Tuesday, March 17, 2015

One little word

OMG Bing, this translation is dreadful.

see text
Волонтер и журналист Виктория Ивлева рассказала, что власти «ЛНР» отказались выпустить в Украину 45 женщин и детей

Volunteer and journalist Victoria Ivleva told authorities "LNR" refused to release Ukraine 45 women and children

No. She didn't tell the authorities anything. She "said that the authorities of the LPR refused to release 45 women and children into Ukraine".

OK, so two little words. В and что, into and that respectively. But what a difference they make.

Inarguably, Google is worse: Volunteer and journalist Victoria Ivlev said that the authorities "LC" in Ukraine refused to release 45 women and children

Sure, Google got the "that". But that's all it got. First, where did "LC" come from? It's LNR in Russian, LPR - the Lugansk People's Republic - in English. How did NR become C? Second, "authorities "LC" in Ukraine"? That's an accusative of motion, not a locative. And it's nowhere near the LPR in the clause; it's right after the flipping verb. Выпустить в Украину is "allow into Ukraine". And thirdly, it has the Ukrainians (these LC authorities) refusing to release the women and children, when the women and children aren't even in Ukraine (allowing the argument that the LPR is in fact its own thing).

Also, her name is Ivleva, though I do know Russians who didn't keep the gender marker on their name when they emigrated so just possibly that's ... no. Her name is Ivleva. Also, both of you?  Almost always власти is better translated as the "government," not the "authorities".

My translation: Viktoria Ivleva, a volunteer (from Predanie, a Russian charitable foundation) and journalist, said that the LPR government has refused to release 45 women and children\to Ukraine

Labels: , ,

1 Comments:

At 10:58 PM, March 17, 2015 Anonymous Kathie had this to say...

I fear for the couple described in the article "Love in translation: He spoke French. I spoke English. Google to the rescue":
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/love-in-translation/2015/03/13/759964a2-c773-11e4-a199-6cb5e63819d2_story.html

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

     <-- Older Post                     ^ Home                    Newer Post -->