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Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

сплавляться на лодках

English translation:

whitewater rafting / whitewater kayaking, etc.

Added to glossary by Rachel Douglas
Nov 12, 2009 01:47
14 yrs ago
Russian term

сплавляться на лодках

Russian to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Outdoor activities
Does it mean to go rafting? I know that сплавлять logs means to set them drifting down a river with the current. But, regarding one's own activity, if it's "на лодках" (on boats), then I suppose it's not rafting, so what is it? It's describing a planned vacation: going to France with the guys to сплавляться на лодках.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 whitewater rafting
4 +1 floating in a drift boat/inflatable raft; taking a float trip
4 boating down the river
References
Средства сплава в водном туризме

Discussion

Libero_Lang_Lab Nov 12, 2009:
Rafting Friends of mine in Russia do this every year - they take off on a 'rafting expedition' with their kids for a few weeks somewhere in the back of beyond. Obviously it depends on the type of vessel involved. Rafts, kayaks and canoes are all very specific types of boat. Boating, as you say suggests something rather more sedate, and taking place on a lake or some such. Whitewater rafting is done in inflatable rafts (I used to do a lot of it myself when working as an adventure travel guide), for 4-12 people. As the term suggests it involves navigating rapids on a river.
Rachel Douglas (asker) Nov 12, 2009:
It's whitewater kayaking, shooting the rapids, etc Since everybody put so much effort into this, I'll pick one of the answers for points, but I did unexpectedly get a chance to ask the author all these questions. In this case:

"Сплавляться по горной реке на каяках".
Rachel Douglas (asker) Nov 12, 2009:
boating, rafting, kayaking, canoeing This is whitewater rafting: http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/1299/5198/f/18761-White-wa... It's designed differently than a life raft, but it's still called a raft, even though the people in it have paddles. It's less able to be steered than a kayak or a canoe is. In English it's not called a "boat," but I understand from Angela that it can be called "лодка" in Russian.

As for "boating", to me that denotes a far more placid activity. Or, at least, activity on more placid water.

It turns out I have a chance to ask the author what kind of craft his daredevil was going to shoot the rapids in/on, so I'll report back later.
Angela Greenfield Nov 12, 2009:
Я в своем ответе так и написала, Однако "надувная спасательная лодка" - это что? ведь это русское выражение? Я на правильности своего ответа не настаиваю. Мне ваш вариант тоже нравится, но не уговорите вы меня _ни за что_, что "надувная лодка" - это неверный перевод современного значения нашего raft. :-))) C каких пор выражение "надувной спасательный плот" стал использоваться экстремалами? Вот типичная фотография того, что русские понимают под этим словом: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Надувной_спасательный_плот Такой себе бассейник без воды. То, чем можно управлять с помощью весла, называется "лодкой". Whitewater rafting is not done in the object the picture of which I provided in the link. Sorry.
gutbuster Nov 12, 2009:
И все же: сплавляются и на плотах, и на лодках. Это не одно и то же. Да и надувной спасательный плот можно назвать лодкой с большущей натяжкой.
Angela Greenfield Nov 12, 2009:
Александр, спасательная надувная лодка (уже не помню, как они назывались в СССР) - это и есть raft. Современные rafts на Потомаке имеют сидения для каждого пассажира (углубления с пластиковым сидением, точнее) и ремни безопасности. Какой же это плот? По-русски это лодка и будет. Я лично этот вид развлечения не уважаю, т.к. вестибулярный аппарат подкачал, но мой старший сын и в России и на Украине успел это проделать. А в Крыму умудрился сплавиться на надувном матрасе. :-) Вот вам и плот. :-)
Nataly Palamarets Nov 12, 2009:
2 gutbuster Post your suggestion as answer. and I will "Agree" with you! :)
gutbuster Nov 12, 2009:
My suggestion is this is downstream boating
Alexander Kondorsky Nov 12, 2009:
Не слышал, чтобы по-русски говорили "лодка", имея в виду "плот". Если персонаж daredevil и собирается сплавляться по горной реке, то говоря "лодка" он имеет в виду либо байдарку, либо спортивную резиновую надувную лодку.

Proposed translations

+2
8 mins
Selected

whitewater rafting

I think that's what it should be in English.
Or kayaking.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 45 mins (2009-11-12 02:33:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Whitewater rafting (at least from what I see on the Potomac) is done in an inflatable boat. I am not sure what boats Russians are talking about in your text, but usually it would be the same. My son did whitewater rafting in Russia in a "надувная лодка".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 47 mins (2009-11-12 02:35:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Take a look here (it has instructions on как сплавляться по горной реке): http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.znaikak.ru...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 59 mins (2009-11-12 02:47:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I checked on Google and, you are right, it's impossible to tell what kind of a boat is meant here, since, as I said earlier, the inflatable rafts are also called "boats" in Russian. Therefore I think your version should be safe.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2009-11-12 15:28:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Whitewater rafting in France exists; James is absolutely right. And the "rafts" _are_ "надувная лодка", not a "плот". Take a look at this link: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rafting.co...

Here you see assigned seat spaces for everyone and paddles. The modern whitewater rafts _are_ in fact boats, because you can go upstream in them when needed.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days15 hrs (2009-11-14 17:24:20 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Many thanks, Rachel. It was a lot of fun!
Note from asker:
Yeah, but if it's kayaking, it's not rafting. A kayak is a boat. A raft is not a boat. But you just gave me an idea: "shooting the rapids". That way it doesn't matter what the craft is.
That's key info, that the rafts can be called "лодки" in Russian. I see both rafts and boats, mostly kayaks, all the time at Harpers Ferry. Where there are some treacherous currents, by the way.
Peer comment(s):
agree James McVay : Given Rachel's comment that the character is a daredevil. Whitewater rafting is done on rubber boats, and France has some rivers with whitewater rafting: http://www.travour.com/tours-to-france/adventures-in-france/...
13 hrs
Thanks, James, for coming to save me!!! I am in the middle of a "linguistic discussion" of what our "rafts" really are, while I myself have never done it in my life. Ha-ha!
agree Alina EN-RU : just "rafting" will also do to my mind
1 day 12 hrs
Thank you, Galina.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "It turned out to be whitewater kayaking, but special thanks to Angela for clarifying that today's sports rafts are called лодки in Russian."
4 hrs

boating down the river

In France, IMHO, rivers are quiet, with few rapids, hence no whitewater. Raft is плот - smth different from boat.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2009-11-12 06:10:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Could be both ways :-)) But the original says на лодках
Note from asker:
Thanks for those observations, Alexander. That would take me back to square one, because it seemed to me that "сплавляться" was used for unsteered floating - and that's why I couldn't figure out why boats were involved. Also, the fictional guy who's going to do this is a daredevil type. Aren't there any rapids in the French Alps?!
Something went wrong...
+1
14 hrs

floating in a drift boat/inflatable raft; taking a float trip

In addition to "white water rafting," many companies offer "float fishing" and "family float" trips. These are in areas with gentle rapids (is that an oxymoron?), not raging rapids. Some companies use "drift boats," others use inflatable rafts.

I have attached a few links for more information on such services. Here is a link to types of equipment for "floating": http://www.waterstrider.com.

Reference:

http://www.adventurerafting.com/

http://www.aggipah.com/special_06.html#1DayScenicFloats

Note from asker:
Cool, Becky! We've got everything in West Virginia, huh?
Peer comment(s):
agree Angela Greenfield
2 hrs
Thanks, Angela!
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

7 hrs
Reference:

Средства сплава в водном туризме

1. Article "Средства сплава в водном туризме"

Вообще говоря, **сплавляться по рекам можно на чем угодно**: от плотов до моторных лодок. Но в современном водном туризме принято выделять четыре основных типа **сплавсредств** – это, уже названные, байдарка и каяк, а также рафт и катамаран. Последние два – это более объемные лодки, и в отличие от первых двух – всегда надувные.

2. Rafting - http://gidrotour.narod.ru/

3. Downstream boating (photos) - http://butcher.rybalka.com/photo/view/4197/
Example sentence:

2. И уже много лет мы ***сплавляемся на плотах по реке***. Несколько лет сплавлялись по реке Синюхе (Кировоградская область), а вот уже много ле�

3. Мы ***сплавлялись на байдарках*** по Южному Бугу от Немирова до Райгорода.

Reference:

http://www.pohod.org.ua/articles/article30.html

http://butcher.rybalka.com/photo/view/4197/

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