Section 96. The Glaciers at⁠ Sunset⁠. I

At a distance these glaciers, as⁠ I have said before, look⁠ like frozen rivers (S. 26, N. 3); when⁠ one approaches nearer, or when they press⁠ downward⁠ into the valley, they look⁠ like immense crystals and pillars⁠ of ice piled⁠ together in every conceivable form. The effect⁠ of this pile⁠ of ice, lying (S. 48, N. 6) directly⁠ in the lap of⁠ green grass and flowers, is quite singular. Before we had entered⁠ the valley, the sun had gone down; the sky behind the mountains was clear, and it⁠ seemed for a few moments as if darkness⁠ was rapidly coming on. But⁠ in a few moments commenced a scene⁠ of transfiguration, more⁠ glorious than anything I had witnessed yet. The cold, white, dismal fields⁠ of ice gradually changed⁠ into hues⁠ of the most beautiful rose colour⁠. A⁠ bank of white clouds, which rested⁠ above the mountains, kindled⁠ and glared⁠, as⁠ if some spirit of light had entered into them.

bei, contracted with the dat. of the def. art.

Comp. S. 26.

Place the words ‘as — before’ at the head of the whole passage; ‘at a distance’, in der Entfernung. For the constr. see App. § 15.

‘to look like’, here ‘ähnlich sehen’, which requires the dat.

The clause ‘when — nearer’ may be briefly rendered by ‘in der Nähe’, i.e. ‘close by’.

hinein´dringen.

abwärts.

‘to look’ may here be rendered by aus´sehen, to avoid repetition; ‘like’ must then be turned by ‘wie’.

To render ‘pillars of ice’ form a comp. n. analagous to ‘ice-pillars’.

to pile together, auf´schichten; use the attributive constr.

Eindruck, m.

pile of ice, Eismasse, f.

unmittelbar.

Use the gen. of the def. art.

betreten, v. tr.

it seemed = it had the appearance. The adverbial circumstance of time ‘for a few moments’ may be emphasized by being placed immediately after the conj. ‘and’.

Darkness is coming on, die Dunkelheit bricht herein.

But — moments = But soon.

Form a comp. n.

The passage ‘more — yet’ may be elegantly rendered by ‘welche alles bereits Geschaute noch an Herrlichkeit übertraf’.

Form a comp. n.

to change into something, in etwas ü´bergehen.

Farbentöne.

Rosenrot, n.

A — clouds, Ein weißes Gewölk.

rested = hung.

kindled = reddened (errö´ten).

glared = glowed (erglü´hen).

as — them, wie von einem Lichtgeiste erfüllt.