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Тоска собачья

English translation: The Pining/Plaintive Pooch


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10:06 Aug 7, 2006
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
Russian term or phrase: Тоска собачья
Тоска собачья.

Название картины. Картину не видел, но речь вряд ли о тоске, переживаемой собакой:)
Arkadi Burkov
Belarus
Local time: 10:10
English translation:The Pining/Plaintive Pooch
Explanation:
Or how about

The Lachrymose Lassie
The Maudlin Mutt
The Curse-laden Cur
The Heartache of a Hound
The Crying Canine


Ooooh, I do love a nice bit of animate alliteration






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Note added at 3 hrs (2006-08-07 13:19:37 GMT)
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For some reason, Lachrymose Lassie gets zero hits on Google. Same goes for Maudlin Mutt. No idea why....



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Note added at 3 hrs (2006-08-07 13:23:51 GMT)
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To Zamira: I'm not trying to convince you. I'm trying to convince the asker...
Selected response from:

Dan Brennan
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Grading comment
Спасибо... Я остановился на Heartache of a Hound
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1The Pining/Plaintive Pooch
Dan Brennan
5 +1You ain't nothing but a hound dog, just pining all the time
Dan Brennan
5Hey little doggy, why do you look so very sad today?
Dan Brennan
2 +3melancholy
Henry Schroeder
3 +1a couple of optionsAlexander Demyanov
3 +1unbearable boredom
Ibrahimus
3 +1Howling at the moon
Olga B
4 -1(the) wistful dogZamira
3Dog's lifeKalaus


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
unbearable boredom


Explanation:
как вариант

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Note added at 5 mins (2006-08-07 10:12:18 GMT)
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или "unbearable anguish". Это уже когда выть хочется.



Ibrahimus
Local time: 11:10
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Irina Kondratieva: если выражение используется в фигуральном значении, то anguish
3 hrs
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58 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Howling at the moon


Explanation:
It is just a suggestion.

Olga B
Israel
Local time: 09:10
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Dan Brennan: this might be a problem if the scene depicted takes place during sunight...
28 mins
  -> Yes, I'm afrtaid you are right...
agree  Henry Schroeder: But the idea is a good one. Maybe just "Howling", or "Howling into the Silence/Countryside/etc." if Zamira's note is applicable.
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Henry
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
melancholy


Explanation:
If it is a painting of a dog that can be clearly distinguished, I would leave the "dog" part out.

I realize the Bulgakov's novel is called "Heart of a Dog" in English, but this title does not sound very good and is certainly not how an non-translator would entitle her book.

"Melancholy of a Dog" does not sound good, even worse the Heart of a Dog". If both words are absolutely necessary, then I would use an alliteration or find some words with assonance in the consonents or vowels.

Something like: Dispair of a Dog or Disconsolate Dog

Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 02:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 56

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dan Brennan: I think you're spot on... "dog" doesn't need to feature explicitly in the title. If our canine friend is obviously the subject of the painting then the inference is clear. Don't care for Disconsolate Dog. Sounds too much like Deputy Dog....
17 mins
  -> I agree with you. On top of that, a title with an alliteration is rather cheap and certainly not innovative.
agree  Olga B
46 mins
agree  Natalie Lyssova
2 hrs
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Dog's life


Explanation:
dog's life

NOUN: Slang A miserably unhappy existence.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language

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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-08-07 13:03:13 GMT)
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Following Daniel's comment, I agree that my proposed translation is more an attempt to preserve the pun raher than to convey the mood. I also agree that the word "dog" does not necessarily have to be in the title.


    Reference: http://www.bartleby.com/61/52/D0325200.html
Kalaus
Local time: 11:10

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Dan Brennan: "It's a dog's life" is a nice expression, but it's whimsical rather than soulful. I suspect that might not be the right mood here.
2 hrs
  -> "Тоска собачья" doesn't strike as me very soulful either. "Собачий" here is really a play on words (sorry if you realize that without my comment) -- "собачий" as in canine and as an emphasizer (as in, e. g., "чушь собачья").
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
(the) wistful dog


Explanation:
-

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Note added at 12 mins (2006-08-07 10:18:41 GMT)
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Crowds gathered at once to view the painting, and the prints aroused such popular ... the wistful dog, all reflect the heartache of the moment of farewell, ...
www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1961/5/1961_5...

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Note added at 13 mins (2006-08-07 10:19:47 GMT)
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or "the abandoned dog"

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-08-07 11:36:58 GMT)
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or "the distraught dog"

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-08-07 11:40:58 GMT)
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из всех своих трех вариантов мне больше всего нравится distraught, так как он передает крайнюю степень отчаяния, так как собака не просто брошена и не просто тоскует.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2006-08-07 13:08:02 GMT)
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to Daniel Brennan: YOU DID NOT CONVINCE ME

Zamira
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UzbekUzbek
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Dan Brennan: wistful is not an emotion that goes with canines... and abandoned dog suggests very much that he is a stray - not sure he is... sounds like he's more likely to be pining for his owner. distraught is too lofty..."HITS" ON GOOGLE DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT.
2 hrs
  -> really? why then there are hits on google for each of these?
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
The Pining/Plaintive Pooch


Explanation:
Or how about

The Lachrymose Lassie
The Maudlin Mutt
The Curse-laden Cur
The Heartache of a Hound
The Crying Canine


Ooooh, I do love a nice bit of animate alliteration






--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2006-08-07 13:19:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

For some reason, Lachrymose Lassie gets zero hits on Google. Same goes for Maudlin Mutt. No idea why....



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2006-08-07 13:23:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To Zamira: I'm not trying to convince you. I'm trying to convince the asker...

Dan Brennan
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Спасибо... Я остановился на Heartache of a Hound

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Natalie: I like "The Heartache of a Hound"
2 hrs
  -> Thanks :-)
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
a couple of options


Explanation:
There is a common expression "dog days", roughly meaning "long days of melancholy".

There are also a not so common, but readily recognizable expressions like "a dog of day", "a dog of a life", meaning "pretty bad day/life"

So, I think you can use something like:

"dog days"
"dog day melancholy"
"a dog of a life"

Alexander Demyanov
Local time: 02:10
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ochkarik
6 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
You ain't nothing but a hound dog, just pining all the time


Explanation:
How about that?

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Note added at 4 hrs (2006-08-07 14:58:01 GMT)
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Or what about: How much is that doggy in the Kolkhoz?

Or maybe

Borzoi Blues?

Or, if the dog is female, you might like to consider:

Life's a bitch





Dan Brennan
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Natalie: and I like "Life's a bitch"
58 mins
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Hey little doggy, why do you look so very sad today?


Explanation:
My personal favourite...

Dan Brennan
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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