GERMAN EQUIVALENTS FOR ENGLISH THOUGHTS. BY MADAME BERNARD. LONDON: DAVID NUTT, 270, STRAND. 1858. 303. c. 10. PREFACE. SOME wit has affirmed, that a great book is a great evil. It is hoped this book may claim the negative merit of being a small evil. An endeavour has been made to comprise "multum in parvo," and a hope entertained that, as the rich and energetic language of Germany-that nation de la pensée, as Madame de Staël, with all her strong French partialities, was forced to call it-is now so much cultivated in this country of sister intellect, any effort to smooth a few difficulties, might be acceptable. It will be perceived, that this is neither a book of dialogues, still less a vocabulary, nor exclusively a book of idioms: the German language, from its construction, offering peculiarities distinct from idiom. The writer's intimate acquaintance with England and English, acquired in childhood, has enabled her to know exactly what English people think and say. Only a few substantives have been inserted, such as dictionaries often omit, but which speakers find it very provoking to want. Where two expressions for a phrase are given, it is because both are equally used, or heard in different parts of Germany. Students may observe, that very good German writers employ varied terms for the same meaning. It has been wished to obviate a great difficulty to learners, who, on opening a dictionary, find perhaps twenty German words for one English, and are perplexed how to "use the right word in the right place." Some attempt at this classification has been made. That much remains undone, need scarcely be mentioned to convey every peculiar expression from one copious language into another, would require folios. Above eight thousand phrases are here presented, many sanctioned by the authority of Schlegel, Göthe, Lessing, Kotzebue, Tieck, Chamisso, Hoffman, the Princess Amelia of Saxony, etc. A few of the most familiar quotations from Shakespeare have been given-his glorious genius is quite as well known and appreciated in Germany as in England; while Schlegel and Tieck's marvellous translation, have so incorporated, or rather infused his plays (constantly performed in all the capitals, great and small) into the German language, that an Englishman, citing a favourite passage, would be as well understood, as by the most enthusiastic Shakesperian here. In spite of the pithy French saying, qui s'excuse, s'accuse, it may be as well to forestal a possible objection— that some of the phrases are almost too familiar. To any such hyper-criticism, if offered, it may be answered, that a book like this is intended for the many (an author would like to say for the million!)—that even persons of distinction do not always talk on stilts; and that EDMUND BURKE, when reproved by Mr. Malone, for using "a terribly round-about way," replied, "my dear Sir, I love these phrases, they are the idiom of the language." Lastly, it may be observed, that where the English employ two modes for expressing an idea, the same German is occasionally repeated as correspondent; to discuss this point here, would be needless-the object has been to convey that idea, so as to be universally understood. A. ERRATA. Page 10, line 19, for Versperrung, read: Aussperrung. 11, 6 from bottom, for he has a Bee in one's bonnet, read: he has a Bee in his bonnet. 9 from bottom, for for Better and worse, read: for Better or worse. 5 from bottom, for (a house), read: (a horse). for so platt wie einen Teller, read: so platt wie ein Teller. last, for to Indulge in one's grief, read: to Indulge one's grief. first, for to have one's Labour for one's pain, read: to last, for to give Leg-tail, read: to give Leg-bail. 7, for (of languages), read: (of languages, etc.). 11, for Unterlegepferde Vorspannpferde, read. Unterlege- 5, for freisförmig, read: freisformige. 10 from bottom, for Enappes, read: knapper. the house has good Ac- das Haus hat viele Bequem- |