Moscow Times article

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A Russian Phrase for Every Twist of Fate

By Michele A. Berdy

Чему быть, того не миновать: What will be, will be.

Ah, August! The month that begins with just about every Russian knocking wood, spitting three times over his left shoulder, lighting candles and dancing under the moon while muttering spells to keep away the demons that historically plague Russia in this month. I'm spitting and knocking with the best of them, whenever I think about what has happened or could happen. Не дай Бог! (God forbid!)

Не дай Бог! is one of the phrases Russians use to ward off possible disaster. Another invocation of the good will of the Almighty is Боже (Бог) упаси -- which also means "God forbid" or "may God preserve us." Ещё раз пережить дефолт -- Боже упаси! (To go through another default -- may Heaven preserve us!) In other contexts it's a good thing to say when stressing your innocence: Переспать с твоим мужем? Боже упаси! (Sleep with your husband? God forbid!) Of course, this could either mean, "I would never even think of doing it," or, "Of course I am, and I have every intention of continuing."

When Russians are contemplating an unknown future, their expressions betray a certain fatalism, which, given Russian history, is probably just common sense. На всё воля Божья (it's in God's hands/it is the will of God). Я не знаю, что будет. Чему быть, того не миновать. (I don't know what will happen. What will be, will be -- literally, "what is destined to be cannot be avoided.") Что будет с моей работой? Поживём -- увидим. (What will happen to my job? We'll see -- literally, "we'll live a bit and see.")

Despite the dark clouds, Russians have lots of ways of expressing certainty that everything will be just fine: Всё будет хорошо! Сейчас мы с мужем переживаем тяжёлый период, но я уверена, что всё устаканится. (My husband and I are going through a tough patch now, but I'm sure that everything will settle down.) На работе у нас новый начальник, который хочет всё изменить. Ничего -- всё образуется. (We have a new boss at work who wants to change everything. Oh, well -- everything will fall into place.) When things aren't looking too good, but you still have hope, you can use the phrase как-нибудь обойдётся (things will turn out okay, one way or the other). Не знаю, что мы будем делать, если сын не поступит в институт. Но, наверное, всё как-нибудь обойдётся. (I don't know what we'll do if my son doesn't get into the institute. But I suppose it will all work out, one way or the other.)

When things are definitely taking a turn for the worse, you can console yourself that the timing is just off. Меня не назначили директором. Ничего -- всему своё время. (I didn't get the job of director. Oh, well -- everything in its own time/the timing just wasn't right.) Не назначили тебя? Ничего -- всё ещё впереди! Кто ждёт, тот дождётся. (They didn't appoint you? Don't worry about it. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Everything comes to him who waits.)

Note that the word ничего is an intrinsic part of Russian expressions of fatalism. It means "Oh, well," "It's not so bad," "It's nothing," "It's not the worst thing that could happen."

When the worst has happened, your Russian friends will try to convince you that there is a silver lining in there somewhere. Всё, что ни делается -- к лучшему! (It will be all for the best, literally, "no matter what happens, it's for the best.") If that doesn't convince you, they'll resort to a number of sayings: Слезами горю не поможешь.(Crying won't mend matters.) It's better to forget it and move on: Что было, то было. (What's past is past.) More ominously, they may console you that the worst may still lie ahead: Это горюшко -- не горе, горе будет впереди. (Nothing so bad but might have been worse, literally, "that's a little sorrow, not a big one; a big one is ahead"). Or, when nothing helps, they will tell you sagely: И это пройдёт. (This too shall pass.)

As shall August!

Michele A. Berdy is a Moscow-based translator and interpreter.

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