Thread: Got the lyrics, now I need help with translation,

А я уж думала клещи применять...

Originally Posted by Автобус

Where do you see it obvious that I used a translator?

It seems obvious because the process you described (mindless word by word translation) is exactly how online translator works. You'll never succeed that way (sad, but true ).

The trick is translating sentences, not words. Words DOESN'T MATTER! First, you always can look them up in the dictionary later, second, if you know HOW to translate, you'll understand the phrase even if you don't know all the words involved.

The easy way is to find the subject and the predicate of the sentence (who does what). In Russian they can "hide" anywhere, but in English you have a strict word order, so you need to analyze the sentence in Russian, and then put the words in proper "English" order.

The most simple example is "Мачо мускулы не прячут". (a) Subject (who) is "мачо", (b) predicate (what they do) is "не прячут". (c) "Мускулы" is an object.

a + b+c = Macho don't hide (their) muscles.
Your translation (Macho muscles don't hide), even if it's very close and all the words are correct, gives an impression, that we'are talking about some mutants (macho-muscles), who "don't hide".

Just read some grammar, and then practice on sentences, that have been already tranlated, comparing the Russian originals and English translations. It can be fun! Like a puzzle.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Your translation (Macho muscles don't hide), even if it's very close and all the words are correct, gives an impression, that we'are talking about some mutants (macho-muscles), who "don't hide".

ahahaha +1 . It really seems like altavista or an another translator. :P . Mutants macho-muscles would grasp our world ).

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Originally Posted by Автобус

Where do you see it obvious that I used a translator?

It seems obvious because the process you described (mindless word by word translation) is exactly how online translator works. You'll never succeed that way (sad, but true ).

The trick is translating sentences, not words. Words DOESN'T MATTER! First, you always can look them up in the dictionary later, second, if you know HOW to translate, you'll understand the phrase even if you don't know all the words involved.

The easy way is to find the subject and the predicate of the sentence (who does what). In Russian they can "hide" anywhere, but in English you have a strict word order, so you need to analyze the sentence in Russian, and then put the words in proper "English" order.

The most simple example is "Мачо мускулы не прячут". (a) Subject (who) is "мачо", (b) predicate (what they do) is "не прячут". (c) "Мускулы" is an object.

a + b+c = Macho don't hide (their) muscles.
Your translation (Macho muscles don't hide), even if it's very close and all the words are correct, gives an impression, that we'are talking about some mutants (macho-muscles), who "don't hide".

Just read some grammar, and then practice on sentences, that have been already tranlated, comparing the Russian originals and English translations. It can be fun! Like a puzzle.

I see what you are saying now. But when I was translating it, I didnt see мачо as the subject. I figured it was a borrowed word that modified мускулы so I had macho muscles don't hide. I can see how in Russian this is like your "mutant muscles" but it is fully possible in English to say that macho muscles don't hide. Also, when using Macho in English it is usually used as an adjective so that is the way I used it. But I realize that I'm translating from Russian, not from English so it is different.

Originally Posted by Автобус

I can see how in Russian this is like your "mutant muscles" but it is fully possible in English to say that macho muscles don't hide.

Really? Ok, I didn't know that.

Also the example about macho wasn't the best, because technically speaking it can be translated as "Muscles don't hide macho" (where "muscles" is a subject). "Macho" is indeclinable like many other borrowed word in neutral (i.e. ending on 'o' or 'e'), so it's impossible to identify case and that causes some confusion (in Russian cases help to understand connections between words, as you know). In cases like that you can only rely upon a context.

it is fully possible in English to say that macho muscles don't hide

Можно-то можно, но смысл будет другим.

Macho don't hide (their) muscles. - Мачо не прячут мускулы.
Macho muscles don't hide. - Мускулы мачо не прячутся.

Возможно, ты не видишь разницы из-за того, что в английском и "прятать", и "прятаться" это to hide. Но она есть. В первом случае to hide - это "to deliberately put or keep something or someone in a place where they cannot easily be seen or found", во втором - "to go or stay in a place where no one will see or find you" (приблизительно; надеюсь, вы поняли, что я имею в виду).

Причем второе лично мне вообще кажется бредом. "Твои мускулы прячутся, мои мускулы не прячутся", ну не смешно ли? Впрочем, мое мнение значения не имеет.

Нормально Macho muscles don't hide звучит по-английски или нет, неважно, смысл изменился. gRomoZeka дело говорит.

Мне тоже иногда помогал понять смысл именно грамматический разбор. Правда, предложения были немецкими.

it can be translated as "Muscles don't hide macho" (where "muscles" is a subject).

Ну, на то мозги даны, чтоб понять, какой из возможных вариантов логичен.)

Простите, я не увидел твой вопрос...

Прости or ваш. Make up your mind, you can't use formal простите with informal твой.

So either, простите... ваш or прости... твой

I knew most of the words, it was just the grammar and sentence structure that got me and I couldn't get the meaning from the sentence.

Examples:
Надо бы, ребята, чик подснять и с ними почирикать.
I translated as: Must would?, kids, chicks ??? and with them ???
because I knew Надо=must, ребята=children, чик=chicks, и с ними=with them
So since I knew 2 and 2 I tried to make 4 but I ended up making 3. The other words in it weren't in my dictionary. I had to put ??? for these and that made my translation worse.

Since when does ребята mean children? You mean Ребёнок or Дети?

Ребята = Guys, just like we say in english.
подснять is pretty self explanatory. At a glance, u know под means lift (like поднять to lift up) and снять to get, grab.

so the really only slangy word is почерикать, which is like попiздеть/побалтать (поговорить). Just hang out, talk chill, whatever.

I wouldn't assume you used a translator but I think you coulda fixed the word order at least a little bit. You looked like a not so educated Russian guy translating from Russian to English.

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Прости or ваш. Make up your mind, you can't use formal простите with informal твой.

So either, простите... ваш or прости... твой

oops

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Since when does ребята mean children? You mean Ребёнок or Дети?

Ребята = Guys, just like we say in english.

Ребята can be a plural of Ребёнок. But it is more commonly used as Guys like you said. I don't know where I got it from but somehow there it was tied to children in my head. Another oops

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

I wouldn't assume you used a translator but I think you coulda fixed the word order at least a little bit. You looked like a not so educated Russian guy translating from Russian to English.

Examples of where I could have done it better? Also, that is what I am! A not so educated person trying to translate I have only been studying Russian for 1.5 years. (In school)

And Zaya after reading what gRomoZeka said I realized that in order for Мускулы to be the subject the verb would need to be reflexive.

I was confused because Мускулы was in accusative plural which looks like Nominative plural. This made me think it was the subject because as I said before in English I think of Macho as an adjective, and since it has no declination, it wouldn't change.

Ребята can be a plural of Ребёнок.

Well sure, I'll give you that but come on... Talk about kids in a song that is mostly about boobs and butts? Didn't you know that Russia is famous for its care for children and the elderly? :P

Examples of where I could have done it better?

Well I dunno, I've been learning for 5 years so its a bit of an unfair advantage... but I dunno

У нормальных пацанов в голове одно и то же:
Every guy is thinking the same thing
Найти девчонок и устроить вечеринку,
Find chicks and start partying.
Блондинка или брюнетка - какая разница?
A blonde or a a brunette, what's the difference?

I'm not going to type it all because it would be pointless as it has already been corrected. But you just have to learn the difference between the Russian way of describing things and English. Sometimes, words or sets of words have to be omitted because they become awkward when translated.

Автобус, do you have any other song you'd like to translate?

I'm waiting for your next translation (not word by word one, but new and improved ). Also a description of the mental steps you made to translate sentences you don't fully understand could be of use. This way we can help you better.