Thread: Just a word (name) for translation

Hello everybody. I just need a good translation of the name Воробей
The online translators give it as Sparrow. But what western name is identical to that word?

Thanks in advance.

Воробей looks like a surname or nickname (not a given name), so Sparrow is the best possible translation.

Sparrow!
I have never seen it in literature used as a name!

Jack Sparrow

Originally Posted by Milanya

Jack Sparrow

Milanya, no, I am not referring to Johnny Deep's character.

Thans Antonio and RedFox for your answers.

We can take for instance the name Дятлов - Most online translators will give you Woodpecker. But westernizing the word, it is Dyatlov.
I think i'd made a little mistake, the name in question is not Воробей, but Воробьев wich can be translated as Vorobyev, isn't it?

We can take for instance the name Дятлов - Most online translators will give you Woodpecker.

I am afraid that only machine translators will do that. Do not trust this kind of translation. Human translators should (and probably do) know better.

Originally Posted by jgonc

but Воробьев wich can be translated as Vorobyev, isn't it?

As a rule, proper names are not translated (with a few exceptions). Воробьев can be TRANSLITERATED as Vorobyev.
USG Transliteration System for Russian

See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voroby...oscow_Metro%29

Originally Posted by maxmixiv

See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voroby...oscow_Metro%29

Good one maxmixiv.
Sparrow Hills

Milanya: I cannot afford hiring a human translator and I know better that those online translators are far from being reliable. But what I translate in those online machines is only for my information and does not goes by into professional matters.

Thank you everyone.

Originally Posted by jgonc

Milanya: I cannot afford hiring a human translator and I know better that those online translators are far from being reliable.

Спрашивайте на форумах, это бесплатно. Только старайтесь формулировать вопрос так, чтоб вас можно было понять.

Hello everybody. I just need a good translation of the name Воробей

Понять из этого вопроса, что вас интересует как, по-английски фамилия Воробьёв, таки достаточно трудно. Кроме того, вы разместили свой вопрос в отделе Learning Russian Language, а не в отделе English for Russians - Изучаем английский язык. Это намеренно?

Originally Posted by Milanya

Спрашивайте на форумах, это бесплатно. Только старайтесь формулировать вопрос так, чтоб вас можно было понять.

Понять из этого вопроса, что вас интересует как, по-английски фамилия Воробьёв, таки достаточно трудно. Кроме того, вы разместили свой вопрос в отделе Learning Russian Language, а не в отделе English for Russians - Изучаем английский язык. Это намеренно?

Непреднамеренным. Milanya, я не русский. Я также говорить и писать это плохо. Какой форум, затем?

Milanya, я не русский.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought that Воробьёв was your last name. I have real trouble imagining somebody with the last name Воробьёв not knowing Russian. Please accept my profound apologies.

Originally Posted by jgonc

Milanya, no, I am not referring to Johnny Deep's character.

Thans Antonio and RedFox for your answers.

We can take for instance the name Дятлов - Most online translators will give you Woodpecker. But westernizing the word, it is Dyatlov.
I think i'd made a little mistake, the name in question is not Воробей, but Воробьев wich can be translated as Vorobyev, isn't it?

A surname can be Воробей.

Vorobey
Vorobyov

The Russian Википедия article about "sparrows" has this interesting tidbit:

Во многих регионах России (Подмосковье, Кубань и др.) сохранились предания о том, почему воробей передвигается скачками, а не ходит, как голуби и вороны. Согласно поверьям, воробей своим чириканьем выдал сокрытого от преследователей Иисуса Христа, затем таскал гвозди, которыми распинали Христа, затем чирикал, подавая знак, что Христос ещё жив и можно продолжать мучения. В наказание за это Господь связал ему лапки невидимыми путами.

My translation:

"In many regions of Russia (the Moscow area, Kuban, and others) there are folktales about why the sparrow moves along in hops, instead of walking like pigeons and crows. According to legends, when Jesus was hiding from his persecutors, the sparrow gave Christ away by its chirping -- in addition to which, sparrows carried the nails used for the Crucifixion -- and THEN the sparrows let everyone know by their chirping that Christ was still alive, so that his suffering could continue! As punishment for this, the Lord tied the sparrow's feet together by some invisible fetters/hobbles."

Oh, those naughty little birds!

P.S. My logical guess would be that the воробей has this rather monstrous reputation because sparrows like to steal seeds that farmers have planted. In contrast, the ласточка ("swallow") has positive associations because it mostly eats insects (including harmful ones), not seeds.

P.P.S. I've been told that real Russian surnames like Воробьёв, Медведев, Тараканов, and so forth, probably derived from nicknames given to some peasant great-great-great-great-grandfather who was humorously called "Sparrow," "Bear," or "Cockroach" by his neighbors. Thus, Воробьёв signifies "descended from a medieval ancestor who was nicknamed 'the sparrow'."

As opposed to purely patronymic surnames like Павлов (originally "son of Pavel"), or occupational surnames like Кузнецов ("the blacksmith's son"), etc.