German composition

Section 168 Russian Political Prisoners in Banishment. — IV

Daily a gendarme visits⁠1 their lodgings, inspects⁠2 the premises when and how he pleases⁠3, and now⁠4 and then makes some mysterious entry in his note book. Should⁠5 any of their number carry a warm dinner, a pair of newly-mended boots, or a change of linen to some passing exile lodged for the moment in the police-ward, it is just as likely as not marked against him as a crime. It is a crime to⁠6 come and see a friend off, or accompany⁠7 him a little on the way. In⁠8 fact, should the Ispravnik feel⁠9 out of sorts—the effect of cards⁠10 and drink—he⁠11 vents his bad temper on the exiles; and as⁠12 cards and drink are the only amusements in these dreary regions, crimes⁠13 are often marked down against the exiles in astonishing numbers, and⁠14 a report of them sent to the Governor of the province.

Winter lasts eight months, a⁠15 period during which the surrounding⁠16 country presents the appearance of a noiseless⁠17, lifeless, frozen marsh. No roads, no communication with the outer world, no means of⁠18 escape. In course of time almost every exile is attacked⁠19 by nervous convulsions, soon⁠20 followed by prolonged apathy and complete prostration. Some of them contrive⁠21 to forge passports, and by a miracle, as⁠22 it were, make their escape; but the great majority of these victims of the Third Section⁠23 either go mad, commit suicide, or die of⁠24 delirium tremens.—James Allen.

Notes

1 visits = comes into.

2 = who inspects (untersu´chen) the house.

3 Do as you please, thun Sie, wie es Ihnen beliebt.

4 now and then, dann und wann, or von Zeit zu Zeit, after which insert the adverbs auch wohl; some = a; to make an entry in a book, eine Bemerkung in ein Buch eintragen.

5 Arrange this period in the following manner: ‘Should one of them to a for the moment in the police-ward lodged (untergebracht) and passing (durchreisend) exile ever (je) a warm dinner, a pair of newly-soled boots, or some clean linen (Wäsche, f.) bring, then (so) is (Passive) to him this very (S. 161, N. 2) likely as a crime ascribed (zur Last geschrieben)’.

6 He came and saw his friend off, er sagte seinem abreisenden Freunde Lebewohl.

7 Will you accompany me a little on my way? Wollen Sie mich auf meinem Wege eine kleine Strecke begleiten?

8 = In short, Kurz.

9 to feel out of sorts, übler Laune sein. Insert the adv. einmal after the subject.

10 = card-playing; see S. 3, N. 2, and S. 10, N. 9.

11 he — exiles, so müssen ihm die Verbannten dafür büßen.

12 The adverbial circumstance of place ‘in — regions’ is best placed immediately after the conj.

13 crimes — numbers = an astonishing number of crimes is often ascribed to the exiles. Read App. § 5.

14 and — sent to = and reported (melden) to.

15 a — which = during which time.

16 = whole.

17 See S. 71, N. 2, which rule applies likewise to adjectives; ‘frozen’, here zu Eis erstarrt.

18 zu, contracted with the art.

[19] ‘to be attacked’, here heimgesucht werden.

20 = upon which soon follows a state (Zustand, m.) of prolonged (dauernd) apathy (Stumpfsinn, m.) and complete (gänzlich) prostration (Hinfälligkeit der Lebenskräfte).

21 He contrived to forge a passport, es gelang ihm, einen falschen Paß herzustellen.

22 as it were, gleichsam, which place after ‘and’; by = through, durch; to make one’s escape, entkommen, insep. comp. str. v. intr.

23 ‘Die dritte Abteilung’ nennt man in Rußland das gefürchtete Departement des Polizeiministeriums, welches mit der geheimen Polizei betraut ist.

24 an, contracted with the Dat. of the def. art.