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пусть и

Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

в годы разрухи, на послевоенном пепелище

English translation:

in the years of devastation, amid the ashes left by the war

Added to glossary by David Knowles
Jul 20, 2006 18:22
17 yrs ago
Russian term

в годы разрухи, на послевоенном пепелище

Russian to English Art/Literary Genealogy Description of family members
A man is describing his grandfather, who at the time was living in Donetsk or Moscow, I can't tell which.

Он не был книгочием, предпочитал практические знания. Сам построил дом. Из камня. Сам сложил печь и вставил оконные рамы... И это - в годы разрухи, на послевоенном пепелище!

Here is my attempt, but I'm not sure I've really understood it.

All this in the ruinous years of post-war conflagration!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 during the years of ruin, out of the ashes left by the war
4 +3 You get it right
5 below
4 during the post-war devastation years in the time of post-war devastation

Discussion

David Knowles (asker) Jul 20, 2006:
I knew I'd missed something! The dictionary definition of пепелище as "site of fire" misses the point - it's a site of ashes. My book on Russian Word Formation would have been far more helpful! The transferred meaning of "hearth and home" is also irrelevant. Thank you to Susul for "ashes of conflagration", to Dorene for "ashes left by the war", and to Vladimir for his thoughtful contribution. I think I'll sleep on it before choosing!

Proposed translations

+4
16 mins
Selected

during the years of ruin, out of the ashes left by the war

fairly free translation anyway

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Note added at 2 days46 mins (2006-07-22 19:09:00 GMT) Post-grading
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I like devastation a lot.

I am glad you glossed it that way because ifyou didn't I was going to.
Peer comment(s):
agree Deborah Hoffman : I like ashes of war - more vivid than conflagration (or maybe my vocabulary is lacking :-) )
5 hrs
THank you. Unfortunately, conflagration sounds to me like the fires are still burning.
agree Aleksandr Okunev (X) : +1
12 hrs
Thank you
agree Vlad Pogosyan
13 hrs
THank you
agree Simon Hollingsworth
16 hrs
Thank you.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you Dorene for this, which I think is the most suitable. Thanks also to Susul, who was the first to point me in the right direction and to Vladimir, who gave me "devastation" as an alternative to "ruin"."
+3
9 mins

You get it right

I would put it this way: in the ruinous years of post war period, on the ashes of conflagration.

However, I am not a native speaker and can´t be sure it sounds well in English. But the idea is you do understand the meaning in Russian pretty well.
Peer comment(s):
agree Dmitry Venyavkin : Yes, the idea is correct. I would say: All this in the years of devastation on/amidst the postwar ashes.
5 mins
agree Alexander Demyanov : Conflagration is perfect as it carries both meanings - fire and war.
14 mins
agree Vlad Pogosyan
13 hrs
Something went wrong...
22 mins

during the post-war devastation years in the time of post-war devastation

I'd definitely use 'devastation' instead of 'conflagration'.

(А ведь в реальности - послевоенная разруха, шестидневная рабочая неделя, ... по сути, обычные трудовые будни советского народа в тот исторический период, ...
www.mymetro.ru/cgi-bin/ doc.pl?lng=ru&b=3&c=arsenal

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Note added at 30 mins (2006-07-20 18:53:47 GMT)
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I disagree with your "ruinous years" - the country WAS ruined during the war; it was devastated and the resulted stretched through a number of years after the war.

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Note added at 59 mins (2006-07-20 19:22:47 GMT)
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David, just think thrixe re. that 'conflagration' word... (sounds bookish and 'cold' to me).

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-07-20 19:23:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

..on the ashes of war 'devastation'..
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

below

just to show what is пепелище

http://lenta.ru/news/2006/03/25/burn/

++
http://www.risk.ru/rus/pics/mount/events/elbrus02/gallery/wo...
..
Пепелище хижины Азау. Сгорела 5.01.02 утром за 20 минут от неосторожного обращения со свечой. Вместе с ней сгорело наше снаряжение и вещи...

++
http://www.kotoroy.net/photo/st094_3-b.jpg

Закончилось все так же, как и началось — пожаром. Теперь здание будет реконструировано.

++
эта последняя моя ссылка просто буквально подходит к вопросу

http://russian.people.com.cn/31857/47388/47585/3360090.html


Фотовыставка «Люди, победившие войну»

На пепелище родного дома. Украина. 1943 года. Фото М. Альперта.

++



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2006-07-20 21:14:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

тут игра слов, пепелище - в переносном смысле (руины экономики) и в буквальном (руины другого дома, который стоял на этом месте раньше).

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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-07-20 21:18:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://kurganobl.ru/photoreports.jsp?photo=44
Something went wrong...
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