"...krichali tsikady..."?

[Steve Marder]

> Brother and Sister Slavic Wizards (Russian Division)!
>
> In a famous passage from "Dama s sobachkoi" ("V Orieande sideli na skam'e,
> nedaleko ot tserkvi, smotreli vniz na more i molchali... and following),
> as one auditory effect Chekhov has: "...krichali tsikady..."
>
> Nabokov translates (in his essay): "the crickets chirped"
>
> Pevear and Volokhonsky: "cicadas called"
>
> I am not interested in the insect as much as the verb. Does it really come
> across as that quiet or neutral?

I can't pretend to be a "Slavic Wizard," but "krichat'" can indeed mean "to
make a sharp sound" (of the type produced by small birds or insects).
Depending on context, "krichat'" could also be rendered as "boom," "bray,"
"caterwaul," "heehaw," "honk," and "screech," all of which are considerably
further along the scale of intensity. "Hoot," I suppose, could be placed
somewhere in the middle.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------