Translating from Russian is considered by some to be impossible, such is the particular quality of the Russian way of seeing the world. Conditioned by this feeling, perhaps, the well-known Russian translator Vladimir Muravyov, interviewed in The Russian Journal in July 2001, went so far as to say:
Actually, all writings are untranslatable. If anyone thinks that he or she knows English or other languages and is able to translate, it's just rubbish. It is only by some mystic coincidences that a felicitous translation can appear.
Vladimir Nabokov also came up against a great amount of criticism, particularly over his controversial translation of the Russian soul epic by Aleksandr Pushkin, Eugene Onegin (1823). In reply to those who questioned his literal, rather than poetic, translation of the great work, he is reputed to have said,"It's impossible to convey the original, so learn Russian!"
We must remember that Russia, like its fellow Slavic nations, is a country whose culture is going through rapid change. Stephen Ryan of Eichi University, attending an English teaching conference in Khabarovsk, Russia, reports on cross-cultural issues and the ensuing problems for translators and interpreters:
There was particular emphasis on words in Russian and English which seem to be untranslatable. "Demonstration" was offered as an example. Apparently it is an old saw that Americans demonstrate against things and Russians in favour of things, so the word has quite different connotations in English and Russian. A member of the audience pointed out that this is no longer true, that increasingly Russians are holding demonstrations against the government. This pattern repeated itself many times: claims about differences between Russian and English were moderated by remarks on the changing connotations of Russian words. The Russian language, it seems, is keeping pace with the rapid changes in Russian society as a whole, leaving translators gasping to keep up.
Notwithstanding these changes in Russian society, perhaps because of its long experience with authoritarian politics and grace-and-favor rule, we find some deeply entrenched characteristics. For instance, levels and qualities of human relationships are richly developed, even in comparison with other Slavic tongues. This wealth of words for different kinds of relationships (in addition to kin) provides evidence of Russian culture's interest in the area of human dealings with one another.
Roughly speaking, relations are categorized by their "closeness" or "strength," perhaps also hinting at their trustworthiness. Drug is someone extremely close to us, much more so than the English word "friend." Podruga, "female friend," refers to a bond less powerful than drug but still stronger than "friend," closer to "girlfriend" or "lover." Priyatel or priyatelnitsa is rather more distant and znakomy is still more distant, although closer than the supposed English equivalent word, "acquaintance."
On another level the Russian character has an intensely spiritual side. The quest for istina, meaning "higher values," is never far from the surface of the Russian culture. There is a range of value-laden, untranslatable Russian attitudes, such as podlets,"base person who inspires contempt," merzavets,"base person who inspires disgust," and negodyay, "base person who inspires indignation." It is the idealization of certain istina attitudes and the corresponding contempt for others that provides the Russian self-image with an edge over that of other races.
poshlost [pawsh-lerst] (noun)
This word, which one can imagine uttered with a contemptuous curl of the lip, indicates an acute awareness of the hollowness of false values and the need to deride and deflate them. The Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov devoted many pages to a damning commentary on poshlost, which he claimed to have fought against all his life. He describes poshlost as "cheap, sham, common, pink-and-blue, high falutin', in bad taste." Russian dictionaries also offer fairly negative definitions such as "spiritually and morally base, petty, worthless, mediocre" and "commonplace, spiritually and morally base, devoid of higher interests and needs."
dusha [doo-shah] (noun)
Simply, this translates as "soul," but dusa is much more than this. It is seen as a person's spiritual, moral, and emotional core. It is an internal theater where a person's moral and emotional life is staged.
razliubit [raz-lyoo-beer] (verb)
This melancholic, bittersweet word is used to describe falling out of love. Specifically, it's losing a feeling for someone one once loved but no longer feels the same way about. It's a brilliantly succinct word and captures that feeling of the maddeningly ephemeral nature of love.
osuzhdat [ah-sooj-daht] (verb)
The tendency to osuzhdat, that is, to "roughly condemn" other people in conversation, to make absolute moral judgments, and to link moral judgments with emotions, is reflected in a wide variety of Russian words and phrases. This is linked with the cultural emphasis on "absolute truth" and "higher values" in general.
rodnye [rad-nee-yeh] (noun)
The concept of rodnye is usually translated into English with the word "relatives," but this word does not really even approximate the meaning. Rodnye usually refers to the immediate family, to close relatives rather than distant ones. It is also extended to close people outside the family. From a Russian perspective, rodnye are beloved and indispensable. The word reflects the value of close family ties in Russian culture and also shows that the boundary between kin and non-kin can be blurred. What is really essential is the existence of unconditional emotional ties, and these ties are seen as an important part of one's identity.
tovarishch [ta-vahr-ish] (noun)
Usually translated as "comrade," the word tovarisch is infused with political meaning and was of central importance in the Soviet era. Being addressed as tovarisch was a sign of belonging. Losing this title or the right to use it toward others was a sign of exclusion and a possible prelude to arrest or imprisonment. If a single word could be cited as the key to the workings of Soviet society, it would probably have to be tovarisch.
svoboda [sva-bore-der] (noun)
At first glance the Russian concept of svoboda seems very similar to the English word "freedom." But it can also be used in a slightly different sense to mean something like "ease and relaxation." The concept of svoboda suggests the image of a child unwrapped from his swaddling clothes and feeling pleasure and relief at being able to move his arms and legs without any restriction. Similarly, svoboda suggests a feeling of well-being, caused by the absence of pressure or constraining bonds.
yolki-palki [yawl-kee-pahl-kee] (idiom)
A peculiar Russian expression that could express surprise, dismay, or pleasure, depending on the situation. The phrase literally translates as "fir trees and sticks" but is probably approximated in English by the expression "holy cow!"