Thread: First Translation

Alright
I've completed my rather poor attempt at translating a Russian song into English. Please don't stone me.

А Снег Идет
And It Snows

Грустим мы как котята
Мурлыкали у ног
А я в мобильном слышу длинный гудок
А что сказать не знаю
Точно может
Тебя я люблю

We mourn like a kitten
We purred by feet
And as I move, I hear the long siren
And I don’t know what to say
As though it’s able
I love you

А снег идет
Снег идет
По щекам мне бьет, бьет
Болею очень, температура
Стою и жду тебя как дура
Снежинки ртом ловила
Очень мило
Клевый вечер
Делать нечего
Там где нет тебя
А снег идет
Идет

And it snows
It snows
It hurts and hurts my cheeks (lol)
I suffer a lot, the temperature (??!)
I stand and wait for you like a fool
I tried to catch snow flakes in my mouth
Its very nice
??? evening
To do nothing
Where you are not there
And it snows
It snows

И вся ко мне дорога
Везучая? Да нет
И ты, наверно, знаешь
Грустный ответ
Но все равно смотрела
В окна, в мыслях
Увидеть меня

And every road for me
Lucky? Well no
And you probably know
The sad answer
But everthing I saw is all the same
In the windows, in my thoughts
To see me.

Oh, and corrections would most deffinately be appreciated.

Although it is strictly against my rules to so much as read these crappy songs , I'll give you a hand:

в мобильном in my cell [phone]
длинный гудок dial tone

Точно может
Тебя я люблю

Шитти Russian written by a moron, it literally means "I [definitely (?)] (or) [apparently (?)] maybe love you"

temperature (??!) fever
Клевый вечер Cool (as in excellent) evening

Делать нечего
Там где нет тебя

There is nothing to do where you are not [present]

И вся ко мне дорога Везучая? Utter nonsense, I can't translate

Но все равно смотрела
В окна, в мыслях
Увидеть меня

In spite of that I looked into the windows hoping to see you.

The end.

Now I need a minute or two to throw up, this is not a good example of Russian.

lol, thanks adoc.

I know, the songs sucks ass. I just picked something short (ish). After I listend to the song I felt like throwing up too.

Note to Self: Find better, non-crappy artist

I Think I'm going to go find one of those threads where we shared our favorite russian artists.

Везучая? Да нет

Изучена в конец

look up
Булат Окуджава
Алла Пугачёва

Since Булат wrote in the СССР, there are often hidden meanings behind the ordinary words. For example, the song about the Black Cat referencing the police.

I have another poorly translated verse from a song. Any help would be appreciated, especially tips to actually finding the meaning. Be warned, most of my translation isn't even coherent.

Миллионы китайцев верят в Христа, индусы любят и чтут Голливуд
Многие русские не терпят Москву и поэтому там живут
Мы занимаем часто не свои места, но для пятой точки так важен покой
Плевать откуда любить — с головы ли, с хвоста
Ты хороша под шубой с икрой
Я видел, как в рыбный день, билась тоска об лед
Он никогда не был в церкви на исповеди
Он знал — не влезай, наверху убьет
Они стреляли воспоминаньями, когда не хватало пуль
В нашей семье лишь тот главней всех, у кого телевизионный пульт

Millions of Chinese believe in Christ, Hindus love and honour Hollywood
Many Russians don’t suffer in Moscow and therefore they live there
We are often interested, not with our place, but for the fifth point like this important peace
It doesn’t matter where to begin making love from – either the head or the tail.
You are good under the fur coat, with your calf
I saw, like on fish day, hit boredom about ice
He was never in the center in conffession
He knows not to climb the stairs or upstairs, he’ll be killed
They shot the memories, when they couldn’t
In our family as soon as every main, who has the TV remote

Well, the first line is perfect.

Millions of Chinese believe in Christ, Hindus love and honour Hollywood
Many Russians can't stand Moscow and therefore they live there
We often take wrong <somebody else's?>places, but rest is very important for a butt
It doesn’t matter where to begin making love from – either the head or the tail.
You are good under the coat, with caviar on the side <as a name of a dish>
I saw on the fish day, boredom hit an ice
He has never gone to church for a confession
He knows not to climb the stairs, he’ll be killed at the top
They shot with the memories, when they were out of bullets
A head of our family is the person who has the TV remote[/quote]

Thank you

I was much closer than I expected. I really need some tips to make my translations more accurate. I guess that's just practice though.

In the song, why is хватать in neuter past tense? Shouldn't it be plural?

Originally Posted by Darobat

Thank you

I was much closer than I expected. I really need some tips to make my translations more accurate. I guess that's just practice though.

sure!

See: "не терпеть" something - it's a colloquialism means "can't stand" something. "Пятая точка" - is a euphemism = "a butt".

Originally Posted by Darobat

In the song, why is хватать in neuter past tense? Shouldn't it be plural?

"когда не хватало пуль" = "when there were no bullets"

There is no subject in this sentence so they use the neuter form.

I'm not sure how the last line in the song was translated to what it is. Could someone explain it to me please?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Darobat

I'm not sure how the last line in the song was translated to what it is. Could someone explain it to me please?

главный = main, principle, head, chief, senior
главней = comparitive form of главный

В нашей семье
In our family,

лишь тот
only that

главней всех,
more senior of everyone

у кого
who has

телевизионный пульт
the TV remote.

В нашей семье лишь тот главней всех, у кого телевизионный пульт
the person who is head of our family is the one who has the TV remote.

I still find that sentance rather awkward, but I think I understand it.

I have anoter part of the same song translated. I have a feeling I did better with this one, although the latter part of the 3rd line threw me off.
Мир забывает, это значит — не печалься о том
Рука дрожит и тихо плачет, вышивая крестом
Рубахой белой облака, плывут копыта комет
Я подарю тебе, мой друг, парад планет

The world is forgetting, it means not to be sad about that
The hand is trembling and quietly crying, embroidering a cross
In the white shirt of a cloud, they swim hoof comet
I bestow upon you, my friend, the parade of planets

Originally Posted by Darobat

Мир забывает, это значит — не печалься о том
Рука дрожит и тихо плачет, вышивая крестом
Рубахой белой облака, плывут копыта комет
Я подарю тебе, мой друг, парад планет

The world is forgetting, it means not to be sad about that
The hand is trembling and quietly crying, embroidering a cross
In the white shirt of a cloud, they swim hoof comet
I bestow upon you, my friend, the parade of planets

Мир забывает, это значит — не печалься о том
Рука дрожит и тихо плачет, вышивая крестом
Рубахой белой облака, плывут копыта комет
Я подарю тебе, мой друг, парад планет

The world is forgetting, it means not to be sad about that
The hand is trembling and quietly crying, embroidering a cross doing a cross-stitch work
In the white shirt of a cloud clouds like a white shirt, they swim hoof comet hooves of comets float
I bestow upon you, my friend, the parade of planets

Thanks Milayna.

When the instrumental case is used without a preposition it can mean "like"? I thought that could be translated as "as", as in "for a purpose".
Я ем лёд хоббами. - I eat ice as a hobby.

[EDIT] What does the word банный mean? I can't find it in my dictionary, and rambler.ru is no help.

Originally Posted by Darobat

[EDIT] What does the word банный mean? I can't find
it in my dictionary, and rambler.ru is no help.

According to Multitran
банный = bathing (adjective)

I have a few more verses, which don't seem very promising.

Я слышал, как в банный день террористы объявили всемирный потоп
С меня содрали три шкуры, выдали жабры и намылили зеленкой лоб
Но слава Богу и ЖЭКу, все обошлось: как всегда, не хватило воды
Но война с терроризмом сковала страну для новой, официальной беды

I heard on bathing day terrorists declared war the Flood
The stripped me down three layers, gave out gills(?) and covered me in soap from head to toe
But the glory of God and the housing office, everyone visited: as always, don’t hold water
But the War Against Terrorism forged a country for new, official trouble

Мир забывает, это проще- не печалься о том
Рука дрожит, кого-то мочит, вышивая крестом
Рубахой алой облака, плывут гранаты комет
Одену ночью на тебя свой пистолет

The world is forgetting, it is simpler, not to be sad about that
The hand is trembling, soaking somebody, cross-stiching
Clouds as a scarlett shirt, garnets of comets will float
Wearing the night over you and your pistol

A couple of very minor things.

Originally Posted by Darobat

Рубахой алой облака, плывут гранаты комет
Одену ночью на тебя свой пистолет

Clouds with scalet shirts, garnets of comets floating
During the night I wear a pistol for you.

У меня вопрос...
Фраз "Крокодил Гена и его друзья" по английски "The Gene of a Crocodile and his Friends"? или "Crocodile Gena and his Friends"?

I vote for "Crocodile Gena and his Friends"