Chekhov's Three Sisters (translation question)

[Ronald Meyer]

Lubenskaya's invaluable idiom dictionary gives the following translations:
I'll take that risk; I've got nothing to use; what do I have to lose;
nothing ventured nothing gained; you only live once; what the hell; here
goes nothing. And among her examples is precisely this passage, which is
translated as: I'll have a little glass of wine. Why not... We only live
once! (from the Ann Dunnigan translation of the plays).

Ronald Meyer

Adjunct Assistant Professor, M. A. Program in Russian Translation
Department of Slavic Languages, Columbia University

Publications Editor
Harriman Institute
Columbia University
420 West 118th Street, Rm. 1216
MC 3345
New York, NY 10027
212 854-6218; 212 666-3481 (fax)

http://www.pen.org/members/rmeyer





On 8/11/11 11:38 AM, "LeBlanc, Ronald" <Ronald.LeBlanc at UNH.EDU> wrote:

>I have a translation question for the list, asked on behalf of a UNH
>colleague in the theatre department who is preparing a production of
>Chekhov's Three Sisters.
>
>Twice in the play Masha uses the idiom "где наша не пропадала" (gde nasha
>ne propadala).  My colleague, who does not know Russian and who has been
>relying on a number of translations in putting together a performable
>script, is leaning toward "Come what may" as an English rendering of the
>phrase.
>
>Does that rendering strike you as satisfactory? Or would you suggest a
>more felicitous alternative?
>
>For context, Masha uses the idiom near the end of Act I as they are
>sitting down for lunch and Natasha makes her appearance (Masha proposes a
>toast, comments rather ironically that life is sweet, and then uses this
>phrase) and again near the end of Act II as Chebutykin informs everyone
>that Natasha does not want the mummers to come over to the house that
>evening because little Bobik is not feeling well (Masha uses the phrase
>in response to that news and to the realization that they are all being
>asked to leave the house . . . she also comments to Irina that it's
>Natasha who's sick, not Bobik!).
>
>Please feel free to respond either to the list or to me off-list
>(ronald.leblanc at unh.edu).
>
>Thanks,
>
>Ron
>
>Ronald D. LeBlanc
>Professor of Russian and Humanities
>Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
>Murkland Hall G10H
>University of New Hampshire
>Durham, NH 03824
>603-862-3553
>ronald.leblanc at unh.edu
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------