Джером Джером - Лучшие произведения Джерома К. Джерома / The Best of Jerome K. Jerome

Fashoda incidentor Fashoda Crisis (1898). A French expedition to Fashoda on the White Nile tried to take control of the Nile and move the British from Sudan. As a result Britain and France were on the verge of war, but the conflict ended in a diplomatic victory for the British

the Transvaal question– the conflagration in South Africa which led to the 1st (1880 to 1881) and 2nd (1899 to 1902) Boer wars between the Republicans and the British

John Hus(1369–1415), Czech priest, philosopher, religious thinker and reformer

Jerome– Jerome of Prague (1379–1416), a Czech church reformer and one of the chief followers of Jan Hus who was burned for heresy

Ziska– Jan Žižka (1360–1424), Czech general, follower of Jan Hus

Wallenstein– Albrecht von Wallenstein (1583–1684), duke of Friedland and Mecklenburg, was one of the most important mercenary commanders of the Imperial army during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648)

Sigismund– Sigismund Korybut (1395–1435), a duke, a military commander of the Hussite army and a mayor of Prague during the Hussite Wars

Tarborites– religious movement, the most radical wing of Hussites (named after mountain Tarbor, the place of their headquarters)

Maximilian– Maximilian I (1459–1519), Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Germans. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg and led religious wars against Protestants

Gustavus Adolphus– Gustav II Adolf (1594–1632); the King of Sweden famous for his successful policy in strengthening the country. His reign was marked by several wars Sweden participated in, including the Thirty Years’ War.

Catholic Ferdinand– Ferdinand II (1578–1637), Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia and King of Hungary. His devout Catholicism caused The Second Defenestration of Prague, which is considered to be the first step of the Thirty Years’ War

Apollinaris water– mineral water, naturally sparkling

Durchgang Verboten– no trespassing (German)

schnellzug– fast train (German)

platz– place (German)

the Criterion – a West End complex of a theatre, restaurant, dining and ballrooms

Hunden verboten– no dogs (German)

Ausgang– exit (German)

Zampa– Zampa (or the Marble Bride), comic opera by French composer Louis Hérold

Ditto– the same (Italian)

bath-chairs– a bath chair is a light carriage with a folding hood and a glass front, on three or four wheels and pushed by hand, used by invalids

Ouida– pseudonym of Maria Louise Ramé (1839–1908), English novelist, famous for her melodramatic romances of fashionable life

Wirtschaft– household (German)

‘mittagstisch’– something for lunch (German)

Kneipe– a pub (German)

Korps, crack– sports club (German)

Burschenschaft– a students’ association (German)

Landsmannschaft– an association of people from the same area (German)

Mensur– a duel (German)

reductio ad absurdum– leading to absurdity (Latin)

Fruhschoppen– an early cup (German)

Prosit– to your health! (German)

Sunt– We are (German)

Ad exercitium Salamandri– Let Salamander be (Latin)

the Bogie Man– the main character of a comic book, a Scottish mental patient who only can solve the “mystery” of his own construction

Belegete-semmel– a roll cut in two with some ham or cheese (German)

Aufschnitt– a meat dish (German)

Spiegeleier– fried eggs (German)

The Robbers– a play by Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805)

statutory law– created by legislative regulations

strike attitudes– to speak or act in ways that make it very clear what you want others to think you believe or support

sponging upon– “to sponge on (upon)” is “to be parasitic on smb”

Adelphi– a district in the Strand (London), named after the buildings erected here in 1768

He crosses the African desert in patent-leather boots, does the stage hero– Here the “question” word order and the auxiliary verb are used to strengthen the meaning (ironically, of course)

Dost see yonder star– poetic way to say “Do you see that star” (archaic)

nabbed– to be caught or arrested

swag– plunder or loot

to pall– to lose interest because of familiarity

orangamatang– perhaps, orang-utang

Y.M.C.A– Young Men’s Christian Association

Tit Bits– a British weekly magazine (from “titbits”, small pieces of tasty food or something pleasant, even gossip!)

it is next door to impossible– hardly ever possible

grit and go– backbone (courage) and activity

sit on the comic man– “to sit on smb” means “to hold him back”

it was fifteen and nine, his style– evidently, it was a mannequin with clothes’ sizes

the wooping-cough– Pertussis, a highly contagious bacterial disease

is doing his two years’ hard– “to do one’s time” is “to stay in prison”