| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Open Letter on Translating by Dr. Martin Luther: if the translation is to be clear and accurate, it belongs there.
I wanted to speak German since it was German I had spoken in
translation - not Latin or Greek. But it is the nature of our
language that in speaking about two things, one which is affirmed,
the other denied, we use the word "solum" only along with the word
"not" (nicht) or "no" (kein). For example, we say "the farmer
brings only (allein) grain and no money"; or "No, I really have no
money, but only (allein) grain"; I have only eaten and not yet
drunk"; "Did you write it only and not read it over?" There are a
vast number of such everyday cases.
In all these phrases, this is a German usage, even though it is
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: make, they had covered almost thirty miles an hour. It is true, the
"Terror" commanded an even greater speed, and always, if she were
surrounded so that flight was impossible, she could submerge herself
out of reach of all pursuit. In truth, the destroyers would have had
to be submarines to attack the "Terror" with any chance of success.
And I know not, if even in that case, the contest would have been
equal.
Meanwhile, it seemed to me evident that the commanders of the two
ships had been warned, perhaps by Mr. Wells who, returning swiftly to
Toledo, might have telegraphed to them the news of our defeat. It
appeared, moreover, that they had seen the "Terror," for they were
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Iron Puddler by James J. Davis: ground. When I saw the anguish in my mother's face, I was sobered
to life's responsibilities. The song had died out of her heart,
and I must make it sing again. While she was crying in
distraction, I wrapped my own tearful face in her skirts and
prayed to God that I might grow up in a day--that He would make
my arms strong so I could go to work at once earning money to
replace the lost feather beds. I was then not quite eight years
old. It was early in April, 1881. Before the month was out I had
found a job in the new country and was earning money. I gave all
my earnings to my mother. I have been earning money ever since.
As long as I lived at home I turned over all my wages to my
|
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: themselves purposely rather than again enter the canoe.
As the party were putting in for the shore shortly after
noon to search for food a slender, naked savage watched
them for a moment from behind the dense screen of verdure
which lined the river's bank, then he melted away up-stream
before any of those in the canoe discovered him.
Like a deer he bounded along the narrow trail until, filled
with the excitement of his news, he burst into a native village
several miles above the point at which Tarzan and his pack
had stopped to hunt.
"Another white man is coming!" he cried to the chief
The Beasts of Tarzan |
