Сусанин хренов

English translation: bloody "navigator"

06:41 Aug 9, 2014
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Names (personal, company) / фразеологизм разговорный
Russian term or phrase: Сусанин хренов
типа...куда ты нас завёл?! Сусанин хренов!
Интересует, есть ли в английском подобный феномен/историческая личность, вошедший(ая) в народный фольклор в качестве фразеологизма. Либо просто - как по-английски передать адекватно этот смысл.
Sergei Kvardakov
Russian Federation
Local time: 21:47
English translation:bloody "navigator"
Explanation:
-
Selected response from:

AKhram
Local time: 21:47
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3Are you leading us on a complete (f***ing) wild goose chase..?
Simon Geoghegan
2 +3bloody "navigator"
AKhram
3fucking misleader
Oleg Kadkin
4 -1jerk of a guide, conspirator guide
LilianNekipelov


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
fucking misleader


Explanation:
I don't think you can find a similar story with a historical person in English-speaking countries

Oleg Kadkin
Russian Federation
Local time: 21:47
Native speaker of: Native in ChuvashChuvash, Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  The Misha: See Simon's note about the use of the f-word. Besides, "misleader" isn't the word to use here despite what your dictionary may say.
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, the Misha! I've got it.

agree  LilianNekipelov: Not bad, in fact--slightly too vulgar in this context, perhaps. Or f...ing jerk, f...ing conspirator guide. I think it is not bad. The Russian original is quite vulgar as well.
9 hrs
  -> As to me, "Susanin khrenov" in the original source sounds equally rude actually:)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
bloody "navigator"


Explanation:
-

AKhram
Local time: 21:47
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  katerina turevich
32 mins

agree  Natalia Volkova: It`s amusing. Funny.
3 hrs

neutral  LilianNekipelov: Not "bloody' in AE, perhaps damn. Navigator?
7 hrs

agree  MariyaN (X)
17 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Are you leading us on a complete (f***ing) wild goose chase..?


Explanation:
Alternatively to the above you could go for:
"Where are you leading us Captain Blunder?"

But this would be suitable for a very specific context - of which we have none here...


I am pretty sure there isn't an equivalent folk hero in English or American history who is well known to a wide readership.

Alot depends on context here. Use the above if you think a footnote would detract from the author's intentions. Also beware of using the F*** word too liberally. Non-native speakers often get it completely wrong.

Personally, I used the following footnote in a short story I translated recently, which contained a reference to Susanin.

Ivan Susanin is a legendary 17th century folk hero. He was a peasant log cutter who was asked by a detachment of Poles during the "time of troubles" to show them a short cut to monastery where Tsar Mikhail Romanov ). He deliberately led the detachment deep into the forest where they got lost and perished in the February cold. Susanin was allegedly tortured to death but the Tsar and the founder of the Romanov dynasty escaped. The name "Susanin" has become an ironic cliché in the Russian language for a person who leads somewhere claiming to know the way, but who eventually proves not to.

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Note added at 1 hr (2014-08-09 08:34:16 GMT)
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When the family goes out to the forest, mama spins her round several times and asks: "Which way is home?" Sometimes Dunyasha tries to think, at others she just blurts the answer straight out but each time she gets it wrong. "You're a right Susanin ," says mama with a smile. "It's not for his navigating skills that he's so fondly remembered. When you grow up a bit, you'll learn all about him."

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Note added at 4 hrs (2014-08-09 10:41:42 GMT)
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In that case I'd probably go for:
"Bloody great navigator you are!"

Example sentence(s):
  • Here's the sentence from which the above note comes from:
Simon Geoghegan
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:47
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks a lot, very useful. My case is making English subtitles for a Russian movie where a Russian officer goes through a taiga forest road with his soldier driver and when the latter loses the way, he reproaches him with that notorious exclamation "Susanin hrenov!" I surmise the English-speaking viewers will not realize who 'Susanin' is, so I believe it's better to say "bloody navigator!" to render the proper sense in general. Any way, thank you again!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  katerina turevich: I like your explanation. Clear
34 mins
  -> Thank you Katerina.

agree  The Misha: This makes the most sense to me. Since this is for subtitles where you can't give a note I say get rid of Susanin altogether. Only that needs to be done the right way, and yours is the only one so far that doesn't scream "non-native".
3 hrs
  -> Thank you Misha.

neutral  LilianNekipelov: It is not bad, but slightly distant from the original. You can use it, if there is nothing better.
7 hrs
  -> You're possibly right. I came up with "wild goose chase" before being given more context. I think I would go with: "Fantastic navigator you are" ... Or something similar for subtitles to keep things more concise.

agree  Oleksiy Markunin
10 hrs
  -> Thanks Oleksiy
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
jerk of a guide, conspirator guide


Explanation:
One of those. It is related to a real story--in the Russian history--Polish Russian wars in the Old times. Susanin is a real personage.

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Note added at 10 hrs (2014-08-09 17:09:04 GMT)
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i would add f...ing in front of those phrases. It really has to be stronger--like in Russian.

LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 14:47
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PolishPolish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, I know quite well who Susanin was. I like your contribution, too.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  The Misha: This is neither Russian, nor English. For the life of me, I can't imagine a native saying anything remotely approaching this under any circumstances. That's called usage. Yours here just isn't good.
2 hrs
  -> Oh, you always disagree--nothing new. This is exactly what sounds good in English. I don't know what an Apache would say--this is true.
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