Oct 1, 2013 15:53
10 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Russian term

Ударим автопробегом по бездорожью и разгильдяйству!

Russian to English Art/Literary Other
Apparently, this is something that is self-explanatory for anyone who grew up a Russian speaker or stayed long enough to get to go to high school back in that neck of the woods. For those of us who missed on that wholesome fun, this is the famous Ostap Bender's maxim from the no less famous Golden Calf. I do not need a translation per se, so please don't rush to offer me things of the "let's hit something with something" kind. What I am mostly interested in is a native take on how, in what way and using what vocabulary/idioms/ parallels/whatever to approach this incomparable slogan so that I could then parrot the shell to build my own similar slogan for a totally different purpose - something to the tune of "Ударим бабом по баобабу!" or "Ударим рублем по Рублеву". Something like that.

Again, I am primarily interested to hear from true or near natives (we all know who they are), but any ideas from anyone are welcome and truly appreciated. Many thanks.

Proposed translations

+4
1 hr
Selected

May the Rally Defeat Roadlessness and Irresponsibility! (c) Gurevich & Anderson

I don't have an opinion on how to express the general case, because the allusion - which is what makes it work - would not be caught by the typical English reader. Would have to think long and hard, and probably have read more British satirical novels than I've done, to come up with an analogous expression that could be generalized in English the way that's possible with this one in Russian.

In the meantime, what I wrote above is how the original slogan is rendered in one translation.
http://books.google.com/books?id=cuyo8j4XJt4C&pg=PP2&dq=Ilf ...


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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-01 17:20:57 GMT)
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"The Road Rally Is a Blow Struck against Sloppy Work and Bad Roads!" (c) Anne Fischer

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-01 17:26:48 GMT)
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"RACE AGAINST AIMLESSNESS AND SLOVENLINESS" (c) Malamuth

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-01 17:40:49 GMT)
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In the USA of course there were famous WW2 slogan posters like "Uncle Sam Wants You!" and "We Can Do It!" (with Rosie the Rivetter), but there wasn't a period in which public exhortation slogans were everywhere and on every topic. So you might need to look for something in literature, where there's some slightly scam-like advertising formula. But nothing's popping into mind, just now. The placards used by Melville's "The Confidence Man" are a bit too subtle, since they start with citations I Corinthians 13...

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-01 17:47:18 GMT)
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And there's the famous handbill for the show put on by the Duke and the Dolphin, in Huck Finn, Chapter 22. But this is getting far afield, since we have no idea of your context - what century, what kind of recognizability you need, etc. But, anyway, here it is because it's funny:

AT THE COURT HOUSE!
FOR 3 NIGHTS ONLY!
The World-Renowned Tragedians
DAVID GARRICK THE YOUNGER!
AND
EDMUND KEAN THE ELDER!
Of the London and Continental
Theatres,
In their Thrilling Tragedy of
THE KING'S CAMELEOPARD,
OR
THE ROYAL NONESUCH ! ! !
Admission 50 cents.

Then at the bottom was the biggest line of all, which said:
LADIES AND CHILDREN NOT ADMITTED.
"There," says he, "if that line don't fetch them, I don't know Arkansaw!"
Note from asker:
Thanks, Rachel. As always, you offer a wealth of good stuff, and the very first option gave me a great idea that is much less violent and more elegant than my own original one. Melville and Corinthians are definitely out though. Loved the Arkansas piece.
Peer comment(s):

agree Maria Mizguireva : так и есть
8 hrs
Thanks, Maria.
agree Andrew Vdovin
9 hrs
Thanks, Andrew.
agree cyhul
3 days 16 hrs
agree danya : the bill reminded of another famous Bender quote "приехал жрец" http://thelib.ru/books/petrov_evgeniy/zolotoy_telenok-read-5...
1399 days
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I take my hat off. Thanks, Rachel."
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