appendix-d-第4章

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the　vacuum；　all　the　chances　are　that　it　fits　it　like　a　plug；

but　if　it　doesn't　let　him　promptly　heave　a　ZUG　after　it；

the　two　together　can　hardly　fail　to　bung　the　hole；　but　if；

by　a　miracle；　they　SHOULD　fail；　let　him　simply　say　ALSO！

and　this　will　give　him　a　moment's　chance　to　think　of　the

needful　word。　　In　Germany；　when　you　load　your　conversational

gun　it　is　always　best　to　throw　in　a　SCHLAG　or　two　and　a　ZUG

or　two；　because　it　doesn't　make　any　difference　how　much

the　rest　of　the　charge　may　scatter；　you　are　bound　to　bag

something　with　THEM。　　Then　you　blandly　say　ALSO；　and　load

up　again。　　Nothing　gives　such　an　air　of　grace　and　elegance

and　unconstraint　to　a　German　or　an　English　conversation

as　to　scatter　it　full　of　〃Also's〃　or　〃You　knows。〃



In　my　note…book　I　find　this　entry：



July　1。In　the　hospital　yesterday；　a　word　of　thirteen

syllables　was　successfully　removed　from　a　patienta

North　German　from　near　Hamburg；　but　as　most　unfortunately

the　surgeons　had　opened　him　in　the　wrong　place；　under　the

impression　that　he　contained　a　panorama；　he　died。　

The　sad　event　has　cast　a　gloom　over　the　whole　community。　



That　paragraph　furnishes　a　text　for　a　few　remarks　about

one　of　the　most　curious　and　notable　features　of　my

subjectthe　length　of　German　words。　　Some　German　words

are　so　long　that　they　have　a　perspective。　　Observe　these

examples：



Freundschaftsbezeigungen。　



Dilettantenaufdringlichkeiten。　



Stadtverordnetenversammlungen。　



These　things　are　not　words；　they　are　alphabetical　processions。　

And　they　are　not　rare；　one　can　open　a　German　newspaper

at　any　time　and　see　them　marching　majestically　across

the　pageand　if　he　has　any　imagination　he　can　see

the　banners　and　hear　the　music；　too。　　They　impart

a　martial　thrill　to　the　meekest　subject。　　I　take　a

great　interest　in　these　curiosities。　　Whenever　I　come

across　a　good　one；　I　stuff　it　and　put　it　in　my　museum。　

In　this　way　I　have　made　quite　a　valuable　collection。　

When　I　get　duplicates；　I　exchange　with　other　collectors；

and　thus　increase　the　variety　of　my　stock。　　Here　rare

some　specimens　which　I　lately　bought　at　an　auction　sale

of　the　effects　of　a　bankrupt　bric…a…brac　hunter：



Generalstaatsverordnetenversammlungen。　



Alterthumswissenschaften。　



Kinderbewahrungsanstalten。　



Unabhaengigkeitserklaerungen。　



Wiedererstellungbestrebungen。　



Waffenstillstandsunterhandlungen。　



Of　course　when　one　of　these　grand　mountain　ranges　goes

stretching　across　the　printed　page；　it　adorns　and　ennobles

that　literary　landscapebut　at　the　same　time　it　is　a　great

distress　to　the　new　student；　for　it　blocks　up　his　way；

he　cannot　crawl　under　it；　or　climb　over　it；　or　tunnel

through　it。　　So　he　resorts　to　the　dictionary　for　help；

but　there　is　no　help　there。　　The　dictionary　must　draw

the　line　somewhereso　it　leaves　this　sort　of　words　out。　

And　it　is　right；　because　these　long　things　are　hardly

legitimate　words；　but　are　rather　combinations　of　words；

and　the　inventor　of　them　ought　to　have　been　killed。　

They　are　compound　words　with　the　hyphens　left　out。　

The　various　words　used　in　building　them　are　in　the　dictionary；

but　in　a　very　scattered　condition；　so　you　can　hunt

the　materials　out；　one　by　one；　and　get　at　the　meaning

at　last；　but　it　is　a　tedious　and　harassing　business。　

I　have　tried　this　process　upon　some　of　the　above　examples。　

〃Freundshaftsbezeigungen〃　seems　to　be　〃Friendship

demonstrations；〃

which　is　only　a　foolish　and　clumsy　way　of　saying　〃demonstrations

of　friendship。〃　〃Unabhaengigkeitserklaerungen〃　seems

to　be　〃Independencedeclarations；〃　which　is　no　improvement

upon　〃Declarations　of　Independence；〃　so　far　as　I　can　see。　

〃Generalstaatsverordnetenversammlungen〃　seems　to　be

〃General…statesrepresentativesmeetings；〃　as　nearly　as　I

can　get　at　ita　mere　rhythmical；　gushy　euphuism　for

〃meetings　of　the　legislature；〃　I　judge。　　We　used　to　have

a　good　deal　of　this　sort　of　crime　in　our　literature；

but　it　has　gone　out　now。　　We　used　to　speak　of　a　things　as　a

〃never…to…be…forgotten〃　circumstance；　instead　of　cramping

it　into　the　simple　and　sufficient　word　〃memorable〃　and　then

going　calmly　about　our　business　as　if　nothing　had　happened。　

In　those　days　we　were　not　content　to　embalm　the　thing

and　bury　it　decently；　we　wanted　to　build　a　monument　over　it。　



But　in　our　newspapers　the　compounding…disease　lingers

a　little　to　the　present　day；　but　with　the　hyphens　left　out；

in　the　German　fashion。　　This　is　the　shape　it　takes：

instead　of　saying　〃Mr。　Simmons；　clerk　of　the　county　and

district　courts；　was　in　town　yesterday；〃　the　new　form　put

it　thus：　〃Clerk　of　the　County　and　District　Courts　Simmons

was　in　town　yesterday。〃　This　saves　neither　time　nor　ink；

and　has　an　awkward　sound　besides。　　One　often　sees　a　remark

like　this　in　our　papers：　〃MRS。　Assistant　District　Attorney

Johnson　returned　to　her　city　residence　yesterday　for　the　season。〃

That　is　a　case　of　really　unjustifiable　compounding；

because　it　not　only　saves　no　time　or　trouble；　but　confers

a　title　on　Mrs。　Johnson　which　she　has　no　right　to。　

But　these　little　instances　are　trifles　indeed；　contrasted

with　the　ponderous　and　dismal　German　system　of　piling

jumbled　compounds　together。　　I　wish　to　submit　the　following

local　item；　from　a　Mannheim　journal；　by　way　of　illustration：



〃In　the　daybeforeyesterdayshortlyaftereleveno'clock　Night；

the　inthistownstandingtavern　called　'The　Wagoner'　was　downburnt。　

When　the　fire　to　the　onthedownburninghouseresting　Stork's

Nest　reached；　flew　the　parent　Storks　away。　　But　when

the　bytheraging；　firesurrounded　Nest　ITSELF　caught　Fire；

straightway　plunged　the　quickreturning　Mother…Stork　into

the　Flames　and　died；　her　Wings　over　her　young　ones　outspread。〃



Even　the　cumbersome　German　construction　is　not　able　to

take　the　pathos　out　of　that　pictureindeed；　it　somehow

seems　to　strengthen　it。　　This　item　is　dated　away　back

yonder　months　ago。　　I　could　have　used　it　sooner；　but　I

was　waiting　to　hear　from　the　Father…stork。　I　am　still　waiting。　



〃ALSO！〃　If　I　had　not　shown　that　the　German　is　a

difficult　language；　I　have　at　least　intended　to　do　so。　

I　have　heard　of　an　American　student　who　was　asked　how　he

was　getting　along　with　his　German；　and　who　answered

promptly：　〃I　am　not　getting　along　at　all。　　I　have　worked

at　it　hard　for　three　level　months；　and　all　I　have　got

to　show　for　it　is　one　solitary　German　phrase'ZWEI　GLAS'〃

（two　glasses　of　beer）。　He　paused　for　a　moment；　reflectively；

then　added　with　feeling：　〃But　I've　got　that　SOLID！〃



And　if　I　have　not　also　shown　that　German　is　a　harassing

and　infuriating　study；　my　execution　has　been　at　fault；

and　not　my　intent。　　I　heard　lately　of　a　worn　and　sorely

tried　American　student　who　used　to　fly　to　a　certain　German

word　for　relief　when　he　could　bear　up　under　his　aggravations

no　longerthe　only　word　whose　sound　was　sweet　and

precious　to　his　ear　and　healing　to　his　lacerated　spirit。　

This　was　the　word　DAMIT。　　It　was　only　the　SOUND　that

helped　him；　not　the　meaning；　＇3＇　and　so；　at　last；　when　he

learned　that　the　emphasis　was　not　on　the　first　syllable；

his　only　stay　and　support　was　gone；　and　he　faded　away

and　died。　



3。　　It　merely　means；　in　its　general　sense；　〃herewith。〃



I　think　that　a　description　of　any　loud；　stirring；

tumultuous　episode　must　be　tamer　in　German　than　in　English。　

Our　descriptive　words　of　this　character　have　such

a　deep；　strong；　resonant　sound；　while　their　German

equivalents　do　seem　so　thin　and　mild　and　energyless。　

Boom；　burst；　crash；　roar；　storm；　bellow；　blow；　thunder；

explosion；　howl；　cry；　shout；　yell；　groan；　battle；　hell。　

These　are　magnificent　words；　the　have　a　force　and　magnitude

of　sound　befitting　the　things　which　they　describe。　

But　their　German　equivalents　would　be　ever　so　nice　to　sing

the　children　to　sleep　with；　or　else　my　awe…inspiring　ears

were　made　for　display　and　not　for　superior　usefulness

in　analyzing　sounds。　　Would　any　man　want　to　die　in　a

battle　which　was　c