Translation help

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Charles E. Townsend wrote:

> Sarah Hurst's suggestion is fine, but I suppose it might sound a little
> more forceful (and you could retain the чтобы ... не, for what that's
> worth, which isn't much), if you used "that they not go/wave their legs,
> etc", which gives you a kind of English "negative subjunctive" which
> adds some modal emphasis.

As injunctions go, this subjunctive is pretty weak in English, not to 
mention indirect/unclear and rather formal.

If you want more punch, you really have to recast the sentence with 
"should not" or "must not" or "cannot" or some other explicit verb like 
нельзя:

The main thing is they should/can/must not go into (the) church like 
that... [in ascending order of force]

Or else you can punch up the главное:

It's essential/critical/crucial not to go into (the) church like that...

It would be offensive/a sin/immoral to go into (the) church like that...

-- 
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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