Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
the big request for HELP from Russia!
JackFromMoscow:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on January 18, 2015, 10:42:33 am ---Excellent, JfM!
So, regarding your first question:
It was common for poor rural people to make their children leave home as soon as they were grown enough to make their own way in the world. This was sometimes called "to run you off" as if to chase a child off the property. But, in the case of Ennis's parents, they "ran themselves off" by killing themselves in a car accident, presumably by missing a "curve" or bend in the road. With the breadwinners/mortgage-holders gone, the "bank took the ranch"--repossessed it.
--- End quote ---
Oh thank you very much. Now I understood the meaning of "to miss the curve". There's no a single word about it in Russian dubbing. Ennis is just saying that the place he and his parents lived in, was empty and there was no soul on the nearest 40 miles.
southendmd:
Howdy, Jack! (Nice name, by the way.) Ambitious project you got goin' here.
I'm sure many of us would be happy to help out. Be careful, we may not all agree!
1)
--- Quote ---Jack: Your folks run you off?
Ennis: No, they run themselves off. There was one curve in the road in 43 miles, and they miss it. So the bank took the ranch and my brother and sister, they raised me, mostly.
Well, guys, I cannot understand just one thing. What on earth could this mean -- "They run themselves off". You know, speaking about Ennis, it sounds like "his parents made him leave the home". But speaking about parents?? I just hope it means they just HAD to leave for some reason. Or, maybe, Ennis talking about their death here? I'm sorry, guys, I've just been looking for russian translation of this idiom and it seems, ahem, a bit strange, you know. I hope I just misunderstandig this. And I am also not sure about the meaning of "curve" - what exactly is it?. And they missed it - because of bank, isn't it? Isn't it kind of being bankrupt?
--- End quote ---
Ennis is using a play on words. "They run themselves off" means both 1) they left home; and 2)they literally ran off the road, missed the literal curve in the road, and died. It implies that the road was very straight, except for one bend.
More to come,
southendmd/Paul
southendmd:
2)
--- Quote ---Ennis: Well, I don't eat soup. ** You wanna watch it there. That horse has a low startle point.
low startle point - there are two meanings in the dictionary, first is that horse is fearful and second - that she's wild or agressive a bit. Which meaning is the best?
--- End quote ---
I would say "low startle point" means a bit of both: it wouldn't take much to frighten her, and she could easily become aggressive (throw Jack).
3)
--- Quote ---Jack: Let's git, unless you wanna sit around tying knots all day
let's git - in fact, I saw "git" is a kind of bad guy or something, so for sure it's not what I need here. maybe it is dialect form of "get"? Can I translate it as "Be hurry" or "let's do it faster"?
--- End quote ---
Yes, "git" is dialect for "get". So, you could say, "let's hurry".
4)
--- Quote ---Jack: Shit, that stay with the sheep, no fire bullshit, Aguirre got no right making us do something against the rules.
it means, that all this rules are impossible to follow, doesn't it?
--- End quote ---
It means that Aguirre's orders (pitching a tent up with the sheep) are technically illegal. Not impossible, but maybe uncomfortable (sleeping without a fire so he doesn't get caught).
5)
--- Quote ---Basque: Too early in the summer to be sick of beans.
I suppose that this phrase (or at least its first part - too early in the summer) is an idiom. Right? Because Basque is kind of sneering there, you know. In Russian version he says, "O-oh, how soft (or, better, delicate) we are." (It's Russian "sneering" thing -- sayings like "Oh how [adjective] we are" and it means "You" instaed We, "We" in such situations adds more sarcasm)
--- End quote ---
Yes, it's sarcastic, but the Basque is referring to "them/you". Too early in the summer FOR YOU to be sick of beans.
The Basque is responding to Ennis's request for soup; he says to Ennis, "I thought you didn't like soup". Ennis then makes an excuse: "I'm sick of beans"; (of course it's Jack who is sick of beans). "Too early in the summer" is I think also literal: he's saying that beans are cheap and you'll likely get more, because I'm not bringing you beefsteak!
There is also the "sneer" of don't be so fussy.
6)
--- Quote ---[Ennis shots an elk] Ennis: Getting tired of your dumb-ass missing.
Jack: What? Let's get a move on. Don't want the Game and Fish to catch us with no elk.
I saw that Game and Fish is kind of organisation of Wyoming that controls underlaw hunting. Is that right? so can i translate it like this: organisation controls underlaw hunting? of course, I got a much better russian wording than the one I have quoted, I just need you to understad me. And the second one right here: with no elk. I s'pose that's the dialect form and in fact it means "with this dead elk", right?
--- End quote ---
Yes, Game and Fish is the authority controlling hunting. Underlaw? Do you mean outlaw, illegal?
Yes, "with no elk" is dialect for "we don't want G&F to catch us with an elk", meaning this, dead, illegally hunted elk.
7)
--- Quote ---Ennis: I mean, what's the point of riding some piece of stock for eight seconds?
piece of stock. Can I change it into just "a bull"?
--- End quote ---
Yes.
southendmd:
8 ) Haha. 8 plus ) comes out 8)
--- Quote ---Ennis: They did the best they could after my folks was gone
according to the first item, "to be gone" means to be dead in this context, right? Ennis's parents haven't just left their place to somewhere else, have they?
--- End quote ---
Yes, "was gone" here means "after my folks were dead".
9)
--- Quote ---Ennis: Speak for yourself. You may be a sinner, but I ain't yet had the opportunity.
"hadn't had the opportunity". It's not quite clear for me. How would you say it (in) the other way? In Russian version he says "Maybe you're a sinner, but I, being compared to you, am as innocent as a little child".
--- End quote ---
"as innocent as a little child" sounds very funny to me! "Ain't yet had the opportunity" means "I have not had the chance to sin like you have". Presumably they're talking about sex and Ennis is telling Jack he is a virgin.
10)
--- Quote ---Ennis: This is a one-shot thing we got going on here.
one-shot thing — may I translate this phrase as a thing that shouldn't happen again?
--- End quote ---
This one is a bit controversial. "One-shot thing" means "once only", "one time only".
However, it's not clear that he is saying "it shouldn't happen again". The rest of the sentence, "we got going on here" implies that it might keep on happening. He's using the present tense. (Not "a one-shot thing we did".) To me, the "one-shot thing" refers to the whole arrangement this summer.
11)
--- Quote ---Jack: (Saying goodbye to Ennis before their 4-iear separation) I might be back. If the Army don't get me.
So that's a good question for sitizens of US. How was it going with army and all at sixties? It was honor to join the army, wasn't it? I mean, here in Russia it is quite okay to avoid employment. And, what is important, we can avoid it only having kind of decease. And, you know, it is quite dangerous to join our army these days. There's big likelyhood of being killed there (not being sent to war but because of dedovshchina here (physical and psychological abuse of new recruits in the army -- term from the dictionary).
--- End quote ---
Oh boy. The Vietnam war was very controversial, even as early as 1963. I'm sure some men thought it was an honor to join the military, but not to "avoid employment". However, Jack is talking about the draft/conscription, when he refers to the army "getting" him. Many men of the time wanted to avoid getting drafted; the fear of getting killed in Vietnam was high. And many people were strongly against the war.
southendmd:
12)
--- Quote ---Alma: There's a cheap place in Riverton, over the Laundromat. I bet I could fix it up real nice.
Fix up, as I see, means to repair or something; but it's quite strange for a woman to repair broken stuff or even repair the whole house, I mean something like having new furniture, or other maintenance works at one's place. I s'pose Alma talks about making house more comfortable and cosy, you know.
--- End quote ---
Yes. "Fix it up" here means to decorate the house to make it comfortable and cozy, as you say.
13)
--- Quote ---Barman: You ever try calf roping?
Jack: Do I look like I can afford a f*cking roping horse?
I've read something about rodeo, and I found out what exactly is calf roping. But what is Jack talking about? Can't afford? He means, such horses are expensive? If yes, it means that a rider should have his own horse, yeah?
--- End quote ---
I think you're right. (I don't know that much about rodeo-ing.) I suppose calf roping requires a lot of training and bonding between the rider and his horse.
14)
--- Quote ---Ennis: Alma, I can't afford not to be there when the heifers calve. Right, it'd be my job if I lose any of them.
"It would be my job if I lose any of them". It's not quite clear for me; in russian version he just says, "I would lose my job if I'm not there now". May I leave it as it is in russian dubbing?
--- End quote ---
Sounds good. "It would be my job" means "I would lose my job". "If I lose any of them" refers to losing the heifers and/or calves, if he were not there now.
15)
--- Quote ---Alma: Hey, Ennis, you know somebody, name of Jack?
Ennis: Maybe around. Why?
"Maybe around". Ennis says this Jack could be someone around their place they live, right?
--- End quote ---
First of all, Story to Screenplay has Ennis's line as: "I might. Why?" Not sure where "maybe around" came from?
However, "maybe around" is a vague answer that also means "I might" know someone named Jack, from around somewhere in his life, not necessarily around their place.
More later. This is fun!
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