Sunday, May 8, 2016

Featured Russian Media: Cheburashka

The crocodile I showed a few days ago is/was part of a show called Cheburashka, which began in the late 1960s.  Cheburashka is a show for children about a toy who comes to life and befriends a crocodile, Gena (like "YE-nna" but with a soft "guh" in front, "(g)YE-nna").




While these may not seem like the most exciting cartoons in the world, it's worth knowing them because most people in Ukraine or Russia grew up with these.

As another interesting aside, the google translation of this verse in the song comes out a little funny:

Теперь я Чебурашка,
Мне каждая дворняжка
При встрече сразу
Лапу подает!

Now I Cheburashka,
I each pooch
At a meeting immediately
Lapu delivers!


As you can see, Google Translate fails to deliver exactly what is going on.  As near as I can tell, and I don't speak Russian, a more accurate translation is:

Now I am/(have become) Ceburashka,
Every little doggie
Upon meeting me on the street
Walks up to me and offers a paw (like shaking a hand)

Comparing with the literal computerized translation above, you can imagine how hard it would be for a Slavic person to explain something as simple as the intro song to their children's shows.  I'm not sure I even have the correct translation for this sample, but I would encourage you to practice this skill (I call Flexible English) if you're looking to travel to that part of the world.

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