Thread: We are here to help each other, are we not?

Originally Posted by BappaBa

Хм, мне показалось, что перед уходом она была амынлав,

That's what I call "disaster in her private life".

Originally Posted by it-ogo

That's what I call "disaster in her private life".

Евгений Базаров, однако. =)

I want to reply to this thread even though it's not really my business, but I do have a few quick, hopefully beneficial, things to say.

Firstly, I owe a great debt to the people here on this website, for being my unofficial and unpaid (in monetary terms!) teachers of the Russian language, for three years. I'm a slow and sometimes lazy learner, and I think without some of the personal guidance I've gotten here, I'd have *never* gotten to where I am with Russian today. (This is not to say I'm done! I'm far from "taught" - but come so far from where I started!) Once or twice, I got a cross response from somebody, but I'm pretty sure I'd deserved it by being brash, arrogant or half-committed to a topic at the time... Anyway.. By and large (like 10k::1) you all have been wonderful helpers - attentive, helpful, good intentions bleeding through all the while.. I feel a great debt to you all, and if EVER I should discover that there's something that my knowledge of English, or anything really, could do to help you lot out, I'd be doing it, out of a sense of gratitude and appreciation. Sure, it took three years.. but like I said, I'm a slow learner. =)

But I would be a coward and liar if I did not say that Оля was a large contributor to my learning, and also to making me feel welcome here. I think I'm not the only one who feels that way. I don't even think she would know how instrumental she was to my progress in learning this language, because she was only doing the thing that she ever did, but it was a great help to me. And she's just one of many here whom I am indebted to.

And I won't say anything negative about anyone! - no good comes from that and anyway I wouldn't know what I'm talking about anyway! - but I will say one more thing, even at the risk of stepping on toes... As a Westerner, born in america, I was *afraid*, from my first shared word with this website, that my own people, Westerners, Americans, would bring the 'ugly american' attitude to this place.. I can say that if some of the things insinuated in that thread from above were truly said to ms Оля, then I am duly embarassed by this. It would be a poor representation of my nationality and my gender both. Now - we *are* here to help, and I think we should, if we can, not because we have to or because of a process in place, but because of reciprocity - because we *want* to. And that's what we're meant to be here for - to meet and be friendly and learn together in the context of the russian language..

And if I'm not speaking too plainly, this too: When you (read: I) go to 'google' and type in something along the lines of "meet Russians," the only responses I'll get for PAGES are untoward-bordering-on-vulgar ads by companies who want to capitalize on the stereotype of the fairer sex among Russians. There are so many stereotypes in relation to this, that as a westerner I became nervous about the whole topic. I was very lucky when I found this website; MR is an oasis in the desert; one of the only russian-speaking communities that is so welcoming to us imports.. So you can imagine how I feel about the idea that someone would act lewdly in this place, and make one of my respected teachers feel dishonored.

So, regardless of who was right or wrong, I must say that I respected Оля, and it breaks my heart that someone would speak in such a way to her.
And for what it's worth, wherever she is, I hope Оля is being treated by karma with the respect I think she deserves.

And I've wanted for years to help out more here! After reading this thread, I'm going to take it upon myself to be more active helping out others with what I know about English. I'm going to try to be a more positive force on MR - and if anyone has any guidance on how I can be a better asset, I'm all ears!

Thanks again to everybody for all the love. l/l

Originally Posted by kidkboom

I want to reply to this thread even though it's not really my business, but I do have a few quick, hopefully beneficial, things to say.

Firstly, I owe a great debt to the people here on this website, for being my unofficial and unpaid (in monetary terms!) teachers of the Russian language, for three years. I'm a slow and sometimes lazy learner, and I think without some of the personal guidance I've gotten here, I'd have *never* gotten to where I am with Russian today. (This is not to say I'm done! I'm far from "taught" - but come so far from where I started!) Once or twice, I got a cross response from somebody, but I'm pretty sure I'd deserved it by being brash, arrogant or half-committed to a topic at the time... Anyway.. By and large (like 10k::1) you all have been wonderful helpers - attentive, helpful, good intentions bleeding through all the while.. I feel a great debt to you all, and if EVER I should discover that there's something that my knowledge of English, or anything really, could do to help you lot out, I'd be doing it, out of a sense of gratitude and appreciation. Sure, it took three years.. but like I said, I'm a slow learner. =)

But I would be a coward and liar if I did not say that Оля was a large contributor to my learning, and also to making me feel welcome here. I think I'm not the only one who feels that way. I don't even think she would know how instrumental she was to my progress in learning this language, because she was only doing the thing that she ever did, but it was a great help to me. And she's just one of many here whom I am indebted to.

And I won't say anything negative about anyone! - no good comes from that and anyway I wouldn't know what I'm talking about anyway! - but I will say one more thing, even at the risk of stepping on toes... As a Westerner, born in america, I was *afraid*, from my first shared word with this website, that my own people, Westerners, Americans, would bring the 'ugly american' attitude to this place.. I can say that if some of the things insinuated in that thread from above were truly said to ms Оля, then I am duly embarassed by this. It would be a poor representation of my nationality and my gender both. Now - we *are* here to help, and I think we should, if we can, not because we have to or because of a process in place, but because of reciprocity - because we *want* to. And that's what we're meant to be here for - to meet and be friendly and learn together in the context of the russian language..

And if I'm not speaking too plainly, this too: When you (read: I) go to 'google' and type in something along the lines of "meet Russians," the only responses I'll get for PAGES are untoward-bordering-on-vulgar ads by companies who want to capitalize on the stereotype of the fairer sex among Russians. There are so many stereotypes in relation to this, that as a westerner I became nervous about the whole topic. I was very lucky when I found this website; MR is an oasis in the desert; one of the only russian-speaking communities that is so welcoming to us imports.. So you can imagine how I feel about the idea that someone would act lewdly in this place, and make one of my respected teachers feel dishonored.

So, regardless of who was right or wrong, I must say that I respected Оля, and it breaks my heart that someone would speak in such a way to her.
And for what it's worth, wherever she is, I hope Оля is being treated by karma with the respect I think she deserves.

And I've wanted for years to help out more here! After reading this thread, I'm going to take it upon myself to be more active helping out others with what I know about English. I'm going to try to be a more positive force on MR - and if anyone has any guidance on how I can be a better asset, I'm all ears!

Thanks again to everybody for all the love. l/l

You are welcome!

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Оля действительно помогала в разделах по грамматике намного больше остальных, это было очень заметно. Но при этом она могла ТАК обхамить какого-нибудь новичка за на ровном месте, что мама не горюй. Поэтому не надо выставлять ее беззащитной овцой, которая вынудили покинуть форум какие-то злыдни (злыдень).

what does it mean? Is that some kind of an idiom, or fixed phrase?

Originally Posted by Ramil

Вот эта веточка:
http://masterrussian.net/f20/%D0%BC%...D%D0%B5-15467/

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing that!!! I haven't laughed that much for several months already! =)))

Originally Posted by kamilion

what does it mean? Is that some kind of an idiom, or fixed phrase?

"за" там лишнее. Опечатка.
"на ровном месте" -- без причины или повода, неожиданно и т.п.
"(так, что) мама не горюй" - очень, сильно (или очень сильно )

The second one is obviously an idiom, the first feels more like a metaphor.

Originally Posted by E-learner

"за" там лишнее. Опечатка.
"на ровном месте" -- без причины или повода, неожиданно и т.п.
"(так, что) мама не горюй" - очень, сильно (или очень сильно )

The second one is obviously an idiom, the first feels more like a metaphor.

спасибо
А так можно сказать? Он меня ударил на ровном месте.
А ещё, выражение "мама не горюй" употребляется чаще всего в отрицательном или положительном значении?
Я имею в виду например такие предложения:
Она чувствовала себе счастливой так, что мама не горюй. (это имеет смысл, или можно быть только несчастливой так, что мама не горюй?)
Она сказала ей столько неприятных вещей, что мама не горюй. (здесь вообще не знаю, можно ли так этот идиом употребить?)

Originally Posted by kamilion

спасибо
А так можно сказать? Он меня ударил на ровном месте.
А ещё, выражение "мама не горюй" употребляется чаще всего в отритательном или положительном значении?
Я имею в виду например такие предложения:
Она чувствовала себе счастливой так, что мама не горюй. (это имеет смысл, или можно быть только несчастливой так, что мама не горюй?)
Она сказала ей столько неприятных вещей, что мама не горюй. (здесь вообще не знаю, можно ли так этот идиом употребить?)

The first one is better to put as "он меня ударил ни с того ни с сего". That would convey the same meaning while sounding more natural to a native speaker's ear, I guess.

Then, "Она чувствовала себе счастливой так, что мама не горюй." - here you can't use "мама не горюй.", that's really weird; but if you replace "счастливой" with "несчастной", it won't still be ok, it's not just about "positive/negative meaning";

"Она сказала ей столько неприятных вещей, что мама не горюй." - that's ok.

Originally Posted by E-learner

"за" там лишнее. Опечатка.

Yes, it was a typo. I'm sorry.
The phrase was too long and I deleted a few words, "за" was left behind by accident.

Originally Posted by Eric C.

The first one is better to put as "он меня ударил ни с того ни с сего". That would convey the same meaning while sounding more natural to a native speaker's ear, I guess.

Then, "Она чувствовала себе счастливой так, что мама не горюй." - here you can't use "мама не горюй.", that's really weird; but if you replace "счастливой" with "несчастной", it won't still be ok, it's not just about "positive/negative meaning";

"Она сказала ей столько неприятных вещей, что мама не горюй." - that's ok.

Спасибо ещё раз