left to his own devices.

Russian translation: см. ниже

04:12 Apr 2, 2005
English to Russian translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Expression
English term or phrase: left to his own devices.
USAGE

You never know what kind of trouble a man will get into when he is left to his own devices. Musicians are particularly at risk in this area.

The show centered on a schoolteacher who receives a powerful costume from aliens, but he loses the instruction manual and is left to his own devices to harness the suit's abilities.

Many of them probably never did get it -- high-school graduation was a rare achievement in the early years of this century -- but the schools were often more concerned with assimilating children than with educating them.

Left to his own devices, Montauk's principal, a silver-haired veteran educator named James Hayden, would be teaching children pretty much this same way today. The school is a stubbornly old-fashioned institution that greets visitors with a big sign that reads, ''A Traditional School, and Proud of It.'' But Hayden is not left to his own devices. I.S. 223, like schools everywhere, is obliged to offer bilingual instruction to its nonnative speakers. What makes the Montauk school unusual is that it offers bilingual classes not only in Spanish but also in Russian and Chinese.
Robert Donahue (X)
Russian translation:см. ниже
Explanation:
(to be) left to one's own devices

В зависимости от контекста, может быть несколько вариантов перевода:

1) (быть) предоставленным самому себе
2) (быть) оставленным/брошенным на произвол судьбы
3) (быть) оставленным без помощи
Selected response from:

Vladimir Pochinov
Russian Federation
Local time: 12:01
Grading comment
Большое спасибо!!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6см. ниже
Vladimir Pochinov
4 +3Если бы это было в его власти
Larissa Dinsley
4брошен на произвол судьбы
sokolniki
4not for grading
Ann Nosova


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
left to his own devices
см. ниже


Explanation:
(to be) left to one's own devices

В зависимости от контекста, может быть несколько вариантов перевода:

1) (быть) предоставленным самому себе
2) (быть) оставленным/брошенным на произвол судьбы
3) (быть) оставленным без помощи

Vladimir Pochinov
Russian Federation
Local time: 12:01
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Большое спасибо!!!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anneta Vysotskaya: предоставлен самому себе
1 hr

agree  Ann Nosova: в первом случае
2 hrs

agree  Crio: первые два варианта, третий какой-то уродливый
4 hrs

agree  Olga-Translator: Предоставлен самому себе
5 hrs

agree  Alexander Demyanov: 1
10 hrs

agree  gtreyger (X)
1 day 10 hrs
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
брошен на произвол судьбы


Explanation:
leave somebody to his own devices (resources) - ïðåäîñòàâèòü ñàìîìó ñåáå, áðîñèòü íà ïðîèçâîë ñóäüáû
Àíãëî-ðóññêèé ôðàçåîëîãè÷åñêèé ñëîâàðü Êóíèíà

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Note added at 24 mins (2005-04-02 04:37:23 GMT)
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Что-то у меня происходит непонятное с кодировками. Источник: Англо-русский фразеологический словарь Кунина

sokolniki
United States
Local time: 05:01
Works in field
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 8
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Если бы это было в его власти


Explanation:
I think in your context, it would be better to translate the phrase as:

Если бы у него была возможность,
Если бы это зависело от него
Если бы это было в его власти

And further,

Но ему не предоставлено такой возможности,
Но это не зависит от него
Но это не в его власти

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Note added at 2005-04-02 14:20:03 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

One more option which would require an additional phrase to discribe the situation but may be a solution:

Если бы вопросы политики школы были оставлены на его усмотрение...

Но эти вопросы не были оставлены на его усмотрение...

Larissa Dinsley
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:01
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kevin Kelly: This is the best rendering of the sense in the last paragraph: "Left to his own devices......would be teaching children...."
2 hrs
  -> Thank you Kevin

agree  Ann Nosova: но только в последнем абзаце
2 hrs
  -> но вся соль в том, что выражение повторяется два раза, отсюда и варианты.

agree  Mikhail Kropotov
1 day 3 hrs
  -> Thank you Misha
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
not for grading


Explanation:
Да, Вам будет грейдить нелегко.... Поскольку смысл отрывков разный, в первой части a man *will get into when he is left to his own devices* и
*is left to his own devices to harness the suit's abilities* хорошо звучит вариант/ы Владимира И Изабеллы, а в последних случаях *Left to his own devices, Montauk's principal*.*But Hayden is not left to his own devices*- права Лариса...

Ann Nosova
United States
Local time: 05:01
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 4
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