Help with translation

[John Dunn]

I have some doubts about the appropriateness of the term 'area studies' to translate страноведение [stranovedenie].  To me area studies means the study of large areas of the globe, e.g. Russian, Central and East European Studies, Latin American Studies.  In the academic circles in which I used to move страноведение tended to be left untranslated, which is, I know, pretty feeble, though it does indicate the difficulty of finding an equivalent.  Given the essentially ancillary nature of the studies described by Tatyana Buzina, a possible solution might be 'background studies'.

John Dunn.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tatyana Buzina <tbuzina at YANDEX.RU>
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:56:15 +0300
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Help with translation

Usually, we use "area studies" (or sometimes "regional studies," too) to translate "stranovedenie" which applies to whole countries while "kraevedenie" is local and is used mostly in regard to places within Russia. "Stranovedenie" is something taught to students of foreign languages. "Kraevedenie" is offered to students of various aspects of Russian history and culture. 
Regards,
Tatyana  


John Dunn
Honorary Research Fellow, SMLC (Slavonic Studies)
University of Glasgow, Scotland

Address:
Via Carolina Coronedi Berti 6
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Tel.: +39 051/1889 8661
e-mail: J.Dunn at slavonic.arts.gla.ac.uk
johnanthony.dunn at fastwebnet.it

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