2 questions

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

How do you express in Russian "Who is that supposed to be?" Or "Is that supposed to be Alexander II"? For instance, we're watching a film in which a political leader is assassinated and I want to ask "Is that supposed to be Alexander II"? Is it the direct translation of English: Это должно быть Александром Втором?

Also, to what extent are опять и снова interchangable? Could you give some examples of when they are used?

Спасибо

Comments

[alex-mashin.livejournal.com]

"Это должно быть Александром Втором?" is wrong because "второй" in instrumental case is "вторым". The best variant is simply "Это Александр Второй?". If you want to emphasise that you are unimpressed, ask "И это Александр Второй?" or "Предполагается, что это Александр Второй?".

[arashi-opera.livejournal.com]

Or else, "Это кто, Александр Второй?"

[liludalas.livejournal.com]

i would say that опять и снова are interchangeable in every possible way

though my personal feeling is that снова is simpler

[dekarmi.livejournal.com]

Это, должно быть, Александр Второй.
Это, должно быть, был Александр Второй. (past tense)

Widely used reply to this irritated question
"- Что, опять??!!
- Не опять, а снова!"

[crimeanelf.livejournal.com]

Disagree.

>Это, должно быть, Александр Второй.
IMHO translates as "This, supposedly, is Alexander II".

[crimeanelf.livejournal.com]

"Who is that supposed to be?"
"Is that supposed to be Alexander II"

Please, clarify your intonations.

For example, if you meant disagreement ("It is anything BUT Alexander"), it would be "И это - Александр Второй?!"

If you meant trying to understand ("I don't know anything about Alexander II. Is this how he looks like?") it would be "Это, надо думать, Александр Второй?"

If you meant irony ("You're clearly kidding!") is would be "Это у нас теперь Александр Второй?"

And so on.

[crimeanelf.livejournal.com]

Could you see the difference between

"That is supposed to be Alexander II"

and

"Is that supposed to be Alexander II"

?

[prorok-samuil.livejournal.com]

I would say that опять applies to ordinary repetitive events, and снова to those that happen sometimes and make the news.

[towarysc.livejournal.com]

Это Александр II имелся (имеется) в виду?
Это как бы Александр II?
Это они на Александра II намекают?

[towarysc.livejournal.com]

(of course it is true only in your given context; as I hamen't met such an expression in English before, I don't know in what other contexts it can be used, but it's most likely that in other contexts another expressions would match it).

[pigmeich.livejournal.com]

:) What a tricky question!

Russian has one idiom you may like:
"На его месте должен был быть Александр второй". AFAIK, it's originated from "Брилиантовая рука" movie.

[pigmeich.livejournal.com]

To your second question, main entry is the same: "(наречие) Еще раз; вновь", and when used as that the words are interchangable.

However, снова has second meaning опять doesn't have -- с-нова, "с самого начала", "from the very start".

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

>However, снова has second meaning опять doesn't have -- с-нова, "с самого начала", "from the very start".

That is more and more rare in present-day usage; these days, it's normally "заново".

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the help everyone