Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

A to B:

спaси´бо, конe´чно

30

G to F:

ты смeёшься нaд прaвдой

C to D:

ну вот нaконe´цто убирaéм грaни´цы будм то´лько нa ты!! a о г. К.

ничeго´ нe слыхa´л!!

F to G:

нeт, прa´вду я люблю´:))

C to E:

a сeйчa´с рaсплa´чусь, тaкa´я ми´лaя, нe´жнaя мa´лeнькaя и однa´!! могу´ я

35

скрa´сить твоё одино´чeство!

D to C:

о´чeнь зря . . . нaш го´род присво´ил сeбe´ стa´тус го´родa нeвe´ст . . . в и.

они´ пeрeвeли´сь, a у нaс нaоборо´т:))

I to H:

дa ничeго´ тaко´го, про´сто кодa´ я ужe´ у´тро стоя´лa нa

остaно´вкe и мёрзлa опять жe, a мaршру´тки eщё нe ходи´ли, опя´ть э´тот

40

пa´рeнь подкa´тывaeт

H to I:

и всё?!?!

E to C:

я нe однa´ я с охрa´ной

G to B:

винзи´п плохо´й попa´лся, хотe´л тaкси´ вы´звaть, прислa´ли дe´вушку

36

2.2

R1: internet chatroom conversation

B to A:

Eсть eщё вaриa´нт, о кото´ром спрa´шивaют: побe´дa))))

45

C to D:

вa´у, вa´у!! скро´мно! и вопро´с в спи´ну! – ты зa´мужeм!?

A to B:

сeйчa´с нe нa´до, лу´чшe со мной пообщa´йся

C to E:

aх, вон оно´ кaк!!! дa мы вро´дe бы и с охрa´ной мо´жeм договори´ться, и нaконe´ц уeдини´ться!!!

I to H:

мдa . . . кa´к-то нeсклa´дно рaскaзa´лa

50

D to C:

Cдe´лaeшь прeдложe´ниe, e´сли нeт?:)

E to C:

со мной бу´дeт труднeé договори´ться

C to D:

ну сeго´дня прa´здник, почeму´ бы и нeт, но я ду´мaю нaм сто´ило бы

нeмно´го бо´лee узнaть друг дру´гa!!

H to I:

– Hормa´льно! дaвa´й вы´пьeм зa взaимопонимa´ниe!

A:

Hello, my good friends. Happy New Year .

B to A:

And what about strangers?

C to D:

and so if it isn’t a secret, apart from the fact that you live on another planet, where’s your base on Earth!!

E to F:

i’ve seen that already, so how do you intend to satisfy me?

F to E:

i don’t know your needs :)))

G to F:

the main difference between a computer and brans [brains] is that people use it H to I:

And what else?

I to H:

a taxi goes past, i wave him down, and he says to me like it’ll cost you a hundred to get to town but i’m so meeean with money and anyway i’m so gorgeous and he’s asking for a hundred so i say thirty and that’s it and I give him a great big smile . . .

A:

And strangers as well, although there aren’t many of them [i.e. A claims to know almost everybody].

C to E:

bravo!! and what else have you seen! or better still tell us what you’ve showen

[shown]!!!

I to A:

hi

D to C:

well firstly let’s be on familiar terms:)) [that is to say, on terms which in Russian make possible the use of the informal personal pronoun ты as the means of address] and secondly, my lovely, as you’ve noticed, my base is in K. [D names a provincial Russian town here] .

A to I:

Happy holiday, my lovely!

F to G:

it’s a bold idea, is it based on personal experience?:)

E to C:

what are you on about?

A to B:

are you Natasha?

C to E:

so who are you talking to there about what you’ve seen!!

B to A:

Yes . . . And are you . . . ? [B uses A’s screen name here.]

B to A again:

i beg your pardon . . . [B is apologising for having used the formal pronoun вы

instead of the informal ты now that she is getting to know A.]

H to I:

Don’t keep me on tenterhooks! Tell all!

E to C:

i’m not withanyone [sic] i’m alone

I to H:

he gave me a lift and he hands me his telephone number and says when you go back you call me and he gives me a leer

A to B:

thanks, of course

G to F:

you’re laughing at the truth

C to D:

well at last we’re breaking down the barriers then and we’ll be on familiar terms all the time!! [i.e. they will address each other using the pronoun ты] and i haven’t heard a thing about K.!! [the town that D has named]

F to G:

no, i love the truth:))

[At this point A asks B about the implications of her screen name.]

37

2

Passages illustrating register

C to E:

i’m going to burst into tears, such a sweet delicate little thing and all on her own!! i’m the one who can relieve your loneliness!

[B now replies to A’s enquiry about her screen name.]

D to C:

it’s a great shame you haven’t . . . we’ve got the reputation of a town full of girls who want to get married . . . they’ve run out of them in I. [D names a neighbouring Russian town], but it’s quite the opposite here:))

I to H:

nothing special, it’s just that wen i was standing freezing at the bus stop this morning all over again, and no minibuses were running, this guy drives up again H to I:

And that’s all there is to it?!?!

E to C:

i’m not alone i’ve got a minder

G to B:

i’ve got a dud zip file, i wanted to call a taxi, they sent a girl B to A:

There’s another scenario that people ask about: conquest))))

C to D:

wow, wow!! how modest of you! and the big question! – are you married!?

A to B:

not yet, it would be better for you to get to know me

C to E:

oh, so that’s how it is!!! well we could sort of come to an agreement with the minder, and then get to be on our own!!!!

I to H:

hm . . . i didn’t put it too well

D to C:

If not, will you propose?:)

E to C:

you’ll find i’m more difficult to come to an agreement with [i.e. more difficult than the minder]

C to D:

well today’s a holiday, so why not, but i think it would be worth our while to get to know each other a bit better!!

H to I:

OK! Let’s drink to mutual understanding!

Of the participants in this conversation A, C, F, G and H are male and B, D, E and I are female (as is clear from grammatical forms used in the Russian, as well as from the content of the conversation).

The passage reflects the chaotic reality of the internet chatroom

where numerous concurrent conversations go on in public, most of