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Alina Brutskayaasked for translation hace 8 años
How to translate? (ru-en)

Минуту, другую он стоял посреди комнаты, как будто не зная, что делать

User translations (2)

  1. 1.

    He stood in the middle of the room for a couple of minutes as if hesitating what to do

    translation added by Elena Bogomolova
    Gold ru-en
    3
  2. 2.

    For a minute or two, he stood in the middle of the room as if not knowing what to do.

    translation added by ⁌ ULY ⁍
    Gold ru-en
    2

Discussion (25)

Alexander Аkimovadded a comment hace 8 años

А ведь хотел написать ”as if not knowing...”

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

Elena, you can’t use “hesitating” like that. If anything you have to say “as of hesitating on what to do.“ But even that sounds weird in this context. The only way just make it sound natural is to actually use “not knowing“ “…as if hesitating, not knowing what to do.”

Elena Bogomolovaadded a comment hace 8 años

Ok, thank you, Uky. I found samples of such using in Ngram (.
What about "as if hesitating, unsure what to do"?

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

“as if hesitating, unsure OF what to do”

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

Actually, I just looked and “hesitating what to do” is correct. It sounds horrible to me, but correct nonetheless.

Elena Bogomolovaadded a comment hace 8 años

Yes, unsure OF). So, is it OK? Should I leave my translation or better delete?

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

Leave it - it’s correct by all accounts))

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

Do you know what alrighty then means ?

Elena Bogomolovaadded a comment hace 8 años

хорошо, ладненько, нет?

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

Not quite. Ok, let's say you and your girlfriend are walking through the mall. All of a sudden this guy approaches you and introduces himself. You both greet him cordially, as he's very nice and extremely good-looking. Then he turns to you specifically and says he wanted to say hello from the moment he saw you walk in the mall, and blushes. You think "wow, how sweet!" Then he sheepishly asks you if he can give you his phone number. You giddily agree and he tenderly takes your arm and starts writing his name on your hand. You and your girlfriend giggle at this cute display - so far so good. Then he returns your arm and tells you not to forget to call because you both have important work ahead of you - he needs you to have his child, who will one day become the leader of a future resistance that will eventually save the world... The smile freezes on your face and through your teeth you say "Alrighty then!" 😅 as if not knowing what to say next and thinking "THIS GUY IS A PSYCHO!"

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

In other words, you use it when things unexpectedly take a weird turn or get uncomfortable, but you try to sound upbeat so as to not scream and run away. It's more of an attitude than a meaning.

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

So in this thread, it was funny because it implied: First Uly tells me I'm wrong and go through all this rigamarole just to tell me I was correct in the first place! Uly is so weird sometimes! 😅 (but humorously speaking)

Elena Bogomolovaadded a comment hace 8 años

Понятно 🌝. Yes, it was funny then, I didn't mean that 😁Тогда я бы так и сказала "сумасшедший", "псих", "придурок"...

Elena Bogomolovaadded a comment hace 8 años

Yes, it sounds really funny. For a foreigner, it's better to use only the words you know 100%, otherwise you risk to sound funny. My French teacher told us about one Japanese who had a n internship in Russia in a tourist company. He would enter the office in the morning and say "Ну как, дела идут, контола писет? (Дела идут, контора пишет?). And though he knew all the words, but he pronounced them in such a funny way, that everybody couldn't but burst into laughing. And this teacher recommended us not to use many colloquial expressions not to seem funny.

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

That's too funny! Sounds like something I would say)))

Elena Bogomolovaadded a comment hace 8 años

Japanese and Chinese people sound really very funny. Тебе до них далеко, Ули. Один знакомый турок с трудом произносил слово "все". У него получалось "фсо" 😉

⁌ ULY ⁍added a comment hace 8 años

Thank you, that’s encouraging! After two minutes of listening to me, you would be like “alrighty then!“

Elena Bogomolovaadded a comment hace 8 años

В-общем, нужно меньше выпендриваться))

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