Thread: Help with translation for Youtube

Can someone help me translate this description of a video I am posting on Youtube?

INTA - TV commercial

This is a television commercial which I wrote in the Soviet Union in 1991. It aired in Leningrad, and was one of the first advertisements on television in the old USSR. Directed by Кирилл Мосолов.

For those who don't know Russian, the commercial is for a product called "INTA" - a device which can locate pressure points on people. The woman in the commercial is complaining that she has been coo
king and cleaning all day, while her husband has been sitting around watching hockey. She is so mad that even the cat is scared - and she has a horrible headache! But her wise and gentlemanly husband knows just what to do. He grabs the INTA device, gives her a loving massage, and peace returns to their home.

"ИНТА" - телевизионная реклама

Это рекламный ролик, сценарий к которому я написала в Советском Союзе в 1991 году. Он вышел в эфир в Ленинграде и был одним из первых телевизионных рекламных роликов в позднем СССР. Режиссёр - Кирилл Мосолов.

Для тех, кто не знает русского (английского), это реклама для изделия под названием "ИНТА" - устройства, которое может обнаруживать у людей акупунктурные точки. Женщина в ролике жалуется, что она готовила и убиралась целый день, пока её муж сидел и смотрел хоккей. Она настолько раздосадована, что даже кошка испугалась. А еще у женщины ужасная головная боль! Но её умнейший муж-джентльмен знает, что надо делать. Он хватает устройство "ИНТА", делает жене нежный массаж, и спокойствие возвращается в их дом.

Это рекламный ролик, который я написала в Советском Союзе в 1991 году. Его крутили на одном из ленинградских телеканалов, и он был одним из первых рекламных роликов в бывшем СССР. Режиссер - Кирилл Мосолов.

Для тех, кто не знает русский, скажу, что в нем рекламируется прибор под названием “ИНТА”, который может обнаруживать акупунктурные точки. Женщина в ролике жалуется, что она готовила и убирала целый день, в то время как ее муж смотрел хоккей. Она так кричит, что даже кошка испугалась. К тому же у нее ужасно болит голова. Но ее умный муж знает, что надо делать. Он берет прибор “ИНТА” и, как подобает джентльмену, делает жене специальный массаж с его помощью. Мир и спокойствие возвращаются в их дом.

It's interesting to compare your translations They both say exactly thew same thing, but differently!

THANK YOU BOTH!!

Короче, жена весь день пахала по дому и в конце намекнула мужу, что было бы неплохо сделать ей внутренний массажик (кот подтвердит). Но поскольку шёл финал по хоккею, ей пришлось довольствоваться наружным суррогатным вариантом, типа там "акупунктурные точки и бла-бла-бла". И это она ещё хорошо отделалась!

Originally Posted by Aurelian

Короче, жена весь день пахала по дому и в конце намекнула мужу, что было бы неплохо сделать ей внутренний массажик (кот подтвердит). Но поскольку шёл финал по хоккею, ей пришлось довольствоваться наружным суррогатным вариантом, типа там "акупунктурные точки и бла-бла-бла". И это она ещё хорошо отделалась!

LOL ну, наверное да...
Но ты убыл мою последнюю надежду!

Originally Posted by Deborski

It's interesting to compare your translations They both say exactly thew same thing, but differently!

Mine is more literal, if you want to know the difference. I always translate very close to the original.

Originally Posted by Paul G.

Mine is more literal, if you want to know the difference.

I do respect near translations. I must admit that mine is less literal and I had some reasons for that.

1. I suppose that Deb only wrote the scenario and she wasn’t the cameraman. That’s why I left the word scenario out. I did it for the sake of simplicity and compactness. I’m ready to correct my version if she was the one who personally was operating the camera.

2. I doubt that there is such a notion as "поздний СССР". I suppose that Deb used the word "old" meaning "former". I’m also ready to do the correction if that was not her meaning.

3. I think that "вышел в эфир" sounds a bit too pompous for a one minute commercial. For me, the expression is more appropriate for bigger projects such as programs or concerts. That’s why I also used the word "крутили" supposing that the video was aired not once, but many times as it is usually is with commercials.

4. I also think that explaining the content of the video to those who don’t know Russian in the Russian language doesn’t make much sense. That’s why I left out "For those who don't know Russian". Though it could make more sense if I have put it like, "For those who don’t know Russian well", but it was not the original meaning.

5. I called the product "прибор" because "изделие" sounds too formal for me in this context. Besides, the word "изделие" is too general and doesn’t specify INTA adequately. Women’s stockings, vodka and barrels can be called "изделие", too. That’s why I chose to specify the device calling it "прибор". The more so on hearing your "изделие" I immediately remembered the soviet time cliché "изделие №2" that meant "a condom". As it is well known a gas respirator was called "изделие №1".

6. I took it for granted that the device was designed for locating pressure points on people and not on animals. That’s why I omitted "on people".

7. I consider the word "убираться" instead of "убирать" to be old fashioned.

8. I omitted the word "сидел" just to make the translation more compact. It doesn’t add anything to the text in the terms of content or style.

9. I used the word "кричит" in order to explain the cat’s behaviour. The woman’s being only "раздосадована" wouldn’t affect the cat in any way let alone the fact this word doesn’t correspond to the original meaning "mad".

10. "А еще" sounds too colloquial for me in this context. That’s why I used "К тому же".

11. On the contrary I chose to use а simpler and more common expession "у нее болит голова" instead of "у нее головная боль" which makes me feel I’m reading a medical history.

12. Her husband was obviously not the cleverest ("умнейший") of all husbands. If he were the one he wouldn’t make his wife suffer from the injustice. That’s why I described him with the word "умный". The more that corresponds more to Deb’s meaning.

13. Do you really think her husband was a gentleman? Perhaps he was, but I personally can’t see that. He only had enough conscience to try healing her headache, nothing more reveals a gentleman in him. That’s why I use "как подобает джентльмену". It sounds ironically and corresponds to the original meaning.

14. He didn’t "схватил" (catch) the device. He took it pretty delicately.

15. When I hear the word "нежный" as a description of a massage I always imagine something erotic. I can’t see nothing of that kind on the screen. He might have proceeded with that but the video makes no hint at that. Though, possibly, you are calling the massage "нежный" just because he didn’t hurt her applying the device to her face?

I always translate very close to the original.

I doubt it’s always best.

I do realize that this explanation of my version may seem too punctilious. Yet I pray to God almighty that it won’t seem way excessively detailed to the moderator in order not to be criticized for that. I dare think it has much to do with learning foreign languages and I do hope that it won’t scare people from learning Russian.

Originally Posted by Lena

I do realize that this explanation of my version may seem too punctilious. Yet I pray to God almighty that it won’t seem way excessively detailed to the moderator in order not to be criticized for that. I dare think it has much to do with learning foreign languages and I do hope that it won’t scare people from learning Russian.

I am already scared!!!!!

Originally Posted by Deborski

I am already scared!!!!!

Sorry, Deb, I was not going to do that until I heard that a more literal translation is a better translation. At least I thought that was Paul’s meaning. I just didn’t want your video to be accompanied with an illiterate text.

Sorry for having scared you. I’m ready to recant my statements to make you stay here.

Originally Posted by Lena

I’m ready to recant my statements to make you stay here.

And yet it moves.

Oh, Lena, I was just teasing Pasha!!! And I mean that you are strong and he had better not mess with you, because you are even stronger than me!

Please do not be offended by it. I won't call you a "feminist" if you don't like it but I think "feminist" has been demonized in Russia as much as "communist" has been in the US! And NO, I'm not calling anyone a "communist" either!!!!

Can we all just get along?

Feminism: (noun) Definition: The radical idea that women are people.

Originally Posted by Deborski

Oh, Lena, I was just teasing Pasha!!! And I mean that you are strong and he had better not mess with you, because you are even stronger than me!

Please do not be offended by it. I won't call you a "feminist" if you don't like it but I think "feminist" has been demonized in Russia as much as "communist" has been in the US! And NO, I'm not calling anyone a "communist" either!!!!

Can we all just get along?

You needn’t even have bothered writing that, Deb. I got your meaning as soon as I heard “Kalashnikov”. I guess I feel you much better than you think I do. Perhaps the contrary is true to life, too. The more I wouldn’t care a bit if anybody called me a feminist. Anyone has the right to have their points of view. I am always trying to judge a person by their deeds and not by their thoughts. Besides, a feminist is not a fashist. Being a feminist is just having a funny point of view, nothing more.

I’ll tell you more, I wasn’t really offended by Paul’s words no matter how strange it may sound. I cannot even imagine that a stranger’s words in this virtual world could offend me. Not that with close friends and relatives, though. I just told Paul that he should have guts to tell a person what he really thinks to their face and not behind their back. I wish you could feel how calm and indifferent I really am. I'm not angry with anyone. I just have a thing on disputing.

Thank you for your encouraging words, Deb. We do need to be strong in life.

To me, all "feminist" means is that women are people. LOL What is silly about that?

Originally Posted by Deborski

To me, all "feminist" means is that women are people. LOL What is silly about that?

When I hear a woman called a feminist in a negative tone I always think that amazon-feminism is referred to. This theory is trying to prove women’s superiority to men. It was quite obvious to me that the word “feminist” was used in this meaning in the thread Домашние обязанности в разных странах.

Hmmm... I've never thought women are "superior" to men, or that men are "superior" to women. I don't believe that is what feminism is really about either.
I think all people have different strengths and weaknesses.
But anyway, this thread has gone so far off topic, I dunno what to call it anymore.

Did anyone even watch my silly Soviet-era commercial? LOL...

Originally Posted by Deborski

...But anyway, this thread has gone so far off topic, I dunno what to call it anymore.

Did anyone even watch my silly Soviet-era commercial? LOL...

Я посмотрела. Почему-то ты мне внешне напоминаешь эту чудесную девочку из "Outnumbered".


А оф тапик мы можем убрать.

Originally Posted by Lampada

Я посмотрела. Почему-то ты мне внешне напоминаешь эту чудесную девочку из "Outnumbered".


А оф тапик мы можем убрать.

Хехе... может быть - но она хорошо выглядет если ей тоже 47 лет!

Не, не надо. Ничего страшного.

Ooo what a story it was)
Paul, a gentleman always apologize for offending someone!Даa?
-by the way, Deb i know I'm ( sorry +Plus+ miss u so much ) -