Section 57 The Bequest. I.1
An old avaricious English gentleman2 had three sons, of whom one3 was a good-natured but light-minded fellow. Whenever (S. 18, N. 6) he fell4 into any trouble, he excused himself on5 the ground that6 he was seeing life. His prodigality, however, annoyed7 his father so much8, that he resolved to disinherit (S. 1, N. 2) him. His friends interceded9 in his favour, but their efforts were in vain.
When the old gentleman10 felt his end approaching, he called his sons together11, and said to them: “I leave12 to my son John my whole estate13, and desire him14 to be frugal.” John15, in a sorrowful tone, as is usual on such occasions, prayed heaven to prolong his father’s life, and give him health to enjoy the gift16 himself.
Notes
1 Das Vermächtnis.
2 Engländer.
3 Say ‘the one’.
4 to fall into trouble, in Verlegenheit geraten.
5 on the ground, damit.
6 daß er das Leben kennen lerne. Comp. App. §§ 28 and 30.
7 verdrießen. See S. 5, N. 2.
8 sehr.
9 to intercede in a person’s favour, zu gunsten einer Person sprechen. He interceded in my favour, er sprach zu meinen gunsten. Supply the adverb zwar (it is true) after the verb.
10 Herr; to feel one’s end approaching, sein Ende heran´nahen fühlen.
11 together, zu sich.
12 ‘to leave’, here = to bequeath.
13 Besitzung, f.
14 The construction of the Infinitive with an Accusative, so frequently employed in English as an imitation of the Latin and Greek, is unknown in German. Such constructions must be rendered by a subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction daß; as—
I know him to be an industrious man. Ich weiß, daß er ein fleißiger Mann ist.
See also App. § 34, and say ’and wish that he may be frugal (sparsam)’.
15 This passage requires the following construction: ‘As (wie) it is usual (üblich) on (bei) such occasions, John (App. § 15) implored heaven in (mit) a sorrowful tone to prolong’, etc. The noun Himmel is always used with the article.
16 Vermächtnis.