Help for a would-be author

Hi Everybody...

I am currently working on a novel involving a Russian-based character and I have come across two complications...

1) Whether or not to have the phrases writing in the Russian alphabet or in the English alphabet.

2) I don't know any Russian whatsoever.

If there is anyone out there that can lend me a hand, I would greatly appreciate the help.

Right now, the character is somewhat flat (since he has only recently been introduced) and the phrases are pretty small...


1) I have failed.

2) Yes (I think the English version is Da, can anyone verify that?)

3) No (again, I think the English version is Nyet)

4) Death

Once again, any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I'd put them in 'english' letters, italicized, and then have translations at the bottom of the page (kinda like tom clandy does).


Da - Yes
Net - No
Smert' - death

I've failed. Dunno ... Maybe like Neudacha! or something.

And, Maybe to spice him up a little, instead of using these bland boring words like "yes, no" you could use things like "Of course!" and "Never! Not for the world!" you know ? :wink:

the plan, at least for right now, is to show him saying the phrase, following it up with him translating it for others....

as it is right now, the character, Nicholai has just been introduced and arrested, and is waiting to be interrogated by the police....

any idea where i might be able to locate the translations like i'm looking for?

peeps would do it for you here, im sure.

would begging be inapproriate?

:)

Probly not. Alot of people just post stuff on here and expect it. We'll see.

I've failed - to use Neudacha would need some verb, like 'Poterpel Neudachu' (Потерпел неудачу - literally is Experienced failure) . But I'd rather regard it as out of place in every day spoken Russian (may be I'm wrong though) .

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been introduced and arrested, and is waiting to be interrogated by the police....

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in this context I'd suggest verbs like " OblazhAlsya " (close to " to get busted" ) and few others but then you'd need to follow with street-gang slang for translation to convey the mood .

thanks, aleph and dogboy....

i'll use 'Poterpel Neudachu' for the time being, and try checking some other sources for that....

but, i do have some more requests...

1)I am from Russia. Please, call me Nich. (also, do Russians refer to Russia as Mother Russia or is that just something from the movies?)

2)Fools or I am dealing with fools (something along those lines, suggestions are welcome)

once again, any help that y'all can lend is greatly appreciated...

Thanks!

1. Я - из россии. Пожалуйста, зовите меня Нич.
2. Дураки, все дураки. (Fools, your all fools.)

I'm learning russian but I'll try the first one.

Я из россии. Пожалуйста, меня зовут Нич.
And in english, "Ya eez rossee. Pozhalooista, menya zovoot Nich."

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Originally Posted by Writer

also, do Russians refer to Russia as Mother Russia or is that just something from the movies?

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It's from the movies.

There was an patriotic expression Родина-мать used in WW2 and Россия-матушка in poetic work, and мать-сыра-земля in fairy tales. But we don't use them in everyday life.

kwatts59 have furnished the right answer.

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Originally Posted by kwatts59

1. Я - из россии. Пожалуйста, зовите меня Нич.
2. Дураки, все дураки. (Fools, your all fools.)

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do you have an English lettering equivalent for that?

I do not know how to transliterate this into English sounds but I will give it a try.

Я - из россии. Пожалуйста, зовите меня Нич.
Ya eez rossee. Pazjaluicta, zoveete menya Neech.

Дураки, все дураки.
Durakee, fsyo durakee.

и = sounds like "ee" in seed
ж = sounds something like "zj" or the "s" as in measure.

-))) It doesnt look very pretty. No offence :)

Я - из россии. Пожалуйста, зовите меня Нич.
Ya iz rossee. Pazhalsta, zovitey menya nich.

Transliterations are very tricky, because it depends on the language you are transliterating into. I don't think there are any standard ways to do it?

Дураки, все дураки.
Duraki, vse duraki

Yea, that is what i would have said too. I dont think the average american reader is too worried about soft consanants and all.

i know i'll get some odd looks for this one, but what about....

vampire

just take off the e and then italicize it.

vampir

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Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Transliterations are very tricky, because it depends on the language you are transliterating into. I don't think there are any standard ways to do it?

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Of course there are standars. For example:
"ISO Recommendation R9, International System for the Translation of Cyrillic Characters, 1st edition, October 1955"

Or did you think that the transliteration is left to the hormone level of the librarian when the Library of Congress archives a Russian book ?

[quote=Старик]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by "kalinka_vinnie":1nzads2a

Transliterations are very tricky, because it depends on the language you are transliterating into. I don't think there are any standard ways to do it?

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Of course there are standars. For example:
"ISO Recommendation R9, International System for the Translation of Cyrillic Characters, 1st edition, October 1955"

Or did you think that the transliteration is left to the hormone level of the librarian when the Library of Congress archives a Russian book ?[/quote:1nzads2a]

It's even better to use IPA. Because not all of readers are familiar with it, the IPA pronunciation guide may be added to Writer's book, as appendix ;)

It really loses a lot. Just imagine yourself reading along in english and all of a sudden the Chinese guy says @!$@%!^$#$&!%*^(&)()**)__(_(**&_(.
With an asterisk to the translation at the bottom of the page.

Same impression on anyone reading Russian characters. Just put it in English like they do in the movies.

Dogboy-- Waaa-Hooo for Tom Clandy!! (you slipped up in proofreading), but I hafta agree I've read a bunch of his bux.)