German composition

Section 165 Russian Political Prisoners in Banishment. I.

In the cheerless regions of⁠1 Arkangel, of which the aborigines say: “God made Russia, but the devil made Arkangel,” there are (S. 82, N. 7) more than two hundred of those banished ones—men and women, all young, all (= and) poor, most⁠2 of them sent without trial, few⁠3 amongst them knowing even of what they are accused. Victor Ivanovitch⁠4 dines with his friend B., for instance, and⁠5 after a stroll along⁠6 the boulevards they separate. B. is arrested that⁠7 very evening, and when Victor, astonished and horror-stricken⁠8, hastens⁠9 to inquire the cause, he finds everybody⁠10, even B.’s own father, as⁠11 much in the dark as he is himself; all questions and petitions on⁠12 the subject receive⁠13 vague administrative answers; all friends and relatives are systematically discouraged and silenced; eagerly they wait for⁠14 the numerous political trials that⁠15 come on without intermission, hoping⁠16 to see the missing one’s (S. 67, N. 3) name on⁠17 the list of criminals, or to see⁠18 his face once more, let⁠19 it be even in⁠20 the prisoner’s dock; but as⁠21 they wait and⁠22 watch, the prisoner⁠23 is, without any trial, en route for Arkangel.

Arrived⁠24 there, the routine (App. § 15) is the same for all; whatever⁠25 the crime alleged, the age or sex, the⁠26 prisoner is taken to the police-ward,—a⁠27 dreary log-building, containing two sections, one for men, the other for women. The solitary table and chair in the room, the four walls, and even the ceiling, are covered⁠28 with the names of⁠29 youthful predecessors, whose pencilled⁠30 jests and clever caricatures bear⁠31 witness to the strength of confidence in themselves with which they began⁠32 their life in exile.

Notes

1 des Gouvernements Archangel.

2 most of them, meistens; sent = sent there; without trial = without any trial, ohne jegliches Verhör.

3 Say liter. ‘of whom even but (nur) few know’.

4 Here follows ‘for instance’; with = in company of.

5 Say ‘und trennt sich von ihm nach’, etc.

6 auf.

7 noch an demselben Abend.

8 aufs höchste erschrocken.

9 to hasten to inquire the cause, sich eiligst nach der Ursache erkundigen.

10 everybody = that all.

11 Supply ‘are’ (sich befinden) before ‘as’.

12 über die Sache.

13 receive — answers = are vaguely (in unbestimmter Weise, which place after government) answered by (S. 106, N. 23) the government.

14 auf.

15 = that follow one another (auf einander folgen).

16 = in the hope.

17 in.

18 zu schauen (App. § 1); face, Angesicht, n.

19 let it be = be it even.

20 in — dock, vor den Schranken des Gerichts.

21 = whilst.

22 and watch = and attentively watch (bewachen) everything.

23 Insert the adv. schon after the subject; en route for = on the way to.

24 Dort angekommen; ‘routine’, here = treatment; the words ‘the same’ are to be placed at the end of the clause.

25 whatever — sex, welches Verbrechens der Gefangene auch eingeklagt und welches Alters und Geschlechts er auch sei.

26 the — ward = yet (so... doch) he is always taken (= conducted) to (in) the police-ward (Polizeiwache, f.).

27 a — women = that consists of (aus) a miserable block-house of (aus) two divisions, one of which is appointed for men and the other for women.

28 beschrieben, p. p.

[29] of — predecessors = of the former (früher, adj.) youthful inhabitants of the same (to agree with room).

30 pencilled, mit Bleistift gezeichnet, which use attributively.

31 bear — themselves = prove the intensity (Größe, f.) of the confidence in themselves (Selbstvertrauen, n.).

32 ‘to begin’, here an´treten, sep. comp. str. v. tr.; life in exile = banishment.