Russian Language: the Very First Lesson

There are many methods to teach languages. Every teacher develops his/ her own system with time. This system has to be changed with every new student because every person has own capacities and ways to learn new information. I describe here my way to begin the new course of Russian language with a person that does not know anything of Russian language.

Preparation:
exercises to do

Здравствуйте! Здравствуй!
Я - Людмила. Меня зовут Людмила.
Как вас зовут? Как тебя зовут?
Очень приятно!

I prepare much more phrases on the leaf for two reasons: sometimes persons can learn more sometimes less. So, if my student can learn more in the firsst lesson, I have more phrases to work with. If he/ she can't learn much, I have a limit of these phrases I absolutely have to work with the first day.

alphabet tables (one with transcription, one - to hang on the wall) There are many pictures in the web and everywhere.

Lesson:

I begin with the first phrases. I explain the modes of use of -те and the ethymology of the word здравствуйте. It's to lower the tension and to create some interest. The ethymological informations are always useful for these aims. Very important is the capacity of the teacher to create a kind of show and make the student partecipate in it.

I write the second phrase on the wall and read every letter.
Than I pass to the alphabet that hangs on the wall near me.
I work with the alphabet.
Than I pass to the third and last phrase.

Very important is to arrive to the last phrase of the lesson to give the sense of completeness of the first part of the study.

Result:

I do not expect that the person trying for the first time to learn some russian words have great progresses. I do not expect it at all. The only result has to be the interest of the student and his/ her conviction he/ she CAN do it.

Autumn and Winter Tasks for a Translator from Russian to Italian

Autumn and winter come with their lack of sunshine. And many persons prefer to pass all the time in the room in front of pc. They would like to open their eyes in the morning and to find a new task that can be done in two-three hours.

Internet is very useful place for translator from Italian to Russian and from Russian to Italian. It gives different advantages to those who earns money writing:

First of all, you do not need to walk days and days from one assumed jobgiver to other. Once, when I began my way, you would generally walk and walk without any result and only good acquaintances of your parents or their friends could open a door in front of you. I do not say, this door took you in a good place, but you had a job and fixed earnings at the end of the month.

Now, everything changed in the world. If you have a stable presence in the internet, you are known to different circles of persons and they know how to find you if they need you.

Some young competitors write me or phone me from time to time and they are very angry with me because I appear everywhere in internet and they no.

I do not know, gays, why do you come to ME with this??? You, who studied computer and internet, different languages and strategies. I'm much more older than you are. I did not study anything from that. Can't you subscribe special newsletters you need for the aims you have? Can't you take a notebook and write in it what you think is useful for you? Can't you follow the teachings you studied this way and create your presence in internet?

Open a blog, pages in social media. Study SEO writing. Study keywords. Write articles regularly and submit them everywhere you can.

All your success depends on your articles. You do not need any dime to reach your success. If you are fortunate with the keywords and interesting articles, you will be easily reachable by the persons that are looking for service you can offer them.

And, if the service you offer is good enough, your clients will pass your contacts to others who look for such service.

This is all the secret.

Translation in Russian From "Finibusterre" of Italo Calvino

« … Il mondo attorno all'antico San Nicola è un formicaio ebbro di vitalità. Vecchi cortili sono stanze, vecchie cappelle sono magazzini, una scala sfonda un muro, un muro alza la testa oltre il soffitto. Passa con il braccio steso il venditore di pomodori secchi e salati e il suo lamento incomprensibile eccita l'appetito. Allora mille bambini seminudi sporgono il loro pezzo di pane. Mentre la madre pettina la comare, la figlia fa la pasta su una pietra larga, davanti all'uscio di casa. Con un pizzico di pasta mette al mondo altri pupi, ci soffia su: andate a giocare, toglietevi di qui. Così si moltiplica all'infinito la vecchia Bari, grazie a Dio, cresce nuova e non muore mai. »

(Italo Calvino, Finibusterre, 1954)

Мир вокруг древней церкви Святого Николая - это муравейник, в опьянении от жизни. Старые дворы - это комнаты, старые капеллы - это склады, лестница, которая разламывает стену, стена, которая поднимается над крышей. Продавец сухих и солёных помидор проходит прямо с жаровней, и его непереводимая жалоба возбуждает аппетит. И вот тысячи полуголых детей протягивают свои куски хлеба. В то время как мать перед входом причёсывает крёстную, дочь делает макароны на широком камне. Из кусочков теста делает кукол и, подув на них: идите играть, чтоб я вас не видела. И так бесконечно увеличивается древний Бари, слава Богу, вырастает новый и никогда не умирает.

Using On-Line Translators

One of the questions I hear frequently is why we need human translators if we can use on-line translators. And, the nearby standing question: I can translate my text with the on-line dictionary - why I need books or lessons?

The answer is very easy. An online translator does not understand the sense of the text. It only translates the narrow quantity of words inserted in it's database. The human brain can't contain such quantity of the words but it can understand the sense of the phrase.

I normally use Word Reference and Яндекс online translators for my work. It's comfortable because I do not need to open books to look for possible translations of this or that word. Now, use one of them to translate the first phrase I found when I opened FB:

A simple Russian phrase without any "background"
Улыбайтесь: это заставляет людей ломать голову что же у вас на уме
we can translate so:
Smile! It makes persons rack their brains over your intentions.
Here is thee translation of one of my favorite on-line translators
http://translate.reference.com/
And smile: it makes people crush the head that same you have in the back of his mind

Why is it so? Let's take one of the words we needed to translate the phrase.

ум

Общая лексика Право 

муж.

mind; brains мн. ч. ; разг. ; (разум) wit, intellect

человек большого ума — man of great intellect; very clever man, person of keen intellect

человек выдающегося ума — master-spirit

от большого ума — in one's infinite wisdom

спятить, свихнуться, своротить, сбрендить с ума — разг. to go out of one's mind / head

вы с ума сошли! — are you out of your senses?

держать в уме — to keep smth. in one's head

перебирать в уме — to turn smth. over in one's mind

доходить до чего-л. своим умом — to work smth. by oneself, to come to smth. on one's own

раскидывать умом — разг. to think smth. over

жить своим умом — to think for oneself, to live his own way

жить чужим умом — to live as others tell one to

This on-line translator has not the word we need but we can take one word with more or less corresponding sense. According to our language experience.

Now, try to translate with on-line translator this one:

...and comment to it:
 В России сел в машину и поскакал....

Translator Is Important in Research

Everybody, even the great scientists need help of a translator! And, making this way part of the important researches, I'm proud that in my so modest little world, I can vaunt so GREAT (at least for me) participation:  a Russian scientist from Michigan State University offers his help and the most modern technology to the papirologists of Naples.

So, this time I had to work with passionate persons which are so much interested in what they are doing that forget everything else except it.

Thanks to this my work, I could visit Villa of the Papyri and the Neapolitan State Library where papyri are kept: an incredible, impossible fortune for a simple history lover such as me. :-)))

Translator Changes the Name to Linguistic Assistant

Once in all this time I have finally good news about the Translator's from to Russian Italian job. Once in I don't know how many months I have finally the kind of work I like.

First of all, I like to tell others about the history of this place, I like to work with curious persons, with those who come not to criticize everything and everybody and look only for bad sides. No. I work to have money, yes, but I do not allow every rude to treat me as a floor-cloth.

About a week ago, one woman writes me this way: "I need a translator with a Russian speaking guide to come with the car in my hotel to take me for the excursions during my vacation in Paestum". Point. Nothing more. How do you write to a person you need her service? "Hi,... Regards..." I write so even if I have to say something not very pleasant or to a not very pleasant person. Good education is something that is a about MY characteristics. It changes nothing if I have to ask or to offer.

In this case, the woman is oafish. This means, if I want her money soooooo much to go to serve her (because I accept to be subservient and not to work in this case), I will be wormed, I have to cringe. These are the rules of this game. And I do not accept such treatments. I'm not a fawner and can become very hard with similar persons. I know it and try to avoid such situations. As it was said: "I would like to serve, it's noisome to be subservient."

In any case, I answered this woman she has to call the manager of her hotel so that he organizes this service for her. She did not understand: "I need a translator waiting me near the entrance of my hotel with a car every day!" I need so many things in this life, I thought... And wanted to write her something like this... but did not want to soil myself.

Well, this time my clients are very educated and very interested in history persons. I'm even worried if I will be able to find answers to all their questions. And so I have to learn and learn and learn now. It's amazing! I will know much more after this experience! and I'll visit many new places! because they wanted to have great time full of interesting experiences. I even had to contact touristic government departments to satisfy their desire to know everything about the Antique Rome.

But I have a new "name" now. My job is "linguistic assistant" because translator is not exactly the same thing, you know. In any case, I'm excited and wait for them with impatience.

The Bad Days of the Translator

One of the most important qualities of every person is the capacity to say "No!" Yes, this way, directly, steadfast, without doubts. If you are not able to do it, you will live in constant troubles and with the feeling of dissatisfaction. The attendant qualities are pity and strong desire to help those who needs your help.

Let's speak openly: you need these qualities to be a person. But! You have to know turn them out when you see that others try to take advantage of these your good sides. Remember what Jesus Christ (or his father maybe, I'm not very brave in theology) said: wait till charity becomes sweaty in your hand. It means, you have to think many times before you give your charity. Because there are too many persons that live abusing honest people.

Yes, it's about the last case when I was called to translate an English-Russian Business meeting between two important businessmen which wanted to have a confident talk during a conference. I denied the invitation and explained that it's not MY field. I know English but it's written language. I do not have the possibility to speak English here. So, NO! decisively. They called me for 3 days. And, finally, I had to accept this work.

I passed a terrible week. First, because I had not time neither theme of that conversation. And I did not know the words I needed to use during the meeting. So, my translation was a horror. The client knew my problem and he wanted I come there. But his interlocutor was really furious. He is accustomed to be served by the best servants. 

I could not calm for some days after it. I could not sleep, I could not work. 

Never! Never more! I will never give up when the task is not about my expertise! I have to learn to say NO! determinedly!