(Kap dochka) Khorosh gus'

[Alina Israeli]

No, хорош гусь is an ironic statement: some X.
Lubensky dictionary (do you have it? I highly recommend it) the  
expression is "used to express one's scornful or ironic attitude  
toward s.o."  — what a rascal, louse, weasel etc.

On Jan 7, 2007, at 1:51 PM, Robert Chandler wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> Pyotr returns to Belogorsk to rescue Masha.  He goes to the  
> priest’s house.
> Akulina then talks at him for some time.  She comes out with one  
> phrase
> which I entirely understand but cannot translate adequately:
> Ай-да Алексей Иванович: хорош гусь!
> Ai-da Aleksey Ivanovich: khorosh gus’
> At present I have ‘And as for Shvabrin…  He’s a fine fellow and no  
> mistake!’
> This is obviously less vivid than the original.  And it is a pity  
> to lose
> the goose, all the more so since there a fair number of pigeons,  
> eagles,
> ravens and swans are mentioned in the course of the work.
>
> Unfortunately, we tend to think of geese as being silly (You silly  
> goose!),
> and Shvabrin is far from silly.  Does anyone have any inspired  
> suggestions?
>
> R
>
>
>
>
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Alina Israeli
LFS, American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington DC. 20016
(202) 885-2387 	
fax (202) 885-1076
aisrael at american.edu




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