Section 14. HOW HUGH MILLER[1] BECAME A[2] GEOLOGIST.
Reading edition
Hugh Miller’s[3] curiosity[4] was[5] excited by the remarkable traces of extinct[6] sea-animals in[7] the Old Red Sandstone, on which he worked as a quarryman. He inquired[8], observed, studied, and became a geologist. “It was the necessity”, said he, “which made[9] me a quarrier, that taught me to be a geologist.”—S. Smiles.
He wants to be a soldier. Er will Soldat werden.
Exception: When the noun denoting the business or profession is preceded by an adjective, the indefinite article is used in German, as in English:
His father was a clever physician. Sein Vater war ein geschickter Arzt.
Notes in this chapter
Note 1 · Hugh Miller wurde am 10ᵗᵉⁿ Oktober 1802 von armen Eltern zu Cromarty in Schottland geboren. Er arbeitete 15 Jahre als gemeiner Steinbrecher,Note 2 · Contrary to English construction, the indefinite article is not used in German in stating the business or profession of a person; as—Note 3 · When a Proper Name is used in the Genitive Case, it is generally placed before the governing noun, as in English: Schiller’s poems, SchillerNote 4 · Wißbegierde, f.Note 5 · How is the Passive Voice to be recognised? ‘To excite’, here lebhaft an´regen; construe accord. to S. 13, N. 5.Note 6 · aus´gestorben.Note 7 · in — sandstone, in einem alten Rotsandsteinlager; on which = where.Note 8 · ‘to inquire’, here Nachforschungen anstellen.Note 9 · ‘to make’ requires here the prep. zu contracted with the def. art.; ‘that — geologist’, machte mich schließlich auch zum Geologen.