Mar 14, 2004 10:04
20 yrs ago
Russian term
United Kingdom
Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'. "Ya, govorit, nadeius'"
Non-PRO
Russian to English
Social Sciences
Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
A prostitute is asked why she did not use a condom with a client (she thinks that she might be HIV positive).
She replies: On ne zakhotel. Ya eshche u nego tak pointeresovalas', chto mol, ne boish'sia? Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'. "Ya, govorit, nadeius'".
I don't understand who is saying: Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
The prostitute thinks that she has HIV.
"Ya, govorit, nadeius'" - I don't understand this at all, why it is all in speech marks for example.
Can anyone untangle this?!
She replies: On ne zakhotel. Ya eshche u nego tak pointeresovalas', chto mol, ne boish'sia? Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'. "Ya, govorit, nadeius'".
I don't understand who is saying: Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
The prostitute thinks that she has HIV.
"Ya, govorit, nadeius'" - I don't understand this at all, why it is all in speech marks for example.
Can anyone untangle this?!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
1 hr
Russian term (edited):
Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
Selected
Who knows what I might have got (see expl.)
The hooker is quoting her dialog with a "client". The words up to the last sentence are hookers. Then she quetes the "client"'s responce (judged by punctuation and "govorit" in the middle).. Sounds like this (its basilect kind of speech) (starting at "chto,mol,):
.... I says, ain't you scared? Who knows what I might have got? He goes: "I hope [for the best]"
I would ommit "for the best" in translation for several reasons -
because it is ommited in Russian ( :)), because when you say "I hope" it is usually implied, and because the speech in source text is quite choppy and requires a bit (not too much, though) of concious effort to follow...
.... I says, ain't you scared? Who knows what I might have got? He goes: "I hope [for the best]"
I would ommit "for the best" in translation for several reasons -
because it is ommited in Russian ( :)), because when you say "I hope" it is usually implied, and because the speech in source text is quite choppy and requires a bit (not too much, though) of concious effort to follow...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks to all answerers. A lot of useful thoughts.
I went with nuclear's advice to keep it simply as 'I hope'. Also 'who knows what I might have got?' (actually I used Who knows what I might have?) is as vague as the original - which doesn't specifically mention STDs (though obviously this is what is meant).
By the way, Kajuco's suggestion 'fingers crossed' is a very nice idiomatic way to say that someone is hoping for something.
"
2 mins
Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Ukraine
Native in Russian
Works in field
Ukraine
60+ books translated and published
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian
Related KudoZ points
:
66
Russian term (edited):
Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
What if I have a sexual disease, who knows?
And he replies that is hoping she has not any.
It may be not only HIV, but any other sexual disease implied.
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Note added at 5 mins (2004-03-14 10:10:08 GMT)
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Hm, maybe he did want to become HIV infected, though it sounds strange...
It may be not only HIV, but any other sexual disease implied.
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Note added at 5 mins (2004-03-14 10:10:08 GMT)
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Hm, maybe he did want to become HIV infected, though it sounds strange...
2 mins
Russian term (edited):
Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
The prostitute is
.
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Note added at 6 mins (2004-03-14 10:11:05 GMT)
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\"Ya, govorit, nadeius\'\" is in speech marks because it\'s the answer from the client to the prostitute\'s question. He is saying that he hopes that he won\'t get any diseases from her.
That\'s how I understand it.
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Note added at 6 mins (2004-03-14 10:11:05 GMT)
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\"Ya, govorit, nadeius\'\" is in speech marks because it\'s the answer from the client to the prostitute\'s question. He is saying that he hopes that he won\'t get any diseases from her.
That\'s how I understand it.
+4
45 mins
Russian term (edited):
Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
he hopes he'll be ok
- the prostitute (curious as to why he wouldn't use a condom): aren't you afraid? i could have a whole bunch of STDs.
- the client: i hope not
- the client: i hope not
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Сергей Лузан
: She hints, & he kinda hopes
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Elena Volkovaya
4 hrs
|
| agree |
zmejka
8 hrs
|
| agree |
Olga Judina
22 hrs
|
9 hrs
Russian term (edited):
"malo li u menia chego mozhet bit" -- "ya, govorit, nadeius'"
"i might be contagious" -- "i hope i'll be okay"
(just my 2 cents)
she replies: he said he didn't want to use one. i even asked him then: aren't you afraid? who knows, i might be contagious. but he said: i hope i'll be okay (or: i hope not; or: i'm hoping for the better. the idea is that the guy doesn't want to use a condom so badly he doesn't really care about the circumstances at the moment).
she replies: he said he didn't want to use one. i even asked him then: aren't you afraid? who knows, i might be contagious. but he said: i hope i'll be okay (or: i hope not; or: i'm hoping for the better. the idea is that the guy doesn't want to use a condom so badly he doesn't really care about the circumstances at the moment).
3 mins
Russian term (edited):
Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
He hopes that she has a desease
He must be a desperado :)
Maybe he want to die
Мало ли чего у меня может быть - I might have any kind of desease
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Note added at 5 mins (2004-03-14 10:10:08 GMT)
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He wantS :)
He definitely wants to die. If he was hoping that she would not have a desease, he would say: Надеюсь, что нет
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Note added at 18 hrs 1 min (2004-03-15 04:06:22 GMT)
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Many men who frequent prostitutes are desperados, they don\'t really value life.
Here, in our text, there is no indication that he said \"I hope NOT\". He simply said \"I hope\", nothing more.
The criminal world is very dark. People who belong to it often do not care if they die tomorrow.
Maybe he want to die
Мало ли чего у меня может быть - I might have any kind of desease
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Note added at 5 mins (2004-03-14 10:10:08 GMT)
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He wantS :)
He definitely wants to die. If he was hoping that she would not have a desease, he would say: Надеюсь, что нет
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Note added at 18 hrs 1 min (2004-03-15 04:06:22 GMT)
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Many men who frequent prostitutes are desperados, they don\'t really value life.
Here, in our text, there is no indication that he said \"I hope NOT\". He simply said \"I hope\", nothing more.
The criminal world is very dark. People who belong to it often do not care if they die tomorrow.
23 hrs
Russian term (edited):
Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
См. ниже.
А проститутку спросили почему она не использовала презарватив с клиентом (она (проститутка) думает, что она HIV инфицирована). Она ответила: Он (клиент) не захотел. Я (проститутка) у него поинтересовалась, что мол, не боишься? Мало ли у меня чего может быть. "Я (клиент), говорит, надеюсь".
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Note added at 23 hrs 20 mins (2004-03-15 09:24:54 GMT)
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A prostitute was asked why she (the prostitute) did not use a condom with
her client (she (the prostitute) thought she might be HIV positive). She (the prostitute) replied: he (the client) did not want that. I (the prostitute) wondered: \"aren\'t you afraid\"? Who knows what I might have. \"I (the client) hope nothing(you don\'t have anything), he replied\".
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Note added at 23 hrs 20 mins (2004-03-15 09:24:54 GMT)
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A prostitute was asked why she (the prostitute) did not use a condom with
her client (she (the prostitute) thought she might be HIV positive). She (the prostitute) replied: he (the client) did not want that. I (the prostitute) wondered: \"aren\'t you afraid\"? Who knows what I might have. \"I (the client) hope nothing(you don\'t have anything), he replied\".
1 day 10 hrs
Russian term (edited):
Malo li u menia chego mozhet bit'.
"who knows what disease I might have!" "Fingers crossed".
Ia nadeyus' = I place my faith in (something or other)
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