Russian idioms...

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

Hi, guys.
I was translating a tatu song... going to my boyfriend for help, and I came across a phrase that didn't make sense to him. He said it's something in Russian that he couldn't translate, really.
It's "(до) случайных имен."

Comments

[aveleen.livejournal.com]

It's been misspelled, obviously.

До случайных имен - Up to/until the accidental/occasional names.

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

My fault. But... what does "accidental/occasional names" MEAN?

[aveleen.livejournal.com]

Well, how do you think?

[kalaus.livejournal.com]

It's "ты считаешь до ста, ста случайных имен".

She wants to go to sleep, but can't; so she's counting to one hundred -- one hundred random names.

[shellesie.livejournal.com]

that's it. (but maybe "ты считаешь до ста, сто случайных имён") And the explaining is totally right.
Mmmm... don't try to understand ALL that TaTu sing in russian ;)

translate it, pls? :)

[earth-blue.livejournal.com]

Правильные слова:

http://www.miditext.ru/lyrics/ru/01/do100.html

Он сказал: "Я устал"
И его не вернуть
Ты считаешь до ста
Ты мечтаешь уснуть
Ты считаешь до ста
Сто случайных имен
А тебе надо спать
И не думать о нем

У девушки из песни проблемы со сном из-за неразделенной любви :)
Есть у нас такое: если не можешь заснуть, надо считать до ста. Сознание успокоится и ты засыпаешь.
Другой метод - представлять овец, прыгающих через забор, и считать их. К сотой овце человек расслабляется и засыпает. Третий метод - вспоминать имена, перебирая их друг за другом. К сотому имени человек должен заснуть.

Re: translate it, pls? :)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

I would love to remind that the working language of this community is English, so if you answer in Russian, you are expected to provide an English translation as well.

Well..

[earth-blue.livejournal.com]

Correct words are (taken from http://www.miditext.ru/lyrics/ru/01/do100.html):
Он сказал: "Я устал"
И его не вернуть
Ты считаешь до ста
Ты мечтаешь уснуть
Ты считаешь до ста
Сто случайных имен
А тебе надо спать
И не думать о нем
My poor translation:
He said 'I am tired'
And you won't get him back
You're counting to a hundred
You're dreaming of a sleep
You're counting to a hundred
Hundred different names
You have to sleep
Not thinking of him

The girl from this song is experiencing serious problems with her sleep, because she loves a guy who does not love her… In Russia we have a saying, or rather a national method - if you cannot sleep, you count to 100. Your mind calms down and you doze off.
Another Russian method is to count sheeps that jump over the fence, or to recollect various names - when you recollect the one hundredth name, you're probably sleeping already.

(!Thanks to papachka)

Re: Well..

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

thanks-- this was what I needed. The remembering names thing isn't an idiom/saying we have in English... that I know of. We have counting sheep, but not different names.

Well.. smth like

[bronevichek.livejournal.com]

He just said "I'm tired..."
And you can't bring him back
You are going in circles
You are dreaming of bed

You are counting sheeps
Thinking meaningless thoughts
But instead you should sleep
And pretend he is naught

[thedevilishone.livejournal.com]

it means "random names" basically.

count 100 random names and by the time you are at the 100th one you will be sleeping. it's a russian thing.