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Thread: Dostoyevsky quote please

  1. #1
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    Dostoyevsky quote please

    Hello!
    Im gonna make a tattoo with this quote from White Nights but I want in Russian ''But how could you live and have no story to tell?''
    somebody?

  2. #2
    Почтенный гражданин DrBaldhead's Avatar
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    I guess the original line was like this:
    Quote Originally Posted by Ф. Достоевский, "Белые ночи", Ночь вторая
    Так как же вы жили, коль нет истории?
    To be fair, in Russian, it doesn't sound as cool, as in English. But that's up to you to decide

  3. #3
    Paul G.
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    Here's the full quote in Russian from the story:

    - Историю! - закричал я, испугавшись, - историю!! Но кто вам сказал, что у меня есть моя история? у меня нет истории...
    - Так как же вы жили, коль нет истории? - перебила она смеясь.
    - Совершенно без всяких историй! так, жил, как у нас говорится, сам по себе, то есть один совершенно, - один, один вполне, - понимаете, что такое один?

    "So how could you live, if there is no a story?" (That's a literal translation)
    Actually, this phrase sounds weird separately from the complete text, because it's a part of the dialog.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DrBaldhead View Post
    I guess the original line was like this:

    To be fair, in Russian, it doesn't sound as cool, as in English. But that's up to you to decide

    really? :OO
    humm, so I wil change, I will listen to you lol
    I really want some quote from White Nights because this book its very important to me

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    Quote Originally Posted by anna__ View Post
    really? :OO
    humm, so I wil change, I will listen to you lol
    I really want some quote from White Nights because this book its very important to me

    okay, i have two questions :
    this quote its from Tolstoy '' “If you want to be happy, be.'' ? Wich book?
    and can someone translate for me this Anna Karenina quote ? '' Im not ashamed of who I am or what I've done'' ?
    and then I will stop! lol

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    Завсегдатай it-ogo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by anna__ View Post
    okay, i have two questions :
    this quote its from Tolstoy '' “If you want to be happy, be.'' ? Wich book?
    It is a quote from Kozma Prutkov.
    "
    • Если хочешь быть счастливым, будь им.

    "

    "If you want to be a happy perfon, be the one."

    Actually most of his aphorisms sounds in Russian very funny but normally noone can either explain why or translate adequately.
    "Россия для русских" - это неправильно. Остальные-то чем лучше?

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    Quote Originally Posted by it-ogo View Post
    It is a quote from Kozma Prutkov.
    "
    • Если хочешь быть счастливым, будь им.

    "

    "If you want to be a happy perfon, be the one."

    Actually most of his aphorisms sounds in Russian very funny but normally noone can either explain why or translate adequately.
    humm, I see
    but this quote from Anna Karenina in russian, somebody can help me?'' Im not ashamed of who I am or what I've done'' ?

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    Завсегдатай it-ogo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by anna__ View Post
    but this quote from Anna Karenina in russian, somebody can help me?'' Im not ashamed of who I am or what I've done'' ?
    I have made a full text search in the novel with different parts of that sentence in Russian ("not ashamed", "who I am", "what I've done") and did not find anything like that. There are some pieces about shame etc. but nothing like the complete phrase you provided.

    Probably the translation you read was very free or it was a kind of shortened adaptation.
    "Россия для русских" - это неправильно. Остальные-то чем лучше?

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    Quote Originally Posted by it-ogo View Post
    I have made a full text search in the novel with different parts of that sentence in Russian ("not ashamed", "who I am", "what I've done") and did not find anything like that. There are some pieces about shame etc. but nothing like the complete phrase you provided.

    Probably the translation you read was very free or it was a kind of shortened adaptation.
    Oh, really?
    Hum, i will have to think another quote

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    Quote Originally Posted by anna__ View Post
    Oh, really?
    Hum, i will have to think another quote
    Im a little confused because I want something from Tolstoy's book, Anna karenina but I can't find the perfect phase, any suggestions ?

  11. #11
    Почтенный гражданин DrBaldhead's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by anna__ View Post
    humm, I see
    but this quote from Anna Karenina in russian, somebody can help me?'' Im not ashamed of who I am or what I've done'' ?
    What chapter is it from?

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    It's at the end when her and vronsky talking about her not going to the theatre because people will say really bad thing about her and than she said it to him "I'm not ashamed ...

  13. #13
    Завсегдатай it-ogo's Avatar
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    -- Да я не хочу знать! -- почти вскрикнула она. -- Не хочу. Раскаиваюсь я в том, что сделала? Нет, нет и нет. И если б опять то же, сначала, то было бы то же. Для нас, для меня и для вас, важно только одно: любим ли мы друг друга. А других нет соображений.
    Google word-by-word translation:

    - Yes, I do not want to know! - She almost cried. - I do not want. I regret what I did? No, no, no. And if again the same, first, it would be the same. For us, for me and for you, it is important to only one thing: whether we love each other. And there is no other considerations.

    This one?
    "Россия для русских" - это неправильно. Остальные-то чем лучше?

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    Quote Originally Posted by it-ogo View Post
    Google word-by-word translation:

    - Yes, I do not want to know! - She almost cried. - I do not want. I regret what I did? No, no, no. And if again the same, first, it would be the same. For us, for me and for you, it is important to only one thing: whether we love each other. And there is no other considerations.

    This one?

    Yeeees! They talk about the theater right? She wanna go but vronsky thinks that it's a bad idea

    This quote it's also from Anna karenina , right? " she similed at him and at her own fears"

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by anna__ View Post
    This quote it's also from Anna karenina , right? " she similed at him and at her own fears"
    Yep. This time it is quite close.

    она ... улыбалась ему и своему страху

    "she ... was smiling at him and at her own fear"
    "Россия для русских" - это неправильно. Остальные-то чем лучше?

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