чтет уголовный кодекc

English translation: a free and lawful man of the neighbourhood

08:49 May 18, 2015

Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Other

Russian term or phrase: чтет уголовный кодекc

I'm translating short description of jury members of an advertising competition. Some of it goes: "Искренне болеет за ФК «Барселона» и чтет уголовный кодекс, а ещё склонен к самоанализу."

The client wants the allusion to Ostap Bender's from The Little Golden Calf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Golden_Calf) to be somehow preserved but in such a way that "it would show the extraordinary character of the jury member" (the whole phrase from the book is: "Я, конечно, не херувим. У меня нет крыльев, но я чту Уголовный кодекс. Это моя слабость").

Perhaps you could come up with some similar quotes in English that satirically describe a person in a good sense and are recognizable.

Thank you!

Ekaterina Krotova KudoZ activity Questions: 23 (none open) (4 closed without grading) Answers: 0 Russian Federation
Local time: 20:08

English translation:a free and lawful man of the neighbourhood

Explanation:
"Twelve free and lawful men of the neighbourhood" -- старинное легалисткое (законодательное) определение присяжных. которое известно со времен короля английского Генриха II, достаточно хорошо известно не только юристам (в т.ч. американским), но и публике читающей детективы, смотрящей Perry Mason court room dramas etc. Это, ИМХО, как раз то, что вам нужно, поскольку передаёт нужный смысл, имеет отношение к жюри, с уголовным подтекстом; где с юмором используется старинная помпезная формула.

Selected response from:

Evgeny Artemov (X)
South Africa
Local time: 16:08

Grading comment

Thank you, Evgeny. I was specifically looking for an allusion, and yours was very interesting.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +6

is a law-abiding citizen

Jack Doughty

4 +1

a free and lawful man of the neighbourhood

Evgeny Artemov (X)

4 +1

respects the criminal code

Oleg Lozinskiy

3 +1

pays his taxes

Lazyt3ch

never worries 'bout his line

Rachel Douglas

a clean, upstanding chap

Kari Foster

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

27 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

is a law-abiding citizen

Explanation:
Not a quotation but a commonly used expression. Could be used satirically.

Reference: http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/142723-Law-abiding...

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:08
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 417

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Donald Jacobson

3 mins

-> Thank you.

neutral

Oleg Lozinskiy: Sir! I would have supported your option, but... The very first allusion popping-up in my mind was to the 2009 F. Gary Gray's movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_Abiding_Citizen) and I'm not sure whether it would fit the intent of this translation.:-)

12 mins

-> I suggested this answer before I'd even heard of the film. I saw references to it on Google when looking for a definition, but didn't think that made it necessary to withdraw the answer.

agree

Kari Foster: It is such a common expression that I don't think many English-speakers will automatically think of the film of that title. // In fact, I had never heard of the film either.

45 mins

-> Thank you. I'd never heard of the film before this question was posted.

agree

Armen Ayvazyan: I don't think it is the reference to the film title that matters here. It is rather the fact that the English collocation is so trite that it might just as well be be used satirically/ironically as in the original text. I would go for it.

2 hrs

-> Thank you.

agree

Oleksiy Markunin

9 hrs

-> Thank you.

agree

Vladimir Zakharov: well placed sarcasm :)

19 hrs

-> Thank you.

agree

cyhul

1 day 9 mins

-> Thank you.

52 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

a free and lawful man of the neighbourhood

Evgeny Artemov (X)
South Africa
Local time: 16:08
Native speaker of:

English,

Russian
PRO pts in category: 29

Grading comment

Thank you, Evgeny. I was specifically looking for an allusion, and yours was very interesting.

Notes to answerer

Asker: Очень интересно, спасибо!

11 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

respects the criminal code

Explanation:
"Do you know," Ostap said, "you shouldn't have signed
that so-called Sukharev pact. That mental exercise, it seems
to me, has exhausted you frightfully. You are becoming sillier
before my very eyes. Note this: Ostap Bender never killed
anyone. He has been killed. That happened. But he himself
is pure before the law. I admit that I'm no cherub, of course.
I have no wings. But I respect the criminal code. This is my
weakness."
http://idlewords.com/telenok/malamuth.txt

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Note added at 13 мин (2015-05-18 09:03:20 GMT)
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does honor the Criminal Code

“You know,” said Ostap, “you should never have signed the so-called Sukharev treaty. The intellectual effort clearly exhausted you. You are getting dumber by the minute. Please note that Ostap Bender has never killed anyone. Have others tried to kill him? They have. But he himself stands pure in the eyes of the law. I’m no cherub, of course. I don’t have wings, but I do honor the Criminal Code. That is my weakness.”
http://idlewords.com/telenok/2.htm

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Note added at 14 мин (2015-05-18 09:04:20 GMT)
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http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/ilya-ilf-and-evgenii-petr...

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Note added at 19 мин (2015-05-18 09:09:15 GMT)
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Почему бы не выбрать из уже имеющихся переводов "Золотого теленка" на английский язык? Я привел два варианта из трех источников. Наверняка есть еще.

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Note added at 31 мин (2015-05-18 09:20:53 GMT)
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Educated non-Russian speakers would certainly recognize the allusion. Non-educated Russian speakers would never recognize the allusion even in the source text in Russian. So, the 'QUESTION' is WHOM the client does want to address himself. Non-Russian speaking soccer fans? Russian-speaking soccer fans? Unless the audience is clearly defined the entire endeavour is gibble-gabble as THERE IS INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR A MEANINGFUL ANSWER :-)

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Note added at 56 мин (2015-05-18 09:46:15 GMT)
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TO: ASKER

Я бы очень осторожно отнесся к желанию Вашего клиента дать 'перевод с аллюзией'. Как бы не получилось, что вместо "симпатии к человеку, информация о котором приводится", у читателей не возникли серьезнейшие сомнения не только в "законопослушности судьи конкурса", но и в его/ее психическом здоровье. "Аллюзии", адресованные в "пространство" - вещь опасная.

Oleg Lozinskiy
Russian Federation
Local time: 17:08
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in category: 243

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Oleg, but the idea is not to translate the quote (as non-Russian speakers would never recognize it), but to think of some other similar quote with the same emotional impact.

Asker: Дело не в том, сколько вариантов перевода существует, а в том, чтобы иностранный читатель при взгляде на цитату, сумел ее моментально распознать, не обращаясь к внешним источникам, чего, естественно, не произойдет, воспользуйся я готовым переводам. В том-то и сложность, чтобы подобрать любую другую цитату, которая не несет особой смысловой нагрузки, но позволяет читателю порадоваться от распознания интертекстуализма и почувствовать симпатию к человеку, информация о котором приводится. В противном случае мы получим бесмысленную фразу о законопослушности судьи конкурса, в чем, собственно, было бы странно усомниться.

1 hr confidence:

a clean, upstanding chap

Explanation:
A quote from Hugh Kingsmill. It depends on the level of irony you are looking for -- this could give a rather sarcastic tone.

Kari Foster
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:08
Native speaker of:

English

3 hrs confidence:

never worries 'bout his line

Explanation:
Can't think of anything like that as quite universally recognized in AE, as Ostap Bender's phrases are in Russian, but this idea is from "The Music Man." What might make it work, is that it's also about the "great qualities" of a swindler: "Ever hear of a fellow by the name of Hill?" - and the people singing go on to list all his qualities that make him a successful salesman.
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/themusicman/rockisland.htm

I'm only not sure how universally the musical is still known. Forty or fifty years ago, every high school in the USA would stage it at one time or another. It did have a revival on Broadway in 2000 and a movie remake in 2003, so maybe it's catch phrases, from "76 trombones" to the catalog of Harold Hill's virtues, are still generally known.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Man

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Note added at 3 hrs (2015-05-18 12:17:37 GMT)
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Obviously, this one departs from the "law-abiding" idea.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2015-05-18 12:18:10 GMT)
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Correction: "its" not "it's".

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 10:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 212

20 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

pays his taxes

Explanation:
Вспомнил фильм «Афера Томаса Крауна» (The Thomas Crown Affair) 1999 года.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0155267/

Там некий художник, вроде привлекавшийся за подделку картин известных мастеров, а затем ставший вполне респектабельным гражданином, говорит: “Anyway, I pay taxes now”.
http://www.cswap.com/1999/The_Thomas_Crown_Affair/cap/en/25f...

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Note added at 20 hrs (2015-05-19 05:22:00 GMT)
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Искренне болеет за ФК «Барселона» и чтет уголовный кодекс, а ещё склонен к самоанализу.
=>
Is a huge fan of Barcelona soccer club, pays his taxes, and is prone to self-reflection.

Разумеется, “soccer” можно заменить на “football”, но опасаюсь, как бы в отдельно взятых странах не истолковали неверно.

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Note added at 20 hrs (2015-05-19 05:26:08 GMT)
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Нашел контекст: http://fakestival.ru/jury
Цитата:

Работает на армянском радио «ВАН» в разных качествах, а в свободное от эфира время занимается производством рекламы уже 14 лет. Судил и был судим практически на всех рекламных фестивалях, но в Каннах пока замечен не был. На Fakestival впервые. Искренне болеет за ФК «Барселона» и чтет уголовный кодекс, а ещё склонен к самоанализу.

Lazyt3ch
Local time: 19:08
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in category: 51

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чтет уголовный кодекc

English translation: a free and lawful man of the neighbourhood

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