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  3. Poetry & Literature

Если муха - муху бей! / Взять ее на мушку.

English translation: see explanation

19:09 Jul 21, 2008
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Russian term or phrase: Если муха - муху бей! / Взять ее на мушку.
Если близко воробей -
Мы готовим пушку.
Если муха - муху бей!
Взять ее на мушку.
Мультфильм «Бременские музыканты»

This is an epigraph in a chapter about the immune system. Even a decent literal translation would make no sense in English. From what I understand, the implicit sense here is about targetting/fighting bacteria and infections. Of course, the pun муха-мушка makes it all even more complicated. I'd appreciate if anybody could suggest a creative way out. I would definitely consider (encourage) options that have nothing to do with flies, but contain an interesting play on words and could be somehow connected with immunity/protection/fighting diseases, etc.
Thank you.
Roman Ivashkiv
Local time: 03:09
English translation:see explanation
Explanation:
A fly is done away
with fly-trap or with swatter;
but kill a bug of viral sort
with pill and glass of water.
Selected response from:

N Watterson (X)
United States
Local time: 04:09
Grading comment
Thank you very much, N Watterson! Also, thank you everybody for your suggestions. Special thanks also to Valery and Anya. I wish I could award points for your answers too as they are truly excellent.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +9below
Valery Kaminski
5 +2Nuclear weapons / Won't blast these guys / If it has a nucleus / Just immunize!
Anya Ezhevskaya
4see explanation
N Watterson (X)
3Bust-a-bug!
Mark Berelekhis
3Having caught a bug first sign / Take a virus in it’s sight
natalia gavrile
2Halt! Who Goes There?
Ekaterina Filatova


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Bust-a-bug!


Explanation:
There's a pest control company with this name in NY -- a name I always thought clever. But I think that it works here as well, since the other meaning of 'bug' is virus/infection (i.e. 'I caught a bug').

Mark Berelekhis
United States
Local time: 05:09
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 666
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Halt! Who Goes There?


Explanation:
to develop the guard theme : ))

Ekaterina Filatova
Netherlands
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 16
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +9
below


Explanation:
Keep alert
When foe is near
Any target
We shall spear

Valery Kaminski
Belarus
Local time: 12:09
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 40

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Natalia Potashnik: здорово
9 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Tatiana Lammers: love it!
4 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Aleksey Chervinskiy
4 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Kameliya
5 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Dorene Cornwell: I like this best of any here but ...
6 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Сергей Лузан: Rhymed! :)
7 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Arkadi Burkov
8 hrs
  -> Спасибо!
agree  Ekaterina Filatova: : )
13 hrs
  -> Спасибо!
agree  svetlana cosquéric: super!
1 day 20 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Nuclear weapons / Won't blast these guys / If it has a nucleus / Just immunize!


Language variant: What's up Doc? Successful disease prevention.

Explanation:
A silly couplet or a gem from an American cartoon classic (Bugs Bunny) - something must work!



Anya Ezhevskaya
Local time: 02:09
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Aleksey Chervinskiy
3 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Arkadi Burkov
6 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Having caught a bug first sign / Take a virus in it’s sight


Explanation:
allegorical

natalia gavrile
Kazakhstan
Local time: 15:09
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 days 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
see explanation


Explanation:
A fly is done away
with fly-trap or with swatter;
but kill a bug of viral sort
with pill and glass of water.


N Watterson (X)
United States
Local time: 04:09
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thank you very much, N Watterson! Also, thank you everybody for your suggestions. Special thanks also to Valery and Anya. I wish I could award points for your answers too as they are truly excellent.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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