Proverb
trubikhina at AOL.COM
trubikhina at AOL.COM
Fri May 16 16:48:31 UTC 2008
The meaning of the saying is neatly expressed in the word "chutzpah." The problem of using it in a translation is its Yiddish origin, unless, of course, the text you are translating is in the contemporary colloquial language.
Julia Trubikhina
-----Original Message-----
From: Lily Alexander <lily.alexander at UTORONTO.CA>
To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU
Sent: Fri, 16 May 2008 12:31 pm
Subject: [SEELANGS] Proverb
Dear Robert and Colleagues,
I think your translation means exactly the opposite. :-)
What's wrong with being brave and hence being lucky? There is no
contradiction, while the Russian proverb stresses one.
(Of course the difference has cultural connotations and implications).
Naglost in Russian is a very bad thing. It is essentially a form of
robbery and action based on a sense of entitlement - taking by force
what does not belong to one and taking it from many truly deserving.
Stalin for example was naglyi, not bold (Some may disagree).
The proverb is very bitter rather than inspirational, which happens with
the Russian proverbs. Perhaps the translation should reflect its
paradoxical nature and this profound disappointment with the state of
the world.
Impudent? Egregious? Arrogant? Cheeky? Insolent? Copper-faced?
This is what Multitran gives for 'naglyi':
>
> impudent <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=36005_1_2>; insolent
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=36006_1_2>; audacious
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=46115_1_2>; assured
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=52120_1_2>; bold
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=57735_1_2>; as bold as brass
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=57743_1_2>; bold-faced
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=57746_1_2>; brazen
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=67976_1_2>; brash
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=109761_1_2>; immodest
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=140397_1_2>; impertinent
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=140584_1_2>; perky
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=157743_1_2>; unashamed
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=186566_1_2>; unblushing
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=186626_1_2>; uppish
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=187644_1_2>; uppity
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=187647_1_2>; bareknuckle
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=641261_1_2>; brazen-faced
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=644886_1_2>; hubristic
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=679230_1_2>; lippy
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=687881_1_2>; unbashful
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=732857_1_2>; arrogant
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=745657_1_2>; bumptious
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=751391_1_2>; cheeky
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=754031_1_2>; pert
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=787546_1_2>; snotty
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=801183_1_2>; brassy
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=2105457_1_2>; bauld
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=3950644_1_2>; brassbound
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=3951871_1_2>; nervy
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=3972401_1_2>; blatant
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=4171669_1_2> (ложь lie /Andrew
> Goff/
> <http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?a=ShowUserInformation&UserName=Andrew%20Goff>)
>
>
Best regards,
Lily Alexander
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