This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
средство от клопов
выемочные единицы

Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

вечная ручка

English translation:

perpetual ink pen

Added to glossary by GaryG
Dec 12, 2004 00:55
19 yrs ago
Russian term

вечная ручка

Russian to English Other Science (general) Pseudoscience
Представьте, что к вам пришел человек и предложил за сто рублей философский камень, эликсир жизни, скатерть-самобранку и ряд мелочей - шапку-невидимку, меч-кладенец, вечную ручку и средство от клопов.

Is this a pen that doesn't run out of ink or something else?
Proposed translations (English)
5 +5 perpetual pen or perpetual ink pen
4 +2 fountain pen
4 perpetuum pen

Discussion

Marina Aleyeva Dec 13, 2004:
I think it's a combination of both meanings. ���� ����, if translated literally, is a fountain pen, but when mixed with the invisible cap and the magic sword, can (comically enough) pass for yet another magic potion.
Sergei Tumanov Dec 12, 2004:
A fountain pen which never runs out of ink, however in this context it is any handwriting device, which can write forever *this is the main point*. At the time when this word was widely used only pencils and pens existed.
Vladimir Dubisskiy Dec 12, 2004:
And this is a very old joke.
Vladimir Dubisskiy Dec 12, 2004:
fountain pen 100% - i remember it even in the 60s-70s. When i started elementary school (1963) we used ink pens with inkpots - so a fountain pen was really ���� ���� comparing to the mentioned.
Elena Ivaniushina Dec 12, 2004:
that's it! no other meanings there

Proposed translations

+5
1 hr
Russian term (edited): ���� ����
Selected

perpetual pen or perpetual ink pen

The reference below is to a blog where a young man is discussing some questionable magazine advertisements, including a Perpetual Ink Pen. Perpetual pen also works and carries across the irony - the alliteration is also nice, though not present in the original.
Reference:

http://tinarad.easyjournal.com/default.asp?eid=496460

Peer comment(s):
agree Iryna Maslova : Хотя вариант с fountain pen по-своему верен, мне кажется, что в данном контексте лучше perpetual ... У нас была еще, например, и "вечная игла для примуса". Так что в данном контексте/ряду предметов я бы подчеркнула неисчерпаемость ресурсов ручки
4 hrs
agree Aleksandr Okunev (X)
6 hrs
agree Sergei Tumanov
17 hrs
agree Natalie
22 hrs
agree Tatiana Nero (X)
23 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, Deborah! I was looking for something more "wondrous" but it appears now that the author was being sarcastic with the last two items!"
7 mins

perpetuum pen

Good luck, GaryG!
Something went wrong...
+2
52 mins
Russian term (edited): ���� ����

fountain pen

It was called вечная ручка in the USSR before - I don't know - either the 50s or the 40s?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs 30 mins (2004-12-12 05:26:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.nalogi.net/1998/199803_9.htm
Peer comment(s):
agree Vladimir Dubisskiy : или "вечное перо", и, кажется, ещё "ручка-самописка"
3 hrs
Спасибо.
agree Olga B
14 hrs
Thank you.
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search