Breakdown of Hierdurch gelingt der Versuch.
gelingen
to succeed
der Versuch
the experiment (attempt, trial)
hierdurch
through this
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Questions & Answers about Hierdurch gelingt der Versuch.
How does hierdurch differ from dadurch in this context?
Both translate similarly, but hierdurch (through this) is a proximate pronoun. It points to a method or process that is immediate, physically present, or was just mentioned. dadurch (through that) would point to something slightly more distant or abstract.
I learned that gelingen usually needs a dative person, like mir gelingt es. Why is there no dative here?
While gelingen (to succeed) often uses a dative noun or pronoun to show who is succeeding, it is not strictly required. By leaving out the dative, the sentence simply focuses on the general fact that the experiment itself succeeds, rather than who is performing it.
Could I use hiermit instead of hierdurch to say the experiment succeeds 'with this'?
You could, but there is a slight shift in focus. hierdurch emphasizes the causal process or method (because of this procedure), whereas hiermit often emphasizes the specific physical tool or instrument being used (using this object).