Translation question... Surprise surprise...

[quem98.livejournal.com]

How does one translate the sentance:

Какой была историческая наука в ХХом веке?

Is it:
What was historical science (which sounds damn wierd in english) like in the 20th century?

The какой is throwing me for a loop.

Comments

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

from how I understand какой, I think it would be "How was ..."

[quem98.livejournal.com]

How was historical science in the 20th century?

That doesn't sound right either.

It was great! Came over to my house for tea quite often!

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

No, no... How as in "in what manner." How in English has a different meaning than in someone languages.

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

Erf. I mean, "How" as in "What was it like?"
"What was Historical Science like in the 20th century?"

[nbuwe.livejournal.com]

This sounds right.

Alternatively, consider the answer(s), and then pick the correct question. :)

A: "Historical Science in the 20th century was stagnant, devoid of new ideas, exciting, dark green, slithy, frumious, etc."

Q: ...?

[quem98.livejournal.com]

I'm translating a piece on Russian History and National identity. In a scientific paper, they can't just some out and say that. You know?

[nbuwe.livejournal.com]

Heh, but that's extralinguistic :).

Anyway, "какая она [была]?" is the most vague/general question you can ask about something - ideal for an introductory rethoric question. So pick the English wording according to the context. "What was it like?" seems most neutral to me. "What kind of ..." is more narrowing, and requires that "..." that might introduce an unwanted undertone that is not in the original question.

[quem98.livejournal.com]

Ok. So my first instinct was in fact correct.

[smart-ass-69er.livejournal.com]

What was historical science in KhKhom century? XXom is the only problem. I assume 20th century

[quem98.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm assuming.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

The centuries in Russian language are numbered in Roman letters, not in Arab letters. 20th century would be XX century, 18th - XVIII etc. What we have now is XXI век (21st century).

[rednameless.livejournal.com]

По-моему, "какой" means "what kind" in this sentence.

Like "What kind of knight are you?", if you know, what I talking about..... 8)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Историческая наука means simply the history -- the history as an area of scientific knowledge. In Russia, there is no such difference between "Arts & Letters" & "Sciences" as we see it in academic environment in the West. History, philology, philosophy, georgaphy, anthropology etc. are still sciences in Russian academic environment. However, there is a strong difference between "fundamental science" - фундаментальная наука (theoretical physics, for example) and "applied science" - прикладная наука (like, say, pharmaceuticals) -- while both areas still bear the High Name of Science, наука :)) Наука in Russian is not simply the science, it is also the knowledge, any knowledge.

[quem98.livejournal.com]

But if I translate as "science" per say... Is that incorrect? What would be a better English translation?
Discipline, maybe?

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmmm.... I am no expert in English :) To my ear discipline sounds good. But I'm no expert :)

[simonff.livejournal.com]

Maybe, "the field of history"? Also, the question "Какой была" probably implies pinpointing its location on a certain scale. If the scale becomes known later, you may include it into the translation, eg, "How deep/silly/professional was the study of history in the 20th century?"

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

As for the question, it's about how exactly the history has been explored and studied during the 20th century. BTW "during the 20th century" would be "в ХХ веке" or "в ХХ-м веке"; "в ХХом веке" is mightily incorrect, almost illiterate.

[madrumos.livejournal.com]

note that it is какой not какая because it is in the instrumental case. the adjectives in the response will be in instrumental because they are predicating after the verb быть, and therefore the question word is in instrumental too. (cf: Кем он работает? Какими были условия в это время?)

i think your original translation is basically right, just mess around with it to make it sound smooth in english.

[quem98.livejournal.com]

Ok. Got it. Thanks.