reporting to commissars

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Robert Chandler wrote:

> Dear Jack Franke (and all)
> 
>>Robert, I would translate your phrase "Permission to speak, Comrade
>>Komissar." Normally komissars, and now chaplains, are not addressed by rank,
>>unless they are receiving an award or promotion...
> 
> Your suggestion is helpful.  But it still leaves me with the problem of how
> to translate ‘vtorogo ranga’, which I have to insert somewhere, eventually.
> 
> The following is a possibility:
> Taking off their gowns, the junior officers entered the director’s office.
> ‘Permission to report, Comrade Commissar?’ said one of them.
> The Deputy Commissar for State Security nodded.
> 
> But is ‘Deputy Commissar’ correct?

If you have to invent a rank (after all, there is no exact equivalent in 
English), I'd suggest "grade": "Commissar Grade 2" or "Commissar Second 
Grade." We have a parallel in ranks like "Lieutenant Junior Grade."

I'd avoid the parallel of "Private First Class" because AFAIK there is 
no "Private Second/Third/etc. Class" -- either you're first class or 
you're not.

-- 
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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