German composition

Section 69. DESPATCH OF BUSINESS⁠[1].

Reading edition

Section 69. DESPATCH OF BUSINESS⁠[1].

You⁠[2] must beware⁠[3] of stumbling over a propensity, which easily besets⁠[4] you from⁠[5] the habit of not having your time fully employed⁠[6]. I mean⁠[7] what the women very expressively⁠[8] call dawdling⁠[9]. Your motto must be “Hoc age.” Do instantly whatever⁠[10] is⁠[11] to be done, and take⁠[12] the hours of recreation after business⁠[13], and not before it⁠[14]. When a regiment is⁠[15] under march, (S. 27, N. 8) the rear is⁠[16] often thrown into confusion, because the front do⁠[17] not move⁠[18] steadily⁠[19] and without interruption. It⁠[20] is the same thing with business. If⁠[21] that which is first in hand is not instantly, steadily⁠[22], and regularly despatched⁠[23], other⁠[24] things accumulate, till affairs⁠[25] begin to press all at once, and no human being can⁠[26] stand the confusion.—Sir Walter Scott, Letters to his son.

Notes in this chapter

Note 8 · When a subordinate clause, beginning with one of the conjunctions da, obgleich, weil, and wenn, precedes a principal clause, which is often Note 1 · Schnelle Geschäftserledigung.Note 2 · Use the 2nd pers. sing. Personal and Possessive Pronouns used in letters, and referring to the person addressed, require a capital initial i Note 3 · to beware of stumbling over a propensity, sich hüten, einem Hange zu verfallen. See S. 1, N. 3, and S. 34, N. 10.Note 4 · beschleichen.Note 5 · from the habit, wenn Du Dich daran gewöhnst.Note 6 · ‘to employ’, here aus´füllen.Note 7 · Supply here the pronominal adverb damit.Note 8 · bezeichnend.Note 9 · Zeitvergeudung.Note 10 · [1] Schnelle Geschäftserledigung. [2] Use the 2nd pers. sing. Personal and Possessive Pronouns used in letters, and referring to the person Note 11 · is to be done = must be done. See S. 62, N. 4, and S. 2, N. 1.Note 12 · choose your hours of recreation (Erholungsstunde, f.).Note 13 · business = work, which use with the def. art.Note 14 · it = the same.Note 15 · to be under march, auf dem Marsch begriffen sein.Note 16 · to be thrown in confusion, in Unordnung geraten.Note 17 · The verb must be in the singular after a collective noun in the singular.Note 18 · ‘to move’, here fort´marschieren.Note 19 · gleichmäßig.Note 20 · Say ‘And so it is likewise (auch) with business (Arbeit)’.Note 21 · If — hand, Wenn die gerade vorliegende Arbeit.Note 22 · stetig.Note 23 · erledigen.Note 24 · other — accumulate, so häufen sich inzwischen andere Sachen an.Note 25 · die Arbeiten, after which place the words ‘all at once’, alle auf einmal. For the place of the verbs see App. § 19.Note 26 · can — confusion, der Verwirrung gewachsen ist.