translation question

[Alina Israeli]

With all the bab'e leto discussion we got away from the subject.

While "Indian giver" to my knowledge doesn't exist in Russian, I would
suggest for translation purposes

        Bojtes' danajcev dary prinosjashchix.



As for bab'e leto, it's not such bad or offensive thing in either language.
In English, according to my trusted Cambridge Dictionary, it also means 'a
pleasant or successful time nearly at the end of a particular period, such
as the end of someone's life'. If it's "pleasant" or "successful" it
couldn't be too offensive.

As for the Russian, think of it in conjunction with

"sorok pjat', sorok pjat', babka jagodka opjat'" (or something like that),
so it is like second wind in woman's life (as some female Prime-ministers
have proven).

AI

_____________
Alina Israeli
LFS, American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20016

phone:  (202) 885-2387
fax:    (202) 885-1076

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