appendix-d-第4节

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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　called　by　so　tame　a　term　as　a　SCHLACHT？

Or　would　not　a　comsumptive　feel　too　much　bundled　up；

who　was　about　to　go　out；　in　a　shirt…collar　and　a　seal…ring；

into　a　storm　which　the　bird…song　word　GEWITTER　was　employed

to　describe？　And　observe　the　strongest　of　the　several

German　equivalents　for　explosionAUSBRUCH。　　Our　word

Toothbrush　is　more　powerful　than　that。　　It　seems　to　me

that　the　Germans　could　do　worse　than　import　it　into　their

language　to　describe　particularly　tremendous　explosions　with。　

The　German　word　for　hellHo〃llesounds　more　like　HELLY

than　anything　else；　therefore；　how　necessary　chipper；

frivolous；　and　unimpressive　it　is。　　If　a　man　were　told

in　German　to　go　there；　could　he　really　rise　to　thee

dignity　of　feeling　insulted？



Having　pointed　out；　in　detail；　the　several　vices　of

this　language；　I　now　come　to　the　brief　and　pleasant　task

of　pointing　out　its　virtues。　　The　capitalizing　of　the　nouns

I　have　already　mentioned。　　But　far　before　this　virtue　stands

anotherthat　of　spelling　a　word　according　to　the　sound　of　it。　

After　one　short　lesson　in　the　alphabet；　the　student　can　tell

how　any　German　word　is　pronounced　without　having　to　ask；

whereas　in　our　language　if　a　student　should　inquire　of　us；

〃What　does　B；　O；　W；　spell？〃　we　should　be　obliged　to　reply；

〃Nobody　can　tell　what　it　spells　when　you　set　if　off　by　itself；

you　can　only　tell　by　referring　to　the　context　and　finding

out　what　it　signifieswhether　it　is　a　thing　to　shoot

arrows　with；　or　a　nod　of　one's　head；　or　the　forward　end　of　a

boat。〃



There　are　some　German　words　which　are　singularly

and　powerfully　effective。　　For　instance；　those　which

describe　lowly；　peaceful；　and　affectionate　home　life；

those　which　deal　with　love；　in　any　and　all　forms；

from　mere　kindly　feeling　and　honest　good　will　toward

the　passing　stranger；　clear　up　to　courtship；　those　which

deal　with　outdoor　Nature；　in　its　softest　and　loveliest

aspectswith　meadows　and　forests；　and　birds　and　flowers；

the　fragrance　and　sunshine　of　summer；　and　the　moonlight

of　peaceful　winter　nights；　in　a　word；　those　which　deal　with

any　and　all　forms　of　rest；　respose；　and　peace；　those　also

which　deal　with　the　creatures　and　marvels　of　fairyland；

and　lastly　and　chiefly；　in　those　words　which　express　pathos；

is　the　language　surpassingly　rich　and　affective。　　There　are

German　songs　which　can　make　a　stranger　to　the　language　cry。　

That　shows　that　the　SOUND　of　the　words　is　correctit

interprets　the　meanings　with　truth　and　with　exactness；

and　so　the　ear　is　informed；　and　through　the　ear；　the　heart。　



The　Germans　do　not　seem　to　be　afraid　to　repeat　a　word

when　it　is　the　right　one。　　they　repeat　it　several　times；

if　they　choose。　　That　is　wise。　　But　in　English；　when　we

have　used　a　word　a　couple　of　times　in　a　paragraph；

we　imagine　we　are　growing　tautological；　and　so　we　are　weak

enough　to　exchange　it　for　some　other　word　which　only

approximates　exactness；　to　escape　what　we　wrongly　fancy

is　a　greater　blemish。　　Repetition　may　be　bad；　but　surely

inexactness　is　worse。　



…



There　are　people　in　the　world　who　will　take　a　great

deal　of　trouble　to　point　out　the　faults　in　a　religion

or　a　language；　and　then　go　blandly　about　their　business

without　suggesting　any　remedy。　　I　am　not　that　kind

of　person。　　I　have　shown　that　the　German　language

needs　reforming。　　Very　well；　I　am　ready　to　reform　it。　

At　least　I　am　ready　to　make　the　proper　suggestions。　

Such　a　course　as　this　might　be　immodest　in　another；　but　I

have　devoted　upward　of　nine　full　weeks；　first　and　last；

to　a　careful　and　critical　study　of　this　tongue；　and　thus

have　acquired　a　confidence　in　my　ability　to　reform　it

which　no　mere　superficial　culture　could　have　conferred

upon　me。　



In　the　first　place；　I　would　leave　out　the　Dative　case。　

It　confuses　the　plurals；　and；　besides；　nobody　ever　knows

when　he　is　in　the　Dative　case；　except　he　discover　it

by　accidentand　then　he　does　not　know　when　or　where　it

was　that　he　got　into　it；　o