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"по живому резать"

English translation: dismiss someone heartlessly / callously

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:"по живому резать"
English translation:dismiss someone heartlessly / callously
Entered by: Olga Cartlidge

10:47 Jul 22, 2009
Russian to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Russian term or phrase: "по живому резать"
It s to do with a manager who feels it would not be the acceptable to fire a member of staff causing problems.

Context -

Может пора расстаться с N ? Но к этому он не был готов. Не в его правилах "по живому резать".

Thank you.
Olga Cartlidge
Local time: 07:03
dismiss someone heartlessly / callously
Explanation:
It was against his rules/principles, it went against the grain, it was not his way to dismiss someone heartlessly

heartless / callous / ruthless dismissal went against his code, was not part of his code
Selected response from:

Dylan Edwards
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:03
Grading comment
"Ruthless dismissal went against his moral code" would work best for my document.

Many Thanks to all for the comments.


4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4cut someone to the bone
nikogda (X)
4It would be against his own rules to merely expunge the offender from their midst
The Misha
4to cut (someone) to the quick
Judith Hehir
3thoughtless cruelty
James McVay
3dismiss someone heartlessly / callously
Dylan Edwards


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
cut someone to the bone


Explanation:
or
cut to the quick

nikogda (X)
Local time: 23:03
Native speaker of: Russian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  The Misha: This is not an idiom native to English, and your translation reads literally: cut someone to the bone. No more, no less. Not a good choice.
8 mins
  -> OK, "cut to the bone" does sound too literal. But "cut to the quick" IS an idiom, meaning deeply wound or distress (in an emotional way)
agree  Rachel Douglas: I think either one of these is fine, and "It was not his practice to cut someone to the bone" might even sound better than "to the quick", in this context. See discussion field for "native" examples of figuratively cutting somebody to the bone.
7 hrs
  -> Thank you, Rachel. Special thanks for the examples.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
It would be against his own rules to merely expunge the offender from their midst


Explanation:
Tough one, I agree. As I said in my comment below, this is by far not a native idiom, and translating literally - cutting live, to the bone or in any other way - would just read literally, raising quite a few eyebrows. What I suggest is by far not the exact equivalent, but something I believe a native might say under the circumstances.

Another option would be to say "cutting so/too close to home", but the meaning here is somewhat different and fits you purpose even less.

The Misha
Local time: 02:03
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 88
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
thoughtless cruelty


Explanation:
"It wasn't his practice to act with thoughtless cruelty."

After Ozhegov's definition: По
живому резать (разг.) - действовать жестко, жестоко, не считаясь с последствиями для других. (http://www.kulichki.com/moshkow/DIC/OZHEGOW/ozhegow_e_l.txt)

It happens fairly often in translation that you can't find an exact duplicate for an idiom Often the best thing to do is just to make use of the meaning in a sentence.


James McVay
United States
Local time: 02:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to cut (someone) to the quick


Explanation:
It was against his rules to cut someone to the quick like that.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/cut to the quick

Judith Hehir
United States
Local time: 02:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 56
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
dismiss someone heartlessly / callously


Explanation:
It was against his rules/principles, it went against the grain, it was not his way to dismiss someone heartlessly

heartless / callous / ruthless dismissal went against his code, was not part of his code

Dylan Edwards
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 38
Grading comment
"Ruthless dismissal went against his moral code" would work best for my document.

Many Thanks to all for the comments.

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