Jul 9, 2006 12:01
17 yrs ago
Russian term

туфелька с башмаком

Russian to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature Description
I've translated this temporarily as "boot with a spur", but first of all I am not sure about this interpretation and second I do not understand why the verb is plural (намалеваны). Does this perhaps indicate that they are two different objects?

If I say книга с ручкой, for example, does that also take a plural predicate because there are two objects? Whereas "книга с красивыми буквами" (what a dumb example!!!) would be singular because the objects are not separable? As a non-native, I would have used the singular for both. This issue is not that important. My apologies for placeing the question in an improper place!

Here is the passage:

Лишь мой невольный знакомец с гармошкой вскочил проворно и бросился к вновь вошедшему, причем лицо его просияло радостью узнавания, совершенно неуместной и для всех вокруг, и для человека в дорогом костюме, который чуть повернул голову, затем выставил руку и вдруг толкнул подбежавшего музыканта в грудь, так что тот едва не упал, в последний момент ухватившись за стол, а его гармошка отлетела в угол, к пружинным дверям, на которых были намалеваны ***туфелька с башмаком***. Вокруг раздались смешки...

Thanks for the suggestions and the grammar lesson!!!

Discussion

Natalie Jul 10, 2006:
It was one door, with both туфелька and башмак on it.
Sergei Tumanov Jul 10, 2006:
these images were used to avoid problems for people who could not read and substituted tables: ladies / gents - туфелька / башмак respectively
Vladimir Dubisskiy Jul 10, 2006:
Same as in English: WERE\БЫЛИ painted for 2 objects\shoes and WAS\БЫЛ(-А for fem. there is a difference with a gender ) painted for one. It's a nobrainer. :-)) 1 house (but с мезонином), 1 book (even with с красивыми буквами) :-))
Andrey Belousov (X) Jul 10, 2006:
one door has a туфелька and the other a башмак
Henry Schroeder (asker) Jul 10, 2006:
And is the туфелька с башмаком painted/drawn on each door or does one door have a туфелька and the other a башмак?
Sergei Tumanov Jul 9, 2006:
"с" cannot be translated here as WITH but as AND
Sergei Tumanov Jul 9, 2006:
there are two doors actually here, that is why plural is used. One is marked with a ladies footwear and the second one is marked with a mens footwear. туфелька С башмаком = туфелька И башмак.
Natalie Jul 9, 2006:
A ladies shoe and a [cylindrical] hat - as a version of this kind of pictograms at a WC door

Proposed translations

+7
12 mins
Selected

a women's shoe and a men's shoe

I think....

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Note added at 7 hrs (2006-07-09 19:43:22 GMT)
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На фоне комментариев, думаю одного прилагательного будет достаточно - tiny

a tiny women's shoe and a men's shoe
Peer comment(s):

agree koundelev
43 mins
Thanks!
agree Vanda Nissen
2 hrs
Thanks!
neutral Olga Vlasova : I am not sure about "men" and "women" in plural here. Or maybe it's also non-native issues? :o)
5 hrs
The natives I talked to did not see anything "non-native".
agree Vladimir Dubisskiy : it is technically correct but would hardly work in this context (bulky and dry) :-))
5 hrs
Thanks!
agree Evita Savicka : The meaning is OK, but the phole phrase sounds a bit "heavy" in context.
5 hrs
Thanks!
agree Alexander Demyanov
11 hrs
Thanks!
agree Сергей Лузан : "with a ladies' slipper and men's boot roughly painted on it" (something in line with Vladimir Dubisskiy)
17 hrs
Thanks!
agree Olga Layer
1 day 5 hrs
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Some modification of this idea will work. Thank you for the explanation."
1 hr

grammar

Yes we normally use plural for a verb referring to two different objects unless one of them is part of the other (as in your example, or in Chekhov's famous "дом с мезонином"). This however is only true for the more bookish type of speech. For lower conversational registers, singular would be more common. As for interpretation, Andrey is right in that this is a (pretty) women's shoe and a (old and ugly) men's shoe.
Note from asker:
Many thanks for your explanation. I was not aware of this. Thank you.
Something went wrong...
+3
3 hrs

slipper with a boot

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MRDS11... -
Disney Cinderella Slipper Scaled Replica

Peer comment(s):

agree Olga Vlasova : Or "a slipper and a boot"
1 hr
agree Vladimir Dubisskiy : a door with a slipper and boot roughly painted on it
2 hrs
agree David Knowles : with Vladimir
2 hrs
disagree Evita Savicka : It may be a wrong opinion of a non-native speaker, but "slipper" is rather a shabby shoe for wearing at home, not something elegant and fine, as one may imagine from the context.
2 hrs
I know, but it was used differently in the past. The delicate crystal shoe of Cinderella was called a slipper...
agree Сергей Лузан : with a ladies' slipper and men's boot roughly painted on it
14 hrs
Something went wrong...
7 hrs

a pump with a brogue

IMHO.
Something went wrong...
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