German composition

Section 89 A Curious Instrument. — II

The children were accordingly⁠1 all attention, while the father thus⁠2 proceeded⁠3: “This small instrument displays⁠4 the most⁠5 perfect ingenuity of⁠6 construction, and⁠7 exquisite nicety and beauty of workmanship. From⁠8 its extreme⁠9 delicacy⁠10, however, it⁠11 is so liable to injury, that it is always protected by a⁠12 sort of light curtain, adorned⁠13 with a beautiful fringe, and⁠14 so placed as to fall in a moment on the approach of the slightest danger. The⁠15 external appearance of the instrument is always more or less beautiful, though in this respect there⁠16 is a great diversity in the different sorts. The⁠17 internal contrivance, however, is the same in all of them, and is so curious, and in its power⁠18 so astonishing, that no one who knows it⁠19 can suppress his surprise and admiration.”

Notes

1 natürlich die Aufmerksamkeit selbst.

2 folgendermaßen.

3 proceeded = continued.

4 displays = shows.

5 most perfect = highest.

6 Use the gen. of the def. art.

[7] Say ‘and is most exactly (unübertrefflich genau) and beautifully worked’.

8 From = On account of, Wegen.

9 extreme = extraordinary.

10 Empfindlichkeit, f.

11 it — injury = it is so easily exposed (aus´setzen) to (S. 3, N. 2) injury.

12 a sort of = a certain.

13 Use the attributive constr., S. 7, N. 3.

14 Say ‘which is placed (angebracht) so that it falls down at (bei) the approach of the slightest danger in a moment’.

15 The — appearance, Das Äußere.

16 Render ‘there is’ in this instance by ‘besteht (there exists)’, which must be placed at the end of the passage, on account of the preceding subordinative conj. obgleich.

17 The internal contrivance, Der Mechanismus.

18 power = efficacy, Wirksamkeit, f.

19 it = the same (to agree with Mechanismus).