German composition

Section 30 Formation of a Coral-Island. I.

It seems to me, that⁠1 when the animalcules, which form the corals at the bottom⁠2 of the ocean, cease to live, their⁠3 structures adhere to each other, by virtue either of the glutinous remains within, or of some property in salt-water. The interstices being⁠4 gradually filled up with sand and⁠5 broken pieces of coral washed by the sea, which also adhere, a mass of rock is at length formed. Future⁠6 races of these animalcules erect their habitations upon the rising⁠7 bank, and⁠8 die, in their turn to elevate this monument of their wonderful labours.

Notes

1 ‘that when the animalcules... cease to live’. This clause may be briefly rendered by saying: ‘that after the death (Absterben, n.) of the animalcules’. To translate the last noun, form a diminutive of Tier.

2 Meeresboden, m.

3 ‘their — salt-water’. Use the following order of words for rendering this passage: ‘their little houses (dim. of Haus) either through the in them contained glutinous remains (Überreste) or through some (irgend eine) property of the salt-water held together are (Pres. of the Passive Voice)’.

4 When the Present Participle is used to denote a logical cause from which we may draw an inference, it must, by the help of the conjunction ‘da’, be changed into a finite verb, i.e. one with a personal termination, thus:—
The interstices being gradually filled up with sand, a mass of rock is at length formed. Da nun die Zwischenräume allmählich mit Sand ausgefüllt werden, so wird aus dem Ganzen endlich eine Felsenmasse gebildet.
The tense in which the verb is to be used, must always be determined by the context.

5 and — sea, und mit vom Meere herangespülten zerbröckelten Korallen; it is a matter of course that the verbs must follow this passage.

6 The following generations.

7 ‘to rise’, here sich erheben. Present Participles used attributively are inflected like adjectives. Bank = reef.

8 ‘and die — labours’, translate ’and die to (S. 19, N. 7) contribute also in their turn (ihrerseits) to the elevation (Erhöhung, f.) of this monument of their admirable work (Arbeit, f.)’.