Reading · C2 · Text 7

Toleranz

88 words1 min read100% known at C2

Ursprünglich war mit Toleranz aber etwas anderes gemeint.

Originally, however, tolerance meant something different.

Toleranz bedeutete, dass man andere Menschen nicht bekämpft, obwohl man sie nicht mag.

Tolerance meant that you do not fight other people even though you do not like them.

Man hält die anderen Menschen für schlecht oder abstoßend, aber man erkennt, dass sie keine Gefahr sind.

You consider other people to be bad or repulsive, but you recognize that they are not a danger.

Darum kann man sie tolerieren, man muss sie also weder mögen noch bekämpfen.

Therefore, you can tolerate them; you neither have to like them nor fight them.

So gesehen ist Toleranz also etwas, das den Menschen Mühe bereitet und nicht angenehm ist.

Seen this way, tolerance is something that requires effort and is not pleasant.

Trotzdem sind sie tolerant, weil das besser für den Frieden zwischen den Menschen ist.

Nevertheless, people are tolerant because it is better for peace among people.

Und das ist wiederum gut für einen selbst.

And that, in turn, is good for oneself.

17 words above C2

Ursprünglich← ursprünglich
originally, at first original, initial, first; original, authentic, genuine, unadulterated B2/ˈuːʁʃpʁʏŋlɪç/
gemeint← meinen
meant, intended past participle; infinitive: meinen, meinte, gemeint to opine, to think; to believe; to suppose; to say; to utter; not used with nouns; not used in the imperative and rarely in the infinitive; to mean;… A2/ˈmaɪ̯nən/
bekämpft← bekämpfen
fights against, combats 3rd person singular present; infinitive: bekämpfen, bekämpfte, bekämpft to fight (against something), to combat B2
although, even though subordinating conjunction; introduces a subordinate clause although, though, while B1/ɔpˈvoːl/
hält ... für← halten für
considers, regards as phrasal verb; infinitive: halten für, hielt für, gehalten für
repulsive, disgusting present participle used as adjective repulsive, repellent, repugnant, off-putting C1/ˈapˌʃtoːsn̩t/
erkennt← erkennen
recognizes, realizes 3rd person singular present; infinitive: erkennen, erkannte, erkannt to recognize, perceive; to realize, detect, see, know, identify, discover, understand B1/ɛɐ̯ˈkɛnən/
to tolerate infinitive; regular verb: tolerierte, toleriert C2/toləˈʁiːʁən/
weder ... noch
neither ... nor correlative conjunction
So gesehen← so gesehen
seen from this perspective, in this light fixed expression
Mühe bereitet← Mühe bereiten
causes effort, gives trouble phrasal verb; infinitive: Mühe bereiten, bereitete, bereitet
pleasant, agreeable pleasant, pleasing B1/ˈʔanɡəˌneːm/
Trotzdem← trotzdem
nevertheless, nonetheless adverb, not a conjunction anyhow, nevertheless; although B1/ˈtʁɔtsdeːm/
tolerant B1/toləˈʁant/
peace singular only; alternative form: Friede B1/ˈfʁiːdn̩/
in turn, again in turn, then again, on the other hand, to the contrary; again, once more B1/ˈviːdəʁʊm/
gut für einen selbst
good for oneself fixed expression; 'einen' is indefinite pronoun in accusative

Grammar in this text

Subordinate clause with 'obwohl' (concessive clause)

obwohl man sie nicht mag

'obwohl' introduces a subordinate clause that expresses a contrast or concession. The finite verb moves to the end of the clause.

Correlative conjunction 'weder ... noch'

weder mögen noch bekämpfen

'weder ... noch' means 'neither ... nor' and connects two negated elements. It is used to negate both alternatives.

Verb position in main clause after fronted adverb

So gesehen ist Toleranz also etwas

When an adverb or adverbial phrase is placed at the beginning of a main clause (fronting), the finite verb must immediately follow it, keeping the verb in second position.

Relative clause with 'das' referring to a neuter antecedent

etwas, das den Menschen Mühe bereitet

'das' is a relative pronoun referring to the neuter indefinite pronoun 'etwas'. The relative clause provides additional information and the verb goes to the end.

Keep going

Text from Toleranz — Klexikon, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources.

Translation, glossary and grammar notes are machine-generated and inherit the same licence.