Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

r сущeствовa´ть, to exist , may translate there is/there are , e.g.

Я вe´рю, что сущeствуéтБог.

I believe there is a God .

B тaки´х ситуa´циях сущeствуéтриск возникновe´ния войны´.

There is a risk of war breaking out in such situations .

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4

Problems of translation from English into Russian

r имe´тьсяmay also translate there is/there are in the sense of to be available , e.g.

B го´родe имeéтсямузe´й.

There is a museum in the town .

имe´ютсяинтeрe´сныe дa´нныe об э´том.

There is interesting information about this .

r состоя´ться(pf) may translate there was/will be in the sense of to take place , e.g.

B дe´сять чaсо´в состои´тсяпрeсс-конфeрe´нция.

There will be a press conference at ten o’clock .

Note:

the verb to be may be used in English purely for emphasis, e.g. It wasonly then that he realised what had happened . When it has this purely emphatic function to be is not rendered in Russian by any verbal equivalent or substitute. The emphasis is conveyed instead by word order, by the manner of the speaker’s delivery, or by use of some adverb such as и´мeнно, namely, precisely , or то´лько, only , or by some particle such as жe or и (see 5.4 below). Thus the above sentence might be translated: Oн то´лько тогдa´ по´нял, что случи´лось.

4.3

Translation of English modal auxiliary verbs

Modal verbs express the mood or attitude of the speaker towards an

action. The English modals give rise to much difficulty for the

English-speaking student trying to render their meaning in a foreign language, as they do for the foreign student of English, because each modal is used in various ways and is more or less interchangeable with one or more other modals in some meanings (e.g. can/could, can/may, may/might ). Moreover, the differences of meaning between certain modals (e.g. must, should, ought, may, might ) may be so subtle that English-speakers themselves will not agree on the verbs’ precise

nuances.

Not all the possible translations of each English modal are given in this section, but most of their important functions are covered.

CAN

(a)

expressing ability or possibility: мо´жно, мочь, or (in the sense to know how to do sth) умe´ть, e.g.

This can be done at once .

Э

´то мо´жносдe´лaть срa´зу.

I can’t lift this box .

He могу´подня´ть э´тот я´щик.

He сan swim .

Oн умeéтплa´вaть.

(b)

expressing request оr permission ( can is synonymous in this sense with may except in very formal English): мо´жно, мочь, e.g.

Can/May I come in?

Mо´жновойти´?

Can I go to the park, mum?

Maм, мо´жнопойду´ в пaрк? (R1)

You can/may smoke .

Bы мо´жeтeкури´ть.

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4.3

Translation of English modal auxiliary verbs

(c)

expressing right, entitlement: мочь, имe´ть прa´во, e.g.

We can vote at eighteen .

Mы имeéм прa´воголосовa´ть в

восeмнa´дцaть лeт.

(d)

with verbs of perception, when can bears little meaning: auxiliary omitted, e.g.

I can see a dog .

Я ви´жусобa´ку.

Can уоu hear?

Cлы´шно?

(e)

expressing doubt: нeужe´ли, e.g.

Can this be right?

Heужe´лиэ´то прa´вдa?

(f )

in negative ( cannot ), synonymous with may not, must not , expressing prohibition: нeльзя´+ impf infin; нe+ 3rd pers pl verb; also нe рaзрeшaéтся, воспрeщaéтся(R3; formal, e.g. in notices): You can’t go in .

Heльзя´входи´ть.

You can’t smoke here .

здeсь нe ку´рят.

здeсь кури´ть нe рaзрeшaéтся.

(R3)

You can’t run up and down the

Бe´гaть по эскaлa´торaм

escalators .

воспрeщaéтся.

(g)

cannot help : нe мочь нe+ infin, e.g.

I can’t help laughing .

Я нe могу´ нe смeя´ться.

COULD

(a)

past tense of can , i.e.= was/were able to : use past-tense forms of the translations given under can above;

(b)

polite request: нe мо´жeтe ли вы; нe могли´ бы вы; пожa´луйстa, e.g.

Could уоu help me?

He мо´жeтe ливы помо´чь мнe?

He могли´ бывы помо´чь мнe?

Could you pass the salt?

Пeрeдa´йтe, пожa´луйстa, соль.

(c)

could have (also might have ), expressing unfulfilled possibility in past: мог/моглa´/могло´/могли´ бы, e.g.

She could/might have done it

Oнa´ моглa´ быэ´то сдe´лaть.

[but did not] .

(d)

could have (also may have, might have ), expressing uncertainty as to whether action took place: мо´жeт быть, e.g.

She could/might have done it

Mо´жeт бытьонa´ и сдe´лaлa э´то.

[and may have done] .

(e)

expressing emotion, wish: various translations, e.g.

She could have wept for joy .

Oнa´ гото´вa былa´зaплa´кaть от

рa´дости.

I could have killed him .

Mнe хотe´лосьуби´ть eго´.

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4

Problems of translation from English into Russian

MAY

(a)

expressing request or permission: see can (b);

(b)

expressing possibility: мочь, мо´жeт быть, мо´жeт(= мо´жeт быть in R1), пожa´луй( perhaps ), возмо´жно, e.g.

He may lose his way .

Oн мо´жeтзaблуди´ться.

They may have gone home .

Oни´, мо´жeт (быть), пошли´ домо´й.

She may be right .

Oнa´, пожa´луй, прaвa´.

It may be snowing there .

Bозмо´жно, тaм идёт снeг.