Checkpoint Charlie

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Yu. R. Lotoshko wrote:

> Добавьте национальный колорит
> Чекпойнт - проверочный пункт

A literal translation; "КПП" is probably a better equivalent.

> Чарли - англичан, американцев (в отличие от других  оккупационных зон)

The sense of "Charlie" here is a historical accident. See for example:

<http://www.tweedly.com/Pleasure/Travel/berlin.html>

...There were four zones in Berlin: the Soviet zone, which was walled
off as East Berlin; and the French, British, and American zones. Each of
these 3 western zones had one checkpoint for those crossing to and from
the east: the French processed East Germans at their checkpoint,
codenamed "A" Able; the British took West Germans at "B" Baker; and the
Americans had foreigners at checkpoint "C": Checkpoint Charlie. If
you're of my generation, that simple military name will probably still
bring you out in goose bumps after all these years. ...

[end quote]

So you see, "Charlie" is just military jargon for the letter "C" (there
are lots of other sources to confirm this). In the Vietnam War, it was
routinely used to refer to the Viet Cong (the Communists, a word that
begins with "C"). In other contexts it can mean the third of a series
(able, baker, charlie, delta, echo, foxtrot...), or it can mean
something else that begins with "C." There is no special attachment to
the meaning "Americans."

--
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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