Thread: Can someone please translate these phrases?

Can someone please translate these phrases?

English to Russian:
life is difficult, life is short

I grow tired of life

this is the most difficult task/problem

live long and prosper

this is tough as leather

she has lost her sense of reality

he is spoiled

he lies, cheats and steals

he has everything in the world but love

I do not like to show off

we will all eventually die

I pray to God every night

not all dreams come true

we dance in the sky

we live in heaven

peace to all

русско-английский:
Знаю, сегодня в вагон мой войдешь,
Бахнешь в тамбуре тихо дверкой.
И меня при всех назовешь
Своей маленькой Веркой

life is difficult, life is short
Жизнь тяжела, но коротка.
"Белорусский народ будет жить плохо, но недолго." (C) "Батька" Лукашенко

I grow tired of life
Я устал от жизни

this is the most difficult task/problem
Это - самая трудная задача

live long and prosper
Жить долго и припеваючи

she has lost her sence of reality
Она потеряла чувство реальности

he is spoiled
Он избалован/испорчен

he lies, cheats and steals
Он врет, обманывает и крадет

he has everything in the world but love
У него есть все на свете кроме любви

I do not like to show off
Он не любит хвастаться/пускать пыль в глаза

we will all eventually die
Мы все когда-нибудь умрем

I pray to God every night
Я молюсь Богу каждый день

not all dreams come true
Не все мечты сбываются

we dance in the sky
Мы танцуем в небе

we live in heaven
Мы живем в небесах

peace to all
Миру - мир!

Thank you DenisM

How do you say in Russian:
this is tough as leather
Это - трудный как кожа

Can you say "Жизнь трудный" instead of "Жизнь тяжела"?

How do you say "he is spoiled" as in "he gets everything he wants and if he doesn't, he will throw a major temper tantrum"
I think "Он избалован/испорчен" means "he is a bad person".

How do you tranlate this song into English?
I tried entering it into my on-line interperter but it came out gibberish.

Знаю, сегодня в вагон мой войдешь,
Бахнешь в тамбуре тихо дверкой.
И меня при всех назовешь
Своей маленькой Веркой

Originally Posted by kwatts59

How do you say in Russian:
this is tough as leather
Это - трудный как кожа

Such expressions are not translated literally. When you say "tough" about "кожа" it's translated as "крепкая", "прочная" or "жесткая" but never as "трудная".

Can you say "Жизнь трудный" instead of "Жизнь тяжела"?

Yes, only it's "жизнь трудна"

How do you say "he is spoiled" as in "he gets everything he wants and if he doesn't, he will throw a major temper tantrum"
I think "Он избалован/испорчен" means "he is a bad person".

DenisM was quite correct here. "Bad person" is too strong when you mean избалован/испорчен.

Originally Posted by kwatts59

Это - трудный как кожа

А в каком контексте?

Can you say "Жизнь трудный" instead of "Жизнь тяжела"?

Жизнь - она - женский род, т.е. жизнь трудна/-ая. Да, так можно сказать.

How do you say "he is spoiled" as in "he gets everything he wants and if he doesn't, he will throw a major temper tantrum"
I think "Он избалован/испорчен" means "he is a bad person".

Он капризен/капризный - if you mean "he is capricious".

How do you tranlate this song into English?

Знаю, сегодня в вагон мой войдешь,
I know, today you'll come into my railway car,
Бахнешь в тамбуре тихо дверкой.
You'll make silent bang (really i even don't know how it could be ) with a door in the тамбур - i don't know the appropriate term, this is a place between cars, look here http://promzona.myhome.ru/sites/trainsi ... tambur.jpg
И меня при всех назовешь
And you'll call me in all presence
Своей маленькой Веркой
My little Verka - I think this is a hint at an old stupied after-perestroika's movie "Маленькая Вера".

Can I put in my two cents?

Originally Posted by DenisM

he lies, cheats and steals
Он врет, обманывает и крадет

I'd say "ворует". Maybe it's only me but "ворует" sounds way better here

I do not like to show off
Он не любит хвастаться/пускать пыль в глаза

Я не люблю...

we will all eventually die
Мы все когда-нибудь умрем

I think it's - мы все, в конце концов, умрём
Мы все когда-нибудь умрём = we will all die one day
It's almost the same though :)

I pray to God every night
Я молюсь Богу каждый день

...каждую ночь

we live in heaven
Мы живем в небесах

на небесах

Originally Posted by alexei

Can I put in my two cents?

Originally Posted by DenisM

he lies, cheats and steals
Он врет, обманывает и крадет

I'd say "ворует". Maybe it's only me but "ворует" sounds way better here

I agree too. I think "крадёт" mostly requires an object that is being stolen.

Originally Posted by alexei

we live in heaven
Мы живем в небесах

на небесах

I just thought, it sounds pretty weird. I mean, it's ok when for instance one angel says it to other one. But for people it's probably better to say "мы живём (как) в раю".

Originally Posted by JJ

Originally Posted by kwatts59

Это - трудный как кожа

А в каком контексте?

I am eating a steak dinner and the meat is really tough.
Or I am trying to cut some fabric and the fabric will not give.
This is tough as leather.

As opposed to "He has tough skin" meaning that he can be slapped around and not get hurt.

Originally Posted by JJ

...
Бахнешь в тамбуре тихо дверкой.
You'll make silent bang (really i even don't know how it could be ) with a door in the тамбур - i don't know the appropriate term, this is a place between cars, look here http://promzona.myhome.ru/sites/trainsi ... tambur.jpg
...

Maybe it'll be better to translate it as:
You'll softly bang with a door in a <railway car's> platform.

Originally Posted by Friendy

Originally Posted by kwatts59

How do you say in Russian:
this is tough as leather
Это - трудный как кожа

Such expressions are not translated literally. When you say "tough" about "кожа" it's translated as "крепкая", "прочная" or "жесткая" but never as "трудная".
...

Here is my non-literal translation of this phrase:
this is tough as leather
Это тебе не мелочь по карманам тырить! (с)

Originally Posted by alexei

...

I pray to God every night
Я молюсь Богу каждый день

...каждую ночь

Literally - yes but I think it will sound more naturally with a 'day' ( meaning 'сутки')

Originally Posted by alexei

we live in heaven
Мы живем в небесах

на небесах

I don't see any difference in meaning, do you?

Originally Posted by Friendy

Originally Posted by alexei

Can I put in my two cents?

Originally Posted by DenisM

he lies, cheats and steals
Он врет, обманывает и крадет

I'd say "ворует". Maybe it's only me but "ворует" sounds way better here

I agree too. I think "крадёт" mostly requires an object that is being stolen.

Yeah, you're right, ворует is better in this context.

Originally Posted by kwatts59

I am eating a steak dinner and the meat is really tough.
Or I am trying to cut some fabric and the fabric will not give.
This is tough as leather.

Мясо жёсткое как подмётка/подошва/резина. Насчёт материала я не слышал подобного выражения.

As opposed to "He has tough skin" meaning that he can be slapped around and not get hurt.

Он толстокожий.

Originally Posted by DenisM

Originally Posted by alexei

I pray to God every night
Я молюсь Богу каждый день

...каждую ночь

Literally - yes but I think it will sound more naturally with a 'day' ( meaning 'сутки')

I think if he wanted to say that he prayed on a daily basis he would write "I pray to God every day". But since he wrote "every night", he meant just "night". kwatts59, didn't you?

Originally Posted by alexei

[quote:rpfwmhje]we live in heaven
Мы живем в небесах

на небесах

I don't see any difference in meaning, do you?[/quote:rpfwmhje]
Not a different meaning, just a different preposition. "в" looks wrong here to me.

Originally Posted by alexei

I think if he wanted to say that he prayed on a daily basis he would write "I pray to God every day". But since he wrote "every night", he meant just "night". kwatts59, didn't you?

Я хотел сказать "каждую ночь", но если я молюсь каждую ночь, тогда я также молюсь каждый день.
Все же, я понимаю оба.
Очень спасибо за помощь.

Originally Posted by kwatts59

Originally Posted by alexei

I think if he wanted to say that he prayed on a daily basis he would write "I pray to God every day". But since he wrote "every night", he meant just "night". kwatts59, didn't you?

Я хотел сказать "каждую ночь", но если я молюсь каждую ночь, тогда я также молюсь каждый день.
Все же, я понимаю оба.
Очень спасибо за помощь. :D

No problem :)
I meant that if you didn't mean just "night", you'd say "every day".
Like "I go to work every night", yeah it implys that I go there every day but it also shows what time I go to work.

PS: not "очень" but "большое".