The great thing about cliffhangers...

[alexpgp]

...is also the rotten thing about cliffhangers, at least, if you're the person responsible for resolving them.

Last week, I in effect promised readers of my LJ Idol story that I was going to come to the aid of a character who, left to his own devices (and being unconscious), would certainly come to a gruesome end without said aid.

Now, I've got to come up with something that does not involve a deus ex machina (although, to a certain extent, without adequate foreshadowing—and there certainly is a severe shortage of that commodity in my tale—that's always going to be an issue). Still, it's one thing to introduce a device that might make sense in a certain context (e.g., cylindrical bags of beans in a cellar) and quite another to lean heavily onto the deus part of the device, e.g., having an X-Wing fighter appear from the sky and strafe the stuffing out the bad guys.

I finally managed to send off the late assignment yesterday, and got two of seven late articles from the remaining late job out the door by mid-afternoon. A third is within a couple-three hours of completion, so it would appear—knock wood—that I stand a good chance of finishing the job before my stated "revised" submittal date.

I need to figure out what went wrong with these jobs. And then, I need to make sure it never happens again, because after more than 20 years of never missing a deadline, it really, really hurts to have missed two like this, as it turns my mind toward negative thoughts.

That said, tomorrow is going to be a great day!

Cheers...

Comments

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

I somehow imagine you'll resist X-wing fighters in your rescue.

Um... flat board on stairs that makes it easier to drag a heavy person up them (you slide him). How's that?

And in return, you can help me with the English-spelled versions of Russian for something like, "What do YOU want?" and "Get lost!"

As to the other thing... I imagine that in 20 years, you have not been battling cancer, some rather debilitating treatments, and unfortunate timing in your wife being out of town for so long. All at the same time. :(

In feeling better and having less medically-consumed time, I'm hoping that problem will resolve itself.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

"Resist"... I like that word.

As far as getting Fremd out of the cellar, I'm still working on it. It involves cylinders and pulleys.

As far as that other thing, I've not really experienced "debilitation" in my struggle with the "Big C" and associated treatments—maybe a little fatigue, here and there, but nothing that's thrown me for a loop. (That comes later, I'm told.)

Transliteration of "what do YOU want"

A _ty_ chto khochesh'? (А _ты_ что хочешь?) Here, the 'y' in ty sounds largely like the 'y' sound in the Spanish muy (e.g., muy bien, gracias).

Chto tebe ot menya nuzhno? (Что тебе от меня нужно?), literally, "What do you want from me?"

("You" in both cases is the familiar form.)

Transliteration of "Get lost!"

Poshol von! (Пошел вон!), sort of "plain vanilla."

Otvali! (Отвали), a bit sharper, more slangy.

...and about a dozen more, ranging from "Take a walk" to "F*ck off!"

Register is everything! :)


Prolly TMI, but... you asked!

Cheers...

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

I think "F*ck off!" is more in line of what I'm looking for. Considering who will be saying it. ;)

But would he use the familiar form of 'you' with a stranger, or not? Does churlishness count for the using the familiar when you shouldn't?

These things are SO much easier in English, where there is only one form of "you." Sadly, it's the only language I know of off-hand where that's the case...

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Using the familiar form with a stranger already puts the ball in play as far as disrespect is concerned.

For "F*ck off!" you might want to try Poshol nakhui! (which, frankly, is often rendered Poshol na... to avoid explicitness, despite the fact that nothing else will "fit" in place of the ellipsis).

Cheers...

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

Thanks a bunch! That really helps. :)

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Having read your current LJI piece, it occurs to me that Poshol nakhui! would likely not be used in a context where there is no, um, provocation.

So if some tough guy simply sees someone in a place where they don't belong and wants them to make themselves scarce, he might simply say "Otvali!" or "Otvalivai!".

At this point, if the trespasser replies with some lip or a threatening gesture, the tough guy might escalate to using Poshol nakhui!.

That said, it's a nice piece, and works as is. I'm just doing my hair-splitting thing. :)

Cheers...

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

I've updated it as per your suggestion. Thanks again for the help!