Teffi - digression about the guitar - "on unylo podbiral lady"

[Marian Schwartz]

Robert,

As a lifelong amateur guitarist, this makes sense to me.

Yes, I do believe she means that only the gypsies prize the guitar.

As to the подбирал лады, I would say they were picking out harmonies, with
"picking out" meaning not selecting but actually picking them out, as
guitarists are wont to do.

So the gypsy is picking out the harmonies, note by note, in a melancholy
sort of way, and interspersing that picking with strumming.

I'm not going to swear on my first-born about this, but that is how I read
it.

You're a brave man.

Best,
Marian




On Sun, Aug 24, 2014 at 4:20 PM, Robert Chandler <kcf19 at dial.pipex.com>
wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> A chapter about ¾ way through Vospominanii contains a lyrical digression
> about the beauties of the guitar. There are several bits I find difficult.
>
> В России гитара была хороша только у цыган. Русский человек относился к
> ней, как к балалайке: уныло подбирал лады и тренькал...
> Цыгане «мотивчика» не тренькают. Они умеют перебирать струны говорком,
>
> In Russia, the guitar fared well only among the gypsies.  The Russians
> themselves treated her as if she were a balalaika, gloomily fingering
> (????) her frets (??) and strumming...
> Gypsies don't strum tunes.   They know how to make the strings talk,
>
> What does “podbiral lady” mean?  I don’t even know which is the relevant
> meaning of “lad” here.
> 1. “mode” or “key”
> 2. “fret” of stringed instrument
>
> I’m also unsure about “strum tunes” and about "гитара была хороша”.  Is
> the latter more like “the guitar was valued”?
>
> Thanks, as always!
>
> Robert
>
> Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD
>
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