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Russia Beyond The Headlines

UK-Russia Crossviews

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A British reporter sees his country through the eyes of Russian media, at the same time a Russian reporter sees his country through the eyes of British media

News, articles and blogs

Translation in advertising: Walking on eggshells

October 21, 2009 RBTH, Allison Quinn, Russian Translation Company

By now, most readers are almost certainly familiar with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's embarrassing gaffe with Sergei Lavrov, which saw the eager-to-impress Clinton present Foreign Affairs Minister Lavrov with a red button featuring the Russian word "peregruzka" (overcharge) instead of the desired "perezagruzka" (reset). And, of course, we've all heard of Khrushchev's indignation when, having agreed to an interview on American TV, the interpreter somehow mistakenly informed Mr Khruschev that the interviewer had accused him of "baying like a hound." Or the now-infamous blunder at a Moscow hotel, where a sign written in English informed visitors: "You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursdays." The point is that these bloopers are inevitable. In essence, the art of translation is no different from walking on eggshells. Each word carries several different meanings and cultural connotations, and their combinations almost never coincide in different languages - meaning, unfortunately, that mistakes are bound to happen, and when they do, it may be best to use the opportunity to take note of these cultural and linguistic differences.

Ferran Mateo

Discoveries on the Eastern Railroad: Irkutsk, Baikal and Vladivostok (Part 4)

October 12, 2009 Aanchal Anand, special to RIR

When I boarded the next train, I was more excited about getting away from Krasnoyarsk than getting to Irkutsk. Two days ago I had arrived at Krasnoyarsk after an over 20 hour train journey from Omsk. That same afternoon I lost my camera with over 500 photos of my Trans-Siberian trip so far. The following day, after an exhausting 7 km climb up Krasnoyarsk's jagged terrain to gigantic rock cliffs in the Stolby Natural Reserve, I - alone, tired and hungry - got lost in the forest for 2 very long and dark hours. In retrospect, it's all laughable but back on 9th June, it felt like the end of the world.

Source: Ferran Mateo

Discoveries on the eastern railroad: Nizhniy Novgorod and Perm (Part 2)

October 12, 2009 Aanchal Anand, special to RIR

I stepped out of Nizhniy Novgorod's Gorky railway station and found myself standing opposite the most trusted sign of civilisation - a giant McDonald's `M' sitting on top of a mall. I had pictured Nizhniy as a small and, I dare say, `unhappening' city but this sight alone had raised the bar! Within the first 10 minutes, Nizhniy revealed she could not be conquered on foot. Later, I found a bus that would take me to the centre to Nizhniy's biggest attraction - the Kremlin.

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