Thread: Trying to translate a novel.

[quote=translations.nm.ru]

Originally Posted by "Аллан":227nmmpd

Много слов:

Come on, just 2 words. It is not that many [/quote:227nmmpd]

Да, я знаю. Я буду составлять большой список в следующий раз.

Фиглярствовать - вести себя как фигляр (clown, poseur, buffoon)

...

обер-полицеймейстер - ... Before 1905, the chief of the Moscow police force.

In SPB, the head of the city police was called "генерал-полицеймейстер", and in smoller towns - just "полицеймейстер".

Спасибо!

пусть с младых ногтей приучается к аккуратности, сам потом спасибо скажет. == "even if with the small finger nail training to perfection, itself then says thank you."

Что это значит?




стальным пером калякать, и это высокому-то начальству. == "steel pen chatter, and this to high command."

Я не думаю это прав.

Originally Posted by Аллан

пусть с младых ногтей приучается к аккуратности, сам потом спасибо скажет. == "even if with the small finger nail training to perfection, itself then says thank you."

First of all, there is no "even if" in Russian .
"Пусть" here means "let" like in "let him do it"
"с младых ногтей" means "since young age"
"аккуратность" here is neatness rather then perfection.
"Сам" refers to Fandorin and means "he himself".

The entire sentence means something like that: "Let him learn to be neat while he is (still) young, he himself will be grateful later" .

стальным пером калякать, и это высокому-то начальству. == "steel pen chatter, and this to high command."

"калякать" here means "to scribble"

"scribbling with a steel pen, and to a [i]high superior[/quote]"

Of course, the Russian doesn't have the italics, but it contains the emphatic construction "это + some word + -то". You can try and find some other way to render this emphasis.

I think 'and this to..' was a perfect way of rendering emphasis. Another way would be: 'and to a high superior, no less' or 'and what's more, to a high superior'.

Just a thought, not really sure of course.

Спасибо, translate и waxwing.

(Как сказать "puzzler"?)

My current puzzlers:

"Надежнейшие" - Я знаю это значит trustworthy/reliable; но эта какая форма?

"изволь из родных" - ??? from parents

"одночасье" - "in that hour" "during a singular hour"
Я вижу "one" и "hour", но я не знаю как читать это слово.

И эта фраза права:
"Его превосходительство сами при императоре Николае Павловиче взрастали, порядок и чинопочитание понимают." - "His masters under the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich nurtured order and the respect for rank they understand."

Originally Posted by Аллан

(Как сказать "puzzler"?)

puzzler - головоломка it's a literal translation, but it is used figuratively also.
you can also say: задача or проблема but головоломка is more lively

My current puzzlers:

Мои текущие (настоящие) головоломки:

"Надежнейшие" - Я знаю это значит trustworthy/reliable; но эта какая форма?

it's superlative (the most reliable)

"изволь из родных" - ??? from parents

need context here

"одночасье" - "in that hour" "during a singular hour"
Я вижу "one" и "hour", но я не знаю как читать это слово.

It's idiomatic, means "very quickly".

И эта фраза права:

не "права", а "правильна"

"Его превосходительство сами при императоре Николае Павловиче взрастали, порядок и чинопочитание понимают." - "His masters under the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich nurtured order and the respect for rank they understand."

Not quite, I think. I'd say: His Excellence was brought up under the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich …

Спасибо!

[quote:ubkz23iu]"изволь из родных" - ??? from parents

need context here [/quote:ubkz23iu]
"..., а вместо этого - изволь из родных стен на улицу, ..."
..., but instead of this - ??? from parents camping on the street, ..."

[quote:ubkz23iu]"Его превосходительство сами при императоре Николае Павловиче взрастали, порядок и чинопочитание понимают." - "His masters under the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich nurtured order and the respect for rank they understand."

Not quite, I think. I'd say: His Excellence was brought up under the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich …[/quote:ubkz23iu]

Ah, so it would be: "His Excellence was brought up under the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich who nurtured order and the respect for rank they understand."

Originally Posted by Аллан

..., а вместо этого - изволь из родных стен на улицу, ..."
..., but instead of this - ??? from parents camping on the street, ..."."

..., but instead of this - please be so kind get out of your native home to the street

Ah, so it would be: "His Excellence was brought up under the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich who nurtured order and the respect for rank they understand."

No.
His Excellence was brought up under the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich and so he (His Excellence) understands the order and the respect for rank.

Спасибо!