Villagers  

The villagers of all the tiny hamlets were poor, simple, hardworking people, the type of people one might meet in an English village. They were for the most part farmers, their sons carpenters or workers in the lead mine [Bleibergwerk in Mechernich] or perhaps helping their fathers on the land, their daughters working in factories at nearby Mechernich, their entertainment an occasional visit to the little "Gasthaus", on a fine night perhaps even Walking to the next village where the "pub" boasted a television set. They regarded our Comings and goings with interest and smilingly proffered gifts of cherries or pointed out the mysteries of their modern milking machines to those of us who were agriculturally minded.

In Cologne, however, I attracted few stares, for foreigners are an everyday sight there and the city dwellers are far too busy to try to pick people out in a crowd. The district of Cologne in which I stayed was on the outskirts of the city, little more than a village with woods and fields on two sides. I was soon well known in the Shops and always received special attention when I went in alone. My fears had been needless - the family I stayed with made me feel it was home from home and the people I met were just like those I meet here, from all walks of life, but nice and kind and sincere.
My foster-father was an intelligent, kindly man and we enjoyed long discussions each evening, after our game of chess, on literature, medicine, inventions, discoveries and international relationships. The last thing that the people who compose the greater part of the country's population - the ordinary people like you and me - want is war and strife. In its little way our exchange is promoting friendship and understanding between our nations.

Villagers / Words    
villager     Dörfler. Dorfbewohner
tiny     winzig, klein
the hamlet     das Dörfchen
hardworking     fleißig, arbeitsam
for the most part     meistens
the farmer     Bauer
carpenter     Zimmermann
leadmine     Bleiwerk
factory     Fabrik
nearby     nahe gelegen
the entertainment     die Unterhaltung, das Vergnügen
occasionally     gelegentlich
the pub (public house)     die Kneipe, das Wirtshaus
to boast     sich rühmen, prahlen
television set     Fernsehapparat
to regard     betrachten
Comings and goings     das Kommen und Gehen
smilingly     lächelnd
to proffer     anbieten
to point out     zeigen, erzählen
the mystery     Geheimnis
milking machine     Melkmaschine
agriculturally-minded     landwirtschaftlich begabt, interessiert an Landwirtschaft
to attract     anziehen
the Stare     der Blick
everyday sight     etwas Alltägliches
city dweller     Stadtbewohner
busy     beschäftigt
to pick out     herausfinden
the crowd     Menge
the district     der Bezirk
the outskirts     Randgebiete. Stadtrand
special attention     besondere Beachtung
the fears     die Befürchtungen
needless     unnötig
home from home     wie zu Hause
to meet     treffen
walks of life     Berufe. Bevölkerungsschichten
sincere     aufrichtig
foster-father     Pflegevater
kindly     freundlich
game of chess     Schachspiel
invention     Erfindung
discovery     Entdeckung
international relationships     internationale Beziehungen
to compose     bilden, ausmachen
ordinary     gewöhnlich, durchschnittlich
the strife     Hader, Streit
in its little way     auf bescheidene Weise: wenn auch nur im kleinen
to promote     fördern
understanding     die Verständigung

Questions
1. What did he discuss with the father of the German family?
2. What de carpenters do?
3. Are you "agriculturally minded"?
4. Why is chess a popular game?
5. How can an exchange promote friendship?
6. Were these villagers different from English village people?
7. What did they do for a living?
8. What did they do in the evening?
9. Why did the English visitor attract few Stares in Cologne?
10. In what part of Cologne did this visitor stay?

Discussion and essay topics  / villagers
1. The advantages of living in the country.
2. Are television sets in pubs a good thing?

Für Gast- oder Wirtshaus gibt es mehrere Ausdrücke-
pub = public house
inn = etwa Gasthof
tavern = Schänke (etwas veraltet)

Notes

^' To'vLTp'^Kt'inh?'^'"^^- ^°'^, T''^^"' ^°" ^^'^'" ^^^°^"^ ^'^d. ist das in England nicht der Fall. Es gibt auch nicht fhre sLJrTAfhTJf'n" .^"I ^°"''"'"'' '" ''" "'^^^ ^^^ nötige Kapital haben, moderne Maschinen zu kaufen, die foraen rrir in Lc T^r^^" "''''"' "^"''"^ ^^^^^"- Außerdem war England nie imstande, sich selbst zu versorgen    DurTdas unLt^nlp wT ^T '''"^" ^°'°"'"" °^^^ ^°'^ Ländern wie Neu-Seeland oder Süd-Afrika abhängig, besser es iTllwJ^T^^^^ '" ^^"^"" '" ^"^'^"^ '^^'^^ ^'^ ^^^ ^em Kontinent. Der Boden in England ist viel
Zzr^zLzt^^^^^^^ ru°c'h':e;?'b:nebr ''•" ^"'^'^^^- ^^ ^'^^ ^^'^ ^'^^^^^^^- ^^^^-^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ ^^
m^dt^eTL'g^r^ft^^r-- Stän^dig^ B^err'^"'^'^^^ '''^-'^'^ ^°^^ •^^^^^"^" ^'^'^^'^-^ ^^^^ ^^ '^'