Feb 24, 2009 08:09
15 yrs ago
Russian term
всё слилось в один всепрощающий миг
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Moscow 1990s – the hardest time for ordinary Russians. Human life costs nothing. Michael is a music teacher of a violin class and he has been unemployed for a few years. The only thing he has after his divorce – is the dog, but his ex wanted to get rid of the dog anyway. Having nowhere to go he lives in the countryside summer house of his friend and travels to Moscow every day in order to earn at least some money by doing casual jobs. But it becomes harder and harder for him. One day the dog falls ill and while Michael was running around in search for medicine, the dog died. Devastated by the death of his only companion and friend and seeing nothingness ahead ( his personal pride does not allow him to lead a life of a tramp) Michael sells his violin, buys a bottle of vodka and takes train to the central Moscow to one of bridges to commit suicide:
This is the end of the chapter. Do not worry, Michael has not died, he fainted on that spot due to malnutrition plus the vodka. Unlike the other expressions in the text which were coming like a bolt from the blue, here for the first time I like the author’s expression which is not easy to encapsulate in English : *everything has blent in one all forgiving fragment of time * There are concepts which exist in linguistics of “dynamics” and “statics” and, despite that here is a verb “flew together/ blent/ was mixed” everything seems to me turns to a static stagnant statement.
But in the sentence there is dynamics: “ cars are running”, “snow falls heavier”, everything is –speed. Adding to this the Russian “миг” is smaller than “moment” and in it’s meaning it has movement, it is more of “a sparkle of time”. This way of putting words together, without causing the dynamics to cease, it leaves you wondering-did he plunge over? Which is the best way to put it here ending the chapter?
Please, help.
Proposed translations
11 mins
Selected
everything merged into a single all-forgiving instant.
You can also used flowed together instead of merged
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: ""everything flowed" . Thanks. "instant" is more about this flux described, it does leave uncertainty. "
+2
6 mins
it all came together in one unforgiving moment
You could say "instant" instead of "moment", but "moment" would be the normal way of saying it.
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Note added at 42 mins (2009-02-24 08:52:00 GMT)
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For "unforgiving" read "all-forgiving". I misread the question.
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Note added at 42 mins (2009-02-24 08:52:00 GMT)
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For "unforgiving" read "all-forgiving". I misread the question.
Note from asker:
"Unforgiving"-is a disaster, He forgives every one and everything. In Russian text is "all-forgiving"; but it is Russian by English words. |
It is nice. Thank you anyway. |
15 mins
everything fused in one all-forgiving flash / moment
I'd put flash
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Note added at 1 day13 hrs (2009-02-25 21:36:10 GMT) Post-grading
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You're right. I wrote it all just for "fused", which I find very appropriate for the passage in hand. Then put "everything fused in one all-forgiving full stop!" Thus, in one stroke you'd change the genre of this fiction from some syropy conventionality into the post-modern literature of the absurd. :-)))
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Note added at 1 day13 hrs (2009-02-25 21:36:10 GMT) Post-grading
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You're right. I wrote it all just for "fused", which I find very appropriate for the passage in hand. Then put "everything fused in one all-forgiving full stop!" Thus, in one stroke you'd change the genre of this fiction from some syropy conventionality into the post-modern literature of the absurd. :-)))
Note from asker:
I'm afraid that "flash" is too colourful, but "moment" - is a full stop. Thanks, anyway. |
Discussion