dazed Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 I was playing the demo and my girlfriend(from Russia)heard me playing and came over to check it out. She thought she had heard Russian. We went through some of the sound files and she was surpised that most spoke with no accent and some were distinctly Ukranian. She was also surprised at how foul some of them were. Apparently swearing where she comes from isn't as casual as it is here in the states. -dazed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Harrison Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 And you thought the NKVD was there just to shoot those who ran away . . . "Shi . . ." bang! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The ol one eye. Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Can you get her to translate them and post the results?!?!!?!?!??! Pleeeeeaase??? I thought I picked up a few cuss words too, at least what an old Russian fisherman taught me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PawBroon Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Aren't Russian girlfriends somewhat gamey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Aren't Russian girlfriends somewhat gamey?LOL My sweet 'ol mum will be my translator when the full version comes out to 'help' with understanding the Hungarians Meavon yuckypoo or sumthink.... [ September 06, 2002, 03:22 AM: Message edited by: Wicky ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prinz Eugen Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Hey, when the game arrives I'll be more than happy to translate the Finns ! Hope there's some swearing there too ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shosties Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Originally posted by Prinz Eugen: Hey, when the game arrives I'll be more than happy to translate the Finns ! Hope there's some swearing there too ! Hey Prinz, I once met a fellow who claimed to have learned Finnish (yeah, I know, for an American, why? Missionary work???) and he said they're weren't really any "bad" or "foul" words in the language, just expressions with potent connotations (usually relating to the devil). Is this true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shosties Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Originally posted by dazed: I was playing the demo and my girlfriend(from Russia)heard me playing and came over to check it out. She thought she had heard Russian. We went through some of the sound files and she was surpised that most spoke with no accent and some were distinctly Ukranian. She was also surprised at how foul some of them were. Apparently swearing where she comes from isn't as casual as it is here in the states. -dazeddazed, mega-kudos for you if you can bribe her ( ) into coming up with rough and ready translations for the more common clips. I chuckle at the "no accent" comment. Everyone has an accent, they just don't see their own kind. Is she a Muscovite? I get the impression Russians are impressed if you can pull off a good Muscovite or SPB accent as a foreigner. In another thread, someone lamented he didn't hear any of the Russians say "ne kulturny" and I told him at the front, they'd probably be resorting to much more pungent stuff than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 It is interesting how much more seriously Russians take swearing. There are guys I knew over there who could swear for 5 minutes without repeating themselves but would not use any of those words in the presence of a woman or a child. And I've seen some women get really mad when they heard someone use particular words around them. Its considered really low class and vulgar to swear in the wrong context, which, you know, I can't say I dissaprove of. Language should be a powerful tool. Here is an intersting article about Russian swearing from this URL Russian Swearing Article Swearwords form a special stratum of Russian language. This stratum is called mat (or materny jazyk, meaning 'mother language'). There are a limited number of such words, however, they are highly productive, and dozens of new words and expressions can be derived from these core words. Russian swearwords are mostly of Turkish origin. Most of them are direct borrowings from the language spoken by Tartar invaders during the period of the Tartar-Mongolian control over Russian territory in the 13th and 14th centuries. At first glance, swearwords contain obscene references to sexual life, genitals, prostitution and so on. However, they can be used for indirect purposes with no reference to sexuality, to add flavor or strong emotion to speech. Adjectives derived from swearwords can have a vast range of pejorative meanings. Some swearwords are used as exclamations of various types, or as interjections that are inserted in any phrase for emotional, stylistic or rhythmical purposes. Russian swearwords are perceived as wildly unacceptable. Their highly anti-social nature and their ability to disrupt a range of social occasions are much more pronounced than in the case of their English equivalents. The reason for the special status of obscene words and expressions in Russian is the same as in many other languages, mat breaks into the sanctified spheres of public life. The usage of mat in ordinary speech is highly tabooed. However, it is marked as a special male sub-language, often used in contexts where no females are present. For young boys the use of mat in everyday speech is seen as a liberation from a range of social taboos, as well as a way of asserting their sexual maturation. Social positioning is one of the determining factors in the use of mat. The 'taboo' status of swearwords is profoundly weakened in the speech of people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Furthermore, members of Russian mafia and criminals in general tend to incorporate mat in their everyday language and may, in fact, use mat as a regular substitute for a whole range of non-obscene words and expressions. Russian language also has a number of the so-called second-rate swearwords that are close to mat, but are not considered to be socially unacceptable. These words usually do not contain any sexual references, but, rather, apply to a range of human physiological processes and functions, such as excretion, urination and vomiting. This sub-stratum of mat is also rather productive, and can be used to achieve a variety of verbal goals. Other swearwords in Russian language are socially acceptable and considered to be close to regular exclamations. As in English, they tend to refer to the devil, hell or evoke some form of religious vocabulary. A number of offensive words in Russian language refer to personal qualities, such as poor mental ability, lack of moral qualities, dishonesty etc. Some animal names, such as pig, dog, and goat can also be used as swearwords. There is a long oral tradition of folk songs and rhymes that consistently use swearwords. A special genre of such short poems is called chastushki. 'Chastushki' give expression to the carnivalesque nature of some folk traditions, as their function is to open up and reverse some of the most prohibitive public taboos and social mores. The pleasure taken in using illicit or forbidden language is clearly evident in the popularity and longevity of this kind of folk songs. Until recently, mat words have never appeared in print. While the use of swearwords is still considered publicly unacceptable in contemporary Russia, some modern Russian writers have began using them widely in their work. This shift in literary attitudes has resulted in the gradual penetration of mat into the Russian literary language. [ September 06, 2002, 11:05 AM: Message edited by: Terence ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Weiss Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 I ain't the swearing that bothers me, but you mean to say we don't have authentic Ruskies in the voice overs, we got Uraniums and such? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Well it is the SOUTH. Maybe the scenarios in the north have Moscow and St. Petersburg (Leningrad) accents. Aksent MASkovski. Here's a dictionary of Russian swearing. Warning, most of these words will get you into real trouble if used around Russians, so be careful. Dictionary of Russian Slang and Swearing My experience has been that most Americans don't really want to get into fistfights whereas the Russians really don't mind throwing down, especially if offended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K Jonsson Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Originally posted by Bruno Weiss: I ain't the swearing that bothers me, but you mean to say we don't have authentic Ruskies in the voice overs, we got Uraniums and such?Not authentic? As I understood the original post it was the exact opposit. :confused: Or maybe I read your post wrong. But if a russian woman says she can't hear any accent in most of them then I think thats very high praise. BFC got it right. Again... /Kristian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berlichtingen Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Originally posted by K Jonsson: Not authentic? As I understood the original post it was the exact opposit. :confused: Or maybe I read your post wrong. But if a russian woman says she can't hear any accent in most of them then I think thats very high praise. BFC got it right. Again... /KristianIIRC, all the voices are native speakers... regardless of the language Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRSutton Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 You have a girlfriend? No, Im really impressed that you have time for CM and a girlfriend What stamina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shosties Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Terence, Warning recieved and understood. Thanks for that link. This one just about made my day: khuem grushi okolachivat' I can only imagine how Quentin Tarantino films are dubbed into Russian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Could've sworn I heard Yakov Smirnoff, but maybe I was wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Originally posted by Shosties4th: Terence, I can only imagine how Quentin Tarantino films are dubbed into Russian.Badly, alas. Pulp Fiction came out when I was there, and naturally the pirate copies were in wide distribution. In spite of the awful translation -- one voice for all the parts -- it was staggeringly popular. Partly because of the soundtrack, I think. The title translated to Boulevarnoye Chtenye, which means Street Reading, I think. It goes downhill from there. How do you explain who Arnold from Green Acres is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Very interesting and entertaining thread! My Russian/Ukrainian wife (Born in Ukraine but calls herself a Russian, go figure) is also very skittish about swear words. When I found some Russian profanity in a novel and showed it to her, she became upset and refused to translate it for me! She's been here two years and can't get over the casual and extensive profanity on US cable TV and movies. My favorite memory is her asking "What is this 'f...k' and why do people on TV say all the time 'f...k this' and 'f..k that?'" Fortunately, her innate Russian reserve and ladylike qualities prevent her from picking up any bad habits of speech (thank goodness.) She does get a kick out of hearing me swearing in English at people on the freeway, however... I'll have to have her review the Russian sound files for CMBB when the full game is out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Originally posted by gunnergoz: I'll have to have her review the Russian sound files for CMBB when the full game is out.If she's as ladylike as you say, she may refuse to translate. Thats happened to a couple curious American friends of mine -- they found examples of Russian swearing and brought them to Russian friends who simply refused to say the words or translate them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 You're correct, Terence, my wife likely would just blush and ignore the foul language, if she heard it in the Russian sound files. She for sure wouldn't translate it for me! I'm really more interested in her feedback about how realistic and plausible the Russian sound files are, in general terms. I'll be able to review the Italian sound files in CMBB myself, and am very much looking forward to that when I get the full game (which can't be soon enough.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazed Posted September 6, 2002 Author Share Posted September 6, 2002 Wow...didn't realize my thread would be this popular. When we get the full game I'll have her translate as much as I can. As far as the accents go she says of the files she listened to(maybe 40 of them) One person had a distinct Ukranian accent and the others had no accent. Which to her means St. Petersburg(Leningrad for this time period). She was impressed as most games I have with Russians, or even movies usually do a horrible job. Funny things is that in English she cusses worse than me but she would never even think to swear in Russian. It was a while before she started to cuss in English, she's been here 7 years. She took to it fairly well though. Wow, if she reads that she'll kill me. Q Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobodejesus Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Hey Prinz, I once met a fellow who claimed to have learned Finnish (yeah, I know, for an American, why? Missionary work???) and he said they're weren't really any "bad" or "foul" words in the language, just expressions with potent connotations (usually relating to the devil). Is this true? That's not quite true. Finnish is full of profanities, which these days are unfortunately very widely used in common language. Most of the teenagers around here use the finnish equivalent of f**k to punctuate their sentences, which are mostly composed of other swear words. You could say that the language is going through a f*****g crisis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpius1001 Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 You would think with a crappy economy and having to wait in line for a loaf of bread, that they would have plenty of time and reason to swear....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busboy Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Hehe, kinda makes it all the more poinient to think of the incident where Patton called a Russian general an S.O.B. to his face... This is all very very interesting. I think profanity is sort of an art. If you overuse it, you look like an immature idiot, but if you know when, how, and to whom to use it with, profanity provides a very potent element to eloquence. I find it hard to believe that a culture would be so shocked by it. I have a Russian friend I'll ask about this myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breakthrough Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Yet another document from the Noodniki Tank Works Archives, 1941-45, sheds light on the wars effect on good manners; "A young Russian soldier named Vlad, used language that was very bad. When the commissar heard, he got out the word, now Vlad is exceptionally sad....." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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