https://www.proz.com/kudoz/russian-to-english/cinema-film-tv-drama/6041230-%D1%81%D0%BB%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0.html&phpv_redirected=1
This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Russian to English
  3. Cinema, Film, TV, Drama

Слуга народа

English translation: A servant of the people

13:45 Feb 10, 2016
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Russian term or phrase: Слуга народа
Здравствуйте. Подскажите, пожалуйста, как правильно перевести название для ролика. В нем происходит потасовка с водителем высокопоставленного московского чиновника, который припарковался вторым рядом, ожидая начальника. Вот характерное место в ролике: https://youtu.be/XOhktzUzqdQ?t=4m13s

Предполагаю что должно быть словосочетание со словом people's, но как точно перевести, пока не знаю...
Mikola
Russian Federation
Local time: 01:03
English translation:A servant of the people
Explanation:
This is most likely a use of sarcasm (and irony), alluding to the office of a 'civil servant' (государственный служащий).

I think the use of the article 'a' is important here as the reference is generic, with the person in question (Михаил Иванович) being 'one' of the many high-ranking officials that see themselves as being above the people.

'Servant of the people' works best with the indefinite article ("a servant of the people").
'People's servant' really only works with the definite article (i.e. the).

[The above is assuming this is a reference to said person. Otherwise, another phrase capturing the same sarcasm could be used, such as "that's civil service" for you", "that's what serving the people looks like", or any number of variants.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 53 mins (2016-02-10 14:39:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

There's also a Ukrainian sitcom with this very phrase as its name. It's incidentally translated as "Servant of the People".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2016-02-10 15:27:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Being as it's the title, the article can probably be dropped.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2016-02-10 15:28:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Servant of the People"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2016-02-10 19:09:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

PURPOSE is key. What is the writer wanting to achieve? The English "public/civil servant" is such a commonplace term that it's unlikely to invite the same reaction as the Russian. The English "public/civil servant" has the same effect as the standard term "госслужащий". It might be worth switching words around in English to place the right stress, e.g "servant of the public", and get the right reaction.
Selected response from:

Jaime Holmes DipTrans MITI
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Grading comment
Спасибо!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2people's servant
Oleg Lozinskiy
4 +1public servant
Maxim Olshin
4 +1A servant of the people
Jaime Holmes DipTrans MITI
4He who serves at the pleasure of the people
Angela Greenfield
3Service for the People
rns


Discussion entries: 12





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
people's servant


Explanation:
https://www.google.ru/#newwindow=1&tbs=li:1&q="people's serv...

Oleg Lozinskiy
Russian Federation
Local time: 01:03
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yakov Katsman: здесь это с некоторой иронией, можно в кавычках "people's servant"
9 mins
  -> Спасибо, Яков!
agree  Ramunas Kontrimas
9 mins
  -> Thank you, Ramunas!
disagree  Larisa Horback: Public sounds better then People's. The link provided means something different I verified my answer with Public Science book and it says "a civil servant or public servant is a person in the public sector employed for a government department or agency."
3 hrs
  -> Sorry, but I disagree with your personal opinion.|Thank you for your most kind opinion revised but I still totally disavow your claim.
agree  danya: People's Servant
1 day 18 hrs
  -> Спасибо, Даня! Правда, применение заглавных букв или кавычек будет иметь смысл только в случае субтитров, а в противном случае озвучивающему придется обыгрывать интонацией.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
public servant


Explanation:
.

Maxim Olshin
Ukraine
Local time: 01:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yakov Katsman: Это просто название чиновника без дополнительных оттенков
8 mins
  -> Ну, справедливости ради, вариант выше работает тоже исключительно когда находится в кавычках. Если нужна ирония, то можно написать Moscow finest (хотя это скорее о полиции).
agree  Roman Bardachev
2 hrs
agree  Larisa Horback: Good Job, it's what Political science book says. "public servant". I assume it will be translated for English -speakers so the meaning should be clear for them first of all.
3 hrs
neutral  Jaime Holmes DipTrans MITI: Public Servant is translated as госслужащий. The question is what reaction the author expects from their readers. There irony isn't apparent. Although your suggestion of using inverted commas, as in "Public 'Servant'", would work.
5 hrs
disagree  danya: not really
1 day 18 hrs
  -> Well, yeah. If you put it like that, then certainly not.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
He who serves at the pleasure of the people


Explanation:
Я бы, если честно, перефразировала. В предложенном мной варианте присутствует ироническая высокопарность, свойственная исходнику. По другому, как мне кажется, трудно передать это "высокое" звание.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 40 mins (2016-02-10 14:25:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Можно даже "People" с заглавной буква написать. Тогда вообще супер будет смотреться в таком контексте.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 40 mins (2016-02-10 14:26:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

*буквЫ
Описка. Извините.

Angela Greenfield
United States
Local time: 18:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 76

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Larisa Horback: It should be short and clear; people who will watch it need to understand that this person is from government or senator.
3 hrs
  -> Wow, Larisa, some strong opinions here.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Service for the People


Explanation:
Hopefully polysemous enough to capture the aspects of the situation.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 47 mins (2016-02-10 14:33:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

FWIW, A Ukrainian TV Series is called ‘Servant of the People’.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 47 mins (2016-02-10 14:33:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://thetvdb.com/?id=303257&tab=series

rns
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 44

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Larisa Horback: What kind of service?
3 hrs
  -> :)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
A servant of the people


Explanation:
This is most likely a use of sarcasm (and irony), alluding to the office of a 'civil servant' (государственный служащий).

I think the use of the article 'a' is important here as the reference is generic, with the person in question (Михаил Иванович) being 'one' of the many high-ranking officials that see themselves as being above the people.

'Servant of the people' works best with the indefinite article ("a servant of the people").
'People's servant' really only works with the definite article (i.e. the).

[The above is assuming this is a reference to said person. Otherwise, another phrase capturing the same sarcasm could be used, such as "that's civil service" for you", "that's what serving the people looks like", or any number of variants.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 53 mins (2016-02-10 14:39:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

There's also a Ukrainian sitcom with this very phrase as its name. It's incidentally translated as "Servant of the People".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2016-02-10 15:27:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Being as it's the title, the article can probably be dropped.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2016-02-10 15:28:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Servant of the People"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2016-02-10 19:09:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

PURPOSE is key. What is the writer wanting to achieve? The English "public/civil servant" is such a commonplace term that it's unlikely to invite the same reaction as the Russian. The English "public/civil servant" has the same effect as the standard term "госслужащий". It might be worth switching words around in English to place the right stress, e.g "servant of the public", and get the right reaction.

Jaime Holmes DipTrans MITI
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Спасибо!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Angela Greenfield: Supporting your last version "Servant of the People".//Jaime, as a Russian-speaker, I need to tell you that I strongly disagree with what Larisa is saying in her comment to you and to the rest of the answerers here. Your answer is perfectly fine.
3 hrs
neutral  Larisa Horback: It does not sound right.. I know asker requested word "People", however, regarding to the video we can see senator who is public/ civil servant.
3 hrs
  -> You'll see I mentioned the words 'civil servant' in the first line of the explanation. I guess the issue is not about who the person is, but to what extent the author wants to draw our attention to the irony.
neutral  danya: Oleg's "People's Servant" works without the article by the same token as your "Servant of the People", as it is a title
1 day 17 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations