140

PROGRESSIVE GERMAN COURSE.-II.

EXERCISE XX. The Impersonal Passive Voice.

Only Transitive Verbs that govern the Accusative can, as a rule, be used in the Personal Passive: whilst

(a) Intransitive Verbs, and (b) Verbs that govern the Dative of the Person, can only be used in the Impersonal Passive Voice in German

* If the sentence does not begin with the Verb, the gram. subj. es is omitted; as,

Um Zehn Uhr wird zur Kirche geläutet.

A. 1. Es ist keinem römischen Priester erlaubt zu heiraten. 2. Wird hier deutsch gesprochen ?-Ja, hier spricht man deutsch. 3. Es ist nach Ihnen gefragt worden. 4. Wurde Ihnen erlaubt zu bleiben ?-Nein, im Gegenteil, es wurde mir verboten zu bleiben. 5. Wurde er nicht schwer verwundet ?-Ja, es wurde sogleich nach dem Arzt geschickt.

B. 1. The slave was pursued. 2. That is not to be expected. 3. Are you allowed to do that?—No, we are strictly forbidden to do it. 4. Do you know that you are being looked for everywhere --No, I did not know it. 5. We were promised great things. 6. Is the new GermanEnglish dictionary already printed-No, but it is being printed now. 7. When will it be published?-I think it will be published in a fortnight. 8. I was ordered to translate three pages. 9. There was quarrelling and wrangling.

THE PASSIVE VOICE.

141

EXERCISE XXI.

Résumé of the Cases in which the English

Passive Voice is rendered by a different construction in German :-

1. They are said to have done their work very well. 2. The dark clouds were seen to pass over the mountains. 3. The master ordered the passive voice to be learnt by heart. 4. It could not be imagined that it was true. 5. There was nothing to be hoped for. 6. What would you be thought of, if you were to do that? 7. We are not allowed to be from home, when once the gates are shut. 8. If you were disposed to do your work well, you would be rewarded. 9. There was nobody to be found. 10. I am (supply-it) not accustomed to be treated thus.

FIRST COURSE. Containing Parallel German-English Extracts and Parallel English-German Syntax. 2s. 6d.

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12

GERMAN COMPOSITION

GERMAN

12. Die Sphinx.

Die Sphinx soll ein gewisses Wundergeschöpf gewesen sein, welches den Kopf und die Hände eines Mädchens, den Körper eines Hundes, die Flügel eines Vogels, die Stimme eines Menschen, die Klauen eines Löwen, den Schwanz eines Drachen 5 hatte. Sie saß auf einem Felsen nahe bei Theben in Böotien, und pflegte den Vorübergehenden so schwere Rätsel aufzugeben, daß sie dieselben nicht lösen konnten. Alsdann flog sie zu ihnen hinzu und riß sie zu sich auf den Felsen, und zerfleischte sie entweder mit den Klauen, oder stürzte sie vom Felsen hinab, 10 so daß sie jämmerlich umkamen.

Als einst Oedipus in jene Gegenden gekommen war, legte ihm die Sphinx folgendes Rätsel vor: welches Geschöpf am Morgen vierfüßig, am Mittage zweifüßig, am Abende dreifüßig wäre ?-Oedipus deutete das Rätsel und sagte, daß es 15 der Mensch sei. Denn dieser ist in der Kindheit, auf Händen und Füßen kriechend, vierfüßig; wann er Jüngling und Mann geworden ist, zweifüßzig; im Alter aber dreifüßig, weil nämlich die Greise auf einen Stab gestützt, einherzugehen pflegen. Als Oedipus so das Rätsel gelöst hatte, stürzte sich 20 die erzürnte Sphinx vom Felsen herab und kam selbst um.

13. Tantalus.

Tantalus war den Göttern so lieb, daß Jupiter ihm seine geheimen Plane anvertraute und ihn zu den Mahlzeiten der Götter zuließ. Aber jener pflegte dasjenige, was er bei Jupiter gehört hatte, den Sterblichen zu verraten. Wegen 5 dieses Frevels wurde er in die Unterwelt verstoßen, wo er im Wasser stehend immer dürstet. Denn so oft er einen Trunk Wasser nehmen will, weicht das Wasser zurück. Ebenso hängen Baumfrüchte über dem Kopfe desselben, aber so oft er dieselben zu pflücken versucht, werden die Zweige in die 10 Höhe entrückt und täuschen den Hungernden.

ENGLISH

PARALLEL PASSAGES

13

12. THE SPHINX.

The Sphinx was a fabulous animal which the ancients usually represented with the head and hands of a maiden, the body of a winged dog or lion, and the tail of a dragon. It was also supposed to be endowed with a human voice.

5

Seated (§ 113) on a rock, the Sphinx used to put difficult riddles to every Theban that passed by; and whoever was unable to solve them was either torn to pieces or hurled from the rock. Many Thebans had already miserably perished, when Edipus came into that neighbourhood. To him the monster put a riddle which ran as follows (§ 115): 10 "There is a creature which in the morning walks on four feet, at noon on two feet, and in the evening on three feet -what (§ 134) animal is it?"—"It is man," answered Edipus, "who in infancy crawls upon all fours, in manhood stands erect upon two feet, and in old age totters 15 along leaning on a staff." So angry was the Sphinx at seeing (§ 103) herself outwitted that she threw herself down from the rock and was killed on the spot.

13. TANTALUS.

Tantalus had endeared himself to Jupiter so much that he was admitted to the banquets of the Olympian gods. Unfortunately he betrayed to (the) mortals the secret plans which the king of gods had entrusted to him. This indiscretion proved his ruin. Banished to the nether world, he 5 was doomed to suffer raging thirst, while standing (§ 98) in the midst of a lake. For whenever he attempted to slake his thirst, the treacherous water receded. And whenever, pressed by hunger, he endeavoured to reach the tempting fruit which hung over his head, the branches 10 would (§ 26) shrink back and mock his ravenous hunger.