Tsar'-devitsa again/chem mne ne chest'

[Alexandra Smith]

Dear Robert,

I think that Paul has a point: to translate the word "chest'" in this  
context as
"a (special) honour" is not quite right. The word chest' has many  
connotations in Russian, including one archaic expression that  
presents the idiomatic expression "pole chesti" as "pole brani"  
(battlefield). In Dal's dictionary there are numerous examples of the  
usage of the word "chest'" in the contexts that relate to gifts:  
"Князя чествовали встречною хлебом-солью. | Угощать, потчивать,  
подносить, принимать за хлебом-солью. Не чести меня пивом, медом,  
почести (почти) меня зеленым вином. А чем вас чествовали у кума В сем  
знач. говор. и честовать, сев. и честовать, южн. зап.; чествуют и  
приносом, подарком. Было бы чем честить (потчивать), а честь добудем.".
Since the situation described in the story relates to Tsarevich's  
lust, I also feel that the word "honour" is not right in this context.  
Perhaps, there is a possibility to render the expression "(chem) /chto  
mne ne chest'"  as something that relates to Tsarevich's good  
fortune/gift of fate. He must have felt that he was lucky to come  
across a very beautiful girl. As I've mentioned earlier, I do feel  
that there is a  sense of challenge in this situation but I think that  
the usage of the word "chest'" that relates to gifts cannot be  
dismissed either. Perhaps, it would be even more straightforward to  
say that Tsarevich felt that he was very lucky/fortunate.



All best,
Sasha Smith


-------------------------------------------
Alexandra Smith (PhD, University of London)
Reader in Russian Studies
Department of European Languages and Cultures
School of  Languages, Literatures and Cultures
The University of Edinburgh
David Hume Tower
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9JX
UK

tel. +44-(0)131-6511381
fax: +44- (0)131 -651 -1482
e-mail: Alexandra.Smith at ed.ac.uk


Quoting "Paul B. Gallagher" <paulbg at PBG-TRANSLATIONS.COM>:

> Robert Chandler wrote:
>
>> Dear Paul, and all,
>>
>> Paul Gallagher writes,
>>
>>> Russian morality (then or now, I'm not sure) must be very different
>>> from mine if it considers sex with a sleeping woman "honorable."
>>> What am I missing here? We would call it "rape" and send the guy to
>>> jail.
>>>
>> I would have thought it went without saying that Russian morality as
>> reflected in narodnye skazki is hugely different from your own -
>> probably more different than any of us can imagine.
>
> Well, perhaps I'm naïve.
>
> Sure, I'm accustomed to folk tales having fantastic and magical
> elements such as animals capable of speech and reason, or kisses that
> transform frogs into princes, but there's still a heavy dose of
> verisimilitude -- murder is still wrong, and theft is still wrong, and
> so forth, unless certain exceptions apply. I also realize that women
> have not always been held in such high esteem as they are today, but
> even in settings where abuses are permitted I haven't often seen those
> abuses characterized as great honors or feats of gallantry. The
> characters usually know they're getting away with something illicit,
> and sometimes have to pay the price for it.
>
> -- 
> 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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