Thread: Chapter 21 questions

Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман

--Вы не заметили, что у этого туриста была Библия в чемодане? - Aspects are OK.
--Да, заметил, но я хочу только провокационные книги. - (!) What do you mean by "провокационные книги"? The sentence sounds strange. "Хочу провокационные книги" hardly makes any sense.

I can only guess what this means because it's from a series of translation exercises without any coherent context. I didn't write them. Reading the English sentence, I can imagine a young Soviet customs agent asking his superior why he let that Western tourist through when there was a Bible in his suitcase. The boss replies that he's not concerned about Bibles, it's the "provocative books" he needs to confiscate, capitalist propaganda, maybe?

Z

Oh, well, now I get what you actually mean.

However, in the passage below

Originally Posted by zorro

--Did you notice that that tourist had a Bible in his suitcase?
--Yes, I did, but I want only provocative books.

the verb "want" is completely unusual for me. We never say it like that in Russian.

If someone says "Я хочу книги", it is literally understood as he wants some books. I mean, he wants to have them in his possession. Maybe, he wants to buy books, or wants to read them. So, the phrase e.g. "Я хочу только новые интересные книги" can be expected in a book store, or in a library etc.

That is why, the phrase you wrote in Russian

Originally Posted by zorro

--Да, заметил, но я хочу только провокационные книги.

sounds really strange. It is if he really WANTED (to have/to buy/to read) only provocative books.This verb expresses one's desire.

So, "хочу" should not be used here. Instead, it should be something like

"... но меня интересуют только провокационные книги"
"... но я ищу (искал) только провокационные книги"
"... но меня беспокоют только провокационные книги"

or probably some other versions may also work.

When you WANT something (Russian "хотеть") it is understood as "once you get what you want, it kinda makes you happy".
Now imagine that the customs agent finally finds a provocative book in someone's suitcase, and his face breaks into a smile of happiness! "Wow! I'm so glad! I've finally found it!" - and then he takes this book for himself.
Is this imaginary situation funny for you? So, you see why "хочу" in this context is completely strange for us.

BTW, I checked the English verb "to want" in an English-Russian dictionary.
It is not only translated as "хотеть". In one of its meanings it is translated to Russian as "разыскивать", as in the context of "He is wanted by the police" = "Его разыскивает полиция".
And the backwards translation of "разыскивать" from Russian to English shows up as "to look for, to search for".

Thanks Bob,

This is a problem I've run into more than once with this book. There are exercises using structures or expressions that haven't been covered in the book up to that point. Thank you for filling in the blanks.

On to chapter 22...only six more chapters to go.

Z

Originally Posted by zorro

There are exercises using structures or expressions that haven't been covered in the book up to that point.

Hmm... That may be a good reason to change the book then...

I know what you mean. But every book has it's problems; on the whole I'm satisfied and plan to finish to the end.

Z