Thread: Вот так

Hi!

I have seen quite a funny video and there is the following sentence under it.

Вот так надо поступать с такими пассажирами.

Does it mean like this or this way?

What is the difference between sentences ->
Вот так надо поступать с такими пассажирами.
Так надо поступать с такими пассажирами.

Does it mean like this or this way?

Yes. Also can be "What a..." in "Вот так шутка!"="What a joke!"

What is the difference between sentences ->
Вот так надо поступать с такими пассажирами.
Так надо поступать с такими пассажирами.

"Так" is "like this" here or "This is how ...". "Everybody must interact with such passangers in this way/like this" or "This is how everybody must interact with such passangers".
"Вот" is some kind of slight enforcer here. Something like "here it is: ..." - you point on something - "Here it is how everybody must interact with such passangers".

Вот так is translated as "That's how it is" here:
Kukushka (Кукушка) lyrics + English translation
This is a great page, btw, since not only does it provide the lyrics to the song in Russian and an English translation, but the YouTube video for the song is also embedded there. That way you can listen to the song and read the lyrics at the same time.

Originally Posted by bobert

Kukushka (Кукушка) lyrics + English translation

This is not ideal translation. I do not know about english traditon, but in russian repetative cuckoo calls are subject of "mini-game". If you hear cuckoo calls you jokingly ask "tell me, cuckoo, how many years will I live?" and begin to count.
So, in song it is metaphor of fortune-teller about life and death. This is why translation "Where should I live, in the city or outside" is wrong. He doesn't ask for advice, but ask about prediction of future: "Where will I live? In the city (good) or in the poor settlement (bad)?"

http://masterrussian.net/f52/%D1%81%...tml#post273307

Originally Posted by Alex80

This is not ideal translation. I do not know about english traditon, but in russian repetative cuckoo calls are subject of "mini-game". If you hear cuckoo calls you jokingly ask "tell me, cuckoo, how many years will I live?" and begin to count.
So, in song it is metaphor of fortune-teller about life and death. This is why translation "Where should I live, in the city or outside" is wrong. He doesn't ask for advice, but ask about prediction of future: "Where will I live? In the city (good) or in the poor settlement (bad)?"

Interesting! In English, the word "cuckoo" (onomatopoeia from the sound of the bird's cry) is etymologically connected with "cuckoldry," meaning "прелюбодеяние замуженей женщины с мужским любовником, кроме мужа" ("adultery between a married woman and a male lover who's not her husband"). Of course, this comes from the "nest-parasitism" of cuckoos.

PS. In the Old Testament, the word "adultery" is basically an exact synonym for English "cuckoldry" -- in other words, it's not "adultery" -- at least, not by the strict definitions of Книга Левита -- if a married man takes a mistress; nor if a married man takes a male lover (a sin that is punishable as "sodomy," but not "adultery"!); nor if a married woman takes a lesbian girlfriend.

One more example (free translation of Wizard of Oz):

Но тут случилась удивительная вещь. Странный человек, резко оттолкнувшись от земли, подпрыгнул в воздух, как резиновый мяч, и с лёту ударил Страшилу в грудь головой и сильными кулаками. Страшила, кувыркаясь, полетел к подножию горы, а человечек, ловко став на ноги, захохотал и крикнул:

– А-ля-ля! Вот как это делается у нас, Марранов.

вот как = вот так, imho (stress is shifted, as indicated by bold style)

About кукушка's, joke by Ural'skiye Pel'meni:

- Кукушка-кукушка, сколько мне жить?
- Куку.
(пауза)
- Совсем обленилась! В прошлом года два раза куканула!