«Мол, Адамов хочет довести атомную промышленность до ручки.»

English translation: to ruin, to bankrupt

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Russian term or phrase:	довести до ручки
English translation:	to ruin, to bankrupt
Entered by:	Senya

14:55 May 6, 2001

Russian to English translations [PRO]

Russian term or phrase: «Мол, Адамов хочет довести атомную промышленность до ручки.»

From a newspaper article. I'm confused about the phrase "довести до ручки" in this context. (This is Adomov himself talking about what his detractors say about him).

Thanks for your help.

Senya

They say Adamov wants to ruin the neuclear industry.

Explanation:

I found the Russian article you are referring to (http://www.ccnnp.ru/2000/12/parlam_vestnik00_12_13.htm). "Dovesti do ruchki" almost always means "to ruin". In this case, you can also say "to make bankrupt", "to squander":

Естественно, это не устраивает многочисленных посредников — владельцев тех самых фирм и фирмочек, присосавшихся к отрасли в последнее десятилетие. Вот они-то по поводу и без повода кричат о некоем развале отрасли. Мол, Адамов хочет довести атомную промышленность до ручки. Вор кричит: «Держи вора!» Но ничего у них не выйдет.

Regards,

Artyan

Selected response from:

artyan
United States
Local time: 23:09

Grading comment

Thanks for your detailed response. The article I was translating quoted Adamov in his interview with Parlamentskie Vesti that you found. I figured from context that this is what it meant, but I wanted to be certain. I appreciate your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

"Adamov, they say, wants to drive the nuclear industry to bankruptcy"

Vidmantas Stilius

They say Adamov wants to ruin the neuclear industry.

artyan

It looks like Adamov is goping to destroy nuclear industry

constl

lead to one's finger-tips, lead to trouble

Serge

throw the nuclear industry into confusion and almost loss of control

DrSantos

... saying as if Adamov would wish to lead the atomic industry to sink...

ttagir

Answers

11 mins

"Adamov, they say, wants to drive the nuclear industry to bankruptcy"

Explanation:
This is what the author means.

zzz

Vidmantas Stilius
Local time: 09:09
Native speaker of:

Lithuanian
PRO pts in pair: 118

8 hrs

They say Adamov wants to ruin the neuclear industry.

artyan
United States
Local time: 23:09
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in pair: 134

Grading comment

8 hrs

It looks like Adamov is goping to destroy nuclear industry

Explanation:
довести до ручки - довести до крайне невыгодного (плохого) положения.

constl

9 hrs

lead to one's finger-tips, lead to trouble

Explanation:
arrive at one's finger-tips 1) дойти до ручки; впасть в нищету

доводить до беды = to bring to grief, to lead to trouble

Hope it can help you.
Best Regards,
Serge

Serge
PRO pts in pair: 4

12 hrs

throw the nuclear industry into confusion and almost loss of control

Explanation:
I would simply translate it as:
" Adamov wants to throw the nuclear industry into confusion."
Explanation: dovesti to bielovo kalenia (white knee) = to throw into complete confusion, loss of control. I believe the author is joking, when he says "do rutchki" i.e. = to throw only till the little hand (half-confusion and half-loss of control).

I specialized in medical, bio-science, ecology, general business. If you don't want something, I would be grateful for the fwd. Thank you. Osmar Santos

DrSantos
Local time: 07:09
Native speaker of:

Portuguese
PRO pts in pair: 39

16 hrs

... saying as if Adamov would wish to lead the atomic industry to sink...

Explanation:
Dear Senya,

Here the phrase "dovesti do ruchki", which is a very old and rather vulgar combination in Russian, literally means "to lead somebody to a state of a beggar". As far you know, beggars use to use their hands for begging. Therefore the combination means "to lead somebody (or even something) downward to a beggar's hand position".

The situation in this citation is rather more complicated, since nowadays younger population cannot imagine what really means that "dovesti do ruchki" in its natural sense. Nevertheless, they sometime use this combination to explain that something has turned out into, say a boredom; or, say, to confuse something to a deplorable (pitiable, lamentable, plaintive, sorry, sad, mournful, etc.) state.

However, knowing more details on that collision, and knowing also now the result of all this epopee with Adamov, I should say that people opposite to Adamov used all possible words and all possible actions to turn him into "a surrender..." and they got what they wanted...

Acusations of that sort (dovesti do ruchki) are very usual in vulgar speaches.

Excuse me if I has explained it not too beautifully, but, as I hope, now you can judge the sense of words.

Sincerely yours,
Dr. Tagir S. Tagirov
KSU.

Russian and English Literature
Lingvo Dinctionary + Cambrige Large English-Russ. Dinct.

ttagir
Local time: 09:09
Native speaker of:

Russian,

Tatar
PRO pts in pair: 492

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