Semi-historical expressions

[liesoverthesea.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone!  There are a couple of expressions I remember hearing in my Soviet history class, and I was wondering if anyone here could refresh my memory as to the context of these expressions and how they were originally said (in Russian).

1) "We wanted better, but we ended up with 'like always'"

2) "They pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work"

Thanks!

Comments

[shalapanova.livejournal.com]

1. Хотели как лучше, а получилось как всегда.
2. Они делают вид, что платят нам, мы делаем вид, что работаем.

[aka-lacerda.livejournal.com]

1) Хотели как лучше, а получилось как всегда.
2) Они делают вид, что нам платят. А мы делаем вид, что работаем.

[silpol.livejournal.com]

1st one is not Soviet - Viktor Chernomyrdin considered to be the first person who casted it in public ;)

[arvi.livejournal.com]

Its not Soviet. Its anti-Soviet history. :-) Soviet quotes are:

1. Лучшее — детям! (The best is for children.)
2. От каждого — по способностям, каждому — по потребностям. (From everyone by their ability, to everyone by their needs.)

[oryx_and_crake]

It was in use long before Chernomyrdin even became a political figure.

[spiderhood.livejournal.com]

I believe the original variant of the second one was "как они нам платят, так мы им и работаем" (we work for them as much as they pay us). I may be wrong on this one - but again, I may be right ;)

[mytza.livejournal.com]

Now this is real political correctness :))

[oryx_and_crake]

No.2 is the main principle of communism which, as we very well know, has never been achieved. So, this may sound beautiful but in fact is too good to be true. (By the way, the main principle of socialism was От каждого по способностям, каждому по труду, which is much more feasible.)

[temcat.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... do you have any examples?

[oryx_and_crake]

What do you mean, examples? People were saying it. The internet was not on these days, so, I am sorry but I cannot give you a link to a dated web-page with this phrase :-)

[mytza.livejournal.com]

Hehe, that's right, I know it well from my childhood :)