A translation question

[Roman Ivashkiv]

Just to elaborate on Andrea's suggestion, a milder word is <облажаться>. The
noun <лажа>, however, seems to be much more common than <лажун> or
<лажатель>, both of which may sound a little awkward.

But it's always a difficult call with slang.

 

I'll keep thinking about it.

Roman

 

 

From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of Andrea Gregovich
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 9:43 PM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] A translation question

 

Hello SEELANGERS,

I translated a sentence in a novel in which a guy "choked" (in the sense
that Paul describes) in a model car race when his car wouldn't start.  The
word used was "обосраться".  My dictionaries didn't have the word, and the
way the author described it to me was a perfect example of somebody
"choking".  A look at Wictionary suggests that обосраться is a good fit, in
that synonyms are испугаться (suggesting fear) and опозориться (suggesting
shame and disgrace).  Caution should be exercised, though, as Wiktionary's
first definition is a vulgar one, as you might suspect with срать at its
core!  The second two definitions aren't vulgar, but I have no idea when
this word is offensive and when it isn't.  

It kind of reminds me of "crap" -- in some instances it is relatively vulgar
slang, but then "to crap out" is a benign description of what happens in the
game "craps", and "crap out" can also be used figuratively, if
conversationally, to describe other situations in which someone or something
quits working, runs out, or fails to perform.

Anyway, hope this helps...

Best,
Andrea Gregovich



On Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 5:38 PM, Paul B. Gallagher
<paulbg at pbg-translations.com> wrote:

Sentinel76 Astrakhan wrote:

Dear fellow translators,

I was just thinking: is there a Russian analog of the word "choker"?
As in "somebody who doesn't live up to the expectations"?

 

I would love to know the answer to this.

But we should be clear about what we're looking for. "To choke" doesn't mean
broadly "not to live up to expectations"; it's much narrower than that. In
sports and other competitive endeavors, there's always a certain element of
randomness -- your opponent can play surprisingly well, or you can do
everything right and the ball doesn't fall in as it should. That's not
choking. "Choking" refers specifically to a situation in which the
competitor fails because emotions of fear, tension, or even panic take over
and prevent him/her from doing very simple things that he/she should be able
to do in his sleep. The term originates from the physiologic sensation of
choking that people feel in those situations, as if they are unable to take
a full breath. And the key is to let go of thinking what can go wrong and
focus on the here-and-now mechanics of your actions, or on what can go right
(see the opportunity, not the risk).

A player who frequently chokes can gain a reputation for a lack of heart or
courage, for cowardice and weak will; by contrast, a player who often comes
through in the clutch will gain a reputation for courage and strong will.
The reputation may or may not be merited, but that's how fans react.

-- 
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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