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громоотвод

English translation: scapegoat?

18:05 Sep 13, 2007
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Government / Politics
Russian term or phrase: громоотвод
This term appears in a text about parliamentary elections. A minister "«громоотводом» выступает". I can only find the word's literal meaning of "lightning-conductor". Presumably there is an idiomatic meaning as well!
Sonia Clough
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:42
English translation:scapegoat?
Explanation:
мальчик для битья? немного другой оттенок, но смысл похожий: на нем "разряжается" Громовержец (громовержцы)
Selected response from:

DNATUSIA
Local time: 05:42
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +9lightning rod
Kirill Semenov
3 +2scapegoat?
DNATUSIA
4lightning/surge arrester
koundelev
2fall guy
Andrew Vdovin


Discussion entries: 10





  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
scapegoat?


Explanation:
мальчик для битья? немного другой оттенок, но смысл похожий: на нем "разряжается" Громовержец (громовержцы)

DNATUSIA
Local time: 05:42
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Roman Bardachev
9 mins
  -> Спасибо!
agree  Mark Berelekhis: This is just far more common.
48 mins
  -> Спасибо!
disagree  Valery Kaminski: It's quite different. "Lightning rod" is someone (something) strong enough to take the blow. "Scapegoat" is some loser selected for being unable to fight back.
1 hr
  -> Cпасибо! Не согласна, что козел отпущения "looser". Это тот (та), кто попался под руку и на ком разряжаются.
agree  The Misha: There was tons of cases when strong, fighting men - or women, to be fair - were made scapegoats. Valery's comment is totally irrelevant . Scapegoat's the word
1 hr
  -> Спасибо!
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
lightning/surge arrester


Explanation:
если министр притягивает на себя критику - то 'rod'...
если же он смягчает напряженность - то 'arrester'

koundelev
Local time: 12:42
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 12
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
fall guy


Explanation:
The register is a bit different though.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2007-09-14 05:14:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here, what about "a glutton for punishment"?

Gwyn is a glutton for punishment. She takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'... No task yet has been too big for her to take on. If you have any questions ...
www.freecycle.org/about/staff


Andrew Vdovin
Local time: 16:42
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 8
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2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +9
lightning rod


Explanation:
Мне кажется, вполне подойдёт для политики.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2007-09-14 08:39:37 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Sonia, it's choice, of course, but I doubt it. For "scapegoat" we have a stable Biblical term "козёл отпущения", which is also widely used. But here the meaning is exactly in the root "-отвод" - the Minister somehow distracted the attention of the public or the media by taking the main hit on himself instead of them attacking another politician. It makes a great sense during elections.

Your argument that the "scapegoat" is more familiar to English audience is not an argument, in fact. "He's a f**** jaskass" is probably even more familiar term for many readers, but I doubt you will risk to use it for "better understanding". ;-)

Your choice, in any case, but I would advise to think twice.

Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Local time: 12:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 74

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Henry Schroeder
2 mins
agree  Jack Doughty
4 mins
agree  Valery Kaminski
8 mins
agree  Olga Layer: Да, вполне
10 mins
neutral  Roman Bardachev: As in "The BBC reports. Sir John Doe assumed a role of a lightning rod during today's discussions at the House of Commons"? Sounds a bit weird.
24 mins
  -> I think the question of Google statistics is alreay solved.
agree  Anna Makhorkina
40 mins
agree  Iosif JUHASZ
58 mins
agree  Mark Berelekhis
1 hr
agree  Yavor Dimitrov
2 hrs
disagree  The Misha: I'm with Roman on this one. They just don't make people lightning rods, they make them scapegoats.
2 hrs
  -> I suppose it's a different meaning.
agree  Tetyana Plakuta: lightning rod - definition by dict.die.net lightning rod n 1: someone who is a frequent target of negative reactions and serves to distract attention from another 2: a metallic conductor that is ..http://dict.die.net/lightning rod/ - 6k
2 hrs
agree  Alexander Alexandrov
2 days 15 hrs
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