Terra Nova

That's right. One of the most fascinating things in learning foreign languages is that that always keep something new to understand.

Haven't found a topic where we could just chat about the language (or languages in general). So let it be here

I'm translating a text from Russian into English. I constantly have doubts with articles. An association came to my mind: "a" and "the" reminds a bit of Russian "Вы" and "ты". The degree of familiarity, you see

Either do I.. I don't confuse them in simple cases only.

"So do I" is correct.
In general I have no problems with articles, but in scientific texts, I guess, I'm like Tat'yana Larina in her letter, constantly and randomly switching from "ты" to "Вы"

what text are you translating? Scientific?

Yeah. My future article.

Shu, don't worry about articles. Unless your article will be published somewhere in the USA or in the UK, hardly someone will even notice your mistakes! People speak awful English here in Europe, I should say. Folks who have same problems as you do (with articles, I mean), use a "no article" approach.

Don't talk that to Robin
But there are articles in every European language with the exception of Slavic languages. And all of them have the same origin and the similar purpose in German, French or Italian.

It doesn't help them, believe me.

"Don't talk" here is wrong. Correct would be "don't tell that him"

Shu, a good English is on the one side indeed something to worry about if you write a paper. But on another side, the referees would correct your errors

And it's generally better not to translate your text from Russian, but write it anew.

You can't imagine the English of some papers of Asian origin I read in manuscript

Professional translators do the same. They read an article, understand its meaning and then write it anew in the other language.

By the way, it's amazing how German people would write something in English, making a 6-lines long sentences! When I start reading such a sentence, I understand it in the beginning, but as I finish reading, I forget how it started. My German friend told me that it's just the way they write in German: long and complex sentences are supposed to indicate a complex thinking.

Robin, you don't seem to have this habit. Yet. But I wouldn't call your thinking primitive. So could you please tell your German friends that it's possible to keep it simple and still be a smart person.

Hmm... Really? I didn't know that! But now I know that I was working as a professional translator!

By the way, I really enjoy reading books that were translated from English. Russian sentences translated almost word to word from English sound really silly.

They know. But they can't do anything about their 6-line-long sentences habit. And worse even, those who don't write in complex sentences are indeed often... well, are not especially inclined to complex thinking.

Once I had to re-use in English some texts written (originally in German) by my boss. I routinely let out about a third, without loss of any substantial information. And he is definitely a intelligent guy.

Oh yes, I absolutely agree! But I'm too lazy. I switch my brain off and translate almost automatically Trying to avoid awkward word-by-word translation, of course. Mine is something like sentence-by-sentence.
Earlier I used to worry much about literacy and style. Now I've blown off ("забила" - ?). I just want to do it as fast as possible, the language will anyway be ok. I don't have an aim to make it perfect any more.It will, I hope Oh, no-no-no! A bad approach!

I've just tried to translate russian anecdote to english:

I was in the woods one night.. There was cold and rainy weather and I was really frozen... I saw a car, and there was nobody around and the car was unlocked, so I get into the car to warm myself..
Suddenly the car started riding. I was shocked. I was on the back seat and there was nobody at the weel!
Then a hairy hand cropped up through the front window from nowhere and drived the wheel for some time - and then vanished from sight.. My hairs stood on end..
So the car reached the countryside, the first houses showed up... Then the car stopped and a man looked into the compartment and shouted: dude who are you??!! what the hell are you doing here??!! - Ahem.. I'm just riding... - Crap!! I'm pushing on the fucking car all along, and you are just riding!!

What do you think, would it be funny for the americans?

Your translation is good! There are, though, several mistakes.
It isn't good to use "there+to be" here. Better to say "It was cold and rainy".
got
I'm not sure if it's possible to say "riding" about a car. Though I'm not sure that it is wrong either.
I doubt the expression again, though am not sure that it's wrong. Anyway, "drove".
"Hair" is almost always singular in English. Unless you want to say something like: "There are two hairs in my soup!" Here it should definitely be singular.

I guess, yeah, it would As, let me repeat, the translation is good and conveys the humour well

I'm not sure either. Therefore I'd probably say "Suddenly the car started to move".

"through the front window" - понял, что меня смутило. Рука, просунувшаяся через ветровое стекло - это точно из ужастиков

Ты работала профессиональным переводчиком? Если нет, то "I know that I was working like a professional translator!" , "I know I worked in a way the professional translators do!" Мне кажется.

Started to move or started moving. Both ways are correct.

Shu, thanks ))
And how it would be better to say?

"driver's side window" or "driver's window"

http://testyourvocab.com/

How many words do you know?

My rate is 8090, which is fairly good, but in fact it's a shame, because I know guys who've had the result of 10000 or 11000, and they aren't English teachers like me.