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Thread: увольте меня

  1. #1
    Завсегдатай
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    увольте меня

    Помогите, пожалуйста, сказать по-английски: "увольте меня!" / "нет уж, увольте!", не в смысле "увольте с работы", а в смысле "пожалуйста, избавьте меня от обязанности делать это". Например:
    - Никто, кроме Вас, не сможет это сделать. Вам придётся взяться за это!
    - Увольте меня!

    Maybe it's "Please spare me"?
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

  2. #2
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    Re: увольте меня

    Quote Originally Posted by Оля
    Помогите, пожалуйста, сказать по-английски: "увольте меня!" / "нет уж, увольте!", не в смысле "увольте с работы", а в смысле "пожалуйста, избавьте меня от обязанности делать это". Например:
    - Никто, кроме Вас, не сможет это сделать. Вам придётся взяться за это!
    - Увольте меня!

    Maybe it's "Please spare me"?
    I think we'd naturally use a completely different construction, something like "please don't make me do it".

    "Please spare me" would either sound melodramatic or dismissive, depending on your tone of voice.

  3. #3
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    I see. Thanks.
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

  4. #4
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    Re: увольте меня

    Quote Originally Posted by scotcher
    "Please spare me" would either sound melodramatic or dismissive, depending on your tone of voice.
    "Please spare me" fits, because "нет уж, увольте" and "увольте меня" is pretty melodramatic and even old-fashioned if you ask me.

  5. #5
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    Fair enough. I am happy enough if I understand the literal meaning of a Russian sentence, but I'd certainly never claim to be sure of any stylistic nuance

  6. #6
    Завсегдатай chaika's Avatar
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    But "spare me" is definitely old-fashioned, and something that I would rarely say, if ever. Oh, maybe in dismissing someone I'd say, Oh really, please spare me the details.

    Howbout:
    Let me out of it [my commitment].
    What can I do to get out of this?

  7. #7
    Завсегдатай Ramil's Avatar
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    Simple 'No way' would fit, I think. 'Spare me' can be used, I suppose, but it don't reflect the newances of the Russian 'Нет уж, увольте'.

    Уволить literally (and originally) means 'to set/make free' or 'to release/to let go' (from воля = freedom and/or will) or 'to fire/to dismiss' (present and more common a meaning).
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