| 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: original. Instead, with great care, I have, along with my
helpers, gone ahead and have kept literally to the original,
without the slightest deviation, wherever it appeared that a
passage was crucial. For instance, in John 6 Christ says: "Him
has God the Father set his seal upon (versiegelt)." It would be
more clear in German to say "Him has God the Father signified
(gezeiehent)" or even "God the Father means him." But rather than
doing violence to the original, I have done violence to the German
tongue. Ah, translating is not every one's skill as some mad
saints think. A right, devout, honest, sincere, God-fearing
Christian, trained, educated, and experienced heart is required.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: in England.
Yes. There are such things in the soil; and little enough of
them, as the farmers here know too well. For we here, in Windsor
Forest, are on the very poorest and almost the newest soil in
England; and when Madam How had used up all her good materials in
making the rest of the island, she carted away her dry rubbish and
shot it down here for us to make the best of; and I do not think
that we and our forefathers have done so very ill with it. But
where the rich part, or staple, of our soils came from first it
would be very difficult to say, so often has Madam How made, and
unmade, and re-made England, and sifted her materials afresh every
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Cruise of the Jasper B. by Don Marquis: heavily upon him: "I don't know why you should want to shoot at
my scarfpin--or at me. I don't know why you should suddenly lay
a pistol between us. I don't, in short, know why we should sit
here paying each other left-handed compliments, when it was
merely my intention to make you a business proposition."
"I have been waiting to hear what you had to say to me," said
Cleggett, without being in the least thrown off his guard by the
other's change of manner.
"If you had not chanced to drop in here today," said Loge, "I had
intended paying you a visit."
"I have had several visitors lately," said Cleggett nonchalantly,
|
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 Tour Through Eastern Counties of England by Daniel Defoe: fell on with such fury, that the enemy were put into confusion,
their works at east bridge ruined, and two pieces of cannon taken,
Lieutenant Colonel Sambrook, and several other officers, were
killed, and our men retired into the town, bringing the captain,
two lieutenants, and about fifty men with them prisoners into the
town; but having no horse, we could not bring off the cannon, but
they spiked them, and made them unfit for service.
From this time to the 11th, the besieged sallied almost every
night, being encouraged by their successes, and they constantly cut
off some of the enemy, but not without loss also on their own side.
About this time we received by a spy the bad news of defeating the
|
