Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
на то он и...
English translation:
that's why/not for nothing/for he or one...
Added to glossary by
Henry Schroeder
Nov 5, 2005 07:32
18 yrs ago
Russian term
United States
20 years of experience, certified, ATA
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
Works in: German to English, Russian to English, English
на то он и...
Russian to English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Is this supposed to be funny?
А- поспешил уверить Б-, что парень этот скорее всего выжил, на то он и ординарец, чтобы выжить, да и сам он пишет, что выжил; те, которые с юмором, вернее других выживают...
A- made haste to assure B- that the lad in a likelihood survived, for he was made an orderly to survive; furthermore, he wrote....
Is this what на то он и... is more or less saying. Is the narrator amusing the reader here as is clearly the case at the end of the sentence?
Thanks!
А- поспешил уверить Б-, что парень этот скорее всего выжил, на то он и ординарец, чтобы выжить, да и сам он пишет, что выжил; те, которые с юмором, вернее других выживают...
A- made haste to assure B- that the lad in a likelihood survived, for he was made an orderly to survive; furthermore, he wrote....
Is this what на то он и... is more or less saying. Is the narrator amusing the reader here as is clearly the case at the end of the sentence?
Thanks!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
4 hrs
Ann Nosova
United States
United States
Native in Russian
Works in field
United States
Physician,scientist, translator
Native in: Russian 
, Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, English to Ukrainian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
17
Russian term (edited):
�� �� �� �...
Selected
he had more chances (it was his place/job that carried him through)
I am not sure about funny meaning but I guess that the main word is d "ординарец". I believe that one needs to have some special kind of personality to be successful orderly. Sure it was not always and in any case, there were really brave and bright men among them. However most of them have been described either a nimble(even shrewd),
or a complaisant characters in the many stories/novels. They knew a lot about the situation because they were close to the authorities and sometimes they have more chances to survive...
http://www.oval.ru/enc/50501.html
БСЭ
Ординарец (нем. Ordonnanz, франц. ordonnance - вестовой, от лат. ordino - привожу в порядок, назначаю, управляю), в русской армии - военнослужащий (рядовой, унтер-офицер, офицер), назначавшиися к войсковому штабу, к командиру или к почетному лицу для выполнения их поручении, главным образом для связи и передачи приказаний.
http://www.serann.ru/win/s41_0.html
Амброз Пирс "Без вести пропавший (В гуще жизни)"
Джером Сиринг был рядовым, однако не нес службы в строю, а был прикомандирован к штабу дивизии и значился в списках как ординарец. Понятие "ординарец" включает множество смыслов. Ординарец может быть связным, писарем, денщиком - кем угодно. Иногда он исполняет обязанности, не предусмотренные военными приказами и уставами. Характер поручений зависит от его личных способностей, от расположения к нему начальства, наконец, просто от случая.
or a complaisant characters in the many stories/novels. They knew a lot about the situation because they were close to the authorities and sometimes they have more chances to survive...
http://www.oval.ru/enc/50501.html
БСЭ
Ординарец (нем. Ordonnanz, франц. ordonnance - вестовой, от лат. ordino - привожу в порядок, назначаю, управляю), в русской армии - военнослужащий (рядовой, унтер-офицер, офицер), назначавшиися к войсковому штабу, к командиру или к почетному лицу для выполнения их поручении, главным образом для связи и передачи приказаний.
http://www.serann.ru/win/s41_0.html
Амброз Пирс "Без вести пропавший (В гуще жизни)"
Джером Сиринг был рядовым, однако не нес службы в строю, а был прикомандирован к штабу дивизии и значился в списках как ординарец. Понятие "ординарец" включает множество смыслов. Ординарец может быть связным, писарем, денщиком - кем угодно. Иногда он исполняет обязанности, не предусмотренные военными приказами и уставами. Характер поручений зависит от его личных способностей, от расположения к нему начальства, наконец, просто от случая.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks for this extra information; it was useful. I used a combination of multiple responses. Thanks to everyone. "
29 mins
George Vardanyan
Native in Russian
Specializes in field
the language - first
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Flemish to Russian, French to Russian, and 22 more.
Russian term (edited):
�� �� �� � ��������, ���� ����
that was his lot/fate to survive, because he an orderly is
that was his lot/fate to survive, because he an orderly is
+1
3 hrs
Сергей Лузан
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Native in Russian
Specializes in field
Russian Federation
Always welcome! :)
Native in: Russian
Works in: German to Russian, English to Russian, Spanish to Russian, and 7 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
39
Russian term (edited):
�� �� �� �...
for ONE IS made an orderly to survive
would be my option here. Let's wait for other opinions. Good luck, Henry!
Past Simple Tense is not necessary here, I presume.
The implied meaning here is 'for ONE IS made an orderly to be aple (apt)to survive'
218 for "one is made an". (google)
Past Simple Tense is not necessary here, I presume.
The implied meaning here is 'for ONE IS made an orderly to be aple (apt)to survive'
218 for "one is made an". (google)
7 hrs
David Knowles
Native in English
Works in field
Specialist in Civil Law & Contracts
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, English, Ukrainian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
160
Russian term (edited):
�� �� �� �...
that's what he [became an orderly] for
This is my attempt! There is I think an implication that to be an orderly you need a sense of humour.
This lad most likely survived, after all, that’s why he became an orderly, to survive, he even wrote that the ones who survive are the ones with humour, they’re more likely to survive than the others …
This lad most likely survived, after all, that’s why he became an orderly, to survive, he even wrote that the ones who survive are the ones with humour, they’re more likely to survive than the others …
8 hrs
Freimanis
Works in field
Russian term (edited):
�� �� �� �...
to survive/survival is what beeing an orderly is all about
to be/being an orderly here is meant to be synonymous with beeing able to survive
8 hrs
Alexander Demyanov
Native in Russian
Works in field
Software Engineering background
Native in: Russian
Works in: English, Russian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
84
Russian term (edited):
�� �� �� � ��������
an orderly is an orderly
or:
an orderly isn't called that for nothing
an orderly isn't called that for nothing
10 hrs
Not for grading
The word combination на то он и is common in Russian Google in many contexts, but it's difficult (for me!) to grasp exactly what it means - sometimes it seems to mean "after all" and other times something else. Good luck!
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