This Month's Installment
The italicized parts are what I'm unsure about.
And as if he had busied himself with such holy things for too long, he began in strong expressions to complain about the new attendant, who did not deal with him rightly and didn't hold him tightly enough. And with him about his new bedfellow, who had only an arm and a chest shot and acted at least as if they had torn his head off.As they left the room, Edith askt about Fritz."I know only that he is just come into the heaviest fire and is now in the middle of the battle.""He comes first among the brave ones. Whether he returns home or falls, he would do either as a hero."Then Dr. Moll came up to them, and Else went to his side.With greater joy than even her brother had done, she greeted Edith.---153---"One could send me no one dearer!" she said and with quiet circumspection introduced the new helper into her work.Throughout the day there was much to do. In the evening, however, when the measurements were taken, the mealtime administered, the patients bedded down, and the night guard settled, Else came home and brought Edith with. She was dead tired; her eyes were already closing at dinner; before nine she went to sleep. Edith on the other hand, whose strong body didn't feel tired in the least, still stayed together with Hans. She was talkative, almost cheerful; he, however, quiet and withdrawn."It's getting lively at the border," he said finally. "Doctor Moll just told me; he heard it from a few newly arrived wounded. The superiority is too great; despite all the brave resistance of our men, the enemy pushes forward.""He will not come far," Edith replied.In the same moment, they both came together. Loudly and shrill rang a noise through the silence."It is at the house door outside," said Hans, "hopefully Else will not be called away again."He went to open the door because the girl was already asleep. In the dull, pallid light of the street lamp that fell from the opposite street corner in the village, he saw a middle-aged woman with a pale, emaciated face, a dark scarf wrapped over her head, under which her hair came out in disheveled strands. Three children nestled into her timidly on both sides."Only don't be angry, Pastor," she said with tear-choked voice, "but it all came so suddenly... I haven't taken enough money with... and the children... we were directed to your---154---mercy... no one wanted to admit us into the guest house.""Who are you? And where do you come from?""I am the wife of the teacher Heinrich from Gumbinnen. Our pastor pointed me to you.""From Gumbinnen? - And why-?""We had to flee... along with many others. My husband and the pastor remain... but we women and the other citizens..."The loud crying of the smallest of the children did not let her speak further.
Grammatical Minutiae/Commentary
I decided to stop numbering the months in the titles of these posts. I'm only a little more than a quarter of a way through the novel, and so by the time I finish, these numbers would be a bit unwieldy.
I couldn't figure out a way to include this in my translation, but in the original German, what Edith says of Fritz ("Whether he returns home or falls, he would do either as a hero") has the structure of a poetic couplet. The two clauses have the same number of syllables and a slant rhyme ("Ob er heimkehrt oder fällt, beides täte er als Held"), and these features make me suspect that this is something of an aphorism.
That the clause "he, however, quiet and withdrawn" lacks an explicit verb (the "was" from the previous clause in the sentence is implied here) illustrates Hans' more demure manner.
