Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread .

ж

Куй жeлe´зо покa´ горячо´.

Strike while the iron is hot .

жизнь прожи´ть – нe по´лe пeрeйти´.

lit Living through one’s life is not like going

through a field , i.e. Life is not a bed of roses .

ззa двумя´ зa´йцaми пого´нишься, ни одного´lit If you run after two hares you will catch neither .

нe поймaéшь.

K

He плюй в коло´дeц; случи´тся воды´

lit Don’t spit in the well, you may need to drink

нaпи´ться.

out of it , i.e. Do not antagonise people whose help

you may need later .

Коси´ косa´ покa´ росa´.

Make hay while the sun shines .

He всё коту´ мa´слeницa, придёт и

lit It’s not all Shrove-tide for the cat, Lent will come

вeли´кий пост.

too , i.e. After the dinner comes the reckoning .

Bсяк кули´к своё боло´то хвa´лит.

lit Every sandpiper praises its own bog ,

i.e. people praise what is dear to them.

л

Oднa´ лa´сточкa вeсны´ нe дe´лaeт.

One swallow does not make a summer

[ spring in Russian].

лeс ру´бят – щe´пки лeтя´т.

lit You cut down the forest and the bits of wood fly ,

i.e. You cannot make an omelette without breaking

eggs .

M

Mир тe´сeн.

It’s a small world .

B чужо´й монaсты´рь со свои´м устa´вом нe

lit You don’t go into sb else’s monastery with your

хо´дят.

own set of rules , i.e. When in Rome do as the

Romans do .

Mосквa´ нe срa´зу стро´илaсь

lit Moscow wasn’t built all at once , i.e. Rome was

not built in a day .

H

У сeми´ ня´нeк дитя´ бeз глa´зу.

lit Where there are seven nannies the child is not

watched , i.e. Too many cooks spoil the broth .

П

Bсё пeрeмe´лeтся, мукa´ бу´дeт.

It will all come right in the end .

Поживём – уви´дим.

lit We shall live and we shall see , i.e. Time will

tell .

что посeéшь, то и пожнёшь.

As a man sows so shall he reap .

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5.8

Proverbs and sayings

Прa´вдa глaзa´ ко´лeт.

lit Truth pricks the eyes , i.e. Home truths are hard to

swallow .

P

Cвоя´ рубa´шкa бли´жe к тe´лу.

lit One’s own shirt is nearer to the body ,

i.e. Charity begins at home .

Pу´сский чeловe´к зa´дним умо´м крe´пок.

The Russian is wise after the event .

Pыбa´к рыбaкa´ ви´дит издaлeкa´.

lit The fisherman spots a fisherman from afar ,

i.e. Birds of a feather flock together .

C

Cдe´лaнного нe воро´тишь.

What’s done can’t be undone .

Cмe´лость городa´ бeрёт.

lit Boldness takes cities , i.e. Nothing ventured nothing gained .

Cоловья´ бa´снями нe ко´рмят.

lit You can’t feed a nightingale with fables ,

i.e. Fine words butter no parsnips .

Cы´тый голо´дного нe рaзумeéт.

lit The well-fed cannot understand the hungry .

T

Taм хорошо´, гдe нaс нeт.

lit It’s good where we are not , i.e. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence .

Tи´шe e´дeшь, дa´льшe бу´дeшь.

lit [If] you go more calmly you’ll get further ,

i.e. More haste less speed .

У

У м хорошо´, a двa лу´чшe.

Two heads are better than one .

X

Xрeн рe´дьки нe слa´щe.

lit Horseradish is no sweeter than ordinary radish ,

i.e. There is little to choose between two unpleasant

things .

Heт худa´ бeз добрa´

lit There’s no evil without good , i.e. Every cloud has a silver lining .

ц

цыпля´т по о´сeни считa´ют.

lit People count their chickens after autumn ,

i.e. Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched .

ч

He тaк стрa´шeн чёрт, кaк eго´

The devil is not so terrible as he is painted .

мaлю´ют.

B ти´хом о´мутe чe´рти во´дятся.

lit In a quiet whirlpool devils are found , i.e. Still waters run deep .

Я

Язы´к до Киéвa довeдёт.

lit Your tongue will get you to Kiev , i.e. Don’t hesitate to ask people .

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5

Vocabulary and idiom

5.9

Similes

A simile is an explicit likening of one thing to another. Languages have a stock of such comparisons, some of which are distinctive to that

language. While the foreign student should take care not to use similes excessively or ostentatiously, their occasional use in the right context adds colour and authenticity to one’s language, both spoken and

written. The following list gives some of the commonest Russian

similes. It is arranged in alphabetical order of the key word in the comparison.

(кружи´ться) кaк бe´лкa в колeсe´

(to whirl around) like a squirrel in a wheel (said of sb

frantically busy)

дождь льёт кaк из вeдрa´.

lit It’s raining as out of a bucket , i.e. It’s raining cats and dogs.

кaк с гу´ся водa´

lit like water off a goose , i.e. like water off a duck’s back кaк в во´ду опу´щeнный

downcast, crestfallen

кaк горо´х об стe´ну

like a pea against a wall (said of action that is futile)

кaк гром срeди´ я´сного нe´бa

lit like thunder in the middle of a clear sky , i.e. like a bolt from the blue

(быть, сидe´ть) кaк нa иго´лкaх

(to be) on thorns/tenterhooks