Page:Hand-book of Volapük (Sprauge, 1888).djvu/49

 = EXERCISE 27 =

In this reading exercise the left-hand column contains a translation from the German, in which the words are, to a great extent, arranged in the German order, --- too much so, I think. The verb is placed at the end of the sentence or clause without any apparent reason for this position, except that in the German original it is at the end. In the right-hand column the same words are re-arranged with correction of some other Germanisms.

= IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS =

In English there are certain peculiarities of expression, which we do not notice until our attention is called to them by the study of other languages. It is therefore dangerous to translate literally into Volap&uuml;k unless we first reflect upon the English phrase and are sure that it means literally and exactly what it says. It is safest, in regard to Volap&uuml;k, as well as other languages, to frame sentences on the model of those which have been composed by authors of known correctness.

permissible plural of os.
 * In the earlier editions of the grammar oz was given as a