subterranean sea, under the shadow of these plants.
jawbone - Kiefer, Kieferknochen
Mastodon - Mastodon
molars - Backenzähne; Backenzahn
Look, yonder are whole skeletons-and yet-"
skeletons - Skelette; Not-, Gerippe, provisorisch, Knochengerüst
"And yet, nephew?" said my uncle, noticing that I suddenly came to a full stop.
"I do not understand the presence of such beasts in granite caverns, however vast and prodigious," was my reply.
"Why not?" said my uncle, with very much of his old professional impatience.
professional - Profi, Professioneller, Professionelle, Beruf
"Because it is well known that animal life only existed on earth during the secondary period, when the sedimentary soil was formed by the alluviums, and thus replaced the hot and burning rocks of the primitive age."
alluviums - Anschwemmungen; Alluvium
"I have listened to you earnestly and with patience, Harry, and I have a simple and clear answer to your objections: and that is, that this itself is a sedimentary soil."
"How can that be at such enormous depth from the surface of the earth?"
"The fact can be explained both simply and geologically. At a certain period, the earth consisted only of an elastic crust, liable to alternative upward and downward movements in virtue of the law of attraction. It is very probable that many a landslip took place in those days, and that large portions of sedimentary soil were cast into huge and mighty chasms."
geologically - geologisch
liable - haftbar; fehlbar
alternative - alternativ; Alternative
movements - Bewegungen; Bewegung, Bewegung, Satz
in virtue of - kraft
landslip - Erdrutsch
chasms - Abgründe; Abgrund, Kluft, Spalte, Kluft
"Quite possible," I dryly remarked. "But, Uncle, if these antediluvian animals formerly lived in these subterranean regions, what more likely than that one of these monsters may at this moment be concealed behind one of yonder mighty rocks."
dryly - trocken
monsters - Monster
concealed - versteckt; verbergen, verheimlichen, verschleiern, verschweigen
As I spoke, I looked keenly around, examining with care every point of the horizon; but nothing alive appeared to exist on these deserted shores.
I now felt rather fatigued, and told my uncle so. The walk and excitement were too much for me in my weak state. I therefore seated myself at the end of a promontory, at the foot of which the waves broke in incessant rolls. I looked round a bay formed by projections of vast granitic rocks. At the extreme end was a little port protected by huge pyramids of stones.
incessant - ständig, unablässig, unaufhörlich
rolls - Brötchen; Rolle, Roulade, Walze, Semmel; drehen, wälzen
protected - geschützt; schützen, beschützen
A brig and three or four schooners might have lain there with perfect ease. So natural did it seem, that every minute my imagination induced me to expect a vessel coming out under all sail and making for the open sea under the influence of a warm southerly breeze.
schooners - Schoner
southerly - südlich
But the fantastic illusion never lasted more than a minute. We were the only living creatures in this subterranean world!
illusion - Illusion, Wahnvorstellung, Sinnestäuschung
During certain periods there was an utter cessation of wind, when a silence deeper, more terrible than the silence of the desert fell upon these solitary and arid rocks-and seemed to hang like a leaden weight upon the waters of this singular ocean. I sought, amid the awful stillness, to penetrate through the distant fog, to tear down the veil which concealed the mysterious distance.
cessation - Beendigung; Unterbrechung, Einstellung
more terrible - furchtbarere
hang - hängen
leaden - bleiern
stillness - Stille
tear down - abbrechen
What unspoken words were murmured by my trembling lips-what questions did I wish to ask and did not! Where did this sea end-to what did it lead? Should we ever be able to examine its distant shores?
But my uncle had no doubts about the matter. He was convinced that our enterprise would in the end be successful. For my part, I was in a state of painful indecision-I desired to embark on the journey and to succeed, and still I feared the result.
indecision - Unentschlossenheit, Unschlüssigkeit
embark on - etw. beginnen
After we had passed an hour or more in silent contemplation of the wondrous spectacle, we rose and went down towards the bank on our way to the grotto, which I was not sorry to gain. After a slight repast, I sought refuge in slumber, and at length, after many and tedious struggles, sleep came over my weary eyes.
bank on - sich verlassen auf, bauen auf
refuge - Zuflucht; Herberge
tedious - ermüdend, langweilig, langwierig, lästig
struggles - Kämpfe; Kampf, Gefecht
Launching - LANCIEREN; Markteinführung; anstoßen, starten (Rakete)
raft - Floß, Holzfloß
On the morning of the next day, to my great surprise, I awoke completely restored. I thought a bath would be delightful after my long illness and sufferings. So, soon after rising, I went and plunged into the waters of this new Mediterranean. The bath was cool, fresh and invigorating.
delightful - reizvoll, entzückend, angenehm
Mediterranean - Mittelmeer; mediterran
invigorating - belebend; beleben, kräftigen, stärken, verstärken
I came back to breakfast with an excellent appetite. Hans, our worthy guide, thoroughly understood how to cook such eatables as we were able to provide; he had both fire and water at discretion, so that he was enabled slightly to vary the weary monotony of our ordinary repast.
provide - bieten; sorgen, den Unterhalt sichern, besorgen, beschaffen
at discretion - nach Belieben
vary - variieren; verändern; sich ändern, checkvariieren
monotony - Eintönigkeit, Monotonie
Our morning meal was like a capital English breakfast, with coffee by way of a windup. And never had this delicious beverage been so welcome and refreshing.
windup - aufziehen
beverage - Getränk
refreshing - erfrischend; erfrischen, erquicken, auffrischen, aktualisieren
My uncle had sufficient regard for my state of health not to interrupt me in the enjoyment of the meal, but he was evidently delighted when I had finished.
state of health - Gesundheitszustand
"Now then," said he, "come with me. It is the height of the tide, and I am anxious to study its curious phenomena."
"What!"'I cried, rising in astonishment, "did you say the tide, Uncle?"
"Certainly I did."
"You do not mean to say," I replied, in a tone of respectful doubt, "that the influence of the sun and moon is felt here below."
respectful - respektvoll
"And pray why not? Are not all bodies influenced by the law of universal attraction? Why should this vast underground sea be exempt from the general law, the rule of the universe? Besides, there is nothing like that which is proved and demonstrated. Despite the great atmospheric pressure down here, you will notice that this inland sea rises and falls with as much regularity as the Atlantic itself."
Pray - Bitte bedenken Sie doch!; beten
exempt - befreit, checkausgenommen, befreien, checkausnehmen
As my uncle spoke, we reached the sandy shore, and saw and heard the waves breaking monotonously on the beach. They were evidently rising.
monotonously - monoton
"This is truly the Flood," I cried, looking at the water at my feet.
the Flood - Sintflut
"Yes, my excellent nephew," replied my uncle, rubbing his hands with the gusto of a philosopher, "and you see by these several streaks of foam that the tide rises at least ten or twelve feet."
gusto - Begeisterung, Überschwänglichkeit, Enthusiasmus, Ausgelassenheit
"It is indeed marvelous."
"By no means," he responded; "on the contrary, it is quite natural."
"It may appear so in your eyes, my dear uncle," was my reply, "but all the phenomena of the place appear to me to partake of the marvelous. It is almost impossible to believe that which I see. Who in his wildest dreams could have imagined that, beneath the crust of our earth, there could exist a real ocean, with ebbing and flowing tides, with its changes of winds, and even its storms! I for one should have laughed the suggestion to scorn.
partake - teilnehmen, mitmachen, mitessen
ebbing - ebbend; Ebbe, ebben, abebben
tides - Gezeiten, Ebbe
suggestion - Anregung; Vorschlag; Suggestion
scorn - verachten; verschmähen; verspotten; Verachtung
"But, Harry, my boy, why not?" inquired my uncle, with a pitying smile; "is there any physical reason in opposition to it?"
pitying - Mitleid
opposition - Opposition
"Well, if we give up the great theory of the central heat of the earth, I certainly can offer no reasons why anything should be looked upon as impossible."
"Then you will own," he added, "that the system of Sir Humphry Davy is wholly justified by what we have seen?"
"I allow that it is-and that point once granted, I certainly can see no reason for doubting the existence of seas and other wonders, even countries, in the interior of the globe."
doubting - zweifelnder, anzweifelnd, zweifelnd; (doubt); bezweifeln
"That is so-but of course these varied countries are uninhabited?"
uninhabited - unbewohnt
"Well, I grant that it is more likely than not: still, I do not see why this sea should not have given shelter to some species of unknown fish."
Grant - gewähren; erteilen; bewilligen
"Hitherto we have not discovered any, and the probabilities are rather against our ever doing so," observed the Professor.
probabilities - Wahrscheinlichkeiten; Wahrscheinlichkeit, Wahrscheinlichkeit
I was losing my skepticism in the presence of these wonders.
skepticism - Skeptizismus, Skepsis
"Well, I am determined to solve the question. It is my intention to try my luck with my fishing line and hook."
fishing line - Angelschnur
Hook - Haken; Hookline; einhaken
"Certainly; make the experiment," said my uncle, pleased with my enthusiasm. "While we are about it, it will certainly be only proper to discover all the secrets of this extraordinary region."
experiment - Experiment, Versuch, experimentieren
secrets - Geheimnisse; Geheimnis
"But, after all, where are we now?" I asked; "all this time I have quite forgotten to ask you a question, which, doubtless, your philosophical instruments have long since answered."
"Well," replied the Professor, "examining the situation from only one point of view, we are now distant three hundred and fifty leagues from Iceland."
"So much?" was my exclamation.
"I have gone over the matter several times, and am sure not to have made a mistake of five hundred yards," replied my uncle positively.
positively - positiv
"And as to the direction-are we still going to the southeast?"
"Yes, with a western declination[2] of nineteen degrees, forty-two minutes, just as it is above. As for the inclination[3] I have discovered a very curious fact."
[2] The declination is the variation of the needle from the true meridian of a place.
declination - Deklination, Missweisung, Ortsmissweisung
variation - Veränderung; Variante; Variation
needle - Nadel; hänseln
[3] Inclination is the dip of the magnetic needle with a tendency to incline towards the earth.
magnetic - magnetisch; anziehend
incline - neigen; Neigung, Anstieg, Gefälle
"What may that be, Uncle? Your information interests me."
"Why, that the needle instead of dipping towards the pole as it does on earth, in the northern hemisphere, has an upward tendency."
dipping - eintauchen; einfallen, sich senken, sich neigen, färben; Dip
hemisphere - Hemisphäre, Halbkugel (rare, e.g
"This proves," I cried, "that the great point of magnetic attraction lies somewhere between the surface of the earth and the spot we have succeeded in reaching."
proves - beweist; er/sie hat/hatte bewiesen, beweisen, erhärten
"Exactly, my observant nephew," exclaimed my uncle, elated and delighted, "and it is quite probable that if we succeed in getting toward the polar regions-somewhere near the seventy-third degree of latitude, where Sir James Ross discovered the magnetic pole, we shall behold the needle point directly upward. We have therefore discovered by analogy, that this great centre of attraction is not situated at a very great depth."
observant - aufmerksam
elated - hocherfreut; beschwingen, ermutigen
polar - polar
James - Jakobus, Jakobus, Jakob
analogy - Analogie
"Well," said I, rather surprised, "this discovery will astonish experimental philosophers. It was never suspected."
experimental - experimentell
philosophers - Philosophen; Philosoph, Philosophin
"Science, great, mighty and in the end unerring," replied my uncle dogmatically, "science has fallen into many errors-errors which have been fortunate and useful rather than otherwise, for they have been the steppingstones to truth."
unerring - unbestechlich
dogmatically - dogmatisch
errors - Fehler, Fehler, Irrtum
steppingstones - Trittbretter; Sprungbrett
After some further discussion, I turned to another matter.
"Have you any idea of the depth we have reached?"
"We are now," continued the Professor, "exactly thirty-five leagues-above a hundred miles-down into the interior of the earth."
"So," said I, after measuring the distance on the map, "we are now beneath the Scottish Highlands, and have over our heads the lofty Grampian Hills."
the Scottish - die Schotten
highlands - Hochland
"You are quite right," said the Professor, laughing; "it sounds very alarming, the weight being heavy-but the vault which supports this vast mass of earth and rock is solid and safe; the mighty Architect of the Universe has constructed it of solid materials. Man, even in his highest flights of vivid and poetic imagination, never thought of such things!
alarming - beunruhigend; Alarm, Alarm, Alarmsignal
safe - sicher, gefahrlos, Tresor, Safe, Geldschrank
Architect - Architekt, Architektin
constructed - konstruiert; bauen, konstruieren
materials - Materialien; materiell, materiell, Material
poetic - dichterisch, poetisch
What are the finest arches of our bridges, what the vaulted roofs of our cathedrals, to that mighty dome above us, and beneath which floats an ocean with its storms and calms and tides!"
bridges - überbrücken, eine Brücke schlagen; Einschraubbrücke; Brücke
cathedrals - Kathedralen; Kirche, Münster, Kathedrale, Dom
dome - Kuppel
floats - schwimmt; treiben, schwimmen, schweben, schwimmen, treiben
calms - beruhigt; ruhig, ruhig, windstill, Ruhe, Windstille, beruhigen
"I admire it all as much as you can, Uncle, and have no fear that our granite sky will fall upon our heads. But now that we have discussed matters of science and discovery, what are your future intentions? Are you not thinking of getting back to the surface of our beautiful earth?"
intentions - Absichten; Absicht
getting back - wiederbekommend
This was said more as a feeler than with any hope of success.
feeler - Fühler
"Go back, nephew," cried my uncle in a tone of alarm, "you are not surely thinking of anything so absurd or cowardly. No, my intention is to advance and continue our journey. We have as yet been singularly fortunate, and henceforth I hope we shall be more so."
cowardly - feige
"But," said I, "how are we to cross yonder liquid plain?"
"It is not my intention to leap into it head foremost, or even to swim across it, like Leander over the Hellespont. But as oceans are, after all, only great lakes, inasmuch as they are surrounded by land, so does it stand to reason, that this central sea is circumscribed by granite surroundings."
foremost - vor allem
Hellespont - Hellespont
circumscribed - umschrieben; einkreisen, eingrenzen
surroundings - Umgebung, umliegend
"Doubtless," was my natural reply.
"Well, then, do you not think that when once we reach the other end, we shall find some means of continuing our journey?"
"Probably, but what extent do you allow to this internal ocean?"
what extent - inwieweit
"Well, I should fancy it to extend about forty or fifty leagues-more or less."
"But even supposing this approximation to be a correct one-what then?" I asked.
approximation - Annäherung; Approximieren; Approximation
"My dear boy, we have no time for further discussion. We shall embark tomorrow."
embark - einsteigen; einschiffen, an Bord gehen, beginnen, antreten
I looked around with surprise and incredulity. I could see nothing in the shape of boat or vessel.
"What!" I cried, "we are about to launch out upon an unknown sea; and where, if I may ask, is the vessel to carry us?"
launch - Markteinführung; anstoßen, starten (Rakete), abschießen, gründen
"Well, my dear boy, it will not be exactly what you would call a vessel. For the present we must be content with a good and solid raft."
content with - begnügen
"A raft," I cried, incredulously, "but down here a raft is as impossible of construction as a vessel-and I am at a loss to imagine-"
incredulously - ungläubig
construction - Bau, Bauarbeit, Bauwerk, Bauwesen, Aufbau, Satzbau, Auslegung
"My good Harry-if you were to listen instead of talking so much, you would hear," said my uncle, waxing a little impatient.
waxing - Wachsen, Waxing; (wax); Wachsen, Waxing
"I should hear?"
"Yes-certain knocks with the hammer, which Hans is now employing to make the raft. He has been at work for many hours."
knocks - klopft; Klopfen
employing - Anstellung; einstellen, anstellen, anwerben, einsetzen
"Making a raft?"
"Yes."
"But where has he found trees suitable for such a construction?"
suitable - geeignet, passend, angemessen
"He found the trees all ready to his hand. Come, and you shall see our excellent guide at work."
More and more amazed at what I heard and saw, I followed my uncle like one in a dream.
more amazed - verblüfftere
After a walk of about a quarter of an hour, I saw Hans at work on the other side of the promontory which formed our natural port. A few minutes more and I was beside him. To my great surprise, on the sandy shore lay a half-finished raft. It was made from beams of a very peculiar wood, and a great number of limbs, joints, boughs, and pieces lay about, sufficient to have constructed a fleet of ships and boats.
joints - Gelenke; gemeinschaftlich, gemeinsam, gemeinsame, gemeinsamer
boughs - Zweige; Ast
Fleet - Flotte; Fahrzeugpark
I turned to my uncle, silent with astonishment and awe.
"Where did all this wood come from?" I cried; "what wood is it?"
"Well, there is pinewood, fir, and the palms of the northern regions, mineralized by the action of the sea," he replied, sententiously.
pinewood - Kiefernholz, Föhrenholz, Kiefernwald
fir - Tanne, Tannenbaum
palms - Palmen; Palme, Schaufel (am Geweih)
sententiously - gefühlvoll
"Can it be possible?"
"Yes," said the learned Professor, "what you see is called fossil wood."
"But then," cried I, after reflecting for a moment, "like the lignites, it must be as hard and as heavy as iron, and therefore will certainly not float."
lignites - Braunkohle
float - treiben, schwimmen, schweben, gleiten
"Sometimes that is the case. Many of these woods have become true anthracites, but others again, like those you see before you, have only undergone one phase of fossil transformation. But there is no proof like demonstration," added my uncle, picking one or two of these precious waifs and casting them into the sea.
woods - Wälder; Holz
anthracites - Anthrazit
transformation - Transformation, Verwandlung, Umformung
waifs - Waisenkinder; verlassenes obdachloses Kind
casting - Gießerei, Abguss, Rollenbesetzung; (cast); werfen; wegwerfen
The piece of wood, after having disappeared for a moment, came to the surface, and floated about with the oscillation produced by wind and tide.
Oscillation - Schwingung, Oszillation
"Are you convinced?" said my uncle, with a self-satisfied smile.
"I am convinced," I cried, "that what I see is incredible."
The fact was that my journey into the interior of the earth was rapidly changing all preconceived notions, and day by day preparing me for the marvelous.
preconceived - vorgefasste Meinung; bedenken, vorher ausdenken
I should not have been surprised to have seen a fleet of native canoes afloat upon that silent sea.
native - gebürtig; einheimisch; nativ; Ureinwohner, Ureinwohnerin
canoes - Kanus; Kanu
afloat - schwimmend; schuldenfrei, über Wasser
The very next evening, thanks to the industry and ability of Hans, the raft was finished. It was about ten feet long and five feet wide. The beams bound together with stout ropes, were solid and firm, and once launched by our united efforts, the improvised vessel floated tranquilly upon the waters of what the Professor had well named the Central Sea.
United - Vereint; vereinen
efforts - Anstrengungen; Anstrengung, Aufwand
improvised - improvisiert; improvisieren
CHAPTER 29. ON THE WATERS-A RAFT VOYAGE
On the thirteenth of August we were up betimes. There was no time to be lost. We now had to inaugurate a new kind of locomotion, which would have the advantage of being rapid and not fatiguing.
thirteenth - dreizehnte
inaugurate - einweihen; einführen; vereidigen
A mast, made of two pieces of wood fastened together, to give additional strength, a yard made from another one, the sail a linen sheet from our bed. We were fortunately in no want of cordage, and the whole on trial appeared solid and seaworthy.
mast - Mast
pieces of wood - Scheite
additional - zusätzlich
linen - Wäsche; Leinen; Heimtextilien
cordage - Tauwerk, Fasertauwerk
on trial - auf Probe, probeweise, versuchsweise
seaworthy - seetüchtig, seetauglich
At six o'clock in the morning, when the eager and enthusiastic Professor gave the signal to embark, the victuals, the luggage, all our instruments, our weapons, and a goodly supply of sweet water, which we had collected from springs in the rocks, were placed on the raft.
weapons - Waffen; Waffe
Hans had, with considerable ingenuity, contrived a rudder, which enabled him to guide the floating apparatus with ease. He took the tiller, as a matter of course. The worthy man was as good a sailor as he was a guide and duck hunter. I then let go the painter which held us to the shore, the sail was brought to the wind, and we made a rapid offing.
ingenuity - Erfindungsreichtum; Einfallsreichtum, Findigkeit, Raffinesse
rudder - Ruder, Steuer, Steuerruder; (rud); Ruder, Steuer, Steuerruder
tiller - Pinne; Bodenfräse; Ackerfräse
painter - Lackierer, Kunstmaler, Maler
Our sea voyage had at length commenced; and once more we were making for distant and unknown regions.
Just as we were about to leave the little port where the raft had been constructed, my uncle, who was very strong as to geographic nomenclature, wanted to give it a name, and among others, suggested mine.
geographic - geografisch
nomenclature - Nomenklatur
suggested - vorgeschlagen; vorschlagen, vorschlagen
"Well," said I, "before you decide I have another to propose."
"Well; out with it."
"I should like to call it Gretchen. Port Gretchen will sound very well on our future map."
"Well then, Port Gretchen let it be," said the Professor.
And thus it was that the memory of my dear girl was attached to our adventurous and memorable expedition.
attached - befestigt; Aktentasche, Attache, Aktenkoffer
When we left the shore the wind was blowing from the northward and eastward. We went directly before the wind at a much greater speed than might have been expected from a raft. The dense layers of atmosphere at that depth had great propelling power and acted upon the sail with considerable force.
blowing - (to blow) blasen, wehen, pusten
northward - nordwärts
propelling - vorantreiben; Treib.., treibend; (propel); antreiben
At the end of an hour, my uncle, who had been taking careful observations, was enabled to judge of the rapidity with which we moved. It was far beyond anything seen in the upper world.
"If," he said, "we continue to advance at our present rate, we shall have traveled at least thirty leagues in twenty-four hours. With a mere raft this is an almost incredible velocity."
rate - Wechselkurs, Devisenkurs, Kurs; Kommunalsteuer
velocity - Geschwindigkeit; Frequenz, Häufigkeit, Umlaufgeschwindigkeit
I certainly was surprised, and without making any reply went forward upon the raft. Already the northern shore was fading away on the edge of the horizon. The two shores appeared to separate more and more, leaving a wide and open space for our departure. Before me I could see nothing but the vast and apparently limitless sea-upon which we floated-the only living objects in sight.
fading - (fade away) schwinden, verblassen, zerinnen
Huge and dark clouds cast their grey shadows below-shadows which seemed to crush that colorless and sullen water by their weight. Anything more suggestive of gloom and of regions of nether darkness I never beheld. Silvery rays of electric light, reflected here and there upon some small spots of water, brought up luminous sparkles in the long wake of our cumbrous bark.
colorless - farblos
gloom - Finsternis; Düsternis, Dunkelheit, Trübnis, Schwermut
nether - Unter.., unter
beheld - gesehen; betrachten, sehen, schauen, anschauen, ansehen
spots - Flecken; Fleck, Punkt, Fleck, Pickel, Pustel, Bisschen
sparkles - funkelt; funkeln
cumbrous - lästig
bark - Bellen
Presently we were wholly out of sight of land; not a vestige could be seen, nor any indication of where we were going. So still and motionless did we seem without any distant point to fix our eyes on that but for the phosphoric light at the wake of the raft I should have fancied that we were still and motionless.
vestige - Spur; Überrest, Überbleibsel
phosphoric - phosphorhaltig
But I knew that we were advancing at a very rapid rate.
About twelve o'clock in the day, vast collections of seaweed were discovered surrounding us on all sides. I was aware of the extraordinary vegetative power of these plants, which have been known to creep along the bottom of the great ocean, and stop the advance of large ships. But never were seaweeds ever seen, so gigantic and wonderful as those of the Central Sea.
collections - Sammlungen; Sammlung, Kollektion, Sammlung, Kollektion, Menge
surrounding - Umgebung; umliegend; (surround); umgeben, umringen, umzingeln
vegetative - vegetativ
creep - Fiesling; kriechen; schleichen; Knilch, Widerling
seaweeds - Seegras; Algen, Tang, Seetang
I could well imagine how, seen at a distance, tossing and heaving on the summit of the billows, the long lines of algae have been taken for living things, and thus have been fertile sources of the belief in sea serpents.
tossing - Werfen; hin- und herschleudern
heaving - hebend, hochhebend; (heave); heben, hieven, werfen, wuchten
algae - Algen; Alge
serpents - Schlangen; Schlange, qualifieroetic, Serpent
Our raft swept past great specimens of fucus or seawrack, from three to four thousand feet in length, immense, incredibly long, looking like snakes that stretched out far beyond our horizon. It afforded me great amusement to gaze on their variegated ribbon-like endless lengths. Hour after hour passed without our coming to the termination of these floating weeds. If my astonishment increased, my patience was well-nigh exhausted.
seawrack - Seemannsgarn
incredibly - Unglaublich
ribbon - Band; Farbband
endless - endlos, unbegrenzt, unbeschränkt, unendlich
lengths - Länge, Längenmaß
weeds - Unkraut; (weed) aussondern
nigh - naht; nahe, nah bei, beinahe, nahezu
What natural force could possibly have produced such abnormal and extraordinary plants? What must have been the aspect of the globe, during the first centuries of its formation, when under the combined action of heat and humidity, the vegetable kingdom occupied its vast surface to the exclusion of everything else?
Possibly - vielleicht, eventuell, möglicherweise, negated: unmöglich
abnormal - unnormal, ungewöhnlich, anormal, abnormal
Kingdom - Königreich, Königtum
exclusion - Exklusion, Ausgrenzung, Ausschluss
These were considerations of never-ending interest for the geologist and the philosopher.
All this while we were advancing on our journey; and at length night came; but as I had remarked the evening before, the luminous state of the atmosphere was in nothing diminished. Whatever was the cause, it was a phenomenon upon the duration of which we could calculate with certainty.
As soon as our supper had been disposed of, and some little speculative conversation indulged in, I stretched myself at the foot of the mast, and presently went to sleep.
disposed of - (dispose of) verfügen über
speculative - spekulativ
indulged in - nachgehangen
Hans remained motionless at the tiller, allowing the raft to rise and fall on the waves. The wind being aft, and the sail square, all he had to do was to keep his oar in the centre.
aft - achtern; hinten
oar - Ruder
Ever since we had taken our departure from the newly named Port Gretchen, my worthy uncle had directed me to keep a regular log of our day's navigation, with instructions to put down even the most minute particulars, every interesting and curious phenomenon, the direction of the wind, our rate of sailing, the distance we went; in a word, every incident of our extraordinary voyage.
instructions - Anweisungen; Unterricht, Anweisung, Anweisung, Assemblerbefehl
particulars - Einzelheiten; speziell, bestimmt, spezifisch, genau, einzeln
From our log, therefore, I tell the story of our voyage on the Central Sea.
Friday, August 14th. A steady breeze from the northwest. Raft progressing with extreme rapidity, and going perfectly straight. Coast still dimly visible about thirty leagues to leeward. Nothing to be seen beyond the horizon in front. The extraordinary intensity of the light neither increases nor diminishes.
northwest - Nordwesten
progressing - fortschreiten, Fortschritte machen, weiterkommen; Fortgang
leeward - nach Lee; leewärts gelegen, windabwärts gelegen
diminishes - nachlässt; vermindern, verkleinern, reduzieren, verringern
It is singularly stationary. The weather remarkably fine; that is to say, the clouds have ascended very high, and are light and fleecy, and surrounded by an atmosphere resembling silver in fusion.
stationary - stationär, unbeweglich, ortsgebunden, standortgebunden
silver - versilbern; silbern, Silber; Silberbesteck
Thermometer, +32 degrees centigrade.
About twelve o'clock in the day our guide Hans having prepared and baited a hook, cast his line into the subterranean waters. The bait he used was a small piece of meat, by means of which he concealed his hook. Anxious as I was, I was for a long time doomed to disappointment.
baited - geködert; Köder, Luder, Fischköder
small piece - Stückchen
Were these waters supplied with fish or not? That was the important question. No-was my decided answer. Then there came a sudden and rather hard tug. Hans coolly drew it in, and with it a fish, which struggled violently to escape.
tug - zerren; schleppen; Ruck
coolly - kühl; gelassen
"A fish!" cried my uncle.
"It is a sturgeon!" I cried, "certainly a small sturgeon."
sturgeon - Störe; Stör
The Professor examined the fish carefully, noting every characteristic; and he did not coincide in my opinion. The fish had a flat head, round body, and the lower extremities covered with bony scales; its mouth was wholly without teeth, the pectoral fins, which were highly developed, sprouted direct from the body, which properly speaking had no tail.
characteristic - charakteristisch, bezeichnend, kennzeichnend, typisch, Merkmal
coincide - zusammenfallen; übereinstimmen
extremities - Extremitäten; Extremität, äußerstes Ende
bony - knöchern; grätig; knochig
scales - Waagen; Skala, Kesselsteine, Schuppe; ersteigen, erklettern
pectoral - pektoral, Brust
fins - Flossen; Flosse, Grat, Naht
highly developed - hochentwickelt
sprouted - gekeimt; sprießen; Schössling
tail - Schwanz; Zipfel
The animal certainly belonged to the order in which naturalists class the sturgeon, but it differed from that fish in many essential particulars.
naturalists - Naturforscher, Naturforscherin, Naturalist, Naturalistin
differed - unterschieden; sich unterscheiden
essential - unerlässlich; essenziell, notwendig, unverzichtbar, wesentlich
My uncle, after all, was not mistaken. After a long and patient examination, he said:
"This fish, my dear boy, belongs to a family which has been extinct for ages, and of which no trace has ever been found on earth, except fossil remains in the Devonian strata."
belongs - gehört; zugehören; gehören (zu)
"You do not mean to say," I cried, "that we have captured a live specimen of a fish belonging to the primitive stock that existed before the deluge?"
captured - gefangen genommen; Fang, Festnahme, Gefangennahme, Erfassung
stock - in Bausch und Bogen, Aktien, Inventar
the deluge - Die (große) Sintflut (Bibel)
"We have," said the Professor, who all this time was continuing his observations, "and you may see by careful examination that these fossil fish have no identity with existing species. To hold in one's hand, therefore, a living specimen of the order, is enough to make a naturalist happy for life."
identity - Identität, Gleichheit, Übereinstimmung
"But," cried I, "to what family does it belong?"
"To the order of Ganoides-an order of fish having angular scales, covered with bright enamel-forming one of the family of the Cephalaspides, of the genus-"
enamel - Schmelz, Schmelzglas, Emailmalerei; lackieren, glasieren
genus - Gattung; (genu); Gattung
"Well, sir," I remarked, as I noticed my uncle hesitated to conclude.
conclude - beenden, schließen, zu Ende führen, abschließen, entscheiden
"To the genus Pterychtis-yes, I am certain of it. Still, though I am confident of the correctness of my surmise, this fish offers to our notice a remarkable peculiarity, never known to exist in any other fish but those which are the natives of subterranean waters, wells, lakes, in caverns, and suchlike hidden pools."
offers to - erbietet
suchlike - und dergleichen; derartig
"And what may that be?"
"It is blind."
"Blind!" I cried, much surprised.
"Not only blind," continued the Professor, "but absolutely without organs of sight."
organs - Organe; Organ
I now examined our discovery for myself. It was singular, to be sure, but it was really a fact. This, however, might be a solitary instance, I suggested. The hook was baited again and once more thrown into the water. This subterranean ocean must have been tolerably well supplied with fish, for in two hours we took a large number of Pterychtis, as well as other fish belonging to another supposed extinct family-the Dipterides (a genus of fish, furnished with two fins only, whence the name), though my uncle could not class it exactly.
furnished - eingerichtet; möblieren, einrichten, ausrüsten
All, without exception, however, were blind. This unexpected capture enabled us to renew our stock of provisions in a very satisfactory way.
capture - erfassen; Fang, Festnahme, Gefangennahme, Erfassung
renew - erneuern
We were now convinced that this subterranean sea contained only fish known to us as fossil specimens-and fish and reptiles alike were all the more perfect the farther back they dated their origin.
reptiles - Reptilien; Kriechtier
alike - ähneln; gleich; gleichermaßen
We began to hope that we should find some of those saurians which science has succeeded in reconstructing from bits of bone or cartilage.
saurians - Saurier
reconstructing - wiederaufbauen, rekonstruieren
bone - Knochen
cartilage - Knorpel
I took up the telescope and carefully examined the horizon-looked over the whole sea; it was utterly and entirely deserted. Doubtless we were still too near the coast.
After an examination of the ocean, I looked upward, towards the strange and mysterious sky. Why should not one of the birds reconstructed by the immortal Cuvier flap his stupendous wings aloft in the dull strata of subterranean air? It would, of course, find quite sufficient food from the fish in the sea. I gazed for some time upon the void above. It was as silent and as deserted as the shores we had but lately left.
reconstructed - rekonstruiert; wiederaufbauen, rekonstruieren
immortal - unsterblich; unvergesslich
flap - Klappe, klappen, Patte (an einer Tasche); Hosenklappe
Nevertheless, though I could neither see nor discover anything, my imagination carried me away into wild hypotheses.
I was in a kind of waking dream. I thought I saw on the surface of the water those enormous antediluvian turtles as big as floating islands. Upon those dull and somber shores passed a spectral row of the mammifers of early days, the great Liptotherium found in the cavernous hollow of the Brazilian hills, the Mesicotherium, a native of the glacial regions of Siberia.
turtles - Schildkröten; Schildkröte
spectral - spektral, Spektral-
Row - Rudern; Reihe, Zeile
Brazilian - Brasilianer, Brasilianerin, brasilianisch
glacial - glazial; eisig, eiskalt, Kaltzeit, Eiszeit, Glazial
Farther on, the pachydermatous Lophrodon, that gigantic tapir, which concealed itself behind rocks, ready to do battle for its prey with the Anoplotherium, a singular animal partaking of the nature of the rhinoceros, the horse, the hippopotamus and the camel.
tapir - Tapir
rhinoceros - Nashörner; Nashorn, Rhinozeros
hippopotamus - Flusspferd, Nilpferd
camel - Kamel
There was the giant Mastodon, twisting and turning his horrid trunk, with which he crushed the rocks of the shore to powder, while the Megatherium-his back raised like a cat in a passion, his enormous claws stretched out, dug into the earth for food, at the same time that he awoke the sonorous echoes of the whole place with his terrible roar.
twisting - (to twist) drehen
trunk - Kofferraum; Stamm, Baumstamm, Koffer, Truhe, Schrankkoffer
powder - Puder, g; (''otherwise:'') Pulver, Puder
claws - Krallen; zerkratzen; Kralle, Fang (Vogelkralle), Klaue
place with - vergeben
Higher up still, the first monkey ever seen on the face of the globe clambered, gamboling and playing up the granite hills. Still farther away, ran the Pterodactyl, with the winged hand, gliding or rather sailing through the dense and compressed air like a huge bat.
monkey - Affe, Äffin
gamboling - herumtollt; herumtanzend; (gambol); herumtollen, herumhüpfen
Pterodactyl - Pterodaktylus, Pterodaktyl
winged - geflügelt; Flügel, t+Schwinge, Flügel, Flügel, t+Gebäudeflügel
gliding - Segelfliegen; Segelflug
sailing through - durchsegelnd
bat - Fledermaus
Above all, near the leaden granitic sky, were immense birds, more powerful than the cassowary and the ostrich, which spread their mighty wings and fluttered against the huge stone vault of the inland sea.
cassowary - Kasuar
ostrich - Strauß, Vogelstrauß
fluttered - geflattert; flattern, wedeln
I thought, such was the effect of my imagination, that I saw this whole tribe of antediluvian creatures. I carried myself back to far ages, long before man existed-when, in fact, the earth was in too imperfect a state for him to live upon it.
tribe - Stamm, Volksstamm, Sippe, Volk
My dream was of countless ages before the existence of man. The mammifers first disappeared, then the mighty birds, then the reptiles of the secondary period, presently the fish, the crustacea, the mollusks, and finally the vertebrata. The zoophytes of the period of transition in their turn sank into annihilation.
crustacea - Krustentiere
mollusks - die Mollusken, die Weichtiere
vertebrata - Vertebrata, Wirbeltiere
sank - gesunken; sinken, senken, senken, versenken, Spüle, Spülbecken
The whole panorama of the world's life before the historic period, seemed to be born over again, and mine was the only human heart that beat in this unpeopled world! There were no more seasons; there were no more climates; the natural heat of the world increased unceasingly, and neutralized that of the great radiant Sun.
historic - historisch, geschichtsträchtig
beat - schlagen; Schlag; jdn. bezwingen
seasons - Jahreszeiten; Jahreszeit, Saison; abschmecken (würzen), würzen
unceasingly - unaufhörlich
neutralized - neutralisiert; neutralisieren
Vegetation was exaggerated in an extraordinary manner. I passed like a shadow in the midst of brushwood as lofty as the giant trees of California, and trod underfoot the moist and humid soil, reeking with a rank and varied vegetation.
brushwood - Reisig; Gestrüpp
California - Kalifornien
trod - getreten; schritt, zertrat, trat; (tread) getreten; schritt
underfoot - unter den Füßen
moist - feucht
humid - feucht
reeking - stinken; Gestank, Rauch
rank - (sozialer) Stand, Rang, Dienstgrad
I leaned against the huge column-like trunks of giant trees, to which those of Canada were as ferns. Whole ages passed, hundreds upon hundreds of years were concentrated into a single day.
Canada - Kanada
Next, unrolled before me like a panorama, came the great and wondrous series of terrestrial transformations. Plants disappeared; the granitic rocks lost all trace of solidity; the liquid state was suddenly substituted for that which had before existed.
transformations - Transformationen; Transformation, Verwandlung, Umformung
substituted - ersetzt; ersetzen, auswechseln, Ersatz, Ersatzspieler
This was caused by intense heat acting on the organic matter of the earth. The waters flowed over the whole surface of the globe; they boiled; they were volatilized, or turned into vapor; a kind of steam cloud wrapped the whole earth, the globe itself becoming at last nothing but one huge sphere of gas, indescribable in color, between white heat and red, as big and as brilliant as the sun.
acting on - einwirkend
organic - biologisch, organisch, Organ
boiled - gekocht; kochen, sieden, ich/er/sie/es siedete, sott; Furunkel
indescribable - unbeschreiblich
In the very centre of this prodigious mass, fourteen hundred thousand times as large as our globe, I was whirled round in space, and brought into close conjunction with the planets. My body was subtilized, or rather became volatile, and commingled in a state of atomic vapor, with the prodigious clouds, which rushed forward like a mighty comet into infinite space!
whirled - gewirbelt; wirbeln, wirbeln, lschnell, Wirbeln
conjunction - Verbindung; Zusammenhang; Konjunktion, Bindewort
planets - Planeten; Planet, Wandelstern, Planet, Planet
volatile - volatil, flüchtig, verdunstend, schwankend, unbeständig
commingled - vermengt; mischen, zusammenfügen, vermischen, mixen, vermengen
atomic - atomar, atomisch, Atom
rushed forward - vorgestürmt
comet - Komet
What an extraordinary dream! Where would it finally take me? My feverish hand began to write down the marvelous details-details more like the imaginings of a lunatic than anything sober and real. I had during this period of hallucination forgotten everything-the Professor, the guide, and the raft on which we were floating. My mind was in a state of semioblivion.
write down - niederschreiben, aufschreiben
imaginings - Einbildungen; einbildend, sich vorstellend
"What is the matter, Harry?" said my uncle suddenly.
My eyes, which were wide opened like those of a somnambulist, were fixed upon him, but I did not see him, nor could I clearly make out anything around me.
somnambulist - Schlafwandler
"Take care, my boy," again cried my uncle, "you will fall into the sea."
As he uttered these words, I felt myself seized on the other side by the firm hand of our devoted guide. Had it not been for the presence of mind of Hans, I must infallibly have fallen into the waves and been drowned.
been drowned - ertrunken
"Have you gone mad?" cried my uncle, shaking me on the other side.
shaking - schüttelnd, erschütternd; (shake); schütteln, erschüttern
"What-what is the matter?" I said at last, coming to myself.
"Are you ill, Henry?" continued the Professor in an anxious tone.
"No-no; but I have had an extraordinary dream. It, however, has passed away. All now seems well," I added, looking around me with strangely puzzled eyes.
strangely - seltsame, merkwürdige
"All right," said my uncle; "a beautiful breeze, a splendid sea. We are going along at a rapid rate, and if I am not out in my calculations we shall soon see land. I shall not be sorry to exchange the narrow limits of our raft for the mysterious strand of the subterranean ocean."
going along - mitgehend
be sorry - bereuen, bedauern
Exchange - austauschen, umtauschen, tauschen
As my uncle uttered these words, I rose and carefully scanned the horizon. But the line of water was still confounded with the lowering clouds that hung aloft, and in the distance appeared to touch the edge of the water.
scanned - gescannt; scannen, abtasten, einscannen, skandieren, Abtastung
confounded with - verwechselte mit
lowering - Senken; Abbau (von Kosten)
Saurian - Saurier
combat - Kampf, Schlacht, Gefecht, kämpfen (gegen, mit), bekämpfen
Saturday, August 15th. The sea still retains its uniform monotony. The same leaden hue, the same eternal glare from above. No indication of land being in sight. The horizon appears to retreat before us, more and more as we advance.
retains - beibehalten; behalten, festhalten
uniform - gleichförmig, gleichmäßig, einheitlich, Uniform, Dienstkleidung
glare - Blendung; entrüstetes Starren; missbilligend anstarren
My head, still dull and heavy from the effects of my extraordinary dream, which I cannot as yet banish from my mind.
banish - verbannen, herauswerfen, vertreiben
The Professor, who has not dreamed, is, however, in one of his morose and unaccountable humors. Spends his time in scanning the horizon, at every point of the compass. His telescope is raised every moment to his eyes, and when he finds nothing to give any clue to our whereabouts, he assumes a Napoleonic attitude and walks anxiously.
morose - mürrisch; verdrießlich, missmutig
unaccountable - nicht rechenschaftspflichtig
scanning - Scannen; Abtastung, lesend, untersuchend; (scan); scannen
whereabouts - Wo ist er; Verbleib; (whereabout) Wo ist er; Verbleib
I remarked that my uncle, the Professor, had a strong tendency to resume his old impatient character, and I could not but make a note of this disagreeable circumstance in my journal. I saw clearly that it had required all the influence of my danger and suffering, to extract from him one scintillation of humane feeling. Now that I was quite recovered, his original nature had conquered and obtained the upper hand.
journal - Zapfen (im Drehlager), Ztschr. Zeitschrift
extract - Auszug; Extrakt; entnehmen, herausziehen, entziehen
humane - human, menschlich
conquered - erobert; erobern
obtained - erlangen, erhalten, bestehen
upper hand - Oberhand
And, after all, what had he to be angry and annoyed about, now more than at any other time? Was not the journey being accomplished under the most favorable circumstances? Was not the raft progressing with the most marvelous rapidity?
annoyed - verärgert; stören, ärgern, belästigen, nerven, verägern
What, then, could be the matter? After one or two preliminary hems, I determined to inquire.
preliminary - vorläufig, vorbereitend
hems - säumen, einfassen, einsäumen, einschließen [Mil.]; Saum
inquire - erkundigen
"You seem uneasy, Uncle," said I, when for about the hundredth time he put down his telescope and walked up and down, muttering to himself.
muttering - Gemurmel; murmeln, brummeln; (mutter) Gemurmel; murmeln
"No, I am not uneasy," he replied in a dry harsh tone, "by no means."
"Perhaps I should have said impatient," I replied, softening the force of my remark.
softening - Erweichung; weich werdend, aufweichend; (soften); aufweichen
"Enough to make me so, I think."
"And yet we are advancing at a rate seldom attained by a raft," I remarked.
"What matters that?" cried my uncle. "I am not vexed at the rate we go at, but I am annoyed to find the sea so much vaster than I expected."
vexed - verärgert; ärgern, verärgern, reizen, irritieren, beunruhigen
vaster - Größer; beträchtlich, weit, ausgedehnt, enorm, riesig
I then recollected that the Professor, before our departure, had estimated the length of this subterranean ocean as at most about thirty leagues. Now we had traveled at least over thrice that distance without discovering any trace of the distant shore. I began to understand my uncle's anger.
estimated - geschätzt; Schätzung, Abschätzung, Kostenvoranschlag
"We are not going down," suddenly exclaimed the Professor. "We are not progressing with our great discoveries. All this is utter loss of time. After all, I did not come from home to undertake a party of pleasure. This voyage on a raft over a pond annoys and wearies me."
loss of time - Zeitverlust
pond - Weiher, Teich
annoys - nervt; stören, ärgern, belästigen, nerven, verägern, verdrießen
wearies - müde, müde
He called this adventurous journey a party of pleasure, and this great inland sea a pond!
"But," argued I, "if we have followed the route indicated by the great Saknussemm, we cannot be going far wrong."
"'That is the question,'as the great, the immortal Shakespeare, has it. Are we following the route indicated by that wondrous sage? Did Saknussemm ever fall in with this great sheet of water? If he did, did he cross it? I begin to fear that the rivulet we adopted for a guide has led us wrong."
sage - weise, klug, Weise
"In any case, we can never regret having come thus far. It is worth the whole journey to have enjoyed this magnificent spectacle-it is something to have seen."
"I care nothing about seeing, nor about magnificent spectacles. I came down into the interior of the earth with an object, and that object I mean to attain. Don't talk to me about admiring scenery, or any other sentimental trash."
trash - Müll, Abfall, Papierkorb, wegwerfen, in Unordnung bringen
After this I thought it well to hold my tongue, and allow the Professor to bite his lips until the blood came, without further remark.
bite - beißen; Biss; Stich; Bissen
At six o'clock in the evening, our matter-of-fact guide, Hans, asked for his week's salary, and receiving his three rix-dollars, put them carefully in his pocket. He was perfectly contented and satisfied.
receiving - bekommen, erhalten, empfangen, kriegen, empfangen
Sunday, August 16th. Nothing new to record. The same weather as before. The wind has a slight tendency to freshen up, with signs of an approaching gale. When I awoke, my first observation was in regard to the intensity of the light.
freshen - auffrischen, beleben
gale - Orkan; Sturm
I keep on fearing, day after day, that the extraordinary electric phenomenon should become first obscured, and then go wholly out, leaving us in total darkness. Nothing, however, of the kind occurs. The shadow of the raft, its mast and sails, is clearly distinguished on the surface of the water.
obscured - verdunkelt; obskur, dunkel, vernebelt, finster, düster
occurs - auftritt; passieren, vorkommen, stattfinden, vorkommen
This wondrous sea is, after all, infinite in its extent. It must be quite as wide as the Mediterranean-or perhaps even as the great Atlantic Ocean. Why, after all, should it not be so?
My uncle has on more than one occasion, tried deep-sea soundings. He tied the cross of one of our heaviest crowbars to the extremity of a cord, which he allowed to run out to the extent of two hundred fathoms. We had the greatest difficulty in hoisting in our novel kind of lead.
has on - (have on) anhaben
deep-sea - (deep-sea) Tiefsee
soundings - Sondierungen; erklingend, tönend, sondierend
heaviest - am schwersten; heftig, schwer, stark (Regen)
fathoms - ergründen, Faden, Klafter (Längenmaß)
hoisting - Heben; hochziehen, hissen, Hebezeug
novel - Roman, originell
When the crowbar was finally dragged on board, Hans called my attention to some singular marks upon its surface. The piece of iron looked as if it had been crushed between two very hard substances.
I looked at our worthy guide with an inquiring glance.
inquiring - Erkundigen Sie sich; erkundigen
"Tander," said he.
Of course I was at a loss to understand. I turned round towards my uncle, absorbed in gloomy reflections. I had little wish to disturb him from his reverie. I accordingly turned once more towards our worthy Icelander.
reverie - Träumerei
Hans very quietly and significantly opened his mouth once or twice, as if in the act of biting, and in this way made me understand his meaning.
significantly - signifikant
biting - beißend; bissig, beißend; stechend; (bit); beißend; bissig
"Teeth!" cried I, with stupefaction, as I examined the bar of iron with more attention.
bar - Takt; Schankstube; Latte (Sport); Balken, Leiste, Stange, Strich
Yes. There can be no doubt about the matter. The indentations on the bar of iron are the marks of teeth! What jaws must the owner of such molars be possessed of! Have we then, come upon a monster of unknown species, which still exists within the vast waste of waters-a monster more voracious than a shark, more terrible and bulky than the whale? I am unable to withdraw my eyes from the bar of iron, actually half crushed!
indentations - Einkerbungen; Delle, Einbuchtung, Vertiefung, Einrückung
jaws - Kiefer, Maul
exists - existiert; bestehen, existieren
Shark - Haifisch, Hai
bulky - massig, wuchtig, sperrig
whale - der Wal
withdraw - zurückziehen; annullieren, entziehen, abziehen, ausscheiden
Is, then, my dream about to come true-a dread and terrible reality?
All day my thoughts were bent upon these speculations, and my imagination scarcely regained a degree of calmness and power of reflection until after a sleep of many hours.
speculations - Spekulationen; Spekulation, Betrachtung, Spekulation
This day, as on other Sundays, we observed as a day of rest and pious meditation.
pious - fromm, pietätvoll, scheinheilig
meditation - Meditation
Monday, August 17th. I have been trying to realize from memory the particular instincts of those antediluvian animals of the secondary period, which succeeding to the mollusca, to the crustacea, and to the fish, preceded the appearance of the race of mammifers. The generation of reptiles then reigned supreme upon the earth. These hideous monsters ruled everything in the seas of the secondary period, which formed the strata of which the Jura mountains are composed.
from memory - aus dem Gedächtnis
instincts - Instinkte; Instinkt
succeeding - Erfolgreich; nachfolgen, gelingen, geraten, nachfolgen
mollusca - Weichtiere, Mollusken; (molluscum); Weichtiere, Mollusken
generation - Generation, Geschlecht
Nature had endowed them with perfect organization. What a gigantic structure was theirs; what vast and prodigious strength they possessed!
endowed - dotiert; ausstatten
The existing saurians, which include all such reptiles as lizards, crocodiles, and alligators, even the largest and most formidable of their class, are but feeble imitations of their mighty sires, the animals of ages long ago. If there were giants in the days of old, there were also gigantic animals.
lizards - Eidechsen; Eidechse
crocodiles - Krokodile; Krokodil
alligators - Alligatoren; Alligator
imitations - Nachahmungen; Imitation, Nachahmung, Kopie, Imitat
giants - Giganten; Riese, Riesin, Gigant, Gigantin, Gigant, Riese
I shuddered as I evolved from my mind the idea and recollection of these awful monsters. No eye of man had seen them in the flesh. They took their walks abroad upon the face of the earth thousands of ages before man came into existence, and their fossil bones, discovered in the limestone, have allowed us to reconstruct them anatomically, and thus to get some faint idea of their colossal formation.
evolved - weiterentwickelt; andauern, fortdauern, verändern, entwickeln
limestone - Kalkstein, Calciumcarbonat, Kalk, Kalk
reconstruct - wiederaufbauen, rekonstruieren
anatomically - anatomisch
colossal - kolossal
I recollect once seeing in the great Museum of Hamburg the skeleton of one of these wonderful saurians. It measured no less than thirty feet from the nose to the tail. Am I, then, an inhabitant of the earth of the present day, destined to find myself face to face with a representative of this antediluvian family?
skeleton - Skelett; Not-, Gerippe, provisorisch, Knochengerüst
representative - repräsentativ; Repräsentant, Repräsentantin, Vertreter
I can scarcely believe it possible; I can hardly believe it true. And yet these marks of powerful teeth upon the bar of iron! Can there be a doubt from their shape that the bite is the bite of a crocodile?
crocodile - Krokodil
My eyes stare wildly and with terror upon the subterranean sea. Every moment I expect one of these monsters to rise from its vast cavernous depths.
stare - starren, anstarren
I fancy that the worthy Professor in some measure shares my notions, if not my fears, for, after an attentive examination of the crowbar, he cast his eyes rapidly over the mighty and mysterious ocean.
attentive - Aufmerksam
"What could possess him to leave the land," I thought, "as if the depth of this water was of any importance to us. No doubt he has disturbed some terrible monster in his watery home, and perhaps we may pay dearly for our temerity."
watery - wässrig
Dearly - Liebevoll; teuer
temerity - Unerschrockenheit; Kühnheit, Unbesonnenheit, Verwegenheit
Anxious to be prepared for the worst, I examined our weapons, and saw that they were in a fit state for use. My uncle looked on at me and nodded his head approvingly. He, too, has noticed what we have to fear.
approvingly - zustimmend
Already the uplifting of the waters on the surface indicates that something is in motion below. The danger approaches. It comes nearer and nearer. It behooves us to be on the watch.
uplifting - erhebend, hochhebend; (uplift) erhebend, hochhebend
indicates - anzeigt; anzeigen, anweisen, andeuten, anzeigen, andeuten
approaches - Ansätze; sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
behooves - ist es sinnvoll; obliegen
Tuesday, August 18th. Evening came at last, the hour when the desire for sleep caused our eyelids to be heavy. Night there is not, properly speaking, in this place, any more than there is in summer in the arctic regions. Hans, however, is immovable at the rudder. When he snatches a moment of rest I really cannot say. I take advantage of his vigilance to take some little repose.
Arctic - arktisch, arktisch, Arktis
snatches - Fetzen; klauen, stehlen, Reißen
vigilance - Wachsamkeit
But two hours after I was awakened from a heavy sleep by an awful shock. The raft appeared to have struck upon a sunken rock. It was lifted right out of the water by some wondrous and mysterious power, and then started off twenty fathoms distant.
sunken - versenkt; gesunken, versunken
"Eh, what is it?" cried my uncle starting up. "Are we shipwrecked, or what?"
eh - oder
shipwrecked - schiffbrüchig; Schiffswrack
Hans raised his hand and pointed to where, about two hundred yards off, a large black mass was moving up and down.
moving up - aufrückend
I looked with awe. My worst fears were realized.
"It is a colossal monster!" I cried, clasping my hands.
"Yes," cried the agitated Professor, "and there yonder is a huge sea lizard of terrible size and shape."
agitated - aufgewühlt; aufwühlen, aufrühren, rühren, schütteln, umrühren
Lizard - Eidechse
"And farther on behold a prodigious crocodile. Look at his hideous jaws, and that row of monstrous teeth. Ha! he has gone."
"A whale! a whale!" shouted the Professor, "I can see her enormous fins. See, see, how she blows air and water!"
Two liquid columns rose to a vast height above the level of the sea, into which they fell with a terrific crash, waking up the echoes of that awful place. We stood still-surprised, stupefied, terror-stricken at the sight of this group of fearful marine monsters, more hideous in the reality than in my dream.
crash - Absturz; Zusammenstoß, Krach, Zusammenbruch; zusammenbrechen
waking up - (wake up) wecken, aufwachen, aufwecken
marine - See
They were of supernatural dimensions; the very smallest of the whole party could with ease have crushed our raft and ourselves with a single bite.
Hans, seizing the rudder which had flown out of his hand, puts it hard aweather in order to escape from such dangerous vicinity; but no sooner does he do so, than he finds he is flying from Scylla to Charybdis. To leeward is a turtle about forty feet wide, and a serpent quite as long, with an enormous and hideous head peering from out the waters.
seizing - (to seize) erfassen, ergreifen, anpacken; (seize); ergreifen
flown out - ausgeflogen
vicinity - Nähe; Nachbarschaft, Umgebung
Scylla - Skylla
Charybdis - Charybdis
Turtle - Schildkröte
serpent - Schlange, Serpent
Look which way we will, it is impossible for us to fly. The fearful reptiles advanced upon us; they turned and twisted about the raft with awful rapidity. They formed around our devoted vessel a series of concentric circles. I took up my rifle in desperation. But what effect can a rifle ball produce upon the armor scales with which the bodies of these horrid monsters are covered?
twisted - verdreht; Zwirn, Biegung, Wendung, Twist, verziehen, drehen
concentric circles - konzentrische Kreise
rifle - Gewehr, Karabiner
in desperation - verzweifelt
armor - Rüstung, Panzerung, Armierung, Bewehrung
We remain still and dumb from utter horror. They advance upon us, nearer and nearer. Our fate appears certain, fearful and terrible. On one side the mighty crocodile, on the other the great sea serpent. The rest of the fearful crowd of marine prodigies have plunged beneath the briny waves and disappeared!
dumb - dumm; stumm, sprachlos, blöd, doof
prodigies - Wunderkinder; Orakel, Wunder
briny - salzig
I am about to fire at any risk and try the effect of a shot. Hans, the guide, however, interfered by a sign to check me. The two hideous and ravenous monsters passed within fifty fathoms of the raft, and then made a rush at one another-their fury and rage preventing them from seeing us.
fire at - beschießen
shot - Schuss; (to shoot up) aufschießen
interfered - eingemischt; eingreifen, einmischen
The combat commenced. We distinctly made out every action of the two hideous monsters.
But to my excited imagination the other animals appeared about to take part in the fierce and deadly struggle-the monster, the whale, the lizard, and the turtle. I distinctly saw them every moment. I pointed them out to the Icelander. But he only shook his head.
take part - mitreden;mitmachen (bei)
"Tva," he said.
"What-two only does he say. Surely he is mistaken," I cried in a tone of wonder.
is mistaken - irrt
"He is quite right," replied my uncle coolly and philosophically, examining the terrible duel with his telescope and speaking as if he were in a lecture room.
philosophically - philosophisch
duel - Duell, Zweikampf, duellieren
lecture room - Hörsaal
"How can that be?"
"Yes, it is so. The first of these hideous monsters has the snout of a porpoise, the head of a lizard, the teeth of a crocodile; and it is this that has deceived us. It is the most fearful of all antediluvian reptiles, the world-renowned Ichthyosaurus or great fish lizard."
snout - Schnauze, Hundeschnauze, Rüssel, Schweinerüssel
porpoise - Tümmler, Schweinswal
renowned - bekannt; Ansehen
"And the other?"
"The other is a monstrous serpent, concealed under the hard vaulted shell of the turtle, the terrible enemy of its fearful rival, the Plesiosaurus, or sea crocodile."
enemy - Feind, Feindin, Gegner, Gegnerin, feindlich
rival - Rivalen; Gegner, Rivale, Konkurrent, Gegnerin
Hans was quite right. The two monsters only, disturbed the surface of the sea!
At last have mortal eyes gazed upon two reptiles of the great primitive ocean! I see the flaming red eyes of the Ichthyosaurus, each as big, or bigger than a man's head. Nature in its infinite wisdom had gifted this wondrous marine animal with an optical apparatus of extreme power, capable of resisting the pressure of the heavy layers of water which rolled over him in the depths of the ocean where he usually fed. It has by some authors truly been called the whale of the saurian race, for it is as big and quick in its motions as our king of the seas. This one measures not less than a hundred feet in length, and I can form some idea of his girth when I see him lift his prodigious tail out of the waters.
flaming - flammend; (flame); Flamme, poetic, anmachen
wisdom - Weisheit
gifted - begabt; Geschenk
resisting - Widerstand leisten; widerstreben, widerstehen, widerstreiten
authors - Autoren; Autor, Autorin, Verfasser, Verfasserin, Schriftsteller
motions - Bewegungen; Bewegung
girth - Sattelgurt; Umfang
His jaw is of awful size and strength, and according to the best-informed naturalists, it does not contain less than a hundred and eighty-two teeth.
jaw - Kiefer, Maul
best-informed - (best-informed) bestinformiert, kenntnisreichste
contain - enthalten
The other was the mighty Plesiosaurus, a serpent with a cylindrical trunk, with a short stumpy tail, with fins like a bank of oars in a Roman galley.
cylindrical - zylindrisch
stumpy - stämmig; plump, stumpfartig
Roman - Römer; röm. römisch, römisch
Its whole body covered by a carapace or shell, and its neck, as flexible as that of a swan, rose more than thirty feet above the waves, a tower of animated flesh!
carapace - Panzer; Carapax, Rückenschild
flexible - biegsam, flexibel, elastisch, dehnbar, fügsam
swan - Schwan
These animals attacked one another with inconceivable fury. Such a combat was never seen before by mortal eyes, and to us who did see it, it appeared more like the phantasmagoric creation of a dream than anything else. They raised mountains of water, which dashed in spray over the raft, already tossed to and fro by the waves. Twenty times we seemed on the point of being upset and hurled headlong into the waves.
attacked - angegriffen; Attacke, Angriff, Angriff, Attacke, Anfall, Anfall
phantasmagoric - phantasmagorisch
tossed - geworfen; Wurf, Münzwurf, werfen, werfen, verwerfen, wegwerfen
hurled - geschleudert; schleudern
Hideous hisses appeared to shake the gloomy granite roof of that mighty cavern-hisses which carried terror to our hearts. The awful combatants held each other in a tight embrace. I could not make out one from the other. Still the combat could not last forever; and woe unto us, whichsoever became the victor.
combatants - Kämpfer, Kämpferin, Bekämpfer, Bekämpferin, Kombattant
tight - knapp, eng, dicht, tight, fest
Embrace - umarmen; annehmen, Umarmung
woe - wehe; Weh, Jammer, Kummer, Leid
Victor - Viktor
One hour, two hours, three hours passed away, without any decisive result. The struggle continued with the same deadly tenacity, but without apparent result. The deadly opponents now approached, now drew away from the raft. Once or twice we fancied they were about to leave us altogether, but instead of that, they came nearer and nearer.
tenacity - Hartnäckigkeit; Zähigkeit, Beharrlichkeit
apparent - offensichtlich; offenbar
opponents - Gegner, Gegnerin, Gegner (1, 2, 3), Gegenspieler
We crouched on the raft ready to fire at them at a moment's notice, poor as the prospect of hurting or terrifying them was. Still we were determined not to perish without a struggle.
ready to fire - schussbereit
at a moment's notice - jeden Augenblick
hurting - weh tun, schmerzen, verletzen, quälen, verletzt
terrifying - erschreckend; erschrecken
Suddenly the Ichthyosaurus and the Plesiosaurus disappeared beneath the waves, leaving behind them a maelstrom in the midst of the sea. We were nearly drawn down by the indraft of the water!
leaving behind - hinterlassend
maelstrom - Mahlstrom, Strudel
indraft - Einziehung
Several minutes elapsed before anything was again seen. Was this wonderful combat to end in the depths of the ocean? Was the last act of this terrible drama to take place without spectators?
last act - Schlussakt
drama - Drama, Schauspiel
spectators - Zuschauer, Zuschauerin, Schaulustiger
It was impossible for us to say.
Suddenly, at no great distance from us, an enormous mass rises out of the waters-the head of the great Plesiosaurus. The terrible monster is now wounded unto death. I can see nothing now of his enormous body. All that could be distinguished was his serpent-like neck, which he twisted and curled in all the agonies of death. Now he struck the waters with it as if it had been a gigantic whip, and then again wriggled like a worm cut in two.
wounded - verwundet; anschießen, verwunden
curled - gelockt; Locke
agonies - Qualen; Agonie, Qual, Pein, Qual, Todeskampf, Freudenausbruch
wriggled - gezappelt; sich winden, schlängeln
The water was spurted up to a great distance in all directions. A great portion of it swept over our raft and nearly blinded us. But soon the end of the beast approached nearer and nearer; his movements slackened visibly; his contortions almost ceased; and at last the body of the mighty snake lay an inert, dead mass on the surface of the now calm and placid waters.
spurted - gespritzt; herausspritzen (aus)
blinded - geblendet; blind, blind, unkritisch, ignorant, blind, Jalousie
slackened - erlahmt; entspannen
contortions - Verrenkungen; Kontorsion
placid - ruhig, friedlich, sanft
As for the Ichthyosaurus, has he gone down to his mighty cavern under the sea to rest, or will he reappear to destroy us?
reappear - wieder auftauchen; wieder erscheinen, wiederauftreten
destroy - zerstören, vernichten
This question remained unanswered. And we had breathing time.
unanswered - unbeantwortet
breathing time - Atempause
Wednesday, August 19th. Fortunately the wind, which for the present blows with some violence, has allowed us to escape from the scene of the unparalleled and extraordinary struggle. Hans with his usual imperturbable calm remained at the helm.
unparalleled - unvergleichlich
helm - Pinne, Ruder, Steuer, Steuerruder
My uncle, who for a short time had been withdrawn from his absorbing reveries by the novel incidents of this sea fight, fell back again apparently into a brown study. His eyes were fixed impatiently on the widespread ocean.
withdrawn - zurückgezogen; annullieren, entziehen, abziehen, ausscheiden
absorbing - absorbieren, aufnehen
reveries - Träumereien; Träumerei
fight - kämpfen; Kampf, Schlacht
impatiently - Ungeduldig
widespread - weit verbreitet
Our voyage now became monotonous and uniform. Dull as it has become, I have no desire to have it broken by any repetition of the perils and adventures of yesterday.
repetition - Wiederholung, Wdh(lg). Wiederholung
Thursday, August 20th. The wind is now N. N. E., and blows very irregularly. It has changed to fitful gusts. The temperature is exceedingly high. We are now progressing at the average rate of about ten miles and a half per hour.
irregularly - unregelmäßig
fitful - unruhig; unregelmäßig
gusts - Böen; Windstoß, Bö
average rate - Durchschnittssatz
per - je, pro, für, per
About twelve o'clock a distant sound as of thunder fell upon our ears. I make a note of the fact without even venturing a suggestion as to its cause. It was one continued roar as of a sea falling over mighty rocks.
"Far off in the distance," said the Professor dogmatically, "there is some rock or some island against which the sea lashed to fury by the wind, is breaking violently."
lashed - festgezurrt; Peitsche, Wimper; anbinden
Hans, without saying a word, clambered to the top of the mast, but could make out nothing. The ocean was level in every direction as far as the eye could reach.
Three hours passed away without any sign to indicate what might be before us. The sound began to assume that of a mighty cataract.
cataract - Katarakt, Grauer Star
I expressed my opinion on this point strongly to my uncle. He merely shook his head. I, however, am strongly impressed by a conviction that I am not wrong. Are we advancing towards some mighty waterfall which shall cast us into the abyss? Probably this mode of descending into the abyss may be agreeable to the Professor, because it would be something like the vertical descent he is so eager to make. I entertain a very different opinion.
expressed - ausgedrückt; bekunden, Eilzug, Schnellzug
mode - Betriebsart, Betrieb, Modus, Art
entertain - unterhalten
Whatever be the truth, it is certain that not many leagues distant there must be some very extraordinary phenomenon, for as we advance the roar becomes something mighty and stupendous. Is it in the water, or in the air?
I cast hasty glances aloft at the suspended vapors, and I seek to penetrate their mighty depths. But the vault above is tranquil. The clouds, which are now elevated to the very summit, appear utterly still and motionless, and completely lost in the irradiation of electric light. It is necessary, therefore, to seek for the cause of this phenomenon elsewhere.
hasty - voreilig; hastig, eilig
glances - blicken, Blick, Streifblick, Glanz, Steinkohle
I examine the horizon, now perfectly calm, pure, and free from all haze. Its aspect still remains unchanged. But if this awful noise proceeds from a cataract-if, so to speak in plain English, this vast interior ocean is precipitated into a lower basin-if these tremendous roars are produced by the noise of falling waters, the current would increase in activity, and its increasing swiftness would give me some idea of the extent of the peril with which we are menaced.
proceeds - Erlöse; vorgehen
precipitated - ausgefallen; Niederschlag; ausscheiden, stürzen, fällen
roars - brüllt; brüllen, brüllen, Tosen
swiftness - Schnelligkeit
peril - Gefahr, Risiko
I consult the current. It simply does not exist: there is no such thing. An empty bottle cast into the water lies to leeward without motion.
lies to - belügt
About four o'clock Hans rises, clambers up the mast, and reaches the truck itself. From this elevated position his looks are cast around. They take in a vast circumference of the ocean. At last, his eyes remain fixed. His face expresses no astonishment, but his eyes slightly dilate.
clambers - klammert; klettern, erklimmen, kraxeln, herumturnen
truck - Lkw, Lastkraftwagen; Lastkraftwagen, Lastwagen, Lastauto
expresses - ausdrückt; bekunden, Eilzug, Schnellzug
dilate - ausdehnen; dilatieren, weiten, vergrößern, erweitern
"He has seen something at last," cried my uncle.
"I think so," I replied.
Hans came down, stood beside us, and pointed with his right hand to the south.
"Der nere," he said.
"There," replied my uncle.
And seizing his telescope, he looked at it with great attention for about a minute, which to me appeared an age. I knew not what to think or expect.
"Yes, yes," he cried in a tone of considerable surprise, "there it is."
"What?" I asked.
"A tremendous spurt of water rising out of the waves."
spurt - herausspritzen (aus)
"Some other marine monster," I cried, already alarmed.
"Perhaps."
"Then let us steer more to the westward, for we know what we have to expect from antediluvian animals," was my eager reply.
steer - steuern, führen, lenken; junger Ochse, Rind
"Go ahead," said my uncle.
I turned towards Hans. Hans was at the tiller steering with his usual imperturbable calm.
Nevertheless, if from the distance which separated us from this creature, a distance which must be estimated at not less than a dozen leagues, one could see the column of water spurting from the blow-hole of the great animal, his dimensions must be something preternatural.
creature - Wesen, Lebewesen, Fabelwesen
spurting - sprudelnd; herausspritzen (aus)
preternatural - übernatürlich
To fly is, therefore, the course to be suggested by ordinary prudence. But we have not come into that part of the world to be prudent. Such is my uncle's determination.
We, accordingly, continued to advance. The nearer we come, the loftier is the spouting water. What monster can fill himself with such huge volumes of water, and then unceasingly spout them out in such lofty jets?
loftier - erhabener; hoch, qualifier
spouting - sprudelnd; herausspritzend; (spout); Tülle, Ausguss, Schnabel
At eight o'clock in the evening,