Diversion...(in Russian)

[alexpgp]

Давно не пишу на русском. Ясно почему. На самом деле - как уж всем наверника известно - мне трудно с правописанием и с морфологий (то есть, с грамматикой). Добавить к этому тот факт, что я выражаюсь как американец (и как мне иначе?), и получается: я пишу только чушь бездарный.

Таким образом, надо задать вопрос... стоит ли мне это делать? С одной стороны, хочу научиться писать (ну, может быть не так как я пишу на английском, но хоть грамотно); с другой, трудно это делать самому... время мало.

Завтра могу поспать утром. Работа начинается в 12, и так как Союз уже отстыковался от МКС, так разумеется что радиограммок для экипажа Союза точно не будет.

Пора мне лечь спать.

* * *I haven't written anything in Russian in a long time. It's easy to see why. In fact - as is certainly known to everyone - I have a problem with spelling and morphology (that is, with grammar). Add to this the fact that I express myself like an American (how else?), and the end result is talentless crap.

So, the question must be asked... is this worth it? On the one hand, I want to learn to write (well, maybe not the way I write in English, but at least correctly); on the other hand, it's hard to do it yourself... there's little time.

Tomorrow, I can sleep in. Work starts at 12, and since the Soyuz has already undocked from the ISS, it follows that there most certainly will be no radiograms for the Soyuz crew.

Time to go to bed.

Cheers...

Comments

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

:^)

I was slightly liquored up last night when I posted it, else I probably would have given it up as a bad job after worrying about spelling and grammar and all... No grand thoughts, as the translation shows.

Cheers...

[brenk.livejournal.com]

Now I remember why I haven't even tried to write in Russian for... ummm must be nearly 20 years. Much too much like hard work. Looked fine to me, but then my grammar's lousy.

I have glorious memories, during the Institute of Linguists Diploma well over 20 years ago, of being informed we were going to learn to type in Russian. Oh yeah? Uh-huh.

Remember IBM golf ball typewriters? Yup, those. Yes, there was a keyboard chart for the (UK) keyboard. Sure. Just one problem - they'd ordered the wrong golf balls, and we had in fact received Bulgarian ones, which weren't *quite* the same. Much scratching of heads ensued.

Several weeks later, the real ones arrived. It was a blast. I mean... we were four Russian graduates already required to learn technical Russian from an East GERMAN text book, so this was R&R. Playtime.

It didn't last long, sadly, as we were supposed to be basically learning to translate FROM Russian (as one does, but the world will never understand the 'mother tongue thing, right?) and the Powers that Be sent us back to dashing off 'please forward three multi-bucket excavators forthwith' and such.

Question: I'm still working with the ancient, smelly, dark blue dictionaries from the stone age (bet you know which ones I mean) and very short of decent technical dictionaries. Any recommendations? I have superb technical dictionaries on wine and electronics in German, plus some good glossaries but specific subjects (crime, sport), but not something on industry in general.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I made my bones in the typing department courtesy of a Department Chairman's desire to send a mailing asking for donations to a Slavic Center he had percolating off-campus. To add that "personal touch," he insisted that all 500 (identical) letters be typed.

By me.

But that's another story.

Probably the Russian-English technical dictionary to have - in terms of coverage - is the fourth edition of Callaham's (the exact title escapes me, as I am away from the office), published about 7 years ago under the names of Callaham and Patricia Newman (and one other, whose name I don't remember). In terms of a good engineering R-E dictionary, I've found the one by Carpovich to be outstanding.

All of these sources, however, remain increasingly unused lately, as online and computer-based dictionaries become more... authoritative.

Cheers...

P.S. A technical dictionary on wine, eh? Interesting.

So familiar...

[brenk.livejournal.com]

I cut my teeth on typing letters like that - mainly in French, having qualified in German and Russian - the IOC also had this thing about 'originals' at the time. Either a standard reply to people complaining that pairs skating was too sexy, that Moscow shouldn't hold the Games (or should, depending on who they were...) - the list is endless. I also typed up minutes (also French as well as English) before graduating to taking them. It was their idea of 'breaking in poor English post-grad expats' - those who survived went on to better things, while the others took themselves and their damaged pride (you want us to do TYPING???) home again.

Thanks for the dictionary names - duly noted. Much as I love the Net, I'm excessively old-fashioned and like 'real' dictionaries for specific areas, which line my office. My husband (and business partner) prefers the online stuff.

Yup - wine. Published by the Office International de la vigne et du vin, and an absolute treasure found in a local (Swiss) flea market. Massive, five languages, and truly amazing as I translate a fair amount on wine. Watchmaking too (this being Switzerland) - for which the 'bible' is a socking $800 *if* you can get one.

I ramble. Happy Soyuz, but let me leave you with this: I was in Kalinin (now Tver again) in - I think - 1976? during the Apollo-Soyuz mission. The student hostel being basic, we read most of the thrilling reports on it in Izvestia and Pravda in the form of small squares... kindly provided as toilet paper. Sometimes, that is.

[silpol.livejournal.com]

looks like you ought to be interested in http://www.lingvo.ru/ - it is the best what I had for last 3 years, being living in Finland (yeah, only English as medium) and pushed to check meaning of words time to time due to british boss :) here is the list of resellers outside ex-USSR http://www.abbyy.com/partners.asp?param=1957

Re:

[brenk.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot - duly noted!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I own a copy of the 6.5 version of the product, and it's pretty good. And in-country prices are much better than prices outside of Russia!

Cheers...

Re:

[silpol.livejournal.com]

BTW, there is a page with free-of-charge add-in vocabularies :)
http://www.lingvo.ru/dictionaries/index.htm

[evocator.livejournal.com]

Весьма недурно написано!
Всего две орфографических ошибки, две морфологических (не тот род и падеж) да пара недостающих запятых.
Но стилистика русской разговорной речи вполне выдержана. Не это ли главное?
Таким образом, надо задать вопрос... стоит ли мне это делать?
Вне всяческого сомнения, Алекс!:-)

[evocator.livejournal.com]

Sorry for my linguistic chauvinism:-)
I just meant that according to above-stated fragment of text by Alex his writing in Russian definitely has a right on existence. Despite of few minor spelling and morphological mistakes made the native style of Russian conversation is evident here, and I think that's the main point. So answering the Alex's question if he should continue writing in Russian I state - yes, sure, undoubtedly!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm certainly not offended by monolingual posts (I read english-only posts all the time :^).

Спасибо.

Cheers...

[butyrlin.livejournal.com]

Russian is a son of a bitch, like anything else though. I'd rather moo my way through whatever I can and cock-a-doodle-doo where I couldn't moo.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this is a good thing, but I understand exactly what you saying.

:^)

Cheers...