James - Jakobus, Jakobus, Jakob
It is, I confess, with considerable diffidence that I approach the strange narrative which I am about to relate. The events which I purpose detailing are of so extraordinary a character that I am quite prepared to meet with an unusual amount of incredulity and scorn. I accept all such beforehand. I have, I trust, the literary courage to face unbelief.
diffidence - Scheu; Zurückhaltung, Verlegenheit, Schüchternheit
incredulity - Ungläubigkeit
scorn - verachten; verschmähen; verspotten; Verachtung
beforehand - vorher
unbelief - Unglaube
I have, after mature consideration, resolved to narrate, in as simple and straightforward a manner as I can compass, some facts that passed under my observation, in the month of July last, and which, in the annals of the mysteries of physical science, are wholly unparalleled.
mature - ausgereift, mündig, erwachsen, reif
narrate - erzählen; berichten
straightforward - geradlinig; aufrichtig, einfach, offen
compass - Kompass
wholly - ganz
unparalleled - unvergleichlich
I live at No. - Twenty-sixth Street, in New York. The house is in some respects a curious one. It has enjoyed for the last two years the reputation of being haunted. It is a large and stately residence, surrounded by what was once a garden, but which is now only a green enclosure used for bleaching clothes.
York - York
haunted - spuken, verfolgen, Treffpunkt
stately - stattlich
residence - Wohnsitz, Wohnort, Wohnhaus, Firmensitz
enclosure - Anlage, Beilage, Beilegen, Beifügen, Hinzufügen, Gehege
bleaching - bleichend, Bleiche, ausbleichend; (bleach) bleichend, Bleiche
The dry basin of what has been a fountain, and a few fruit trees ragged and unpruned, indicate that this spot in past days was a pleasant, shady retreat, filled with fruits and flowers and the sweet murmur of waters.
basin - Becken
fountain - Springbrunnen; Fontäne
ragged - zottig, dilettantisch, struppig, zerlumpt; (rag) zottig
unpruned - ungeschnitten
shady - schattig; schattenspendend, Schatten, zwielichtig
retreat - Rückzug
murmur - Rauschen, Murmeln, Gemurmel, Raunen, Herzgeräusch
The house is very spacious. A hall of noble size leads to a large spiral staircase winding through its centre, while the various apartments are of imposing dimensions. It was built some fifteen or twenty years since by Mr. A--, the well-known New York merchant, who five years ago threw the commercial world into convulsions by a stupendous bank fraud. Mr. A--, as every one knows, escaped to Europe, and died not long after, of a broken heart. Almost immediately after the news of his decease reached this country and was verified, the report spread in Twenty-sixth Street that No. - was haunted. Legal measures had dispossessed the widow of its former owner, and it was inhabited merely by a caretaker and his wife, placed there by the house agent into whose hands it had passed for the purposes of renting or sale. These people declared that they were troubled with unnatural noises.
spacious - geräumig; weiträumig
noble - edel; Adeliger, Adliger, Adelige, Adlige
spiral - Spirale; Helix
staircase - Treppe
winding - (wind) aufspulen, rollen, blasen, aufwickeln
dimensions - Abmessungen; Dimension, Dimension, Dimension, Dimension
merchant - Kaufmann, Kauffrau
convulsions - Krämpfe; Konvulsion, Krampf
stupendous - überwältigend
decease - Sterben; Ableben, Exitus, Hinschied, hinscheiden
verified - verifiziert; belegen, beweisen, verifizieren, überprüfen
dispossessed - Enteignet; enteignen
widow - Witwe; Hurenkind
inhabited - bewohnt; bewohnen
merely - bloß, lediglich, nur, schier
caretaker - Hausmeister; Pfleger, Pflegerin
unnatural - unnatürlich
Doors were opened without any visible agency. The remnants of furniture scattered through the various rooms were, during the night, piled one upon the other by unknown hands. Invisible feet passed up and down the stairs in broad daylight, accompanied by the rustle of unseen silk dresses, and the gliding of viewless hands along the massive balusters. The caretaker and his wife declared they would live there no longer. The house agent laughed, dismissed them, and put others in their place. The noises and supernatural manifestations continued. The neighbourhood caught up the story, and the house remained untenanted for three years. Several persons negotiated for it; but, somehow, always before the bargain was closed they heard the unpleasant rumours and declined to treat any further.
remnants - Überreste; Rest, Überbleibsel
scattered - verstreut; zerstreuen, zerstreuen, streuen, verstreuen
invisible - unsichtbar; versteckt
daylight - Tageslicht; Tag
rustle - Rascheln, Rauschen, Knistern
unseen - ungesehen; unbesehen, unsichtbar
gliding - Segelfliegen; Segelflug
viewless - ohne Aussicht
balusters - Baluster
supernatural - übernatürlich
manifestations - Manifestationen; Manifestation, Erscheinung
rumours - Gerüchte; Sage, Gerücht; munkeln
It was in this state of things that my landlady, who at that time kept a boarding-house in Bleecker Street, and who wished to move further up town, conceived the bold idea of renting No. - Twenty-sixth Street. Happening to have in her house rather a plucky and philosophical set of boarders, she laid her scheme before us, stating candidly everything she had heard respecting the ghostly qualities of the establishment to which she wished to remove us.
landlady - Vermieterin, Hauswirtin
boarding-house - (boarding-house) Schülerheim ;Fremdenheim
conceived - erdacht; konzipieren, erdenken, ersinnen, empfangen, verstehen
plucky - mutig; beherzt, tapfer
philosophical - philosophisch
boarders - Internatsschüler, Internatsschülerin, Kostgänger, Pirat, Kaper
candidly - aufrichtig; offen
ghostly - geisterhaft, spukhaft
establishment - Einrichtung; Verankerung (von Rechten), Feststellung
With the exception of two timid persons,-a sea-captain and a returned Californian, who immediately gave notice that they would leave,-all of Mrs. Moffat's guests declared that they would accompany her in her chivalric incursion into the abode of spirits.
timid - furchtsam, zaghaft, zögerlich, schüchtern
Californian - kalifornisch; Kalifornier, Kalifornierin
gave notice - kündigte
chivalric - ritterlich
incursion - Einmarsch; Einfall, Eindringen
abode - Aufenthalt, bleiben, Wohnsitz
Our removal was effected in the month of May, and we were charmed with our new residence. The portion of Twenty-sixth Street where our house is situated, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, is one of the pleasantest localities in New York. The gardens back of the houses, running down nearly to the Hudson, form, in the summer time, a perfect avenue of verdure.
removal - Entfernung; Umzug; Entlassung
charmed - verzaubert; Talisman; Charme, Zauberformel
situated - gelegen; aufstellen, unterbringen
Eighth - achte; Achtel
avenues - Alleen; Allee
localities - Ortschaften; Ortschaft
verdure - Grünzeug; Grün, Wuchs, Pflanzenwuchs, Kraft
The air is pure and invigorating, sweeping, as it does, straight across the river from the Weehawken heights, and even the ragged garden which surrounded the house, although displaying on washing days rather too much clothesline, still gave us a piece of greensward to look at, and a cool retreat in the summer evenings, where we smoked our cigars in the dusk, and watched the fireflies flashing their dark lanterns in the long grass.
invigorating - belebend; beleben, kräftigen, stärken, verstärken
clothesline - Wäscheleine
greensward - Grünfläche; Rasen, Grasnarbe
cigars - Zigarren; Zigarre; Glimmstängel
dusk - Abenddämmerung
fireflies - Glühwürmchen
lanterns - Laternen; Laterne, Laterne
Of course we had no sooner established ourselves at No. - than we began to expect ghosts. We absolutely awaited their advent with eagerness. Our dinner conversation was supernatural. One of the boarders, who had purchased Mrs. Crowe's "Night Side of Nature" for his own private delectation, was regarded as a public enemy by the entire household for not having bought twenty copies. The man led a life of supreme wretchedness while he was reading this volume. A system of espionage was established, of which he was the victim.
awaited - erwartet; erwarten, harren, warten
advent - Ankunft
eagerness - Ungeduld; Eifer
delectation - Vergnügen; Ergötzen
supreme - übergeordnet; höchster, oberster
wretchedness - Elend
espionage - Spionage
If he incautiously laid the book down for an instant and left the room, it was immediately seized and read aloud in secret places to a select few. I found myself a person of immense importance, it having leaked out that I was tolerably well versed in the history of supernaturalism, and had once written a story the foundation of which was a ghost. If a table or a wainscot panel happened to warp when we were assembled in the large drawing-room, there was an instant silence, and every one was prepared for an immediate clanking of chains and a spectral form.
incautiously - unvorsichtig
seized - beschlagnahmt; ergreifen, fassen, greifen, packen, ergreifen
aloud - laut
immense - immens
leaked out - aufgeflogen
tolerably - erträglich
versed - versiert; Strophe
supernaturalism - Übernatürlichkeit
wainscot - Vertäfelung; verkleiden
warp - verziehen; verzerren (Tatsache), verwinden (Tragflächen)
assembled - montiert; zusammensetzen, versammeln, versammeln
clanking - klirrend; (clank); klirren, kläppern, aneinanderschlagen
spectral - spektral, Spektral-
After a month of psychological excitement, it was with the utmost dissatisfaction that we were forced to acknowledge that nothing in the remotest degree approaching the supernatural had manifested itself.
utmost - äußerst, höchst, Äußerstes, Möglichstes
dissatisfaction - Unzufriedenheit
manifested - manifestiert; manifest, Ladungsliste, Manifest, manifestieren
Once the black butler asseverated that his candle had been blown out by some invisible agency while he was undressing himself for the night; but as I had more than once discovered this coloured gentleman in a condition when one candle must have appeared to him like two, I thought it possible that, by going a step further in his potations, he might have reversed this phenomenon, and seen no candle at all where he ought to have beheld one.
butler - Butler
asseverated - bestätigt; beteuern
undressing - entkleidende, auskleidend
potations - Getränk
reversed - invers, umgedreht, Kehrseite
beheld - gesehen; betrachten, sehen, schauen, anschauen, ansehen
Things were in this state when an accident took place so awful and inexplicable in its character that my reason fairly reels at the bare memory of the occurrence. It was the tenth of July. After dinner was over I repaired, with my friend Dr. Hammond, to the garden to smoke my evening pipe. Independent of certain mental sympathies which existed between the Doctor and myself, we were linked together by a vice. We both smoked opium.
inexplicable - unerklärlich
reels - Spulen; Spule, Haspel, Demoband
bare - knapp, kahl, nackt, bloß; entblößen, abnehmen, freimachen
Occurrence - Vorkommen; Vorfall
tenth - zehnten; zehnte
vice - Laster; der Schraubstock
opium - Opium
We knew each other's secret, and respected it. We enjoyed together that wonderful expansion of thought, that marvellous intensifying of the perceptive faculties, that boundless feeling of existence when we seem to have points of contact with the whole universe,-in short, that unimaginable spiritual bliss, which I would not surrender for a throne, and which I hope you, reader, will never-never taste.
marvellous - fabelhaft
intensifying - intensifizieren, intensivieren
perceptive - einfühlsam
faculties - Fakultäten; Kollegium
boundless - grenzenlos, unbegrenzt
unimaginable - unvorstellbar
bliss - Glückseligkeit, Glück
surrender - kapitulieren, ergeben
throne - Thron
Those hours of opium happiness which the Doctor and I spent together in secret were regulated with a scientific accuracy. We did not blindly smoke the drug of paradise, and leave our dreams to chance. While smoking, we carefully steered our conversation through the brightest and calmest channels of thought. We talked of the East, and endeavoured to recall the magical panorama of its glowing scenery.
blindly - blindlings
paradise - das Paradies; Paradies, Himmel
steered - Gesteuert; steuern, führen, lenken; junger Ochse, Rind
endeavoured - angestrebt; sich nach Kräften bemühen; Bestrebung
magical - magisch
panorama - Panorama, Rundblick
glowing - glühen, abstrahlen, leuchten, Glühen
scenery - Landschaften; Landschaft; Kulisse
We criticized the most sensuous poets,-those who painted life ruddy with health, brimming with passion, happy in the possession of youth and strength and beauty. If we talked of Shakespeare's "Tempest," we lingered over Ariel, and avoided Caliban. Like the Guebers, we turned our faces to the East, and saw only the sunny side of the world.
sensuous - sinnenfreudig, sinnlich, sinnenhaft, sensorisch, Sinnes-
ruddy - rot, rötlich, verdammt, verflixt
brimming - überfüllt; übersprudeln; Rand
tempest - Unwetter; Sturm; (temp) Unwetter; Sturm
lingered - verweilte; herumlungern, verzögern, Zeit brauchen, verweilen
Ariel - Ariel
sunny side - Sonnenseite
This skilful colouring of our train of thought produced in our subsequent visions a corresponding tone. The splendours of Arabian fairyland dyed our dreams. We paced the narrow strip of grass with the tread and port of kings. The song of the rana arborea, while he clung to the bark of the ragged plum-tree, sounded like the strains of divine musicians. Houses, walls, and streets melted like rain clouds, and vistas of unimaginable glory stretched away before us.
skilful - gewandt, gekonnt, geschickt, erfahren
corresponding - entsprechend; entsprechen, korrespondieren, korrespondieren
splendours - Prachtstücke; Pracht; Brillanz
Arabian - arabisch; Araber, Araberin
fairyland - Märchenland
dyed - gefärbt; färben (Haar, Stoff)
strip - Zeichenketten
tread - Lauffläche; (to tread) betreten, schreiten
clung - geklammert; anschmiegen
bark - Bellen
plum - Pflaumenbaum; Pflaume, Zwetschke (österr.)
strains - Stämme; Spannung, starke Inanspruchnahme, Zug; anstrengen
divine - göttlich
vistas - Ausblicke; Aussicht
glory - Pracht, Herrlichkeit, Prunk, Gepränge, Ruhm
It was a rapturous companionship. We enjoyed the vast delight more perfectly because, even in our most ecstatic moments, we were conscious of each other's presence. Our pleasures, while individual, were still twin, vibrating and moving in musical accord.
rapturous - schwärmerisch
companionship - Kameradschaft
ecstatic - ekstatisch
vibrating - vibrieren, Vibration
accord - Vereinbarung; Übereinstimmung, Einvernehmen, Übereinkommen
On the evening in question, the tenth of July, the Doctor and myself drifted into an unusually metaphysical mood. We lit our large meerschaums, filled with fine Turkish tobacco, in the core of which burned a little black nut of opium, that, like the nut in the fairy tale, held within its narrow limits wonders beyond the reach of kings; we paced to and fro, conversing. A strange perversity dominated the currents of our thought. They would not flow through the sun-lit channels into which we strove to divert them. For some unaccountable reason, they constantly diverged into dark and lonesome beds, where a continual gloom brooded. It was in vain that, after our old fashion, we flung ourselves on the shores of the East, and talked of its gay bazaars, of the splendours of the time of Haroun, of harems and golden palaces.
drifted - abgetrieben; Drift, driften, treiben, irren, ziellos ziehen
unusually - ungewöhnlich
metaphysical - metaphysisch
meerschaums - Meerschaum, Meerschaum
Turkish - Türkisch
tobacco - Tabak, Tabakpflanze
fairy - Fee, Elfe, Feenwesen, Naturgeister
conversing - unterhalten; Umkehrung, umgekehrt, Gegenteil
perversity - Perversität
strove - angestrebt; erstreben, bestreben
divert - umlenken, umleiten, ablenken, unterhalten
unaccountable - nicht rechenschaftspflichtig
diverged - divergiert; divergieren, auseinandergehen, auseinanderstreben
lonesome - einsam
continual - fortlaufend
gloom - Finsternis; Düsternis, Dunkelheit, Trübnis, Schwermut
brooded - gegrübelt; Brut, brüten, brüten, grübeln
vain - eitel; unnützlich
flung - geschleudert; Affäre (Liebesaffäre)
bazaars - Basare; Basar, Markt
harems - Harem, Harem
Black afreets continually arose from the depths of our talk, and expanded, like the one the fisherman released from the copper vessel, until they blotted everything bright from our vision. Insensibly, we yielded to the occult force that swayed us, and indulged in gloomy speculation. We had talked some time upon the proneness of the human mind to mysticism, and the almost universal love of the terrible, when Hammond suddenly said to me, "What do you consider to be the greatest element of terror?"
continually - ständig, andauernd, immer wieder, immerzu
fisherman - Fischer, Fischerin, Angler, Anglerin, Fischereiboot
copper - Kupfer
vessel - Schiff, Boot, Wasserfahrzeug, Gefäß, Behälter
blotted - befleckt; Fleck, Klecks, Schandfleck, beflecken, kleckern
yielded - nachgegeben; hervorbringen, er/sie hat/hatte ergeben, weichen
occult - okkult; Okkult, Okkultismus
swayed - schwankte; Schwingen
indulged in - nachgehangen
gloomy - düster, finster, trübe, dunkel
proneness - Anfälligkeit; Neigung
mysticism - Mystik, Mystizismus
The question puzzled me. That many things were terrible, I knew. Stumbling over a corpse in the dark; beholding, as I once did, a woman floating down a deep and rapid river, with wildly lifted arms, and awful, upturned face, uttering, as she drifted, shrieks that rent one's heart while we, spectators, stood frozen at a window which overhung the river at a height of sixty feet, unable to make the slightest effort to save her, but dumbly watching her last supreme agony and her disappearance.
stumbling - Stolpern
corpse - Leiche, Leichnam
beholding - betrachten, sehen, schauen, anschauen, ansehen
wildly - wild
upturned - umgedreht; Aufwärtstrend
uttering - auszusprechen; (utter) auszusprechen
shrieks - Schreie; Kreischen
overhung - überhängend; überhängen, Ăśberhang; hervorstehen
dumbly - stumme
agony - Qualen; Agonie, Qual, Pein, Todeskampf, Freudenausbruch
disappearance - Verschwinden
A shattered wreck, with no life visible, encountered floating listlessly on the ocean, is a terrible object, for it suggests a huge terror, the proportions of which are veiled. But it now struck me, for the first time, that there must be one great and ruling embodiment of fear,-a King of Terrors, to which all others must succumb. What might it be? To what train of circumstances would it owe its existence?
shattered - zertrümmert; zum Zerspringen bringen, zerschmettern
wreck - Wrack, Schrott, Schrotthaufen, Schrottkiste, Zusammenstoß
listlessly - lustlose, lustlos
veiled - verschleiert; Vorhang, Schleier, verschleiern, verhüllen
embodiment - Verkörperung, Inbegriff, Inkarnation
succumb - erliegen, nachgeben, unterwerfen, sich ergeben, sterben
"I confess, Hammond," I replied to my friend, "I never considered the subject before. That there must be one Something more terrible than any other thing, I feel. I cannot attempt, however, even the most vague definition."
more terrible - furchtbarere
vague - vage; nebelhaft, schwach, unklar, undeutlich
"I am somewhat like you, Harry," he answered. "I feel my capacity to experience a terror greater than anything yet conceived by the human mind;-something combining in fearful and unnatural amalgamation hitherto supposed incompatible elements.
Harry - Harry
fearful - furchtbar; furchtsam, ängstlich, verängstigt
amalgamation - Verschmelzung; Vereinigung, Zusammenschluss
hitherto - bis zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt, bis jetzt, bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt
incompatible - inkompatibel, unvereinbar
The calling of the voices in Brockden Brown's novel of 'Wieland'is awful; so is the picture of the Dweller of the Threshold, in Bulwer's 'Zanoni'; but," he added, shaking his head gloomily, "there is something more horrible still than those."
dweller - Bewohnerin; Bewohner
threshold - Schwelle, Türschwelle
gloomily - düster, finster
more horrible - abscheulichere
"Look here, Hammond," I rejoined, "let us drop this kind of talk, For heaven's sake! We shall suffer for it, depend on it."
rejoined - wiedervereinigt; vereinigen
For heaven's sake - Um Gottes willen!, Um Himmels willen!
"I don't know what's the matter with me tonight," he replied, "but my brain is running upon all sorts of weird and awful thoughts. I feel as if I could write a story like Hoffman, tonight, if I were only master of a literary style."
thoughts - Gedanken; Gedanke
"Well, if we are going to be Hoffmanesque in our talk, I'm off to bed. Opium and nightmares should never be brought together. How sultry it is! Good night, Hammond."
I'm off - Ich gehe jetzt.
sultry - schwül; drückend, heiß, sexy
"Good night, Harry. Pleasant dreams to you."
"To you, gloomy wretch, afreets, ghouls, and enchanters."
wretch - Unglückliche; das Wesen
ghouls - Leichenfledderer; Ghul
enchanters - Verzauberer; Zauberer, Zaubererin
We parted, and each sought his respective chamber. I undressed quickly and got into bed, taking with me, according to my usual custom, a book, over which I generally read myself to sleep. I opened the volume as soon as I had laid my head upon the pillow, and instantly flung it to the other side of the room. It was Goudon's "History of Monsters,"-a curious French work, which I had lately imported from Paris, but which, in the state of mind I had then reached, was anything but an agreeable companion.
respective - bzw
chamber - Raum, Schlafzimmer, Kammer
undressed - unbekleidet; erman: sich ausziehen, ausziehen
pillow - Kopfkissen, Kissen; Ruhekissen
agreeable - angenehm; verträglich, liebenswürdig, gefällig
companion - Begleiter, Freund, Liebhaber, Kamerad
I resolved to go to sleep at once; so, turning down my gas until nothing but a little blue point of light glimmered on the top of the tube, I composed myself to rest.
glimmered - schimmerte; Schimmer, glimmern
The room was in total darkness. The atom of gas that still remained alight did not illuminate a distance of three inches round the burner. I desperately drew my arm across my eyes, as if to shut out even the darkness, and tried to think of nothing. It was in vain. The confounded themes touched on by Hammond in the garden kept obtruding themselves on my brain. I battled against them. I erected ramparts of would-be blankness of intellect to keep them out. They still crowded upon me. While I was lying still as a corpse, hoping that by a perfect physical inaction I should hasten mental repose, an awful incident occurred.
atom - Atom
alight - aussteigen; landen
illuminate - beleuchten, erhellen, illuminieren
burner - Brenner; Kochplatte, Herdplatte, Heizplatte, Heizspirale
confounded - verwirrt; verwirren, verschlimmern, verschlechtern, besiegen
obtruding - aufdringlich; aufdrängend; (obtrude) aufdringlich; aufdrängend
erected - errichtet; stramm (Haltung), steif; errichten
ramparts - Wälle; Festungswall, Wall, Bollwerk
blankness - Leere
intellect - Intellekt
lying still - stilliegend
inaction - Untätigkeit, Tatenlosigkeit, Trägheit, Nichtstun
hasten - hasten, beeilen
repose - ruhen
A Something dropped, as it seemed, from the ceiling, plumb upon my chest, and the next instant I felt two bony hands encircling my throat, endeavouring to choke me.
plumb - lotrecht; loten
bony - knöchern; grätig; knochig
encircling - einkreisend; (encircle); umzingeln, einfassen
endeavouring - anstreben; sich nach Kräften bemühen; Bestrebung
choke - erwürgen, erdrosseln, ersticken, überwältigen
I am no coward, and am possessed of considerable physical strength. The suddenness of the attack, instead of stunning me, strung every nerve to its highest tension. My body acted from instinct, before my brain had time to realize the terrors of my position. In an instant I wound two muscular arms around the creature, and squeezed it, with all the strength of despair, against my chest. In a few seconds the bony hands that had fastened on my throat loosened their hold, and I was free to breathe once more. Then commenced a struggle of awful intensity.
coward - Feigling
suddenness - Plötzlichkeit
instinct - Instinkt
muscular - muskulär, Muskel
squeezed - ausgequetscht; drücken, klemmen, pressen, quetschen, quetschen
despair - verzweifeln; Verzweiflung
loosened - gelockert; lösen, lockern
commenced - begonnen; anfangen, beginnen
intensity - Intensität
Immersed in the most profound darkness, totally ignorant of the nature of the Thing by which I was so suddenly attacked, finding my grasp slipping every moment, by reason, it seemed to me, of the entire nakedness of my assailant, bitten with sharp teeth in the shoulder, neck, and chest, having every moment to protect my throat against a pair of sinewy, agile hands, which my utmost efforts could not confine,-these were a combination of circumstances to combat which required all the strength, skill, and courage that I possessed.
immersed - untergetaucht; eintauchen, vertiefen
profound - tiefgründig; tiefgehend, profund
ignorant - unwissend; ignorant
grasp - greifen, erfassen, begreifen, verstehen, Griff, Verständnis
nakedness - Nacktheit
assailant - Angreifer
sinewy - sehnig; stark
agile - behände, agil, wendig
confine - einschränken; beschränken; Begrenzung
combat - Kampf, Schlacht, Gefecht, kämpfen (gegen, mit), bekämpfen
At last, after a silent, deadly, exhausting struggle, I got my assailant under by a series of incredible efforts of strength. Once pinned, with my knee on what I made out to be its chest, I knew that I was victor. I rested for a moment to breathe. I heard the creature beneath me panting in the darkness, and felt the violent throbbing of a heart.
exhausting - anstrengend; erschöpfen, dezimieren, erschöpfen, Auspuff, Abgas
Victor - Viktor
beneath - unter
panting - hechelnd; hecheln, keucheln
throbbing - Pochen; klopfend; (throb); klopfen, schlagen, pochen, pulsieren
It was apparently as exhausted as I was; that was one comfort. At this moment I remembered that I usually placed under my pillow, before going to bed, a large yellow silk pocket handkerchief. I felt for it instantly; it was there. In a few seconds more I had, after a fashion, pinioned the creature's arms.
exhausted - erschöpft; erschöpfen, dezimieren, erschöpfen, Auspuff, Abgas
handkerchief - Taschentuch
pinioned - geklemmt; Getrieberad, Ritzel
I now felt tolerably secure. There was nothing more to be done but to turn on the gas, and, having first seen what my midnight assailant was like, arouse the household. I will confess to being actuated by a certain pride in not giving the alarm before; I wished to make the capture alone and unaided.
arouse - erwecken; reizen, aufreizen, anregen, erregen
actuated - betätigt; in Gang setzen, aktivieren, antreiben, anstacheln
unaided - ohne fremde Hilfe
Never losing my hold for an instant, I slipped from the bed to the floor, dragging my captive with me. I had but a few steps to make to reach the gas-burner; these I made with the greatest caution, holding the creature in a grip like a vice. At last I got within arm's length of the tiny speck of blue light which told me where the gas-burner lay. Quick as lightning I released my grasp with one hand and let on the full flood of light.
captive - Gefangener, Gefangene
gas-burner - (gas-burner) Gasbrenner
caution - Warnung, Vorsicht, Achtsamkeit, Behutsamkeit, Kaution, warnen
grip - packen, fassen; Griffigkeit, Heft (von Säge, Feile)
speck - Fleckchen
lightning - Blitzschlag; Blitz; Entladung
Then I turned to look at my captive.
I cannot even attempt to give any definition of my sensations the instant after I turned on the gas. I suppose I must have shrieked with terror, for in less than a minute afterward my room was crowded with the inmates of the house. I shudder now as I think of that awful moment. I saw nothing! Yes; I had one arm firmly clasped round a breathing, panting, corporeal shape, my other hand gripped with all its strength a throat as warm, as apparently fleshy, as my own; and yet, with this living substance in my grasp, with its body pressed against my own, and all in the bright glare of a large jet of gas, I absolutely beheld nothing!
sensations - Empfindungen; Gefühl
shrieked - geschrien; Kreischen
afterward - nachher
inmates - Häftlinge; Insasse, Bewohner
shudder - erschaudern; Schauder; (wohliger) Schauder; schaudern; zittern
clasped - umklammert; Spange, Klammer, Schnalle, Griff, greifen
corporeal - leibhaftig
gripped - gegriffen; packen, fassen; Griffigkeit, Heft (von Säge, Feile)
fleshy - fleischig
glare - Blendung; entrüstetes Starren; missbilligend anstarren
Not even an outline,-a vapour!
vapour - Wasserdampf; der Dampf
I do not, even at this hour, realize the situation in which I found myself. I cannot recall the astounding incident thoroughly. Imagination in vain tries to compass the awful paradox.
astounding - verblüffend; verblüffen, überraschen
paradox - Paradoxon, Paradox
It breathed. I felt its warm breath upon my cheek. It struggled fiercely. It had hands. They clutched me. Its skin was smooth, like my own. There it lay, pressed close up against me, solid as stone,-and yet utterly invisible!
fiercely - heftig, wütend
clutched - umklammert; Vogelgelege; Kupplung (Auto), Gelege
utterly - völlig
I wonder that I did not faint or go mad on the instant. Some wonderful instinct must have sustained me; for, absolutely, in place of loosening my hold on the terrible Enigma, I seemed to gain an additional strength in my moment of horror, and tightened my grasp with such wonderful force that I felt the creature shivering with agony.
faint - leise, schwach, undeutlich, ohnmächtig werden
go mad - überschnappen
sustained - unterhalten, aufrechterhalten, versorgen, unterhalten
loosening - Auflockerung; lösen, lockern
enigma - rätselhaft; Rätsel, Mysterium, Knobelei, Rateaufgabe
tightened - verschärft; anziehen
shivering - Frösteln; schlotternde, schlotternd
Just then Hammond entered my room at the head of the household. As soon as he beheld my face-which, I suppose, must have been an awful sight to look at-he hastened forward, crying, "Great heaven, Harry! what has happened?"
hastened - beeilt; hasten, beeilen
"Hammond! Hammond!" I cried, "come here. O, this is awful! I have been attacked in bed by something or other, which I have hold of; but I can't see it,-I can't see it!"
Hammond, doubtless struck by the unfeigned horror expressed in my countenance, made one or two steps forward with an anxious yet puzzled expression. A very audible titter burst from the remainder of my visitors. This suppressed laughter made me furious. To laugh at a human being in my position! It was the worst species of cruelty.
doubtless - zweifelsfrei, zweifellos
unfeigned - ungeheuchelt
countenance - Antlitz, Gesichtsausdruck, Miene, Unterstützung, Fassung
audible - hörbar
titter - kichern
burst - geplatzt; platzen, zerplatzen, bersten, sprengen, Bersten
remainder - Rest, Teilungsrest, Restposten, runtersetzen
suppressed - unterdrückt; unterdrücken, unterdrücken, unterdrücken
cruelty - Grausamkeit, Quälerei
Now, I can understand why the appearance of a man struggling violently, as it would seem, with an airy nothing, and calling for assistance against a vision, should have appeared ludicrous. Then, so great was my rage against the mocking crowd that had I the power I would have stricken them dead where they stood.
violently - gewaltsam; gewalttätig
airy - luftig; belüftet, gelüftet, zugig, umweht
ludicrous - lächerlich
rage - Wut, Zorn, Raserei, Rage, wüten
mocking - spöttisch; (moc) spöttisch
"Hammond! Hammond!" I cried again, despairingly, "For God's sake come to me. I can hold the-the thing but a short while longer. It is overpowering me. Help me! Help me!"
despairingly - verzweifelt
For God's sake - Um Gottes willen!
overpowering - überwältigend; überwältigen, übermannen
"Harry," whispered Hammond, approaching me, "you have been smoking too much opium."
"I swear to you, Hammond, that this is no vision," I answered, in the same low tone. "Don't you see how it shakes my whole frame with its struggles? If you don't believe me, convince yourself. Feel it,-touch it."
Hammond advanced and laid his hand in the spot I indicated. A wild cry of horror burst from him. He had felt it!
In a moment he had discovered somewhere in my room a long piece of cord, and was the next instant winding it and knotting it about the body of the unseen being that I clasped in my arms.
cord - Schnur, Kordel, Strick, Kabel, Litze
knotting - verknüpfend, knotend; (knot) verknüpfend, knotend
"Harry," he said, in a hoarse, agitated voice, for, though he preserved his presence of mind, he was deeply moved, "Harry, it's all safe now. You may let go, old fellow, if you're tired. The Thing can't move."
hoarse - heiser
agitated - aufgewühlt; aufwühlen, aufrühren, rühren, schütteln, umrühren
deeply moved - tiefbewegt
I was utterly exhausted, and I gladly loosed my hold.
gladly - gerne; gern
Hammond stood holding the ends of the cord that bound the Invisible, twisted round his hand, while before him, self-supporting as it were, he beheld a rope laced and interlaced, and stretching tightly around a vacant space. I never saw a man look so thoroughly stricken with awe. Nevertheless his face expressed all the courage and determination which I knew him to possess.
twisted - verdreht; Zwirn, Biegung, Wendung, Twist, verziehen, drehen
interlaced - verschachtelt; Flechtband
tightly - eng
vacant - unbesetzt; frei, vakant, leer, nichtssagend, ausdruckslos
awe - Ehrfurcht; Staunen; einschüchtern
His lips, although white, were set firmly, and one could perceive at a glance that, although stricken with fear, he was not daunted.
glance - blicken; Blick, Streifblick, Glanz, Steinkohle
daunted - entmutigt; abschrecken, entmutigen, einschüchtern, überwältigen
The confusion that ensued among the guests of the house who were witnesses of this extraordinary scene between Hammond and myself,-who beheld the pantomime of binding this struggling Something,-who beheld me almost sinking from physical exhaustion when my task of jailer was over,-the confusion and terror that took possession of the bystanders, when they saw all this, was beyond description. The weaker ones fled from the apartment. The few who remained clustered near the door and could not be induced to approach Hammond and his Charge. Still incredulity broke out through their terror. They had not the courage to satisfy themselves, and yet they doubted.
ensued - folgten; folgen, ansetzen, erfolgen, nachfolgen, resultieren
pantomime - Pantomime; pantomimisieren
binding - verbindlich; Bindung; (bind); binden; verbinden, konnektieren
exhaustion - Erschöpfung, Ermattung
jailer - Gefängniswärter, Gefängniswärterin, Gefängnisaufseher
bystanders - Unbeteiligte; Zuschauer, Schaulustiger
fled - geflohen; fliehen, flüchten, fliehen, entfliehen, flüchten
clustered - geclustert; Anhäufung, Büschel, Gruppe, Haufen, Schwarm, Traube
induced - veranlasst; dazu bringen, anstacheln, bewirken, verursachen
It was in vain that I begged of some of the men to come near and convince themselves by touch of the existence in that room of a living being which was invisible. They were incredulous, but did not dare to undeceive themselves. How could a solid, living, breathing body be invisible, they asked. My reply was this. I gave a sign to Hammond, and both of us-conquering our fearful repugnance to touch the invisible creature-lifted it from the ground, manacled as it was, and took it to my bed. Its weight was about that of a boy of fourteen.
incredulous - ungläubig, skeptisch
undeceive - nicht täuschen; aufklären
conquering - Eroberung; erobern
repugnance - Abneigung, Widerwille
manacled - mit Handschellen; Handschellen
"Now, my friends," I said, as Hammond and myself held the creature suspended over the bed, "I can give you self-evident proof that here is a solid, ponderable body, which, nevertheless, you cannot see. Be good enough to watch the surface of the bed attentively."
ponderable - abwägbar
attentively - aufmerksam zuhören; aufmerksam
I was astonished at my own courage in treating this strange event so calmly; but I had recovered from my first terror, and felt a sort of scientific pride in the affair, which dominated every other feeling.
astonished - erstaunt; erstaunen
calmly - ruhig
The eyes of the bystanders were immediately fixed on my bed. At a given signal Hammond and I let the creature fall. There was a dull sound of a heavy body alighting on a soft mass. The timbers of the bed creaked. A deep impression marked itself distinctly on the pillow, and on the bed itself. The crowd who witnessed this gave a low cry, and rushed from the room. Hammond and I were left alone with our Mystery.
alighting - aussteigen; landen
timbers - Hölzer; Nutzholz, Balken, Bauholz
creaked - knarrte; Knarren
distinctly - deutlich
We remained silent for some time, listening to the low, irregular breathing of the creature on the bed, and watching the rustle of the bed-clothes as it impotently struggled to free itself from confinement. Then Hammond spoke.
impotently - impotent
confinement - Eingeschlossenheit; Gefangenschaft
"Harry, this is awful."
"Ay, awful."
"But not unaccountable."
"Not unaccountable! What do you mean? Such a thing has never occurred since the birth of the world. I know not what to think, Hammond. God grant that I am not mad, and that this is not an insane fantasy!"
insane - wahnsinnig, verrückt, geisteskrank
"Let us reason a little, Harry. Here is a solid body which we touch, but which we cannot see. The fact is so unusual that it strikes us with terror. Is there no parallel, though, for such a phenomenon? Take a piece of pure glass. It is tangible and transparent. A certain chemical coarseness is all that prevents its being so entirely transparent as to be totally invisible.
tangible - greifbar, erfühlbar, konkret, erfassbar, begreifbar
coarseness - Grobheit; Unebenheit, Ungeschliffenheit
It is not theoretically impossible, mind you, to make a glass which shall not reflect a single ray of light,-a glass so pure and homogeneous in its atoms that the rays from the sun will pass through it as they do through the air, refracted but not reflected. We do not see the air, and yet we feel it."
theoretically - theoretisch, prinzipiell, rein gedanklich, vom Gedanken her
homogeneous - homogen
atoms - Atome; Atom
rays - Schimmer, Strahl; ausstrahlen
refracted - refraktiert; brechen
"That's all very well, Hammond, but these are inanimate substances. Glass does not breathe, air does not breathe. This thing has a heart that palpitates,-a will that moves it,-lungs that play, and inspire and respire."
inanimate - unbelebt, leblos
palpitates - klopft; unregelmäßig schlagen, pochen, klopfen
respire - atmen, aufatmen
"You forget the phenomena of which we have so often heard of late," answered the Doctor, gravely. "At the meetings called 'spirit circles,'invisible hands have been thrust into the hands of those persons round the table,-warm, fleshly hands that seemed to pulsate with mortal life."
phenomena - Phänomene
gravely - ernsthaft; ernst, ernstlich, schwerlich
meetings - Versammlung, Treffen, Sitzung
thrust - Stoß, Stich, Vorstoß, Schub, Schubkraft
fleshly - fleischlich
pulsate - pulsieren
mortal - sterblich; tödlich; Sterblicher, Sterbliche
"What? Do you think, then, that this thing is--"
"I don't know what it is," was the solemn reply; "but please the gods I will, with your assistance, thoroughly investigate it."
solemn - feierlich; ernst
We watched together, smoking many pipes, all night long, by the bedside of the unearthly being that tossed and panted until it was apparently wearied out. Then we learned by the low, regular breathing that it slept.
bedside - am Krankenbett; Krankenbett
unearthly - unheimlich
tossed - geworfen; Wurf, Münzwurf, werfen, werfen, verwerfen, wegwerfen
panted - keuchte; keuchen, hecheln, schnaufen (i. S. v. keuchen)
wearied - müde, müde
The next morning the house was all astir. The boarders congregated on the landing outside my room, and Hammond and myself were lions. We had to answer a thousand questions as to the state of our extraordinary prisoner, for as yet not one person in the house except ourselves could be induced to set foot in the apartment.
astir - rege
congregated - versammelt; ansammeln, versammeln, zusammenkommen
The creature was awake. This was evidenced by the convulsive manner in which the bed-clothes were moved in its efforts to escape. There was something truly terrible in beholding, as it were, those second-hand indications of the terrible writhings and agonized struggles for liberty which themselves were invisible.
awake - munter, wach; erwachen, aufwachen
convulsive - krampfhaft
writhings - Windungen; gekrümmt
agonized - gequält; quälen
liberty - Freiheit
Hammond and myself had racked our brains during the long night to discover some means by which we might realize the shape and general appearance of the Enigma. As well as we could make out by passing our hands over the creature's form, its outlines and lineaments were human. There was a mouth; a round, smooth head without hair; a nose, which, however, was little elevated above the cheeks; and its hands and feet felt like those of a boy.
racked - gequält; Folterbank, Zahnstange, Gestell
lineaments - Züge; Zug, Charakterzug
elevated - erhöht; gehoben; (elevate); erhöhen, anheben
At first we thought of placing the being on a smooth surface and tracing its outlines with chalk, as shoemakers trace the outline of the foot. This plan was given up as being of no value. Such an outline would give not the slightest idea of its conformation.
chalk - Kreide; Magnesiapulver
shoemakers - Schuhmacher, Schuhmacherin, Schuster, Schusterin
conformation - Formgebung; Anpassung, Angleichung (an)
A happy thought struck me. We would take a cast of it in plaster of Paris. This would give us the solid figure, and satisfy all our wishes. But how to do it? The movements of the creature would disturb the setting of the plastic covering, and distort the mould. Another thought. Why not give it chloroform? It had respiratory organs,-that was evident by its breathing. Once reduced to a state of insensibility, we could do with it what we would. Doctor X-- was sent for; and after the worthy physician had recovered from the first shock of amazement, he proceeded to administer the chloroform. In three minutes afterward we were enabled to remove the fetters from the creature's body, and a modeller was busily engaged in covering the invisible form with the moist clay.
plaster - Gips; Salbe, Creme, Putz, Verputz, Stuck
distort - verzerren
mould - Schimmel; Heizform, Form; Gussform, Gießform, Moder; formen
chloroform - Chloroform
respiratory - Atemwege
insensibility - Unempfindlichkeit; Gefühllosigkeit
worthy - würdig
physician - Arzt, Ärztin, Mediziner, Medizinerin
amazement - Erstaunen; Staunen, Verwunderung
administer - darreichen, verabreichen, verwalten, administrieren
fetters - Fesseln; Fessel; q
modeller - Modellierer
busily - fleißig; eifrig, geschäftig, beschäftigt
moist - feucht
clay - Lehm, Ton, Asche
In five minutes more we had a mould, and before evening a rough facsimile of the Mystery. It was shaped like a man,-distorted, uncouth, and horrible, but still a man. It was small, not over four feet and some inches in height, and its limbs revealed a muscular development that was unparalleled. Its face surpassed in hideousness anything I had ever seen. Gustav Doré, or Callot, or Tony Johannot, never conceived anything so horrible. There is a face in one of the latter's illustrations to Un Voyage oů il vous plaira, which somewhat approaches the countenance of this creature, but does not equal it. It was the physiognomy of what I should fancy a ghoul might be. It looked as if it was capable of feeding on human flesh.
facsimile - Faksimile, Reproduktion
distorted - verzerrt; verzerren, verzerren
uncouth - ungehobelt; fremd, fremdartig, sonderbar, tölpelhaft
limbs - Gliedmaßen; Schenkel (geol. Falte), Glied
surpassed - übertroffen; übersteigen, übertreffen, überschreiten
hideousness - Abscheulichkeit
Tony - schick
oů - ou
physiognomy - Physiognomie; Physiognomik
ghoul - Leichenfledderer; Ghul
feeding - Verfütterung, Speisung, Zuführung; (feed) Verfütterung
flesh - Fleisch; Haut, Leib, Fruchtfleisch, Fleischfarbe, zunehmen
Having satisfied our curiosity, and bound every one in the house to secrecy, it became a question what was to be done with our Enigma? It was impossible that we should keep such a horror in our house; it was equally impossible that such an awful being should be let loose upon the world. I confess that I would have gladly voted for the creature's destruction. But who would shoulder the responsibility? Who would undertake the execution of this horrible semblance of a human being? Day after day this question was deliberated gravely.
curiosity - Neugier, Neugierde, Kuriosität, Kuriosum
secrecy - Geheimhaltung; Geheimniskrämerei, Geheimnistuerei
execution - Ausführung; Hinrichtung
semblance - Anschein
The boarders all left the house. Mrs. Moffat was in despair, and threatened Hammond and myself with all sorts of legal penalties if we did not remove the Horror. Our answer was, "We will go if you like, but we decline taking this creature with us. Remove it yourself if you please. It appeared in your house. On you the responsibility rests." To this there was, of course, no answer. Mrs. Moffat could not obtain for love or money a person who would even approach the Mystery.
The most singular part of the affair was that we were entirely ignorant of what the creature habitually fed on. Everything in the way of nutriment that we could think of was placed before it, but was never touched. It was awful to stand by, day after day, and see the clothes toss, and hear the hard breathing, and know that it was starving.
singular - einzeln; einzigartig; ungewöhnlich; singularisch; singulär; Einzahl
habitually - gewohnheitsmäßig
fed - abgefütterte, gefüttert; (feed) abgefütterte, gefüttert
nutriment - Nährstoff; Nahrung
toss - zu werfen; Wurf; Münzwurf; werfen; verwerfen, wegwerfen
Ten, twelve days, a fortnight passed, and it still lived. The pulsations of the heart, however, were daily growing fainter, and had now nearly ceased. It was evident that the creature was dying for want of sustenance. While this terrible life-struggle was going on, I felt miserable. I could not sleep. Horrible as the creature was, it was pitiful to think of the pangs it was suffering.
fortnight - vierzehn Tage; vierzehn Tag age, zwei Wochen
pulsations - pulsiert; Pulsschlag
fainter - schwächer; (faint) schwach, matt
ceased - eingestellt; aufhören, aufhören, einstellen
dying - (to die) sterben, umkommen; (dye) (to die) sterben, umkommen
sustenance - Lebensunterhalt; Nahrung, Verpflegung
pitiful - Mitleid erregend; erbärmlich, kläglich, jämmerlich
pangs - Schmerzen; Stechen, Schmerz
At last it died. Hammond and I found it cold and stiff one morning in the bed. The heart had ceased to beat, the lungs to inspire. We hastened to bury it in the garden. It was a strange funeral, the dropping of that viewless corpse into the damp hole. The cast of its form I gave to Doctor X--, who keeps it in his museum in Tenth Street.
hastened to - zugeeilt
funeral - Bestattung, Beerdigung, Begräbnis
damp - feucht; Feuchtigkeit; ersticken, dämpfen
As I am on the eve of a long journey from which I may not return, I have drawn up this narrative of an event the most singular that has ever come to my knowledge.
eve - Vorabend