(no subject)

[bizatachi.livejournal.com]

Когда я читал "Баню" Михаила Зощенкo, я нашёл слово "Житьишко". Я не могу выяснять точно то, что это означает. Я думаю, что знаю, но я хотел бы убедиться.

Вот-отрывок, в котором появляется слово:

"Помоется этот американец, назад придёт, а ему чистое бельё подают — стираное и глаженое. Портянки небось белее снега. Подштанники зашиты, залатаны. Житьишко!"

Спасибо.


*When I was reading "In the Bathhouse" by Mikhail Zoshchenko, I came across the word "Житьишко". I can't figure out what it means, exactly. I think that I know, but I would like to be sure.

Here's the passage in which the word appears:

Comments

[apakin.livejournal.com]

Я думаю, в данном контексте это значит что-то вроде "Хорошо живется!" В общем, междометие, обозначающее радость за американца с примесью (возможно) зависти.

[oryx_and_crake]

Sorry, I have to remind that this comunity's working language is English. Many people here have just started learning Russian and they will be unable to benefit from your comment unless you provide a translation.

[apakin.livejournal.com]

I have to notice that this post was written in Russian, so I decided that author understands it. No?

[oryx_and_crake]

The author definitely will, but there are other people in community, including those who does not know Russian too well. They should be able to follow the discussions, too. Normally, even if the poster is a Russian learner, the posts are either in English anyway or the English translation is provided.

[apakin.livejournal.com]

Than author had to translate post too. How do you think English-spoken people will read the discussion without understanding the post?
Sorry for my terrible English

[oryx_and_crake]

I think you've got a point here. I'll ask the author to provide a translation, too.

[klarita.livejournal.com]

Имеется в виду - хорошая жизнь.

[oryx_and_crake]

Sorry, I have to remind that this comunity's working language is English. Many people here have just started learning Russian and they will be unable to benefit from your comment unless you provide a translation.

[kalaus.livejournal.com]

"Житьишко!" - "Talk about a bowl of cherries!"

[basile.livejournal.com]

Житьё - life as a process.
1) Rusiian native-speakears are very inclined to diminutive form of words.
2) "It's a real life!"
3) But here was an irony elements.

[gera.livejournal.com]

Diminutive from "житьё" - living (archaic, colloq.)
Here: "What a life!"

I am wondering if you got the humor of the preceding statement.
Do you know what портянки is?

[bizatachi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think I got the humor. It's basically exaggeration: he's saying that life is great because his socks are white as snow and his underwear is patched up and mended. I was just a little thrown off by the diminutive ending, I guess.

портянки are like foot-wraps, or something worn in place of socks, no?

[oryx_and_crake]

You got it right, портянки are foot-wraps and the character is indeed saying that the American's life is great because his underwear is darned and портянки are washed when he comes back from the bathhouse.

[gera.livejournal.com]

The point is that портянки and patched underwear are associated with a very poor and primitive lifestyle, yet they are present in this person's picture of "a wonderful life".

Just one small correction

[oryx_and_crake]

"я нашёл на слово"

it is either "я нашёл слово" or "я наткнулся на слово"

Re: Just one small correction

[oryx_and_crake]

P.S. Another correction.

In modern Russian you normally do not decline surnames ending with -енко, so, it will be "рассказ Михаила Зощенко". Please note that in older Russian and in Russian under the influence of Ukrainian (e.g. in Nikolai Gogol's prose) those surnames can be declined.

Re: Just one small correction

[bizatachi.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

Re: Just one small correction

[cabik.livejournal.com]

"....in Russian under the influence of Ukrainian ..." - very funny :)) Are you serious?

[cema.livejournal.com]

Nothing funny here. May be correct or not, but not funny.

Southern Russian and Ukrainian have a number of common features. Whether this is because one influenced the other or because they developed next to each other is an interesting point.

Re: Just one small correction

[oryx_and_crake]

Why do you think I was trying to be funny? I mentioned Gogol's prose which is a fine example.

Moderatorial

[oryx_and_crake]

Could you please update your post to provide an English translation along with the original text? Since we have this rule about English being the working language of the community, you know. And I feel a little silly indeed asking people to answer in English when the original posting is in Russian only, but I have to enforce this rule.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Moderatorial

[bizatachi.livejournal.com]

Yeah. No problem.

Sorry.

Re: Moderatorial

[oryx_and_crake]

Thank you!

[cema.livejournal.com]

Easy living.

The word житьишко is derived from жить while becoming a noun in an endearing ("little") form. Very Russian! It's like, instead of "спасибо" you would have said "спасибочки" or something like that.

[nadha.livejournal.com]

I think it means "easy-living" in this case.