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Thread: russian to english transition

  1. #1
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    russian to english transition

    could someone please help me out with the meaning of Ne syd'ba

  2. #2
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    It is used when someone has no luck to do something and continuosly fails without hope of success. "You're not fated"

    Or when someone is going to do something but suddenly discovers that because of something he won't manage.
    -- Да? Коту Ваське, бл##?
    -- Нет, Я кот Васька :-/

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    Moderator Lampada's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors
    It is used when someone has no luck to do something and continuosly fails without hope of success. "You're not fated"
    Or when someone is going to do something but suddenly discovers that because of something he won't manage.
    Or "It's not meant to be."
    "...Важно, чтобы форум оставался местом, объединяющим людей, для которых интересны русский язык и культура. ..." - MasterАdmin (из переписки)



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    What has this got to do with pronunciation of accent.
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    Moderator Lampada's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TATY
    What has this got to do with pronunciation of accent.
    Ничего.
    "...Важно, чтобы форум оставался местом, объединяющим людей, для которых интересны русский язык и культура. ..." - MasterАdmin (из переписки)



  6. #6
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    My version is just "No luck". It's as simple as the original Russian phrase.
    Единственное, что люди любят давать бесплатно - это советы.

  7. #7
    Завсегдатай Ramil's Avatar
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    No luck is an equivalent but madlex asked for meaning, so не судьба means "that is(was) not my(one's) fate".
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    No luck is an equivalent but madlex asked for meaning, so не судьба means "that is(was) not my(one's) fate".
    You can say "no luck" colloquially in English -- just not exactly in this context (more like: -Did you interview for the job? - Yeah, no luck.) . I think not "meant to be" is the best here.
    Заранее благодарю всех за исправление ошибок в моём русском.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Бармалей
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    No luck is an equivalent but madlex asked for meaning, so не судьба means "that is(was) not my(one's) fate".
    You can say "no luck" colloquially in English -- just not exactly in this context (more like: -Did you interview for the job? - Yeah, no luck.) . I think not "meant to be" is the best here.
    They're interchangeable aren't they?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by Бармалей
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    No luck is an equivalent but madlex asked for meaning, so не судьба means "that is(was) not my(one's) fate".
    You can say "no luck" colloquially in English -- just not exactly in this context (more like: -Did you interview for the job? - Yeah, no luck.) . I think not "meant to be" is the best here.
    They're interchangeable aren't they?
    I think "not meant to be" is better. Luck and fate are not the same thing.
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    Quote Originally Posted by TATY
    I think "not meant to be" is better. Luck and fate are not the same thing.
    It's the question of human beliefs
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by TATY
    I think "not meant to be" is better. Luck and fate are not the same thing.
    It's the question of human beliefs
    No. It's a question of proper English usage.
    Заранее благодарю всех за исправление ошибок в моём русском.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Бармалей
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by TATY
    I think "not meant to be" is better. Luck and fate are not the same thing.
    It's the question of human beliefs
    No. It's a question of proper English usage.
    Imagine there lives a man who worships the Goddes of Luck and believes that her whim determines his fate.
    So for him luck and fate would be the same thing.
    And there's nothing here about proper language usage. In Russian, судьба и удача are also different concepts. Or maybe not?

    P.S. Don't take it more seriously than it needs to be taken.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by Бармалей
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by TATY
    I think "not meant to be" is better. Luck and fate are not the same thing.
    It's the question of human beliefs
    No. It's a question of proper English usage.
    Imagine there lives a man who worships the Goddes of Luck and believes that her whim determines his fate.
    So for him luck and fate would be the same thing.
    And there's nothing here about proper language usage. In Russian, судьба и удача are also different concepts. Or maybe not?

    P.S. Don't take it more seriously than it needs to be taken.
    Don't worry, I won't. I didn't even bother to read the first 2/3rds of this message.
    Заранее благодарю всех за исправление ошибок в моём русском.

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    Lingvo dictionary has both variants

    http://lingvo.yandex.ru/en?text=%ED%E5+ ... 4%FC%E1%E0

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    http://masterrussian.net/mforum/viewtop ... c&start=75

    - Абрам, что такое судьба?
    - Ой, это если вы идёте по улице, и вам на голову падает кирпич!
    - А если мимо?
    - Значит, не судьба
    .
    Я так думаю.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by Бармалей
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by TATY
    I think "not meant to be" is better. Luck and fate are not the same thing.
    It's the question of human beliefs
    No. It's a question of proper English usage.
    Imagine there lives a man who worships the Goddes of Luck and believes that her whim determines his fate.
    So for him luck and fate would be the same thing.
    And there's nothing here about proper language usage. In Russian, судьба и удача are also different concepts. Or maybe not?

    P.S. Don't take it more seriously than it needs to be taken.
    In English, as I'm sure it is in Russian, "Fate" is more of a pre-determined path in life. Like from the moment we are born, or even before our whole lives are mapped out in front of us. Fate is therefore inescapable, unavoidable, unchangeable.

    "Luck" can be changed. We can do things that are lucky, to give us good luck. If you break a mirror we get seven years of bad luck. Therefore Luck and Fate are not the same.

    If someone wins the lottery and someone says "He got lucky". That's completely different from saying "It was fate that he won."
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    Quote Originally Posted by TATY
    In English, as I'm sure it is in Russian, "Fate" is more of a pre-determined path in life. Like from the moment we are born, or even before our whole lives are mapped out in front of us. Fate is therefore inescapable, unavoidable, unchangeable.

    "Luck" can be changed. We can do things that are lucky, to give us good luck. If you break a mirror we get seven years of bad luck. Therefore Luck and Fate are not the same.

    If someone wins the lottery and someone says "He got lucky". That's completely different from saying "It was fate that he won."
    We're talking philosophy here.
    That same person might say that he was born to win that lottery.

    I'm not that dumb. I know the difference between luck and fate. We don't usually put our thoughts in this way while we're saying: "Bad luck" or anything like that. Typically we pick at random any of these conversational "stamps" and let it go. So when we're discussing philosophical subjects we're making the difference, but for that same lottery talk we can say "не судьба" when we lose and nobody in his right mind would be arguing about improper language usage.
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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by TATY
    In English, as I'm sure it is in Russian, "Fate" is more of a pre-determined path in life. Like from the moment we are born, or even before our whole lives are mapped out in front of us. Fate is therefore inescapable, unavoidable, unchangeable.

    "Luck" can be changed. We can do things that are lucky, to give us good luck. If you break a mirror we get seven years of bad luck. Therefore Luck and Fate are not the same.

    If someone wins the lottery and someone says "He got lucky". That's completely different from saying "It was fate that he won."
    We're talking philosophy here.
    That same person might say that he was born to win that lottery.

    I'm not that dumb. I know the difference between luck and fate. We don't usually put our thoughts in this way while we're saying: "Bad luck" or anything like that. Typically we pick at random any of these conversational "stamps" and let it go. So when we're discussing philosophical subjects we're making the difference, but for that same lottery talk we can say "не судьба" when we lose and nobody in his right mind would be arguing about improper language usage.
    #

    Well not really. Fate and Luck, although are to do with philosophy, the basic meaning of the two are not the same.

    Yes that same person might say he was born to win the lottery. That's the point. Another will just say he got lucky. They don't mean the same thing though.

    The fact is if you look Судьба up int he dictionary you don't get luck. So when you translate it into English you should keep as close as possible to the original meaning.

    "It wasn't meant to be" is a very good translation of "Не судьба". They isn't the need for anything else.

    Say you have a couple who are in love

    They say:
    "We were destined to be together". This is fate.
    "It was luck that we got together". This is luck

    They are two completely different connotations. The latter is like they are saying "it's just chance that we got together", the first suggests predetermination (obviously more romantic as well).

    If I then translate that into another language and change destiny to luck, I will change the overall meaning of the sentence.
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    I KNOW THAT! The point is in the fact that even thought fate and luck are different concepts SOMETIMES people use them interchangeably in conversations.
    Consider:
    "Не судьба" vs "Не повезло" (They're almost absolutely interchangeable in russian in a direct speech).

    Still не судьба means that you've tried something for several times and failed. Then you say "видно, не судьба" - this means that you've tried to do smth for several times and therefore anticipate some success and in the same time you anticipate some luck in your effors but after a failure you say that your fate was not to succeed. But if you tried something once and failed you will say "Не повезло" implying that you might succeed if you try again.
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