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Russian to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Ordinary expression or slang
Russian term or phrase:карнавальная свадьба
Does this mean a wedding with a 'carnival' theme for the decorations and entertainment; or, is it a sham wedding; or, is it slang for a sexual encounter? My context does not reveal the answer, although it would seem to suggest one of the latter two.
Yes, I decided "sham" was right, since it fit the context anyway. Thanks especially to boostrer (if you would turn your discussion into an answer, I'll pick it) for pointing out that Bakhtin's literary criticism term has become more widely used, and Dylan for noting other historical precedents.
Рэйчел, все-таки нужен более широкий контекст. Не может быть, чтобы он ничего не подсказывал. Однако в любом случае "карнавальной" свадьба может быть только в том случае, если она является частью карнавала или обладает его свойствами, т.е. она "не настоящая", фальшивая, игровая. Если контекст культурно-антропологический или филологический -- лучше, мне кажется, использовать термин carnival, с аллюзией на теории М.М.Бахтина. Если нет, то подойдет pageant. НО лучше сначала увидеть контекст. Приведите хотя бы несколько предложений оригинала: станет яснее, что автор имел в виду.
Yes, Angela - Boostrer - Dylan, as I mentioned the event in this (fiction) context _is_ a sham wedding, so if I have the least excuse, as I think you've begun to given me, for understanding "карнавальная" as meaning that, then that's what it should be.
Could it possibly be a reference to the following? (the Ice Palace etc.)
The tradition of mock weddings has been known in Russia since Peter the Great. In fact, even the wedding festivities of Anna herself included a mock wedding of Peter's jester. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_palace
Otherwise, a search for carnival/mock/funny weddings leads to, e.g., a custom in Martinique (men dressed as women and vice versa), but nothing specifically Russian.
You have to add the context. It well may be that the author uses a term coined by Bakhtin, i.e., fake wedding at the carnival. Is this cultural study or fiction? In the the former case, you have to choose something like "sham wedding" or "carnival wedding"
You might be right. In Russian "карнавал" means concealing your own identity and pretending to be someone else for the night. Maybe what they mean is that both the bride and the groom "pretend dress" in their respective wedding outfits and pretend to be getting married.
Yes, "carnival theme" was the first option I asked about, but as far as the context goes, I believe this is also a sham wedding. The two people are getting married for opportunistic reasons and intend to divorce shortly thereafter. That's why I wondered if there were some use of "карнавальный" that I didn't know about, in which the meaning would come from the masks, disguises, nothing being as it seems, which are all typical of Carnival. As I said, the context does not tell me if this expression is describing the outer trappings, or the real purpose of the event. I'll have to guess and/or ask.
carnival-themed wedding, as Angela suggests, or (and I've only seen one ref. to this in Russian), it could be a "carnival wedding" in the style of the German Faschung, apparently involving some cross-dressing. Are there any clues in the context?
The translation workplace 
