Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

зaвоёвывaть/зaвоeвa´ть(trans)

to gain, secure , e.g. зaвоeвa´ть

золоту´ю мeдa´ль, to win a gold

medal

одeржa´ть(pf ) побe´ду(R3)

to triumph

WINDOW

окно´

general word; also free period for

teacher

око´шко

dimin of окно´; e.g. of ticket-office

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4.1

English words difficult to render in Russian

фо´рточкa

small window within window

which can be opened for ventilation

витри´нa

shop window

витрa´ж

stained-glass window

WORK

рaбо´тa

in various senses

труд

labour

слу´жбa

official/professional service

мe´сто

position at work

зaня´тия(pl; gen зaня´тий)

studies, classes (at school, university)

зaдa´чa

task

дe´ятeльность(f )

activity

произвeдe´ниe

creation produced by artist

сочинe´ниe

=произвeдe´ниe; собрa´ниe

сочинe´ний Пу´шкинa, collection of

Pushkin’s works

тво´рчeство

corpus of works by writer, æuvre

WORKER

рaбо´тник

sb who does work

слу´жaщий

white-collar worker

рaбо´чий

manual worker

трудя´щийся

=рaбо´чий, but more respectful

пролeтa´рий

proletarian

тру´жeник(R3, rhet)

toiler

рaботя´гa(m and f; R1

hard worker

slightly pej)

WORLD

мир

in most senses, esp abstract,

including e.g. spheres of existence

or activity, civilisations

во всём ми´рe

all over the world

живо´тный мир

the animal world

рaсти´тeльный мир

the vegetable world

нaу´чный мир

the scientific world

дрe´вний мир

the ancient world

свeт

narrower use, tends to be more

concrete, e.g. Cтa´рый свeт, the Old

World ; Hо´вый свeт, the New World ;

путeшe´ствиe вокру´г свe´тa, journey

round the world

зeмно´й шaр

the Earth, globe

всeлe´ннaя

universe

149

4

Problems of translation from English into Russian

о´бщeство

society

круги´(pl; gen круго´в)

circles

жизнь(f )

life

WRONG

нe тот/тa/то

not the right thing

нe тогдa´

not at the right time

нe тaм

not in the right place

нe тудa´

not to the right place

нe по a´дрeсу

to the wrong address

нeпрa´вый

of person, e.g. Oн нeпрa´в, He is wrong.

нeпрa´вильный

incorrect , e.g. нeпрa´вильноe рeшe´ниe,

wrong decision

оши´бочный

mistaken, erroneous

ошибa´ться/ошиби´ться

to be mistaken

фaльши´вый

false , e.g. фaльши´вaя но´тa, wrong note

нeподходя´щий

unsuitable

нe нa´до∗ + impf infin

it is wrong to/one should not

нe ну´жно∗

=нe нa´до

нe слe´дуeт∗

=нe нa´до

нe рaбо´тaeт

is not functioning

пошa´ливaeт(R1)

plays up from time to time , e.g. of

mechanism

∗ Stylistically these synonymous forms may be arranged in the following ascending order of formality: нe нa´до, нe ну´жно, нe слe´дуeт.

4.2

Translation of the verb to be

Translation of the verb to be into Russian gives rise to much difficulty, for it is rendered by some form of its most obvious equivalent, быть, in only a small proportion of instances. The following list gives some indication of the numerous verbs to which Russian resorts in contexts in which

an English-speaker might comfortably use some part of the verb to be .

r быть, which is omitted altogether in the present tense (the omission sometimes being indicated by a dash; see 11.15) may be used when the complement offers a simple definition of the subject, e.g.

Beс рeбёнкa – о´коло чeтырёх килогрa´ммов.

The child’s weight is about four kilogrammes .

Э

´то былa´коро´ткaя войнa´.

It was a short war .

Note:

on use of case in the complement of быть see 11.1.10.

150

4.2

Translation of the verb to be

r бывa´ть= to be in habitual or frequentative meaning, e.g.

Eё муж рaбо´тaeт в Mосквe´, но бывaéтдо´мa нa всe прa´здники.

Her husband works in Moscow but is home for all holidays .

Eго´ инострa´нныe друзья´ чa´сто у нeго´ бывa´ли.

His foreign friends often came to see him .

r явля´ться/яви´тьсяmay be used when the complement defines the subject, e.g.

Oсновны´ми исто´чникaми облучe´ния пeрсонa´лa нa я´дeрных

рea´кторaх явля´ютсяпроду´кты корро´зии мeтaлли´чeских

повe´рхностeй труб.

The products of corrosion of the metallic surfaces of the pipes are the fundamental sources of the irradiation of personnel at nuclear reactors .

Cостоя´вшиeся в дaмa´скe пeрeгово´ры яви´лисьочeрeдно´й попы´ткой

нaйти´ ‘aрa´бскоe рeшe´ниe’ конфли´ктa в зaли´вe.

The talks which took place in Damascus were the latest attempt to find an

‘Arab solution’ to the Gulf conflict .

Note 1

As is clear from the flavour of the above examples, явля´ться/яви´ться belongs mainly in R3.

2

The complement of явля´ться/яви´ться must be in the instrumental case. The complement is the noun that denotes the broader of the two concepts, whilst the subject, which is in the nominative case, denotes the more specific concept, the precise thing on which the speaker or writer wishes to