Slow Reading: A Man and a Boy

Discuss any questions in English. Practise your writing skills.

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Mary May
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#1

Сообщение Mary May »

Unlike the first four, today's piece is, for a refreshing (hopefully) change, taken from fiction.
It's an extract from Tony Parson's award-winning book A Man and a Boy, which later, with two sequels, has developed into "Harry Silver" series; so, for those who'll got caught with the story - a long way to go read to enjoy.
Besides, if you're a type who prefers going deeper rather than wider, there's a new online book-based course on offer:
Subject: Марафон по книге. Вопросы к участникам форума.
Starting in September!

And below's an extract for you either to try your hand at translation or, just to help you make a more balanced decision about joining the course - because, it's sometimes better to have a bite of your own rather than rely on someone else's opinions (here, I'm talking about the GoodReads reviews); besides, it will show you whether it is the right level for you - as we're not always able to estimate it accurately.

In the extract, we meet Harry, a successful TV producer, happily married, with a child, on the eve of his 30th birthday, unaware of what he is to face soon.

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All my images of this particular birthday seemed derived from some glossy American sitcom. When I thought of turning thirty, I thought of attractive thirty-nothing marrieds fooling around like teens in heat while in the background a gurgling baby crawls across some polished parquet floor, or I saw a circle of good-looking, wisecracking friends drinking latte and showing off their impressive knitwear while wryly bemoaning the dating game. That was my problem. When I thought of turning thirty, I thought of somebody else’s life.

But that’s what thirty should be—grown-up without being disappointed, settled without being complacent, worldly wise but not so worldly wise that you feel like chucking yourself under a train. The time of your life.

By thirty you have finally realized that you are not going to live forever, of course. But surely that should only make the laughing, latte-drinking present taste even sweeter? You shouldn’t let your inevitable death put a damper on things. Don’t let the long, slow slide to the grave get in the way of a good time.

Whether you are enjoying the last few years of unmarried freedom or you have recently moved on to a more adult, more committed way of life with someone you love, it's difficult to imagine a truly awful way of turning thirty.

But I managed to find one somehow.
Mary May
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#2

Сообщение Mary May »

Subject: Translation, again (5): A Man and a Boy
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Потом вернусь и переделаю (может быть). Есть несколько крайне неудачных моментов.

All my images of this particular birthday seemed derived from some glossy American sitcom. When I thought of turning thirty, I thought of attractive thirty-nothing marrieds fooling around like teens in heat while in the background a gurgling baby crawls across some polished parquet floor, or I saw a circle of good-looking, wisecracking friends drinking latte and showing off their impressive knitwear while wryly bemoaning the dating game. That was my problem. When I thought of turning thirty, I thought of somebody else’s life.

Все представления об этом именно дне моего рождения я, похоже, позаимствовал из какого-то гламурного американского ситкома. Думая о наступающем 30-летии, я воображал приятную компанию своих женатых ровесников, разгоряченных флиртом, как озабоченные подростки, а где-то там на заднем плане - ползающего по сияющему паркету агукающего младенца; или же я видел себя за чашкой латте в кругу язвительно-остроумных прекрасно одетых в трикотаж друзей, иронично сокрушающихся об очередном свидании. В этом-то и было дело. Думая о своем тридцатилетии, я представлял себе чью-то чужую жизнь - не мою.

But that’s what thirty should be—grown-up without being disappointed, settled without being complacent, worldly-wise but not so worldly wise that you feel like chucking yourself under a train. The time of your life.

Но ведь таким и должен быть тридцатник: ты повзрослел - но разочарования пока обошли стороной; остепенился - но не разленился до самодовольства; узнал/познал жизнь - но она еще не опротивела настолько, что хоть под поезд бросайся. Твое время.

By thirty you have finally realized that you are not going to live forever, of course. But surely that should only make the laughing, latte-drinking present taste even sweeter? You shouldn’t let your inevitable death put a damper on things. Don’t let the long, slow slide to the grave get in the way of a good time.

К тридцати ты наконец осознаешь, что не бессмертен и что жизни приходит конец. Но разве это не добавляет вкуса сегодняшнему веселью и аромата сегодняшнему кофе? И пусть неизбежность смерти, долгий медленный путь к могиле не мешает получать от жизни все ее радости.

Whether you are enjoying the last few years of unmarried freedom or you have recently moved on to a more adult, more committed way of life with someone you love, it's difficult to imagine a truly awful way of turning thirty.

But I managed to find one somehow.

Наслаждаешься ли ты последними годами холостяцкой свободы или же только недавно, связав свою жизнь с любимым человеком, обратился к более взрослому и ответственному образу жизни, трудно представить себе, что же такое надо совершить, чтобы превратить тридцатилетие во что-то ужасное.
Однако мне это каким-то образом удалось.
Последний раз редактировалось Aksamitka 16 окт 2018, 09:59, всего редактировалось 1 раз.
Причина: Удалена реклама.
tourist
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#3

Сообщение tourist »

attractive ..тут скорее привлекательных, чем приятных

showing off ... рисоваться,красоваться,демонстрировать (модный ?) трикотаж

The time of your life ... perhaps :лучшее время (пик) твоей жизни

I've got that funny feeling .. this thread is not really a request for corrections.
If so and my suggestions annoy you, please tell me. I'll stop.)
Mary May
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#4

Сообщение Mary May »

tourist пишет: 05 сен 2018, 15:22 my suggestions annoy you,
Why? No way. Nothing but gratitude. Thank you for your time and effort.
A day before yesterday (or was it yesterday?), however, I really was annoyed but with nobody but myself, for writing something, not having put a thought into it first.
tourist пишет: 05 сен 2018, 15:22 that funny feeling .. this thread is not really a request for corrections.
You're partly right. This very thread was supposed to be sth else indeed. But, tired about beating about a bush, I soon uncovered my evil plot. Especially since it hadn't worked at all ))
Even so, why not take the advantage of what already had been done and not get some feedback?
Firstly,
tourist пишет: 05 сен 2018, 15:22 The time of your life ... perhaps :лучшее время (пик) твоей жизни
Believe me or not, but I was almost sure these were exactly the words I had used. I even had to look through my text to prove myself wrong. It happens )
Then, these - attractive, showing up... Here, what I really find tricky, is not their exact meaning but choosing the right Russian expression for them.

...For example, my guess is that mentioning the hero's friends
showing off their impressive knitwear
is nothing more than 'labelling' them as not office workers with the latter's tedious jacket suits; for me, it's a bit like "блистать отсутствием". So, wearing casual but still "impressive" clothes becomes an equivalent to belonging to the 'creative class' (the protagonist is a successful TV producer - remember? - and so there's a high chance many of his friends work for TV too), and on that ground they might consider themselves somewhat special; at least, in their right to look down upon the white-collars. If so, how should I put it? I'll think about it tomorrow )
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#5

Сообщение Mary May »

Next launch in mid-October
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#6

Сообщение Mary May »

Mary May пишет: 27 сен 2018, 14:41 Next launch in mid-October
Have just enrolled on the course.
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Yety
Mary May
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#7

Сообщение Mary May »

Mary May пишет: 11 окт 2018, 13:17 Have just enrolled on the course.
...it is starting on Monday and that's why I'm re-opening the thread, going to (well, rather hoping to) put here some notes I'm going to (again, hope to) take during the course - just to help me stay afloat and keep on track.
By notes, I (probably) mean nth else but some lists of words or phrases - the ones I wish I could use in speech or writing naturally, without sounding too weird or pretentious. That's why I'll try to focus more not on expanding my vocab, but rather on putting in practice what I already know and on a more accurate usage of it. I'll write down some collocations and nice phrases here. Or not. :)))

I'm more a quill pen and paper type but finally have got sick and tired of heaps of books and notebooks sitting around, and of not being able to find at once the right one - the one I need at the moment. So this is also my try to find a substitute for my usual practice and, at the same time, my modest contribution to paperlessness; to a certain extent, at least.

Apart from working on lexis (and slow reading is a basis for this), the course includes some writing, speaking via Skype (don't think I ever join; though, who knows?) and recording of a piece of speaking in order to get feedback on your pronunciation - sounds nice, perhaps I'll have a try.
What discourages, is that the course takes place on VK.com and getting used to one more network which could well create one more time-consuming habit is what I'd like the least.
Перенесено из форума Перевод в форум Practise Your English 15 окт 2018, 19:47 модератором zymbronia

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#8

Сообщение zymbronia »

Тема перенесена по просьбе ТС
Mary May
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#9

Сообщение Mary May »

It's the last day (even hours!) of my 4-week-long reading course.
With 40 chapters and 240 lexical tasks behind, I haven't managed to "go paperless", still scribing words and phrases into my A6 notebook at the best (or just on scraps of paper - quite often).
On the bright side, I've never lost the track with reading and vocabulary tasks.
But - what a shame - missed at least 2 Skype sessions (I say "at least" because I still have a chance to join the last one this evening; but have serious doubts that it would happen).
I also missed - and that's unforgivable - both of the tasks that required self-recording. "Technology is definitely not my cup of tea" - and here comes [mention]mikka[/mention] (?) and kills me for the phrase ((
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#10

Сообщение Mary May »

It's already a fortnight since I finished this book-based course and I feel a need to share my impressions of the month spent together with the two remarkable tutors and my course-mates, some of whom I'm looking to meet again in January.
At the end of the course, we were all asked to write something about it on the tutors' pages but I decided not to, and here I'll explain why.
The reason was, the course took place on the VK.com platform and I'd had no VK account till this summer, when I created it with the only aim in mind - to join Tanya's previous CAE Expert marathon (which I screwed up completely but that's not the point of this post). So - I thought - how can I come up out of nowhere with this glowing review of mine, considering my brand-new VK account with no photos, no friends, no traces of any activity at all and, moreover, with a name that is obviously a fake? Wouldn't it produce exactly the opposite effect - keeping in mind what we tend to think of those newbies here on this board who, just a few minutes after their registration, try to advertise something, pretending that they're giving helpful advice or sharing their first-hand experience. So, not to make things worse, I just wrote a thank-you letter instead.
But all this time, it has kept gnawing at me that it was not enough. That's why I decided to write about the course here on the forum, where, despite the nickname, it is obvious that I am a real flesh and blood person and not a fake. This way the authors of the course would be able to give a link to this forum.

to be continued (?)>

Just to gain my small learning profit too: as always, if anyone finds any mistakes here or just has any suggestions on how to make my writing better, please come up with your findings ))
But - in this thread only - could you hide your corrections/suggestions under the spoiler tag, please?
That certainly doesn't relate to any content-wise comments.
Thank you.
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#11

Сообщение tourist »

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-So-I thought - how can I -> how could I ? not really sure, both could be possible..
- moreover
- Does VK require a real name to register?
If not, your nick wasn't a fake ... call it nom de plume )
- just to gain my small learning profit too - > need rephrasing
- doesn't relate apply to any content-wise comments

I was bracing myself for a big editing exercise, but this time you've really disappointed me )
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Mary May
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#12

Сообщение Mary May »

tourist пишет: 26 ноя 2018, 01:15
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-So-I thought - how can I -> how could I ? not really sure, both could be possible..
- I thought of this as a sort of direct speech; at least, it was meant to be like that.
- moreover
- Does VK require a real name to register?
If not, your nick wasn't a fake ... call it nom de plume )
Do you take "moreover" away because it doesn't fit here? Or, because you find the thing about names not that important?
To annswer the question: no, it appeared they don't need your real name - but still, they have already got all your personal data collected as long as the account is connected to your phone number.
- just to gain my small learning profit too - > need rephrasing
- Could you give me a hint, please?
- doesn't relate apply to any content-wise comments
- Oh, keep forgetting the simplest words!
I was bracing myself for a big editing exercise, but this time you've really disappointed me )
Hate to hear it but do believe it was the smallest of minor disappointments of the day.
Self-correcting (#9):
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at the best is a bit outdated; better at best
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#13

Сообщение tourist »

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I didn't take away anything from you. )
I struck over moreover because it was just cluttering the sentence.
Perhaps you meant to say something like "what's more important", but I wouldn't recommend using it here anyway for the same reason.

- just to gain my small learning profit too -> not to waste an opportunity/to take advantage of the opportunity or something like that.
gain learning profit .. hmm ..doesn't sound right.

- it was the smallest of minor disappointments of the day ->it was the least of your disappointments today
I was trying to read between the lines to uncover the secret meaning behind this statement but failed,
or may be there weren't any secret meanings at all.. )

btw,why did you ask to use spoilers?
What's the point?
It doesn't stop anyone from opening it.
In fact,it's the opposite: forbidden fruit and all that ..

The same question goes to Tea42.

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Mary May
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#14

Сообщение Mary May »

tourist, thank you.
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tourist пишет: 26 ноя 2018, 15:33 ...it was just cluttering the sentence.
- Oh, I should read sth about text structure, perhaps; would it ever happen, I guess?..
...or maybe there weren't any secret meanings at all.. )
)) speaking of ambiguities: what about "circling the wagons" from another thread?
btw, why did you ask to use spoilers?
What's the point?
It doesn't stop anyone from opening it.
In fact, it's the opposite: forbidden fruit and all that...
Certainly, not to keep a secret - there' are no secrets here - and I really don't think many people would care what's behind the tag much enough to open it. It's just for the sake of convenience - so that my message wouldn't be lost among the many tons of mistakes/corrections/improvements... Because, as you said in #3, it wasn't (and still isn't) what it all is for - but why not waste an opportunity? (I'm trying to learn, you see))
The same question goes to Tea42.
She wouldn't hear you here )
But, if you're talking about our thread in the TRANSLATION section, that's just the inner rule we accepted there.
And, again, the thread wouldn't look so scarily long.
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