MOROZKO (and a SECOND question!)

[Edward Dumanis]

1. Turning verbs are standard verbs associated with work: cf. with
idioms "крутиться (вертеться) как белка в колесе" (to be very busy)
and "чуть не так повернёшься" (just make something not quite right),
and with contemporary slang meaning of the verb "крутиться" as to do
different odd works.
 I'd prefer "Do things nimbly enough - you get beaten.  Do things not
enough nimbly - you get beaten.  Do things just right - and you still
get beaten."

2. I think that "sinful soul" sounds in English much stronger than the
corresponding Russian words where it formed a stable pair for an
everyday usage. So, I'd drop "sinful" in translation. Also, I think
that the idea here is not in the soul going to God but rather in the
soul leaving her body.
I would say,  "God must have sent you to TAKE my soul."

Regards,

Edward Dumanis <edseelangs at gmail.com>

2010/9/2 Robert Chandler <kcf19 at dial.pipex.com>:
> Dear all,
>
> My thanks to everyone who has responded. I am, however, still not quite sure
> what the 'turning' verbs really mean.  To keep the idea of turning or
> twisting will be confusing in English.  Does the following seem acceptable?
>
> "Once upon a time there was a widower who had taken a second wife.  He had a
> daughter of his own, and his wife had a daughter too.  Well, everyone knows
> what it's like to live with a stepmother.  Do too much - you get beaten.  Do
> too little - you get beaten.  Do things just right - and you still get
> beaten."
>
> Or would it be better to have something like "Do things too quickly - you
> get beaten.  Do things too slowly - you get beaten.  Do things just right -
> and you still get beaten."
>
> And my second question is about the girl's first words to Moroz in Afanasyev
> 96:
> <<Добро пожаловать, Мороз; знать, бог тебя принес по мою душу грешную>>.
> Is the following correct? "God has brought you here to FETCH my sinful
> soul."  Guterman has her say, "God must have sent you to SAVE my sinful
> soul."  But this would be presumptuous on her part, wouldn't it?
>
> All the best,
>
> Robert
>
>>   I understand it as turn over/turn too far, turn not far enough.
>>
>> I might take some liberty and say:
>>
>> twist too far -- you get hit, not enough -- you get hit, and a whack in
>> good time as well.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Stuart Goldberg
>>
>>
>> On 9/2/2010 9:17 AM, Robert Chandler wrote:
>>> Dear all,
>>>
>>> This is from the version of the skazka collected by Karnaukhova:
>>>
>>> У деда была доцка и у бабы была доцка.  Ну, ланно.  Вси знают, как за
>>> мацехой жить: перевернешься - бита, и не довернешься - бита, и в пору -
>>> бита.
>>>
>>> Can someone help me with перевернешься and довернешься, which I don't
>>> understand at all?
>>>
>>> All the best,
>>>
>>> Robert
>>>
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