German composition

Section 27 Without⁠ Pains No Gains1

It was one of the characteristic qualities of Charles James Fox⁠2, that⁠3 he was thoroughly pains-taking in all that he did. When⁠4 appointed Secretary of State, being⁠5 piqued at some observation as to his bad writing, he actually took⁠6 a writing-master, and wrote copies like a schoolboy until he had sufficiently improved himself. Though⁠7 a corpulent man, he⁠8 was wonderfully active at picking up tennis-balls, and⁠9 when asked how he contrived to do so, he playfully replied: “Because⁠10 I am a very pains-taking man.” The same accuracy which he bestowed upon trifling matters⁠11, was displayed by him in things of greater importance; and⁠12 he acquired his reputation by “neglecting nothing.”—S. Smiles.

Notes

1 Ohne Mühe kein Gewinn.

2 Ich möchte vorschlagen zu übersetzen: ‘of the famous Ch. J. Fox’, weil dadurch das Verhältnis des Genitivs ganz klar ausgedrückt wird. Charles James Fox (1749-1806) ward schon 1768 Mitglied des Unterhauses, 1772 Lord des Schatzes, und bildete 1783 mit North und Portland ein Ministerium, welches jedoch bald dem Ministerium Pitt weichen mußte. Er begann darauf mit Burke und andern eine großartige parlamentarische Opposition gegen Pitt und kämpfte von 1792-97 fast allein gegen eine starke Majorität. Im Jahre 1806, kurz vor seinem Tode, wurde er mit Granville nochmals ans Staatsruder berufen.

3 daß er sich in allem, was er that, die größte Mühe gab.

4 When he was appointed (see N. 7). The verbs machen (to make), ernennen (to appoint), and erwählen (to choose, to elect), and other verbs denoting choosing or appointing, require in German the prep. zu contracted with the def. art., whilst in English they govern two Nominatives in the Passive Voice; as—
Der Freund meines Vaters ist zum Abgeordneten erwählt worden. My father’s friend has been elected a member of Parliament.

5 being — writing. This clause must be rendered in an altogether different form; let us say ‘and felt hurt by an observation as to (über) his bad hand-writing’. To feel hurt by something, sich durch etwas verletzt fühlen. The p. p. must be placed?

6 ‘to take’, here engagie´ren; ‘actually’, here faktisch (see App. § 15); to write copies, sich im Schönschreiben üben; improved himself = improved his hand-writing.

7 Though he was. Grammatical distinctness, as a rule, requires that the subject and copula, which after certain conjunctions are so frequently omitted in English, should be clearly expressed in German.

8 When a subordinate clause, beginning with one of the conjunctions da, obgleich, weil, and wenn, precedes a principal clause, which is often done for the sake of emphasis, the principal clause is generally introduced by the adverbial conjunction so (so, thus, therefore); as—
Da es regnet, so können (App. § 15) wir nicht ausgehen. As it is raining, we cannot go out.
‘He — balls’, so war er im Auffangen der Bälle beim Tennisspiele doch merkwürdig gewandt.

9 ‘and — so’, say ‘and when (S. 18, N. 6) one asked him how he did (machen) it’. The verb machen should be used in the Pres. Subj., since the clause contains an indirect question (App. §§ 28 and 30). Playfully, scherzend.

10 Weil ich mir stets die größte Mühe gebe.

11 trifling matters, Kleinigkeiten; ‘was — importance’, say ‘he showed also in more important matters’ (Angelegenheiten).

12 and — nothing, und er erwarb sich seinen Ruf dadurch, daß er nichts für zu gering erachtete.