May 10, 2009 12:02
15 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Russian term
United Kingdom
за этим скрывается мошенничество
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Hello
I'm not sure how to translate this. A character in a short story is wondering how to get his hands on rare military honours so that he can sell them. He says:
'Ведь ордена даются правительствами. А может быть за этим скрывается мошенничество?'
The register of the text is quite informal.
Thanks for your help.
I'm not sure how to translate this. A character in a short story is wondering how to get his hands on rare military honours so that he can sell them. He says:
'Ведь ордена даются правительствами. А может быть за этим скрывается мошенничество?'
The register of the text is quite informal.
Thanks for your help.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+4
19 mins
Selected
something crooked about it
If you're looking for something informal...
"...seems like there might/must be something crooked about it."
"...seems like there might/must be something crooked about it."
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
55 mins
what is there's a fraud behind it?
just another version for you here
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Alexandra Taggart
: You would be right if there was something about "under false pretences" but we do not know that.I believe the asker should have specified that "dirty sort of dealing" was involved by describing what happened.
6 hrs
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+1
2 hrs
Rachel Douglas
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Excellent English from Russian originals
Native in: English (Variants: Australian, US, British)
Works in: Russian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
384
maybe this isn't on the up and up
How you'd write it exactly, depends on the fuller context - what "за этим" refers to.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alexandra Taggart
: Yes, I se it now, in your answer it would be: " concealed scam".
5 hrs
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Thanks.
|
+2
10 mins
there is swindling behind it
In Tsarist Russia, one could order a decoration of a particular order at a jeweler's shop. In Soviet times, only the state issued them, like it did with money. The protagonist (a person with Soviet background) suspects that getting decorations other than from the government is somehow akin to counterfeiting of money.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2009-05-10 14:37:29 GMT)
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By the way, there is nothing slangy, idiomatic, colloquial or pointing to a particular subculture in this Russian sentence.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2009-05-10 14:37:29 GMT)
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By the way, there is nothing slangy, idiomatic, colloquial or pointing to a particular subculture in this Russian sentence.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alexandra Taggart
7 hrs
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thanks
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| agree |
Alexandra Goldburt
: Agree: there is nothing slangy, idiomatic, colloquial or pointing to a particular subculture in this Russian sentence. While there are many tricky Russian expressions, this is not one of them. мошенничество = swindling.
11 hrs
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thanks
|
+1
4 hrs
Eric Candle
Native in Russian
Works in field
Better than native
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, German to Russian
Related KudoZ points
:
32
...or is it nothing but a scam
as prescribed by the register...no contraindications
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alexandra Taggart
: Yes, that's right. "a scam is hidden underneath"
3 hrs
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thank you
|
+1
9 mins
Victor Zagria
Native in Russian
Native in: Ukrainian 
, Russian
Works in: English to Ukrainian, English to Russian, Russian to English, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
there's some confidence scheme involved
Cверялся по American Slang Dict. и др.
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Note added at 14 mins (2009-05-10 12:17:08 GMT)
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(just for a change) there's an okay con got going
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Note added at 1 day1 hr (2009-05-11 13:50:03 GMT)
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The word that stresses the meaning in my version is 'scheme'
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Note added at 14 mins (2009-05-10 12:17:08 GMT)
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(just for a change) there's an okay con got going
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2009-05-11 13:50:03 GMT)
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The word that stresses the meaning in my version is 'scheme'
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alexandra Taggart
: "confidence scheme" is the same as a "scam"; "con" is not applicable to the government, that is about screwing the rich, dodgy dealing in playing cards, etc .
7 hrs
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thank you Alexandra!
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