Grossman - Mama - teryat' v vese

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Nataliya Kun wrote:

> The thing is, "в домах отдыха" Soviet people were supposed to gain
> weight, and not to lose it!  Weight loss is as bad as other forms of
> destructive behavior.

Weight gains or losses may be constructive or destructive healthwise 
according to whether the person is overweight or underweight to begin 
with. For me today, for example, losing a few pounds would be a positive 
step, leaving me fitter and more energetic. ;-\ But most runway models 
have only one way to go...

As a cultural value, however, some communities think all weight gain is 
positive and all weight loss is negative. Probably a relic from the 
times when famine was much more likely to kill you than heart disease, 
diabetes, etc. in middle age.

> Therefore, the phrase should be translated literally. It has nothing
> to do with the figurative meaning of вес.

Agreed.

-- 
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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