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Russian to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Russian term or phrase:Однако, тенденция
This is not so much about translation as about reconciling two different cultural caps. Every native Russian speaker ages 30 and up, or maybe younger even, who had grown up in the mother country will easily recognize this as coming from one of the never-ending chukcha anecdotes. I mean, no offense to chukchas or anyone, but the phrase is out there, and, judging by the number of hits, still widely used.
Now, I've been trying to think if a similar something exists in English - I mean, real English, not of the "a tendency, however" kind - and couldn't. Maybe there isn't any - or is there?
As always, all input is welcome, but I would be particular interested to know what the native take on this is.
Explanation: Unless you really need to recreate the situation from the chukcha story, I'd transfer it onto the American soil by reenacting it in the corporate world. My variant is to be spoken by someone like the pointy-haired boss in Dilbert.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 28 mins (2011-11-18 22:55:44 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Naturally, you need to pronounce it with the right intonation to be funny.
Although I have used bits from each of the three answers suggested, this provided the core idea for the piece and thus, IMHO, deserves the most laurels. Many thanks, everyone. 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
at least where I am concerned. This is the reference that goes into the first draft of my text. If any of you out there can think of a good reason it shouldn't, please speak now or forever hold your peace.
Oh, OK, Odnako tendentsia (Rus.), meaning that’s how the cookie crumbles, this could become a bit of a habit or better yet, “We got us a clear trend here!” as suggested by a seasoned multilingual professional whose initials, ironically and outright unfairly, I am sure, match to a dot those of one of the most atrocious low tech weapons of the past century (that would be 20th, not 19th), with more than enough spillover into this one. That latter rendition calls for a clearly Dilbertesque performance, preferably with a touch of a foreign accent (B is for Beating! A is for [Ei]xtra Rice at Dinner!) that alone could convey the grim historical necessity of the phrase with sufficiently unadorned clarity. Oops, got carried away again.
I did see your version of Winnie the Pooh's song and thought it pretty cool. As an aside, the whole thing reminded me of a motor pool guard dog I knew when I was in the Army. We called her "Mo-Poo," which I shortened to just "Pooh."
in my story the heroine knocks on the guy's door two nights in a row at the exact same moment when he is about to poor himself a drink. Odnako, tendentsia. The phrase stays in the text in the original, in italics, but I do need something to spice up the translation to be given in the reference, or the whole point of using this becomes hopelessly moot.
Anton, I absolutely love that Dilbert analogy, and so far I can't think of a better way to tie these two ends together. If you don't mind, I'd like to maybe make a play on this and use it - including at least something in the way of attribution, of course.
Not quite coming to the same conclusion, but some similarity...
A drill sergeant is training a squad of officer cadets in giving drill commands. One cadet giving orders to the squad has it marching towards the edge of a cliff. The cadet panics and can't think of the command "Halt!"
Finally the drill sergeant shouts: "For Christ's sake say something, even if it's only goodbye!"
Сидит чукча над обрывом и играет на своем народном инструменте. Проходит прохожий и говорит:
- Твой олень упал с обрыва.
Чукча продолжает играть.
- Эй! Уже упало два твоих оленя!
Опять ноль внимания.
- Смотри, с обрыва упало все стадо!
Чукча наконец отрывается от своего занятия и тихо произносит:
- Однако, тенденция.
Yeah, give us something to work with. Like (for me) ... what the heck does it mean, in rough terms? I don't have time now to search the internet for chukcha jokes.
Oh I'm old enough to know that one! Я имел в виду, есть ли у Михаила конкретная ситуация, в которой эта фраза произносится (и для комического ли эффекта), или его просто интересует "перевод в вакууме".
So there's no particular context for this phrase? Anything?
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
27 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
We got a clear trend here
Explanation: Unless you really need to recreate the situation from the chukcha story, I'd transfer it onto the American soil by reenacting it in the corporate world. My variant is to be spoken by someone like the pointy-haired boss in Dilbert.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 28 mins (2011-11-18 22:55:44 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Naturally, you need to pronounce it with the right intonation to be funny.
Anton Konashenok Czech Republic Local time: 05:52 Works in field Native speaker of: Russian, English PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
Although I have used bits from each of the three answers suggested, this provided the core idea for the piece and thus, IMHO, deserves the most laurels. Many thanks, everyone.
Hmm... At least a certain pattern is developing here...
Explanation: Depending on context could be swapped for:
At least there's a pattern developing...
At least it has a certain innate logic...
For some bizarre reason this joke reminds me of a story a Jewish friend of mine told me about a trip in his spotty adolescence to his grandmother in Brooklyn...
After his mother had lamented his complexion for at least ten minutes in front of the whole family his gran interrupted her with the priceless phrase:
"Pimples, Schmimples..! At least the boy got puberty..!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 13 hrs (2011-11-19 12:22:49 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I didn't see the context of this phrase when I first put up this post. Having read it. You could consider:
"This is getting a bit of a habit..."
"This could become a bit of a habit..."
However, I'm not aware of the relationship between the interlocutors so this might need tweaking...
Simon Geoghegan Local time: 04:52 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: In the end, I wound up using it all, including your "This could become a bit of a habit". Please see the text above - and thanks!
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peer agreement (net): +3
