Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

Арык выкопаешь - свет увидишь.

English translation:

Digging an irrigation ditch will open up the whole world. (Sort of like "You irrigation ditch is the gatetway to the world.")

Added to glossary by Dorene Cornwell
May 23, 2005 11:18
19 yrs ago
Russian term

Арык выкопаешь - свет увидишь.

Russian to English Art/Literary Folklore proverb
И еще один совершенно изумительный нармудр (спасибо, Кирилл, слово-то как ко мне прицепилось). А если арык не выкопаешь, так дураком и умрешь...

Discussion

Dorene Cornwell Jun 2, 2005:
Hi Larissa. After reading a couple of these I figured out they must be Soviet vintahe. I assume they are all some version of "hard work is good," so as literal as possible with only the faintest whiff of potry is what I would aim for!
Kirill Semenov May 23, 2005:
������, ������, "������". "�" ����� ��� ����� ������ ��������. ;-)

Proposed translations

3 hrs
Russian term (edited): ��� ������ - ���� �����.
Selected

Digging an irrigation ditch will open up the whole world

I like "нармудр," but are we sure this is really golk wisdom, not some quaint Soviet exhortaion?

Digging an irrigation ditch will open up the whole world. (Sort of like "You irrigation ditch is the gatetway to the world.")
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you all! Dorene, you are close to the truth, the whole point of нармуд as explained by Kirill was that they were really created by some Soviet authors. It shows!"
+1
1 hr
Russian term (edited): ��� ������ - ���� �����.

Dig an irrigation ditch, then you’ll see life can be rich

Dig an irrigation ditch, then you’ll see life can be rich.

Моя потуга. Попробую еще подумать.


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Note added at 1 hr 23 mins (2005-05-23 12:42:12 GMT)
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Or more sarcastic and straight-to-the-point:
...then you\'ll see life is a b..ch (excuse my French) :-j

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Note added at 1 hr 54 mins (2005-05-23 13:13:17 GMT)
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Or more sarcastic and straight-to-the-point:
...then you\'ll see life is a b..ch (excuse my French) :-j

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Note added at 1 hr 55 mins (2005-05-23 13:14:01 GMT)
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Oops! sorry for the duplication - my blunder!
Peer comment(s):

neutral Dorene Cornwell : well, yeah, but at least put some lipstick on this pig. See below.
3 hrs
agree Alexandra Tussing : I like this, its funny
11 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
6 hrs
Russian term (edited): ��� ������ - ���� �����.

dig a dike and (you will) see the light

(as in getting enlightened)
Peer comment(s):

agree Simon Gregory
6 days
Something went wrong...
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