"Mark Twain. The Awful German Language (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

"General-statesrepresentativesmeetings," as nearly as I can get at it -- a
mere rhythmical, gushy euphuism for "meetings of the legislature," I judge.
We used to have a good deal of this sort of crime in our literature, but it
has gone out now. We used to speak of a things as a "never-to-be-forgotten"
circumstance, instead of cramping it into the simple and sufficient word
"memorable" and then going calmly about our business as if nothing had
happened. In those days we were not content to embalm the thing and bury it
decently, we wanted to build a monument over it.
But in our newspapers the compounding-disease lingers a little to the
present day, but with the hyphens left out, in the German fashion. This is
the shape it takes: instead of saying "Mr. Simmons, clerk of the county and
district courts, was in town yesterday," the new form put it thus: "Clerk of
the County and District Courts Simmons was in town yesterday." This saves
neither time nor ink, and has an awkward sound besides. One often sees a
remark like this in our papers: "MRS. Assistant District Attorney Johnson
returned to her city residence yesterday for the season." That is a case of
really unjustifiable compounding; because it not only saves no time or
trouble, but confers a title on Mrs. Johnson which she has no right to. But
these little instances are trifles indeed, contrasted with the ponderous and
dismal German system of piling jumbled compounds together. I wish to submit
the following local item, from a Mannheim journal, by way of illustration:
"In the daybeforeyesterdayshortlyaftereleveno'clock Night, the
inthistownstandingtavern called 'The Wagoner' was downburnt. When the fire
to the onthedownburninghouseresting Stork's Nest reached, flew the parent
Storks away. But when the bytheraging, firesurrounded Nest ITSELF caught
Fire, straightway plunged the quickreturning Mother-Stork into the Flames
and died, her Wings over her young ones outspread."
Even the cumbersome German construction is not able to take the pathos
out of that picture -- indeed, it somehow seems to strengthen it. This item
is dated away back yonder months ago. I could have used it sooner, but I was
waiting to hear from the Father-stork. I am still waiting.
"ALSO!" If I had not shown that the German is a difficult language, I
have at least intended to do so. I have heard of an American student who was
asked how he was getting along with his German, and who answered promptly:
"I am not getting along at all. I have worked at it hard for three level
months, and all I have got to show for it is one solitary German phrase --
'ZWEI GLAS'" (two glasses of beer). He paused for a moment, reflectively;
then added with feeling: "But I've got that SOLID!"
And if I have not also shown that German is a harassing and infuriating
study, my execution has been at fault, and not my intent. I heard lately of
a worn and sorely tried American student who used to fly to a certain German
word for relief when he could bear up under his aggravations no longer --
the only word whose sound was sweet and precious to his ear and healing to
his lacerated spirit. This was the word DAMIT. It was only the SOUND that
helped him, not the meaning; [3] and so, at last, when he learned that the
emphasis was not on the first syllable, his only stay and support was gone,
and he faded away and died.
3. It merely means, in its general sense, "herewith."
I think that a description of any loud, stirring, tumultuous episode
must be tamer in German than in English. Our descriptive words of this