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Thread: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

  1. #21
    Hanna
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Стоять над душой у кого-либо.

    Is this what it means?


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    Завсегдатай Ramil's Avatar
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    This is just one particular case. It's more like when you do something and someone stands behind your back and keeps watching you work and inserting 'clever' remarks or hurrying you up.
    Send me a PM if you need me.

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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Quote Originally Posted by Johanna
    Is this what it means?
    To me, not at all. Not even a "particular case".
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    This is just one particular case. It's more like when you do something and someone stands behind your back and keeps watching you work and inserting 'clever' remarks or hurrying you up.
    Hmmm... perhaps to be (or "to act like") a backseat driver would be a good English equivalent. Literally it refers to a passenger in a car who's sitting behind the driver and always offering "helpful" advice and criticism as though he's an instructor in a driving school: "You're going too fast! Now you're going too slow! Don't forget to use your turn-signal! You're too close to the car in front of you! You could pass that other guy now -- why don't you pass him? You know, it's starting to get dark -- you should turn on your headlights! " (etc.)

    Metaphorically, anyone who is "standing behind your back and watching you work", as Ramil describes, could be told: "Dammit, I wish you'd stop being a backseat driver!" Of course, sometimes you can't say this aloud, but you can THINK it!
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    In order to be a backseat driver one needs to talk, and the talking is supposed (by backseat drivers themselves) to be helpful.

    People who стоят над душой do not need to talk at all, or they may say things like "are you sure?" or "hurry up" etc. It's something that bosses often do when they are worried about work you are doing (in my experience ).

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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Quote Originally Posted by E-learner
    People who стоят над душой do not need to talk at all, or they may say things like "are you sure?" or "hurry up" etc. It's something that bosses often do when they are worried about work you are doing (in my experience ).
    Exactly.
    Often it's just a silent and opressive presense. It can be an impatient boss who's checking on your progress every 3 minutes, or just a curious bystander, who's standing right behind your shoulder and watching you. God, it's annoying.

    Что значит "стоять над душой"?
    http://otvet.mail.ru/question/10737067/

    PS. I had a boss who liked to "стоять над душой". He appeared behind your back a few times a day, and was just standing there looking into your monitor to see what you were doing, occasionally asking "How is it going?", "When will you finish?" or "???", "...", "Hmmm" and making other unintelligable sounds. It was a nightmare.

  7. #27
    Завсегдатай Basil77's Avatar
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Quote Originally Posted by Basil77
    Quote Originally Posted by Throbert McGee
    Drunkenness reveals what soberness conceals (In vino veritas) - Что у трезвого на уме, то у пьяного на языке
    We Russians apply another meaning to this latin proverb: Истина в вине - Drinking is a true thing.
    If you stop and think about that you will see that the meaning is still the same - In wine the truth is. A drunken man unfastens his tongue and reveals the truths he would otherwise have preferred to conceal.
    I was shocked a little then I get that In vino veritas = Что у трезвого на у ме, то у пьяного на языке reading Throbert's post. I never put a parallel betwen these proverbs. And I always translated In vino veritas as Drinking is only true way of life
    Please, correct my mistakes, except for the cases I misspell something on purpose!

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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Quote Originally Posted by Basil77
    I was shocked a little then I get that In vino veritas = Что у трезвого на у ме, то у пьяного на языке reading Throbert's post. I never put a parallel betwen these proverbs. And I always translated In vino veritas as Drinking is only true way of life
    I always thought that it meant: "You'll find a truth in vine", which was open for interpretation, really.
    Probably the strongest association was that it can help to open one's mind or to see the true meaning of things. :"": (but not in the "make it your way of life" sense, more like 'vine is a last resort of a confused person").

    In fact, it was on of these ambigous sayings that you never knew what to make of.

  9. #29
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Quote Originally Posted by gRomoZeka
    I always thought that it meant: "You'll find a truth in vine"
    As a former student of Latin, I promise you that In vino veritas means: "If you want a man to speak 100% honestly, get him stinkin' drunk."

    But by the way, вино is "wine". A "vine" is a long, climbing, rope-like plant that Tarzan swings on. (My translation dictionary says that "vine" = лоза -- I guess that лоза is related to лезть, and basically means "climber"?)
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Quote Originally Posted by Throbert McGee
    As a former student of Latin, I promise you that In vino veritas means: "If you want a man to speak 100% honestly, get him stinkin' drunk."
    I didn't mean that you were wrong. I just told about thoughts that I had.

    BTW, most Russians know this phrase due to Blok's poem "Stranger". No wonder many of them got confused (nothing in the poem points to connection betwen drunkness and honesty). An extract:

    А рядом у соседних столиков
    Лакеи сонные торчат,
    И пьяницы с глазами кроликов
    «In vino veritas!» кричат.
    [...]
    В моей душе лежит сокровище,
    И ключ поручен только мне!
    Ты право, пьяное чудовище!
    Я знаю: истина в вине.

    Full poem is here: http://www.staratel.com/poems/begXX/block/neznakom.htm

    But by the way, вино is "wine". A "vine"..
    Упс. Спасибо. )))

  11. #31
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-анг..

    Quote Originally Posted by Throbert McGee
    I guess that лоза is related to лезть, and basically means "climber"?)
    Maybe they are related, but "лоза" means "vine" and nothing more.
    Please, correct my mistakes, except for the cases I misspell something on purpose!

  12. #32
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-а

    when pigs fly - когда рак на горе свистнет
    Явно нерусская женщина наблюдала за горящей избой, когда её сбил конь.

  13. #33
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-а

    Quote Originally Posted by gRomoZeka
    "The pot calling the kettle black"
    Yeah, I've heard this one many times.
    In Russian we say "Чья бы корова мычала, а твоя бы молчала" (Whoever's cow is mooing, yours is better to stay silent"). Often it's shortened to "Чья бы корова мычала..."
    This expression is rather childish and is not recommended to use in a serious discussion.
    I like it. But I don't use it. Or only use it about myself with the meaning "I can't talk". Because, yeah, it may sound a bit rude, though if used among friends and jokingly/ironically, it's probably ok.

    I think these are synonyms for "the pot calling the kettle black":

    look who's talking
    you/I can't talk (example from Harry Potter-1, ch. 6: "Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron [about Neville complaining that he'd lost his toad]. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."
    you're a fine one to talk
    that's rich, coming from you

    What about the Russian "В чужом глазу соломинка видна, в своём не замечаем и бревна". Is it equivalent to "the pot calling..." or different?

    Quote Originally Posted by Johanna
    Стоять над душой у кого-либо.
    Is this what it means?
    I'd say it's an exaggerated example of "пилить (кого-либо)" (to nag).

    Quote Originally Posted by Anastasia Sh.
    when pigs fly - когда рак на горе свистнет
    Uh-huh, good one.

    More proverbs:

    one man's meat is another man's poison -- что русскому хорошо, то немцу смерть
    out of the mouths of babes -- устами младенца глаголит истина (I believe there was a tv program with that name in the 90s!)
    people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones -- не руби сук, на котором сидишь
    it never rains but it pours -- пришла беда, отворяй ворота
    you reap what you sow -- что посеешь, то и пожнёшь
    there is no smoke without fire -- нет дыма без огня
    strike while the iron is hot -- куй железо пока горячо
    the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence -- там хорошо, где нас нет
    Alice: One can't believe impossible things.
    The Queen: I dare say you haven't had much practice. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

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    Завсегдатай Basil77's Avatar
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    Re: Proverbs in Russian & English -- Послов по-русски и по-а

    Quote Originally Posted by starrysky
    "В чужом глазу соломинка видна, в своём не замечаем и бревна".
    Interesting, I never heard the rhyme version of this proverb. Besides, it's more common to say "соринка" instead "соломинка", it makes a little more sence.
    Please, correct my mistakes, except for the cases I misspell something on purpose!

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