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ДЕПАРТАМЕНТ ЛЕКАРСТВЕННОГО ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЯ И МЕДИЦИНСКОЙ ТЕХНИКИ

Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

простые, как песня

English translation:

down to earth

Added to glossary by Turdimurod Rakhmanov
Mar 30, 2019 19:14
5 yrs ago
4 viewers *
Russian term

простые, как песня

Russian to English Art/Literary Tourism & Travel travel article
Is the phrase "простые, как песня" some kind of idiom in Russian? Is there anything similar in English? It's part of a heading describing the people's character.

The context is as follows - a travel article about New Zealand, this part of the article is referring to the people's character.

The next paragraphs (see below) are about the character traits of the New Zealanders.
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Люди — простые, как песня

Не знаю, встречала ли где-то ещё таких же вежливых и улыбчивых людей, как новозеландцы. Они здороваются на маршрутах, спрашивают, как дела, когда покупаешь еду в супермаркете, и предлагают помощь, даже если её не просишь. Они простые в общении.
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I know it's about the fact that the author found the people to be simple, easy-going, good-natured. So is there any kind of catchy phrase in English to say this, "As simple as a _________" or "As easy-going as ______"? I would really like to find some suitable expression but I'm not coming up with any good ideas at the moment.

I will appreciate any help/suggestions. Thanks in advance!
Proposed translations (English)
4 down to earth people
3 +3 unassuming like a simple tune
3 as simple as a song
3 never feel like a stranger
3 so very sociable
References
down to earth people / a people persons / both feet on the ground (Am).
as simple as pie
Change log

Apr 12, 2019 07:41: Turdimurod Rakhmanov Created KOG entry

Apr 12, 2019 07:42: Turdimurod Rakhmanov changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/1052242">Turdimurod Rakhmanov's</a> old entry - "простые, как песня"" to ""down to earth people""

Discussion

Boris Shapiro Apr 2, 2019:
Nah, use the 'simple as pie' suggestion! Come on, you know you want to! Kiwihood and apple pie all the way! ;-)
danya Apr 2, 2019:
never mind the source) Unless you need to reflect the doubtful splendour of the original text, you might want to simply go along with the general meaning of "easy-going"/ "unassuming"
Boris Shapiro Mar 31, 2019:
'Salt of the earth' is way off: it's a Biblical phrase meaning 'the sprinkling of people thought to set a model of excellence for or to give tone to the rest' (WUD). I doubt the semantic drift could have forced it to assume a wholly different meaning without any connotations of moral rectitude.
Boris Shapiro Mar 31, 2019:
I don't think this is a true fixed phrase (partly evidenced by the comma - in Russian, true 'Adj как N' idioms need no comma before как). Still, it makes little literal sense, so literal translation is out of the question.
Turdimurod Rakhmanov Mar 31, 2019:
"real salt of the earth" is more general, and translated mostly as "настоящие,достойнейшие, простые люди," here is about specific attitudes of New-Zealanders. Music or song in the context is used to describe their attitude as gentle, flexible and relaxed.
Sarah McDowell (asker) Mar 30, 2019:
Thanks! Thanks for your suggestions. Misha, I really like "real salt of the earth". This is the sort of idea I'm trying to convey.
The Misha Mar 30, 2019:
As simple as a song it definitely isn't Because chances are you won't find any one turn of phrase in English matching the exact meaning of this Russian low-speak gem. I would rephrase: "as unshackled as they come," or "real salt of the earth," perhaps. Or both.

Happy as a lark isn't it either. It's not about happiness. It's about attitude.
Carole Wolfe Mar 30, 2019:
Another suggestion This idiom might also be appropriate: HAPPY AS A LARK.
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-saying-happy...

Proposed translations

2 days 14 hrs
Selected

down to earth people

down to earth people
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks! I ended up using this option for the translation."
7 mins

as simple as a song

Coleske – Simple As A Song Lyrics
https://www..com/c/coleske/simple as a song_21008147.html

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Note added at 8 мин (2019-03-30 19:22:40 GMT)
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There's something about love
That not to many have discovered
It's a pure and faithfull act
Of wich you are the keeper
When you know yourself
And you live for what the truth says
You will find that love
Is as simple as this song is

There's something about pain
That we all seem to go through
Every now and then
It just finds it's way to haunt you
So stay up on your feet
For it can only make you stronger
And in time you'll see
It's as certain as this song is

And I will break down these walls
Build my tomorrow
Find all the answers
That I never have before
Cause I will stay on this raod
Run through the ashes and the fog
For it might be the way to it all

There's some things in life

That we cannot seem to hold on to
Keeps us on the ground
Even when we are much older
So learn to give yourself
It may be all you have tomorrow
And then the truth to life
Is as simple as this song is

Oh yes it is...

And I will break down these walls
Build my tomorrow
Find all the answers
That I never have before
Cause I will stay on this raod
Run through the ashes and the fog
For it might be the way to it all

There's something about love
That not to many have discovered
It's a pure and faithfull act
Of wich you are the keeper
When you know yourself
And you live for what the truth says
You will find that love
Is as simple as this song is

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Note added at 12 мин (2019-03-30 19:26:13 GMT)
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Welcome to Stubbornly Buoyant

A happiness blog :)

The only real goal here is to have you smiling by the time you leave.
https://www.stubbornlybuoyant.com/home/simple-as-a-song

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Note added at 14 мин (2019-03-30 19:28:26 GMT)
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Фраза достаточно устойчивая на аглицком: https://www.google.ru/search?newwindow=1&biw=1067&bih=750&tb...
Something went wrong...
1 hr

never feel like a stranger

This is a simile but not an idiomatic expression.
Something went wrong...
+3
1 hr

unassuming like a simple tune

*
Peer comment(s):
agree The Misha : Unassuming is good, but I would lose that simple tune business altogether. It simply rings no bells in English. See my discussion entry above.
28 mins
Thank you. "un.. tune" is not so uncommon in describing music and the whole thing is an "independent" sentence, not a try for a matching idiom.
agree cyhul
1 day 4 hrs
Thank you.
agree danya : this is a happy choice of wording indeed
2 days 12 hrs
:-)
Something went wrong...
9 days

so very sociable

 
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

7 hrs
Reference:

down to earth people / a people persons / both feet on the ground (Am).

Как вариант,
down to earth people / a people persons
or a good laugh people
https://www.newzealand.com/sg/feature/new-zealand-people/

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Note added at 7 hrs (2019-03-31 02:33:37 GMT)
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it must be something specific to New-Zealanders

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2019-03-31 02:36:59 GMT)
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Down-to-earth version is not so close, but I think a people persons would describe the people from New Zealand.

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Note added at 7 hrs (2019-03-31 02:54:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Down to earth also means simple and good people,
we also could use both idioms in one "down-to-earth and good laugh people"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2019-03-31 03:14:31 GMT)
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In Asker's version: easy-going is what is described in the context,
to make it more similar to the spirit or stylistic approach of the context:
We can say: A people pleaser

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Note added at 8 hrs (2019-03-31 04:13:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry:
stylistic approach in the context
Note from asker:
Thanks! I really like "down-to-earth". I was thinking of something like this, but your suggestion helped confirm my choice.
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree Boris Shapiro : I really like the 'down to earth' variant. It conveys the meaning perfectly without the entirely accidental musical imagery.
12 hrs
Thank you.
agree Dmitry Zaikin : "down to earth" works perfectly here
9 days
Thank you, Dmitry.
Something went wrong...
13 hrs
Reference:

as simple as pie

as simple as apple pie
to be exact


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2019-03-31 13:52:51 GMT)
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During World War II, British soldiers used the expression to describe a mission that was extremely easy to accomplish."
Peer comments on this reference comment:
disagree The Misha : It's as EASY as pie, not simple, and it's a totally different idiom anyway.
4 hrs
"simple as pie" or "easy as pie" https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/3/messages/91.html
disagree Boris Shapiro : This is ridiculous. Easy or simple, it has nothing to do with attitudes. // Killing me softly, you are ;-)
6 hrs
softly as a song goes?
Something went wrong...
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