I took the house of Brentwood on my return from India in 18-, for the temporary accommodation of my family, until I could find a permanent home for them. It had many advantages which made it peculiarly appropriate. It was within reach of Edinburgh; and my boy Roland, whose education had been considerably neglected, could ride in and out to school; which was thought to be better for him than either leaving home altogether or staying there always with a tutor.
India - Indien
temporary - zeitweilig, temporär, vorübergehend, Zeitarbeitskraft
accommodation - Unterkunft, Übernachtung, Anpassung
permanent - dauerhaft; permanent, ständig, beständig, unbefristet
peculiarly - eigentümlich
appropriate - angebracht, angemessen, passend, zugewiesen, anpassen, aneignen
within - in, innerhalb
Edinburgh - Edinburg
Considerably - Erheblich; wesentlich, beträchtlich, beachtlich
neglected - vernachlässigt; vernachlässigen, verabsäumen, versäumen
altogether - ganz und gar, ohne Ausnahme, ausnahmslos, insgesamt
tutor - Nachhilfelehrer; Privatunterricht geben; Lehrprogramm
The lad was doubly precious to us, being the only one left to us of many; and he was fragile in body, we believed, and deeply sensitive in mind. The two girls also found at Brentwood everything they wanted. They were near enough to Edinburgh to have masters and lessons as many as they required for completing that never-ending education which the young people seem to require nowadays.
lad - Junge, Knabe, Bube, Bursche, junger Mann, Stallbursche
doubly - zweifach; doppelt
precious - kostbar, wertvoll, süßlich, kitschig
fragile - fragil, zerbrechlich
deeply - tief; zutiefst
sensitive - empfindlich, sensibel
masters - Haupt.., Grund, Meister, führend, leitend; bewältigen, meistern
required - erforderlich; erfordern, brauchen, benötigen
nowadays - Heutzutage; gegenwärtig, zur Zeit, derzeitig, jetzt
Brentwood stands on that fine and wealthy slope of country-one of the richest in Scotland-which lies between the Pentland Hills and the Firth. In clear weather you could see the blue gleam of the great estuary on one side of you; and on the other the blue heights.
wealthy - wohlhabend, reich
slope - Steigung, Hang, Abhang, Ableitung
Scotland - Schottland
Firth - Meeresarm
gleam - Schimmer; durchschimmern, glänzen
estuary - Ästuar, Flussmündung
Edinburgh-with its two lesser heights, the Castle and the Calton Hill, its spires and towers piercing through the smoke, and Arthur's Seat lying crouched behind, like a guardian no longer very needful, taking his repose beside the well-beloved charge, which is now, so to speak, able to take care of itself without him-lay at our right hand.
spires - Türme; Turmspitze, Spitze (Turm-)
piercing - Piercing; durchdringend, stechend, beißend
crouched - gehockt; sich ducken (vor), kriechen; kauern, hocken
guardian - Wächter, Wache, Vormund, Erziehungsberechtigter
needful - nötig, das Nötige, notwendig
repose - ruhen
beside - daneben; neben
beloved - beliebt, geliebt, Liebe, Liebchen, Liebling; (belove); beliebt
charge - Gebühr; Entgelt; Ladung; Last; Rempeln; beauftragen, belasten
lay - legen; richten (Tisch)
The village of Brentwood, with its prosaic houses, lay in a hollow almost under our house. Village architecture does not flourish in Scotland. Still a cluster of houses on different elevations, with scraps of garden coming in between, a hedgerow with clothes laid out to dry, the opening of a street with its rural sociability, the women at their doors, the slow wagon lumbering along, gives a centre to the landscape. In the park which surrounded the house were the ruins of the former mansion of Brentwood,-a much smaller and less important house than the solid Georgian edifice which we inhabited. The ruins were picturesque, however, and gave importance to the place. Even we, who were but temporary tenants, felt a vague pride in them, as if they somehow reflected a certain consequence upon ourselves. The old building had the remains of a tower,-an indistinguishable mass of masonwork, overgrown with ivy; and the shells of the walls attached to this were half filled up with soil.
prosaic - prosaisch
hollow - hohl, dumpf
flourish - gedeihen, blühen, spriessen, grünen
cluster - Anhäufung, Büschel, Gruppe, Haufen
elevations - Erhöhungen; Hebung, Erheben
scraps - Abfälle; ausrangieren; Abfallholz, Teil, Schrott
hedgerow - Hecke
laid - gelegt; richten (Tisch)
rural - ländlich, dörflich
sociability - Kontaktfreudigkeit; Gemütlichkeit
wagon - Waggon; Wagen; Bollerwagen
lumbering - schwerfällig; (lumber) Gerümpel, Nutzholz
landscape - Landschaft; Querformat
surrounded - umgeben, umringen, umzingeln, umringen
ruins - Ruinen; Ruine, Ruin, Ruin, ruinieren, auf die Knie zwingen
former - erstgenannt, ehem. ehemalig, frühere, früher
mansion - Herrenhaus, Villa, Anwesen
solid - fest, massiv, kompakt, deftig, solide, robust, bündig
Georgian - Georgisch
edifice - Bauwerk, Gebäude, Lehrgebäude, Gedankengebäude
inhabited - bewohnt; bewohnen
picturesque - malerisch; q
importance - Bedeutung; Wichtigkeit, Belang
tenants - Pächter, Mieter
vague - vage; nebelhaft, schwach, unklar, undeutlich
pride - Hochmut; Stolz, Trotz, Dünkel, Machtbewusstsein, Rudel
somehow - irgendwie
reflected - reflektiert; reflektieren, zurückspiegeln, spiegeln
consequence - Konsequenz, Folge
upon - auf; mit
old building - Altbau
remains - bleibt; Überrest (2), de
indistinguishable - ununterscheidbar
mass - Masse; Messe (kirchlich), Gottesdienst, Menge
masonwork - Maurerarbeiten
overgrown - überwuchert; überwuchern
ivy - Efeu
shells - Muscheln; Schale, Schale, Eierschale, Schale, Hülse, Granate
attached - befestigt; anbringen
filled up - aufgefüllt
soil - Boden, (Erd-) Boden; beflecken, beschmutzen, schmutzig machen
At a little distance were some very commonplace and disjointed fragments of buildings, one of them suggesting a certain pathos by its very commonness and the complete wreck which it showed. This was the end of a low gable, a bit of grey wall, all incrusted with lichens, in which was a common door-way. Probably it had been a servants'entrance, a backdoor, or opening into what are called "the offices" in Scotland. No offices remained to be entered,-pantry and kitchen had all been swept out of being; but there stood the door-way open and vacant, free to all the winds, to the rabbits, and every wild creature. It struck my eye, the first time I went to Brentwood, like a melancholy comment upon a life that was over. A door that led to nothing,-closed once, perhaps, with anxious care, bolted and guarded, now void of any meaning. It impressed me, I remember, from the first; so perhaps it may be said that my mind was prepared to attach to it an importance which nothing justified.
commonplace - alltäglich, banal, gang und gäbe, gewöhnlich, Gemeinplatz
disjointed - unzusammenhängend; disjunkt, zertrennen
fragments - Fragmente; Fragment
buildings - Bau, bildend, Erstellung, Gebäude
commonness - Gewöhnlichkeit; Häufigkeit
wreck - Wrack, Schrott, Schrotthaufen, Schrottkiste, Zusammenstoß
gable - Giebel, Gabel
lichens - Flechten; Flechte
servants - Diener, Dienerin, Lakai, Kammerdiener, Zofe, Bediensteter
entrance - Eingang, Einfahrt, Antritt
backdoor - Hintertür
led - geführt; LED; (lead) führen, anführen
remained - geblieben; Überrest (2), de
pantry - Speisekammer, Vorratskammer
swept - gekehrt; fegen, kehren, fegen, rauschen, auf den Kopf stellen
vacant - unbesetzt; frei, vakant, leer, nichtssagend, ausdruckslos
winds - Winde; aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln, abspulen
rabbits - Kaninchen, Hase
creature - Wesen, Lebewesen, Fabelwesen
struck - angeschlagen; streichen, schlagen, prägen, streiken, scheinen
melancholy - Melancholie, Schwermut, Wehmut
anxious - ängstlich, besorgt
bolted - verriegelt; Riegel, Ballen, Blitz, Bolzen; durchgehen (Pferd)
guarded - bewacht; Wächter, Parierstange, Schutz, schützen, bewachen
void - nichtig
impressed - beeindruckt; beeindrucken, prägen
attach - befestigen; anbringen
justified - gerechtfertigt; rechtfertigen, rechtfertigen, ausrichten
The summer was a very happy period of repose for us all; and it was when the family had settled down for the winter, when the days were short and dark, and the rigorous reign of frost upon us, that the incidents occurred which alone could justify me in intruding upon the world my private affairs.
settled - erledigt; abklären
rigorous - rigoros
reign - Herrschaft, Regentschaft, herrschen, regieren
frost - Reif; Frost; glasieren
Incidents - Vorfälle; Vorfall, Begebenheit, Ereignis
occurred - aufgetreten; passieren, vorkommen, stattfinden, vorkommen
justify - rechtfertigen; ausrichten, justieren
intruding - eindringen, stören, eindrängen
my private affairs - meine Privatangelegenheiten
I was absent in London when these events began. In London an old Indian plunges back into the interests with which all his previous life has been associated, and meets old friends at every step. I had been circulating among some half-dozen of these and had missed some of my home letters. It is never safe to miss one's letters. In this transitory life, as the Prayer-book says, how can one ever be certain what is going to happen? All was well at home. I knew exactly (I thought) what they would have to say to me: "The weather has been so fine, that Roland has not once gone by train, and he enjoys the ride beyond anything.
absent - (absent-minded) abwesend, geistesabwesend, unaufmerksam
Indian - indisch, indianisch, Inder, Inderin, Indianer, Indianerin
plunges - stürzt; eintauchen, tauchen
previous - früher; vorhergehend
associated - verbunden; Weggefährte, vereinigen
circulating - umlaufen, kreisen, zirkulieren, kursieren
dozen - Dutzend; Dutzende (''of'': von)
transitory - vorübergehend
prayer - Gebet; (the Lord's Prayer) Paternoster
beyond - darüber hinaus; jenseits
"Dear papa, be sure that you don't forget anything, but bring us so-and-so, and so-and-so,"-a list as long as my arm. Dear girls and dearer mother! I would not for the world have forgotten their commissions, or lost their little letters!
papa - der Papa
commissions - Provisionen; Auftrag, Kommission, Ausschuss, Abschlußprämie
When I got back to my club, however, three or four letters were lying for me, upon some of which I noticed the "immediate," "urgent," which old-fashioned people and anxious people still believe will influence the post-office and quicken the speed of the mails. I was about to open one of these, when the club porter brought me two telegrams, one of which, he said, had arrived the night before. I opened, as was to be expected, the last first, and this was what I read: "Why don't you come or answer? For God's sake, come. He is much worse." This was a thunderbolt to fall upon a man's head who had one only son, and he the light of his eyes! The other telegram, which I opened with hands trembling so much that I lost time by my haste, was to much the same purpose: "No better; doctor afraid of brain-fever. Calls for you day and night. Let nothing detain you." The first thing I did was to look up the time-tables to see if there was any way of getting off sooner than by the night-train, though I knew well enough there was not; and then I read the letters, which furnished, alas!
immediate - sofortig; unmittelbar, immediat
urgent - dringend, dringlich, eilig
old-fashioned - (old-fashioned) altmodisch
influence - Einfluss; Beeinflussung, Beeinflusser, beeinflussen
quicken - beschleunigen
porter - Gepäckträger, Pförtner, Portier; (port) Gepäckträger, Pförtner
Telegrams - Telegramme; Telegramm
For God's sake - Um Gottes willen!
thunderbolt - Donnerkeil, Blitzstrahl, Blitz mit Donnerschlag
trembling - Zittern, Beben; (tremble); zittern; Zittern
haste - Eile, Hast
fever - Fieber, Temperaturerhöhung
detain - festhalten; verhaften
though - aber; trotzdem, doch, allerdings, obwohl, obgleich
furnished - eingerichtet; möblieren, einrichten, ausrüsten
Alas - leider [Gottes]; (ala) leider [Gottes]
too clearly, all the details. They told me that the boy had been pale for some time, with a scared look. His mother had noticed it before I left home, but would not say anything to alarm me. This look had increased day by day; and soon it was observed that Roland came home at a wild gallop through the park, his pony panting and in foam, himself "as white as a sheet," but with the perspiration streaming from his forehead. For a long time he had resisted all questioning, but at length had developed such strange changes of mood, showing a reluctance to go to school, a desire to be fetched in the carriage at night,-which was a ridiculous piece of luxury,-an unwillingness to go out into the grounds, and nervous start at every sound, that his mother had insisted upon an explanation. When the boy-our boy Roland, who had never known what fear was-began to talk to her of voices he had heard in the park, and shadows that had appeared to him among the ruins, my wife promptly put him to bed and sent for Dr. Simson, which, of course, was the only thing to do.
pale - Pfahl, blass; bleich (vor), blass (vor)
alarm - Alarm, Alarmsignal, Alarmstimmung, Wecker, Alarm schlagen
observed - beobachtet; beobachten, beachten, halten, bemerken
gallop - Galopp; galoppieren
pony - Pony (kleines Pferd)
panting - hechelnd; hecheln, keucheln
foam - Schaum; Schaumgummi; schäumen
perspiration - Schwitzen
streaming - strömend; (stream); Bach; Strom; Datenstrom; strömen; streamen
forehead - Stirn
resisted - widerstanden; widerstreben, widerstehen, widerstreiten
Length - Länge, Längenmaß, Pferdelänge
mood - Anwandlung, Stimmung, launisch
reluctance - Widerstreben, Widerwillen, Widerwille, Zögern, Zaudern
desire - begehren; Begehren, Wunsch
fetched - geholt; holen, einfangen, abrufen, apportieren
carriage - Kutsche; Gang, Haltung, Wagen, Frachtgeld, Fracht, Fuhrlohn
ridiculous - lächerlich
luxury - Luxus
unwillingness - Unwilligkeit
insisted - darauf bestanden; auf , bestehen
shadows - Schatten, beschatten, beschatten
promptly - unverzüglich; bereit
I hurried off that evening, as may be supposed, with an anxious heart. How I got through the hours before the starting of the train, I cannot tell. We must all be thankful for the quickness of the railway when in anxiety; but to have thrown myself into a post-chaise as soon as horses could be put to, would have been a relief. I got to Edinburgh very early in the blackness of the winter morning, and scarcely dared look the man in the face, at whom I gasped, "What news?" My wife had sent the brougham for me, which I concluded, before the man spoke, was a bad sign. His answer was that stereotyped answer which leaves the imagination so wildly free,-"Just the same." Just the same! What might that mean? The horses seemed to me to creep along the long dark country road. As we dashed through the park, I thought I heard some one moaning among the trees, and clenched my fist at him (whoever he might be) with fury. Why had the fool of a woman at the gate allowed any one to come in to disturb the quiet of the place? If I had not been in such hot haste to get home, I think I should have stopped the carriage and got out to see what tramp it was that had made an entrance, and chosen my grounds, of all places in the world,-when my boy was ill!-to grumble and groan in.
hurried - eilig; Eile, beeilen
thankful - dankbar
quickness - Schnelligkeit
anxiety - Ängste; Besorgnis, Angst, Sorge
relief - Erleichterung, Befreiung, Linderung, Unterstützung
blackness - Schwärze
scarcely - knapp, kaum, wohl nicht, gerade erst
dared - gewagt; sich getrauen, wagen, jemanden herausfordern
whom - wen; wem; dem, der, den, die
gasped - keuchte; keuchen, japsen, prusten, keuchen, Atemzug, Luftholen
brougham - Kutsche
concluded - abgeschlossen; beenden, schließen, zu Ende führen, abschließen
stereotyped - stereotypisiert; Stereotyp, Klischee
imagination - Phantasie; Vorstellungskraft, Imagination, Einbildungskraft
wildly - wild
creep - Fiesling; kriechen; schleichen; Knilch, Widerling
country road - Landstraße , Chaussee
dashed - gestrichelt; Bindestrich, Gedankenstrich, Querstrich, Strich
moaning - Stöhnen
clenched - geballt; ballen
fist - fausten; Faust
Whoever - wer immer, wer auch immer
fury - Wut; Furie
fool - dumme Gans, Dummkopf, Narr, Närrin
disturb - stören
tramp - Landstreicher; Vagabund, Penner, Schlampe, Flittchen
grumble - meckern; Gegrummel, Grummeln, Knurren, murren, brummen
groan - Stöhnen; Seufzen, Ächzen, Knarren
But I had no reason to complain of our slow pace here. The horses flew like lightning along the intervening path, and drew up at the door all panting, as if they had run a race. My wife stood waiting to receive me, with a pale face, and a candle in her hand, which made her look paler still as the wind blew the flame about. "He is sleeping," she said in a whisper, as if her voice might wake him. And I replied, when I could find my voice, also in a whisper, as though the jingling of the horses'furniture and the sound of their hoofs must not have been more dangerous. I stood on the steps with her a moment, almost afraid to go in, now that I was here; and it seemed to me that I saw without observing, if I may so say, that the horses were unwilling to turn round, though their stables lay that way, or that the men were unwilling. These things occurred to me afterwards, though at the moment I was not capable of anything but to ask questions and to hear of the condition of the boy.
pace - Tempo, Stufe, Schritt
lightning - Blitzschlag; Blitz; Entladung
intervening - eingreifen, einschreiten, dazwischengehen, dazwischenfahren
path - Weg, Pfad
candle - Kerze
paler - blasser; Kumpel, Kamerad
wind - aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln, abspulen
flame - Flamme, poetic, anmachen
whisper - Geflüster, Flüstern, Wispern
jingling - Klirren; Jingle
hoofs - Hufe; Huf
observing - Beobachtung; beobachten, beachten, halten, bemerken
turn round - umlenken, wenden, umbiegen
stables - Ställe; Rennstall (Pferdesport); dauerhaft, beständig, Stall
capable - fähig
I looked at him from the door of his room, for we were afraid to go near, lest we should disturb that blessed sleep. It looked like actual sleep, not the lethargy into which my wife told me he would sometimes fall. She told me everything in the next room, which communicated with his, rising now and then and going to the door of the communication; and in this there was much that was very startling and confusing to the mind. It appeared that ever since the winter began-since it was early dark, and night had fallen before his return from school-he had been hearing voices among the ruins; at first only a groaning, he said, at which his pony was as much alarmed as he was, but by degrees a voice. The tears ran down my wife's cheeks as she described to me how he would start up in the night and cry out. "Oh, mother, let me in! oh, mother, let me in!" with a pathos which rent her heart. And she sitting there all the time, only longing to do everything his heart could desire!
blessed - gesegnet; selig; (bless); gesegnet; selig
actual - tatsächlich, konkret, gegenwärtig, aktuell
lethargy - Trägheit, Lethargie, Teilnahmslosigkeit, Interesselosigkeit
communication - Kommunikation, Informationsaustausch, Mitteilung
startling - verblüffend; überraschend, alarmierend, erschreckend
confusing - verwirrend; verwirren, konfundieren, verwechseln, vermischen
groaning - ächzend, stöhnend, Ächzen, Geächze
alarmed - beunruhigt; Alarm, Alarm, Alarmsignal
by degrees - nach und nach
Tears - Tränen; zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
cheeks - Wangen; Backe, qualifierormal, Backe, Stirn, Mick, Pumpenmick
rent - Mietpreis, Wohnungsmiete, Hausmiete; anmieten; (rend); zerreißen
But though she would try to soothe him, crying, "You are at home, my darling. I am here. Don't you know me? Your mother is here!" he would only stare at her, and after a while spring up again with the same cry. At other times he would be quite reasonable, she said, asking eagerly when I was coming, but declaring that he must go with me as soon as I did so, "to let them in." "The doctor thinks his nervous system must have received a shock," my wife said. "Oh, Henry, can it be that we have pushed him on too much with his work-a delicate boy like Roland? And what is his work in comparison with his health? Even you would think little of honours or prizes if it hurt the boy's health." Even I!-as if I were an inhuman father sacrificing my child to my ambition. But I would not increase her trouble by taking any notice.
soothe - beruhigen, Wogen glätten, mildern, besänftigen
darling - Liebling, Schatz, Schätzchen
stare - starren, anstarren
spring up - aus dem Boden schießen, (Wind) aufkommen
reasonable - vernünftig
eagerly - eifrig
declaring - bekanntmachen, bekanntgeben, deklarieren, ausrufen, aussagen
shock - Schock, Betroffenheit, Empörung, Schlag, Stoß
delicate - empfindlich, heikel, schwierig, feingliedrig, filigran
comparison - Vergleich, Komparation, Vergleichen, Vergleichung
honours - Ehrung, Ehre; ehren; beehren, akzeptieren, annehmen, honorieren
inhuman - unmenschlich
sacrificing - opfern, opfern, Opfer
Ambition - Ehrgeiz, checkAmbition (5)
There was just daylight enough to see his face when I went to him; and what a change in a fortnight! He was paler and more worn, I thought, than even in those dreadful days in the plains before we left India. His hair seemed to me to have grown long and lank; his eyes were like blazing lights projecting out of his white face. He got hold of my hand in a cold and tremulous clutch, and waved to everybody to go away. "Go away-even mother," he said; "go away." This went to her heart; for she did not like that even I should have more of the boy's confidence than herself; but my wife has never been a woman to think of herself, and she left us alone. "Are they all gone?" he said eagerly. "They would not let me speak. The doctor treated me as if I were a fool.
daylight - Tageslicht; Tag
fortnight - vierzehn Tage; vierzehn Tag age, zwei Wochen
paler - blasser; Pfahl, blass; bleich (vor), blass (vor)
dreadful - furchtbar, schrecklich
plains - Ebenen; unscheinbar, einfach, vollständige, ehrlich
lank - schlaff; strähnig, dünn, schmächtig
blazing - lodernd; Lohe, Brand, Großbrand, brenne, Glut
tremulous - zitternd
clutch - Vogelgelege; Kupplung (Auto), Gelege
confidence - Selbstgewissheit; Zuversicht; Vertrauen, Zutrauen
treated - behandelt; behandeln, bewirten, einladen, heilen, kurieren
You know I am not a fool, papa."
"Yes, yes, my boy, I know. But you are ill, and quiet is so necessary. You are not only not a fool, Roland, but you are reasonable and understand. When you are ill you must deny yourself; you must not do everything that you might do being well."
deny - verweigern, leugnen;gegen jdn. retten
He waved his thin hand with a sort of indignation. "Then, father, I am not ill," he cried. "Oh, I thought when you came you would not stop me,-you would see the sense of it! What do you think is the matter with me, all of you? Simson is well enough; but he is only a doctor.
indignation - Empörung, Entrüstung
What do you think is the matter with me? I am no more ill than you are. A doctor, of course, he thinks you are ill the moment he looks at you-that's what he's there for-and claps you into bed."
claps - klatscht; Tripper, Beifall; klatschen
"Which is the best place for you at present, my dear boy."
"I made up my mind," cried the little fellow, "that I would stand it till you came home. I said to myself, I won't frighten mother and the girls. But now, father," he cried, half jumping out of bed, "it's not illness: it's a secret."
fellow - Stipendiat, Typ, Kerl, Bursche; Gefährte, Kerl
frighten - Angst machen, erschrecken, beängstigen
jumping out - herausspringend
His eyes shone so wildly, his face was so swept with strong feeling, that my heart sank within me. It could be nothing but fever that did it, and fever had been so fatal. I got him into my arms to put him back into bed. "Roland," I said, humouring the poor child, which I knew was the only way, "if you are going to tell me this secret to do any good, you know you must be quite quiet, and not excite yourself.
shone - leuchtete; schimmern, wienern; Schein; putzen (Schuhe)
sank - gesunken; sinken, senken, senken, versenken, Spüle, Spülbecken
fatal - verhängnisvoll, fatal, tödlich
humouring - Humorvoll; Humor, Laune, Humor, Stimmung, Körpersaft, Saft
excite - erregen; anregen gloss erves
If you excite yourself, I must not let you speak."
"Yes, father," said the boy. He was quiet directly, like a man, as if he quite understood. When I had laid him back on his pillow, he looked up at me with that grateful, sweet look with which children, when they are ill, break one's heart, the water coming into his eyes in his weakness. "I was sure as soon as you were here you would know what to do," he said.
directly - direkt, gerade, unmittelbar
pillow - Kopfkissen, Kissen; Ruhekissen
grateful - dankbar, erkenntlich, wohltuend, zufrieden
weakness - Schwäche, Faible
"To be sure, my boy. Now Keep quiet, and tell it all out like a man." To think I was telling lies to my own child! for I did it only to humour him, thinking, poor little fellow, his brain was wrong.
Keep quiet - totschweigen;Sei still!, Sei ruhig!
lies to - belügt
humour - Humor; Laune, Stimmung, Körpersaft
"Yes, father. Father, there is some one in the park,-some one that has been badly used."
"Hush, my dear; you remember there is to be no excitement. Well, who is this somebody, and who has been ill-using him? We will soon put a stop to that."
Hush - Pst; verstummen, still werden, zum Schweigen bringen, Stille
excitement - Aufregung, Begeisterung, Spannung, Erregung
"Ah," cried Roland, "but it is not so easy as you think. I don't know who it is. It is just a cry. Oh, if you could hear it! It gets into my head in my sleep. I heard it as clear-as clear; and they think that I am dreaming, or raving perhaps," the boy said, with a sort of disdainful smile.
raving - (rave) wüten, toben, rasen; (rave) (rave) wüten, toben, rasen
disdainful - verächtlich
This look of his perplexed me; it was less like fever than I thought. "Are you quite sure you have not dreamed it, Roland?" I said.
perplexed - perplex; verwirren
"Dreamed?-that!" He was springing up again when he suddenly bethought himself, and lay down flat, with the same sort of smile on his face. "The pony heard it, too," he said. "She jumped as if she had been shot. If I had not grasped at the reins-for I was frightened, father--"
bethought - überlegt; besinnen
shot - Schuss; (to shoot up) aufschießen
grasped - begriffen; greifen, erfassen, begreifen, verstehen, erfassen
reins - Zügel
frightened - verängstigt; Angst machen, erschrecken, schrecken, beängstigen
"No shame to you, my boy," said I, though I scarcely knew why.
shame - Schamgefühl; Scham, Schande
"If I hadn't held to her like a leech, she'd have pitched me over her head, and never drew breath till we were at the door. Did the pony dream it?" he said, with a soft disdain, yet indulgence for my foolishness. Then he added slowly, "It was only a cry the first time, and all the time before you went away. I wouldn't tell you, for it was so wretched to be frightened. I thought it might be a hare or a rabbit snared, and I went in the morning and looked; but there was nothing.
leech - Egel, Blutegel
pitched - gepitcht; werfen, festsetzen, errichten; Tonhöhe, Tonlage, Pech
breath - Atmen, Atmung, Atemzug, Atem, Atempause
disdain - Verachtung, Geringschätzung (disrespect)
indulgence - Ablasshandel; Nachgiebigkeit, Nachsicht, Milde, Nachsichtigkeit
foolishness - Torheit, Dummheit, Tölpelhaftigkeit, Narrheit
wretched - unglücklich; sehr schlecht, miserabel, wertlos
be frightened - sich erschrecken (über)
Hare - Hase
rabbit - Kaninchen, Hase
snared - gefangen; Schlinge, Falle
It was after you went I heard it really first; and this is what he says." He raised himself on his elbow close to me, and looked me in the face: "Oh, mother, let me in! oh, mother, let me in!" As he said the words a mist came over his face, the mouth quivered, the soft features all melted and changed, and when he had ended these pitiful words, dissolved in a shower of heavy tears.
elbow - Ellbogen; Rohrbogen; Ellbogenstoß; ellbögeln
mist - Nebel
quivered - gezittert; zittern
melted - geschmolzen; Schmelze, Schmelzwasser
pitiful - Mitleid erregend; erbärmlich, kläglich, jämmerlich
Dissolved - AUFLÖSUNG; auflösen, auflösen, auflösen
Was it a hallucination? Was it the fever of the brain? Was it the disordered fancy caused by great bodily weakness? How could I tell? I thought it wisest to accept it as if it were all true.
hallucination - Halluzination, Wahnvorstellung, Sinnestäuschung, Illusion
disordered - gestört; Unordnung, Unruhen-p, Störung
fancy - schick; extravagant, originell
bodily - körperlich, Körper
wisest - am weisesten; klug, vernünftig
"This is very touching, Roland," I said.
"Oh, if you had just heard it, father! I said to myself, if father heard it he would do something; but mamma, you know, she's given over to Simson, and that fellow's a doctor, and never thinks of anything but clapping you into bed."
mamma - die Mama
clapping - Klatschen; (clap); Klatschen
"We must not blame Simson for being a doctor, Roland."
blame - jemadem die Schuld zuweisen
"No, no," said my boy, with delightful toleration and indulgence; "oh, no: that's the good of him; that's what he's for; I know that. But you-you are different; you are just father; and you'll do something-directly, papa, directly; this very night."
delightful - reizvoll, entzückend, angenehm
toleration - Duldung
"Surely," I said. "No doubt it is some little lost child."
surely - bestimmt, sicherlich
doubt - bezweifeln, Zweifel
He gave me a sudden, swift look, investigating my face as though to see whether, after all, this was everything my eminence as "father" came to,-no more than that. Then he got hold of my shoulder, clutching it with his thin hand: "look here," he said, with a quiver in his voice: "suppose it wasn't-living at all!"
sudden - plötzlich, jäh
swift - Mauersegler; schnell; Segler; Garnwinde
investigating - Ermittlungen; untersuchen, erforschen, recherchieren
whether - ob
eminence - Eminenz
clutching - Umklammern; Vogelgelege; Kupplung (Auto), Gelege
look here - hersehen
quiver - Köcher; zittern
wasn - Was
"My dear boy, how then could you have heard it?" I said.
He turned away from me with a pettish exclamation,-"As if you didn't know better than that!"
pettish - kleinlich; empfindlich, launisch
exclamation - Ausruf; Exklamation
"Do you want to tell me it is a ghost?" I said.
ghost - Gespenst, Geist, Phantom, Spuk
Roland withdrew his hand; his countenance assumed an aspect of great dignity and gravity; a slight quiver remained about his lips. "Whatever it was-you always said we were not to call names. It was something-in trouble. Oh, father, in terrible trouble!"
withdrew - zurückgezogen; annullieren, entziehen, abziehen, ausscheiden
countenance - Antlitz, Gesichtsausdruck, Miene, Unterstützung, Fassung
assumed - angenommen; annehmen, voraussetzen, vermuten, unterstellen
aspect - Aspekt, Aktionsart
dignity - Würde; Förmlichkeit; Amt
gravity - Bedenklichkeit, Ernst, Erdanziehung, Gravitation, Schwerkraft
Slight - geringfügig, leicht, unbedeutend
lips - Lippen; Lippe, Auslauf, Überlauf, Schnaupe, Ansatz
whatever - Jacke wie Hose; was immer, was auch immer, egal, naja, nebbich
"But, my boy," I said (I was at my wits'end), "if it was a child that was lost, or any poor human creature-but, Roland, what do you want me to do?"
wits - Verstand; nämlich, und zwar
"I should know if I was you," said the child eagerly. "That is what I always said to myself,-Father will know. Oh, papa, papa, to have to face it night after night, in such terrible, terrible trouble, and never to be able to do it any good! I don't want to cry; it's like a baby, I know; but what can I do else?
Out there all by itself in the ruin, and nobody to help it! I can't bear it!" cried my generous boy. And in his weakness he burst out, after many attempts to restrain it, into a great childish fit of sobbing and tears.
ruin - Ruine, Ruin, Ruin, ruinieren, auf die Knie zwingen, vernichten
generous - großzügig, generös
burst - geplatzt; platzen, zerplatzen, bersten, sprengen, Bersten
attempts - versuchen, Versuch, Bestreben
restrain - zurückhalten
childish - kindgerecht; kindisch
sobbing - Schluchzen; (sob); Huso
I do not know that I was ever in a greater perplexity in my life; and afterwards, when I thought of it, there was something comic in it too. It is bad enough to find your child's mind possessed with the conviction that he had seen, or heard, a ghost; but that he should require you to go instantly and help that ghost was the most bewildering experience that had ever come my way.
perplexity - Verwirrung; Perplexität
comic - komisch; Komiker; Bildergeschichte, Comic, Strip
possessed - besessen; besitzen, besitzen
conviction - Überzeugung; Verurteilung
require - erfordern; brauchen, benötigen
instantly - sofort; unmittelbar
bewildering - verwirrend; verwirren, durcheinanderbringen
I did my best to console my boy without giving any promise of this astonishing kind; but he was too sharp for me; he would have none of my caresses. With sobs breaking in at intervals upon his voice, and the rain-drops hanging on his eyelids, he yet returned to the charge.
console - Konsole; trösten (mit), vertrösten; Bedienungsfeld, Gerät
astonishing - Erstaunlich; erstaunen
sharp - scharf; scharfsinning; spitz, -is, hoch, stechend
caresses - Liebkosungen; Liebkosung, Umarmung, Streicheln
sobs - schluchzt; Huso
breaking in - einbrechend
intervals - Intervalle; Abstand, Zwischenraum, Intervall
hanging - (to hang) hängen, schweben; (hang) (to hang) hängen, schweben
eyelids - Augenlider; Augenlid
"It will be there now!-it will be there all the night! Oh, think, papa,-think if it was me! I can't rest for thinking of it. Don't!" he cried, putting away my hand,-"don't! You go and help it, and mother can take care of me."
putting away - weglegend
"But, Roland, what can I do?"
My boy opened his eyes, which were large with weakness and fever, and gave me a smile such, I think, as sick children only know the secret of. "I was sure you would know as soon as you came. I always said, 'Father will know.'And mother," he cried, with a softening of repose upon his face, his limbs relaxing, his form sinking with a luxurious ease in his bed,-"mother can come and take care of me."
softening - Erweichung; weich werdend, aufweichend; (soften); aufweichen
limbs - Gliedmaßen; Schenkel (geol. Falte), Glied
sinking - sinken; Untergang; (sink); sinken; senken, versenken, Spüle
luxurious - luxuriös
ease - Leichtigkeit, Mühelosigkeit, Behaglichkeit, Bequemlichkeit
I called her, and saw him turn to her with the complete dependence of a child; and then I went away and left them, as perplexed a man as any in Scotland. I must say, however, I had this consolation, that my mind was greatly eased about Roland. He might be under a hallucination; but his head was clear enough, and I did not think him so ill as everybody else did. The girls were astonished even at the ease with which I took it. "How do you think he is?" they said in a breath, coming round me, laying hold of me. "Not half so ill as I expected," I said; "not very bad at all." "Oh, papa, you are a darling!" cried Agatha, kissing me, and crying upon my shoulder; while little Jeanie, who was as pale as Roland, clasped both her arms round mine, and could not speak at all.
dependence - Abhängigkeit
consolation - Trost; Trostpreis
greatly - sehr; außerordentlich, großartig
eased - gelockert; EAS
astonished - erstaunt; erstaunen
laying - Auflegen, legend; (lay) Auflegen, legend
kissing - küssen
clasped - umklammert; Spange, Klammer, Schnalle, Griff, greifen
I knew nothing about it, not half so much as Simson; but they believed in me: they had a feeling that all would go right now. God is very good to you when your children look to you like that. It makes one humble, not proud. I was not worthy of it; and then I recollected that I had to act the part of a father to Roland's ghost,-which made me almost laugh, though I might just as well have cried. It was the strangest mission that ever was intrusted to mortal man.
humble - bescheiden; demütig, ergeben
proud - stolz, prahlerisch
worthy - würdig
recollected - erinnerte; sich erinnern an
mission - Auftrag; Mission
intrusted - anvertraut; anvertrauen
mortal - sterblich; tödlich; Sterblicher, Sterbliche
It was then I remembered suddenly the looks of the men when they turned to take the brougham to the stables in the dark that morning. They had not liked it, and the horses had not liked it. I remembered that even in my anxiety about Roland I had heard them tearing along the avenue back to the stables, and had made a memorandum mentally that I must speak of it. It seemed to me that the best thing I could do was to go to the stables now and make a few inquiries. The coachman was the head of this little colony, and it was to his house I went to pursue my investigations. He was a native of the district, and had taken care of the place in the absence of the family for years; it was impossible but that he must know everything that was going on, and all the traditions of the place.
tearing - zerreißen, ich/er/sie/es riss, riß
avenue - Allee
memorandum - Memorandum
mentally - geistig, psychisch, mental
inquiries - Erkundigungen; Anfrage, Erkundigung, Abfrage, Untersuchung
coachman - Kutscher
colony - Kolonie, Pflanzung, Pflanzstadt
pursue - verfolgen, beschreiten, nachjagen, nachgehen
investigations - Ermittlungen; Untersuchung
native - gebürtig; einheimisch; nativ; Ureinwohner, Ureinwohnerin
district - Bezirk, Kreis, Landkreis, Stadtteil
absence - Abwesenheit, Absenz, Fehlen, Absence
The men, I could see, eyed me anxiously when I thus appeared at such an hour among them, and followed me with their eyes to Jarvis's house, where he lived alone with his old wife, their children being all married and out in the world. Mrs. Jarvis met me with anxious questions. How was the poor young gentleman? But the others knew, I could see by their faces, that not even this was the foremost thing in my mind.
anxiously - ängstlich; besorgt, bang, unruhig
thus - also; auf diese Weise, so, demnach, folglich, dieses
gentleman - Herr; Herr, meine Herren
foremost - vor allem
After a while I elicited without much difficulty the whole story. In the opinion of the Jarvises, and of everybody about, the certainty that the place was haunted was beyond all doubt. As Sandy and his wife warmed to the tale, one tripping up another in their eagerness to tell everything, it gradually developed as distinct a superstition as I ever heard, and not without poetry and pathos. How long it was since the voice had been heard first, nobody could tell with certainty. Jarvis's opinion was that his father, who had been coachman at Brentwood before him, had never heard anything about it, and that the whole thing had arisen within the last ten years, since the complete dismantling of the old house; which was a wonderfully modern date for a tale so well authenticated. According to these witnesses, and to several whom I questioned afterwards, and who were all in perfect agreement, it was only in the months of November and December that "the visitation" occurred. During these months, the darkest of the year, scarcely a night passed without the recurrence of these inexplicable cries. Nothing, it was said, had ever been seen,-at least, nothing that could be identified. Some people, bolder or more imaginative than the others, had seen the darkness moving, Mrs.
elicited - erregt; hervorlocken, hervorrufen, auslösen, erzeugen
difficulty - Schwierigkeiten; Schwierigkeit
certainty - Gewissheit
haunted - spuken, verfolgen, Treffpunkt
Sandy - sandig, sandfarben
Tale - Geschichte, Erzählung, Fabel
eagerness - Ungeduld; Eifer
gradually - nach und nach, allmählich, stufenweise, schrittweise
distinct - deutlich
superstition - Aberglaube
poetry - Dichtkunst, Poesie, checkDichtung, checkDichtkunst
arisen - entstanden ist; sich erheben, aufstehen, entstehen, auftreten
dismantling - Demontage; entmanteln, abwracken, ausschlachten, demontieren
wonderfully - Wunderbar
authenticated - beglaubigt; authentifizieren, ausweisen, authentifizieren
witnesses - Zeugnis
agreement - Vereinbarung, Zustimmung, Einigkeit, Einvernehmen
visitation - Besuche; Umgangsrecht
recurrence - Rückfall, Wiederholung, Rekurrenz
inexplicable - unerklärlich
bolder - mutiger; kräftig, kühn, klar, keck, heftig, deutlich, fett
more imaginative - phantasievollere
darkness - Dunkelheit, Finsternis
Jarvis said, with unconscious poetry. It began when night fell, and continued at intervals till day broke. Very often it was only an inarticulate cry and moaning, but sometimes the words which had taken possession of my poor boy's fancy had been distinctly audible,-"Oh, mother, let me in!" The Jarvises were not aware that there had ever been any investigation into it. The estate of Brentwood had lapsed into the hands of a distant branch of the family, who had lived but little there; and of the many people who had taken it, as I had done, few had remained through two Decembers. And nobody had taken the trouble to make a very close examination into the facts. "No, no," Jarvis said, shaking his head, "No, no, Cornel. Wha wad set themsels up for a laughin'-stock to a'the country-side, making a wark about a ghost? Naebody believes in ghosts. It bid to be the wind in the trees, the last gentleman said, or some effec'o'the water wrastlin'among the rocks. He said it was a'quite easy explained; but he gave up the hoose. And when you cam, Cornel, we were awfu'anxious you should never hear. What for should I have spoiled the bargain and hairmed the property for no-thing?"
unconscious - bewusstlos; spontan, unbewusst, unterbewusst, Unbewusstes
inarticulate - sprachlos, unfähig zu sprechen, undeutlich, unartikuliert
distinctly - deutlich
audible - hörbar
aware - wachsam, gewahr, bewusst, checkgewahr
investigation - Untersuchung
estate - Nachlass; Stand; Gut, Landgut
lapsed - verjährt; Runden
distant - weit entfernt; abgelegen, abstehend, distanziert, entfernt
branch - Ast, Zweig, Abzweigung, (''rare'') tÄstelung
examination - Prüfung, Untersuchung, Test, Überprüfung
Cornel - Kornelkirschenbaum, Kornelkirsche
wha - Was
set - gesetzt; Seth
themsels - sie selbst
laughin - Lachen
stock - in Bausch und Bogen, Aktien, Inventar
ghosts - Gespenst
bid - Angebot, reizen, Gebot, Bieten, bieten
cam - Nocke, Nocken
spoiled - verwöhnt; plündern, ruinieren, verderben, kaputtmachen
bargain - Angebot; Vereinbarung, Abmachung, Schnäppchen, Anschaffung
hairmed - haarig
property - Eigentum, Besitz, Anwesen, Grundbesitz, Grundstück, Eigenschaft
"Do you call my child's life nothing?" I said in the trouble of the moment, unable to restrain myself. "And instead of telling this all to me, you have told it to him,-to a delicate boy, a child unable to sift evidence or judge for himself, a tender-hearted young creature--"
unable - unfähig, untauglich
sift - sieben; sichten, durchgehen
judge - urteilen (nach), richten; Richter, Jurist
tender - zärtlich; empfindlich, Ausschreibung, Angebot, zart; andienen
I was walking about the room with an anger all the hotter that I felt it to be most likely quite unjust.
anger - Ärger, Zorn, Wut, Groll
unjust - ungerecht
My heart was full of bitterness against the stolid retainers of a family who were content to risk other people's children and comfort rather than let a house lie empty. If I had been warned I might have taken precautions, or left the place, or sent Roland away, a hundred things which now I could not do; and here I was with my boy in a brain-fever, and his life, the most precious life on earth, hanging in the balance, dependent on whether or not I could get to the reason of a commonplace ghost-story!
bitterness - Bitterkeit, Bitternis
stolid - behäbig; schwerfällig, ungerührt, stoisch, phlegmatisch
retainers - Zahnspangen; Dienstmann, Gefolgsmann, Vasall, Bediensteter
content - Inhalt; (to be content with) sich mit etwas begnügen
Risk - Risiko; riskieren; wagen
comfort - Behaglichkeit, Bequemlichkeit, Komfort, Trost, Tröstung
warned - gewarnt; warnen, mahnen, warnen
precautions - Vorsichtsmaßnahmen; Vorsorge, Vorsichtsmaßnahme
most precious - kostbarste
balance - Gleichgewicht; Ausgewogenheit; Bilanz, Saldo, Guthaben, Rest
dependent - abhängig, angewiesen, Unterhaltsempfänger
ghost-story - (ghost-story) Spukgeschichte
"Cornel," said Jarvis solemnly, "and she'll bear me witness,-the young gentleman never heard a word from me-no, nor from either groom or gardner; I'll gie ye my word for that. In the first place, he's no a lad that invites ye to talk. There are some that are, and that arena. Some will draw ye on, till ye've tellt them a'the clatter of the toun, and a'ye ken, and whiles mair. But Maister Roland, his mind's fu'of his books. He's aye civil and kind, and a fine lad; but no that sort.
solemnly - feierlich, festlich, ernst
witness - etw. miterleben;erleben, bezeugen, Zeuge sein bei; miterleben
nor - weder noch, auch nicht
groom - Bräutigam; Stallmeister, Stallknecht; loipen
arena - Arena; Bühne
clatter - klappern, poltern, Geklapper, Gepolter, Klappern
ken - (know) kennen
Aye - gewiss, Ja-Stimme
civil - zivil, bürgerlich, zivilisiert
And ye see it's for a'our interest, Cornel, that you should stay at Brentwood. I took it upon me mysel to pass the word,-'No a syllable to Maister Roland, nor to the young leddies-no a syllable.'The women-servants, that have little reason to be out at night, ken little or nothing about it. And some think it grand to have a ghost so long as they're no in the way of coming across it. If you had been tellt the story to begin with, maybe ye would have thought so yourself."
ye - ja; euch, ihr, dir, du
syllable - Silbe
grand - großartig, prächtig, groß, bedeutend
coming across - antreffend
This was true enough. I should not have been above the idea of a ghost myself! Oh, yes, I claim no exemption. The girls would have been delighted. I could fancy their eagerness, their interest, and excitement. No; if we had been told, it would have done no good,-we should have made the bargain all the more eagerly, the fools that we are.
claim - Anspruch; Rechtstitel, Behauptung, Mutung, beanspruchen
exemption - Befreiung, Freistellung, Freibetrag, Freisein
delighted - erfreut; Freude, Entzückung, Wohlgefallen
fools - Dummköpfe; dumme Gans, Dummkopf, Narr, Närrin, Pute, Narr
"Come with me, Jarvis," I said hastily, "and we'll make an attempt at least to investigate. Say nothing to the men or to anybody. Be ready for me about ten o'clock."
hastily - hastig
attempt - versuchen; Versuch, Bestreben, Bestrebung, Anschlag, Attentat
investigate - untersuchen, erforschen, recherchieren, ermitteln
"Me, Cornel!" Jarvis said, in a faint voice. I had not been looking at him in my own preoccupation, but when I did so, I found that the greatest change had come over the fat and ruddy coachman. "Me, Cornel!" he repeated, wiping the perspiration from his brow. "There's nothin'I wouldna do to pleasure ye, Cornel, but if ye'll reflect that I am no used to my feet. With a horse atween my legs, or the reins in my hand, I'm maybe nae worse than other men; but on fit, Cornel-it's no the-bogles;-but I've been cavalry, ye see," with a little hoarse laugh, "a'my life.
faint - leise, schwach, undeutlich, ohnmächtig werden
preoccupation - Besorgniserregend; Vertieftsein, Beschäftigtsein
ruddy - rot, rötlich, verdammt, verflixt
wiping - (wipe) löschen, abstreifen, abwischen, aufreiben
brow - Stirn; Braue, Augenbraue
nothin - gar nichts
wouldna - oder
pleasure - Vergnügen; Freude, Spaß, Wollust
reflect - nachdenken; reflektieren, zurückspiegeln, sich spiegeln
atween - dazwischen
nae - (scot.) Fresse (derb Mund), Maul (fam. Mund)
cavalry - Reiterei, Kavallerie
hoarse - heiser
To face a thing ye dinna understan'-on your feet, Cornel."
understan - Verstehen
"He believes in it, Cornel, and you dinna believe in it," the woman said.
"Will you come with me?" I said, turning to her.
She jumped back, upsetting her chair in her bewilderment. "Me!" with a scream, and then fell into a sort of hysterical laugh. "I wouldna say but what I would go; but what would the folk say to hear of Cornel Mortimer with an auld silly woman at his heels?"
upsetting - beunruhigend; umwerfend, durcheinanderbringend
bewilderment - Verwirrung; Fassungslosigkeit, Verblüfftheit, Verdutztheit
scream - Schrei; schreien
hysterical - hysterisch
folk - Volk
auld - alt
silly - doof, dumm, albern, Dummerchen
heels - Absätze; Hinterende des Hobels, Ferse
The suggestion made me laugh too, though I had little inclination for it. "I'm sorry you have so little spirit, Jarvis," I said. "I must find some one else, I suppose."
inclination - Neigung
spirit - Geist, Seele, Stimmung, Schnaps
Jarvis, touched by this, began to remonstrate, but I cut him short. My butler was a soldier who had been with me in India, and was not supposed to fear anything,-man or devil,-certainly not the former; and I felt that I was losing time. The Jarvises were too thankful to get rid of me. They attended me to the door with the most anxious courtesies.
remonstrate - protestieren, missbilligen, einwenden, remonstrieren
butler - Butler
devil - dem Teufel; Teufel, Satan, Teufelin, reizen, ärgern
rid - loswerden; befreien
courtesies - Höflichkeiten; Höflichkeit, Höflichkeit
Outside, the two grooms stood close by, a little confused by my sudden exit. I don't know if perhaps they had been listening,-at least standing as near as possible, to catch any scrap of the conversation. I waved my hand to them as I went past, in answer to their salutations, and it was very apparent to me that they also were glad to see me go.
grooms - Bräutigame; Stallmeister, Stallknecht; loipen
confused - verwirrt; verwirren, konfundieren, verwechseln, vermischen
exit - aussteigen, Ausgang; Abgang, Ausgang, Ausstieg, Ende
scrap - ausrangieren; Abfallholz, Teil, Schrott
salutations - Begrüßungen; Begrüßung, Titel
apparent - offensichtlich; offenbar
Glad - Erfreut; freudig, froh
And it will be thought very strange, but it would be weak not to add, that I myself, though bent on the investigation I have spoken of, pledged to Roland to carry it out, and feeling that my boy's health, perhaps his life, depended on the result of my inquiry,-I felt the most unaccountable reluctance, now that it was dark, to pass the ruins on my way home. My curiosity was intense; and yet it was all my mind could do to pull my body along. I dare say the scientific people would describe it the other way, and attribute my cowardice to the state of my stomach. I went on; but if I had followed my impulse, I should have turned and bolted. Everything in me seemed to cry out against it; my heart thumped, my pulses all began, like sledge-hammers, beating against my ears and every sensitive part. It was very dark, as I have said; the old house, with its shapeless tower, loomed a heavy mass through the darkness, which was only not entirely so solid as itself. On the other hand, the great dark cedars of which we were so proud seemed to fill up the night. My foot strayed out of the path in my confusion and the gloom together, and I brought myself up with a cry as I felt myself knocked against something solid. What was it? The contact with hard stone and lime and prickly bramble-bushes restored me a little to myself. "Oh, it's only the old gable," I said aloud, with a little laugh to reassure myself.
bent - verbogen; (to bend) sich niederbeugen, verbiegen
pledged - verpfändet; zusichern, versprechen, geloben, zusagen
inquiry - Anfrage, Erkundigung, Abfrage, Untersuchung, Erforschung
unaccountable - nicht rechenschaftspflichtig
curiosity - Neugier, Neugierde, Kuriosität, Kuriosum
intense - intensiv; hochgradig
dare - sich getrauen, wagen, jemanden herausfordern
scientific - wissenschaftlich
attribute - Eigenschaft, Merkmal, Attribut, Beifügung, zuschreiben
cowardice - Feigheit, Kleinmut, Ängstlichkeit
impulse - Anstoß; Impuls, Triebkraft, Drang, innerer Antrieb, Kraftstoß
thumped - geschlagen; dumpfer Schlag, dumpf
pulses - Impulse; pulsieren; Impuls, Puls
sledge - Vorschlaghammer, Schlitten, Hammer
hammers - Hammer, Schlagstück
shapeless - unförmig; formlos
loomed - aufgetaucht; Webstuhl; undeutlich sichtbar werden
entirely - vollständig; ganz, total, entirely
cedars - Zeder, Zypressengewächs
strayed - verirrt; Streuverlust; abirren, vagabundieren, streunen, irren
confusion - Verwirrung, Durcheinander, Konfusion, Verwechslung
gloom - Finsternis; Düsternis, Dunkelheit, Trübnis, Schwermut
contact - Kontakt, Berührung, Verbindung, Kontaktlinse, berühren
lime - Limette, Kalk, Linde, Lindenholz
prickly - stachelig, dornig, Stachel
bramble - Brombeere; Brombeerstrauch
bushes - Büsche; Buchse, Strauch, Busch
restored - wiederhergestellt; wiederherstellen, restaurieren, restaurieren
aloud - laut
reassure - versichern, beruhigen
The rough feeling of the stones reconciled me. As I groped about thus, I shook off my visionary folly. What so easily explained as that I should have strayed from the path in the darkness? This brought me back to common existence, as if I had been shaken by a wise hand out of all the silliness of superstition. How silly it was, after all! What did it matter which path I took? I laughed again, this time with better heart, when suddenly, in a moment, the blood was chilled in my veins, a shiver stole along my spine, my faculties seemed to forsake me. Close by me, at my side, at my feet, there was a sigh. No, not a groan, not a moaning, not anything so tangible,-a perfectly soft, faint, inarticulate sigh. I sprang back, and my heart stopped beating. Mistaken! no, mistake was impossible. I heard it as clearly as I hear myself speak; a long, soft, weary sigh, as if drawn to the utmost, and emptying out a load of sadness that filled the breast. To hear this in the solitude, in the dark, in the night (though it was still early), had an effect which I cannot describe. I feel it now,-something cold creeping over me up into my hair, and down to my feet, which refused to move. I cried out, with a trembling voice, "Who is there?" as I had done before; but there was no reply.
rough - rau, grob, Rough
reconciled - versöhnt; versöhnen
groped - befummelt; tasten, tappen, herumtasten, begrapschen, grapschen
shook off - (shake off) abschütteln
visionary - visionär; unwirklich; seherisch, hellseherisch, ideal, Visionär
folly - Wahnsinn; Torheit, Narrheit, Dummheit, Tollheit
existence - Existenz, Dasein
wise - weise; klug, vernünftig
silliness - Dummheit, Albernheit
chilled - gekühlt; Mutlosigkeit, Frostgefühl
veins - Venen; Vene, Ader, Geäder
shiver - Schauder, Schauer, zittern, frösteln
spine - Rückgrat, Wirbelsäule, Rücken, Stachel, Dorn
faculties - Fakultäten; Kollegium
forsake - aufgeben
sigh - Seufzen, Seufzer, Säuseln (Wind); säuseln (Wind)
tangible - greifbar, erfühlbar, konkret, erfassbar, begreifbar
perfectly - perfekt, einwandfrei, vollkommen, durchaus
weary - müde
utmost - äußerst, höchst, Äußerstes, Möglichstes
load - Last, Beschickung (Ladung), Belastung; beladen, ich lüde
sadness - Traurigkeit; Schicksalsschlag, Pech
breast - Brust; -brust, Entenbrust
solitude - Einsamkeit, Alleinsein
creeping - schleichend; kriechen, schleichen, schleichen, kriechen
refused - abgelehnt; Müll; abweisen, verweigern, abschlagen, ablehnen
I got home I don't quite know how; but in my mind there was no longer any indifference as to the thing, whatever it was, that haunted these ruins. My scepticism disappeared like a mist. I was as firmly determined that there was something as Roland was. I did not for a moment pretend to myself that it was possible I could be deceived; there were movements and noises which I understood all about,-cracklings of small branches in the frost, and little rolls of gravel on the path, such as have a very eerie sound sometimes, and perplex you with wonder as to who has done it, when there is no real mystery; but I assure you all these little movements of nature don't affect you one bit when there is something. I understood them. I did not understand the sigh. That was not simple nature; there was meaning in it, feeling, the soul of a creature invisible. This is the thing that human nature trembles at,-a creature invisible, yet with sensations, feelings, a power somehow of expressing itself. Bagley was in the hall as usual when I went in. He was always there in the afternoon, always with the appearance of perfect occupation, yet, so far as I know, never doing anything.
indifference - Gleichgültigkeit
scepticism - Skepsis
firmly - sicher, fest
determined - bestimmt; bestimmen, eingrenzen, festlegen
pretend - vorgeben, prätendieren, vortäuschen, so tun, als ob
be deceived - sich täuschen lassen, sich irren (in)
cracklings - (crackle) knistern, prasseln
branches - Ast, t+Zweig, Abzweigung, (''rare'') tÄstelung
rolls - Brötchen; Rolle, Roulade, Walze, Semmel; drehen, wälzen
gravel - Kies, Schotter, Kiesel, schottern
eerie - unheimlich
perplex - verblüfft; verwirren
wonder - Wunder, Mirakel, wundern
mystery - Geheimnis, Rätsel
assure - sichern; versichern
soul - Inbrunst, Seele, Gefühl, Herz
invisible - unsichtbar; versteckt
trembles - zittert; zittern, Zittern
sensations - Empfindungen; Gefühl
feelings - Gefühle; Gefühl, Eindruck
occupation - Beschäftigung, Beruf, Besatzung; Besetzung; q
The door was open, so that I hurried in without any pause, breathless; but the sight of his calm regard, as he came to help me off with my overcoat, subdued me in a moment. Anything out of the way, anything incomprehensible, faded to nothing in the presence of Bagley. You saw and wondered how he was made: the parting of his hair, the tie of his white neckcloth, the fit of his trousers, all perfect as works of art: but you could see how they were done, which makes all the difference. I flung myself upon him, so to speak, without waiting to note the extreme unlikeness of the man to anything of the kind I meant. "Bagley," I said, "I want you to come out with me tonight to watch for--"
pause - Eine Pause; pausieren, innehalten, Pause
breathless - atemlos
sight - Sehenswürdigkeit, Gesicht, Visier, erblicken, anvisieren
Calm - ruhig; windstill; Ruhe; Windstille; beruhigen, ruhig stellen
regard - schätzen, betrachten, berücksichtigen, achten; Aufmerksamkeit
overcoat - Mantel
subdued - gedämpft; unter Kontrolle bringen, unterwerfen, unterwerfen
incomprehensible - unverständlich
faded - verblasst; verfärben, Ausblendung; verblassen, nachlassen
presence - Anwesenheit
wondered - gewundert; Wunder
neckcloth - Halstuch
flung - geschleudert; Affäre (Liebesaffäre)
unlikeness - Unsympathie
"Poachers, Colonel?" he said, a gleam of pleasure running all over him.
Poachers - Wilderer, Wilddieb, Freischütz
Colonel - Herr Oberst; Oberst
"No, Bagley; a great deal worse," I cried.
"Yes, Colonel; at what hour, sir?" the man said; but then I had not told him what it was.
It was ten o'clock when we set out. All was perfectly quiet indoors. My wife was with Roland, who had been quite calm, she said, and who (though, no doubt, the fever must run its course) had been better ever since I came. I told Bagley to put on a thick greatcoat over his evening coat, and did the same myself, with strong boots; for the soil was like a sponge, or worse. Talking to him, I almost forgot what we were going to do. It was darker even than it had been before, and Bagley kept very close to me as we went along. I had a small lantern in my hand, which gave us a partial guidance. We had come to the corner where the path turns. On one side was the bowling-green, which the girls had taken possession of for their croquet-ground,-a wonderful enclosure surrounded by high hedges of holly, three hundred years old and more; on the other, the ruins. Both were black as night; but before we got so far, there was a little opening in which we could just discern the trees and the lighter line of the road. I thought it best to pause there and take breath. "Bagley," I said, "there is something about these ruins I don't understand. It is there I am going. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you.
indoors - in geschlossenen Räumen; Innen-, innerhalb des Hauses, Haus-
greatcoat - Wintermantel
sponge - Schwamm; Schnorrer; schnorren
lantern - Laterne
partial - teilweise, partiell, parteiisch
guidance - Anleitung, Richtungsweisung, Handlungsempfehlung
croquet - Croquet, Crocket, Krocket
enclosure - Anlage, Beilage, Beilegen, Beifügen, Hinzufügen, Gehege
hedges - Hecken; Hecke
holly - Stechpalme, Hülse, Stechhülse, Hülsdorn
discern - erkennen, wahrnehmen, bemerken, feststellen
I don't understand - Ich verstehe nicht.
Be ready to pounce upon any stranger you see,-anything, man or woman. Don't hurt, but seize-anything you see." "Colonel," said Bagley, with a little tremor in his breath, "they do say there's things there-as is neither man nor woman." There was no time for words. "Are you game to follow me, my man? that's the question," I said. Bagley fell in without a word, and saluted. I knew then I had nothing to fear.
pounce - zuschlagen; bimsen
seize - ergreifen, fassen, packen, beschlagnahmen, erfassen
tremor - Zittern; Tremor; Beben
saluted - gegrüßt; Salut, salutieren
We went, so far as I could guess, exactly as I had come, when I heard that sigh. The darkness, however, was so complete that all marks, as of trees or paths, disappeared. One moment we felt our feet on the gravel, another sinking noiselessly into the slippery grass, that was all. I had shut up my lantern, not wishing to scare any one, whoever it might be. Bagley followed, it seemed to me, exactly in my footsteps as I made my way, as I supposed, towards the mass of the ruined house. We seemed to take a long time groping along seeking this; the squash of the wet soil under our feet was the only thing that marked our progress. After a while I stood still to see, or rather feel, where we were. The darkness was very still, but no stiller than is usual in a winter's night. The sounds I have mentioned-the crackling of twigs, the roll of a pebble, the sound of some rustle in the dead leaves, or creeping creature on the grass-were audible when you listened, all mysterious enough when your mind is disengaged, but to me cheering now as signs of the livingness of nature, even in the death of the frost. As we stood still there came up from the trees in the glen the prolonged hoot of an owl.
paths - Wege; Weg, Pfad
noiselessly - geräuschlos
slippery - schlüpfrig; rutschig, glitschig, aalglatt
scare - jemanden ängstigen, aufschrecken, erschrecken
Footsteps - Fußstapfen; Fußabdruck, Schritt
ruined - ruiniert; Ruine, Ruin, Ruin, ruinieren, auf die Knie zwingen
groping - Fummeln; tasten, tappen, herumtasten, begrapschen, grapschen
seeking - suchen
squash - zerquetschen
crackling - Knistern; erman:; (crackle); Knistern
twigs - Zweige; Zweig
roll - Rolle, Roulade, Walze, Semmel; drehen, wälzen, wickeln, rollen
pebble - Stein, Steinchen, Kiesel, Kieselstein
rustle - Rascheln, Rauschen, Knistern
mysterious - geheimnisvoll; mysteriös; rätselhaft
disengaged - losgelöst; ausklinken, aushaken, entkuppeln
cheering - anfeuern, jauchzen, aufmuntern, jubeln
livingness - Lebendigkeit
glen - Tobel
prolonged - langwierig; ausdehnen, verlängern, hinauszögern
hoot - Hupen; Spaßveranstaltung, Spaßmacher
Owl - Eule, Uhu, Eulenvogel
Bagley started with alarm, being in a state of general nervousness, and not knowing what he was afraid of. But to me the sound was encouraging and pleasant, being so comprehensible. "An owl," I said, under my breath. "Y-es, Colonel," said Bagley, his teeth chattering. We stood still about five minutes, while it broke into the still brooding of the air, the sound widening out in circles, dying upon the darkness. This sound, which is not a cheerful one, made me almost gay. It was natural, and relieved the tension of the mind. I moved on with new courage, my nervous excitement calming down.
nervousness - Nervosität, Unruhe
encouraging - ermutigend; ermutigen, ermuntern, empfehlen
pleasant - angenehm
comprehensible - nachvollziehbar
chattering - Geplapper; plappernd
brooding - grüblerisch, grübelnd; (brood); Brut; brüten, grübeln
widening - Verbreiterung; erman: sich weiten, erweitern, weiten, erweitern
dying - (to die) sterben, umkommen; (dye) (to die) sterben, umkommen
cheerful - fröhlich, vergnügt, freundlich
gay - vergnügt, schwul, homosexuell, lustig, heiter
relieved - Erleichtert; erleichtern, lindern, entlasten, ablösen
tension - Spannung
courage - Courage, Herz, Mut, Tapferkeit
calming down - besänftigend
When all at once, quite suddenly, close to us, at our feet, there broke out a cry. I made a spring backwards in the first moment of surprise and horror, and in doing so came sharply against the same rough masonry and brambles that had struck me before. This new sound came upwards from the ground,-a low, moaning, wailing voice, full of suffering and pain. The contrast between it and the hoot of the owl was indescribable,-the one with a wholesome wildness and naturalness that hurt nobody; the other, a sound that made one's blood curdle, full of human misery. With a great deal of fumbling,-for in spite of everything I could do to keep up my courage my hands shook,-I managed to remove the slide of my lantern. The light leaped out like something living, and made the place visible in a moment. We were what would have been inside the ruined building had anything remained but the gable-wall which I have described. It was close to us, the vacant door-way in it going out straight into the blackness outside. The light showed the bit of wall, the ivy glistening upon it in clouds of dark green, the bramble-branches waving, and below, the open door,-a door that led to nothing. It was from this the voice came which died out just as the light flashed upon this strange scene.
backwards - zurück, nach hinten, rückwärts, rückwärts, zögerlich, gehemmt
horror - Angst, Furcht, Horror, Grauen
sharply - scharf, scharfzüngig, spitzzüngig
masonry - Maurerhandwerk; Mauern; Mauerwerk, Gemäuer
brambles - Brombeersträucher; Brombeerstrauch
upwards - nach oben; ansteigend, aufwärts
wailing - (to wail) jammern, wehklagen, klagen; (wail) (to wail) jammern
suffering - leidend; Leiden; (suffer); leiden; erleiden
contrast - Kontrast; Gegensatz, Unterschied, gegenüberstellen
indescribable - unbeschreiblich
wholesome - gesund, heilsam, gesundheitsfördernd, gesundheitsförderlich
wildness - Wildheit, Wildsein, Ungezähmtheit
naturalness - Natürlichkeit
curdle - gerinnen
misery - Misere, Elend
fumbling - Fummeln; umhertasten, tasten
spite - Bosheit; trotz
slide - gleiten; ausrutschen; Rutsche; Erdrutsch; Dia, Klarsichtfolie
leaped - gesprungen; hervorspringen, hüpfen, überspringen
visible - sichtbar
glistening - glitzern, glänzen, gleißen
died out - ausgestorben
flashed - geflasht; aufleuchten, blitzen, aufflammen
There was a moment's silence, and then it broke forth again. The sound was so near, so penetrating, so pitiful, that, in the nervous start I gave, the light fell out of my hand. As I groped for it in the dark my hand was clutched by Bagley, who, I think, must have dropped upon his knees; but I was too much perturbed myself to think much of this. He clutched at me in the confusion of his terror, forgetting all his usual decorum. "For God's sake, what is it, sir?" he gasped. If I yielded, there was evidently an end of both of us. "I can't tell," I said, "any more than you; that's what we've got to find out. Up, man, up!" I pulled him to his feet. "Will you go round and examine the other side, or will you stay here with the lantern?" Bagley gasped at me with a face of horror. "Can't we stay together, Colonel?" he said; his knees were trembling under him. I pushed him against the corner of the wall, and put the light into his hands. "Stand fast till I come back; shake yourself together, man; let nothing pass you," I said. The voice was within two or three feet of us; of that there could be no doubt.
silence - Stille, Schweigen, zum Schweigen bringen, Ruhe
forth - weiter; heraus, hervor
penetrating - durchdringend; eindringen, penetrieren, penetrieren
clutched - umklammert; Vogelgelege; Kupplung (Auto), Gelege
perturbed - beunruhigt; stören
terror - Schrecken, Grauen, schreckliche Furcht, Terror
decorum - Anstand, Etikette, Schicklichkeit, Anständigkeit
sake - (for your sake) deinetwegen, euretwegen, Ihretwegen, dir zuliebe
yielded - nachgegeben; hervorbringen, er/sie hat/hatte ergeben, weichen
evidently - offensichtlich
go round - umgehen, umrunden, kursieren
examine - untersuchen, prüfen, befragen
I went myself to the other side of the wall, keeping close to it. The light shook in Bagley's hand, but, tremulous though it was, shone out through the vacant door, one oblong block of light marking all the crumbling corners and hanging masses of foliage. Was that something dark huddled in a heap by the side of it? I pushed forward across the light in the door-way, and fell upon it with my hands; but it was only a juniper-bush growing close against the wall. Meanwhile, the sight of my figure crossing the door-way had brought Bagley's nervous excitement to a height; he flew at me, gripping my shoulder. "I've got him, Colonel! I've got him!" he cried, with a voice of sudden exultation. He thought it was a man, and was at once relieved. But at the moment the voice burst forth again between us, at our feet,-more close to us than any separate being could be. He dropped off from me, and fell against the wall, his jaw dropping as if he were dying. I suppose, at the same moment, he saw that it was me whom he had clutched. I for my part, had scarcely more command of myself. I snatched the light out of his hand, and flashed it all about me wildly.
oblong - länglich, lang, quer, breit, rechteckig
block - Kloben, Block, Klotz, Trakt; absperren, blockieren
crumbling - abbröckelnd, zerbröckelnd, Profilausrisse; (crumble); bröckeln
masses - Massen; Messe (kirchlich), Gottesdienst, Menge
foliage - Blätter, Laub, Laubwerk, Blätterwerk
huddled - zusammengedrängt; wirrer Haufen
heap - Menschenmenge, Masse, Haufen, Haufe, Heap
pushed forward - vorgestoßen
juniper - Wacholder
bush - Buchse, Strauch, Busch
Meanwhile - In der Zwischenzeit; währenddessen, inzwischen, derweil
gripping - fesselnd; packen, fassen; Griffigkeit, Heft (von Säge, Feile)
exultation - Jubel
jaw - Kiefer, Maul
Command - Befehl, Kommando, befehlen, kommandieren, gebieten, beherrschen
snatched - geschnappt; klauen, stehlen, Reißen
Nothing,-the juniper-bush which I thought I had never seen before, the heavy growth of the glistening ivy, the brambles waving. It was close to my ears now, crying, crying, pleading as if for life. Either I heard the same words Roland had heard, or else, in my excitement, his imagination got possession of mine. The voice went on, growing into distinct articulation, but wavering about, now from one point, now from another, as if the owner of it were moving slowly back and forward. "Mother! mother!" and then an outburst of wailing. As my mind steadied, getting accustomed (as one's mind gets accustomed to anything), it seemed to me as if some uneasy, miserable creature was pacing up and down before a closed door. Sometimes-but that must have been excitement-I thought I heard a sound like knocking, and then another burst, "Oh, mother! mother!" All this close, close to the space where I was standing with my lantern, now before me, now behind me: a creature restless, unhappy, moaning, crying, before the vacant door-way, which no one could either shut or open more.
growth - Wachstum; Bewuchs, Vegetation, Bewucherung, Geschwulst
pleading - flehend; flehentlich, Verteidigungsschrift
articulation - Artikulation
wavering - schwankend; wankelmütig
outburst - hervorbrechen; Ausbruch
steadied - gefestigt; stetig, stetig, stabilisieren
accustomed - Gewöhnt; gewöhnen, gewöhnen
uneasy - Unbehagen; besorgt, unangenehm, unsicher
miserable - unglücklich; elend, erbärmlich, jämmerlich, miserabel
pacing - Taktung; Tempo, Stufe, Schritt
restless - unruhig; ruhelos, rastlos, checkunruhig
"Do you hear it, Bagley? do you hear what it is saying?" I cried, stepping in through the door-way. He was lying against the wall, his eyes glazed, half dead with terror. He made a motion of his lips as if to answer me, but no sounds came; then lifted his hand with a curious imperative movement as if ordering me to be silent and listen. And how long I did so I cannot tell. It began to have an interest, an exciting hold upon me, which I could not describe. It seemed to call up visibly a scene any one could understand,-a something shut out, restlessly wandering to and fro; sometimes the voice dropped, as if throwing itself down, sometimes wandered off a few paces, growing sharp and clear. "Oh, mother, let me in! oh, mother, mother, let me in! oh, let me in." Every word was clear to me. No wonder the boy had gone wild with pity. I tried to steady my mind upon Roland, upon his conviction that I could do something, but my head swam with the excitement, even when I partially overcame the terror.
glazed - glasiert; Glasur, Lasur, Reif, glasieren, lasieren
motion - Bewegung
Curious - neugierig, sonderbar, merkwürdig
imperative - zwingend erforderlich; essenziell, essentiell, notwendig
be silent - schweigen
visibly - sichtbar
restlessly - rastlose
wandering - wandernd; (wander) irren, wandern
wandered - gewandert; umherstreifen, umherstreichen, herumziehen, stromern
paces - Schritte; Tempo, Stufe, Schritt
pity - Mitleid; schade; bemitleiden, Mitleid haben mit
steady - beständig; stetig; stabilisieren
partially - teilweise, teils, zum Teil
overcame - überwunden; überwinden
At last the words died away, and there was a sound of sobs and moaning. I cried out, "In the name of God who are you?" with a kind of feeling in my mind that to use the name of God was profane, seeing that I did not believe in ghosts or anything supernatural; but I did it all the same, and waited, my heart giving a leap of terror lest there should be a reply. Why this should have been I cannot tell, but I had a feeling that if there was an answer it would be more than I could bear. But there was no answer, the moaning went on, and then, as if it had been real, the voice rose a little higher again, the words recommenced, "Oh, mother, let me in! oh, mother, let me in!" with an expression that was heart-breaking to hear.
profane - weltlich; profan
supernatural - übernatürlich
leap - hervorspringen, hüpfen, überspringen
recommenced - wiederaufgenommen; wieder beginnen
As if it had been real! What do I mean by that? I suppose I got less alarmed as the thing went on. I began to recover the use of my senses,-I seemed to explain it all to myself by saying that this had once happened, that it was a recollection of a real scene. Why there should have seemed something quite satisfactory and composing in this explanation I cannot tell, but so it was. I began to listen almost as if it had been a play, forgetting Bagley, who, I almost think, had fainted, leaning against the wall. I was started out of this strange spectatorship that had fallen upon me by the sudden rush of something which made my heart jump once more, a large black figure in the door-way waving its arms. "Come in! come in! come in!" it shouted out hoarsely at the top of a deep bass voice, and then poor Bagley fell down senseless across the threshold. He was less sophisticated than I,-he had not been able to bear it any longer. I took him for something supernatural, as he took me, and it was some time before I awoke to the necessities of the moment.
recover - wiederfinden, sich erholen, beikommen
recollection - Erinnern Sie sich; Erinnerung
satisfactory - befriedigend, zufriedenstellend
composing - zusammenstellen, zusammensetzen, komponieren, enthalten
fainted - in Ohnmacht gefallen; leise, schwach, undeutlich
leaning - (to lean) sich an etwas lehnen
spectatorship - Zuschauerschaft
rush - stürzen, drängen, hetzen, rasen; Eile, Andrang
hoarsely - heiser
bass voice - Bassstimme
senseless - empfindungslos, ohne Gefühl, ohnmächtig, bewusstlos
threshold - Schwelle, Türschwelle
sophisticated - raffiniert; verdrehen, verfälschen
awoke - erwacht; munter, wach; erwachen, aufwachen
necessities - Notwendigkeiten; Notwendigkeit, Nezessität, Not, Bedürfnis
I remembered only after, that from the time I began to give my attention to the man, I heard the other voice no more. It was some time before I brought him to. It must have been a strange scene: the lantern making a luminous spot in the darkness, the man's white face lying on the black earth, I over him, doing what I could for him. Probably I should have been thought to be murdering him had any one seen us. When at last I succeeded in pouring a little brandy down his throat, he sat up and looked about him wildly. "What's up?" he said; then recognizing me, tried to struggle to his feet with a faint "Beg your pardon, Colonel." I got him home as best I could, making him lean upon my arm. The great fellow was as weak as a child. Fortunately he did not for some time remember what had happened. From the time Bagley fell the voice had stopped, and all was still.
luminous - leuchtend
spot - Fleck, Punkt, Pickel, Pustel, Bisschen, Stelle, Ort, Werbespot
murdering - mordend; Mord, Mord, Mord, mörderisch, ermorden, massakrieren
pouring - gießend, einschenkend; (pour) gießend, einschenkend
brandy - Kognak, Brandy, Weinbrand, Branntwein, Kurzer
throat - Kehle, Rachen, Hals, Flaschenhals
What's up? - Was gibt's?, Was geht hier vor?, Was ist los?
Struggle - Kämpfen; Kampf, Gefecht, sich durchbeißen, sich schwer tun
beg - Männchen machen; etwas erbitten (von jemandem); bitten (um)
Pardon - Vergebung, Verzeihung, Begnadigung, verzeihen, vergeben
lean - knapp, schlank, hager, mager
"You've got an epidemic in your house, Colonel," Simson said to me next morning. "What's the meaning of it all? Here's your butler raving about a voice. This will never do, you know; and so far as I can make out, you are in it too."
epidemic - Epidemie, Seuche, epidemisch
"Yes, I am in it, Doctor. I thought I had better speak to you. Of course you are treating Roland all right, but the boy is not raving, he is as sane as you or me. It's all true."
treating - behandelnd; (treat); behandeln; bewirten, einladen, heilen
sane - vernünftig; zurechnungsfähig
"As sane as-I-or you. I never thought the boy insane. He's got cerebral excitement, fever. I don't know what you've got. There's something very queer about the look of your eyes."
insane - wahnsinnig, verrückt, geisteskrank
cerebral - zerebral
queer - seltsam; unwohl; schwul, lesbisch, queer, Queers, Homosexueller
"Come," said I, "you can't put us all to bed, you know. You had better listen and hear the symptoms in full."
symptoms - Symptome; Symptom
The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, but he listened to me patiently. He did not believe a word of the story, that was clear; but he heard it all from beginning to end. "My dear fellow," he said, "the boy told me just the same. It's an epidemic. When one person falls a victim to this sort of thing, it's as safe as can be,-there's always two or three."
shrugged - gezuckt; Schulterzucken
patiently - geduldig
victim - Opfer
"Then how do you account for it?" I said.
account - Rechnung, Bericht, Rechnung, Konto
"Oh, account for it!-that's a different matter; there's no accounting for the freaks our brains are subject to. If it's delusion, if it's some trick of the echoes or the winds,-some phonetic disturbance or other--"
accounting - Buchhaltung; (account); Buchhaltung
freaks - Begeisterte, Missgeburt, irrer Typ
delusion - Täuschung, Irreführung, Wahn, Wahnvorstellung
trick - List, Falle, Finte, Trick, Trick
Echoes - Echos; Echo
phonetic - phonetisch
disturbance - Störung; Störenfried, Geistesstörung
"Come with me tonight and judge for yourself," I said.
Upon this he laughed aloud, then said, "That's not such a bad idea; but it would ruin me forever if it were known that John Simson was ghost-hunting."
forever - für immer, ewig, unaufhörlich, auf immer
hunting - Jagd; (hunt); jagen; suchen; Jagd
"There it is," said I; "you dart down on us who are unlearned with your phonetic disturbances, but you daren't examine what the thing really is for fear of being laughed at. That's science!"
dart - Pfeil, Satz
unlearned - ungelernt; umlernen, verlernen, verlerne, anders lernen
disturbances - Störungen; Störung, Störenfried, Störung, Störung
"It's not science,-it's common-sense," said the Doctor. "The thing has delusion on the front of it. It is encouraging an unwholesome tendency even to examine. What good could come of it? Even if I am convinced, I shouldn't believe."
unwholesome - ungesund
tendency - Tendenz (''not often used in this sense; one would rather use a verb such as " zu (...) neigen" or tendieren'')
Convinced - Überzeugt; überzeugen
shouldn - sollte
"I should have said so yesterday; and I don't want you to be convinced or to believe," said I. "If you prove it to be a delusion, I shall be very much obliged to you for one. Come; somebody must go with me."
Prove - er/sie hat/hatte bewiesen, beweisen, erhärten
obliged - verpflichtet; verpflichten, einen Gefallen tun
"You are cool," said the Doctor. "You've disabled this poor fellow of yours, and made him-on that point-a lunatic for life; and now you want to disable me. But, for once, I'll do it. To save appearance, if you'll give me a bed, I'll come over after my last rounds."
disabled - behindert; außerstand setzen, außerstande setzen
lunatic - Verrückte; Irre
I'll do it - Ich werde es schon machen.
It was agreed that I should meet him at the gate, and that we should visit the scene of last night's occurrences before we came to the house, so that nobody might be the wiser. It was scarcely possible to hope that the cause of Bagley's sudden illness should not somehow steal into the knowledge of the servants at least, and it was better that all should be done as quietly as possible. The day seemed to me a very long one. I had to spend a certain part of it with Roland, which was a terrible ordeal for me, for what could I say to the boy? The improvement continued, but he was still in a very precarious state, and the trembling vehemence with which he turned to me when his mother left the room filled me with alarm. "Father?" he said quietly. "Yes, my boy, I am giving my best attention to it; all is being done that I can do.
occurrences - Vorkommnisse; Vorfall
wiser - weiser; klug, vernünftig
ordeal - Tortur; Gottesurteil, Feuerprobe
improvement - Verbesserung
precarious - prekär
vehemence - Heftigkeit, Vehemenz
I have not come to any conclusion-yet. I am neglecting nothing you said," I cried. What I could not do was to give his active mind any encouragement to dwell upon the mystery. It was a hard predicament, for some satisfaction had to be given him. He looked at me very wistfully, with the great blue eyes which shone so large and brilliant out of his white and worn face. "You must trust me," I said. "Yes, father. Father understands," he said to himself, as if to soothe some inward doubt. I left him as soon as I could. He was about the most precious thing I had on earth, and his health my first thought; but yet somehow, in the excitement of this other subject, I put that aside, and preferred not to dwell upon Roland, which was the most curious part of it all.
conclusion - Schluss, Ende, Abschluss, Ergebnis, Schlussfolgerung
neglecting - vernachlässigen, verabsäumen, versäumen, missachten
encouragement - Ermutigung
dwell - leben, verbleiben, wohnen, verweilen
predicament - Kategorie; Lage (''missliche ~; unglückliche ~''); Zwangslage
satisfaction - Befriedigung; Zufriedenheit; Satisfaktion, Genugtuung
wistfully - wehmütig
trust - Vertrauen, Hoffnung, Trust, anschreiben
inward - innere; innen
aside - beiseite, zur Seite
most curious - neugierigste, kurioseste
That night at eleven I met Simson at the gate. He had come by train, and I let him in gently myself. I had been so much absorbed in the coming experiment that I passed the ruins in going to meet him, almost without thought, if you can understand that. I had my lantern; and he showed me a coil of taper which he had ready for use. "There is nothing like light," he said in his scoffing tone. It was a very still night, scarcely a sound, but not so dark. We could keep the path without difficulty as we went along. As we approached the spot we could hear a low moaning, broken occasionally by a bitter cry. "Perhaps that is your voice," said the Doctor; "I thought it must be something of the kind. That's a poor brute caught in some of these infernal traps of yours; you'll find it among the bushes somewhere." I said nothing. I felt no particular fear, but a triumphant satisfaction in what was to follow. I led him to the spot where Bagley and I had stood on the previous night.
gently - sanft
absorbed in - vertieft in
coil - Wendel, Spule, Wicklung; aufwickeln
taper - verjüngen; abdrehen (konisch), zuspitzen
Scoffing - Verspottet; verspottend; (scoff) Verspottet; verspottend
tone - Farbton, Klang, Umgangston, Ton
approached - angesprochen; sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
Occasionally - gelegentlich
Bitter - herb, rau, bitter
brute - Tier, brutaler Kerl, brutal, Vieh
infernal - höllisch, infernalisch, Höllen-, checkinfernalisch
traps - Fallen; Fallgrube, Falle, Fahrt (im Bergwerk); einfangen
triumphant - triumphieren
All was silent as a winter night could be,-so silent that we heard far off the sound of the horses in the stables, the shutting of a window at the house. Simson lighted his taper and went peering about, poking into all the corners. We looked like two conspirators lying in wait for some unfortunate traveller; but not a sound broke the quiet. The moaning had stopped before we came up; a star or two shone over us in the sky, looking down as if surprised at our strange proceedings. Dr. Simson did nothing but utter subdued laughs under his breath. "I thought as much," he said. "It is just the same with tables and all other kinds of ghostly apparatus; a sceptic's presence stops everything. When I am present nothing ever comes off. How long do you think it will be necessary to stay here? Oh, I don't complain; only when you are satisfied I am-quite."
silent - still
peering - spähen; seinesgleichen, Beaufsichtigende; schielen, starren
poking - Stochern; stoßen, stecken, stöbern
conspirators - Verschwörer, Verschwörerin
unfortunate - unglücklich, unglückselig
proceedings - fortsetzend, verfahrend
utter - Äußerlich; äußerst
ghostly - geisterhaft, spukhaft
apparatus - Gerät; Apparat; Apparat
sceptic - Skeptiker
satisfied - befriedigen, zufriedenstellen
I will not deny that I was disappointed beyond measure by this result. It made me look like a credulous fool. It gave the Doctor such a pull over me as nothing else could. I should point all his morals for years to come; and his materialism, his scepticism, would be increased beyond endurance. "It seems, indeed," I said, "that there is to be no--" "Manifestation," he said, laughing; "that is what all the mediums say. No manifestations, in consequence of the presence of an unbeliever." His laugh sounded very uncomfortable to me in the silence; and it was now near midnight. But that laugh seemed the signal; before it died away the moaning we had heard before was resumed. It started from some distance off, and came towards us, nearer and nearer, like some one walking along and moaning to himself. There could be no idea now that it was a hare caught in a trap. The approach was slow, like that of a weak person, with little halts and pauses. We heard it coming along the grass straight towards the vacant door-way. Simson had been a little startled by the first sound. He said hastily, "That child has no business to be out so late." But he felt, as well as I, that this was no child's voice. As it came nearer, he grew silent, and, going to the door-way with his taper, stood looking out towards the sound. The taper being unprotected blew about in the night air, though there was scarcely any wind. I threw the light of my lantern steady and white across the same space. It was in a blaze of light in the midst of the blackness. A little icy thrill had gone over me at the first sound, but as it came close, I confess that my only feeling was satisfaction. The scoffer could scoff no more. The light touched his own face, and showed a very perplexed countenance. If he was afraid, he concealed it with great success, but he was perplexed. And then all that had happened on the previous night was enacted once more.
deny - leugnen, bestreiten, dementieren
disappointed - enttäuscht; enttäuschen, vorenthalten, berauben
measure - Maß; Messung, Maßstab, Takt, Maßnahme, messen, abmessen
credulous - leichtgläubig
morals - moralisch, moralisch, sittlich, moralisch, moralisch, Moral
materialism - Materialismus
endurance - Ausdauer
indeed - tatsächlich; in der Tat, genau, allerdings, checkgewiss
mediums - Medien
manifestations - Manifestationen; Manifestation, Erscheinung
unbeliever - Ungläubige
uncomfortable - unangenehm; unbequem, ungemütlich, unbehaglich
signal - Signal; Signal; signalisieren
resumed - wiederaufgenommen; weiter; Lebenslauf; fortsetzen
trap - eine Falle; Fallgrube, Falle, Fahrt (im Bergwerk); einfangen
approach - sich nähern, nahekommen, ähnlich sein
halts - anhält; unterbrechen, halten; Halt
pauses - pausiert; pausieren, innehalten, pausieren, Pause
coming along - hinzukommend
startled - erschrocken; aufschrecken, scheuen, erschrecken
unprotected - ungeschützt
blaze - lodern; Lohe, Brand, Großbrand, brenne, Glut
midst - mittendrin; Mitten, Mitte, inmitten
icy - eisig, Eis
thrill - Aufregung; Nervenkitzel; erregen, erschauern, durchdringen
confess - gestehen, bekennen, verraten, beichten
scoffer - Spötter
concealed - versteckt; verbergen, verheimlichen, verschleiern, verschweigen
enacted - verordnet; spielen, ausführen
It fell strangely upon me with a sense of repetition. Every cry, every sob seemed the same as before. I listened almost without any emotion at all in my own person, thinking of its effect upon Simson. He maintained a very bold front, on the whole. All that coming and going of the voice was, if our ears could be trusted, exactly in front of the vacant, blank door-way, blazing full of light, which caught and shone in the glistening leaves of the great hollies at a little distance. Not a rabbit could have crossed the turf without being seen; but there was nothing. After a time, Simson, with a certain caution and bodily reluctance, as it seemed to me, went out with his roll of taper into this space. His figure showed against the holly in full outline. Just at this moment the voice sank, as was its custom, and seemed to fling itself down at the door. Simson recoiled violently, as if some one had come up against him, then turned, and held his taper low, as if examining something. "Do you see anybody?" I cried in a whisper, feeling the chill of nervous panic steal over me at this action. "It's nothing but a-confounded juniper-bush," he said. This I knew very well to be nonsense, for the juniper-bush was on the other side. He went about after this, round and round, poking his taper everywhere, then returned to me on the inner side of the wall. He scoffed no longer; his face was contracted and pale. "How long does this go on?" he whispered to me, like a man who does not wish to interrupt some one who is speaking. I had become too much perturbed myself to remark whether the successions and changes of the voice were the same as last night. It suddenly went out in the air almost as he was speaking, with a soft reiterated sob dying away. If there had been anything to be seen, I should have said that the person was at that moment crouching on the ground close to that door.
strangely - seltsame, merkwürdige
repetition - Wiederholung, Wdh(lg). Wiederholung
sob - schluchzen; Huso
emotion - Emotionen; Gefühl, Empfindung
maintained - unterhalten, warten, beibehalten, aufrechterhalten
bold - kräftig, kühn, klar, keck, heftig, deutlich, fett
trusted - vertrauenswürdig; Vertrauen
hollies - Stechpalmen; Stechpalme, Hülse, Stechhülse, Hülsdorn, Ilex
turf - Grasnarbe; Rasen; Grassode
caution - Warnung, Vorsicht, Achtsamkeit, Behutsamkeit, Kaution, warnen
outline - skizzieren; Umriss, Kontur, Skizze, Skizzierung, Umrisszeichnung
custom - Brauch, Gewohnheit, Sitte, Usus, Zoll, maßgeschneidert
fling - Seitensprung; Affäre (Liebesaffäre)
recoiled - zurückgeworfen; Rückstoß, zurückschrecken, zurückschlagen
violently - gewaltsam; gewalttätig
examining - die Prüfung; untersuchen, untersuchen, untersuchen, prüfen
chill - chillen; Mutlosigkeit, Frostgefühl
panic - Panik, panisch
confounded - verwirrt; verwirren, verschlimmern, verschlechtern, besiegen
nonsense - Blödsinn, Nonsens
scoffed - verhöhnt; Hohn, Spott
contracted - unter Vertrag genommen; Vertrag
whispered - geflüstert; Geflüster
interrupt - unterbrechen
remark - bemerken; Anmerkung, Bemerkung
successions - Nachfolge; Abfolge, Thronfolge
reiterated - wiederholen; reiterieren
dying away - ausklingend
crouching - hockend; sich ducken (vor), kriechen; kauern, hocken
We walked home very silent afterwards. It was only when we were in sight of the house that I said, "What do you think of it?" "I can't tell what to think of it," he said quickly. He took-though he was a very temperate man-not the claret I was going to offer him, but some brandy from the tray, and swallowed it almost undiluted.
temperate - gemäßigt; zurückhaltend
claret - Rotwein, roter Bordeaux, weinrot, Bordeaux
tray - Tablett, Servierbrett
swallowed - verschluckt; schlucken, verschlingen, anbeißen, einstecken
undiluted - unverdünnt
"Mind you, I don't believe a word of it," he said, when he had lighted his candle; "but I can't tell what to think," he turned round to add, when he was half-way upstairs.
I don't believe a word of it - Ich glaube kein Wort davon.
All of this, however, did me no good with the solution of my problem. I was to help this weeping, sobbing thing, which was already to me as distinct a personality as anything I knew; or what should I say to Roland? It was on my heart that my boy would die if I could not find some way of helping this creature. You may be surprised that I should speak of it in this way. I did not know if it was man or woman; but I no more doubted that it was a soul in pain than I doubted my own being; and it was my business to soothe this pain,-to deliver it, if that was possible.
weeping - weinen; .; (weep) weinen
doubted - bezweifelt; bezweifeln, zweifeln, Zweifel
deliver - erlösen, befreien, gebären, liefern, abliefern
Was ever such a task given to an anxious father trembling for his only boy? I felt in my heart, fantastic as it may appear, that I must fulfil this somehow, or part with my child; and you may conceive that rather than do that I was ready to die. But even my dying would not have advanced me, unless by bringing me into the same world with that seeker at the door.
fulfil - erfüllen, ableisten, anfüllen, gerecht werden
conceive - schwanger werden; konzipieren, erdenken, ersinnen, empfangen
advanced - fortgeschritten; erhöhen, erheben, befördern, vorrücken
Unless - wenn nicht, es sei denn
seeker - Suchender, Sucher, Sucherin
Next morning Simson was out before breakfast, and came in with evident signs of the damp grass on his boots, and a look of worry and weariness, which did not say much for the night he had passed. He improved a little after breakfast, and visited his two patients,-for Bagley was still an invalid. I went out with him on his way to the train, to hear what he had to say about the boy. "He is going on very well," he said; "there are no complications as yet. But mind you, that's not a boy to be trifled with, Mortimer. Not a word to him about last night." I had to tell him then of my last interview with Roland, and of the impossible demand he had made upon me, by which, though he tried to laugh, he was much discomposed, as I could see. "We must just perjure ourselves all round," he said, "and swear you exorcised it"; but the man was too kind-hearted to be satisfied with that.
evident - offensichtlich; offenkundig
damp - feucht; Feuchtigkeit; ersticken, dämpfen
weariness - Müdigkeit
invalid - ungültig; zum Invaliden machen; Invalide, Kranken.., Kranke
complications - Komplikationen; Komplikation, Komplikation, Komplikation
trifled - getrickst; Trifle
demand - Nachfrage, Bedarf, Anspruch, verlangen, bestehen
discomposed - verwirrt; aufregen
perjure - einen Meineid leisten, falsch schwören
swear - schwören
exorcised - exorziert; exorzieren, austreiben
"It's frightfully serious for you, Mortimer. I can't laugh as I should like to. I wish I saw a way out of it, for your sake. By the way," he added shortly, "didn't you notice that juniper-bush on the left-hand side?" "There was one on the right hand of the door. I noticed you made that mistake last night." "Mistake!" he cried, with a curious low laugh, pulling up the collar of his coat as though he felt the cold,-"there's no juniper there this morning, left or right. Just go and see." As he stepped into the train a few minutes after, he looked back upon me and beckoned me for a parting word. "I'm coming back tonight," he said.
frightfully - furchtbar; schrecklich, schreckliche
shortly - in Kürze; bald
pulling up - heraufziehend
collar - Kragen; Halskette; Halsband; Ring
beckoned - winkte; heranwinken, herbeiwinken, winken, zuwinken, einladen
I don't think I had any feeling about this as I turned away from that common bustle of the railway which made my private preoccupations feel so strangely out of date. There had been a distinct satisfaction in my mind before, that his scepticism had been so entirely defeated. But the more serious part of the matter pressed upon me now. I went straight from the railway to the manse, which stood on a little plateau on the side of the river opposite to the woods of Brentwood. The minister was one of a class which is not so common in Scotland as it used to be. He was a man of good family, well educated in the Scotch way, strong in philosophy, not so strong in Greek, strongest of all in experience,-a man who had "come across," in the course of his life, most people of note that had ever been in Scotland, and who was said to be very sound in doctrine, without infringing the toleration with which old men, who are good men, are generally endowed. He was old-fashioned; perhaps he did not think so much about the troublous problems of theology as many of the young men, nor ask himself any hard questions about the Confession of Faith; but he understood human nature, which is perhaps better.
bustle - Betriebsamkeit; Hektik; hasten
private - privat; privat
preoccupations - Besorgnisse; Vertieftsein
defeated - besiegt; vernichten, ablehnen, vereiteln, besiegen; Niederlage
pressed - gedrückt; (pre) vor..
manse - Herrenhaus
plateau - Hochebene, Plateau
opposite to - gegenüber
minister - Gesandter, Pastor, Minister
educated - Gebildet; ausbilden, erziehen
Scotch - Scotch
Philosophy - Philosophie
Greek - griechisch; Griechisch, griechische Sprache, Grieche, Griechin
doctrine - Doktrin; Lehre
infringing - verletzen, übertreten, verstoßen
generally - im Allgemeinen
endowed - dotiert; ausstatten
troublous - beunruhigend
theology - Theologie
confession - Bekenntnis, Eingeständnis, Beichte
Faith - Glaube; Vertrauen
He received me with a cordial welcome. "Come away, Colonel Mortimer," he said; "I'm all the more glad to see you, that I feel it's a good sign for the boy. He's doing well?-God be praised,-and the Lord bless him and keep him. He has many a poor body's prayers, and that can do nobody harm."
cordial - herzlich; Sirup; Likör
Praised - Gelobt; Lob
Lord - Gebieter; Herr; herrschen
bless - segnen; selig preisen
prayers - Gebete; (the Lord's Prayer) Paternoster
harm - Schaden
"He will need them all, Dr. Moncrieff," I said, "and your counsel, too." And I told him the story,-more than I had told Simson. The old clergyman listened to me with many suppressed exclamations, and at the end the water stood in his eyes.
counsel - Ratschläge; Beratung; Rat, Ratschlag, Anwalt, Anwältin
clergyman - Pfarrer, Pastor, Kleriker, Geistlicher
suppressed - unterdrückt; unterdrücken, unterdrücken, unterdrücken
exclamations - Ausrufe; Ausruf, Exklamation
"That's just beautiful," he said. "I do not mind to have heard anything like it; it's as fine as Burns when he wished deliverance to one-that is prayed for in no kirk. Ay, ay! so he would have you console the poor lost spirit? God bless the boy! There's something more than common in that, Colonel Mortimer. And also the faith of him in his father!-I would like to put that into a sermon.
deliverance - Auslieferung, Abgabe, Erlösung, Befreiung
prayed - gebetet; Bitte bedenken Sie doch!; beten
sermon - Predigt
Then the old gentleman gave me an alarmed look, and said, "No, no; I was not meaning a sermon; but I must write it down for the 'Children's Record.'" I saw the thought that passed through his mind. Either he thought, or he feared I would think, of a funeral sermon. You may believe this did not make me more cheerful.
funeral - Bestattung, Beerdigung, Begräbnis
more cheerful - fröhlichere
I can scarcely say that Dr. Moncrieff gave me any advice. How could any one advise on such a subject? But he said, "I think I'll come too. I'm an old man; I'm less liable to be frightened than those that are further off the world unseen. It behooves me to think of my own journey there. I've no cut-and-dry beliefs on the subject. I'll come too; and maybe at the moment the Lord will put into our heads what to do."
advise on - beraten
liable - haftbar; fehlbar
unseen - ungesehen; unbesehen, unsichtbar
behooves - ist es sinnvoll; obliegen
journey there - Hinfahrt
beliefs - Überzeugungen; Glauben, Glaube, Glaube, Glauben, Glauben
This gave me a little comfort,-more than Simson had given me. To be clear about the cause of it was not my grand desire. It was another thing that was in my mind,-my boy. As for the poor soul at the open door, I had no more doubt, as I have said, of its existence than I had of my own. It was no ghost to me. I knew the creature, and it was in trouble. That was my feeling about it, as it was Roland's. To hear it first was a great shock to my nerves, but not now; a man will get accustomed to anything.
nerves - Nerven; Nerv, Nerv, Nerv, Nerv, Nerv
But to do something for it was the great problem; how was I to be serviceable to a being that was invisible, that was mortal no longer? "Maybe at the moment the Lord will put it into our heads." This is very old-fashioned phraseology, and a week before, most likely, I should have smiled (though always with kindness) at Dr. Moncrieff's credulity; but there was a great comfort, whether rational or otherwise I cannot say, in the mere sound of the words.
serviceable - brauchbar, nutzerfreundlich, praktisch, reparierbar
phraseology - Phraseologie; Phraseologismus
kindness - Freundlichkeit; Liebenswürdigkeit
credulity - Leichtgläubigkeit
rational - vernünftig
otherwise - sonst
mere - einfach; nur, schier, bloß
The road to the station and the village lay through the glen, not by the ruins; but though the sunshine and the fresh air, and the beauty of the trees, and the sound of the water were all very soothing to the spirits, my mind was so full of my own subject that I could not refrain from turning to the right hand as I got to the top of the glen, and going straight to the place which I may call the scene of all my thoughts. It was lying full in the sunshine, like all the rest of the world. The ruined gable looked due east, and in the present aspect of the sun the light streamed down through the door-way as our lantern had done, throwing a flood of light upon the damp grass beyond. There was a strange suggestion in the open door,-so futile, a kind of emblem of vanity: all free around, so that you could go where you pleased, and yet that semblance of an enclosure,-that way of entrance, unnecessary, leading to nothing. And why any creature should pray and weep to get in-to nothing, or be kept out-by nothing! You could not dwell upon it, or it made your brain go round. I remembered, however, what Simson said about the juniper, with a little smile on my own mind as to the inaccuracy of recollection which even a scientific man will be guilty of. I could see now the light of my lantern gleaming upon the wet glistening surface of the spiky leaves at the right hand,-and he ready to go to the stake for it that it was the left! I went round to make sure. And then I saw what he had said.
sunshine - Sonnenschein
beauty - Schönheit; Schöner, Schöne, Prachtstück
soothing - erleichternd, lindernd, beruhigend; (sooth); Wahrheit
spirits - Geister; Geist, Seele, Geist, Stimmung, Schnaps, qualifier
refrain - zurückhalten; Refrain, Kehrreim
thoughts - Gedanken; Gedanke
due - fällig
streamed - gestreamt; Bach, Strom, Datenstrom, strömen, streamen
flood - Hochwasser; Flut; überschwemmen, überfluten, überfüllen
futile - sinnlos, vergeblich
emblem - Emblem
vanity - Vergänglichkeit; Eitelkeit; Leere
semblance - Anschein
unnecessary - nicht notwendig, unnötig
leading - führend; führen; (lead) führend; führen
Pray - Bitte bedenken Sie doch!; beten
weep - weinen
inaccuracy - Ungenauigkeit
guilty - schuldig
gleaming - durchschimmernd, schimmernd, glänzend; (gleam) durchschimmernd
surface - Oberfläche; auftauchen; publik werden, ans Licht kommen
spiky - stachlig, stachelig
stake - Pfahl, Pflock, Marterpfahl, Scheiterhaufen, Anteil, Einsatz
Right or left there was no juniper at all! I was confounded by this, though it was entirely a matter of detail: nothing at all,-a bush of brambles waving, the grass growing up to the very walls. But after all, though it gave me a shock for a moment, what did that matter? There were marks as if a number of footsteps had been up and down in front of the door, but these might have been our steps; and all was bright and peaceful and still. I poked about the other ruin-the larger ruins of the old house-for some time, as I had done before. There were marks upon the grass here and there-I could not call them footsteps-all about; but that told for nothing one way or another. I had examined the ruined rooms closely the first day. They were half-filled up with soil and debris, withered brackens and bramble,-no refuge for any one there. It vexed me that Jarvis should see me coming from that spot when he came up to me for his orders. I don't know whether my nocturnal expeditions had got wind among the servants. But there was a significant look in his face. Something in it I felt was like my own sensation when Simson in the midst of his scepticism was struck dumb. Jarvis felt satisfied that his veracity had been put beyond question. I never spoke to a servant of mine in such a peremptory tone before. I sent him away "with a flea in his lug," as the man described it afterwards. Interference of any kind was intolerable to me at such a moment.
peaceful - einträchtig, geruhsam, friedlich
poked - gestoßen; stoßen, stecken, stöbern
examined - untersucht; untersuchen, untersuchen, untersuchen, prüfen
closely - dicht, eng, nah, nahe
debris - Trümmer, Schutt, Ruinen, Müll, Ruine, Geröll
withered - verwelkt; welken, verblühen, verdorren
brackens - Farnkraut; Adlerfarne
refuge - Zuflucht; Herberge
vexed - verärgert; ärgern, verärgern, reizen, irritieren, beunruhigen
nocturnal - nachtaktiv; nächtlich
expeditions - Expeditionen; Expedition
significant - bedeutsam; signifikant, bedeutend
sensation - Gefühl, Empfindung, Sensation
dumb - dumm; stumm, sprachlos, blöd, doof
veracity - Wahrhaftigkeit; Aufrichtigkeit
beyond question - unstrittig, außer Zweifel
servant - Diener, Dienerin, Lakai, Kammerdiener
peremptory - zwingend
flea - Floh
lug - zerren, schleppen; Anschlussklemme, Vorsprung, Ă–se
interference - Einmischung; Interferenz, Störung, Eingriff
intolerable - unerträglich
But what was strangest of all was, that I could not face Roland. I did not go up to his room, as I would have naturally done, at once. This the girls could not understand. They saw there was some mystery in it. "Mother has gone to lie down," Agatha said; "he has had such a good night." "But he wants you so, papa!" cried little Jeanie, always with her two arms embracing mine in a pretty way she had. I was obliged to go at last, but what could I say? I could only kiss him, and tell him to keep still,-that I was doing all I could. There is something mystical about the patience of a child. "It will come all right, won't it, father?" he said. "God grant it may! I hope so, Roland." "Oh, yes, it will come all right.
naturally - natürlich
embracing - umarmen, annehmen, umarmen, Umarmung
kiss - küssen
keep still - schweigen, stillhalten
mystical - mystisch
patience - Geduld
Grant - gewähren; erteilen; bewilligen
Perhaps he understood that in the midst of my anxiety I could not stay with him as I should have done otherwise. But the girls were more surprised than it is possible to describe. They looked at me with wondering eyes. "If I were ill, papa, and you only stayed with me a moment, I should break my heart," said Agatha. But the boy had a sympathetic feeling. He knew that of my own will I would not have done it. I shut myself up in the library, where I could not rest, but kept pacing up and down like a caged beast. What could I do? and if I could do nothing, what would become of my boy? These were the questions that, without ceasing, pursued each other through my mind.
wondering - und fragen sich; (wonder) sich wundern (über)
sympathetic - sympathisch; mitfühlend
caged - in einem Käfig; Käfig
beast - Tier, Bestie, Unmensch, Biest
ceasing - aufhören; beendend, endend; (cease); aufhören, einstellen
pursued - Verfolgt; verfolgen, folgen, beschreiten, nachjagen, nachgehen
Simson came out to dinner, and when the house was all still, and most of the servants in bed, we went out and met Dr. Moncrieff, as we had appointed, at the head of the glen. Simson, for his part, was disposed to scoff at the Doctor. "If there are to be any spells, you know, I'll cut the whole concern," he said. I did not make him any reply. I had not invited him; he could go or come as he pleased. He was very talkative, far more so than suited my humour, as we went on. "One thing is certain, you know; there must be some human agency," he said. "It is all bosh about apparitions. I never have investigated the laws of sound to any great extent, and there's a great deal in ventriloquism that we don't know much about." "If it's the same to you," I said, "I wish you'd keep all that to yourself, Simson. It doesn't suit my state of mind." "Oh, I hope I know how to respect idiosyncrasy," he said. The very tone of his voice irritated me beyond measure. These scientific fellows, I wonder people put up with them as they do, when you have no mind for their cold-blooded confidence. Dr. Moncrieff met us about eleven o'clock, the same time as on the previous night. He was a large man, with a venerable countenance and white hair,-old, but in full vigour, and thinking less of a cold night walk than many a younger man.
appointed - ernannt; bestimmen, festlegen, ausstatten, ausrüsten, festlegen
disposed - entsorgt; beseitigen, entsorgen, ordnen
scoff at - höhnen über, spotten über
concern - Bedenken; Sorge, Anliegen, Betroffenheit, Besorgnis, Konzern
talkative - gesprächig, redselig, geschwätzig
agency - Wille; Agency; Agentur; Behörde
bosh - Kühltrog (Schmiede)
apparitions - Erscheinungen; Erscheinung
investigated - untersucht; untersuchen, erforschen, recherchieren, untersuchen
extent - Umfang, Ausdehnung, Ausmaß, Größe
ventriloquism - Bauchreden, Bauchredekunst, Bauchrednerei; Ventriloquismus
respect - Achtung, Respekt, respektieren
idiosyncrasy - Idiosynkrasie; Eigenheit, Eigenart, Eigensinn
irritated - gereizt; reizen, irritieren, ärgern
fellows - Kameraden; Stipendiat, Typ, Kerl, Bursche; Gefährte, Kerl
cold-blooded - (cold-blooded) kaltblütig
venerable - ehrwürdig, geschätzt, respektabel, verehrenswert
full vigour - Vollkraft
He had his lantern, as I had. We were fully provided with means of lighting the place, and we were all of us resolute men. We had a rapid consultation as we went up, and the result was that we divided to different posts. Dr. Moncrieff remained inside the wall-if you can call that inside where there was no wall but one. Simson placed himself on the side next the ruins, so as to intercept any communication with the old house, which was what his mind was fixed upon. I was posted on the other side. To say that nothing could come near without being seen was self-evident. It had been so also on the previous night. Now, with our three lights in the midst of the darkness, the whole place seemed illuminated. Dr. Moncrieff's lantern, which was a large one, without any means of shutting up,-an old-fashioned lantern with a pierced and ornamental top,-shone steadily, the rays shooting out of it upward into the gloom. He placed it on the grass, where the middle of the room, if this had been a room, would have been. The usual effect of the light streaming out of the door-way was prevented by the illumination which Simson and I on either side supplied. With these differences, everything seemed as on the previous night.
fully - vollständig; völlig
resolute - entschieden, entschlossen, resolut
rapid - schnell; Stromschnelle
consultation - Beratung, Konsultation
divided - geteilt; aufteilen, teilen, einteilen, teilen, dividieren
self - Selbst
intercept - abfangen; Achsenabschnitt
come near - herangekommen
illuminated - beleuchtet; beleuchten, erhellen, illuminieren
pierced - gepierct; lochen, durchbohren
ornamental - Zier-, dekorativ, Zierpflanze
steadily - beständig; stetige, stet, zuverlässig
rays - Schimmer, Strahl; ausstrahlen
shooting - Schießen, Schießerei; (shoot); Schießen, Schießerei
upward - nach oben; ansteigend, aufwärts
illumination - Beleuchtung
supplied - geliefert; Stellvertretung, Versorgung, Vorrat; liefern
And what occurred was exactly the same, with the same air of repetition, point for point, as I had formerly remarked. I declare that it seemed to me as if I were pushed against, put aside, by the owner of the voice as he paced up and down in his trouble,-though these are perfectly futile words, seeing that the stream of light from my lantern, and that from Simson's taper, lay broad and clear, without a shadow, without the smallest break, across the entire breadth of the grass.
Formerly - früher, ehemals
remarked - bemerkt; bemerken; Anmerkung, Bemerkung
declare - bekanntmachen, bekanntgeben, deklarieren, ausrufen, aussagen
paced - schrittweise; Tempo, Stufe, Schritt
stream - Bach; Strom; Datenstrom; strömen; streamen
broad - breit, deutliche, großräumig
shadow - Schatten; beschatten
entire - vollständig; ganz, gesamt
breadth - Weite; Breite
But just as it threw itself sobbing at the door (I cannot use other words), there suddenly came something which sent the blood coursing through my veins, and my heart into my mouth. It was a voice inside the wall,-my minister's well-known voice. I would have been prepared for it in any kind of adjuration, but I was not prepared for what I heard. It came out with a sort of stammering, as if too much moved for utterance. "Willie, Willie! Oh, God preserve us! is it you?"
adjuration - Beschwörung
stammering - Stottern; Gestotter; (stammer); stammeln, stottern, Stottern
utterance - Äußerung
preserve - Konserve, Eingemachtes, Naturschutzgebiet, Naturreservat
I made a dash round to the other side of the wall. The old minister was standing where I had left him, his shadow thrown vague and large upon the grass by the lantern which stood at his feet. I lifted my own light to see his face. He was very pale, his eyes wet and glistening, his mouth quivering with parted lips. He neither saw nor heard me. His whole being seemed absorbed in anxiety and tenderness. He held out his hands, which trembled, but it seemed to me with eagerness, not fear. He went on speaking all the time. "Willie, if it is you,-and it's you, if it is not a delusion of Satan,-Willie, lad! why come ye here frighting them that know you not? Why came ye not to me? Your mother's gone with your name on her lips. Do you think she would ever close her door on her own lad? Do ye think the Lord will close the door, ye faint-hearted creature?
Dash - Bindestrich, Gedankenstrich, Querstrich, Spurt, Sprint
quivering - zitternd; zittern
absorbed - absorbiert; absorbieren, aufnehen
tenderness - Zärtlichkeit
trembled - gezittert; zittern, Zittern
Satan - Satan, Teufel
frighting - erschreckend; Angst, Schreck, Schrecken
No!-I forbid ye! I forbid ye!" cried the old man. The sobbing voice had begun to resume its cries. He made a step forward, calling out the last words in a voice of command. "I forbid ye! Cry out no more to man. Go home, ye wandering spirit! go home! Do you hear me?-me that christened ye, that have struggled with ye, that have wrestled for ye with the Lord!" Here the loud tones of his voice sank into tenderness. "And her too, poor woman! poor woman! her you are calling upon. She's no here. You'll find her with the Lord. Go there and seek her, not here. Do you hear me, lad? go after her there. He'll let you in, though it's late. Man, take heart! if you will lie and sob and greet, let it be at heaven's gate, and no your poor mother's ruined door."
forbid - verbieten, untersagen, verweigern, vorenthalten
resume - weiter; Lebenslauf; fortsetzen, wiedererlangen, wiederaufnehmen
christened - getauft; taufen, taufen
struggled - gekämpft; Kampf, Gefecht
wrestled - gerungen; ringen
tones - Töne; Farbton, Klang, Umgangston, Ton
poor woman - Arme
seek - suchen
take heart - (aus etw.) Mut schöpfen
Heaven - Der Himmel; Himmel, Firmament, Paradies
He stopped to get his breath; and the voice had stopped, not as it had done before, when its time was exhausted and all its repetitions said, but with a sobbing catch in the breath as if overruled. Then the minister spoke again, "Are you hearing me, Will? Oh, laddie, you've liked the beggarly elements all your days. Be done with them now. Go home to the Father-the Father! Are you hearing me?" Here the old man sank down upon his knees, his face raised upwards, his hands held up with a tremble in them, all white in the light in the midst of the darkness.
exhausted - erschöpft; erschöpfen, dezimieren, erschöpfen, Auspuff, Abgas
repetitions - Wiederholungen; Wiederholung, Wdh(lg). Wiederholung
overruled - überstimmt; überstimmen, verwerfen
laddie - Bubi
beggarly - bettelarm; arm
elements - Elemente; Element
tremble - zittern; Zittern
I resisted as long as I could, though I cannot tell why; then I, too, dropped upon my knees. Simson all the time stood in the door-way, with an expression in his face such as words could not tell, his under lip dropped, his eyes wild, staring. It seemed to be to him, that image of blank ignorance and wonder, that we were praying. All the time the voice, with a low arrested sobbing, lay just where he was standing, as I thought.
lip - Lippe; Auslauf, Überlauf, Schnaupe, Ansatz
ignorance - Unwissenheit, Unwissen, Nichtwissen
praying - flehend, betend; (pray) flehend, betend
arrested - verhaftet; Verhaftung, Festnahme, Arrest, arretieren
"Lord," the minister said,-"Lord, take him into Thy everlasting habitations. The mother he cries to is with Thee. Who can open to him but Thee? Lord, when is it too late for Thee, or what is too hard for Thee? Lord, let that woman there draw him inower! Let her draw him inower!"
thy - deine; dein
everlasting - ewig; endlos
habitations - Behausungen; Wohnen
thee - dich, dir
I sprang forward to catch something in my arms that flung itself wildly within the door. The illusion was so strong, that I never paused till I felt my forehead graze against the wall and my hands clutch the ground,-for there was nobody there to save from falling, as in my foolishness I thought.
illusion - Illusion, Wahnvorstellung, Sinnestäuschung
paused - innegehalten; pausieren, innehalten, pausieren, Pause
graze - grasen; Kratzen, Schrammen, Schaben, Schleifen
Simson held out his hand to me to help me up. He was trembling and cold, his lower lip hanging, his speech almost inarticulate. "It's gone," he said, stammering,-"it's gone!"
lower lip - Unterlippe
As long as I live I will never forget the shining of the strange lights, the blackness all round, the kneeling figure with all the whiteness of the light concentrated on its white venerable head and uplifted hands. I never knew how long we stood, like sentinels guarding him at his prayers. But at last the old minister rose from his knees, and standing up at his full height, raised his arms, as the Scotch manner is at the end of a religious service, and solemnly gave the apostolical benediction,-to what?
shining - glänzen; schimmern, wienern; Schein; putzen (Schuhe)
kneeling - kniend, hinkniend; (kneel); knien
whiteness - Weiße, Weißheit, Weißsein
concentrated - konzentriert; konzentrieren, sich konzentrieren, konzentrieren
uplifted - Erhöht; hochheben, erheben
sentinels - Wache, Wachposten, Wächter, Wächterin, Markierung, Schlüsselwort
guarding - Bewachung; Wächter, Parierstange, Schutz, schützen, bewachen
religious - religiös, gläubig, Ordensmitglied, Ordensleute
apostolical - apostolisch
benediction - Segensspruch; Segnung
to the silent earth, the dark woods, the wide breathing atmosphere; for we were but spectators gasping an Amen!
breathing - Atmen, Atmung; (breath); Atmen, Atmung, Atemzug, Atem, Atempause
atmosphere - Atmosphäre
spectators - Zuschauer, Zuschauerin, Schaulustiger
gasping - keuchend; (gasp); keuchen; japsen, prusten, Atemzug, Luftholen
Amen - amen
It seemed to me that it must be the middle of the night, as we all walked back. It was in reality very late. Dr. Moncrieff himself was the first to speak. "I must be going," he said; "I will go down the glen, as I came."
reality - Wirklichkeit, Realität, checkRealität
"But not alone. I am going with you, Doctor."
"Well, I will not oppose it. I am an old man, and agitation wearies more than work. Yes; I'll be thankful of your arm. Tonight, Colonel, you've done me more good turns than one."
oppose - ablehnen; widersprechen
agitation - Aufregung; Aufwühlung, Agitation
wearies - müde, müde
I pressed his hand on my arm, not feeling able to speak. But Simson, who turned with us, and who had gone along all this time with his taper flaring, in entire unconsciousness, became himself, sceptical and cynical. "I should like to ask you a question," he said. "Do you believe in Purgatory, Doctor? It's not in the tenets of the Church, so far as I know."
pressed - gedrückt; Presse (Maschine), Presse (Zeitung); drängen, drücken
gone along - mitgegangen
flaring - Abfackeln; Fackel, Leuchtfackel, Bengalo
unconsciousness - Bewusstlosigkeit; Unwissenheit
sceptical - skeptisch
cynical - zynisch
Purgatory - Fegefeuer; Purgatorium
tenets - Lehren; Dogma
"Sir," said Dr. Moncrieff, "an old man like me is sometimes not very sure what he believes. There is just one thing I am certain of-and that is the loving-kindness of God."
"But I thought that was in this life. I am no theologian--"
theologian - Theologe, Theologin
"Sir," said the old man again, with a tremor in him which I could feel going over all his frame, "if I saw a friend of mine within the gates of hell, I would not despair but his Father would take him by the hand still, if he cried like you."
frame - ausarbeiten, entwerfen, einfassen, einrahmen, festlegen
hell - Hölle
despair - verzweifeln; Verzweiflung
"I allow it is very strange, very strange. I cannot see through it. That there must be human agency, I feel sure. Doctor, what made you decide upon the person and the name?"
The minister put out his hand with the impatience which a man might show if he were asked how he recognized his brother. "Tuts!" he said, in familiar speech; then more solemnly, "How should I not recognize a person that I know better-far better-than I know you?"
Impatience - Ungeduld
familiar - vertraut; bekannt
"Then you saw the man?"
Dr. Moncrieff made no reply. He moved his hand again with a little impatient movement, and walked on, leaning heavily on my arm. We parted with him at his own door, where his old housekeeper appeared in great perturbation, waiting for him. "Eh, me, minister! the young gentleman will be worse?" she cried.
impatient - ungeduldig
heavily - schwerlich, stark
housekeeper - Haushälterin; Hausfrau; (hired) Haushälterin; (hired) Haushälter
perturbation - Störung
eh - oder
"Far from that-better. God bless him!" Dr. Moncrieff said.
I think if Simson had begun again to me with his questions, I should have pitched him over the rocks as we returned up the glen; but he was silent, by a good inspiration. And the sky was clearer than it had been for many nights, shining high over the trees, with here and there a star faintly gleaming through the wilderness of dark and bare branches. We went up to the boy's room when we went in. There we found the complete hush of rest. My wife looked up out of a doze, and gave me a smile; "I think he is a great deal better; but you are very late," she said in a whisper, shading the light with her hand that the Doctor might see his patient. The boy had got back something like his own colour. He woke as we stood all round his bed.
inspiration - Einatmung, Einatmen, Einschnaufen, göttliche Eingebung
shining - glänzen; Schienbein; hinaufklettern
faintly - kaum, schwach, entfernt, leicht
wilderness - Wildnis, Wüste
bare - knapp, kahl, nackt, bloß; entblößen, abnehmen, freimachen
doze - dösen; Halbschlaf
shading - Schattierung; Schraffierung, Dunkeltönung
His eyes had the happy, half-awakened look of childhood, glad to shut again, yet pleased with the interruption and glimmer of the light. I stooped over him and kissed his forehead, which was moist and cool. "All is well, Roland," I said. He looked up at me with a glance of pleasure, and took my hand and laid his cheek upon it, and so went to sleep.
awakened - geweckt; aufwecken, wecken, aufwachen, erwachen, wach werden
childhood - Kindheit, Kindschaft, Kinderzeit, Anfangszeit
interruption - Unterbrechung
glimmer - Schimmern; Schimmer; glimmern
stooped - gekrümmt; Buckel, sich beugen
kissed - geküsst; küssen
moist - feucht
glance - blicken; Blick, Streifblick, Glanz, Steinkohle
cheek - Frechheit; Backe, ormal, Stirn, Mick, Pumpenmick
For some nights after, I watched among the ruins, spending all the dark hours up to midnight patrolling about the bit of wall which was associated with so many emotions; but I heard nothing, and saw nothing beyond the quiet course of nature; nor, so far as I am aware, has anything been heard again. Dr. Moncrieff gave me the history of the youth, whom he never hesitated to name. I did not ask, as Simson did, how he recognized him. He had been a prodigal,-weak, foolish, easily imposed upon, and "led away," as people say. All that we had heard had passed actually in life, the Doctor said. The young man had come home thus a day or two after his mother died,-who was no more than housekeeper in the old house,-and distracted with the news, had thrown himself down at the door and called upon her to let him in.
patrolling - patrouillierend; (patrol) patrouillierend
emotions - Emotionen; Gefühl
youth - Jugend, Jugendlichkeit, Jugendzeit, Jugendlicher, Jugendliche
hesitated - gezögert; zögern, zögern, stammeln
prodigal - verschwenderisch; großzügig, freigebig, übermäßig, im Überfluß
foolish - dumm, närrisch, töricht
imposed - auferlegt; auferlegen, aufzwingen, auferlegen
distracted - Abgelenkt; ablenken
The old man could scarcely speak of it for tears. He was not terrified, as I had been myself, and all the rest of us. It was no "ghost," as I fear we all vulgarly considered it, to him,-but a poor creature whom he knew under these conditions, just as he had known him in the flesh, having no doubt of his identity. And to Roland it was the same. This spirit in pain,-if it was a spirit,-this voice out of the unseen,-was a poor fellow-creature in misery, to be succoured and helped out of his trouble, to my boy. He spoke to me quite frankly about it when he got better. "I knew father would find out some way," he said. And this was when he was strong and well, and all idea that he would turn hysterical or become a seer of visions had happily passed away.
terrified - verängstigt; erschrecken
vulgarly - vulgär
flesh - Fleisch; Haut, Leib, Fruchtfleisch, Fleischfarbe, zunehmen
identity - Identität, Gleichheit, Übereinstimmung
succoured - Erleichtert; Beistand, Hilfe, Unterstützung, beistehen
helped out - ausgeholfen
frankly - offen gesagt; ehrlich gesagt, um ehrlich zu sein
visions - Visionen; Sicht, Sehvermögen
I must add one curious fact, which does not seem to me to have any relation to the above, but which Simson made great use of, as the human agency which he was determined to find somehow. One Sunday afternoon Simson found a little hole,-for it was more a hole than a room,-entirely hidden under the ivy and ruins, in which there was a quantity of straw laid in a corner, as if some one had made a bed there, and some remains of crusts about the floor.
relation - Beziehung; Relation; Verwandter, Verwandte, Verwandtschaft
straw - Halm, Strohhalm, Stroh, strohfarben, strohgelb, Stroh-
laid in - eingekellert
crusts - Krusten; Kruste, Kruste, Rinde, Kruste
Some one had lodged there, and not very long before, he made out; and that this unknown being was the author of all the mysterious sounds we heard he is convinced. "I was puzzled myself,-I could not make it out,-but I always felt convinced human agency was at the bottom of it. And here it is,-and a clever fellow he must have been," the Doctor says. There is no argument with men of this kind.
lodged - hinterlegt; Lodge, Loge, Loge, Biberburg, feststecken
unknown - unbekannt; Unbekannte; Unbekannter
puzzled - verwirrt; Rätsel
Bagley left my service as soon as he got well. He assured me it was no want of respect, but he could not stand "them kind of things"; and the man was so shaken and ghastly that I was glad to give him a present and let him go. For my own part, I made a point of staying out the time-two years-for which I had taken Brentwood; but I did not renew my tenancy. By that time we had settled, and found for ourselves a pleasant home of our own.
assured - gesichert; beteuerte, versicherte, versichert
ghastly - geisterhaft; grässlich, gespenstisch, haarsträubend
renew - erneuern
tenancy - Mietverhältnis
I must add, that when the Doctor defies me, I can always bring back gravity to his countenance, and a pause in his railing, when I remind him of the juniper-bush. To me that was a matter of little importance. I could believe I was mistaken. I did not care about it one way or other; but on his mind the effect was different.
defies - trotzt; herausfordern, die Stirn bieten, herausfordern, trotzen
railing - Geländer; (rail); Geländer
remind - erinnern, in Erinnerung bringen
The miserable voice, the spirit in pain, he could think of as the result of ventriloquism, or reverberation, or-anything you please: an elaborate prolonged hoax, executed somehow by the tramp that had found a lodging in the old tower; but the juniper-bush staggered him. Things have effects so different on the minds of different men.
reverberation - Zurückschlagen; Hall, Nachhall, Widerhall, Widerklang
elaborate - ausarbeiten; ausführlich, durchdacht, ausführen
hoax - Scherz; anführen, hereinlegen, einen Bären aufbinden, foppen
executed - ausgeführt; hinrichten, ausführen, durchführen, ausführen
lodging - Unterbringung; Unterkunft; (lodge); Lodge; Loge; Biberburg; feststecken
staggered - gestaffelt; Staffelung; abstufen, staffeln, wanken