Lost in Translation

I feel like I haven’t been giving this blog enough attention as of late, but unfortunately, I’m going to have to hold off on the details of my life until next time. You see, Sarah and I were called out of class today to read over a professor’s article to make sure one could comprehend it in English…I have no idea how to explain to you the absurdity of it all… 15 pages of absolute jibberish! I’m sure it was a great article in Russian, but there is no way a human could have translated it.

Where Blok, the poet, was Born
(On our University)

Our instructor saved us halfway through the first page, but the Professor came back after our lessons (Keep in mind, she only spoke Russian). She must have understood our blank stares to be pensive expressions of deep concentration, because she just kept talking. Honestly, the entire situation is almost comical...I just learned how to say mustard today and she somehow expects me to know scientific terms concerning labyrinths and sundials?

On the Gulf of Finland
(Where I'd love to toss that article...)

She eventually asked if we were tired, and, with relief, we admitted to her that it was too difficult to translate. She agreed…it would need more time. So now Sarah and I are stuck with an article that needs to be interpreted before our morning classes tomorrow (She needs to send it to the publisher??!). We haven’t done any other homework and we are waiting for her to send us the Russian version, which she should get to us by midnight. However, Sarah and I are pretty burnt out, so Shirah (one of the girls in our program) has drafted an e-mail explaining that we are not suitable translators, as *a human,* fluent in both English and Russian, needs to decipher it.

So that’s what I’m currently dealing with! Ahhh, Russia… Oh, and I got told off twice today by guys my age! I thought only the babushkas (grandmothers) liked to tell people not to sit on cold stone and stuff, but apparently I was wrong…

Quote of the Day:

“In the form of the same frank call develops the whole mass culture of modernity, ‘adequately’ represented by the media, at the same level fall exhibition halls, open-tries the door dubious art.” –Professor I-don’t-speak-English