What's happening here?

[Richard Hargreaves]

To put this in context, in the previous sentences the author is looking forward to reaching the Caucasus with all it entails

Doch wird er uns darin wohl am meisten enttäuschen, was war bisher Rußland, was war bisher der Don, was war die Steppe, wo blieben seine Kosaken und wo hörten wir schwermütige russische Volksweisen?

But will we be largely disappointed as we have been until now in Russia, on the Don, in the Steppe, where the Cossacks were and where we listened to melancholy Russian folk tunes?

[kurt74]

mm, realy not so easy without knowing the exact context. The sentence starts with "doch wird er.." however he will disapoint us..
I don´t know who his meant by "he"??? and what is meant by "darin" this is a hint on something what will happen in near future. Maby by "he" is meant the Caucasus, then this sentence makes sence in that way, that the author is not expecting something positive to find there.

Without further information I would translate it like this: The Caucasus will largely disapoint us, what ever happened in russia, what ever happened at the don, what ever happened in the steppe..where remained the cossacks and where heard we the melancholy russian folk tunes..

[Howard]

Mmm, like Kurt says not easy without perhaps seeing the previous sentence or two. Is er referring to the Caucasus, masc in German?

If you could post the previous two? Also, is the puntcation right? Copuld it be a full stop after Steppe?

[Richard Hargreaves]

Ask and ye shall receive:

Vorne fällt Krasnodar, Maikop und Pjatigorsk. Wir müssen bald an den Bergen sein, um die Verfolgung in Schwung halten zu können. Überhaupt ist der Kaukasus das Ziel all unserer Wünsche. Wir freuen uns auf die Berge, auf den Wald, auf Schnee und Quellwasser, auf fremde Menschen, fremde Sitten, Kaukasierinnen! (heißblütig und glutäugig) und nicht zuletzt auf das fremdartige und romantische, was mit dem Namen Kaukasus verbunden ist. Doch wird er uns darin wohl am meisten enttäuschen, was war bisher Rußland, was war bisher der Don, was war die Steppe, wo blieben seine Kosaken und wo hörten wir schwermütige russische Volksweisen?!?

[kurt74]

now it makes sence..
At the front falls Krasnodar, Maikop and Pjatigorsk, soon we will be at the Mountains to keep the pot boiling. Generally the Caucasus is the aim of our wishes. We look forward for the mountains, Forrest, snow....the girls! But the cuacasus will largely disapoint us. What has been here in Russia up to now, was has been with the don, the steppe, were have been the cosacks and the melancholy Russian folk tunes?

So the author is expressioning his disapointment about all he has seen from russia so far.

[Howard]

Alles klar !!

Krasnodar, Maikop and Pyatigorsk are falling to our front. We must get to the mountains soon, to be able to keep up the momentum of the pursuit. The Caucasus is the real goal of our all our wishes. We are looking forward to the mountains, to the woods, to the snow and the spring water, to strange people, strange customs, Caucasian girls! (with their hot blood and smouldering eyes) and not least to the exoticism and romanticism that's linked to the name of the Caucasus. Yet probably it will be the biggest disappointment of all up to now in Russia, the Don, the steppe, where were its Cossacks and where could we hear the melancholy Russian folk songs?!?

Last bit is a bit free but as we've said that's what the writer's trying to convey.

[Richard Hargreaves]

Meine Herren, Danke.

[kurt74]

Für ein Bier tun wir doch alles ...