German composition

Section 123 Dr. Guthrie on Ragged Schools⁠. I.1

The⁠2 interest I have been led to take in the Ragged School movement is an example of how, in Providence, a man’s destiny—his course of life, like that of a river—may be determined and affected by very trivial circumstances. It is rather⁠3 curious—at least it is interesting for me to⁠4 remember—that (S. 66, N. 15) it was by a picture I was first⁠5 led to take an interest in ragged schools—by a picture in an old, obscure⁠6, decaying burgh⁠7 that stands on the shores of the Frith of Forth, the birth-place (S. 53, N. 9) of⁠8 Thomas Chalmers. I went⁠9 to see this place many years ago, and, going (S. 55, N. 1) into an inn for⁠10 refreshment, I found the room covered (App. § 1) with pictures of shepherdesses with their crooks, and sailors in⁠11 holiday attire, not⁠12 particularly interesting. But above the chimney-piece there⁠13 was a large print⁠14, more⁠15 respectable than its neighbours, which⁠16 represented a cobbler’s room.

Notes

1 Doktor Guthrie über die Schulen für verwahrloste Kinder.—Sogenannte ‘Ragged Schools’ existieren in Deutschland wohl nicht, und zwar aus dem einfachen Grunde, weil wir sie bisher nicht nötig hatten.

2 This passage requires an altogether different construction. Say ‘The circumstances which led me (welche mich dahin führten) to interest myself for the establishment of schools for neglected children, are an example of (davon) how through Providence (durch die Vorsehung) the fate of a man (Mensch)—his course of life (S. 76, N. 22, B, 1) like (gleich, with dat.) that of a river—can be determined and affected (beeinflußt) by very trivial (geringfügig) circumstances’. For the position of the verbs read App. §§ 16-20.

3 ‘rather’, here = not a little.

4 to remember, mich daran zu erinnern.

5 zuerst.

6 obscure = unknown.

7 ‘burgh’, here Flecken, m.; the relat. clause ‘that — Forth’ may be elegantly rendered attributively, thus: am Ufer des Frith of Forth belegen, which last word inflect correctly and place before the qualified noun ‘burgh’.

8 von.

9 went to see = visited; place, Ort, m.; the adverbial clause of time is best placed at the head of the passage.

10 Say ‘to (= in order to) refresh myself’.

11 in holiday attire, im Festanzuge.

12 Insert ‘which were’.

13 there was = hung.

14 print, Holzschnitt, m.; or Kupferstich, m.

15 Supply ‘which was’; ‘respectable’, here = tolerable, erträglich.

16 Since we commenced the preceding clause with a relative pronoun, it need not be repeated here. Substitute the conj. ‘and’ for ‘which’; a cobbler’s room = the workshop of a cobbler.