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вчерашняя (here)
Jan 30, 2009 18:12
15 yrs ago
Russian term

Сразу курить, сразу курить.

Russian to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
A husband allergic to bees has just gone away to have a smoke when some wasps showed up. I can't quite get what she is implying - that he's going to smoke so quickly, that he should be lighting up quickly in order to chase away the wasps, or something else?

Sigh.

Я лучше пойду покурю, – сказал отец, и спрятался за трактор.
Осы полетели за ним, но потом вернулись, недовольные железом и дымом.
Сразу курить, сразу курить, – сказала мать вслед отцу.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 Always smoking, always smoking / Always smoking, that one
3 +1 Gotta light up, gotta light up.
4 Сразу курить, сразу курить.
4 again that smoking, again that smoking
Change log

Feb 8, 2009 07:09: Mark Berelekhis changed "Field" from "Other" to "Art/Literary" , "Field (specific)" from "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters" to "Poetry & Literature"

Discussion

Mikhail Kropotov Jan 30, 2009:
А Вы прочитали рассказ?
Vitaly Kisin Jan 30, 2009:
Mark's interpretation is correct. These words are a shortened form of the accusation "Как до дела доходит - он сразу убегает курить, и так каждый раз".

Proposed translations

+4
14 mins
Selected

Always smoking, always smoking / Always smoking, that one

Seems like she's reproaching him for smoking too much, especially when a 'situation' turns up that needs solving, which he effectively ignores in favor of another smoke.
Peer comment(s):
agree Aleksey Chervinskiy : I don't think he's trying to avoiding anything but the wasps. But "always smoking" will do just fine, in my opinion
23 mins
That's exactly the 'situation' I was referring to. Thanks, Aleksey.
agree svetlana cosquéric
3 hrs
Thank you, Svetlana.
agree The Misha : Shucks, I should have thought of it myself. This is just what the doctor ordered.
3 hrs
Cheers, Misha.
agree Natalya Boyce
19 hrs
Thank you, Natalya.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
7 mins

Gotta light up, gotta light up.

She's merely commenting on the situation

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 mins (2009-01-30 18:22:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I read this:
http://www.zavtra.ru/cgi//veil//data/zavtra/07/722/72.html
and I think she says that because she's sympathising with the fact he has to fight off wasps with smoke.

Another possible option would be that she dislikes his smoking in general. After you've read the whole story, you should be able to tell if this is right or not.
Peer comment(s):
agree Aleksey Chervinskiy
28 mins
Something went wrong...
13 mins

Сразу курить, сразу курить.

The phrase implies that she intended to discuss smth important with the father, which was apparently not very pleasant for him. He went to smoke in order to avoid the conversation.

You can check the content of their discussion (it should be clear from the earlier context) and see if my explanation fits.
Peer comment(s):
neutral The Misha : So what's the translation?
3 hrs
Something went wrong...
43 mins

again that smoking, again that smoking

refrain is intensifier here.
Something went wrong...
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