Much Ado About Nothing

153 Pages·2006·1.02 MB·English

by  William Shakespeare

MUCH ADO ABOUT
NOTHING

WEBSTER'S GERMAN THESAURUS
EDITION
for ESL, EFL, ELP, TOEFL®, TOEIC®, and AP® Test Preparation

William Shakespeare

TOEFL, TOEIC, AP and Advanced Placementare trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which has
neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. All rights reserved.
Much Ado About
Nothing
Webster's German
Thesaurus Edition

for ESL, EFL, ELP, TOEFL®, TOEIC®, and AP® Test
Preparation

William Shakespeare

TOEFL®, TOEIC®, AP® and Advanced Placement® are trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which
has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. All rights reserved.
ii
ICON CLASSICS

Published by ICON Group International, Inc.
7404 Trade Street
San Diego, CA 92121 USA

www.icongrouponline.com

Much Ado About Nothing: Webster's German Thesaurus Edition for ESL, EFL, ELP, TOEFL®,
TOEIC®, and AP® Test Preparation

This edition published by ICON Classics in 2005
Printed in the United States of America.

Copyright ©2005 by ICON Group International, Inc.
Edited by Philip M. Parker, Ph.D. (INSEAD); Copyright ©2005, all rights reserved.

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TOEFL®, TOEIC®, AP® and Advanced Placement® are trademarks of the Educational Testing
Service which has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. All rights reserved.

ISBN 0-497-25862-5
iii

Contents

PREFACE FROM THE EDITOR........................................................................................1

PERSONS REPRESENTED..............................................................................................2

ACT I..............................................................................................................................3

ACT II...........................................................................................................................20

ACT III..........................................................................................................................48

ACT IV..........................................................................................................................74

ACT V...........................................................................................................................94

GLOSSARY.................................................................................................................122

William Shakespeare 1

PREFACE FROM THE EDITOR

Webster’s paperbacks take advantage of the fact that classics are frequently assigned readings in
English courses. By using a running English-to-German thesaurus at the bottom of each page, this
edition of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare was edited for three audiences. The
first includes German-speaking students enrolled in an English Language Program (ELP), an
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program, an English as a Second Language Program (ESL),
or in a TOEFL® or TOEIC® preparation program. The second audience includes English-speaking
students enrolled in bilingual education programs or German speakers enrolled in English speaking
schools. The third audience consists of students who are actively building their vocabularies in
German in order to take foreign service, translation certification, Advanced Placement® (AP®)1 or
similar examinations. By using the Webster's German Thesaurus Edition when assigned for an
English course, the reader can enrich their vocabulary in anticipation of an examination in German
or English.

Webster’s edition of this classic is organized to expose the reader to a maximum number of
difficult and potentially ambiguous English words. Rare or idiosyncratic words and expressions are
given lower priority compared to “difficult, yet commonly used” words. Rather than supply a single
translation, many words are translated for a variety of meanings in German, allowing readers to
better grasp the ambiguity of English, and avoid them using the notes as a pure translation crutch.
Having the reader decipher a word’s meaning within context serves to improve vocabulary
retention and understanding. Each page covers words not already highlighted on previous pages. If
a difficult word is not translated on a page, chances are that it has been translated on a previous
page. A more complete glossary of translations is supplied at the end of the book; translations are
extracted from Webster’s Online Dictionary.

Definitions of remaining terms as well as translations can be found at www.websters-online-
dictionary.org. Please send suggestions to [email protected]

The Editor
Webster’s Online Dictionary
www.websters-online-dictionary.org
1 T O E F L ® , T O E I C ® , A P ® a n d A d v a n c e d P l a cement® are trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which
has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. All rights reserved.
2 Much Ado About Nothing
PERSONS REPRESENTED

DON PEDRO, Prince of Arragon.%
DON JOHN, his bastard brother.
CLAUDIO, a young lord of Florence.
BENEDICK, a young lord of Padua.
LEONATO, governor of Messina.
ANTONIO, his brother.
BALTHAZAR, servant to Don Pedro.
BORACHIO,
}
followersof Don John.

CONRADE,
DOGBERRY, a constable.
VERGES, a headborough.
FRIAR FRANCIS.
A SEXTON.
A BOY.
HERO, daughter to Leonato.
BEATRICE, niece to Leonato.
MARGARET,
}
waiting-gentlewoman attending on Hero.
URSULA,
MESSENGERS, WATCH, ATTENDANTS, ETC.

German
attending: besuchend, pflegend, friar: Mönch, Klosterbruder, Frater,
beiwohnend. Ordensbruder.
bastard: Bastard, Mischling, Lump, governor: Gouverneur, Regler,
Halunke, Grobian, Dreckskerl, Statthalter, Regulator, Landvogt.
Schurke, Schuft, Unehelich, hero: Held, Heroe, Heros.
Arschloch, Widerling. lord: Herr, Lord, Gebieter.
brother: Bruder, Klosterbruder, niece: Nichte.
Pfleger, Sanitäter, Krankenpfleger, servant: Diener, Dienstbote, Knecht,
Kollege, Frater, Geistliche, der Bursche, Bedienstete, Dienerin,
Bruder. Bediente, Dienstmädchen, Gehilfe,
constable: Polizist, Schutzmann. Magd, Stallknecht.
daughter: Tochter, die Tochter. verges: Seitenstreifen, Straßenrand.
William Shakespeare 3

ACT I

SCENE I. BEFORE LEONATO'S HOUSE.%

[Enter LEONATO, HERO, BEATRICE and others, with a MESSENGER.]
LEONATO.
I learn in this letter that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Messina.
MESSENGER.
He is very near by this: he was not three leagues off when I left him.
LEONATO.
How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?
MESSENGER.
But few of any sort, and none of name.
LEONATO.
A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers.
I find here that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young
Florentine called Claudio.
MESSENGER.
Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro. He hath
borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing in the figure of a lamb

German
achiever: Erfolgsmensch. gleichermaßen, gleichen, genau, promise: Versprechen, versprichst,
bestowed: verliehen, spendete, gemäß. versprich, versprecht, verspreche,
schenktet, schenktest, schenkten, gentlemen: Ehrenmänner, Herren. zusagen, Zusage, sagst zu, sagt zu,
geschenkt, schenkte. hath: hat. sagen zu, sage zu.
borne: getragen. honour: Ehre, ehren, beehren, remembered: gedachtet, erinnertest,
brings: bringt, bringt mit, bringt ein, verehren, Ehrung, Gewinn, erinnerten, erinnert, gedachtest,
überbringt, bringt an. Ehrerbietung erweisen, achten, gedachten, gedachte, gedacht,
comes: kommt, kommt her, stammt. hochachten, Aufwendung, huldigen. erinnertet, erinnerte, bedachten.
deserved: verdienten, verdient, leagues: Bündnisse, Ligen. twice: zweimal, doppelt, zweimaal.
verdientest, verdientet, verdiente. learn: lernen, lernt, lernst, lerne, victory: Sieg.
equally: gleich, ebenso, gleichfalls, erlernen, studieren, hören, horchen,
gleichmäßig, identisch, aneignen, erlernst, erlerne.
4 Much Ado About Nothing
the feats of a lion: he hath indeed better bettered expectation than you must
expect of me to tell you how.%
LEONATO.
He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it.
MESSENGER.
I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even
so much that joy could not show itself modest enough without a badge of
bitterness.
LEONATO.
Did he break out into tears?
MESSENGER.
In great measure.
LEONATO.
A kind overflow of kindness. There are no faces truer than those that are so
washed; how much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping!
BEATRICE.
I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from the wars or no?
MESSENGER.
I know none of that name, lady: there was none such in the army of any sort.
LEONATO.
What is he that you ask for, niece?
HERO.
My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua.
MESSENGER.
O! he is returned, and as pleasant as ever he was.
BEATRICE.
He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight; and
my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged
him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these

German
badge: Abzeichen, Marke, Pfennig, Erwartungswert, Anwartschaft. unterzeichnetet, unterzeichneten,
Ausweis, Zeichen, Wappen, feats: Tat, Kunststücke. unterzeichnete, unterzeichnet,
Unterscheidungszeichen, Münze, kindness: Freundlichkeit, abonniert, abonnierten, abonniertest,
Insignum, Insignien, Liebenswürdigkeit, Güte, abonniertet, abonnierte.
Erkennungsmarke. Wohlwollen. truer: echter, wahrer, wahrere.
bettered: überwunden. lion: Löwe. wars: Kriege.
bitterness: Bitterkeit, Verbitterung, overflow: Überlauf, überlaufen, washed: wuschest, gewaschen, wusch,
Groll. überströmen, überfluten, Überschuß, wuscht, wuschen.
challenged: herausgefordert. Übergelaufene, überspülen. weep: weinen, weint, weine, weinst,
cousin: Vetter, Kusine, Cousin, Base, pray: beten, betet, betest, bete, betteln, tränen, flennen, tränt, tränst, plärren,
Cousine, Neffe. bitten, flehen. heulen, träne.
expectation: Erwartung, subscribed: unterzeichnetest, weeping: weinend, Weinen, tränend.
William Shakespeare 5
wars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, I promised to eat all of his
killing.%
LEONATO.
Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I
doubt it not.
MESSENGER.
He hath done good service, lady, in these wars.
BEATRICE.
You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it; he is a very valiant
trencher-man; he hath an excellent stomach.
MESSENGER.
And a good soldier too, lady.
BEATRICE.
And a good soldier to a lady; but what is he to a lord?
MESSENGER.
A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues.
BEATRICE.
It is so indeed; he is no less than a stuffed man; but for the stuffing,--well, we
are all mortal.
LEONATO.
You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt
Signior Benedick and her; they never meet but there's a skirmish of wit
between them.
BEATRICE.
Alas! he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict four of his five wits went
halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one! so that if he have
wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between
himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left to be known a
reasonable creature. Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new
sworn brother.

German
betwixt: zwischen. zögernd. soldier: Soldat, der Soldat.
companion: Gefährte, Begleiter, he'll: er wird. stuffed: ausgestopft, gefüllt,
Kamerad, Genosse, Geselle, Kumpel, honourable: ehrenwert, ansehnlich, vollgestopft, stopfst, voll.
Gefährtin, Macker, Freund. respektabel, rechtschaffen, honorabel, sworn: geschworen, bezeugt,
conflict: Konflikt, Widerstreit, Streit. ehrwürdig, ehrenvoll, ehrenhaft, schwören, beeidigt, geflucht,
creature: Geschöpf, Lebewesen, aufrichtig, achtenswert, achtbar. vereidigt.
Kreatur, Gebilde, Erzeugnis. merry: fröhlich, lustig, vergnügt, valiant: tapfer, mutig, beherzt, dreist,
governed: regierten, regiertest, heiter, wohlgemut. getrost, mannhaft.
regiertet, Regiert, Regierte, mortal: sterblich, tödlich. victual: verpflegen.
beherrschtest, beherrschten, musty: muffig, dumpfig. virtues: Tugenden.
Beherrscht, beherrschtet, beherrschte. skirmish: Scharmützel, Geplänkel, wit: Geist, Verstand, Witz.
halting: anhaltend, stillstehend, Handgemenge, Plänkelei. wits: Verstand, Witze.